thefoundation | WEEK 4 - VENUS FLYTRAP

[At least he'll be a very metal Christmas tree. ☆

Anon is discovering right now that it's very, very hard to do handicrafts and laugh at the same time, even if he's trying to muffle himself with flowers right now -- the expression on Natsuno's face is just that hilarious, please help him. He's terrible and always full of mischief so he very sneakily tries to catch Natsuno's eye even as he shifts his focus and finally starts sorting through purple hair.

Despite his dire warnings, there's only a few faint tugs as he works out the fluff and minor tangles, running his fingers through the locks he's separating out next to an ear. He really hasn't helped anyone with their hair before, but he's at least experienced in this with himself. It's just a bit backwards from this end.]

I don't know if getting hair braided by an Infernal is the same?? Did she come at your head with the shovel or something?

[There's definitely still a hint of laughter in his voice, a touch softer and more distracted.]

[ At some point Anon succeeds in catching his eye which means faintly blushing is being added to this disastrous mix. He tries to cover it with more grumbling, but it's a useless measure. ]

She did, actually. I had to steal from her twice and the second time she caught me. It was when I was human too, so it was a huge pain. [ Daring to actually look at Anon here for reasons he's not sure of himself. ] This is better than that, cause I don't think you'd try to kill me.

[ He didn't intend to sound so soft, but it kinda just happens. ]

[He's started plaiting at this point but once he gets going there's less of a need to look until he has to add flowers to the mix, so Anon has a moment to appreciate the effects of the flustering -- it's something he's enjoying, too, tugging Natsuno out of his comfort zone when he can. The smile on his face is one part mischief and two parts indulgence.]

Those old hags really can be scary when they put their minds to it sometimes! Especially if you're a human and all.

[And a noodle human, at that, going by build and not by jinrou moments. There's a brief pause in his movements -- part of it is needing to retrieve the flower bud to braid it in, part of it is meeting Natsuno's gaze a little curiously.]

... I don't think I'd try to kill you either. [he probably should have picked more certain words for that, but there's plenty going on here already; his voice goes really quiet in the middle, like he's realizing what he's saying but can't quite keep himself from saying it anyway, and he looks away first for once] I want to win this Game and stop being a Piece already. I want to see where we can go.

[They've come a long, long way since that day at the docks and it weighs in his words, all the places and silly dreams and promises they've linked together like charms or like hair or like so many of the other things they've done here.

Gently, somehow steadily, he weaves the flower in.]

Edited 2019-05-24 18:57 (UTC)

It was better me then them. [ What "them", but it's lost somewhere in the next moment. ]

Yeah. [ Some of the tension in his body loosens then, which hopefully doesn't affect the braid too much as he leans back a bit. ] I don't like thinking like that. I did it back home to get me through the endless slog of day after day, but I always felt like I was never going to make it out of Sotoba alive. Thinking like that is dangerous but... I want to see where we can go too.

[He's most of the way through this braid anyway; he really does have a rhythm down now, and Anon allows a slight pause to adjust positions again -- the flower stem woven in helps to hold the braid together until he can take it up again. Smaller braids are certainly easier, and his movements slow a little as he works his way towards the more uneven ends of the hair, smoother and more contemplative.

He's absolutely considering the next braid already. Natsuno did request at least two colors, after all, and the braids are too short to hold more than one flower each. He's looking forward to it.]

Hmm. You're here now, though. [it's a soft hum of a reminder, like the faint tugs at the end of the braid and the brush of flower petals] I really didn't think there was anywhere to go unless I made it myself. But I didn't want to stay where I was at all. It's way better to make bad moves than to do that.

[There's something a little bit wry there. After coming all the way here, hindsight really is something.]

So I'm totally down for doing something dangerous.

[That one sounds more like his usual self, and the half-smile he gives Natsuno is all silliness and intrepid willingness to fling himself over the next cliff just to see what the landing looks like.]

Only because I'm not good at staying dead. [ Morbidly quipped, but light and almost playful. He hums a bit, turning over his thoughts with Anon's words until they're one giant mix of recklessness and teenage rebellion. ]

Mmhmm, it's always better to go out on your own than submit. It would've been something to see, though. [ Just a note of longing in his voice, because hindsight really is something, but it wouldn't have changed anything for Natsuno in the end. And watching all of Sotoba burn even as he literally self destructed was something he wouldn't trade for the world even if it is, in any way you frame it, an awful decision. Sometimes bad decisions work out though, like his bet with Riku that started this whole flower crown extravaganza. This isn't something he would give up either, and he's somehow settled into this rhythm of flowers and braiding like it was natural. Maybe it is in a way, because somehow things always feel natural in present company. ]

Got any ideas? [ Said both brightly and darkly; he'll likely always carry iconoclastic tendencies despite the consequences. ]

You aren't! You're really, really bad at it.

[It's playful back, somehow just as much of a compliment as it was the first time.

And there's something about Natsuno's tone that makes Anon's smile a little sillier still and he takes a moment to finish off that first braid before sitting back a little to survey things and... scratch a little at one of the marks on his cheeks. There's something mock-embarrassed about the motion this time. He's somewhat pleased and not trying too hard to hide it.]

Maybe it happened after all, though, in some Fragment out there. It would have been something; I think I can definitely say that.

[Because apart from knowing the measure of himself -- he can also be kind of a showman when he really puts his mind to it, when he has an audience to perform for or when the circumstances demand it. The present audience is one he really wouldn't mind doing it for, even if for the most part he adds only flourishes and embellishments, letting the rest of him speak for itself anytime they're together.

It's sometimes so easy to forget that he ever did anything else, even if the majority of his life has been spent doing something very different. He picks up the braiding again, but spends a little longer this time just running his hands through hair, getting a little lost in thought.]

Hmm. I think I'd want to get stronger than a Witch, at least. That's the best way of making sure I can make my own path in all these worlds.

Edited 2019-05-25 03:27 (UTC)

I guess it's not the worst thing to be bad at. [ More morbid humor, but there's a small smile here too that turns a shade darker at Anon's confidence. Natsuno likes watching Anon no matter the situation, though he'd be hard pressed to put why into words. He might have tried to sort through his thoughts anyway because at this point even he's got this nagging feeling that something about them is different but—the sensation of fingers in his hair short circuits his thoughts.

A faint blush spreads across his cheeks, and he ostensibly looks to the side to provide better access to his hair. So what if that's not the real reason, it's really hard to hide your face when you're well, face to face. ]

Y-Yeah. I can see that. [ A beat. ] See you doing that, I mean. [ He says while doing his best not to look at Anon. Give him a moment or two to recover and he might say something not dumb. ]

[And Anon likes watching him back, because of course he does; he's always liked watching people, studying their mannerisms and motives and what makes them tick, what makes them grow and thrive and become more and more interesting. Normally, he likes to take them apart, sometimes metaphorically and sometimes literally. That's what he was made for.

He's still not sure what he wants to do with Natsuno, other than to keep watching -- his expressions and the matching red of his eyes and everything else. The way red looks on him, whether it's in his face or in his hair. There's still mischief in his expression as he prepares the next flower: black.

Slowly, unhurriedly, his fingers continue running and untangling. He probably doesn't need to take this long, but it's fine.]

There's so much I've learned here, and way more I've seen. Even at the Foundation, they couldn't contain all the knowledge they were trying to lock away from me or anyone else. The multiverse is inconvenient, but the more I see, the more I think I can definitely get stronger.

[There's something indefinable in the way he says that, slow and almost wondering. It's hard to tell exactly what he thinks of it even if his words are straightforward and unadorned, but there's still that smile on his face, a little quieter now.]

[ Recovery might be a bit, because the gentle touches in his hair are really, really distracting. Unlike the braiding, there's something more intimate about them but Natsuno is doing his best not to think about it. Probably because he can't think through much at the moment, but details. ]

...Mmn. [ Affirmatively, because he agrees with everything that's been said. He should say more than that though. Ah—closing his eyes actually helps? It might just be the temporary shift in his senses which improves his focus, or it could just be that it's more relaxing like this. ]

The multiuniverse is a pain but maybe that's not a bad thing. If it was too easy, it would be easy to get lazy too. And you don't want to be stuck in one place, so you will get stronger. I'm sure of it. [ Opening his eyes again at the end, his conviction can be both seen and heard. He got out what he needed to say, and he maybe wants to see more of Anon's face too. Just maybe. He's still embarrassed and therefore still a touch pink, but that moment of respite brought him some courage (or a momentary lack of self awareness it's honestly debatable.) ]

Edited 2019-05-28 05:37 (UTC)

[He'll get to see the expression on Anon's face brighten just a little in response to his words -- it's subtle, but immediate, like Natsuno's words themselves are a piece of the puzzle. There's no overall shape to it yet; whatever is being built, that is. But Anon does turn his smile on him, and there's something satisfied in it as he finally moves towards the actual braiding part of the equation.

(He might have run out of tangles, but it was worth it for the expressions on Natsuno's face, he'd say. More practically, it makes the braiding smoother, but the braids are short enough that it's a minor problem.)]

Right. No matter what happens, no matter where you want to go... if you work hard, then there has to be a way. That goes for you, too! If we keep training, we'll have you super strong too before you know it.

[ ...yeah it was worth it for Natsuno too even if he has no idea why at this point. That's fine, because it's enough just to enjoy this good mood. It might be why he laughs at Anon's faith in his training prowess too. ]

I guess I should have fought Masao after all. [ His smile is wry. ] I'm sure he would have picked a fight with me if he saw any of this. Probably would have said something about how I was doing it for attention...

[There's something truly inexplicable about this mood, this atmosphere -- it hasn't quite changed since the gentle rhythm they established when Anon was still braiding flowers and Natsuno was braiding all kinds of things; or perhaps it's more accurate to say it shifted, but Anon still wants to stay in it.

He perks up a little at the mention of fighting whoever-that-is, because of course he does, hands pausing for the briefest moment to readjust before resuming. He's really getting good at this somehow.]

Oh. Is this Masao guy fun to fight? Does he really like it? Or does he just really not like flowers?

[He's not sure why else you'd have an issue with flower crowns or whatever, but Natsuno knows some weird people.]

[ Natsuno can't really see what's going on, but the whole braiding process does feel smoother. Not that he would have noticed at this point, but it's pretty nice anyway. ]

No, he was annoying and a moron. He used to pick fights with me all the time because he didn't like me. Said I had emotional problems or whatever when I wouldn't put up with him like everyone else did. [ A half shrug here that he stops because he doesn't wanna mess up the braiding. ]

He turned into a shiki too, but no one even noticed he was dead for a while. It was pathetic. [ His lips curl into an insidious smile with a fair measure of scorn. ]

Hmm, sounds like he's the one who really wanted attention.

[Is it time to be terrible people together again, even as Anon starts threading the black flower into Natsuno's hair, even as he laughs back with a merciless sort of condescension towards this fellow he's never met nor heard of before in his life.

He always enjoys hearing about fights and those who pick them, but--]

So you never bothered fighting him because he wasn't worth fighting. If it's that bad, then you can tell pretty easy so you don't waste your time. By the time I entered the tournament back home, most people like that had been crushed already.

They never were meant to get very far, anyway.

I'm selfish but he was worse. And he was louder about it, so yeah [ That's Natsuno's takeaway from it all, apparently. Be who you are but don't be annoying about it. He leans back a bit in response to the agreement, part relaxing and part something like camaraderie. That's not quite the right word, but self awareness is weeks away. ]

They weren't. I guess it was ironic that he rose up instead of some of the others, but maybe he deserved two pitiful deaths or something. [ Actually, he remembers he never asked- ] Did the losers in the tournament die? Or did the refs just need to sweep them off the floor to the hospital?

Edited 2019-05-29 19:02 (UTC)

There's nothing wrong with being selfish, but no matter what, you have to be strong enough to stand on your own. Those who can't do that are always the loud ones and the ones who complain the most. They struggle and they struggle, just like bugs on the floor.

[As always, his philosophy is perfectly fine with selfishness and self-interest: might always makes right, even if his ideas about strength have slowly expanded and become more well-rounded lately. Perhaps just a little. The multiverse really is big, after all, and he has reasons now to want to get to know it. And sometimes he just goes back to dismissing weaklings when they deserve it.

There's another little laugh, dark and just a bit mocking.]

Mmm, a lot of them had to be mopped up, especially in later rounds. Usually, a fight would be stopped or ended before anybody was killed, but there were other ways. I never bothered to check the earliest rounds, but if a fighter was really stupid and used their power on somebody not in the tournament too many times, they could be erased.

They'd have to be really, really dumb, though.

Masao was a leech. [ Just clarifying, cause it suits him perfectly. That's a bit of an insult to leeches looks wise, but oh well. ]

That's how Sotoba was in the end. There was blood everywhere... [ Longingly and licking his lips, the thought is more tantalizing now than it was back then. Natsuno's changed too, and become more open with his views. Whether that's a good or a bad thing is likely a different of perspective. ]

Hmn? What a strict rule, but I guess it does take a really stupid person to break it then.

Ooh. I know those, they're those squashy things with no arms or legs or anything and they suck blood.

[He sounds very proud of himself for knowing what a leech is.....]

But it sounds like Sotoba was almost more fun to watch than the tournament when it really got going...

[They didn't exactly get free reign to go after and crush tournament competitors, after all -- at least he didn't. It was very rude. Sometimes your resident large murderdog just wants to play with the other pups, but in a more deadly way. ☆ There's a quick blink or two when his gaze gets caught on Natsuno's mouth there, an idle thought about whether his fangs are out, before the nearly-complete braid claims his attention again.

He stares at it for a moment before resuming.]

And... it's because the Celestials were in charge of things. They really like putting in all kinds of rules and controls and making things pretty boring, at the end of the day. I guess they just didn't want any of the competitors going after humans while they were having the earlier rounds down there. [a bemused shake of the head here] I mean, all the competitors were meant to be human in the first place, but it's not like the Celestials were going to follow all their own rules, either.

[Interdimensional politics sure are something.]

Right, they're weak and gross. [ Leeches are usually full of blood though, which doesn't do him any favors when he's successfully side tracked himself like this. He spaces out for just a moment, then tips his head to the side to look at Anon as best he can without pulling the braid. From this angle it's clear his fangs are out; it's a few more days until he gets to eat again so he's hungry. ]

You would have had fun. There were no rules or laws by that point, and anyone who tried to argue otherwise got the Shiki treatment of being pounded with a mallet. We even had a couple of villagers who tried to play both sides and they wound up being mobbed to death. [ It was a mess, but he sounds fond of it all. ]

The celestials sound like a real pain...if they were going to do whatever they wanted they should have just let everyone else do it too.

[There's a hum of acknowledgment, a mischievous side-glance because Anon knows that with all the talk of blood and everything and that peek of fangs, Natsuno's getting all distracted too. There's a cheeky half-grin as he ties off the braid with a satisfied little motion.]

That sounds even more fun than the Game here -- I mean, there probably weren't all that many strong opponents, but it's been a while since I've gotten to stretch my legs. I wouldn't even need a mallet or anything... No waiting, or arguing, or sides or anything. Just survival!

[He really does sound like he's cheering?? It's truly all a mess. Some days you just miss getting to really punch things. He's had so much self-control here, y'all.]

Well, that's Celestials for you. They've always been sneakier, and they like pretending they're so above it all, but really they play just as dirty as everybody else. It's why Father was really, really good at pretending to be one.

[ He huffs, amused. ]

A mallet would be overkill for you. None of them were really strong though...except this big jiisan who used to own the liquor store. He didn't need a mallet either, and he was well over 180 cm tall and like an old cranky bear. Heard he even killed his own son and everything.

[ For as much as he hates Sotoba, he kinda sounds like he agrees with Anon here. Superficially at least, because if he really thought about it, the company here is much better. Way, way, better.

Mmn, feeling out the newly done braids and trying not to think too hard. ]

That's the kind of person your dad is? [ It's another topic they've skirted and talked about, but not directly. ]

Heheh, remind me to show you the Sacred Weapons when I can. 'Cause they're way more fun than a mallet. But come to think of it... I've totally wanted to meet a bear since I got to the island. I think Joey said that they eat fish and make sushi, but I don't know if they kill their sons.

[We don't know if this is slandering bears, sushi, the jiisan or Joey at this point, but somebody definitely had their reputation messed with somewhere in that katamari of deeply confused speculation. Anon definitively perked up a little at the idea of bear-jiisans, though.

He quiets down a little just to watch Natsuno and his braids. It's more than a little tempting to just keep going -- judging by the other times they've hung out, they could probably keep going until Natsuno really does have a headful of both braids and flowers.

But he likes the way things are now too, the simple braids and the ridiculous boa. He misses having something to do with his hands, but there are other distractions to think over.]

Mmm, I would say most of the Protectorate is pretty good at it. Knowing how to play the Celestial game, and use what people want against them, and get power by any means necessary, and all of that! Father's spent a lot of time with Celestials, though, so I'd say he's one of the best.

...make sushi? [ Laughing here, it's a great distraction from the braids even as they sway in his hair as a result. ]

Bears catch fish, but they definitely don't make sushi at all. I don't know if they kill their sons, either though. [ He's settled a little just thinking of this whole bearscapade, but he slides back into a more level tone to address the Celestials. ]

Sounds like a bunch of dealing with people and politics...it makes sense that he's one of the best at it even if he's an Infernal.

Ehhh, then Joey definitely didn't know as much about bears as she thought she did! If they don't kill their sons they should at least know how to use fish properly.

[Anon snickers back happily; he doesn't seem especially invested in the idea of sushi or filicide one way or the other -- by now he's got a whole spread of different foods that he wants to try and no fresh fish for the moment to whet his appetite -- but it tickles him just as much as everything else.

He watches the braids, still, just as much as he's watching Natsuno's expression. Everything is pretty distracting.]

Definitely. That's probably why he got that mission and all. There's all kinds of political things between Infernal clans too, I think, but nothing gets to the level it's gotten to with the Celestials. I don't think they have anything better to do.

[Peacetime breeds political posturing, the usual.]

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