[It's certainly been somehow an exciting week, even if all the excitement has been on-screen -- Anon is pretty sure this is what watching a sporting event would look like, even if he absolutely prefers to be in the middle of the action -- and with their influx of new residents in the noodle dream wonderland, it's no wonder they haven't gotten around to completely exploring any additions to the place.
There are all kinds of other distractions taking up his time these days, anyway. Somehow time has flown by almost as quickly as the island and the mansion themselves have dissolved. Rather like in a dream, actually.
There's always a softer quality about the place, but especially so later at night when most others are asleep or retired, dreaming in the dream; and he and Natsuno are usually still up, because he's starting to become a little nocturnal at this point. Whoops. The hot springs etiquette that Natsuno and presumably Watanuki follows isn't quite the same as the Underworld, of course, but there are commonalities, because that's how baths work. Anon follows Natsuno's lead at his usual easy pace, and finally seats himself in the onsen with a happy sigh, hair mostly gathered in a towel with some wisps escaping and curling down his neck. He has a lot of hair, okay.]
He wouldn't! This is technically his dream and his onsen, anyway. Besides, I'm sure he secretly wanted one too, he just needed somebody to be creative first.
[He's been mostly good, and the water is tempting, so at this point he slides down just a bit and blows some bubbles.]
Lazy. [ That's directed toward his current boss, and it sounds like there's something else there because of course his mind snaps to the conversation they had earlier this week. It's something that's been nagging at him a bit like an annoying bug bite that itches at the most inopportune times.
Thankfully (or not?) the bubbles redirect him and Natsuno glances over with an amused hum. ]
I can hear my father yelling not to play around in the onsen from here. [ Which means of course that he approves. ]
Mmhm, lazy and short-tempered and really likes throwing his weight around!
[Anon pops his head back out of the water for that, laughing a little -- as always, dragging Watanuki is one of his favorite past-times, even if there's little malice in it at this point in the Game. It's rather more like an old bit of gossip or pleasantly regarding a pupil with particularly bad grades.
Something like that.
He meets Natsuno's amusement with a full complement of smiling cheekiness. All things considered, he knows what he means now when he brings up his old man.]
Anyway, this is a dream onsen, so it's definitely for playing around in. I bet if Watanuki wanted, we could have the water be rainbow colors and everything.
...yeah I can see that. [ This kinda sounds like the earlier weeks where he would get randomly lost in trailing trains of thought. Here though he has a lot of anchors—it's impossible to ignore that smile even if he wanted. Still he leans back in the onsen with a short sigh, letting the tips of his hair drag into the water. ]
[He says that in the same carefree, irreverent tone, of course, but there's a small tilt to Anon's head as he parses the changes in Natsuno's mood and the sighing. It's not as though that's new for him, being a little more in tune with Natsuno than you'd expect when he's being his loud and ridiculous self; he's always been good at watching, because you need that to mimic and adapt.
Watching Natsuno, though, is something that started straying before he knew it. He knows a lot of little things that you wouldn't expect, perhaps even more than he himself expected until recently.
So he takes a moment to think things over, a little longer than he would have otherwise.]
Well, we went through all those photo albums and he's definitely done weirder things. [please see: Chobit ears for some reason] But I wonder if there's anything he wants now. When the whole thing with Yuuko changed, I mean.
I don't know. [ He kinda stayed out of all that because he was probably one of the worst suited to helping given they really hadn't talked much until suddenly Watanuki was his boss. And that was fine, because as Natsuno told him, he doesn't need to like someone to work with them.
But that's not what this is about. ]
What he wanted from me for my wings isn't something I was willing to give him.
[That gets Anon to perk up a little bit, because it's not as though he doesn't also have a vested interest in those wings of Natsuno's himself. They're new and exciting and he wants to see them again all the time, but that's not entirely what this is about right now either. After a moment he splashes over a little closer, paying attention.]
[ Rather than answer, he closes his eyes and lets himself drop into the onsen all the way. He didn't bother to take a proper breath beforehand so he doesn't stay down too long, just enough to drench himself in the hot water and let the heat soak into his skin. He shakes his head when he surfaces (he'll go chasing after his now wet towel later), his voice stronger than it was before.
It's a notable difference because while it's clear he's bothered by this, there's another emotion tangled up in it, one he doesn't express too often. Anger. Natsuno and anger make for things like genocide and burning every bridge in his closest friendship and then some. But here, he can't really be angry at Watanuki properly, at least if he wants to achieve his goal. So instead it's been sitting on him, but now that he's started it's easier to spit out. ]
He wanted me to be your keeper. Something about how you need help knowing right from wrong and how to make better judgments. He would give me wings but for every person you killed I would lose a feather. I guess he thought he was being poetic or something because if I just "guided you" and helped you find "nonviolent" solutions to your problems then I could have the freedom of flight.
That's not freedom, and I refuse to ever be trapped in a cage again. And I'd never let that happen to you either.
[Anon just watches, and waits, and steals Natsuno's towel when he goes under just because -- he drapes it up over his own, which kind of defeats the purpose of both towels in some ways, but he can claim ignorance of detailed onsen etiquette and besides neither of them are really all that interested in following things to the letter anyway.
Once Natsuno does get going he just stares, blankly, to the point where something suddenly clicks and then he blinks a couple of times. It apparently took a little while to actually process all of that, because it was a lot??
But also, once all is said and done Anon is just going to -- dissolve into helpless laughter, actually, real amusement mixed with scorn mixed with something like pity in it. He's still laughing when he reaches for Natsuno to loop an arm around his neck and tug him closer and now he's just laughing into his shoulder, why not.]
Ah -- Watanuki, Watanuki.
[It's said like he's admonishing some kind of pet that's just ruined the carpet by, I don't know, taking a flying divebomb into a cactus. It's so stupid you can't even be mad, sort of petshaming.]
Oh, wow... He's so bad at this. He's really, really bad at being a Witch.
[Or just really, really bad at dealing with this particular pair, but Anon is here to judge all the way to the bank. He peeks up at Natsuno and his eyes are still bright with mirth and something a lot softer, his grip loosening a little so they drift a bit, still anchored together.]
It's a pretty sneaky deal, if you want to get two for the price of one, and if we were totally different people doing totally different things in a totally different universe. For being the Witch of Dimensions, he really doesn't get how the world works at all.
[ It's kinda remarkable how quickly Natsuno relaxes once Anon pulls him over, seemingly unending laughter and all. By the end he's just a bit exasperated and still somewhat sullen, but he's very much in a better state of mind than he was before. His arm has also found it's way around Anon at some point, because now that they're together he doesn't want to separate. This is just how things are now. ]
He was serious about it too, like I'd really consider such an idiotic deal. [ grumble grumble ]
I was going to say he doesn't get us, but the world thing sounds right.
[It's definitely too hot in the onsen to be doing stuff like embracing, but it's fine. They're fine.
And Anon is going to go further, anyway -- Natsuno's grumbling softens his expression even more and then he just reels him in for a kiss, all impulse and heat and with his mocking grin for the Witch still firmly in place. The real problem here is that angry Natsuno and sullen Natsuno are just about as kissable as murderous Natsuno and gentle Natsuno. Essentially, he just wants to kiss Natsuno all the time for existing, sue him. He already said this out loud.
It looks like the onsen isn't going to escape them being themselves, either.
Eventually he pulls back, half of that grin still plastered on there because he can't help himself, can he.]
Of course you wouldn't. He wanted you to sell your soul for something that you could get just about anywhere else. That's not even a fair price.
[Judging by the look in his eyes, though, he's aware it's more than that, too. Natsuno gets another kiss, quick and light, just because.]
It's not fair for where we come from, or where we're going, or anything. Watanuki really doesn't understand.
[He's not just talking about the Foundation here, but like. Seriously.]
[ This is what all those summer days in Sotoba were training for, clearly. There's no resistance to the kiss and there won't be any in the future whatever the circumstance, but even Natsuno's surprised at how difficult it is to keep being grouchy with kisses involved. He's going to grumble some more because he still very much wants to drag Watanuki here, but his feelings have mellowed out considerably. Guess the answer to anger can be kisses instead of murder, who knew. ]
I offered him my strongest jinrou ability and he said that wasn't a fair price. Guess I'll just find someone to hypnotize into giving me wings, but I was trying to play fair by just offering it instead. [ Sorry Shadow because now he's absolutely going to go around brainwashing people out of spite for Watanuki.
At the next his tone softens a bit, because this is more important than his pile of salt. ]
[Well, it's not like Anon is going to dissuade him from grumbling -- nothing wrong with salt to season kisses, nor kisses to garnish salt. There's a huff of a laugh from him, a gleam in his eye, because yeah, it's not like he's going to be a good influence when it's Watanuki involved.
That's not what he's all about.]
You offered brainwashing for wings? You must really like them, huh?
[There's a hint of mischief to that question, and he sneaks the arm he's got draped around Natsuno's neck (very sneakily) up to tap pointedly at the spots on his back where the wings sprout, playing out a little rhythm just because.]
Well, I was thinking of going just about everywhere. I haven't decided what the best Fragment is yet, but I bet we could find one full of wings. [how they'd actually nab those wings is a question for another day; they can totally wing it] ... I was going to see about whether there was a way to make a Fragment where nobody could interfere, but I think I want to learn more first. I really haven't seen that many worlds, after all.
[His voice goes a little quieter on the last part, thoughtful -- it's not quite uncertainty, but this part of it is obviously still under construction and consideration. His dreams have always, always been lofty in their own way. He's still new to building things instead of tearing them down, though, and having somebody at his side to do it.]
Yeah I- [ Shivering at the touch, Natsuno lets out a pleased sigh. There's no room for wings in the onsen but the ghost of feeling is there all the same. He mumbles another yeah that's more muddled than the first but he's distracted so it's the best he's got.
Apparently he's still paying attention though, because while it takes him a second or two to respond he speaks with clarity, distractions or not. ]
If you want the best of everything, you kinda do need to see everything first. [ He stirs a little, sending out small ripples in the water, just enough to give Anon a light headbump. ]
Me either, and I wasn't really paying attention before on missions. We can both start from scratch. As long as we see a city at some point, and not too many worlds covered in shrines and churches. They'll probably make me sick unless we just burn them all.
[He hums a happy little hum at Natsuno's reaction, and he's absolutely making note of it for later even if the lack of wings and the general state of the onsen makes it a little harder to follow up on it right now. Instead, he'll steal a brief kiss to snatch the mumble from Natsuno's lips before settling back into all the ways they're already touching.
It totally still isn't enough. Maybe it's the overload of skin-to-skin contact and maybe it's the haze of the onsen, a different sort from the lazy blur of sake in the blood.
But Natsuno is still talking and it's probably important that he see this through, so Anon puts away his impulses for the moment. Or at least shuffles them off to the side.]
Yeah... [the word is a sigh] Either way, it's going to be a lot of work -- I don't know if it counts as work? -- so I want to do it right.
[It probably doesn't count as work yet, considering they're going to be roadtripping the hell out of the multiverse if this goes right. There's a low thrum of anticipation in his voice and all through him, because saying it out loud makes it a little more real. And saying it to Natsuno is...
Well, saying it to Natsuno is only natural. But it makes Anon want to get closer anyway; he drapes his other arm around him.]
I like starting from scratch, and seeing a bunch of cities. I mean, chasing farm animals could be fun too, but there are probably worlds where you'd get way more interesting creatures. Also, we can burn all the shrines and churches if you want?
Work is something you don't usually enjoy, and we're both going to enjoy this so it doesn't count. It might be hard sometimes but...it'll be fun. [ Natsuno is sure of it, even if he's awash in a sea of stimulation right now. It's hard to focus and his breaths have become a little deeper—he's hot and his skin feels all tingly but that doesn't stop him from taking every touch he can get.
Tipping his head back a bit he watches the steam rise slowly to ceiling; if he looked anywhere he would be too tempted to reply with his tongue in a way that had nothing to do with words at all. ]
Mmn...yeah. [ Making eye contact now might be dangerous, but he can't help it given the topic (his vendetta against churches likely won't be short lived). He can't help the wry upturn of his lips either. ] Maybe only a few.
Mmmm, but... I've always enjoyed work, you know? Training, and fighting, and -- and everything else, no matter how hard it was.
[There's something rougher in his voice, a little stumbling over the words, and it's hard to say whether it's due to sheer distraction or due to the subject matter. It sounds a little like some of those words might have spilled out without his meaning them to; Anon isn't nearly as disciplined during the conversation even if he is (in some way) doing his best, and he's preoccupied with watching all the parts of Natsuno he can reach right now and the way water beads on all of them amid curls of steam.
It really, really doesn't help when Natsuno tilts his head back, because that means his neck is bared, too. There's something almost predatory about the way Anon's started tracking the movements.
So when their gazes catch each other again, his is almost completely red, pupils shrunk to fierce slits as he watches Natsuno and his smile with that same intensity.]
Whatever you want. And whenever you want. I've always wanted to set fire to everything at least once.
[Okay, so his words might have started to veer nonsensical too, but give him a break, he's five seconds from just pouncing.]
I've never really worked so... [ There probably was a train of thought there, but it trails off like the water dripping from the ends of his purple hued locks. He's almost tempted to dunk his head under the heated water again, somehow that seems like it would be cooler than having parts of his skin laid bare like this.
It's not what he wants though, even if it would be easier (as if difficulty has ever mattered once he's decided on a course of action). The bright red irises with their predatory focus is just like it was after hanami, when he let himself drown in them until it was the only thought he had left. There's no fabric to separate them here, just water as clear and tempestuous as they are.
Almost reflexively, he cocks his head to the side exposing his neck more blatantly than before. There's no lack of thought put into the gesture; Natsuno knows what it means better than anyone else and the memory tickles in a way he didn't think was possible. A bubble of laughter rises from his chest, spreading to his lips and tongue—spilled words soft even as disjointed as they are. ]
Yeah. Then we're doing it. Whenever. Maybe even now.
[Anon's a little past words at this point, leaning forward when Natsuno makes that small and deliberate movement -- there's a sparking split-second where he catches his eye again, hungry and considering, before he actually does just pounce. It's not quite a lunge; he still manages to control his momentum somewhat, because they're still so close that he really only needs to shift a little.
But his breath is hot and quick in the midst of the onsen air and everything else for the barest of instants before he makes contact, and then his tongue is hotter when he licks up the drops and trails of water along Natsuno's collarbone and the tendon in his neck before biting down. Once, twice, deeper and lighter pressures like he's taste testing, searching out the pulse and soothing with a kiss or two in between. The last time he holds on a little with his teeth, almost thoughtfully, like a predator debating whether to tear out the throat -- closes his lips around the bite to suck briefly at it like a deeper kiss.
(And as deliberate and exploratory as all his motions manage to be, his focus almost intense enough to be something physical on its own, the thinnest layer of water and skin between them means that the galloping of his pulse comes through too; it thrums along with only a couple of stutters, whenever he actually bites down.
It's an easy but amazing motion, when he knows what Natsuno is.)]
[ There's a small muffled sound that escapes from his mouth at the initial contact. As quiet as he tries to make it, it's incredibly vulnerable, raw and new. The past fights with the present in his head, and even if that's all behind him and even if this is what he wants, his heart is hammering through his rib cage all the same.
It's after the first bite that he catches himself, catches the heat between the both of them and slides his eyes closed. This is an all new type of teeth on skin experience and it's tantalizing and intoxicating and there's not a single drop of blood on his tongue. The kisses and bites and everything in between pile on top of one another and his back leans into the wall of the onsen like he's toppling over from their weight, all while stubbornly refusing to actually distance himself from the touch. Everything about Natsuno is stubborn, including the way any new marks fade within moments, the skin seemingly unmarred. His heart is still pounding away in his chest, though for decidedly different reasons. Again he finds he can't stop himself from vocalizing what he's feeling, an unbidden moan wafting up to join the steam.
Honestly it's all a bit much—he wants and he wants and he wants but he feels like he's going to burst, feels like he's going to starve with the hunger snaking up his spine. He breathes once, twice, and forces his eyes open. This is new too, they're the same red as always but framed by black without a single speck of white. He's a jinrou after all, a predator dressed up in human skin until a hunt, until he gives himself over to all the emotions and impulses he usually keeps in check. ]
Anon. [ Just that one word—not a warning, not a plea. He's not sure what's going to happen, but it's the only thing he can manage. Everything seems remarkably still aside from their heartbeats resounding in his ear. ]
[This close, it's impossible to miss anything no matter how minute or quiet or muted it is, and that first noise slides down his throat like the water and slips between his ribs unbidden in a way that he's pretty sure he's never going to be able to pull out again. It's not the time to examine things like that yet, but--
But Anon responds all the same, to every little movement and noise and new discovery, with little noises of his own; they're hungry and a little inquiring, almost as involuntary. He can barely hear over his heart and Natsuno's heart and even the steam seems to have a noise, pressing against his ears and his skin like a background buzz; still not quite as thick as the one the sake gave them. But it's enough, and the moan knocks him further out of himself still, to the point where it's really, really hard to slow down at all.
But it's just as tempting to really survey the landscape, see the effects he's having across Natsuno's face, and the sound of his name tugs him back up again almost easily. Like he hadn't been losing track of everything except the next impulse a moment ago.]
Koide.
[He looks back up at him and into those red-black eyes and... licks his lips, languid and contemplative and maybe even intrigued. There's a curl of a satisfied smile there, too, a flash of teeth because he can't help himself.]
Mm, that's new.
[He goes straight for a kiss after that, the motion both familiar and somehow more deliberate. His lips are hotter and wetter than usual.]
[ The moment their lips touch Natsuno sighs, pleased and heavy and noticeably less quiet than before (there's not a point in holding back is there?). For a second it's enough, the sweetness of the venom dripping from his fangs saccharine and dulling all the stimulation around him to a pleasant hum. But in another beat his heart pumps again, and it's washed away, everything coming back into hyper focus.
The world around him is full of speckles of blue with his eyes like this, even if they're far from being in the dark. Blue isn't what he wants though, it's red. Red, so much red it's all he can think of as he pulls Anon further into the kiss fervently and carelessly. It's the opposite of how he usually is when they're like this, because somewhere in the back of his mind he always tries to be careful to avoid any pricks (even if he's failed at it more often than not). But here it's deliberate, something akin to nibbling if you can call it that.
Greedily he'll drink every single drop he can get, all the while grasping for more—literally even, with his arms that found their way looped around Anon's chest for better leverage. It's way too hot to be this close and it's more intimate than they've ever been, but those are thoughts that are easily lost in the steam and pleasure of everything else. ]
[Anon drinks everything in, the sighs and the familiar sweetness of the venom that flavors a good deal of their kisses these days, like he's the one currently stealing a taste or five. And in a way he is, of course; he crowds Natsuno up against the side of the onsen because everything is still too hot and slippery, and it might be the temperatures or it might be the larger shot of venom or it might just be Natsuno blurring out his thoughts and knocking him off balance in all the ways.
He lets himself be moved and shifted as long as it's closer, as long as there's more contact and more skin under his hands searching for both purchase and something grounding. This is truly uncharted territory and it's as exciting as it is disorienting, so he lets Natsuno's instincts guide them for the moment.
The nibbling itself is strangely thrilling and also maddening all at once, the contact just there but not quite enough, and it draws out an impatient groan. Greedily, Anon tries to deepen the kiss even more, even though they're already wrapped all the way around each other and way too deep into all of this. He probably wouldn't know the word moderation if it slapped him in the face with the entire onsen's worth of water right now.
(His blood is hot, runs hotter than a human's even if it's easy to mistake it for the conditions in the onsen the way Natsuno is doing it -- what can't be missed is the faintly electric aftertaste, like taking a quick shot of energy, something that can't be found in any human anywhere.)]
[ Any semblance of thought he has left shatters at the first taste of Anon's blood. Feeding is always an intoxicating experience, but that jolt of energy drives straight through his heart—he physically shudders as it floods through his veins before biting down for more.
And at this point it is biting, with his complete lack of inhibition spurred on by Anon's greedy insistence. This isn't how he's supposed to drink blood but that's alright, because if he was doing this the normal way he might actually just pass out from the sheer overload of stimuli. Actually, the tickle in the back of his neck should be the first sign that he can't keep this up forever. He's hot, really, really hot and there's nothing he can do to cool off with the humidity and how tangled up they are together, not to mention how heavy he feels with the venom only adding to it all.
But that doesn't matter right now. In the not so distant future it will, but for now he lets himself sink deeper and deeper in every way possible. His nails dig into the striped skin beneath them as he's pushed into the wall of the onsen, eliciting another moan. This would be a good time to remember he has to breathe, but that comes secondary to the blood, kisses, and skin-to-skin contact. ]
[Anon makes a noise at the first real bite, low and lengthy and it's part-gasp and part-laughter somehow because he is an absolute disaster honestly but he's a disaster who's intimately familiar with the wide and brilliant spectrum of physical sensation, embraces all of it like a part of himself because it is, all of it is. Natsuno's reaction feeds into his, frissons on top of the new and interesting kind of pain he's tasting and exploring right now.
Tasting his own blood is always interesting, but now it's mixed with a potent cocktail of venom and the now-familiar soft-hard intimacy of Natsuno's mouth, his tongue and fangs. And as with any kind of pain -- usually fight-related but he is definitely learning all kinds of things tonight -- it gets his blood up, both literally and in spirit. There's another soft low noise when Natsuno uses his nails and lights up a dozen other pinpricks across his skin, because Anon is nothing if not vocal, even if asking him to string a sentence together at this stage would be like asking him to pull away even a little right now.
He doesn't pull away; ignores the increasing tightness of his chest (Natsuno's grip is fierce and he pushes harder into it) and lungs and the dizzying flurry of motion as they both try to get impossibly closer. Because he knows his limits, at least he usually does, and the temperature isn't it and the biting isn't it and the blood probably dripping haphazardly into the onsen isn't it either.
They are definitely crashing past all kinds of limits but he's always loved doing that, too.]
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There are all kinds of other distractions taking up his time these days, anyway. Somehow time has flown by almost as quickly as the island and the mansion themselves have dissolved. Rather like in a dream, actually.
There's always a softer quality about the place, but especially so later at night when most others are asleep or retired, dreaming in the dream; and he and Natsuno are usually still up, because he's starting to become a little nocturnal at this point. Whoops. The hot springs etiquette that Natsuno and presumably Watanuki follows isn't quite the same as the Underworld, of course, but there are commonalities, because that's how baths work. Anon follows Natsuno's lead at his usual easy pace, and finally seats himself in the onsen with a happy sigh, hair mostly gathered in a towel with some wisps escaping and curling down his neck. He has a lot of hair, okay.]
He wouldn't! This is technically his dream and his onsen, anyway. Besides, I'm sure he secretly wanted one too, he just needed somebody to be creative first.
[He's been mostly good, and the water is tempting, so at this point he slides down just a bit and blows some bubbles.]
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Thankfully (or not?) the bubbles redirect him and Natsuno glances over with an amused hum. ]
I can hear my father yelling not to play around in the onsen from here. [ Which means of course that he approves. ]
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[Anon pops his head back out of the water for that, laughing a little -- as always, dragging Watanuki is one of his favorite past-times, even if there's little malice in it at this point in the Game. It's rather more like an old bit of gossip or pleasantly regarding a pupil with particularly bad grades.
Something like that.
He meets Natsuno's amusement with a full complement of smiling cheekiness. All things considered, he knows what he means now when he brings up his old man.]
Anyway, this is a dream onsen, so it's definitely for playing around in. I bet if Watanuki wanted, we could have the water be rainbow colors and everything.
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Is that really the kind of thing he wants?
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[He says that in the same carefree, irreverent tone, of course, but there's a small tilt to Anon's head as he parses the changes in Natsuno's mood and the sighing. It's not as though that's new for him, being a little more in tune with Natsuno than you'd expect when he's being his loud and ridiculous self; he's always been good at watching, because you need that to mimic and adapt.
Watching Natsuno, though, is something that started straying before he knew it. He knows a lot of little things that you wouldn't expect, perhaps even more than he himself expected until recently.
So he takes a moment to think things over, a little longer than he would have otherwise.]
Well, we went through all those photo albums and he's definitely done weirder things. [please see: Chobit ears for some reason] But I wonder if there's anything he wants now. When the whole thing with Yuuko changed, I mean.
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But that's not what this is about. ]
What he wanted from me for my wings isn't something I was willing to give him.
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[That gets Anon to perk up a little bit, because it's not as though he doesn't also have a vested interest in those wings of Natsuno's himself. They're new and exciting and he wants to see them again all the time, but that's not entirely what this is about right now either. After a moment he splashes over a little closer, paying attention.]
The real Witchy stuff, then... What was it?
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It's a notable difference because while it's clear he's bothered by this, there's another emotion tangled up in it, one he doesn't express too often. Anger. Natsuno and anger make for things like genocide and burning every bridge in his closest friendship and then some. But here, he can't really be angry at Watanuki properly, at least if he wants to achieve his goal. So instead it's been sitting on him, but now that he's started it's easier to spit out. ]
He wanted me to be your keeper. Something about how you need help knowing right from wrong and how to make better judgments. He would give me wings but for every person you killed I would lose a feather. I guess he thought he was being poetic or something because if I just "guided you" and helped you find "nonviolent" solutions to your problems then I could have the freedom of flight.
That's not freedom, and I refuse to ever be trapped in a cage again. And I'd never let that happen to you either.
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Once Natsuno does get going he just stares, blankly, to the point where something suddenly clicks and then he blinks a couple of times. It apparently took a little while to actually process all of that, because it was a lot??
But also, once all is said and done Anon is just going to -- dissolve into helpless laughter, actually, real amusement mixed with scorn mixed with something like pity in it. He's still laughing when he reaches for Natsuno to loop an arm around his neck and tug him closer and now he's just laughing into his shoulder, why not.]
Ah -- Watanuki, Watanuki.
[It's said like he's admonishing some kind of pet that's just ruined the carpet by, I don't know, taking a flying divebomb into a cactus. It's so stupid you can't even be mad, sort of petshaming.]
Oh, wow... He's so bad at this. He's really, really bad at being a Witch.
[Or just really, really bad at dealing with this particular pair, but Anon is here to judge all the way to the bank. He peeks up at Natsuno and his eyes are still bright with mirth and something a lot softer, his grip loosening a little so they drift a bit, still anchored together.]
It's a pretty sneaky deal, if you want to get two for the price of one, and if we were totally different people doing totally different things in a totally different universe. For being the Witch of Dimensions, he really doesn't get how the world works at all.
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He was serious about it too, like I'd really consider such an idiotic deal. [ grumble grumble ]
I was going to say he doesn't get us, but the world thing sounds right.
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And Anon is going to go further, anyway -- Natsuno's grumbling softens his expression even more and then he just reels him in for a kiss, all impulse and heat and with his mocking grin for the Witch still firmly in place. The real problem here is that angry Natsuno and sullen Natsuno are just about as kissable as murderous Natsuno and gentle Natsuno. Essentially, he just wants to kiss Natsuno all the time for existing, sue him. He already said this out loud.
It looks like the onsen isn't going to escape them being themselves, either.
Eventually he pulls back, half of that grin still plastered on there because he can't help himself, can he.]
Of course you wouldn't. He wanted you to sell your soul for something that you could get just about anywhere else. That's not even a fair price.
[Judging by the look in his eyes, though, he's aware it's more than that, too. Natsuno gets another kiss, quick and light, just because.]
It's not fair for where we come from, or where we're going, or anything. Watanuki really doesn't understand.
[He's not just talking about the Foundation here, but like. Seriously.]
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I offered him my strongest jinrou ability and he said that wasn't a fair price. Guess I'll just find someone to hypnotize into giving me wings, but I was trying to play fair by just offering it instead. [ Sorry Shadow because now he's absolutely going to go around brainwashing people out of spite for Watanuki.
At the next his tone softens a bit, because this is more important than his pile of salt. ]
Where are we going?
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That's not what he's all about.]
You offered brainwashing for wings? You must really like them, huh?
[There's a hint of mischief to that question, and he sneaks the arm he's got draped around Natsuno's neck (very sneakily) up to tap pointedly at the spots on his back where the wings sprout, playing out a little rhythm just because.]
Well, I was thinking of going just about everywhere. I haven't decided what the best Fragment is yet, but I bet we could find one full of wings. [how they'd actually nab those wings is a question for another day; they can totally wing it] ... I was going to see about whether there was a way to make a Fragment where nobody could interfere, but I think I want to learn more first. I really haven't seen that many worlds, after all.
[His voice goes a little quieter on the last part, thoughtful -- it's not quite uncertainty, but this part of it is obviously still under construction and consideration. His dreams have always, always been lofty in their own way. He's still new to building things instead of tearing them down, though, and having somebody at his side to do it.]
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Apparently he's still paying attention though, because while it takes him a second or two to respond he speaks with clarity, distractions or not. ]
If you want the best of everything, you kinda do need to see everything first. [ He stirs a little, sending out small ripples in the water, just enough to give Anon a light headbump. ]
Me either, and I wasn't really paying attention before on missions. We can both start from scratch. As long as we see a city at some point, and not too many worlds covered in shrines and churches. They'll probably make me sick unless we just burn them all.
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It totally still isn't enough. Maybe it's the overload of skin-to-skin contact and maybe it's the haze of the onsen, a different sort from the lazy blur of sake in the blood.
But Natsuno is still talking and it's probably important that he see this through, so Anon puts away his impulses for the moment. Or at least shuffles them off to the side.]
Yeah... [the word is a sigh] Either way, it's going to be a lot of work -- I don't know if it counts as work? -- so I want to do it right.
[It probably doesn't count as work yet, considering they're going to be roadtripping the hell out of the multiverse if this goes right. There's a low thrum of anticipation in his voice and all through him, because saying it out loud makes it a little more real. And saying it to Natsuno is...
Well, saying it to Natsuno is only natural. But it makes Anon want to get closer anyway; he drapes his other arm around him.]
I like starting from scratch, and seeing a bunch of cities. I mean, chasing farm animals could be fun too, but there are probably worlds where you'd get way more interesting creatures. Also, we can burn all the shrines and churches if you want?
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Tipping his head back a bit he watches the steam rise slowly to ceiling; if he looked anywhere he would be too tempted to reply with his tongue in a way that had nothing to do with words at all. ]
Mmn...yeah. [ Making eye contact now might be dangerous, but he can't help it given the topic (his vendetta against churches likely won't be short lived). He can't help the wry upturn of his lips either. ] Maybe only a few.
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[There's something rougher in his voice, a little stumbling over the words, and it's hard to say whether it's due to sheer distraction or due to the subject matter. It sounds a little like some of those words might have spilled out without his meaning them to; Anon isn't nearly as disciplined during the conversation even if he is (in some way) doing his best, and he's preoccupied with watching all the parts of Natsuno he can reach right now and the way water beads on all of them amid curls of steam.
It really, really doesn't help when Natsuno tilts his head back, because that means his neck is bared, too. There's something almost predatory about the way Anon's started tracking the movements.
So when their gazes catch each other again, his is almost completely red, pupils shrunk to fierce slits as he watches Natsuno and his smile with that same intensity.]
Whatever you want. And whenever you want. I've always wanted to set fire to everything at least once.
[Okay, so his words might have started to veer nonsensical too, but give him a break, he's five seconds from just pouncing.]
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It's not what he wants though, even if it would be easier (as if difficulty has ever mattered once he's decided on a course of action). The bright red irises with their predatory focus is just like it was after hanami, when he let himself drown in them until it was the only thought he had left. There's no fabric to separate them here, just water as clear and tempestuous as they are.
Almost reflexively, he cocks his head to the side exposing his neck more blatantly than before. There's no lack of thought put into the gesture; Natsuno knows what it means better than anyone else and the memory tickles in a way he didn't think was possible. A bubble of laughter rises from his chest, spreading to his lips and tongue—spilled words soft even as disjointed as they are. ]
Yeah. Then we're doing it. Whenever. Maybe even now.
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But his breath is hot and quick in the midst of the onsen air and everything else for the barest of instants before he makes contact, and then his tongue is hotter when he licks up the drops and trails of water along Natsuno's collarbone and the tendon in his neck before biting down. Once, twice, deeper and lighter pressures like he's taste testing, searching out the pulse and soothing with a kiss or two in between. The last time he holds on a little with his teeth, almost thoughtfully, like a predator debating whether to tear out the throat -- closes his lips around the bite to suck briefly at it like a deeper kiss.
(And as deliberate and exploratory as all his motions manage to be, his focus almost intense enough to be something physical on its own, the thinnest layer of water and skin between them means that the galloping of his pulse comes through too; it thrums along with only a couple of stutters, whenever he actually bites down.
It's an easy but amazing motion, when he knows what Natsuno is.)]
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It's after the first bite that he catches himself, catches the heat between the both of them and slides his eyes closed. This is an all new type of teeth on skin experience and it's tantalizing and intoxicating and there's not a single drop of blood on his tongue. The kisses and bites and everything in between pile on top of one another and his back leans into the wall of the onsen like he's toppling over from their weight, all while stubbornly refusing to actually distance himself from the touch. Everything about Natsuno is stubborn, including the way any new marks fade within moments, the skin seemingly unmarred. His heart is still pounding away in his chest, though for decidedly different reasons. Again he finds he can't stop himself from vocalizing what he's feeling, an unbidden moan wafting up to join the steam.
Honestly it's all a bit much—he wants and he wants and he wants but he feels like he's going to burst, feels like he's going to starve with the hunger snaking up his spine. He breathes once, twice, and forces his eyes open. This is new too, they're the same red as always but framed by black without a single speck of white. He's a jinrou after all, a predator dressed up in human skin until a hunt, until he gives himself over to all the emotions and impulses he usually keeps in check. ]
Anon. [ Just that one word—not a warning, not a plea. He's not sure what's going to happen, but it's the only thing he can manage. Everything seems remarkably still aside from their heartbeats resounding in his ear. ]
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But Anon responds all the same, to every little movement and noise and new discovery, with little noises of his own; they're hungry and a little inquiring, almost as involuntary. He can barely hear over his heart and Natsuno's heart and even the steam seems to have a noise, pressing against his ears and his skin like a background buzz; still not quite as thick as the one the sake gave them. But it's enough, and the moan knocks him further out of himself still, to the point where it's really, really hard to slow down at all.
But it's just as tempting to really survey the landscape, see the effects he's having across Natsuno's face, and the sound of his name tugs him back up again almost easily. Like he hadn't been losing track of everything except the next impulse a moment ago.]
Koide.
[He looks back up at him and into those red-black eyes and... licks his lips, languid and contemplative and maybe even intrigued. There's a curl of a satisfied smile there, too, a flash of teeth because he can't help himself.]
Mm, that's new.
[He goes straight for a kiss after that, the motion both familiar and somehow more deliberate. His lips are hotter and wetter than usual.]
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The world around him is full of speckles of blue with his eyes like this, even if they're far from being in the dark. Blue isn't what he wants though, it's red. Red, so much red it's all he can think of as he pulls Anon further into the kiss fervently and carelessly. It's the opposite of how he usually is when they're like this, because somewhere in the back of his mind he always tries to be careful to avoid any pricks (even if he's failed at it more often than not). But here it's deliberate, something akin to nibbling if you can call it that.
Greedily he'll drink every single drop he can get, all the while grasping for more—literally even, with his arms that found their way looped around Anon's chest for better leverage. It's way too hot to be this close and it's more intimate than they've ever been, but those are thoughts that are easily lost in the steam and pleasure of everything else. ]
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He lets himself be moved and shifted as long as it's closer, as long as there's more contact and more skin under his hands searching for both purchase and something grounding. This is truly uncharted territory and it's as exciting as it is disorienting, so he lets Natsuno's instincts guide them for the moment.
The nibbling itself is strangely thrilling and also maddening all at once, the contact just there but not quite enough, and it draws out an impatient groan. Greedily, Anon tries to deepen the kiss even more, even though they're already wrapped all the way around each other and way too deep into all of this. He probably wouldn't know the word moderation if it slapped him in the face with the entire onsen's worth of water right now.
(His blood is hot, runs hotter than a human's even if it's easy to mistake it for the conditions in the onsen the way Natsuno is doing it -- what can't be missed is the faintly electric aftertaste, like taking a quick shot of energy, something that can't be found in any human anywhere.)]
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And at this point it is biting, with his complete lack of inhibition spurred on by Anon's greedy insistence. This isn't how he's supposed to drink blood but that's alright, because if he was doing this the normal way he might actually just pass out from the sheer overload of stimuli. Actually, the tickle in the back of his neck should be the first sign that he can't keep this up forever. He's hot, really, really hot and there's nothing he can do to cool off with the humidity and how tangled up they are together, not to mention how heavy he feels with the venom only adding to it all.
But that doesn't matter right now. In the not so distant future it will, but for now he lets himself sink deeper and deeper in every way possible. His nails dig into the striped skin beneath them as he's pushed into the wall of the onsen, eliciting another moan. This would be a good time to remember he has to breathe, but that comes secondary to the blood, kisses, and skin-to-skin contact. ]
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Tasting his own blood is always interesting, but now it's mixed with a potent cocktail of venom and the now-familiar soft-hard intimacy of Natsuno's mouth, his tongue and fangs. And as with any kind of pain -- usually fight-related but he is definitely learning all kinds of things tonight -- it gets his blood up, both literally and in spirit. There's another soft low noise when Natsuno uses his nails and lights up a dozen other pinpricks across his skin, because Anon is nothing if not vocal, even if asking him to string a sentence together at this stage would be like asking him to pull away even a little right now.
He doesn't pull away; ignores the increasing tightness of his chest (Natsuno's grip is fierce and he pushes harder into it) and lungs and the dizzying flurry of motion as they both try to get impossibly closer. Because he knows his limits, at least he usually does, and the temperature isn't it and the biting isn't it and the blood probably dripping haphazardly into the onsen isn't it either.
They are definitely crashing past all kinds of limits but he's always loved doing that, too.]
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