first sutra; action/video

[secondcoolest]

[ So. It's that time again, Vatheon. The new arrivals are coming.

This one is a particularly disgruntled young man, hair a soaking wet mess around his face, even covering his eyes. He lifts a hand to push the strands back against his head and he gives the SFC a look, flipping it around a couple times before he lets it settle back on his face again. ]

This is Suguro Ryuuji, Exwire, Tokyo Division, reporting--

[ But he stops and frowns, grumbling. ]

--Screw it. If there's anyone here from home, let me know you're alright.

[ BLIP goes the screen. He's going to be chilling in the plaza. ]

Comments

[keepsthefire]

[He saw that, Bon.

But he won't say anything, and just stand there with his tail swinging behind him.]

Almost a year. It'll be a year in like... February I think.

[He doesn't remember the exact date anymore, but he remembers a lot of pink being around. the stores.]

I'll be seventeen in December, actually. Like I said, Vatheon is weird with time.

[snagglefang]

[Have a paw batting at your hand, Bon. Rude.

'You should tell him about the curses!']

[secondcoolest]

[ WHAT the food's for him, too! ]

A year? What's the last thing you remember, then?

[keepsthefire]

[Rin just gives Kuro a look like 'Now? Can't it wait, I'm still getting over being my girlfriend for a week' and sighs, waving a hand.]

The very very last thing I remember was helping Yukio on a mission. ... but before that--

[because he knows that's a pretty generic answer]

was gettin' rid of the Gehenna Gate before it could destroy the city.

[snagglefang]

[As long as you don't mind cat slobber.

... But that gets his attention too.

'Gehanna Gate? Rin, when did that happen?']

[secondcoolest]

[ Oops unknowingly echoing the cat. ]

Gehenna Gate? When'd that happen?

[keepsthefire]

[That was a weird almost-echo effect to Rin's ears. He blinks a few times.]

Autumn, last year.

... what's the last thing you remember?

[And that's at both of you. He had never thought to ask Kuro, for some reason.]

[snagglefang]

['We defeated the Impure King in Kyoto!' His ears fall back as he gives Rin a very concerned-kitty-look.

'Rin...']

[secondcoolest]

Kyoto. The Impure King. Which... if it was Autumn a year ago for you, would have been around the same time we would've been in Kyoto.

[ Slow

eyebrow

raise ]

[keepsthefire]

... guys. I ain't ever been to Kyoto. And the only time the class went was when I was locked up an' on trial. And I was unconscious the whole damn time.

[Which is probably a blessing considering how the trial went in their time line...]

[snagglefang]

[Kuro looks at Bon, somehow looking just as concerned as him to Rin's answer. At least he and Bon were on the same page...

'But we did go! We even went to the tower like you wanted to!']

[secondcoolest]

We were definitely in Kyoto. Look.

[ And he's digging around in his pockets, pulling out a picture with a slight frown. ]

It's a little damp, but here. See for yourself. It's all of us up in the tower since Satan's son wanted to see it so badly.

[keepsthefire]

[Rin blinks, giving both of them a skeptical look of his own. He takes the picture reluctantly, though, staring at Bon for another second before finally looking down.]

EHHHHH?!

[How is that even possible?! It looks like him, and everyone else, but he most certainly does not remember going to Kyoto or the tower!]

[snagglefang]

[Kuro nods eagerly.

'He's right! I remember that too!' He moves away from his bowl to bat lightly at Rin's hand.

'It's gotta be this place... Maybe the timing is just messed up?' He doesn't know what else to say to help this weird situation they were in.]

[secondcoolest]

You really don't remember.

[ Bon frowns and crosses his arms over his chest, staring down at the photo, looking at it upside down. ]

I know you said this place can warp time, and I was ready for that. But... this seems more like reality bending to me.

[keepsthefire]

[It's a good thing there are seats at that counter because Rin feels the need to sit down on one. Hard.

He stares at the picture, mouth working a few times but a distinct lack of sound coming from the normally noisy half-demon.

Fucking coral. Fucking god damned stupid coral. It finally gave him what he wanted after all this time and it still managed to fuck it up. It had to be a sadist that was just secretly enjoying all his anguish here.

Or maybe it was the damn scientists, wherever they were, just watching and laughing. "Look at that Okumura kid, we got his hopes up so high and now he's finding out they're not even the right people. Ha!"

It was enough to make a kid cry.

He didn't, though, and his face screwed up in to some sort of angry-determined expression before he finally dropped the picture and pointed a finger at Bon.]

Screw it! I don't care! You're still Bon and you're still Kuro and I don't give a fuck if you ain't the ones from my reality or whatever! The coral can go screw off if it thinks givin' me you guys is gonna mess me up!

[snagglefang]

[When Rin drops the picture Kuro pulls it closer for him to see with a paw, one ear perking up before falling back down.

He looks up at Rin again. 'Of course we're still us! Even if there's something weird happening here it doesn't change anything. It... It just means we both remember things differently! That's okay.'

He butts his head against Rin's hand in an attempt to be comforting.]

[secondcoolest]

[ Wow bro chillax. ]

Of course I'm still Bon! Some screwiness isn't gonna change that.

[ He huffs quietly and picks up the picture again, gazing down at it in silence for a moment. The ridiculous posing, the incredulous look on Rin's face... ]

It just means we'll have to make new memories together.

[keepsthefire]

[It's been a stressful few months, bro. And it's not going to get any easier any time soon.

But he does calm down at least, flopping back in the chair with a heavy sigh while dragging a hand through his hair. There's going to be a lot of catching up to do for all of them, not just on Vatheon things. But more than that, especially with the murders recently, Rin is worried. Is Vatheon getting more dangerous? Or are the dangers just now crawling out of the wood work...

Still, he smiles up at Bon. It's somewhat tired in appearance, but it has his usual dopey trademark in it. He even pets Kuro, scratching behind his ears a little.]

Hell yeah we will.

[snagglefang]

[Awww, Bon that was so cheesy.

Kuro starts to purr lightly when Rin starts to scratch behind his ears. Truthfully, he felt bad for being from a point in time that Rin knew nothing about. There was nothing he could do about it, but it was frustrating none the less. He's sure Rin felt it worse than he did. What did Yukio remember?]

[secondcoolest]

[ Quiet cat no one asked you.

Bon finally pushes himself back up to his feet with a grunt and picks his wet jacket up again. ]

Well, you may as well show me a room I can crash in.

[ ps he's staying ]

[keepsthefire]

[That was cheesy. But Rin is touched by it none the less. Really, he needed to hear something like that, the way things have been going lately.]

Huh.. ? Oh, shit, right... sorry...

[He shakes his head to clear it and gives Kuro another pet before getting up and motioning for him to follow, talking as he walks.]

So there's a bunch of us here. There's me, Yukio, my girlfriend Maka, a girl named Asakura Ryoko and a guy named Daimon Masaru. Uhhh... he's in one of those sleep comas right now though, so don't expect to see him around much.

OH and there's another cat, Blair, who's from Maka's world. She has a human form and she can get a bit.... handsy but just tell her to back off and she probably will...

And I have a pet cat named Aurelio. His owner was sent back so I picked him up. Regular cat, nothin' special. Likes Kuro, though, which is good.

[snagglefang]

[RUDE, BON.

Kuro jumps off the table and bounds off past Rin, weaving between his legs as he does so. 'Of course he likes me! I'm a really likable guy!' Except when he's being a drama king.

He disappears off down the hall they're headed towards, looking back every so often to Rin and Bon.]