[video]

[symmetrophile]

[What greets viewers perusing the network for the following three seconds is the fuzzy back end of an Umbreon (plus one swishing tail) but Pip soon darts aside to reveal one sallow and apparently very groggy Grim Reaper, still scrubbing the sleep from his golden eyes. Waking up is hard for young gods, it's hard and no one understands.

All three Sanzu lines in his black hair remain connected, forming a trio of parallel white stripes around his head, but Death the Kid is otherwise no different than he usually is.

Also, the pajamas he's wearing have skulls on them. Skulls everywhere, and he isn't yet aware of the device enough to be embarrassed by the less than presentable state of his rumpled clothing and bedraggled hair.]

Did I oversleep?

[The only thing more unfunny than an understatement like that is an unintentional one. Whatever he might do or say next is neatly apprehended by the enthusiasm with which the Umbreon demands his affection; the SFC is knocked off the edge of his bed as Pip lunges for his arms. The video cuts out upon the device's impact with the floor.]

Comments

action all up in hurr

[keepsthefire]

'bout time.

[that sure is a boyfriend leaning against the door frame.]

1/2

[symmetrophile]

[The reaper looks up from the armful Pip is proving to be, as much his own gesture as it has to do with the Umbreon shoving her nose up under his chin, and stares at the figure in the doorway.]

...

[Perhaps 'about time' could mean anything.]

2/2

[symmetrophile]

[Staring blankly could mean a lot of things, too.

But there's no mistaking the shaky attempt of thin fingers trying to tame disheveled hair and the slow creep of pink in an otherwise pale face for anything but Kid's own self-consciousness waking up quicker than the rest of him.]

W-wait, I'm not-- [And there it is, the prissy huff.] Decent.

[Wow he is a mess why do you have to see him like this ugh]

[keepsthefire]

[To that, Rin just has to laugh. Of course he would be a mess - he just slept for nearly a month. If the half-demon is at all bothered by Kid's appearance, he certainly doesn't show it, and it seems Kid is the only one giving any sort of fucks at the moment.]

So? I missed you.

[Does he really need to say anything more than that?

Shifting off the door frame, he steps in to the room, holding up a brush that he had tucked under an arm. Kid is usually the one to fuss over Rin and his often unkempt appearance, but the situation has obviously reversed, albeit temporarily.

He won't force an embrace upon Kid when he's in such a state, knowing that will just earn a lot of complaining and bemoaning. Instead he flops on the bed next to Kid and motions with a finger.]

Turn around.

[symmetrophile]

...Oh.

[The rounding of his eyes in wonder at the approach of Rin and that hairbrush, certainly knowing what Rin may intend to do with it -- and consequently fighting every urgent instinct that tells him to take it, take the brush, do it himself, do it precisely.

He looks at the brush.

He looks at Rin.

This keeps happening for a while, which in its brevity does little to eloquently convey the intensity of a very internal battle. Ultimately, he turns around, a little series of scoots frustrated in part by Pip's determination to remain thoroughly in Kid's lap.

Gulp.]

[keepsthefire]

Calm down, I'm not gonna ruin your hair with a brush.

[Rin can't help but laugh quietly at his reaction, though. He can understand it, at least. Kid must have everything done precisely and 'his way'; something Rin isn't exactly well versed in. But he's willing to try for him, at least, and even if he doesn't get it perfect it will still be fixable in the end.

Besides, Kid deserves to be pampered a little now that he's awake.

He starts off slowly, brushing down the messier bits back in to some semblance of order while working through a few tangles here and there.]

It's been like... a month. Almost. I think I lost track somewhere...

video

[darkasnight]

Sorta, yeah.

About a month, actually.

video

[symmetrophile]

[He looks a little more put-together when he finally retrieves his SFC.]

Incredible. But I have no reason to doubt you or Rin. I suppose I should consider myself fortunate to have avoided being separated from them permanently.

[Even if it means being away from home a while longer. It's easier for Kid; he's facing many centuries of life still.]

video

[darkasnight]

Have any sweet dreams? [He notices the completed sanzu lines on his hair, but knowing how Kid was before about them he hesitates to bring them up right away.]

video

[symmetrophile]

Bittersweet. The worst of the danger has passed, but there's still much to be done.

[But he doesn't mind having to put it on hold so much anymore, for a multitude of reasons, and a few of them here.]

Night, has anything happened in the last month I should know about?

voice

[circumsutus]

A bit.

Welcome back.

voice

[symmetrophile]

Thank you, Professor.

[And, as it occurs to him:]

Ah, but I do believe congratulations are in order.

voice

[circumsutus]

Oh? For what?

voice

[symmetrophile]

For you and Miss Marie, of course.

[GOSH KID HAS NO ONE DISCUSSED TIME SHENANIGANS WITH YOU STOP TALKING]

As I was about to say before my untimely departure, how splendid a surprise to find you're both expecting!

voice

[howamanlives]

Happened to you too, eh?

voice

[symmetrophile]

If you mean to imply that I've been asleep for a significant period of time, then that's it exactly.

voice

[howamanlives]

Yeah. It happened to me a whole bunch of times.

voice

[symmetrophile]

My condolences to your friends and acquaintances. They are, after all, the ones who seem to suffer one's absence the most.

[Because they're the only ones aware of it, usually, right?!]

[proudsister]

[ She wanted to go to him. To go and hug him and then smack him in the head for being dumb and falling asleep like that. But Rin is undoubtedly there already, and Maka will be soon, too, and-- well. It's probably better to let them have their moment, right?

Right.

Still, she can afford a soft smile and a relieved expression as she turns on her SFC. ]

You're awake.

[symmetrophile]

Liz! You're awake! How splendid!

[It's like watching someone flip on a switch; Kid's sobriety shatters in favor of an almost boyish glee.

Meisters and their Weapons, jeez. Even if it's just one of the two, he's happy to see her!]

Have you been alright?

[proudsister]

[ ~BONDING~ ]

More than. We had some fun up on the beach while you were out. Shame you couldn't join us.

[ SORT OF I mean she loves Kid but he might have made having fun harder than it needs to be like he always does. ]

I'm just glad you're still here with us.

[symmetrophile]

I'm sorry to have missed it.

[But pretty much everyone who knows Kid is probably relieved he wasn't there. Fun-ruiner sometimes, that neurotic reaper.

For the following moment, Kid's smile fades momentarily in distraction, until finally:]

More regrettable is that I left you alone at all.

video/

[rebull]

'Ey, ey knock that- eh---!?

[Heard from the other end of the video and them Summoner stops because he's currently looking through both the Umbreon and his own Espeon's eyes and they're seeing either SFC at different times. It's enough to make Summoner stop and instead of take the SFC away from the playful Umbreon, Arden, who had taken his SFC and turned it on, and turn it back off- to actually look at it.]

Ehh- Who uh, who'd you c- oh, oh! Hey Kid-do. Lookin' little- outta sync right now. [Grins.]

[Arden's large eyes peep up from the bottom of the screen, trying to get a look at Pip again.]

video

[symmetrophile]

Lysunder!

[A little, but not so much that a moment's confused pause doesn't see the surprised reaper smiling at this SFC.

Newly-ascended as a fully realized god of death.

Still grins like a dork.]

Oh? And who is your friend?

video

[rebull]

[Awww- still such a cute kid. Can't help but smile back at the god of death.]

Hey you- uhh- [Blink blink. OH! He looks down as Arden peeks up closer. His long, huge ears pointed up and brush against Summoner's chin a little. The troll snickers and moves a hand to pat down between those ears on Arden's head.]

Arden- he's an Espeon, I see you got Pip with ya too. Guessing Arden's a little curious, don't blame him.