IC INBOX | RYSLIG

[soft_focus]

WELCOME TO YOUR PRIVATE CHANNEL, CCC-REDHORSE. FOR SECURE COMMUNICATION, USE 134.64.202.69 *** CCC-REDHORSE has joined 134.64.202.69 <CCC-REDHORSE> This is Reira Akaba! <CCC-REDHORSE>I'll try to answer you but sometimes I'm busy or sleeping, so I don't think about the message right away.

Comments

[intercalaryninja]

........

You've never been to school before?

[He frowns, suddenly having a bad feeling in his stomach]

Were you tutored before? How did you learn to read?

[soft_focus]

[Yes how did he learn...] ...Mom had someone teach me the language...but that was it.

...I just learned if it was missing.

[It was pretty 'easy' given his state of mind at the time.]

[intercalaryninja]

...

[That just made things even more concerning for the spider. The small man walks closer.] May I sit on the bed?

...

Reira, where did you come from? [The Akaba family was Japanese, but Reira was implying he was from elsewhere...]

[soft_focus]

Only if you can fit. [He means it with quite a straight face, and moves to make room.

...And then he shrugs.] I don't know.

...It wasn't Maiami, but I don't think anyone said the name of where it was.

[As he speaks, he doesn't look to the other-and eventually, he pulls in his legs, putting his book down.] ...It wasn't a good place though.

...it was like where Kurosaki came from.

[intercalaryninja]

[So he can. Tsukikage isn't exactly big, so he crawls on the bed, curls his legs up and gets comfortable, looking almost eye to eye with the younger man.]

... I see. You're from Standard, right? So was it overseas?

[He frowns. Like Kurosaki... so the logical assumption to make was that Reira was from a war-torn country. That made sense and explained a lot...]

[soft_focus]

[The boy nods.] It was still Standard.

...Just not Maiami. ...I didn't see how we got there. ...I just know it was different.

Some of Bucky's papers made me think of the ones there though.

[...Quite a lot actually. He thinks he recognized words.]

[intercalaryninja]

Bucky... [He doesn't know much about the werebear but he'll look into it eventually.] Do you remember much about that place? It is alright if you do not.

new conversation topic for steve and tsuki ohohoh

[blurspot]

[And when he does, it'll likely be horrifying.

As it is, the boy doesn't look up, his tail twitching only occasionally.]

...Yeah. ...I think I did a lot of bad things, there.

...things worse than Academia, maybe. [That, at least... ...he has never said aloud.]

of course

[intercalaryninja]

... Worse than Academia?

...

[Did he kill...?]

Do you know for sure or...?

[blurspot]

[This time, there's more of a response. He bites his lip, and his claws dig into his legs as the boy's ears turn back.]

I don't know.

...I didn't want to think. I just wanted to be safe, so I listened.

[He curls tighter, and for all that he tries, he tries just as hard not to think about it at all. He saw plenty in the glass.

But right now it's long banished to the depths of his thoughts, where he wants them to stay buried.] ...I don't know what was my fault... [he admits, voice cracking slightly.]

...I just know there weren't cards, there.

[intercalaryninja]

You didn't intend for any of that to happen. You were concerned for your own safety. [He knew how Reira acted before and after their time in Synchro and Ryslig, and he knows how Reira must have acted. He was a blank slate before, someone to be manipulated for war.

The thoughts make Tsukikage angry, and he puts one of his hands on Reira's shoulder, trying to find the right words to say to him] The ones who were at fault were the ones who told you to do those things. Not you. You know that, don't you?

[Reira didn't ask to be a child of war]

[blurspot]

...It still happened, [he says softly, not turning as Tsukikage rests his hand on his shoulder.]

...I don't know if I'm supposed to remember that or not.

[intercalaryninja]

... Yes.... It did happen. We cannot change that.

It is hard to say... but you have those memories now. So the only thing to do with them is learn from them. It's all you can do.

[blurspot]

[He shakes his head.]

...Not all of them though.

[He doesn't remember details, after all. Just a cloud of actions.]

[intercalaryninja]

... [Tsukikage sighs and he pulls Reira into a hug. He doesn't know what else to do...He just wants to hold him and provide some comfort...]

[blurspot]

[And Reira, in turn, holds the other back, remaining silent. Perhaps eventually he'll even just fall asleep-he had been reading with the intentions of turning in afterward, after all.

At the least he appreciates not having to talk more about it.]

[intercalaryninja]

[There's a lot of work to do still. Reira's progressed so far, and yet there were still so many things wrong. The ninja waits until the boy is thoroughly asleep before he goes to answer the post on the network and head to work.

He will help Reira.]