genessia | Two | Action/Accidental Video

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Two | Action/Accidental Video

[Spirit has been doing his best to behave, spending the vast majority of his time working or exploring the city. Generally, this has gone on completely without incident--barring a few run-ins with unsavory folk, he's been doing all right for himself.

Today, however, is not that day. It's already late when the video feed turns on. There isn't any image, just a black screen and quiet scuffing. The phone is still in his pocket.]

S'...h-hey. S'not even that late yet!

Look pal, you've been here for ages and you've had enough. Get out. Go home or something, I don't care.

[A door opens and slams. Any passers-by near Jack's Bar would be greeted with one intoxicated Deathscythe being tossed off the premises.

It's only a few moments later that the phone is fished out of his pocket. Anyone watching is greeted with a frowning face.]

Ah, shit...sorry.

[With that, the feed abruptly turns off.]

[ooc: feel free to run into Spirit along any part of this misadventure, from before he's kicked out to on his way home!]

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[He can feel the eyes watching him as he moved about the apartment, and tries not to think about the uncomfortable sensation of being studied. The sensation isn't unfamiliar. Stein had been the first (and by far the most persistent), but that hadn't stopped his ex wife and more recently Lord Death from doing the same. Regardless he wasn't a fan of the prying eyes.

As the saying goes, however, he should count his blessings that it's only eyes and not the infinitely unavoidable soul perception. A smarter man would take what he could get.

Spirit watches as Stein sits in front of the mug of tea, one eye focused on his miniature meister as he ponders where he might have winter clothes. While Stein sips--or contemplates sipping, whichever he chooses--he digs through the coat closet.]

Aha!

[Let it not be said he isn't resourceful when it's necessary. Triumphant, he walks back to the couch and plops down next to Stein. In his hands are a pair of gloves. They're the small and stretchy sort, and Spirit carefully tugs on a few loose strands of yarn. Perhaps the strings would be enough to pick at, a distraction. And if it wasn't, nobody could say he didn't try.

Spirit sits the gloves in Stein's lap.]

Stop picking at the dressing. [He laughs. Nervously.] You know I really don't like blood and I don't want to have to fix it again.

[The irony of having a meister who lives to cut things open and a weapon who really would be quite content to never see blood again. Funny, that.]

Uh...please.

[Stein puts the gloves on. He doesn't like it. His hands feel trapped, feel clumsy and hidden and he hates it. But Stein's trusting (maybe "trust" is the wrong word, but at the very least he's accepting) that Spirit's more experienced, that his weapon knows better how to mange him than Stein knows how to manage himself.

The boy should drink the tea and try to sleep, but he starts pacing instead. He's too restless.]

[Most days Spirit is just glad they made it out of their childhood primarily intact. When he looks back on their interaction as partners he realizes it's nothing short of a miracle that they did. Meaning, of course, that he has absolutely no idea of how to manage this; he's just a convincing liar now that he's a bit older.]

Stein.

[Speaking of older...he's too old for this.]

The tea will get cold. Doesn't reheat well. If you have to pace at least do it while you're drinking it.

[A parent learns when to compromise, after all. Maybe that will work to their advantage.]

[It's going to be different this time around. Stein's a child, and Spirit is not. Sprit's a qualified adult, a death scythe, a parent. Spirit knows what Stein is and what he can become. It's fair to say that Spirit knows Stein better than Stein knows himself.

He grabs the cup off the table, quickly enough that some of the tea splashes onto his gloves, and gulps down a huge mouthful of tea.

If it burns him, he doesn't show it.]

[Witnessing the gulp that Stein took, he was glad he remembered not to let the water boil to scalding... otherwise he'd have a burned meister as well as a wounded one.

Meanwhile he prays that the herbal tea will be enough to settle pacing feet and help Stein rest. Nobody can handle anything well when they haven't slept.]

You need to sleep.

[And not only for his own sanity. The instant he thought it would be safe to leave Stein alone for a short while, Spirit planned to take the scalpels and box cutters and razors and knives and get rid of them--give them to Kid or Soul or Maka or even someone down the hall. Just get them out]

[The boy shakes his head, back and forth and back and forth, and takes another gulp of tea. It's too warm, and he doesn't like the taste.

He has too much energy, too much restlessness in every muscle and tendon, too many images stirring through his head.

So he just keeps pacing.]

[As a general rule, Stein, nobody likes straight herbal tea. Not one brewed this strong.

His head hurts. He's too old for this. A weapon doesn't order his meister around, but...]

Come on Stein, you have to stop. I know you don't think you can now, but I know you learn how to. You have to try. I know you can.

[He pauses, hanging his head.] That's enough for now. It's going to have to be.

You don't get to decide that, senpai. [Weapons shouldn't order their meisters around, even if Spirit was selected as his partner in order to keep him under control.]

Don't be stubborn. You haven't slept and you have to stop, even if you don't want me telling you that.

[Huff. He's not making up the instruction after all. That's in large part what he'd been told to do.]

[The boy rolls his eyes, and keeps pacing.]

How do you expect me to sleep?

Very carefully. By virtue of exhaustion. I don't know, Stein. However people usually sleep, I've never thought about it that hard before.

[The eye roll was a good sign. Sarcasm wasn't possible, ever, when Stein was too wound up. If that was the success he had to take for now, he would take it for the victory it was--however small.]

I'm not exhausted. [So he's pacing.]

You need to try to be.

[He's sitting on the couch with his arms crossed still, frowning. Though seriously how is Stein not tired? He's about ready to fall asleep himself.]

No. [He's going to walk until he can't walk anymore. He's going to wear his body out and hope his mind follows.]

[This was one thing Spirit recognized and try as he might, he knows there isn't much he can do about it. He had spent hours trying to figure out what might calm his restless meister down and ultimately found that little but sheer exhaustion fit the bill. As much as he wanted to do something to stop Stein himself, he understands that there probably is nothing he can do.]

All right.

[So he'll sit and watch and listen, and when Stein does eventually wear himself out, he'll be there to help ensure the meister actually gets in bed and doesn't just sit on the floor to sleep.]

[There's silence for a long time, as Stein paces and paces and tries to calm his racing mind.

The sun is coming up by the time anything changes, and then it's just a quiet, hesitant question.]

... Senpai?

[If Spirit doesn't answer, that would be all right. Stein doesn't know if he wants to have this conversation, but the idea, the question has sunk its claws into something in this head and he won't be able to think about anything else until it's answered.]

[The weapon has been sitting on the couch, silent the entire time. For a long time he simply watched Stein pace. After hours of that he found himself nodding off, though it was a light doze and one he's easily awoken from.]

Yeah, Stein?

[Stein had been hoping that Spirit was asleep, that his quiet word wouldn't be enough to get the weapon's attention. But it was. So he stands almost still, fiddling with the hem of his shirt but finally not pacing anymore.]

When I grow up... [He never expected to grow up.]

Am I... [He's being too hesitant, voice too quiet.] ... happy? Am I happy with following Death's rules? Do I want to?

[Parents, however unfit they are, recognize the sound of little voices with minimal effort. Of course he heard the meister.

But the brevity of the question he's presented with is not what he's expecting. Spirit leans forward, resting his forehead in his palms.]

That's something I'm not sure I can answer.

[He's quiet for a moment.] I know what I think...and I know what I believe your adult self would say.

But even if I was sure, I'm not sure it's really my place to tell you.

[The weapon sighs, frowning.] I'll tell you this: You're a Professor at the Academy and considered one of the strongest to have ever graduated. You're trusted for your skill and were indispensable in the fight against the kishin.

I just...can't tell you what that means to you.

[Stein really did want simplicity this time, he wanted a yes or no answer that would give him the information he needed to stop feeling so unsettled. This idea, this vague image of a person he will be, it's uncomfortable, it's wrong, it doesn't remind him of himself at all.

He's never really wanted to understand people, but he wants to understand his future self. Spirit didn't give him enough of an answer.]

Am I... [There's that pause again, over something he's never been allowed to have. He phrases it differently.]

Do I hate it, senpai?

No. I don't think you hate it.

[For what it's worth, Spirit wants to tell Stein the answer. He believes the meister is content now, in their world--but he can't know for sure. He isn't Stein and time and time again he's proven that he doesn't always read the man perfectly.]

I think you're content at home now, Stein.

Edited 2014-11-19 04:04 (UTC)

How? [He turns around at looks across the room at Spirit, studying the weapon for any sign of an answer.]

What do I need to do to get that result?

[Spirit sinks in the seat, shirking Stein's gaze.]

You have to wait. With time, you grow up.

[Blue eyes finally land on Stein and he sighs.] That's what you have to do.

[He looks away from Spirit.]

I don't want to wait. [He's impatient. He's always been impatient, and he always will be.]

Sorry, Stein.

[The weapon sits back on the couch, closing his eyes.]

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tinystitches - 2014-11-22 14:16 (UTC) - Expand

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Two | Action/Accidental Video

I love that Stein keeps thinking Spirit isn't the right age...wanted to say that a ways ago

well he issssssss

XD;;

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