post-kyr visitation post

[tatsumi_textiles]

[ So- we all won, went home, and resumed our lives.

And then some jackass figured out how to make portals to the other worlds. ]

Comments

[tatsumi_textiles]

[ Instead of answering right away, Svalinn just starts tugging off his gloves- revealing small, old pockmarks of scars on one hand, and a thick brand of some kind of sigil on the other.

The sight of the sigil seems to settle something in him, and he shoves the gloves in his pocket with one hand, and loosening his scarf with the other ]

...I honestly dunno how ta explain, Naoto. 's been one hell of a long year.

[shiroganeheir]

[Her eyes widen, but she doesn't draw back from it. There's concern in her expression, as well as a deep curiosity.]

A year, Kanji-kun? But I only saw you a...

[No. Wait. Use your brain, Shirogane.]

You have aged. What happened?

[tatsumi_textiles]

Remember th' TV World?

[ She probably does better than he does, but-

He rubs a thumb over the sigil on his hand, a nervous tick ]

It weren't that, but it was like it. Was gone fer a year ta me, but nothin's changed here.

[shiroganeheir]

That's....

[Well, not impossible, but highly improbable? But it obviously happened.]

You're obviously not exactly alright.

[tatsumi_textiles]

[ He snorts ]

I'm alive, ain't I? And it ain't like this place is dangerous or some shit, all I gotta worry 'bout is how ta keep this shit covered.

[ He gestures at his hand- not the one with the thick burnt in sigil, but instead the one with the puncture scars ]

[shiroganeheir]

Well, er, gloves are stylish, or so I've heard.

[She shrugs.]

Clothing is more your department than mine. But... you can be alive and not truly alright, Kanji-kun. I... am worried.

[tatsumi_textiles]

[ There's a twinge of pain at hearing that, but- ]

Yeah, well, I'm here, 'nd so's Faust, and the world ain't exploded, so I think I'm pretty damn well off.

[ His hands get shoved back into his pockets and he glowers at the floor ]

Look, I'm tellin' you 'cause we both know I can't hide shit worth a crap, so I'm gonna be tellin' everyone when I see'em.

[shiroganeheir]

[There's a hint of... something in her expression, but it changes fairly quickly.]

Faust? Who is that?

[She looks up at him, curious.]

Did you bring someone back with you? Is he like Teddie?

[tatsumi_textiles]

[ It's like something happens, a switch is flipped, because where before there had been sullen bitterness- not lapis, not his naoto but that isn't fair, it's not naoto's fault she wasn't there and didn't remember- there's only a bright flash of joy as he starts talking about Faust ]

Kinda- he was our patron. When alla the shit went down, I brought him back with me, insteada leavin' him in his realm alone. Think mosta the teams took their's home with'em.

[shiroganeheir]

[She blinks a couple times, then sighs.]

Kanji-kun, you are going to have to start from the beginning. Realm? Teams? Patron? What are you even talking about?

[tatsumi_textiles]

[ How dare she ruin his happy

He falters, then clears his throat, coughing sheepishly ]

Right, uh. That other world- it had a buncha teams, and alla the teams had a patron- basically a god, and they made sure we had food'nd healed us'nd shit.

[shiroganeheir]

And what did these teams do?

[Other than scar him all to hell, it seems.]

I... it does not seem like a pleasant place.

[tatsumi_textiles]

It weren't bad. Tiamat was great! We just, uh- played against th' other teams in games.

[ Games that led to scars like his ]

[shiroganeheir]

And let me guess. The other teams were not kind to you.

[It's at least somewhat obvious from the scars.]

The games do not sound very fun.

[tatsumi_textiles]

What? Nah, th' other teams were great.

[ He looks more confused and annoyed than anything, hunkering in on himself defensively ]

Weren't their fault shit happened.