Minato Arisato ☽ 有里 湊 (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
messianic) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
realpolitik2012-10-16 08:02 pm
messianic) wrote in realpolitik2012-10-16 08:02 pm
Minato | Tiir | 020
[The last thing he remembers is infinite space.
He remembers a wall, he remembers chains. He remembers immobility and yet infinite space, calmness and yet pain. He remembers paradoxes.
He remembers death and yet living still, outside of life.
He remembers all of this, and so it is a surprise when suddenly, he is breathing again.
He falls to his knees, wheezing, and feels dirt--a trail, and he blinks in surprise. Feeling, touch: it has been quite some time since he has felt either, and yet he is not sure how long at all. He could not tell time in the void; time was measured by number of times Erebus tried to tear him down, the number of times the strength of Minato's soul repulsed humanity's negativity again and again.
He draws in another deep breath, and another.
And he sighs, eyes fluttering shut a moment, even as he kneels there. He does not know where he is. It certainly does not look like Japan, with wilderness everywhere. It's definitely not anywhere he knows by sight. In fact, there is a foreignness to it that he would find disconcerting, but he is too busy with the overwhelming sensation of feelings.
He's alive.]
He remembers a wall, he remembers chains. He remembers immobility and yet infinite space, calmness and yet pain. He remembers paradoxes.
He remembers death and yet living still, outside of life.
He remembers all of this, and so it is a surprise when suddenly, he is breathing again.
He falls to his knees, wheezing, and feels dirt--a trail, and he blinks in surprise. Feeling, touch: it has been quite some time since he has felt either, and yet he is not sure how long at all. He could not tell time in the void; time was measured by number of times Erebus tried to tear him down, the number of times the strength of Minato's soul repulsed humanity's negativity again and again.
He draws in another deep breath, and another.
And he sighs, eyes fluttering shut a moment, even as he kneels there. He does not know where he is. It certainly does not look like Japan, with wilderness everywhere. It's definitely not anywhere he knows by sight. In fact, there is a foreignness to it that he would find disconcerting, but he is too busy with the overwhelming sensation of feelings.
He's alive.]
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And he still utterly hates it—this sense of being hunted, this need to constantly flee and hide. It's degrading and humiliating, in a way, and Tiir has had enough humiliation for a while.
They're staying in the headquarters for a few more days, though, to give them time to prepare. In the meantime, Tiir leaves to take a walk, as it's likely the last time he'll be in this area. He can't say entirely that he'll miss it, as he's long accepted the fact that a 'home', beyond the scope of their world as a whole, is something that exists for him, but still.
... Maybe living in Vatheon made him complacent.
—However, not so complacent that he pays it no heed when he sees a figure in the distance. He knows that none of the others left the base, so it can't be them. That leaves only one other option.
A human.
Though Vatheon might've quelled some of his hatred, none of that matters if his friends might be in danger. And so, without wasting another thought, Tiir moves in a flash, grabbing the person's neck and slamming him against a tree.
His grip almost tightens, except then the appearance registers and Tiir freezes.
It can't be—
How?]
You—
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Tiir--
And his back hits the tree, and his feet scrabble at the bark as his hands grasp at Tiir's hand. But pain, he is very used to pain, he dismisses the pain easily, blinking at Tiir almost placidly despite his minorly desperate movements to get leverage.]
Tiir-san...?
[Oh, he remembers. And even as it's a little difficult to breathe with that pressure at his throat, but he still offers a faint smile.]
It's...good to see you...again.
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... This is impossible. You can't be here. This has to be a lie of some kind...
[Minato left. Tiir didn't think he'd ever see him again—let alone in his world. There's no reason for Minato to be here instead of his own home.
He takes a step back, still watching Minato as if he were to disappear should Tiir take his eyes off of him. Thus, this is a lie—right?
He can't be real. And yet it looks and sounds just like him and Tiir wants so badly to believe that it's him—but he simply can't see how.]
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He enjoys the feeling of breath entering his lungs. It feels a lot like life. But he just...shrugs slightly, tucking his hands into his pockets and looking at Tiir with a quiet tilt of his head.]
It should have been impossible I was in Vatheon in the first place.
[He was dead after all--]
...But we were both there regardless.
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[Tiir blinks, before shaking his head. None of this makes sense to him right now, there are too many things to think about, and Minato is here.]
But this is my world—not yours. There's no reason for you to be here. So why...?
[If this truly is Minato—if he's real—then perhaps it was Vatheon's power that sent him here. Tiir doesn't know why, as he's still trying to wrap his head around Minato's presence to begin with, but...
Minato is here.
... This is either a gift or a cruel joke—to see him again but to have him in this world, of all places. Minato shouldn't be here, especially not now.]
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I don't know. But I don't think I mind.
I like having a second chance to see you again.
[It's just how he feels, honestly. He feels relieved; he can live a bit longer and perhaps tie up some loose ends with Tiir.]
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To see him again—
That's just like something Minato would say.
... He really has missed him. So, so much.]
You...
[Tiir takes a slow, measured step towards Minato, before reaching out to take a hold of his hand.]
Then... you're real, right?
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He's here. He's real. He's alive.
And he feels amazing for it.]
Yes. I can't promise I will be here forever. But I am here now.
[Live in the moment. Live life to the fullest. That's what really matters, right?]
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And again, for a moment, Tiir feels like breaking down, but doesn't. Instead, he lets go of Minato's hand—and then proceeds to wrap him into a hug.
It's him. It's really him.]
... Long time no see, then.
[He still doesn't know how to feel about this. There are too many things to feel, to be honest, but—
But he'd be lying if he said that he wasn't, at the very least, glad for the second chance to see Minato again as well. There are so many things he wants to say, but right now, he simply holds Minato, cherishing the fact that he's here.]
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It is hard to feel anything else. The situation could be confusing, but he has decided that so long as Tiir is here, it really can't be so bad at all. So he hugs the other back and nods and wonders what he has done to be this lucky.
Another second chance.
He is so lucky.]
...Has it? How long has it been?
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[After a few moments, he leans back, resting his hands on Minato's shoulders as he looks him over. He seems fine, so no worries there, at least. There are far too many things that could threaten him in this world.]
I would've been grateful simply for the chance to say a proper goodbye, but to think that I'd get the chance to say 'hello' again is...
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But he just tilts his head back to meet Tiir's eyes, expression amused and warm and content.]
I guess I'm pretty lucky. I keep getting all of these second chances.
[...And then, a fair deal more seriously:]
I'm not going to waste it.
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Again, there are so many things that Tiir wants to say to and ask Minato, but all his mind can do is shut down in an attempt to, ironically, function.
Smiling wryly, he looks around.]
... Perhaps not so fortunate to end up in my world, though, of all places.
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He just clears his throat.]
I must be here for a reason.
And honestly, it'd be worth it just to be able to see you again regardless.
[He says it frankly, matter-of-factly, because he really does believe it. It's worth being in potential danger to get to talk to Tiir again.]
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[... Ha. Of course Minato would say something like that. He did have a thing for speaking well of Tiir, even when he didn't deserve it.]
... And I'm glad to see you again as well, though I'd rather it not be at the expense of your well-being.
[And a part of him is afraid, really—afraid that if he comes to see their situation with his own eyes, he'll come to hate Tiir. More than that, though, Minato's in danger.]
The humans' wars have increased severely in the past while. Soon, there won't be a single country that isn't involved. You've chosen a particularly dangerous time to arrive, Minato.
[... He'll have to stay with them until Tiir comes up with a solution. Not that there was much of a choice, once Tiir thinks about it, as he wasn't going to simply abandon Minato in a world that wasn't his own, but...
Stay with the defenceless humans where Tiir can't protect him, or stay with the hunted 'monsters'—Tiir can't say any potential option leaves him especially pleased. Still, he'll do what he can to protect him.
And... there are still so many things that he wants to say, has to tell Minato—]
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Honestly, after dying and facing death itself and fighting the undefeatable and defeating it--
What is there left to be afraid of? He's not afraid. And he definitely doesn't regret ending up here now. So he looks at Tiir and nods.]
I'm ready to help however I can.
[Help Tiir, help his cause, help the people of this world.
Of course he's ready. This is his purpose.]
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... You don't need to do anything, Minato. There's no reason for you to have to carry our burden as well.
[Minato doesn't possess their eyes. He's not like them—not cursed as a 'monster'. It's bad enough that he has to get involved like this, but Tiir would rather he not be dragged into their fight any more than he already is.]
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And a faint, faint smile.
He hasn't brought this up since Tiir rejected the idea so firmly last time, but now he is much more confident in the idea and much more certain. Guriko is his imouto. Tiir is his--]
Of course I do. We have to protect our family, don't we?
[Tiir is family.]
[1/3]
That's what Tiir's been thinking ever since he realized that Minato was truly here.
All the things he'd wanted to say to Minato, but hadn't realized until it was too late—his regrets.
He regretted never telling Minato so, so much.
And yet here Minato is, in his world. It's a second chance. It's his only chance, because who knows when he'll lose it? Whether because Minato leaves this world, or worse, because Tiir isn't strong enough again and he's killed—time spent with friends is far too fragile. Tiir knows this all too well.
Even though Minato is here right now—and even though Tiir fully intends to cherish their time together while he can—Tiir knows that it might not last. If anything, he should actively find a way to return Minato to his own world, really. His presence now undoubtedly has to do with Tiir's own existence, for there's no reason to bring him here otherwise, and Tiir refuses to be the reason Minato gets hurt.
(Not again.)
He wants Minato to leave, but he doesn't.
... That was another thing Minato was always good at—turning everything into a contradiction.]
[2/3]
[And for a moment, Tiir can't hold himself together. Raw emotion (grief? Shock? It's hard to say—) flickers across his face as he stares at Minato, before he looks away in an almost embarrassed fashion. Still, he can't quite do away with his emotions, and so he still looks like he's perhaps about to cry.
A part of him feels like it, admittedly. Perhaps he's felt like it ever since he saw Minato again, after having resigned himself to live with those regrets.
All Tiir's ever wanted was to give his friends as much as he could. It's what he's strived for. Lived for, even. He'd like to think of it as, however naive the idea is, what he was born for—the purpose he chose for himself, rather than what the Priests decided for him.
But if that's the case, then what did he give Minato?
Nothing.
Yet Minato put up with it all—all the times that Tiir hurt him—because he thought of Tiir as family, even though he'd hurt him through that as well. And though Tiir knows that sometimes you have to risk hurting your friends for their own good and that sometimes you hurt your friends without even meaning to—damn it, thinking of Minato hurts.
Everything that Minato did for him, and all that Tiir didn't do for him in return.
Family guides you. Family protects you.
Minato was the one who guided Tiir. Tiir couldn't even do anything to help him, back then.
Tiir really can't see why Minato would care about him so much, considering how much good he did as 'family'. And yet he does, and for that, Tiir is thankful, because in a way, he feels like Minato might've saved him.
... And with that, everything's clear, isn't it?]
[3/3]
There aren't enough words to convey how much his family—his everything—mean to him. His love for the people who've given him strength and the will to fight for something in this world—people who even include this human here.
... Really, they mean more to him than he knows how to express.
And so, when he finally speaks, his voice, while firm, is slow.]
... And that's exactly why I don't want you to get hurt for my sake.
[Another attempt to convince Minato.
A promise to protect him.
... An answer to his offer. What Tiir should've said a long time ago, but never did.]
jan your tl;dr is so beautiful
He realizes the answer and he smiles, slowly but heartfelt, as he does. Because now he knows.
Tiir returns the sentiment.
Tiir thinks of him...like family.
And Minato...couldn't want anything more than that. He smiles, and--
Even in Tiir's world, there is the expected.
Thou art I and I am thou...
Thou hast fostered a bond that cannot be broken...
Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the hanged man arcana.
The voices are familiar. The hum of his Personas at a maxed bond are familiar. He's got the warm fuzzy feeling of a link maxed.
And he's...happy. So he smiles, and he looks up at Tiir certainly.]
...I won't get hurt. But I still want to help you however I can.
[He has family here. He's alive.
He's so...very happy for that.]
alksdjas no cal is beautiful
How Tiir wants to believe that—so badly that it almost hurts. He wants to believe that for all of his friends, even though half of him knows that it's a futile expectation. In this world, getting hurt is almost inevitable. After all, isn't that why they're fighting? So that none of them will be hurt again?
At the same time, the other half of him silently vows—vows to make Minato's words true. No one—not Minato, not his friends—will be harmed, because Tiir will protect them. He'll protect all of them.
He has to do something for Minato, even if Minato's the one offering to help (again).
With that, Tiir smiles—still looking as if he's about to cry, hence why he makes a weak-hearted attempt to hide his expression by covering his mouth and looking away again. Still, the smile is clear on his face, as he takes a few moments to compose himself.
Finally, he removes his hand and looks at Minato again, his smile softer now but still there.]
... You always were rather stubborn.
[He shrugs slightly, his expression turning a bit wry.]
It seems that I still can't win against you...
[And he feels like he should hate himself, for being this happy, when his existence is placing Minato in further danger. He could very well be the reason Minato dies here—in this world that isn't even his home.
Yet he's far too happy for that right now. Happy, even though he's putting his friend at risk.
Because God, he loves him—one of his important people, his family.]
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But he thinks that maybe the answer is right there.
This is Tiir's world, and he certainly learned enough about its horribleness from Tiir himself. This is Tiir's world and he is Tiir's family, and Tiir doesn't want him to get hurt. He gets it, he thinks, when he thinks about it like that, but it just makes him smile a little bit, reaching out to grabs Tiir's hand between his two, just for the touch and the closeness and to give extra weight to his assurance.]
I'm sorry if my stubbornness causes problems for you.
[A quirk of his lips, a bit of a smile, and then his expression is solemn again, determined and honest and sincere.]
But there is nowhere I would rather be right now than here.
[And it's honest, because he really does know that he really does feel this way. If he can spend the remainder of his life fighting to make a difference here, beside Tiir, then he thinks he will have had a successful life twice over.
He wants to thank whoever did this for him, he really does.]
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... Of all places? Really?
[He shakes his head, still smiling—in an almost embarrassed manner, if Tiir were the sort to be embarrassed. He still can't quite understand the way Minato thinks, but he's still touched by the remark.]
Thank you. I'd wished, however, that you would never have to see this world with your own eyes.
[After all, it's one thing to tell someone of prejudice, and another to witness it for yourself. That said, Tiir has no intention of letting Minato anywhere near such a situation, considering how easily Minato could be hurt merely for associating with him.
Still, he relishes the warmth of Minato's hands—he's here, he's really here—before he looks up, thinking. If Minato really is to stay with him, then there are a few matters that he needs to deal with...]
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