realpolitik | Minato | Tiir

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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.]

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[He narrows his eyes—not at Minato particularly, but at what this is leading to.

... It's strange, to think of how little Minato actually knows. Again, it reminds Tiir that he shouldn't be getting him involved with this—though by now, he's realized that Minato is too stubborn to stand down—and an odd discrepancy, considering how much Minato seems to understand him.]

So I never mentioned Gastark, then.

[...He wracks his memory, but can't think of anything that sounds like that--

So he shakes his head.]

No, never.

[But he is, as always, absolutely listening.]

[He scowls.]

Though it's true that we have to be wary of humans... most don't go out of their way to actively seek and hunt us down. It would be suicide for ordinary humans, after all, to try and take us on as a group like this.

[Though many of them may be defenceless as children, those of them who manage to survive past childhood aren't quite as easy targets.]

However, the exception to this would be one country: Gastark. I've... had a few encounters with them in the past—

[He looks away slightly as he says that, grief and anger flickering across his face.]

—so I can affirm that they have the means—and the will—to slaughter us, if they were to ever find all of us. Fortunately, we've managed to remain relatively well-hidden, but at the rate that Gastark is conquering the continent, it's only a matter of time before they find us here. Because of that, we have to move.

[They have to run and hide. Keep running and hiding, until the day they finally have the right to live—]

[He blinks at this, absorbing it quickly, though most of it is very disquieting. A country that goes out of its way to hunt them...

And Tiir has encountered them multiple times, which means that he has seen his own people, his friends slaughtered multiple times and Minato's expression somehow stays steady, but he swallows, hands in his pockets clenching into fists slowly.

Unsafe because of humans and their prejudice.

There is a lot of work to be done here, Minato thinks, a lot of work that Minato is honestly uncertain he can accomplish all on his own but...what's the point if he doesn't try?

So he lifts his chin with new determined certainty and nods once, firmly.]

Okay. I'm ready to go wherever we need to go.

[It's already a 'we'; Minato will be with Tiir through to the end.]

[... Ha. Even though Tiir's still aware of how horrible a thought it is, he really is glad that Minato's here. He won't admit it quite that way out loud, but he badly needs the support.

In spite of the bad mood that thinking of Gastark puts him in, he smiles.]

Well, at least we won't have to worry about your belongings.

[Or lack thereof.]

... I'm sorry, though. It probably won't be a very pleasant journey.

[Support is something Minato can do, and Minato is pleased to see the smile as well. Even if the situation is more than a little tense, it lets him know that at least Tiir isn't suffering from too much pressure--he can still smile.

But heh.]

I'm used to not having many belongings, it's fine.

[no really]

I'm not going to say I know what it's going to be like, but I've been through a few tough journeys. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine.

[Haha literally. Journeys. And Arcana Journeys too and--

Yeah no he'll be fine. He can almost feel the Arcana switch in his brain--World to Fool all over again. Another journey of discovery.]

[He smiles wryly.]

How can I not worry about you? You have a tendency of getting yourself into trouble.

[....tiir why.

it would almost be a pout, if it wasn't Minato.

because it's Minato, it's still mostly stoic.]

...I don't get into that much trouble...

[Tiir puts his hands on his hips.]

I seem to recall an instance where you were too busy worrying over me to defend yourself and I had to get you out of there.

[...tiir why are you reminding him of a mother right now, he hasn't had a mother for 11 years--]

...Ah, well...

It was dangerous for you as well, Tiir-san, of course I was worried...

[He can't deny that Tiir saved him though--]

[........ minato why.]

I was hardly in danger. Anyhow, seeing as how I'd just fed, it wouldn't have done much even if I had been injured. You, on the other hand...

[it's the hands on the hips.

so motherly.]

...Well, now that I know what you can do, I guess I have to admit you're right.

[He just shrugs, almost sheepishly.]

But it turned out alright in the end, thanks to your help.

[shush he only did that once in canon okay

... while trying to get Ryner to eat dango...]

... You really are carefree, aren't you?

[A blink.

Carefree...?]

I guess so.

[when you've been through as much as him with the temperament he has--]

I promise I won't get in the way, though. I know taking care of your friends is very serious.

[And meanwhile, Tiir just gets more desperate...]

I didn't think you would. And besides, I could always use your help in looking after the children.

[Poor tiir-san. . .

And that pulls a smile out of Minato. Kids!]

I'd be happy to.

[He pulls his hands out of his pockets and he

fistpumps

god minato you're so lame.]

I'll follow your lead, Tiir-sensei.

[... And Tiir just kind of stares for a moment because Minato what—]

Ah... well, I have faith that you'll do fine on your own. Those who aren't Iino Doue or Will Hame bearers should like you just fine, at least, once they get past their initial wariness.

[...h-hahah he's going to have to get used to nobody understanding his Japanisms huh.

And he tilts his head at that, because while he's prepared to move when Tiir needs to, he's admittedly curious.]

Iino Doue is what you have, right? What is...Will Hame?

[a nod]

It's the only other eye that allows the user to hear the heaven's voice and awakens before the bearer is...

[He was about to say "brainwashed", but he's not sure if that's really the right thing to say anymore.]

... conditioned to think of themself as human. Specifically, it awakens while the bearer is a few months old.

[... You probably don't want to ask when the Iino Doue awakens, Minato.]

[...yeah he's getting the sense that he's going to have to do a lot of research. Thankfully, he's...generally a pretty quick study.]

...I see...Then they have good reasons for being untrusting.

[He can imagine those scenarios very very well.]

I'll just be careful. Don't worry about me.

[thumbs up!]

It seems like you've already got enough people to worry about.

Indeed. It's worrisome, but...

[There's nearly a thousand of them, after all.]

I'd rather our numbers be increasing than decreasing, though, so it's fine.

[That's an optimistic view. He can handle optimistic views. A steady nod.]

That is good news.

I'm looking forward to meeting everyone, even if we do have to move soon. Where will we be moving to...?

[...it looks like trees everywhere to him, looking around--]

[He pauses, trying to figure out how normal or strange this would sound to Minato, before deciding that it doesn't really matter.]

Out of the country. I assume names wouldn't mean much to you.

[...well, Tiir is right about that, though Minato makes a mental note to learn as much about this world as possible soon. He'll have to find a history book...

But he just nods.]

Alright. I'm ready...I'll follow you, Tiir-san.

[Anywhere.]

[He smiles and nods back.]

Follow me, then. You might want to stay close as well.

[... reign in those heterosexual vibes there, Minato.]

Minato | Tiir | 020

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