video; @unchained

[hedonistic]

[There video opens to a beautiful scene of a sunset at the Fishing District, sky painted in magnificent pinks and oranges that reflect against the pristine ice. A few moments later, a young man's voice accompanies it, tinged with the telltale slurring of someone who's rather drunk.]

Hey, question.

[A pause hangs in the air for a minute, almost long enough that one might wonder if he's gotten distracted or forgotten.]

Did you like your life, before the Storm? [. . .] If the Natha gave you a chance to go back, would any of you stay here?

[Kagari doesn't miss Japan. He doesn't feel homesick. He misses his friends, sure, but he's had more in the past nine months than he did in the twenty-one years before it. But he's starting to feel like the only one.]

Comments

[hedonistic]

Heh. It's fuckin' weird, right? Getting treated like a person? I'm still not used to it, and it's been close to a year.

[colorature]

Why do people treat you badly?

[hedonistic]

Uh--you mean me specifically, or why people are shitty to each other in general?

[colorature]

You specifically.

[hedonistic]

That's kinda personal isn't it? I don't even know your name.

[Kagari's not so much cagey about his circumstances back home as how he tells them. Right now, he's entirely too vulnerable and easy to be pitied, and he HATES pity.]

[colorature]

My name's Diva! Is it really that personal? Talking about my past never bothers me.

_{[Lucky for him she's not one to pity anyone.]}

[hedonistic]

Ehh...why'd people have a problem with you, then? We can trade. I'm Kagari.

[colorature]

Because I'm a Chiropteran Queen - I'm a vampire.

[hedonistic]

Wait, seriously? You're an actual for-fucking-real vampire?

[See Kagari. See how he doesn't look terrified or freaked out in the least. In fact, he kind of looks. Excited???]

Do you have fangs? Can you turn into a bat?? Is it true that you can't come into people's houses without being invited or cross bodies of water or that you guys hate garlic??? Do you ever get like, really paranoid around wooden things that could be used for stakes????

[...]

Do you sparkle in the sun or just burn?

[colorature]

Of course I've fangs.

_{[Maybe it wasn't clear from her position on screen, but she'll bring her phone closer, right up to her face to flash him a fanged grin. The enthusiasm is appreciated, even if she still finds it funny some humans get excited to know there are creatures out there that they're prey for.]}

I can't turn into a bat, although those I turn can shapeshift into a more inhuman, beastly form. I can enter houses without any problem but I can't swim and I love garlic. I'm not paranoid of wood or the thought of being stabbed - I'm immortal.

_{[Sparkle?? That's a new one.]}

I don't sparkle or burn and yes I drink human blood.

[hedonistic]

[Kagari is a Huge Nerd and is thrilled about anything in fantasy stories he's read or watched or played being true in any capacity tbh. Hell, even during Ysverai's rampage he couldn't help but think how badass the idea of a zombie dragon was.]

Whoaaa. I wouldn't have guessed the water thing would be the only one from that list that's true.

[Though it's a little less exciting that she doesn't have a bunch of cool vampire superpowers, lame :(]

Wish I had anything cool like that to tell you. [It's punctuated with a bit of a whine. But a deal's a deal, he g u e s s e s]

There's tech in my world that decides where people belong in society. Cymatic scans, they're called. Some of us turn out to not belong at all. Too "dangerous", and not even a nice perk like fangs.

[He opens his own mouth to highlight this point, revealing his very boring, very human set of chompers. a tragedy tbh.]

[colorature]

_{[Oh she has a lot of cool powers, you just didn't ask about them!]}

Well I can ride on a boat?

_{[Crossing water isn't a problem, she just...can't swim. She'll sink.]}

Dangerous in what way? _{[And sorry, she's just going to give him a little laugh when he bears his teeth at her.]} I'm guessing you were considered dangerous?

[hedonistic]

[just s h r u g s expansively tbh]

Yep. Beats the hell out of me why, though.

[At least he's not offended by the laughter. He was being intentionally silly, after all.]

[colorature]

You don't seem dangerous.

_{[Not to her at least.]}

[hedonistic]

You're a vampire. 'Course I don't seem dangerous to you.