sewdamncute | [Video/Action] First Stitch, revisited ℵ

Video
[The journal opens up when Kanji's foot tips it over. The camera shows the tree tops, leaves dark and green with tiny splotches of a blue sky showing through. The voice of an irate male is heard shouting at the top of his lungs at no one in particular.]

Can't believe I'm back here with these dumb ass wings. The fuck is wrong with these stupid bastards that they can't leave me back home where things are finally calm?! It's Golden Week!

And why the hell are these wings so...pink? Do I look like a dude who wears pink?

[And suddenly, Kanji's very angry face is in front of the camera. It's obvious that he's in the New Feather pants and no shirt. He really doesn't look like a guy who should even know what the color pink is, let alone wear it.

His grey eyes go wide before a slight blush shows on his cheeks.]

Fuck!

[And then the journal is slammed shut.]

Action
[Later, when he's dressed in his normal clothes, Kanji can be found looking for a place to stay, since he already knows how Luceti works. After finding an apartment, he's going grocery shopping and stopping off to get some supplies to occupy his time.

He'll also stop off at Seventh Heaven for dinner and to see who's working there. He stops off at the school and Azalea to check in with his former teacher. He would like to see when the school is back in session.]

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[He nods, trying not to let his disappointment show. As much as he doesn't want any of his friends to be here, he kinda liked that they were together too. It was a little bit of home in a strange place.]

Well, guess I should be grateful for that. I've had enough of these jerks messin' with my head to last a while. Though, now that I'm back, it's just a matter of time before it happens again.

You been here a while, right, Raine-sensei? Do they ever get sick of doin' crap like that?

The Organization? No. The experiments have everything to do with the motivation of the company, no matter who's been at the head. From the people we've talked to, that's not likely to change any time soon. They've been running it this way for hundreds of years, if not more.

[He stares at her for a long, hard moment, a little stunned by her words.]

Hundreds of years?

That's right. This enclosure's only been around for nearly seven years, but it was used multiple times before for the same purpose. And there are the others, as well...

So, basically, what you're tellin' me is that the line about tryin' to find a way to get us all home is a lie.

[He just looks dumb. He can figure things out just fine when he needs to do it.]

[She lifts up her hands and shakes her head.]

They're still sticking to that line - remember, they came here the same way we did, and haven't found a way back yet. They live out their lives here, and then begin again. Over and over, trying to conquer the world's shifts by way of their own. Of course it causes us discomfort but in the long run that isn't what their concern is.

On the other side of it, you have the cultists, who want to break the cycles for good with sacrifice. There truly is no clean solution to any of this.

[He listens to her quietly, trying to piece together what he's learned while he was here before with what his teacher is saying. This is really the most frank conversation anyone's had with the teen about the whole situation...

And since he doesn't have his older friends to rely on, he knows he's got to watch his own back and start thinking things through for himself. It was something he'd begun doing after the whole situation with Adachi and Izanami was cleared up. This is just an extension of that, in a way. He's gotta be his own man and all that.]

Alright, I think I read some guide in the journals the first time. I didn't get a lot of it but I guess some of it stuck. So, the Malnosso guys were kidnapped here too. By the weird shifts, right?

So, now they're usin' the shifts to try and get everyone home? But they don't really care that the shifts they cause are trouble for us because they're lookin' at the big picture?

That is some fucked up shit.

[She nods encouragingly as he speaks, once again letting his language slide - the fact that he's able to grasp the concept is more important than that.]

That's exactly it. They're more invested in the results of their research, since they see the end goal as being more beneficial than whether or not the process of getting there is ethical or not. However it all started, I'm certain it was very different than the way things are now. Time passes, ideals can become twisted or corrupted... as in most societies.

So...they still deserve to be punched in the long run. Just not as badly.

[Which means they're not really bad guys like Adachi. More like the hardass cops that harassed him all the time back home. Or like Namatame, the dumb creep.

No, wait, he was just crazy. Thinking that throwing people into televisions somehow "saved" them. Yeah, right.]

This entire, stupid place makes my head hurt. I dunno how you've stayed here so long without goin' crazy.

It's just adaptation over time.

[As for going crazy, she's had her moments, but she does her best to keep them as private as possible.] There are still things that can surprise you, or take you off guard, but that means you aren't completely numb to all of it, either. It's just... a process.

[He runs a sweaty hand over his face, streaking it with some dirt and making him look like a little kid for a second.]

I dunno if I wanna ever get to the point where nothing this place does doesn't surprise me. Would be like bein' dead inside, wouldn't it?

... Yes. [Her eyes flicker away, in distraction. As if the phrasing reminded her of something.]

Becoming numb to, or fully accepting the circumstances and not being moved to question it... would be a horrible thing.

[He misses the way her eyes move, but he can tell the difference in her voice and he immediately feels sorry for whatever he did to make her change.]

Uh, sorry, if somethin' I said made you upset. I don't think before I talk sometimes.

[At least he doesn't think she's going to yell, kick or slap him like the girls in the IT do. And his mother is used to him and just ignores it for the most part. So, he's not really good at this apologizing to girls thing.]

Hm? [She shakes her head.] Don't worry about it. I've had a lot on my mind. If you have any other questions about the situation or... how things are, I don't mind answering.

I guess I don't have any more right now, but if I think of somethin' else, can I ask you? You're the only person who's bothered to actually answer my questions.

[Not that he's not used to that by now, but getting straight answers out of an adult? Gold.]

Is that so? [It's a little surprising for her to hear that, but she nods.] Yes, of course you may.

Yeah, last time, I...uh... I didn't make the best impression with some people around here. Tryin' to change that this time.

Thanks, Raine-sensei.

[He looks around the shop, watching the plants as they seem to change before his very eyes.]

Uh, you need any more help around here? Looks like they might be a little more tame now.

Thank you. You've helped a great deal. [She glances around to assess the shop and the state of the plants.] I should be able to handle the rest.

[He gives her a brief smile before picking up his discarded jacket.]

Welcome. I'll see ya at school then!

Indeed. Take care of yourself.

[She gives him a nod before turning back to the plant situation.]

[Video/Action] First Stitch, revisited ℵ

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