YOU WANT, UH, A TISSUE? MAYBE SOME SOAP? NEW CLOTHES?

[dousing]

COVERED IN BLOOD MEME So you're a bit of a mess. Or you're stumbling upon a mess. What happened? There's blood everywhere, what the hell? Is it your blood, animal blood, the blood of someone you murdered? Hell, maybe you ran out of tampons. Anyway, no matter how it got there, you're (or someone you know is) covered in blood. Can it be explained away? If not, is someone going to prison? The hospital? Going to die of blood loss? Get in trouble for playing catch with the blood bags? Man, we don't know. The point is you have a mess to clean up. Or roll around in gleefully, you nasty fucks. • Top level your character. Include any details you might think are relevant. Or don't. As always, we're not the cops. • Reply to other people's top levels! • While this meme is bound to have a lot of potentially triggering content, content warnings for anything ott or very extreme are probably a good idea! • Have fun!

Comments

[choseanidiot]

[Getting rid of the blood helps a lot. It won't instantly make him better, and he doesn't have much energy to shift his position from where and how he's put down on the couch, but... it's no longer choking him, and the miasma lingering clings more to the man himself - since he was part of the fight - rather than tearing directly into him.

Giving the little dog something of a tired, lopsided grin, Rokuta still feels hot and achy, but it's not getting worse, anymore. That's all he can ask for right now. Well, he could also ask for Yokuhi wrapped around him, but she knows well enough that it might be a bad idea to materialise in here, even if she, too, wants to do so - it'd startle the dogs, if nothing else, and they don't need that.

Looking up when Ragnar comes back, Rokuta nods and finding he can, at least, help somewhat to wriggle himself out of the towel and wrap himself up in the blanket. It still makes him exhausted, though, which is... frustrating to say the least.]

... Thanks. For getting me out of there.

[And for the rest too, of course.]

[reunite]

I couldn't leave you there.

[And that's weird.

He doesn't usually get sentimental attacks like that anymore, hasn't really been prone to them for ...many centuries now, with his humanity running lower and lower. But in the end the reason for him getting the younger male out of there was exactly that. A sentiment attack. It's curious.]

You resemble one of my sons when he was little.

[choseanidiot]

I--- [He can't quite control the twitch, or the slight widening of his eyes as he looks up at Ragnar, then immediately looks away. He doesn't turn away, doesn't even lean deeper into the couch where the shadow pooling in the crevice between the back and seat cushion has become darker and heavier for a moment.

There's the urge to, certainly, something between old hurt and the pleasure that this man was, hopefully a better father than his had been able to be.]

Oh. Well, thanks. [He's already said it, but it spills out again anyway, and he shifts uncomfortably on the couch. Wonders if, if he'd bothered to shift into the fully human guise he can only use here there would have been any resemblance... Doesn't matter.]

Hope I can measure up. [Now, he can at least manage a grin. And Rokuta has, by now, somehow managed to migrate to sitting on the couch arm instead of on the couch.] I'm Rokuta.

[reunite]

[He laughs and sits down on the couch, now that it is mostly vacated.]

I doubt that you can get in trouble quite as quickly as him, I fear. Leif was the kind where you turned around and when you turned back he had managed to find his way into a tree that he couldn't get down from or start a fight with another child. [His voice sounds fond as he speaks. He had to give the boy away once the lack in progression of Ragnar's own age might have started to become obvious to the boy, but he'd kept up with him even after that, having made sure that he would live with a good household and sometimes sending opportunities his way when he needed them. And after him he had still kept a distant eye on Leif's children and grandchildren.]

I'm Ragnar. Though if that's too hard to pronounce, I can offer other names, too.

[choseanidiot]

I know someone like that. [Rokuta's nose scrunches, his tone nearly scornful, but there's more exasperation than actual heat behind the words. Of course, the individual he's thinking of is a fully grown man and any fight he might get into more usually means armies involved rather than a playground scuffle, but he's sticking to it. Shoryu is just like that.]

But pretty sure he'd disagree with you about my tendency to get in trouble. [Rokuta snorts and shifts a little where he's sitting. He should probably sit properly on the couch, since this is using more energy than he just yet has to keep balanced where he is, but he prefers this.]

Don't have to, that won't be a problem. [Languages is, after all, one of his 'things', so pronouncing someone's name as it should be is a small matter.]

[reunite]

What's he like?

[The guy Rokuta talked about. He's not quite making idle conversation here, he is curious to learn more about this not!kid, but at the same time it is also a way of keeping an eye on him and making sure that he'll notice if his condition suddenly worsens again.

[choseanidiot]

An irresponsible idiot who has a chronic need to put his nose where it doesn't belong and do things he should be letting other people do... not do things he should be doing.

[The slightly peevish tone softens the longer Rokuta talks, though, and even if not quite intended, there's definitively fondness staining the edges of the last word or two. Scrubbing his face and running a hand through his hair, he slumps a little, eyes closed for a moment. He can swear he can still smell blood, but that's... probably just the lingering effects of being spattered with it.]

Shoryu's also very good at reading people and knows what he's doing... most of the time. [He cannot say something good about his ruler without immediately attempting to nullify it, at least somewhat.]

[reunite]

[Ragnar chuckles at that, settling back comfortably and looking towards the window.]

I have to say I never worked for someone quite that ill behaved, though he sounds a bit like my descendant. [There are more, but Killing is the only one that stuck around, so to speak.] He sounds like a headache waiting to happen.

[choseanidiot]

He's from Wa--- Uh. Japan, so he's probably not yours. [Eyeing Rangar, Rokuta frowns and actually has the energy and attention to spare to pay attention, and this human isn't... just that. Leaning forward a little and cocking his head, Rokuta, with his usual lack of tact, simply dives right into it:]

You don't look old enough to have descendants, but you're not just human either. How old are you?

[reunite]

Very likely not, as far as I could keep track of them they all stayed in Scandinavia or went to America.

[He has to laugh at how the question is posed, and inclines his head. He will never look old enough to have grandchildren, even.]

About two millennia, give or take.

[choseanidiot]

You're--- [Rokuta stares, swaying back a little in open surprise, and while he might be a little warier now (there's a faint tingle of something, not quite the smell of blood, still lingering around the man) and there's briefly a deeper shadow gripping his ankle, Rokuta's not about to leave. He feels... okay, as far as he can tell, and he did help him.]

Wouldn't have guessed that much. [Scrunching his nose, Rokuta leans forward a little - and then has to catch himself on the back of the couch as he sways, paling a little. All right, he has to be more careful.]

[reunite]

Careful.

[He reaches out on instinct (faster than a human should be able to, sitting on the sofa a little distance away one moment and on one knee next to the kirin in the next) to steady the not-child, leaning forward and wrapping an arm around Enki's midsection to keep him on his armrest.

Once it is clear that the younger male won't fall he lets go but stays close enough to reach out again, should it be necessary. His tone, when he speaks up, is filled with worry and soft scolding.]

Maybe you should sit down here until you feel better after all?

[choseanidiot]

[The angled stare is a little less than graceful, but after a moment Rokuta nods and slides down into the wedge between armrest and back with a grunt, curling up like he really is only thirteen. But then, in Rokuta's situation, in some ways he might as well still be.]

Probably. Got pretty soaked. [Doesn't mean he likes it, and it was frankly ages ago since he last had to deal with this and he doesn't miss it at all.] ... Sorry. The violence... still sorta stinks.

[reunite]

[He scoots away some when Rokuta slips down to make more space for him.]

Blood harms you. [He nods thoughtfully.] A curse?

[choseanidiot]

[There's a blink, and then he just starts laughing, even if there's really not much actual amusement in it. Shaking his head and peering up at Ragnar through his lashes, Rokuta snorts.]

You'd think so, right? Pretty inconvenient, but it's just how I work. [Another shake of his head and he grimaces.] It makes me sick. Spill enough and even if I don't get any on me, it sorta saturates the air, all that violence...

[Looking away, Rokuta's expression darkens. He doesn't really like thinking about all the reasons blood could be spilled. He's just glad that Shoryu has had to do it as little as possible since they started.]

[reunite]

Something that runs in your species, then?

...What about violence in which no blood is shed?

[Usually it is, sooner or later, but humans are inventive, and others ever happy to adopt the results of their creativity. Not all violence leaves traces.]

[choseanidiot]

Something like that.

[Briefly, Rokuta is just... angry at the suggestion. Any violence is bad--- Shaking his head, he runs a hand through his mane and scratches his scalp.]

Ain't gonna make me sick unless I already am, but enough of it leaves a residue all its own. [And affects them negatively, if not in the same way blood does.] It's unpleasant, that's all. I'm not gonna be hurting anyone either way.

[Can't, more like, but he's not willing to spell that out.]

[reunite]

No, you won't, but I wanted to make sure in case they find us again.

They shouldn't, mind, but... [He shrugs and gets up.] I'm going to make myself something to eat. Are you hungry, and do you have any dietary restrictions?

[choseanidiot]

[Blinking, he nods after a moment. It's a curious thing, to have someone ask enough about that, even just as a precaution. Maybe especially then.]

I... uh. [Squinting and hesitating, Rokuta finally shrugs.] If it ain't too much trouble. Just fruit would be fine, I just can't eat any meat.

[reunite]

Well, let's see what I have then.

[He vanishes into the kitchen and calls back from there:] What about honey and milk? [Veganism is still a really weird thing to him - vegetarianism he's encountered before modern times, though always for religious reasons -, but it is a thing, so better check if there's more than meat the not!kid won't eat, or if he really thinks fruit is the easiest.]

[choseanidiot]

That works too.

[Another shake of his head as he slowly slides back down to sit more properly on the couch, regardless of his preferred spots to choose on any piece of furniture, meant to be sat on or not.]

Whatever, as long as it's not meat or has any blood in it.

[It's really not about animal products as such, honestly, even if it's that too, on some level.

[reunite]

All right.

[There is a silence, and a few minutes later he'll return with some toast, jam, butter and honey.]

I don't usually keep much fruit around, [he says by way of an explanation as he sits on the ground, cross-legged, and places the tray that everything is placed on on the couch next to Enki.]

[choseanidiot]

Thanks.

[The smile softens Rokuta's face from the almost sullen resting face he seems to have generally and he bites into the toast with enthusiasm. It's pretty funny that this is the simplest food he's had in a while, aside from all the peaches he nicks to eat inbetween actual meals.]

I really don't mind. Fruit just seemed like the easiest suggestion if ya did have any around. I don't really have to make what I eat myself, so...

[A shrug. When he isn't presented with meals he just takes what he can get without having to prepare it.]

[reunite]

I don't assume it is your mother who makes your meals normally, is it?

[He is totally asking about Enki's life and circumstances here, couched in a small talk as it is.]

[choseanidiot]

[That? That's Rokuta snort-laughing after a stunned moment of silence, shaking his head so his mane flies around him.]

Don't--- really have, a, uh, mother. [The smirk freezes a little as an old, old memory (it still feels fresh, for all that, old resentment, dim fondness, and understanding blending together) of a worn woman with her arms around his siblings, watching the city burn - replaced by a flicker of white and the softness of Yokuhi's feathers. Or, well. The memory of such, though a shadow curls, brief and light, around his ankle before sinking back into the couch properly.]

Other people make 'em. Unless I just pick fruit while I'm out. [A shrug, perhaps not as nonchalant as he's trying to make it, but telling Ragnar some details of how he works is pretty different from revealing anything that implies importance.]