middaeg | there are no happy accidents

[ With new bunny ears to match his bunny tail, and a bunny tail to go with his new bunny lower half, Ritsu

did not exactly escape the full moons unscathed. This is literal too, changes aside, but those are hidden beneath clothing: a white blouse, a long grey skirt that swishes widely when he hops. He's been keeping away from areas too crowded (unless someone he knows is there), particularly those with notable Witch populations - Monsters too, he's not overly fond of.

But Yako is a Witch he know and knows is a good person, so when he sees her moving through the crowd, he swallows the knot in his throat and bounds forward through, setting his hands on her shoulders. His grip is a little tight, despite his easy-going, sleepy-as-usual appearance. ]

Enjoying the festival?

Edited 2019-06-24 22:45 (UTC)

[ Yako may be back in the city proper, but her mind’s still a million miles away, back in a dark cave with frozen corpses. She’d been fortunate enough to avoid any violent run ins herself, but she saw what happened to those that got caught up in it afterward, enough to realize they’d been caught in quite the honeytrap. While she’d seen a few familiar faces during the expedition, she hadn’t had a chance to catch up with them afterwards. Now, in the full swing of Litha, it feels silly and distant to dwell on it at all, but she can’t stop thinking about it.

That could have been us.

As such, when hands clap onto her shoulders from behind, she just about jumps out of her skin, letting out a sharp yelp of surprise and twisting around to see the culprit. ]

Oh, Ritsu-san ... it’s you. [ Her heart still pounding wildly in her chest, it takes a moment or two for her gaze to flicker up ... and up, taking in the new additions to Ritsu’s appearance with a slow blink. ]

[ His new additions twitch at her bit of prolonged staring, slowly rising from their usual floppiness in similar interest. ]

Yep. [ Just him. He holds his wrist loose behind his back, tilting his head; his ears follow suit, more or less. ] Fufun... Look, I really am a bunny~. Do they suit me?

[ The question snaps Yako out of her rude staring and she smiles reflexively. ]

They do. [ She answers, truthfully. Ritsu’s already a pretty expressive person: ears to make even bigger gestures with is only fitting. ]

Did those come in the last full moon...? [ Those, and the markedly different legs he’s sporting. Those will earn a curious look but she won’t make the mistake of lingering overlong on those again, focusing on Ritsu’s face. Those are some pretty stark changes compared to what last month’s brought, and she can’t help but wonder at the reason for it. ]

Ahh, yeah, they did. [ His ears don't match the casual, dismissive way he says it, them immediately setting back against his head immediately. ] I can't really remember it all that well, but they stuck around afterwards, so I guess I just gotta deal with it.

[ ...He doesn't really want to remember, and he bounces slightly on his heels; the only good thing about this transformation business is that he has a little more energy.

Well, objectively good thing. He still isn't sure how to handle it, given he's not used to having this much aside from at the darkest parts of the night. ]

Kinda makes me wonder what next month'll have. Maybe I really will turn into a big ol' bunny...

[ Ritsu. May have spoken about something like this with like, Tori, while he was still in the infirmary. ]

[ Despite living with two Monsters herself, Yako isn't very familiar with how the transformation works on a detailed level -- and it seems to be different with everyone she's met. She watches Ritsu as he bounces in place, expression thoughtful as she tries to decide what she makes of his answer (which seems, well, a little evasive) and whether to pry further or not. ]

Maybe ... [ She pauses. ] But that big bunny will still be you, you know.

[ She offers him what she hopes is something like a reassuring smile, despite her own worries that won't quite be easily dispelled. If he's been having trouble with his shifts during the full moon, she wonders what he's doing to try to keep it under control, if he's already found a partner to stabilize him or not. ]

Eating enchanted food is supposed to help with changes around the full moon. If you ever need some of that for next time, you should let me know.

[ Still him, huh. It's easy for her to say, because she's not dealing with it - even if she might be right, objectively. Maybe the rest of his friends would feel the same way, or maybe they'd think him a real monster - maybe it'd be like the people here, thinking he couldn't keep himself under control.

He doesn't want to be this, though. If he really is like this, then he might be like this forever, and what normal person would ever love someone like that...? ]

...Yeah, I'll do that. Come by before the next moon or whatever and grab some of your snacks. [ Ritsu's smile is half there, performative at best. ] Or Yako-chan could just ditch her house and come live with me instead, take care of me, spoil me...♪ Nel-san's too mean, you know? She reminds me of a friend, but she doesn't have any give at aaall... Totally heartless, Yako-chan.

[ Perhaps she’s never experienced being slowly turned into a monster, but the feelings Ritsu must be experiencing aren’t so unique as all that. Fear of rejection, reluctance to accept change, being forced to deal with circumstances that challenge your very idea of yourself ... that’s something all people go through at some point in their lives.

As well as the desire to push it down and suppress it, to carry on as though nothing is wrong. That’s what Yako would tell him if she could read his mind, anyway — but she can’t. There isn’t even a trace of the temporary Bond they’d shared between them, now, so he’s harder to read despite what his new changes give away.

Still, his comment about Nel draws a quiet laugh. ]

You shouldn’t talk about someone you live with like that. [ Not the least because Nel knows an alarming number of parts of the human body to stick a knife in. Not someone whose bad side you wanna get on, Ritsu. ] We promised we’d make something together, didn’t we? You’re the one who should come over — I’m sure Sakuma-san would be happy to see you.

[ She’s only teasing, though. By this point she knows Ritsu’s avoiding Rei, though she doesn’t quite understand why. ]

[ He respects and fears Nel, but also: it's Nel. She's rough on him, and he doesn't like it, but she's weirdly caring.

Just like Sena!! ]

I'd only visit when he's out. [ Said with a slight pout, even if he can't sell his usual grumpiness about his brother entirely. ] Ahh, enough about him... You're gonna ruin my appetite, Yako-chan... And I wanna spend the whole night with you.

[ there has to be a better way to say that but would ritsu ever? No- ]

Let's go, go, go~.

[ And, maybe due to being a bunny now - or because time is edging closer to night - Ritsu's energy is nice and high, and he has little trouble tugging her along into the throes of the festival. Like most festivals, there's a lot going on - dancing, people going in and out of brothels as if it's going out of style, couples cuddled up together... The only thing that really feels off is how forced some of the cheer is - the air is still, like the city is waiting to see what's going to happen with the reddening skies hanging overhead.

How performative, but tradition is tradition; it must be something normal they can cling to.

He keeps close to Yako as they make their way 'round shops and streets - probably teases her about eating so much, but tries to get fed by her anyway and feed her in return; he doesn't mind being mistaken for a couple if it gets them free snacks and it's fun, too. He had fun with Iramaat the same way and she's one of his better friends, it's a tried and true strategy-

but Ritsu is happier when they're not around a lot of people, having finally guided Yako and himself down towards the river. Most people go down to the harbor, given the sailing-based other half of Litha, but the river herself? Not so much. It's a nice, ideal place to settle down, and he lets his legs hang off of the edge, watching the water below.

The water. Mmm. His bunnied reflection stares back at him, and his ears twitch at the sight. ]

...Yako-chan, you went on that cave thing too, right? [ A beat, and he tilts his head. His reflection does, too, but his gaze slips over to Yako's reflection in the water instead to gauge her reaction. ] Mmmmm... That water was awful... You think the river here's ever gonna be like that?

Edited 2019-07-18 04:31 (UTC)

[ Yako hadn't realized it herself, until just now, how much tension she was carrying around with her -- how heavily her thoughts about the discoveries the cave and all the rest have weighed her down -- until all that weight is, at least for the span of the afternoon, lifted. Not gone, but having company eases it.

And if she doesn't look too closely at what she's putting in her mouth (and doesn't mind the lightheaded giddiness that follows after) well, that's her business. Perched beside Ritsu -- their shoulders companionably pressed together, the spiced food encouraging a natural seeking out of physical contact that she doesn't worry too much about -- she glances at him when he asks the question, having to work past her own daze to think of wha the answer might be. ]

I hope not. [ She answers, her pleasantly cheerful expressions turning more serious again. Sitting up just doesn't seem quite enough right now, so for once it's her turn to lean on Ritsu, tipping her head so she can tuck it on his shoulder. ]

But we don't know what caused it in the first place, do we?

[ Oh, that's close- he's not used to other people getting close first, doesn't usually like people touching him first, and ... circumstances hasn't really helped that; but the food they'd snacked on does, and he rests his head against hers, gaze lidding halfway in relaxation - more like a cat than the animal he's turning into. ]

Nah, we don't... Unless it's like, mm... You know those people stuck in the ice? Maybe they were infected too, and when it melts it carries their contaminated juices to whatever the source of that water is... Or something. [ He has a high school education at a school focused primarily on the performing arts, don't judge him. ] Or maybe it just happens when an area gets infected... Or maybe someone poisoned it deliberately.

[ Which sounds... bad, considering what else is down there, and he sighs softly, shifting to accommodate her a little better against his side; his hand lays innocently by her opposite side, not quite at the relationship (or cuddle food) point to settle on her waist proper. ]

Mmm, it sucked, that's all... I was kinda excited about somewhere dark and cool, but then it turned out to be such a pain.

You shouldn't talk about people's 'contaminated juices,' Ritsu-san ... [ Yako protests, mildly, from where she's resting against Ritsu. Because that's the truth, you just shouldn't! It doesn't make her pull away, though. The rest of what he says makes her fall silent, though, thinking it over. They don't really have all the answers right now, and as much as she's used to being in that position, it's also a little frustrating.

She sighs, chest heaving in and out. ]

... with that much ice, I think it must have been magic that put them there in the first place. [ She says, after a moment. This talk is really harshing her mellow groove, but at least Ritsu is a steadying presence at her side, making it easier. ] I think it's worth talking to the Wilders about it ... since I'm pretty sure they're going back there.

[ A pause. ]

This might sound strange, but ... I wish I could go. Even if they probably aren't going to be accepting anyone who isn't Bonded or experienced with combat, after this.

That's an easy fix for a girl like you though, right? Just get a Bond and get some fighting experience.

[ He makes it sound so simple.

...but to him, it is, especially if it's Yako they're talking about. ]

You're cute and fun, so you'll probably get a who~le lot of offers if you put out an ad. [ Ritsu grins slightly, nuzzling the side of her head. the thought of her going back out there, somewhere that dangerous, doesn't wholly sit well with him- he doesn't reflect on it too much, quietly breathing in her scent since he's so close. ] Mmm, even I've got half of that... kinda. I've been in a couple of dangerous situations, anyway. Think that counts.

There's no harm in asking anyway. [ hmm-hmm♪ ] No one could refuse someone like you, Yako-chan... I know a couple of people like you, and that's the truth for them, so I figure it's the same.

[ people aren't so hard to figure out. he likes to think that, anyway. ]

[ Cute and fun...? Yako can certainly say she's never thought of herself in such terms, and she's still puzzling over that when he nuzzles against the side of her head, a contact she instinctively leans into. That's nice. This, here, is just nice overall, even if the topic they're discussing isn't terribly pleasant. Still, she laughs quietly against his side. ]

Miss Nel did give me a knife lesson, once. [ Not the most reassuring thing to say when she's close enough to stick Ritsu's kidneys, but... ]

Putting out an ad sounds strange. [ Is what she'll settle on finally, but not without a small smile. ] But it would be nice if it were that simple, wouldn't it? I wonder how many other mirrorbound have already found their Bonds.

[ Ooh, knife lessons. It's cute to think of Yako wielding one. ]

Me too. Maybe we're the only two left without one. [ Well- he's pretty sure Rei doesn't have one, or anyone else from there... Maybe it's the effect of being an idol - not being allowed relations (not that that's really stopped any of them, but they're teenagers; they're still protected by the school; it's not as bad, and the climate is changing too, bit by bit) - or maybe the idea of linking your feelings together is just one none of them are too keen on.

Maybe no one really is. It's kind of a heavy thing, even with the levity the Coven seems to treat it with. Ritsu hums. ] Mmmmm, I guess I didn't mind it when we had one. It was kinda fun.

[ read: her reactions were fun. ]

there are no happy accidents | closed

a little fun | litha, yako

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