nexus_sages | (no subject)

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Without warning, someone emerges into the Nexus through a swirling portal of light.

The smartly-dressed young man, one-handedly adjusting a pair of dark-framed glasses on his nose as he walks, appears to be quite involved in paging through a book of some sort, hence not noticing that he is most likely not where he was actually intending to be. It's only when he finally looks up from the book--

"--I can't be sure as of yet, but it appears...that it...might..."

Yes, this is definitely not where he meant to end up.

He blinks slowly - once, twice, three times, absently taking a bookmark from his pocket so he can close the book and take a very good look around.

A brochure from a nearby table finds its way quickly into his hands, and while it doesn't really explain things to his satisfaction, at least it gives him a bit of an idea to work with. Now...a question. Which involves picking one out of the multitude swirling round in his head.

"...How - hypothetically, mind you - would one go about showing their appreciation to someone who was kind enough to take them in? Without overstepping their boundaries," he hurries to add the last bit, looking sour.

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Blink. "I hadn't honestly thought about it yet. Perhaps..."

"It's not always an easy secret to keep, but it can be hard to know who to trust with it. It's okay to take some time to be sure." She offers what's meant to be a reassuring smile. "But if you're not going to tell her right away, you'd better come up with an explanation for where you went."

"Yes, of course." He is indeed reassured, smiling back. "I believe I may tell her; it doesn't honestly seem too unbelievable."

"No?" She looks around for a bit before admitting, "Maybe not for a god. You're taking it all quite well too."

"The Far Shore - the world of spirits - is far worse than this." He chuckles, treating it a bit like a joke though it's true. "And any world with no ayakashi is quite pleasant, in my opinion."

"I'm sorry to hear your afterlife isn't pleasant." Or maybe he didn't earn his way into the nice one, but that seems like it'd be rude to ask.

"These... ayakashi? They come looking for you or something?"

"They come looking for anyone. Corrupted spirits yearn to live once more - but being corrupted, they can't." His expression says he does find that rather sad. "Since they are denied that chance, they try to steal the life from humans, shinki, even gods, as a sort of revenge."

"That's so sad." They remind her of the stories Loki used to tell her about the dísir. "Can't anyone help them?"

"Unfortunately not." Kazuma looks solemn, eyes downcast a little. "Once a spirit has become an ayakashi, the only way to free them is to end their semblance of life."

"I'm sorry to hear that. I hope that doesn't happen to you."

"...Thank you." He looks a bit surprised, but pleased. For a moment there, Verity sounded like a friend back in his world.

"You're welcome." She's not sure why that sentiment would be surprising, but people from other worlds have strange ways sometimes. Hell, she barely understands how the society she grew up in worked. Who is she to judge?

Kazuma does seem to realize the confusion, though. "You reminded me of a friend. I found it quite pleasant."

"Oh. Okay. I hope it's not too rare to have people wanting you to be well."

"No, not at all. She's just quite a close friend - a fellow shinki I've grown very fond of." Kazuma chuckles. "It's not a bad thing at all that you reminded me of her."

"Hmm. No, sounds like quite a compliment," she admits. Context helps with these things. "She your girlfriend yet?"

"More like a younger sister." At least Kazuma's amused at the thought, from the quiet chuckles he's letting slip.

"Ah. That's sweet." In her defense, it's an obvious conclusion to jump to. But adopting siblings is cool too.

"We're all one big family, despite our idiosyncracies. Well, mostly. There are moments."

Then again, what family doesn't have moments?

"That sounds nice."

Don't talk to her about family moments. No, really. Hers have given her a lot of issues.

"It is. Even when it becomes difficult."

She shouldn't ask. She knows she shouldn't ask, there is no possible answer that will make her happy.

But.

"How is it nice when it's difficult?"

"It reminds me I'm not alone and never will be."

He can be a simple man sometimes.

"Oh. That does sound nice." She really should listen to herself. Not like she can lie.

Kazuma hesitates, then takes a step closer. "May I give you a hug?"