Two ota, one closed

[powertotearer]

Who: Eiji Hino (powertotearer), you, and maybe that Ankh guy (notsogreedy) too
When: About the end of Event 33
Where: Around town
What: Event shenanigans meet plot shenanigans
Rating/Warning: None so far

---

1.

Eiji's been having fainting spells lately, ever since the implants first started shorting out. He knows this, and he's promised to stay away from heights until they resolve themselves.

But the problem is, the safest way he can get to work is by crossing the sky bridges.

As soon as he notices the vertigo start, he starts reaching out, trying to find a wall to grab onto. But it's happening too fast, and he drops before he can completely catch himself--he's slumped over the edge of the wall, losing consciousness, and he definitely needs help.


2.

If you're in the gardens at any point, you might see Eiji frantically stomping out small fires around him.

Unfortunately, that only seems to promote it. Seems like someone isn't used to his element flaring up like this.

"Stop, stop! Just stop, please!"

As the grass and flowers start burning more, he looks desperately for anyone to help.

"Water, please? Someone? I promise, I'm not trying to do this, I just want to put it out!"


3. Closed to Ankh

He's used to nightmares, as much as he hates to admit it. Most of the time, he can deal with them, even if he wakes up in the middle of the night.

A dream so good that he wakes up crying? That's new, and he buries his face into a pillow, hoping he doesn't wake up Ankh and have to explain himself.

How exactly would he explain it?

Comments

[notsogreedy]

His only reply to that is a vague nod. He's never really known what to do with Eiji thanking him for things.

[powertotearer]

Okay, so Ankh's fine with this. He was okay with Eiji hugging him before. So the next step...

"Hey, Ankh? Is it okay if we, well, if we kiss? I mean, it's okay if you don't want to! I just thought..."

Yeah. You handled that well, Eiji.

[notsogreedy]

There are a few reactions here. Surprise, interest, annoyance... the latter not at the suggestion but at the insecure babbling that followed. So when he just leans in and kisses him without saying anything further, it's half because he liked the idea and half to keep the idiot from talking himself out of it.

[powertotearer]

Oh.

Okay.

This...this was nice. A bit nicer than he'd expected, really. And when it was over, he was speechless, but definitely happy.

There, Ankh. Eiji has shut up.

[notsogreedy]

It takes a second for the bit of frustration behind it to fade, but then... yes, this is enjoyable. How humans ever decided in the first place that smushing their lips together should be a sign of affection is beyond him, but it's certainly not unpleasant.

And there might be a slight smirk as he pulls away, mostly at Eiji's reaction. A way to make him quiet and happy at the same time. Ankh will take that.

[powertotearer]

It takes a few minutes for Eiji to say anything again.

"That...that was really nice."

Admittedly, he's only stating the obvious, but it's something.

Another minute later, he manages to grin, admitting, "I guess I was worried about nothing, huh?"

[notsogreedy]

It is a truly obvious statement, but he nods in reply because... well, it was. The next comment earns a slight huff that's almost amused.

"You do that."

[powertotearer]

"Sorry."

And there he goes again.

"I mean, I know I can't really help it, but if it's bothering you, I'm sorry."

[notsogreedy]

And now he's apologising stupidly again. And yes, it is bothersome, but he doesn't want apologies for Eiji being Eiji. ...as if he hasn't said that enough times already.

So maybe the best answer to that isn't words. He has a new trick for making Eiji shut up, after all.

lalala sometime later~

[notsogreedy]

The dream itself--or dreams, as it seems to be, because it really was too much to hope that they wouldn't last--didn't bother Ankh all that much. It's not that they don't affect him, but when he wakes up, he exists, and Eiji is there with him, and it's enough.

The side effect of all this that he didn't think to expect is how those dreams affect other people. Not just Eiji, but practically everyone. Everything normal on the surface, but underneath it all, a pervasive desire to go home or to be with people who aren't here that probably no one but Ankh even sees. The more he's been out and about, the more obvious it is, and the more it resonates, and it's for that exact reason that he's presently alone in his apartment attempting to ignore the world.

Well, not quite alone. There's a hawk laying very comfortably in his lap, thoroughly enjoying the feeling of fingers ruffling through her feathers.

"You came from somewhere, too." An observation, and one he's made before, but never bothered to think much about. If the zoo has real animals, then they must have been brought in from somewhere just like the people here were. Gavina is a species he recognises, so she's from Earth, or something very similar. Given the past few days, he can't help wondering exactly where and when, though the comment prompts nothing but a mildly perplexed look from the bird. It's not as if he expected anything different. "You don't seem to miss it, though. I guess you're lucky."

Re: lalala sometime later~

[powertotearer]

Eiji, on the other hand, has been doing better. The dreams still bother him, but with Ankh around, the homesickness doesn't get to him too much. But he has noticed Ankh starting to look more and more stressed.

So it means he lets some things slide, namely Ankh taking home his favorite bird from the zoo--though, in his defense, you try arguing with Ankh about that kind of thing. It also means when he comes in from food shopping, he tries to keep it down, at least until he sees Ankh petting Gavina.

"You guys look really cute like that."

[notsogreedy]

Taking Gavina home had been more of an accident than a plan, thanks to certain recent events that led to him being blind and using her to help him navigate and then forgetting what he was doing. But once she was there, he certainly had no intention of taking her back to the zoo... if she would even let him. Of course, she hasn't been too pleased about having to share space with Eiji, either.

Which makes it not much of a surprise when both Ankh and the bird look over with the same half surprised, half offended look when he makes that comment, and then the Gavina takes it upon herself to get up off of Ankh's lap and swoop at the idiot.

[powertotearer]

And there go the groceries, right onto the floor as Eiji brings up his arms to cover his head.

"Stop, stop! Ankh, please call her off!"

Yep. That bird hates him.

[notsogreedy]

Ankh stands up immediately when Gavina moves, and of course he wasn't planning on letting her seriously attack Eiji from the start. That said, he's not exactly pleased either about Eiji sneaking in to overhear him talking to the bird. He waits for the request, and there might be a slight hint of amusement as he calls over, "Gavina, stop."

Him, she'll listen to. Much as she makes a show of looking displeased about it, she retreats and flies back to Ankh, landing on his arm where it's covered in armor and not just skin. He gives her a look to remind her that she's not supposed to go after Eiji, even when it's kind of funny at the time, before glancing back in his direction, just to make sure she didn't actually do anything to him other than be threatening.

[powertotearer]

No, nothing wounded, other than Eiji's pride. And that regularly takes a beating around here.

"I know she doesn't like me, but you don't have to sound like it's so funny."

[notsogreedy]

He just shrugs slightly at that. "Not like I can help it when it is." Though the amusement has mostly faded by now.

[powertotearer]

Fine, be that way. Eiji's just going to sulk like a child here.

"I was only trying to be nice."

[notsogreedy]

Ankh's only reply is a vague dismissive sound as he encourages Gavina to get off his arm and onto her favorite perching spot on top of his chair.

[powertotearer]

Eiji finally just sighs and starts picking up the groceries. Hope you like broken popsicles, Ankh.

[notsogreedy]

Oh, he'll almost certainly complain about them. But he'll live.

Look, once he's done giving the bird a silent talking to, he even picks up a stray piece of fruit that rolled over to where he's standing and tosses it back to Eiji.

"She'll warm up to you." Eventually. After all, he did.

[powertotearer]

"I hope so." There are bandaids in one of the bags too--Eiji's been needing them lately, when his attempts to feed Gavina go bad.

[notsogreedy]

They don't escape Ankh's notice, but he doesn't say anything. He might have to pay closer attention for the sake of that ongoing bet they made a while back, though, about who buys the popsicles. Bird-related injuries aren't really Eiji's fault.

[powertotearer]

No, they're not. And neither are the times he fell somewhere not exactly safe when he had his fainting spells. Or any minor burns with this whole fire thing.

He's accumulating a list of exceptions.

"I wasn't sure what to get her, though, so I picked up a couple different kinds of meat. Hopefully that'll work."

He'll just leave Ankh to take care of that.

[notsogreedy]

He goes over to see what Eiji got.

"Good enough." That said, he pulls out a piece of meat and glances back to where the bird is perching. "Oi, Gavina. Food."

Of course, the hawk looks at it with intense disinterest, even when he brings it closer, proving that she's not always completely cooperative with him, either. It's not that she's not hungry at all, so this is either a statement that she doesn't like the type of meat Eiji got or that she just doesn't like that Eiji got it. Either way, it's annoying and Ankh doesn't feel like making any attempt to coax the bird into eating.

"Tch. Fine. But you're not getting anything else." He just grabs the nearest thing to set it on, which happens to be a napkin, and leaves it on the counter. "It's there. Eat it before it spoils."

[powertotearer]

Eiji just watches awkwardly. As always, he's not entirely sure how to read the situation, but he's reasonably sure at least one of them thinks all of this is his fault and he's still not sure how.