Open Post;

[espercial]

[Today in ye olde open post, there is a tiny kid up in your character's business or alternatively your character is up there in his business! He might seem familiar or he might not, but no matter what the case he seems kind of timid. Approach?

Choose your poison (Which would be the actual bitty Kyousuke or the Feather version) and setting, feel free to treat this as a voice test too.]

Comments

[espercial]

He's my captain! I don't really know how it works, but Shiga-san can use electrokinesis and he's supposed to be able to manipulate electric currents to heal other people too. [It's clear from his bright smile that Kyousuke's very fond of his captain.]

Oh, and I've never heard about this thing called a COMP...are you from the future or something, Kaz? [THERE HE SAID IT.]

[belfire]

Hmmm...

[Kazuya was suspicious, but it wasn't his place to go about unmasking hidden demons in other worlds. Most of the time they were benign - and it seemed to him that in this world, they were well integrated. Hell, this kid, and others like him like this Shiga-san, might have strange powers because of unions between human and demons. It wasn't his place to judge if it wasn't harming anyone, and seemed like an important part of this world]

The future. I guess you could say that. [He paused, considering, then;] I'm from 2014.

[espercial]

2014... [The difference between their eras is so large as to be staggering, and Kyousuke looks very taken aback. A part of him wonders too if he'd still be alive by that time- 84 years is a long time to live, and from what his Queen had said it sounded like he wasn't.]

How...how is Tokyo like in your time? [Yes, he's getting at something but asking if it's destroyed is far too tactless.]

[belfire]

Tokyo? Ah.

[Kazuya openly hesitated. Tokyo was a complete mess right now - it didn't handle the war between himself and God very well, and the majority of it was downright inhabitable. Demons crawled over a large portion of it, and while they were under strict orders to not harm any humans they come across, conflicts still happened when his back was turned. But he couldn't say that, could he? He couldn't tell this kid that their capital was going to become a warzone of some sort of levelled to the ground]

It's... seen better days, maybe. [He rubbed the back of his neck] We've only just come out of a really bad war, so, um, yeah.

[espercial]

[So the prediction was true after all... Kaz's answer makes Kyousuke feel guilty for asking, since he can't reveal why he even asked that question.]

I see. ...Sorry about asking. [It's all that he can say at first, understanding that war is terrible without yet having the maturity to handle talking more about it.] Are things getting any better after that?

[belfire]

Erm. Kind of.

[Not really. He doubted Tokyo would ever be reclaimed from the demons. They had it now, and the humans were too weary of trying to prise it back - he doubted they even had the resources to rebuild it back to what it once was. Maybe in a few centuries, it'd be different, but right now...]

The important thing is that the fighting is over! It was pretty short, and the majority of humanity got out of it with their lives. Sooo... yeeeeah...

[espercial]

I don't really get what happened, but that sounds like a good thing. [Maybe? His job was to limit casualties after all and the entire world being destroyed is a lot worse than what Kaz's said.

Kyousuke hesitates again soon after, wondering if he should ask about the girl he saw far into the future. Had she been there? Did she help to save the world this time around? It's not like he's going to tell anyone about all of these anyway, so he opens his mouth again after a while.]

Um...did you happen to see a red-haired girl during that time? She could fly, and she said something about it being too late. [Pause.] That's something I saw in a dream, and I couldn't get it out of my mind.

[belfire]

Uh, sorry kid, the only red-haired girl I know is Yuzu, and she sure as hell can't fly.

[Well, unless she was on a flying demon, but he doubted that that was what the kid meant. Still, what an oddly specific thing to ask. Dream his ass, he smelt shenanigans...]

[espercial]

[Kyousuke is painfully aware of how suspicious that question sounds and Kaz is giving him that look that reminds him of Fujiko's expression whenever she catches him using his powers to grab cookies from the cookie jar, so he does what every cornered and guilty little boy does when he's caught with his hands full of cookies.

Which is to say he breaks down, all flustered and panicky complete with hands flailing.]

I-I really didn't mean anything by it! I-it's just a dream and you should get going before someone wakes up! [And as an afterthought:] And uh, thanks for healing me!

[belfire]

How suspicious...

[Now the shoe was on the other foot! Kazuya was the one who was intensely curious now, and he tilted his head in a near predatory manner, eyeing the kid up like a cat debating whether to start with the mouse's head or tail]

Who's this mysterious future redhead, huh? You got some prophecy hidden up your sleeve or something, hmmm~?

[espercial]

[Normally this is when Kyousuke would absolutely flip but he steels himself after a couple of controlled breaths and stays put, trying his hardest to look brave about it.]

Why do you want to know? [Kaz seems like a good person, but the thing about prophecies was that anyone could potentially ruin it and he's sure the esper dolphins didn't want him letting on just anyone on the secret.]

[belfire]

[Kazuya didn't immediately answer. Instead he scrutinised the kid for a moment longer, a heavy Intent filling the air, as he tapped his finger on the bed cover. Four seconds, five seconds, six...]

Hm. Just curiosity.

[He eased from where he'd subconsciously adopted a pressurising pose - resting his chin on an upturned palm, and hiding a lazy smile behind his fingers. The kid looked brave, so he had pretty good nerve. Not many humans, adults or otherwise, could stand up to his focused attention for too long]

Prophecies are for chumps anyway.

[espercial]

[It certainly did take nearly all of Kyousuke's nerves to not wither underneath Kaz's gaze for sure, never having much of it since his mother died and only regaining his confidence recently. His posture is telling, what with him sitting stiffly and tight-lipped like a soldier before gulping after Kaz relaxes once more.]

Do you really think so? [The woman he had seen had seemed so powerful yet helpless against the tides of fate, but- what if they could go back in time, like the person sitting in front of him?] I don't know who that red-haired lady was, but she was really beautiful and she looked so sad...I don't even know if I'll still be alive by that time, but we must have met before since she mentioned my name. [He's at least smart enough to not say what the prophecy is about yet, if only to observe what will Kaz say in return. Could he be trusted to keep this a secret?]

[belfire]

[Kazuya mulled this over - the boy sounded somewhat smitten with this mysterious redhead, and he had to admit, he was really curious. Just who was she? Why was she so sad? How the hell did this kid even know of her? Was it just some weird vivid dream the kid was clinging too tightly to? Or perhaps... well, the LAPLACE Mail existed, perhaps there was a long-term version of it here? Somehow?]

...

[This world was so strange and curious]

I don't know what this woman thing is about, but let me tell you what I do know: fate can be overturned.

[He paused for a brief moment, just to let his words sink in, before continuing;]

But it's also really stubborn. Wherever you saw this woman - most likely, if she knows you, you'll meet her. Whatever will happen to her, or what she will do, however... that will most likely happen. That part isn't absolute.

[Fate, after all, was a stubborn, cruel thing. It tried to force things, and one couldn't entirely prevent something from occurring. But what one could do was change the outcome of what was predicted - Kazuya was living proof of that, after all]

Do you know how I know this? Because I did it. Around a year ago, there was a prediction of my death - a pretty horrible, violent one, actually, and it was 100% certain that it was gonna happen. [Very nearly happened. To this day Kaz shuddered at the thought of how close it had been with that Snowman] But, grit and determination go a long way, y'know! Fate can't hold a candle to sheer human stubbornness! So whatever it is that involves this mysterious, redheaded beauty of yours... don't worry! Just try your best, and you can change it, no problem!

1/2

[espercial]

[Kyousuke listens to all of this intently, trying to connect the dots together. There had to be some reason why the dolphins had shown him that prediction after all, and if Kaz was right he would survive long enough to be able to make a difference.]

So I can do something to change that sad future, and I just need to find out how to change it... [He nods to himself, maybe even Kaz travelling here by accident was part of this!] Y-yeah, I'll do my best to make sure that future never happens!

2/2

[espercial]

[- HOLD IT.]

And there's nothing going on between us. [Huff.] That's just a misunderstanding, she's too old for me anyway! [No really, he is totally smitten.]

[belfire]

Uh huh.

[It was clear that Kazuya didn't believe him at all]

Though, wouldn't it be too young? I mean, from the sounds of it, this redhead is from the far flung future. You might be some old man by the time she's born. Maybe it's your fate to become her Sugar Daddy or something, haha.

[espercial]

What kind of respectable adult would do that!? [Thanks Kaz, now he's sure to get nightmares about being a lolicon and a pervert!]

[belfire]

[It's best to be prepared for the inevitable, Kyousuke...]

Oh, you'll be surprised! It's quite common where I'm from. Well, not common common, but it's definitely not unheard of. So, y'know, just throwing it out there that it may be a possibility...

[espercial]

I'd never do that. [:<] Your world sounds kind of twisted if old men are doing that kind of thing.

[belfire]

Oh, you have no idea.

[Literally, you have no idea. Kazuya's expression turned wry for a brief moment, before he waved the subject aside with a careless hand]

Anyway, I better get going. I think it's waaaay past your bedtime, mister, and I need to go back to my own time.

[espercial]

Oh, yeah. [The night's excitement has had Kyousuke a little too wound-up to sleep, but he nods once the subject's brought up.]

We might even meet each other again, if everything goes well... [Will you still remember me then? He wonders.] I'll be waiting to see you then, Kaz!

[belfire]

Hm, maybe.

[If our worlds are close enough that there is a "you" where I am...]

I'll look forward to it! I'll make sure to stay youthful just so you can recognise me. [He winked playfully, before letting out a laugh] Haha! But seriously... if you wanna find me, in 2014, I'll be in the Roppongi Hills if something called "The Lockdown" ever occurs in Tokyo. Remember that, okay?

[espercial]

A lockdown... [That doesn't sound good, and Kyousuke commits it to memory- it could be part of the world ending after all.]

Um, isn't it the other way around? I'm the one who will have to stay young so you'll recognize me. And I'll remember that, it's a promise!

[belfire]

Don't worry, I'll recognise you no matter what. Your scent's... unique enough.

[Or rather, the power was. Kazuya pushed himself up off the floor, brushing himself down before turning away with a soft hum. He could teleport from here, since the kid knew the "truth". He closed his eyes and concentrated, feeling out how he could gently peel the space of his reality away... find the path to the demon world... where... where... where... ah...]

See ya in the future, kid.

[With a burst of dark energy that made the entire room tremble, the lights flicker - Kazuya vanished. Demon teleporting, baby]