[Mushverse: for OOOs peoples mostly]

[catcameback]

I think I'm becoming more human.

I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not.

Actually, I'm not even sure if that's possible.

Which is what has me sitting outside in my usual park, at the base of a tree instead of in it for once, turning my Switch over and over in my head, sometimes balancing it on it's point and seeing how long it can stand like that, and wondering...

It's been a while since I've used to last. Not since we found Joe.

I wonder if it's possible for it to stop working.

Comments

[keijisan]

I'm heading home when I catch a glimpse of him out of the corner of my eye--the pale hair makes him stand out, especially when he looks so young otherwise.

I can't help stopping to stare, my eyes widening slightly.

[catcameback]

I catch his scent on the wind a moment before he's actually within shouting distance and I look up at him with a reflexive hiss, closing my hand over the Switch protectively.

"Ankh? What'd you do to your hair?"

Only once I've called to him do I realize that it's not Ankh. I blink a few times.

[keijisan]

I raise my eyebrows and push my hands into my pockets, walking a little closer.

"Good guess," I tell him, tilting my head a little, a mild expression on my face. "But not quite."

[catcameback]

I don't even remember the guy's name or anything, hell, I don't even know if I ever learned his name, he was always just... Detective or like. Brother or some shit.

"You're OOO's lady's complex." I think that about sums it up. I pull myself to my feet, and am just a split-second too late at warning the guy before Yummy leaps out of the tree above me to land on his head.

[keijisan]

My eyes narrow and I open my mouth to say something that would most likely be incredibly rude before an orange blur flies out of the tree above him and at my face. I yelp and try to duck, and something furry impacts my head and shoulder and I wait for tearing claws and sharp teeth, but there's only a delicate, careful prickle as... what appears to be a perfectly ordinary cat balances on me. I reach up and take it by the middle, prying it gently off of my head to curl it into my arms instead, rubbing coaxing fingers behind its ears.

"Goodness, you really have gone native, haven't you? I'm used to a lot more property damage when your cats attack," I call back at him, my heart still slamming against my ribs.

[catcameback]

"What's that supposed to mean?" I grumble, slipping my Switch into my pocket and approaching him cautiously.

Yummy cranes his neck to peer at me, but he looks happy enough, so I leave him be. He'll decide when he doesn't want to be pet anymore.

"You haven't been around for... a long time, have you?"

[keijisan]

"I was out of the country for a while, taking care of other things," I say, not wanting to go into detail. "A lot happened in my absence, apparently." I shift my grip on the cat to rub lightly under its chin, my touch gentle even as I watch Kazari sharply.

[catcameback]

I keep my eyes on his hands, mostly, even if he is just human and not too likely to hurt my cat.

"Yeah, you missed out on some stuff." I tilt my head slowly to one side, and glance up at his face just once. "It's uncanny. You, uh, seen Ankh yet?"

[keijisan]

I watch him watch my hands, then realize he probably isn't planning anything, he's probably worried because a random stranger is holding his pet cat. I relax a little, deliberately--it's easy to know intellectually that all the Greeeds are no more powerful than regular humans, now, and another to make my adrenal response remember, especially with all of Ankh's old instincts. For now, I loosen my grip on the cat and let it climb its way back up to my shoulder, only wincing a little as its claws prick through my shirt.

"People are filling me in, slowly," I say. "And, no, I haven't managed to run into Ankh yet. Have you been spending much time with him? ...does he really look that much like me, still?"

[catcameback]

Yummy climbs up onto his shoulder, where he usually perches on me, so I figure the guy must be okay. Probably doesn't smell too much like bird, then.

"It's a dangerous city." I smirk at his question about Ankh, shrugging a bit. "He does, actually. His hair's even more stupid than yours still, though."

be nice to my son, mmkay?

[yellowlion]

...oh, now this is an interesting face.

The same as that Ankh person who was arguing out the front of my house not so long ago, with... a guy in many colours, and my Kazari.

Except it's not exactly the same face.

"Hello," I say warmly, bouncing up to him.

maybe :|

[keijisan]

"Ah, hello," I respond, a little startled. You look pretty pleased to see me, for a total stranger. "I'm... sorry, do I know you?"

hee <3

[yellowlion]

I grin at him. "I'm aware of Ankh," I say cheerfully. "Name's Jou. Oohara Jou. Do you know Kazari?"

[keijisan]

"I see," I say, my voice warming a little. "It's nice to meet you, Oohara-san. I'm Detective Izumi Shingo. I, ah... I knew Kazari... before." I"m not quite sure how else to explain it, and I hope he understands. "We've been getting newly acquainted, though. It's been pleasant."

[yellowlion]

...he's so young.

"'Jou' is fine, Detective," I say gently. "And if you mean you knew Kazari when he was a Greeed, that's just fine, too. I know about my son's past, I know the basics about what happened with Eiji, and Ankh, and I think I might know a little about your story, too. I'm glad you're getting on with him now."

[keijisan]

I am not!

"Yes, that's what I meant, Jou-san," I correct myself politely. "Ankh was possessing my body for that year, as you may have guessed. I'm just getting back from catching up to come back to work."

[yellowlion]

"You sound so calm about that," I marvel at him. "Is it all going okay? We have something of a halfway house at times, for you guys. You're welcome to come over any time. You know all the Greeeds are back?"

not OOO but am the father of one...? :D?

[yellowlion]

Kazari's always kept his own hours. Oh, he's pretty good about coming home for dinner, and being contactable when we need him, but other than that he wanders.

It's been a while since I've seen him.

Maybe he's at the park?

[DAD I can't even MOPE IN THE PARK without you WORRYING]

[catcameback]

I'm still playing with my Switch when I catch the scent of Jou on the wind. And I don't think he's just passing by.

I look up. I don't have to hide my Switch from him, he knows about it, but I reflexively sweep it up and slip it into my pocket.

Yummy meets him half way in his approach, winding around his ankles and crying. Yummy has pegged Jou as a food provider, which I'm pretty sure is Jou's own fault.

"Hey. Is everything alright?"

NOPE you set off my dadradar DEAL WITH IT

[yellowlion]

I nearly trip over the cat, but it's not the first time, so I catch myself deftly enough. I crouch and scritch gently at the nape of Yummy's neck.

"I'm fine, son," I say cheerfully. "How are you doing?"

[catcameback]

I could be human for a hundred years and probably still never understand how Jou manages to be so cheerful all the time.

I also will never quite understand why he identifies so strongly with lions when he's so obviously some kind of rambunctious loving and trusting canine.

"I'm okay." I say hesitantly. "As long as you're sure you're not bringing bad news."

am assuming this is pre Joe going missing AGAIN I swear to GOD I am getting him a kiddie leash

[yellowlion]

"Not this time," I say ruefully, wincing a little at that. "We've had a bad run lately, huh?" I fumble in my pocket and find the little packet of cheese-flavoured crackers I'd saved from lunch, and I start feeding Yummy.

YEAH most likely and SHUT UP DAD I'M HELPING

[catcameback]

I frown a bit, thinking not for the first time that we don't deserve all the stuff that gravitates to us. Well, they don't, anyway, my parents and my brothers. Maybe I deserve some of it, karma or something like that, but they don't. Heroes aren't supposed to suffer like that, that's why they're the heroes, right?

"Just a little."

I manage to grin when Jou obligingly feeds Yummy bits of cracker though. He's a part of the family now too, and I like that a lot.

you're a good dutiful catmonsterboy, don't worry, I love you

[yellowlion]

Yummy's tongue rasps against the side of my finger in search of the cheese powder,and I grin.

"So. Tell me why you're here?" I ask, then I look up at Kazari. "Um, I mean you. Not Yummy."

[catcameback]

I snort and shake my head. "I didn't think you were talking to Yummy."

I pause, and then flop down right there on the ground, crossing my legs and reaching for Yummy's tail, letting it flow between my fingers as he moves back and forth, bathing Jou's whole hand with his tongue, one measured sand-paper lick at a time.

"I just needed some space. To think."