[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]

"They're very important to me," I say, my voice slow and thoughtful. "But Hina's and my parents died when she was about ten, and I raised her by myself after that. She's my responsibility, in ways that Eiji-kun and Ankh aren't. So it's not that I care about them less, but it's very different."

[catcameback]

Huh. I guess I'd never thought of family like that.

Well, maybe he's wrong anyway. "The Greeed are kinda my family too. Like brothers and sister. Not like my parents and brothers who took me in. Different, but the same too."

[keijisan]

"Will you fight to protect the other Greeeds, too?" I ask, and my eyes are suddenly intense, more like Ankh than he's seen me yet.

[catcameback]

That is fucking weird.

"If I have to." I say carefully. "They're human now, like me. But they're like my family, so yeah, I'll protect them."

Oh, fuck it. He has to find out eventually. "The other Ankh came back too."

[keijisan]

"That's good to hear," I say, and relax a little.

Until you drop that particular bombshell.

"Wait, what?!"

[catcameback]

My lip pulls back from my teeth in a low snarl at his reaction. I'm still a little more protective of him than I am of the other Ankh.

"Yeah. Before I did, actually, but like. A long time before I did. He's... grown up some."

[keijisan]

My right hand comes up against my chest and I wrap my left hand around my forearm in an instinctive protective gesture, not bothering to hide it. I can still remember what it was like, the shock of screaming adrenaline-fueled terror that had shot through the entirety of Ankh's body in an instant, Hina's hand bruisingly tight on mine with the last red Core pressed between them, and the sick, awful dragging sensation as Ankh was torn away from me, piece by shining piece before he finally collapsed. It's one of the few nightmares I have anymore that's really truly mine, and thinking about it makes my heart pound for a few moments before I can make myself let go of my wrist. Ankh isn't that fragile anymore, and this other Ankh probably isn't dangerous, and there's nothing to be worried about.

Ankh won't be taken away again.

"Sorry. We weren't exactly on great terms the last time we met," I say, mostly steadily, pushing my hands firmly into my pockets. "How does he feel about Ankh being around?"

[catcameback]

I really freaked him out with that one.

Sorry, Detective Shingo guy.

I blink at him for a moment. "I'm not sure. He's kinda hard to understand. Always was." I leave that hanging, no need to point out that he wasn't entirely all there in a very literal sense. "And he was alone for a long time. And he's still... young, ish. He wants to see him. But I don't think Ankh would like it." I tilt my head. "I don't think he means anyone any harm. Sometimes it's like he still wants to be one with Ankh, the rest of the time it's like he's trying really hard to be his own Ankh."

[keijisan]

"He took Ankh from me," I say, my voice tight and my right hand clenching in my pocket before I bring it up to rub carefully at the tension building between my eyes. "It's just... going to be a little hard, to get used to the idea that he's not dangerous. He still might be, if he's still talking about being 'one' with Ankh. They're human now, it's not like he can actually achieve that anymore."

[catcameback]

"Yeah, well, that was pretty much my fault too." I shrug one shoulder, because it's true enough. My Ankh probably wouldn't have been quite so vindictive if I hadn't gotten there and tried to use him.

"He's just a kid. I promise. He's just confused. Ankh's not perfect either. If they could just meet once, I'm sure they would figure out how to coexist."

[keijisan]

"We'll see," I say but his confidence makes me relax a little, and it's an odd old world if I can trust Kazari's word about anything but he seems to be honest about what he's keeping from me, at least. Not being a Greeed has changed them in some of the strangest ways.

I wonder how it's changed Ankh, not for the first time.

"And anyway, if he's half as clever as he was when he was a Greeed, he's going to end up finding Ankh and doing whatever he intends to do when he meets him anyway, with or without your help."

[catcameback]

"I guess so."

I laugh at that, strangely proud. "You're right about that. I never find him, anyway, he always finds me. He's still about as much a bird as I am a cat."

[keijisan]

"...I suppose," I say dubiously, but it's obvious Kazari actually likes Ankh--the other Ankh--Lefty, or whoever.

"Are Uva and Gamel around? They're the only ones I haven't heard anything about, save the purple medals, and I'm not sure if they count or not."

[catcameback]

"Yeah, they're around. I dunno where Gamel ended up, but I think Mezool and Uva are staying with the same people." I tilt my head and run a hand through my hair again, preening, kind of.

My nose wrinkles at his mention of the... purple medals. "Yeah, well, the less said about those abominations, the better."

[keijisan]

"Agreed," I say fervently. "Glad to hear that they're doing all right, though."

[catcameback]

"Yeah. Yeah, they're doing okay, last I heard."

Which hasn't been for a while. I've been a little wrapped up in... other family stuff.

[keijisan]

"Good to know." I sound content, watching you curiously now.

"I won't lie, this... is going to take a bit of getting used to."

[catcameback]

I smirk at that. "What, me not trying to claw your face off every chance I get?"

I shrug. "I never had anything against you, anyway. The... rivalry between Ankh and me goes... way back."

[keijisan]

"I know it does," I say amicably, before I grin a little. "But it's still my face you were trying to claw off. I like this, don't get me wrong! It's just going to take a bit of getting used to."

[catcameback]

"Fair enough." I chuckle and shrug, ruffling my hair again. "I've had time to get used to it, and it still weirds me out sometimes, hearing the shit I say."

[keijisan]

"Mmm." I hesitate, then look at you curiously.

"...is Ankh very different?"

[catcameback]

I consider his question carefully a moment, then shrug.

"I guess he is. It's hard to tell, though. He was getting... weird towards the end there anyway. Teaming up with Uva... Triple crossing all of us... Well, he's always had that self-important thing for OOO."

[keijisan]

"I heard about him and Eiji-kun, yes," I sigh. "Well, I suppose I'll find out myself when I finally run into him. I was just curious."

[catcameback]

"I'm not exactly a source of unbiased information on Ankh, sorry." I shrug, almost apologetically.

[keijisan]

"Well, he's such an uncomplicated ray of sunshine, I can't see why not," I mutter, rubbing the back of my neck before I let my hand drop. "It'll just take me a bit to get back up to speed with everything that's happened. Clearly I can never go on vacation again, god only knows what everyone would get up to in my absence."