strongblooded

[strongblooded]

// this may seem a bit sudden but it’s time to say goodbye to kamui............... 

really, his muse isn’t dead, but between my other ideas and real life and mental issues and the difficulty i’m having getting things started here, i’ll be dropping him from citta. feel free to unfollow, i might bring him back but i’ve got my eye on a different mfrp for him too so-- yeah. who know

[strongblooded]

“Real sure, buddy. If you’ve been reduced to begging strangers for even a stick o’ gum, what can you possibly give me in return? It’s basic logic.”

[[ ♫ ✩ ♪ ]]   «Are ya sure pal?»

[[ ♫ ✩ ♪ ]]   «I can make it worth your while if ya do me this kindness… Even  mint or a stick of gum?» You’re going to eat a stick of gum?

[strongblooded]

“Hmm...”

He glances down at the assorted chocolate bars and candies piled high in his arms, back up at this stranger, down again...

“Nope! I got nothin’, sorry. Hope it all works out for ya somehow, though.”

[[ ♫ ✩ ♪ ]]   «Food? Water? Anything? Would a kind soul please help out this decrepit old man?»

[[ ♫ ✩ ♪ ]]   «You there. Yes… You have anything good on ya? Anything to spare?»

[strongblooded]

“Hey... haven’t seen an old man anywhere around here, have ya? It ain’t like him to get lost, usually that’s me -- he’s about this tall, got one arm, this expression like there’s always a stick or somethin’ up his ass. Help me find him? He has to give me money.”

[strongblooded]

the real reason why kamuis like this

based on kel’s post

[strongblooded]

Kamui listened the way one might listen to rain falling outside or the buzz of too many conversations all at once in a crowded cafeteria -- that is to say, he heard it. Not a bad voice to listen to, really. His understanding, on the other hand? Well, there were words. A lot of words. Words this guy really wanted to say to him, so it was only right to nod and smile enthusiastically.

None of this mattered to him, but neither would any other small-talk that could be made out here in a dreary old apartment complex hallway.

Finally there came an opportunity for him to speak, wherein he showed off the impressive amount of information he’d absorbed:

“Ah, all right -- so you’re some kinda crazy cult that follows this book? S’that what this is? I can respect that, I guess...”

“Ah, yes, you’re right… That’s…”

He felt a little unnerved by the way the man acted. He was kind of rude and his unfriendly smiling was confusing. Perhaps talking to him hadn’t been the best of ideas.

But no, this wasn’t the time to be regretting decisions. Besides, he couldn’t be scared of a little minor discomfort. This is a walk in the gosh darned park compared to Uganda.

The man- er, alien? whatever he was didn’t matter – he wanted to listen! And who was Kevin Price if he wouldn’t give him something incredible to listen to?

“Of course. I’m awfully sorry. As I was saying… I’m from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and I came here to tell you about our beliefs. Now, since you’ve never heard of the Church before, being from… um, wherever you’re from… I can certainly explain to you the story of how we came to be. It all started with this book, which was discovered and translated by the prophet Joseph Smith.”

[strongblooded]

// alrighty! i’m thinking of starting kamui here fresh one last time before he probably has to go -- i’ve dropped all but 2 of his threads and now he wants some new interactions. note that his strength has been unlocked, though i’m really not aiming for fight threads around now. just some light-hearted cringe-worthy fun!

so, like this for a sentence starter! capping at 5.

[strongblooded]

Citizen >> VETERAN Citizen

The difference is apparent immediately. A half-assed kick at the vending machine which stubbornly refuses to deposit his chocolate bar doesn’t merely leave a dent -- but smashes right through plastic, metal, and glass with a sharp smash that can be heard all the way down the street.

Kamui stares at his foot incredulously for a moment, then pulls it out and throws a kick at the side of the machine, toppling it over. The glass splinters, leaving a wide, jagged hole through which he can pull out his precious candy.

It’s the thing’s fault for not doing what he told it to, right?

He might have stopped there, now his justice has been wrought. Instead, he puts his foot through the glass in another place, this time tearing down that barrier entirely. He’d wanted this candy too, and that one -- now he doesn’t have to make a careful choice; he can have it all! For free! Ain’t that a miracle?

“Heeeey, everyone~!” the boy calls out once his arms are full of loot. “This machine’s malfunctioning and givin’ out free candy! Come get some before it’s all gone!”

[strongblooded]

while you’re all posting your rank-ups.....

he has been Unleashed.

[strongblooded]

“Hmm? Somethin’ wrong?” Before coming to this city, he’d never come across a human who seemed so confused by the idea of sharing the universe with other intelligent species. Sure, the less savvy could mistake him for a human up to the point where they picked a fight, but to not believe at all?

Typical human supremacy. Really, that Church of Whatsits didn’t seem to be worth much out in the real world.

He didn’t address the issue at hand, instead offering the most unhelpful smile yet, leaning forward a bit.

“What’s the point of askin’ if I wanna talk, if you ain’t gonna talk? Ya didn’t come here to listen to my rambling.”

Only fly here on business?? Us humans???

What the heck was any of that supposed to mean? This guy really was crazy! With the way he smiled and laughed without a care in the world; looked down on people as though he were smarter than everyone else, there really was no other explanation.

This guy didn’t seem that inhuman, and logically, him being anything other than human didn’t make any sense. Aliens weren’t real. There must’ve been something wrong with this man.

Kevin was at a loss. He realized that he probably looked stupid, standing there, perplexed, but, he really didn’t know how to act. He had no experience with talking to drugged-up people who thought they were aliens. Or people with mental problems who thought they were aliens, for that matter. What was he even supposed to say? Could he even say anything? What were you supposed to say to people who were 100% convinced that they were from outer space?

Maybe I should just walk away…

[strongblooded]

Oh boy, this again? Kamui should’ve been wearing a sign by now. Something like, Hello! I’m not a human. Did you really think that? Don’t lump me in with your sorry lot, kiddo. Hmm... maybe not that last part. Wouldn’t want to be too off-putting.

Really, once this guy was done with whatever this subject was, it could be his turn to explain where he came from. But for now, it was more fun to focus on the other. With his funny ideas -- Kamui laughed.

“I mean I only really fly there on business -- you humans think you’re the best, I can relate, but there're more exciting places to be.”

He glanced to the side, then back again, as though finally noticing something was amiss, and conceded: “... Gotta admit though, Earth’s got some of the best food.”

“Yeah I suppose you could say that we’re famous.” he said smugly, before realizing in full what the young man had said. He did a double-take. “Wait- what do you mean you don’t ‘hang around Earth’ often?” 

Was this guy crazy? Did he think he was an alien or something??

Oh dear. Kevin’s mother had warned him about these types of people. They were always the ones who started out as coffee-drinkers that turned out like this. On one too many illegal substances to count, and suddenly they’re convinced they’re something that they’re not.

Oh gosh, should he even be talking to this guy? But he said he wanted to listen. That’s more than he’d gotten from anyone else all day. And he wasn’t being threatening or anything. His words seemed a little condescending, but he continued to smile politely.

[strongblooded]

Was this some kind of prank, one of those things where you tell people something to see how they react? Where was the hidden camera? He listened to these words blankly, smiling and nodding just to be polite.

Honestly, it all seemed a little ridiculous. Not fake, necessarily, he’d seen plenty of things that didn’t quite make sense, but strange to think people would preach about it. Wealth being useless? Loving each other? Living forever? Not fighting? What was wrong with this guy?

“I see, I see. I’m guessin’ you’re from this church thing? Never heard of it, but I don’t hang out on Earth all that much! You a famous group there?”

“Talk to me all ya want, I see you really enjoy that, but what’s the point? Seems like a pretty silly message to be spreadin’ around.”

Kevin cringed a little at that. Maybe this wasn’t the best guy to talk to after all. But wait, no, this was his chance. He wasn’t here to judge the ignorant, he was here to teach them.

“Jesus was a prophet; The son of God Himself. But he wasn’t a Holy Spirit, he was a human, like you and I.” he explained calmly. “He taught the people to love each other like brothers and not to fight. He told them about the Kingdom of God, granting them the promise of Eternal Life, so long as they gave up all their wealth and other useless things.” He paused, trying to decide what to say to make this man understand. “He died for our sins, sir.”

Was he understanding at all? Someone who had never heard of Jesus wouldn’t really know what that meant. The young man’s facial expression didn’t reveal what he was thinking at all. His smile was so carefree, it was almost suspicious. Kevin cleared his throat. 

“But I digress. What I’m really here to talk to you about is Mormonism – more specifically, this book.” He held out the sacred text in his hands. “Have you ever heard of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, sir?”

[strongblooded]

“I think I like other-me. He’s like the little brother I never had!”

[strongblooded]

In a street of Sector whatever-this-was, who even cares in the long run, sat what must have been the world’s tiniest king. Not at the side of the road but directly in the middle of it, in an audacious gesture, atop the throne he’d built for himself.

The throne was made of corpses, lying in a disorderly pile -- some torn limb from limb, some looking like they might only be sleeping but for the blood trickling from holes in their heads. Splinters of bone took on a sickly glow under the unnatural lights; weapons stuck out of the pile at odd angles. Most of the bodies had belonged to soldiers, specially-trained by the city he’d come from in order to fight against this one. Really, their effort was laughable. He was doing his side a favour, killing off the weaklings before they had a chance to ruin a more important mission. They should be thanking him, not mistaking him for the enemy.

The victims’ blood stood out vividly against his pale skin; he raised one dripping hand and turned it over to examine the contrast. It was... pretty, that was all the child’s mind could summon up. He was no poet.

He’d managed to tire himself out, his small, hungry body lacking the endurance to fight all day like he would’ve wanted. But he could say he was sitting here because it made him feel powerful -- that seemed cooler. It definitely felt more like the legacy he wanted.

“Yo!”

A voice called out to him, and he turned to find its source, wiping his hand somewhat clean on his pant leg before offering a wave.

And froze, his hand still held up, to stare. Like in one of those weird movies where people time-travelled back to change their own choices, that guy approaching him was Kamui, too, the Kamui of the future. Huh... so he wasn’t going to beef up any? But he didn’t look too bad, wearing an outfit of pristine white as though challenging himself to see how stained it could get by the end of the day. There was a bounce to each step those skinny legs took. Like he found something to be happy about.

Kamui knew better.

The Kamui of the future (or of this city, he guessed) grinned a mischievous grin. “What’s this snot-nosed brat doing here, huh?”

The younger stood up at this, making himself the taller one on top of his corpse-pile. “I don’t wanna hear that line from a grown-up who still hasn’t wiped his nose at that age.”

“Hey, that’s hurtful, y’know? When ya get to be old like me, ya start to forget about things like that.”

It was hard to believe this guy was him, really. So laidback, bright-eyed, genuinely enjoying the war even knowing one of the worlds had to die. Who did this guy think he was, huh, not taking this seriously? With his clean shirt on, still smelling like blood even when it’d all been washed off. It was hard to believe he wouldn’t change at all, growing up.

“What’re you doin’ all the way over here?”

“I live here, kid. What’re you doin’ here? Killin’ your own allies?” The other Kamui observed the pile idly, before pulling a gun from a dead man’s hand and pocketing it. “Not the wisest choice, if ya wanna win the war.”

There was no need to be wary about the gun -- they both knew he could kill someone faster without it.

A short pause filled the air between them before the child replied, “I win either way, long as I get ta’ have fun. Killin’ your city’s losers ain’t that exciting.”

The older Kamui laughed. “You’re right about that, but ain’t that the wrong attitude to have? Gotta have a bit more ambition!”

This caught his attention, somehow -- this was his future self, and maybe he’d done some great things. “What kinda ambition you got, then?”

“Same as you. To be the strongest.” And the other stepped up to pat his younger self on the head.

He caught the outstretched hand, pushing it back. “What kinda strong is that? I could beat you, right here and now!”

“That’s more like it!” For a moment that smile almost seemed to waver, then it returned wider than ever. “But I ain’t gonna fight you.”

“Because I’m a kid? Don’t--”

“Because I don’t wanna cause any weird time paradoxes. Besides,” without warning, and with too much force to avoid, the grown-up Kamui grabbed the little Kamui under the arms and lifted him up. “You’re kinda cute! I'm gonna keep you.”

“Like hell you are!” But the attempts to squirm out or kick his other self away were ineffectual. 

“What’s wrong? Don’t you wanna win?”

[strongblooded]

How foolish. To mock him? She must have misunderstood what he meant... but it was nice of her to pick a fight first, so he wouldn’t have to feel weird about harassing a girl.

If any part of this was supposed to discourage him, it was sorely misaimed. As was the kick. Just before the impact, he jumped, landing lightly out of the way to let this stranger wreak her destruction.

“Oh, is that what you wanted? Shoulda made yourself clearer from the start!” His gaze was drawn, naturally, to that strange arm -- mismatched with the rest of the body, almost ominous. He tilted his head slightly, but all he said was, “Breakin’ something like this can’t be all that satisfying, can it? Or does it really not matter?”

in the presence of enemies -- [closed; event]

How bold of this man to defy her, to not pay attention to and respect a girl’s wishes. Truly, it was a pity that he didn’t know any better, else he wouldn’t have challenged her like that with that idiotic-looking grin.

No matter. If all went according to her plan, soon he’d be but a memory of all those she had eliminated.

And then she could be alone again, left to the harmony of silence.

“How cute. To think I was simply affording you the courtesy of leaving before I destroyed you along with this fence, I am most disappointed that you pushed aside my gracious offer. It’s not as if that matters anymore – however you see it, your life, or mine, they’re all forfeit.” 

Spinning around on one foot, she channeled a great deal of force through her left foot and directed a kick toward the fence, aiming specifically for the pole on which the strange, grinning man was sitting. If that didn’t get his attention, she wasn’t certain what would.

[strongblooded]

What was Kamui here for, someone might have asked. Of course, no one did ask -- this was a public place, he had every right to hang out in the hallway. Okay... maybe he was waiting for someone to leave their room so he could ambush them. Maybe. His smile was natural, like he wasn’t paying attention; not a single passerby escaped his sharp observational skills.

This guy walking up to him looked like... a nerd.

“Sure, I got some time. But yer gonna have ta’ remind me who this Jesus guy is. He was from... that anime, right?”

strongblooded

Kevin swallowed. He wasn’t too sure, but something about the presence of the strange man loitering in the hallway unsettled him. Normally, he would’ve just left a guy like him be, not wishing to get involved with such suspicious-looking people, but he hadn’t been successful yet in this building, and he couldn’t just leave without achieving anything. He figured it couldn’t hurt to at least try to talk to this man. And who knows? Maybe this guy would want to listen. Besides, he didn’t look too threatening, smiling away over there. Kevin had seen much scarier looking people in this city.

Putting on his best friendly smile – remember what the Missionary Handbook said, “Your appearance is often the first message others receive!”, he approached the unusual-looking young man.

“Hello there! Do you have a moment to talk about Jesus Christ?”

[strongblooded]

In the midst of the destruction in Sector oo3 stands a solitary figure. Feet planted wide, head tilted back, motionless despite the excitement all around, as though lost in thought.

This unexpected scene of tranquillity can be observed for about ten seconds, before Kamui shifts his weight, drawing his arm back -- a small neon-green ball in hand.

“Incoming!!” And he throws the ball upward with all his strength.