[ although ryo notes it really is a pure coincidence that they ran into each other here. he wonders if akira has been here for a while or if he only returned recently. he should probably ask that, at some point, but right now he just holds onto him a little tighter. ]
Ryo assigns him having been here for a long time, avoidant.
He wonders where else he could possibly go where the people he knew would even still be alive. Some of them maybe wouldn’t even come back here. He nods this time.]
but he moves to pull away at that, but keeps a hand on akira's arm like he's hesitant to completely let go. in case akira disappears the second they lose contact with each other. ]
Come with me.
[ ryo would prefer if there wasn't an audience for this; the citizens of hell are bored and nosy and ryo is aware of how he and akira can get. ]
[ oh.... he looks down at their hands and squeezes it after a moment. ryo will then tug them along slightly so he can pick up his dropped bag and he tucks that onto his other forearm. ]
Mm, I'll tell you where to go. It'll be faster than taking the ferry.
[ the only reason ryo doesn't really run around in his true form is that the majority of things here are regular human sized... it's more convenient to stay like this. ]
It's my place. There's someone you should see, anyway.
[He moves with Ryo, letting go only so he can help Ryo with the bag. Look, he would have done this anyway probably, but he has lived a long time with decent people, so… He helps Ryo get the dropped bag of things.]
Okay.
[???
He wonders if it’s JD, and he also chastises himself for thinking JD would somehow be gone in regards to being here when this is everlasting hell. Not on Ryo’s part. There are only a few things he could trust Ryo with before he left, but when he understood it was tied to his happiness, to him too, he knew Ryo could be trusted.
He draws Ryo to himself and scoops Ryo up in his arms without struggle. The wings fan out, perhaps rudely ushering everyone else out of the way with their span. The muscles under his skin crawl and push back, and the wings grow a little larger. He beats them downward, sending them up into the air, leaving the ground behind.]
Edited (typo assigning love in front of ryo’s salad…) 2023-04-11 15:43 (UTC)
[ he will just direct akira on where to go as they travel. the destination is at least not too far-- far enough that the chances of getting people showing up unexpectedly isn't too high, but still close enough that it isn't too tiring of a journey.
he spends other parts of the trip just staring intensely at akira's face, occasionally reaching up to run his finger over his cheek. examining him. ]
[Without going so fast it’s uncomfortable, he follows Ryo’s directions to the hide away Ryo made for himself.
At first, he is oblivious to Ryo’s staring, but he does end up looking when Ryo brushes his face, surprised and curious—a bit concerned too. For a moment, he thinks something might be wrong.
But no, Ryo is simply being soft and gay.]
Yeah. I practiced when I could, when it wouldn’t hurt anyone.
His eyes shift forward again, but he doesn’t try pulling his head away. They really just met again after so many years not even fifteen minutes ago, but… it’s surprisingly easy to slide right back into how things were when not thinking about it too hard, when there are no other reservations.
So Ryo can touch.]
I learned to control my emotions better. But I guess I would… if I got upset enough.
[ he doesn't ask what might upset akira enough, because that is very obviously territory that would lead to a potential fight and ryo will make an attempt to not leap into one immediately. but still, that's good to know. he'll backtrack back to this topic later once the shock wears off.
their destination is a much smaller island that doesn't have too much on it. there's a dock, and a little forested area. but ryo directs akira towards a house that's on the edge of he forest. when they're on the ground, ryo will tug akira to the entrance. ]
This is where I live.
[ when he opens the door, the interior isn't too surprising for ryo. it's not as fancy or rich as his apartment back in their original world, but it's still quite spacious and tidy. there's not that much decoration, with only random items here or there that seem like they might actually be personal.
more importantly, though, is that when the door opens, a cat wanders over to them. this is the first obvious hint that ryo did not actually stay in hell the entire time because jd is noticeably bigger than the last time akira saw him... the kitty aged. ]
[Hmmmm. Akira looks curiously over the island from above as he brings them in. Strangely, it seems fitting for Ryo. Away, quaint, simple, clean.
He drops his waist and legs and glides down near the house and the forest, landing with more grace than he probably would have had many years ago. He sets Ryo down by him and folds the wings away against his back like before. His hair is a mess now from the wind, but it’s fine.]
It’s quiet.
[It’s not said like a bad thing at all. He follows Ryo to the house, inside of it.
“I got better at controlling my emotions.” Immediately, he starts crying when the cat comes into view. LISTEN!!! He is still an emotional person, and he was trying to handle seeing Ryo again, but now he is being hit twice and it is too much.]
JD…?
[THE CAT IS SO BIG. He hurries half of the way to it, bending so he can scoop the cat up in his arms.]
[ HELP jumpscared by tears. ryo just moves to place his bag on a table and then turns to watch this reunion. you can tell ryo has had some kind of development because he is not mad that akira reacts more emotionally to seeing the cat than him. ]
He hugs the cat up to his face and burrows in the fur while petting. And just cries. Not loudly, thankfully.
He’s had a lot of the tears the last handful of years actually. Kaoru wasn’t the last person to go. The twins didn’t die together, as life does to most people.
And then he had to wait for everyone else remaining. Haruhi, Kyoya, Mori. It was just him and an old, wise Honey, waiting. Then Honey went too. He lingered a while, saw to things, got most of it out of his system.]
…I just didn’t know if I’d ever see either of you again. So… I’m glad.
well, he'll leave akira to that then. ryo will wander further into the house, turning a corner, and akira will probably hear what sounds like a fridge opening and then shutting. he returns a moment later and sets a water bottle onto the table. for when akira dehydrates himself from crying. ]
Mm. He's been a pain in the ass. You spoiled him too much and he never grew out of it.
For a moment, he looks surprised, and then he looks amused and soft. He glances at the cat, then nuzzles it again with his face. He is truly pampering JD for being a pain.]
He should be spoiled… He’s so big.
[Hehe.
He carefully puts the cat down so he can rub at his eyes with the back of one arm.]
at the admittance, ryo fidgets slightly, not quite sure how to react. he had hoped that akira missed him but the longer they spent apart the less likely that became for him. why would you miss someone you chose to leave and then hadn't seen in decades?
but, at the same time, there's a knot in his stomach made out of nerves and something a little like hope because of it. akira missed him. it's okay. ]
He wipes at his face one last time, then just… stands there looking at Ryo. Actually looking now, studying. Held in the strange and awkward space of understanding they won’t ever not be together somehow probably, but it’s the beginning after a hurt and a parting.
And he isn’t sure how sturdy the bridge is yet. He’s not sure if he acts like nothing is wrong, or tries to engage with what before always turned into an argument.]
he is doing better than expected, considering that he's still here. if ryo were honest, he would admit that if it weren't for jd, he probably would have gone for the option to obliterate himself on more than one occasion. but a part of him worried that akira might show up and see that his cat was alone, and that he'd hate ryo for it. so here he is.
but he continued to live and deal with the annoyances and failures of it. ]
I'm okay. Hell really isn't that bad once you're out of the newbie area.
[It’s an answer which tells him nothing. A back and forth, superficial between them. He didn’t ask the real questions, and so Ryo hasn’t given him the answers he thought he might hear. That he worried he might hear.
He glances away with his eyes, debating, and then looks at Ryo again.]
... you can stay here with me. There's a room we can turn into a bedroom for you.
[ he doesn't want to assume that akira would just. live with him. it's really not that difficult to get your own place, especially considering they know alex who is pretty willing to make the transition as smooth as possible for them.
that said, if akira did say he would prefer to live elsewhere then that will just be another mark under the 'days until ryo snaps again' column but it's fine. ]
[He hesitates thoughtfully. He doesn’t want to insult Ryo or Kaoru by leaping right back into the same behaviors before… and yet, there isn’t any point, is there, in acting as if they don’t have history?
Kaoru isn’t here. The others aren’t here either. Not that he’s seen. And, honestly, he’s glad because none of them deserved hell the way he and Ryo do.]
[ listen it's fine. they'd have separate bedrooms, that's having some boundaries. and in general, ryo doesn't really leave his room that often anyway and he doesn't see that changing much even with akira here. ]
I'll get furniture for you. [ ... ] Do you want to see the rest of the house?
[ there's only so much small talk they can do, but at least a tour is something useful. ]
[Damn, he can do something maybe for the hospitality. Look. He has had a while to be forced to endure high society and social norms and everything the demon side of him struggled with always.
He takes up the bottle Ryo brought him, careful of the cat by his feet.]
[ he nods and will lead the way. the house is large, but not really in a 'this is for very rich people' way and more just it is simply noticeably too big for just one person. the area they're in goes right to a living room, with a table and a couple of couches and a very big television mounted on the wall. a little beyond that and around a corner is a very well stocked and fancy kitchen. probably too fancy, considering ryo barely eats, but it's there.
also on this floor is a bathroom and a library filled with shelves and shelves of books and scrolls and papers, obviously collected over decades. the laundry room is down here too. there's a door leading out to the backyard that's primarily just forest.
upstairs is ryo's bedroom. just like in canon, his bed is too fuckin big because he will never suffer a bunk bed ever again. there's another large bathroom, and then down the hall there's another room that was probably also meant to be a bedroom but right now it's an office. ]
I can move this into my room.
[ everything is the same neat and tidy throughout the whole house, although there are stray cat items strewn about here and there because ryo has clearly given up on expecting jd to not leave toys around. ]
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[ although ryo notes it really is a pure coincidence that they ran into each other here. he wonders if akira has been here for a while or if he only returned recently. he should probably ask that, at some point, but right now he just holds onto him a little tighter. ]
Are you staying?
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Ryo assigns him having been here for a long time, avoidant.
He wonders where else he could possibly go where the people he knew would even still be alive. Some of them maybe wouldn’t even come back here. He nods this time.]
Yeah. I’m staying.
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but he moves to pull away at that, but keeps a hand on akira's arm like he's hesitant to completely let go. in case akira disappears the second they lose contact with each other. ]
Come with me.
[ ryo would prefer if there wasn't an audience for this; the citizens of hell are bored and nosy and ryo is aware of how he and akira can get. ]
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Okay, he’s coming.]
Do you want me to fly us?
[He’s just not sure how far Ryo is trying to go.]
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Mm, I'll tell you where to go. It'll be faster than taking the ferry.
[ the only reason ryo doesn't really run around in his true form is that the majority of things here are regular human sized... it's more convenient to stay like this. ]
It's my place. There's someone you should see, anyway.
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Okay.
[???
He wonders if it’s JD, and he also chastises himself for thinking JD would somehow be gone in regards to being here when this is everlasting hell. Not on Ryo’s part. There are only a few things he could trust Ryo with before he left, but when he understood it was tied to his happiness, to him too, he knew Ryo could be trusted.
He draws Ryo to himself and scoops Ryo up in his arms without struggle. The wings fan out, perhaps rudely ushering everyone else out of the way with their span. The muscles under his skin crawl and push back, and the wings grow a little larger. He beats them downward, sending them up into the air, leaving the ground behind.]
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he spends other parts of the trip just staring intensely at akira's face, occasionally reaching up to run his finger over his cheek. examining him. ]
You've got more control over your transformation?
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At first, he is oblivious to Ryo’s staring, but he does end up looking when Ryo brushes his face, surprised and curious—a bit concerned too. For a moment, he thinks something might be wrong.
But no, Ryo is simply being soft and gay.]
Yeah. I practiced when I could, when it wouldn’t hurt anyone.
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Do you still turn into Devilman without meaning to?
[ also unfortunately, this is all information that is very fascinating and relevant to things ryo would like to know. ]
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His eyes shift forward again, but he doesn’t try pulling his head away. They really just met again after so many years not even fifteen minutes ago, but… it’s surprisingly easy to slide right back into how things were when not thinking about it too hard, when there are no other reservations.
So Ryo can touch.]
I learned to control my emotions better. But I guess I would… if I got upset enough.
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[ he doesn't ask what might upset akira enough, because that is very obviously territory that would lead to a potential fight and ryo will make an attempt to not leap into one immediately. but still, that's good to know. he'll backtrack back to this topic later once the shock wears off.
their destination is a much smaller island that doesn't have too much on it. there's a dock, and a little forested area. but ryo directs akira towards a house that's on the edge of he forest. when they're on the ground, ryo will tug akira to the entrance. ]
This is where I live.
[ when he opens the door, the interior isn't too surprising for ryo. it's not as fancy or rich as his apartment back in their original world, but it's still quite spacious and tidy. there's not that much decoration, with only random items here or there that seem like they might actually be personal.
more importantly, though, is that when the door opens, a cat wanders over to them. this is the first obvious hint that ryo did not actually stay in hell the entire time because jd is noticeably bigger than the last time akira saw him... the kitty aged. ]
And this is your cat.
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He drops his waist and legs and glides down near the house and the forest, landing with more grace than he probably would have had many years ago. He sets Ryo down by him and folds the wings away against his back like before. His hair is a mess now from the wind, but it’s fine.]
It’s quiet.
[It’s not said like a bad thing at all. He follows Ryo to the house, inside of it.
“I got better at controlling my emotions.” Immediately, he starts crying when the cat comes into view. LISTEN!!! He is still an emotional person, and he was trying to handle seeing Ryo again, but now he is being hit twice and it is too much.]
JD…?
[THE CAT IS SO BIG. He hurries half of the way to it, bending so he can scoop the cat up in his arms.]
You’re so big now… Ryo, you really did keep him…
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Of course I did. I said I would.
[ jd meows.... ]
You're already crying.
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He hugs the cat up to his face and burrows in the fur while petting. And just cries. Not loudly, thankfully.
He’s had a lot of the tears the last handful of years actually. Kaoru wasn’t the last person to go. The twins didn’t die together, as life does to most people.
And then he had to wait for everyone else remaining. Haruhi, Kyoya, Mori. It was just him and an old, wise Honey, waiting. Then Honey went too. He lingered a while, saw to things, got most of it out of his system.]
…I just didn’t know if I’d ever see either of you again. So… I’m glad.
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well, he'll leave akira to that then. ryo will wander further into the house, turning a corner, and akira will probably hear what sounds like a fridge opening and then shutting. he returns a moment later and sets a water bottle onto the table. for when akira dehydrates himself from crying. ]
Mm. He's been a pain in the ass. You spoiled him too much and he never grew out of it.
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For a moment, he looks surprised, and then he looks amused and soft. He glances at the cat, then nuzzles it again with his face. He is truly pampering JD for being a pain.]
He should be spoiled… He’s so big.
[Hehe.
He carefully puts the cat down so he can rub at his eyes with the back of one arm.]
…I missed you both.
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at the admittance, ryo fidgets slightly, not quite sure how to react. he had hoped that akira missed him but the longer they spent apart the less likely that became for him. why would you miss someone you chose to leave and then hadn't seen in decades?
but, at the same time, there's a knot in his stomach made out of nerves and something a little like hope because of it. akira missed him. it's okay. ]
... I missed you, too.
[ constantly and angrily and longingly ]
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He wipes at his face one last time, then just… stands there looking at Ryo. Actually looking now, studying. Held in the strange and awkward space of understanding they won’t ever not be together somehow probably, but it’s the beginning after a hurt and a parting.
And he isn’t sure how sturdy the bridge is yet. He’s not sure if he acts like nothing is wrong, or tries to engage with what before always turned into an argument.]
How have you been…?
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he is doing better than expected, considering that he's still here. if ryo were honest, he would admit that if it weren't for jd, he probably would have gone for the option to obliterate himself on more than one occasion. but a part of him worried that akira might show up and see that his cat was alone, and that he'd hate ryo for it. so here he is.
but he continued to live and deal with the annoyances and failures of it. ]
I'm okay. Hell really isn't that bad once you're out of the newbie area.
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He glances away with his eyes, debating, and then looks at Ryo again.]
I don’t think I’ll really mind.
[Nothing can be as bad as biblical hell, right.]
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[ he doesn't want to assume that akira would just. live with him. it's really not that difficult to get your own place, especially considering they know alex who is pretty willing to make the transition as smooth as possible for them.
that said, if akira did say he would prefer to live elsewhere then that will just be another mark under the 'days until ryo snaps again' column but it's fine. ]
If you want.
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Kaoru isn’t here. The others aren’t here either. Not that he’s seen. And, honestly, he’s glad because none of them deserved hell the way he and Ryo do.]
I’ll stay. If it’s okay.
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I'll get furniture for you. [ ... ] Do you want to see the rest of the house?
[ there's only so much small talk they can do, but at least a tour is something useful. ]
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[Damn, he can do something maybe for the hospitality. Look. He has had a while to be forced to endure high society and social norms and everything the demon side of him struggled with always.
He takes up the bottle Ryo brought him, careful of the cat by his feet.]
Yeah. Show me.
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also on this floor is a bathroom and a library filled with shelves and shelves of books and scrolls and papers, obviously collected over decades. the laundry room is down here too. there's a door leading out to the backyard that's primarily just forest.
upstairs is ryo's bedroom. just like in canon, his bed is too fuckin big because he will never suffer a bunk bed ever again. there's another large bathroom, and then down the hall there's another room that was probably also meant to be a bedroom but right now it's an office. ]
I can move this into my room.
[ everything is the same neat and tidy throughout the whole house, although there are stray cat items strewn about here and there because ryo has clearly given up on expecting jd to not leave toys around. ]
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