babermetrics | IC OVERFLOW AND MISC.

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It's Kuwata Leon . . . did you seriously just call me cute like a cactus?

[There are three levels of wrong to that! He's not sure which one to address first. Probably one of the ones involving him, that seems like a good priority.]

First of all, I ain't "cute"! You've got a really skewed perspective if this's your idea of cute. Cute's for girls!

[If Leon's going to believe this Netherworld stuff, it kinda feels like he should be quaking in his creepers right now. This guy might be able to do him some serious harm . . .

But on the other hand, even if he takes all of this seriously, he's finding it impossible to actually take him seriously. Two very different things. Either Tanaka's a "normal" dude (okay, at least a human dude) who is just a huge bizarro nerd, or he's the Overlord of Ice from the Netherworld, with absolute authority over all living things, and he's still a huge bizarro nerd.

Maybe Leon's toying with his own fate by laughing a little, but he can't help it; it snorts right out of him. It's at least not condescending or entirely mocking, and some of it really is just leftover adrenaline from the fight leaking out of him however it can, but there it is.]

Ha ha, you seriously don't quit, huh? You ain't even a little embarrassed! Maybe you really are serious . . . I dunno, there's all kinds of messed up stuff goin' on here, so even if I'm totally skeptical, I guess I can't tell you off on it . . .

But damn, you really don't know how to fit in even a little! Do people like that whole Netherworld thing?

Dude, you ain't gonna believe this, but I met a guy earlier who can like, control hamsters.

[That's the weirdest thing Leon's seen here yet . . . kind of. Well, it's the weirdest thing he's seen from one of the other people like him, people who didn't seem to be civilians or part of the whole setup of this messed-up place.

He's heading in the opposite direction of the exit, which means the crowd is thinning, but also, well, they're getting farther from the exit. From the looks of the door, though, it doesn't look like anyone's having much luck getting out anyway.]

Until then, I thought maybe everyone here was just a normal person who got dragged into all this crazy CERES-whatever like me, but you're sayin' there really is magic and gods and whatever here, not just as part of their setup?

Hhk--

[OUCH. Ouch. That cuts deep, Leon. "Don't know how to fit in even a little"? Jeez...Gundam's silent for a few moments, seemingly struck dumb by that entire comment because that's not the only portion of the reply that gets him. It's just the hardest part of it to swallow.]

[But no, that isn't something to worry about. It doesn't matter if people like him. He doesn't care what they think! And...and besides he's got a friend! And most of his classmates like him! So he simply looks away from the man, sort of turning his nose up a little in the same motion.]

It does not matter whether or not mortals "like" it. It is not a "thing" to be liked or disliked freely as if it were some fad or fashion statement. I am a walking abomination, born of a devil and an angel. If humans choose to be amiable in spite of this fact, they have courage that I can appreciate. If they show me disdain, I respect and welcome it. But it is inconsequential to me which side they fall on.

I do not exist to please them.

[ . . . Damn.

He hadn't meant anything by it; thinking before he speaks, or using any tact at all, isn't Leon's strongest point. And Tanaka's answer also isn't anything he can easily understand--he really just does not get people who don't care at all about what anyone thinks. I mean, come on!

And picking up on subtlety isn't his thing either, so if there's any thread of overcompensation in Tanaka right now, he doesn't notice it.

But what he does notice is that, even if he doesn't really get it, and even if this guy's still a huge freak--that was pretty cool. He stops laughing and smiles back, a bit awkwardly. This nerdy bullshit still isn't going to cow him, but it's not half bad either, as speeches go.]

Damn . . . you're pretty harsh, but I dunno what I expected. Maybe you really are a devil, or angel, or uh--what's a half devil, half angel, anyway? 's there a word for that? Anyway, you're pretty dedicated to that, huh? I guess that's cool in a way. Like, if you're gonna go weird, go all-out weird!

[Well...what he says next somewhat makes up for it, at least. There was overcompensation, but it's better Leon didn't notice it. The last thing he'd want to do is comment on that right now.

But he didn't, and what he says actually somewhat amuses Gundam. There's a snort of a chuckle.]

Halfling would be the most proper term, though acceptable too are "abomination", "mutt", any number of choices in that vein. Ultimately it does not matter in the end.

Still you do not quite grasp the situation, but I will not fault you for it. Mortals often decide not to believe the unbelievable. That's fine. When you come face to face with some of the other beings that inhabit this city, however, I expect that you will begin accepting the truth about me.

[He is not the only magical being in this place, after all!]

What matters now, however, is that you are showing me great disrespect. I have given you my name and you have had your time to gawk. Should you not be returning the gesture?

[He's definitely not wrong about Leon deciding not to believe the unbelievable; sometimes it's a feat to get him to believe the blatantly obvious, depending. But Tanaka's also right that it's not really important right now. If Leon tried to think through and accept everything that's happened to him in the past couple weeks of his life, he might seriously end up losing his mind.

One thing at a time, right? Names are easy, and he'd been so distracted he hadn't even noticed he hadn't given his own yet.]

It's Kuwata Leon! You're the one who went on that whole thing about the Netherworld, man, you can't expect me to keep track of introductions! And I ain't gonna call you an abomination or anythin' like that . . .

[And not only because he stumbles a tiny bit over the word, though he pretends he doesn't.]

That's way too messed up even for me. You helped me out, you don't deserve that! You'd have to be really twisted to wanna hear that from people. Whatever--Tanaka! I guess halfling sounds fine.

[And because he knows nothing about Japanese names, he's going to assume 'Kuwata' is his first name...] It's nice to meet you, Kuwata.

[He nods because cacti are absolutely adorable (to him)~] Mn! Your hair is all spiky and prickly like a cute cactus~ ♥

No, it isn't just for girls. I get called 'cute' quite often. [And get mistaken for a girl... anyway, moving on!] And I'm sure you wouldn't have minded being called 'cute' by a girl...

Heh . . . I mean, she'd still be wrong, 'cuz I'm way more cool than cute, buuuut I probably wouldn't argue with her.

[Cute girls can call him whatever they want, seriously. Cactus? Sure, coming from a girl, if she's into that for some weird reason, he's game. But this guy's right that coming from a girl is completely different from coming from a guy, even a . . . girly sort of guy like this.]

Anyway, it's different for you 'cuz you're feminine like that, y'know? I could see you bein' a girl pretty easy, but you'd have to be blind to think I was. Blind and deaf! Nah, I take it back, all five senses! But if you put on a dress, you'd probably confuse at least a few people in this crowd, if you know what I mean.

[He finally rises entirely to his feet and stretches, cracking his neck. It feels good to not be on the floor anymore.]

[That sort of answer's definitely a brush-off, but honestly, it's not like Leon knows what he would have done if the guy had actually come out with some brutal story right off the bat--so he's a little relieved to not get anything too in-depth out of it. Generic complaining he can do. Who doesn't love generic complaining? It brings people together!]

I mean, I just got here, but my impression is "basically never." I was really hopin' I had the wrong idea and it was gonna lay off after a while . . . you sayin' it's not?

[He can't help a little chuckle.] You sound just like a friend of mine!

I'm not...! [But then he remembers a certain something...] Well, I suppose it did work at that masquerade. But that's only because neither Castor nor Frau could fit in that dress!

[.........]

Are you talking about Tanaka...?

[IT'S REALLY NOT THE WEIRDEST THING HE DOES.] Purple scarf? Talks like he has magic abilities?

[Ah, but he'll add,] Yeah, there are things like that. People's worlds have things like magic or otherwise.

[ See, this much Heung Soo understands. With the amount of complaining he does in his life, it's the only true way he has of bonding with people. Obviously. ]

It's not. [ Definitely not, is the implication that lies in his tone and how easily he answers that question, like he doesn't even have to think about it. ]

People have died here before.

[ He figures that's enough to convey the Seriousness of the situation without having to go into either gross or just plain ridiculous details to someone he just met. ]

Yeah, no problem! It ain't like I'd just leave a guy like that! So it just happened for no reason?

[Leon doesn't know shit about medicine, but he knows enough to think that seems kind of unlikely. On the other hand, the guy does look fine; he's not super pale or wasted-looking or anything like that. Leon gives him a quick once-over, but seriously, everything looks a-okay here for a guy who just conked out in the middle of a photoshoot.]

Ah, maybe you just got real surprised by the flash? That seems kinda . . . fragile, though, like what kinda model would have a problem like that?

[Not that most of this crowd is professional models, but that's beside the point.]

Man, talk about a one-way ticket to the end of your career!

. . . You had to crossdress for a party?

[He assumes, incorrectly, that the guy means here in Cerealia, and the thought of being forced into a dress for some kind of event here makes his blood run cold. Maybe even more than alien creatures roaming around unchecked, honestly.]

I'm not doin' that, no matter what they say! Look, photoshoots are one thing, that kinda thing's completely off the table!

So what you're sayin' is anything goes.

[Sure, that makes things easier, just accept that any old crazy bullshit could happen here. Great. Maybe he really ought to stop fighting that.]

I mean, that's kinda what I figured when that guy told me all that stuff--Tanaka, yeah, that was him, you know him? He's kinda hard to miss, huh? Anyway, normally I'd be like, dude, get to a friggin' psychiatrist! But . . . the longer I'm here the more I feel like the one who needs it. Like, sure, whatever, you're God of the Netherworld, I ain't even surprised at this point.

Uh, wouldn't it be weirder if they didn't?

[Okay, that's a little nitpicky; he can half guess what the guy's getting at, at least after a moment's deeper thought. But that's out of his mouth before he does the thinking part. After a beat, he just continues:]

You meant at stuff like this, didn't you . . . people like us who got brought in?

[Hinata nods helplessly. Yeah, anything goes...]

Tanaka's a friend of mine. He's an animal breeder... not anything supernatural, though it's probably just best to go along with what he says. [There's a deeper meaning past the chuunibyou, anyway.]

It might not seem like it now, but after a while you get used to the magic and abilities and all of that stuff.

I dunno whether that's even worse, or kind of a relief. Can somethin' be both? Heh . . .

[It's an awkward laugh for an awkward conversation, but on the other hand, it's a little less awkward than it could be. It's nice to run this down with someone who seems to be a pretty normal dude. Leon gives him another quick--but more careful this time--glance as they walk. Totally ordinary!]

You're pretty ordinary, though, huh?

[It's not even an insult, though it's maybe a little overly blunt.]

I mean, 'cept for your crazy friends? Ha ha!

[HE'S USED TO THOSE KINDS OF COMMENTS... Reminds him of his friends. With their backhanded compliments. Yes. Yes, he loves his friends... very much... that is what he feels for them...]

I guess, in comparison, I probably am more ordinary.

[But even he has things going on... Ah well, all explanations in time.]

Edited 2015-06-07 12:59 (UTC)

[ L E O N...

It's a good thing that he actually picks up on his mistake and corrects it after a moment, since it saves him another moment of Judging from Heung Soo's side. It's a lot more efficient to stay focused on the conversation at hand, anyway. ]

Yeah.

[ A simple answer - although also sort of morbid and serious in its own way, considering their current situation. ]

Unnatural death. [ In case it wasn't obvious. ] That's what I mean.

[nods and he doesn't know that Leon thinks he means here...] It was the only way we could get into the masquerade without being caught since our enemies were on the lookout for 3 men travelling together.

[then he realizes] Ah, I didn't mean here... It happened back home.

Like, no offense, but you kinda scream ordinary when I see you. Hey, don't worry about it, though! Actually, somethin' like that's pretty comforting right now!

[He reaches over to smack Hinata on the back, companionably. A firm, manly, friendly smack. Thwack! Even that feels ordinary! Hell yes.]

This place needs more ordinary dudes! I'm Kuwata Leon, by the way. You totally helped me out back there!

IC OVERFLOW AND MISC.

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