windfall | what i desire most, what i fear most

Aah? Whussit?

[ His words formulate in a scratchy sound, like sieving sand through a tray. Same as Aki, there's a strange texture in Denji's mouth as well, but it's more like… fluff? His jaw slides back and forth, rolling the thing up against the roof of his mouth until he's able to pull it out, the brown of his eyes finally bleeding open to squint at it. Feather. Why's the white look a different color, though?

That's when Denji finally notices the spread of light overlaying the entire room, undulating. He arches his neck, staring up. ]

Woah… Reminds me of one of those projector-things from the movies. [ If all they showed were a spectrum of waveforms and patterns. That'd be pretty sick, actually. Denji could be entertained by that stuff for hours. ] You think it's like a mood ring? Or, like, what it looks like inside his head when he's dreaming?

[ Then again, maybe it isn't exclusive to just his dreams, considering what happened earlier. Regardless, he begins crawling closer to the halo. He's not going to touch it, because Aki will likely raise hell about it. If not outright lunge at him, he thinks, wryly. But maybe he can get away with something else — for science!

Leaning his face into the ringlet's glow, he blows a steady fwoo of air at it, then immediately flicks his eyes upward, hoping to see if it'll make the wave ripple. Like a breeze nudging a flame. ]

[Aki disagrees that it's like a mood ring since Angel is pretty clearly conked out, though he sits up slightly as if to confirm he's actually still asleep. It's thanks to that movement that Denji gets away with blowing on him without Aki stopping him, as he's too far away to yank him back and hiss some kind of warning about how Denji needs to stop touching him all willy-nilly - but when he blows against the ring of light Angel lets out a low groan, rolling onto his back with his eyes squinted, the blue glow slowly fading back into its usual neutral color. He blinks his eyes open and stares up at Denji. Tired, exhausted, and hair wild as if he just went through a wind tunnel.]

What're you doing... Did you open a window? [He grabs the edge of the blanket that's gotten tangled in his legs and pulls it over himself, squeezing his eyes shut.] I was dreaming good, you ruined it.

["He blew on you," Aki tells him, though clear from his tone he really didn't expect a blow on the part of his body he's always assumed isn't really... capable of feeling would make him wake up.]

Yeah, I blew on you, [ he echoes Aki, utterly remorseless about waking him. Squatting beside Angel, his face pops upside down, right above him. Bright-eyed with curiosity. Really, how lucky Angel is that Denji doesn't give back into the impulse to send another puff of air at his halo, see if that somehow sends a breeze through his hair or something. ]

What were ya dreamin' about? Your weird hat was short-circuiting. It looked — pretty. Like the sky or really, really clean water. [ The kind that he's only seen in nature programs, some environmentalist going on about how in so many years, this type of view will be all gone. ] Or a disco ball! [ Or a night light. He could go on and on about like items, but probably nothing could possibly be comparable to the shapes they just then. ] It woke us up and everything.

[ Normally losing shut-eye would make him bitchy, but he doesn't appear to mind right now. ]

Can you turn it on again for us? I wanna see it.

[Hat? What hat? Angel stares up at him blearily, the sight of him so close and right over him decidedly unwelcome. He pulls the blanket up further, all the way up to his nose. Like he can hide from his annoyance.]

I can't control it like that. It does what it wants to do. [From where he sits on the bed, Aki's brows knit tight at that. Because what the hell does that mean.] I was having a nice dream. No one was bothering me. It was nice. And then you woke me up.

[He doesn't expand on the idea that he can't control his own halo, so Aki finally speaks up, asking, "What do you mean, you can't control it?" Angel lowers his eyes to look at him, visibly annoyed.]

Can you control when you fart or poop? [He rolls over onto his side, away from them both. No matter which way he turns, though, his halo stays put over top of his head, parallel to the floor.] Don't be silly. I'm not battery-operated... Just think of it like snoring.

[ Angel's annoyance fully soars above his interest and his awareness. Denji is openly preoccupied with eyeing the halo oddly, what with there being no apparent movement as the slenderer devil shifts around. Not that he has any right to be weirded out, being the person he is. ]

Happy snoring?

[ Bit of a rhetorical question. It's only happened twice, but that's the only thing he can think of to be the only common denominating requisite for his halo to illuminate: that Angel be relaxed enough. Maybe it's his form of tail-wagging or belly-flopping. ]

So this thing. [ He keeps changing his position, twisting his neck to peer at the inner lining of the halo, like the difference in angle might explain something. ] It's like made outta your skin? And you can feel stuff happening to it?

[He's still going... He rolled over and made it obvious he planned to go back to sleep and Denji is still going. Angel sighs loudly.]

It's not my skin. And of course I can feel things that happen to it. It's part of me.

[He glances over his shoulder and shoots Aki a look, almost like he's asking for help but it comes off more annoyed that he isn't doing anything about it. For his part, however, Aki seems privately interested in the questions Denji is asking, since they're things he never knew. Or thought about, but still.]

...Can't you feel if something happened to your chainsaws? But they're not made of your skin. It's like that.

[ Poor Angel, prisoner to Denji's every unfiltered thought. But if no one else is bugging him to leave their guest alone, he's too happy to continue. ]

…Yeah.

[ Astonishment reeks from his breath. It shouldn't surprise him so much, given that it's his body, a thing he should be deeply familiar with, but the amount he understands about what he's capable of is vastly outmeasured by what he doesn't. It's not something Kishibe can teach him or Makima can always coax out of him — and even the thing with Beam was largely Denji putting money on his own luck. ]

Huh. Yeah, you're right, even though my head's all covered up in metal, I can still clobber myself out of a mental attack! It's weird and hurts a lot.

[ Brain damage will do that to a guy. Brain damage will also make a guy ask: ] So if it's part of you, that means that gettin' all touchy-feely with it's a big no-no, still?

[Clobber himself... Is that what Denji calls what he does to himself? He's heard about it from Aki a few times, usually because Aki is clearly concerned with his chosen method of clearing an attack like that, but Angel doesn't really get it. He just grows back with blood anyway, right? What does it matter? But maybe it does have lasting effects if he's asking to get touchy-feely with his halo.]

...You can touch it. [He almost sounds a little hesitant to admit this, but it's true. Only his skin is a danger to humans.] It's like my wings.

[Aki finally speaks up, sounding a little agitated. "You two should go back to sleep." But Angel has pushed himself up, staring at Denji warily. Like he's expecting the worst, because he kind of is.]

[ Angel doesn't listen, but Denji's attention flickers, briefly, his back straightening for a moment before easing back into a more relaxed posture. Sure, he hears the annoyance in Aki’s tone, the self-same one he uses whenever he's telling him not to touch a hot stove, to keep his fingers out of something still simmering. Or more recently, "Don't go around opening people's things without asking." Sheesh. What right does this guy have to be annoyed when he's the annoying one? Always hiding stuff from him, always swatting his hands away as he did earlier when he'd reached for his hair. Just what is it about Denji's touch that Aki dislikes so much?

Whatever. His finger taps a few times against the halo, half-expecting it to wobble from its perch above Angel's head or his hand to pass through, like, maybe the thing is simply intangible light; neither of those things happen. His brows raise. It's sturdy, almost as if it were a thick cut of glass; it doesn't budge, doesn't bend. If he pushed hard enough, he doesn't think it'd even go off-center from being braced against a pressuring object. Angel really wasn't kidding about it being like his wings. He's heard those things are as reliable a fortress as a steel vault.

The tapping eventually converts into a smooth trace around the halo's outline, a part of him hoping it'll emit a ringing sound, the kind he always hears sing off from the mouth of an open glass whenever he does that same motion — but the movement doesn't last long. Apparently, because Denji is giving consideration to another idea.

Suddenly. Very suddenly: ] Has anyone ever told you this thing looks kinda like an onion ring?

[ A very casual ask to the not-so-casual ding of his teeth scratching into the glowing ring, Denji gnawing on it like it's some plastic chew toy. ]

[It feels good. Weirdly good. Extremely good, similar to when he brushed right over his scapulars and right by his skin. Close without contact, a solid beam of light that's connected to every part of him. Both himself and his partner. He can feel every poke, every prod, every stroke. Is his face growing red, or is it just the way the light is getting a little dimmer? Making his toes curl as a tingle runs up his spine.]

[Then Denji's teeth are around it and Angel yowls like an alley cat, his knee coming up abruptly to kick Denji while his other foot skids against the blankets on the floor to send him away from him. He reaches up to grab his halo as if he needs to check for a piece missing, a chunk taken out - if it's still there and didn't ditch him for Denji's mouth.]

[Aki's the one who actually speaks, however, moving at the same time as Angel's howl and grabbing Denji by the back of his shirt, snapping his name and dragging him away. "Don't bite him!" And a shake to make sure he gets it before looking across at Angel - where he's seated with both hands clasped around his halo, mouth drawn tight and teeth grit, his face as bright as if Denji just touched his most private area. "Are you - okay?"]

You're - awful. [...He's kind of staring at both of them, though, so Aki looks vaguely offended for a moment.]

[ Angel kicks like he slaps, but something about this impact snaps into his stomach stronger than when he was on his knees choking on street meat. The suddenness of it is the main difference, and what ultimately does the trick of successfully deposing Denji's molars from his halo, sending him sprawling onto his back — Aki's presence surely helps, too. The scruff of his shirt collar is yanked hard to his throat when he's grabbed, like his handler is trying to pull back a reactive dog instead of his teenage roommate. ]

E-Easy, easy, easy, easy!

[ Denji shouts, as he's finally able to loosen out of Aki's grip, his voice desperately crescendoing in pitch. Caked on top of Angel's accusing look is Denji's own dirty one, directed only at Aki while he wrenches away, his hand rubbing tenderly at his throat. Damn, that's gonna bruise. Ugh, and now he can hardly squeeze out a defense for himself that isn't just a strangled hacking fit. ]

Look — [ He has to clear his throat twice in a row, just to speak as if he's been gurgling grains. ] I was curious 'cause your halo looked kinda tasty! But I didn't bite down that hard! [ Another cough. ] You're not bleedin', see? Look at him, Aki, no blood in sight!

[Aki has never been on the receiving end of a look so vicious from the least vicious devil in all of Public Safety but being on the edge of it as he gives it to Denji is enough to rattle him a little. With the way he's holding onto the ring of light, Angel's face looks a little darker than usual, especially in the dark bedroom.]

It doesn't have blood - it can't bleed. [This is like saying a ripped shirt not bleeding is no cause for alarm. Totally different mechanisms for harm. Aki groans quietly at Denji's attempts to cajole them into calming down, frustration obvious. He knew this was a mistake, to let Angel stay over, to let Denji sleep in his room...]

[Angel gets to his feet, finally letting go of his halo as he glowers across at the bedroom door.] I'm not sleeping near him. He's going to try and eat me while I sleep.

He's not going to eat you.

[Aki reaches to grab Denji by the arm and hoists him up, pushing him to sit down on the bed.]

Here - He can sleep up here, instead. That way I'll feel if he gets up and tries to mess with you. Alright?

[Angel glances back over, still frowning, but looks to see if Denji will accept this condition. If he'll sleep in the same bed as another guy.]

I'm not gonna eat you!

[ Bayed out right as Aki hauls him, ankles knocking against the lower slats of the bed frame, making it creak from the newly added weight. The only reason no one's thumped on their wall yet really has to do to with the fact that it's the time of night those with functioning sleeping hours would be pleasantly deep into unconsciousness. Once upon a time, that could have been him. Man, this is Aki's fault… If he hadn't woken him up, then he wouldn't be getting defamed like this! ]

I've never eaten a person in my whole sixteen years, stupid! I'm not gonna start now — it's your nightlight that looks yummy, not you!

[ But there'd been a weird, lamb-like air to Angel earlier, as he'd explored the rim of his halo, tender and buttery the way meat slow roasting in a pan is. Like if he cut into him, something nice would have squeezed out and trickled all over his hands. If he says that, though, he has a good feeling he wouldn't just be reduced to sharing a bed with Aki.

Which… is not really the punishment his superior thinks it is; after all, he was sharing a futon with Angel up until ten minutes ago. Granted, they were facing opposite directions back then… But he's pretty sure he can get through the rest of the night like this, even if he makes a big show of grumbling (wasn't even that hard… don't wake me up next time if you're just gonna yell at me) and throwing open the comforter as he crawls into the cool, untenanted side of the mattress.

Denji may hate guys, and Aki and Angel may both be the exact type he can't stand, but they seem sick enough of him that, if they had it their way, they'd kick him to the curb. And Denji hates that idea above all. ]

Whatever. [ He rolls over, burying the side of his face into the pillow, tugging more of the blanket toward his space. Makes short work of getting comfortable. ] I'm goin' to sleep.

[Angel doesn't respond to him, still staring at the door to the bedroom as Denji climbs into bed and claims he doesn't eat people. What Angel doesn't call him on is that he's eaten devils, and that's what Angel is. But he wouldn't expect him to understand the difference, let alone understand how his halo is no different to the blood running through his veins that he's fed Denji to bring him back. None of that reasoning feels worth it. Humans don't think about devils like that - half-devil or not, themselves.]

Just lay down. [Aki coaxes him quietly, moving around briefly to straighten the blankets on the ground as Angel finally turns toward him, some sort of resignation in his features as he squats to lay down again. Aki lifts the blankets for him and drops them over him when he lays down, then sits on his own bed and looks down at him. Thinks about saying something, then decides not to. "I don't think your halo looks like an onion ring." Yeah, he probably wouldn't want to hear that.]

[And Denji might be a teenager and he might be skinnier than most his age, but he's still an awkward sleeping partner. Aki sleeps fitfully thanks to that, eyes opening suddenly if he moves or turns in bed as he lays still on his side, facing away from him and, by necessity, toward where Angel lays on the floor, fast asleep and with the normal glow of his halo. Whatever he must have been dreaming about must be gone now. At least it didn't start turning red or something creepy.]

[When his alarm goes off, he's already awake and sits up to shut it off. It's a work day, which is part of the reason he's a little annoyed they pulled this shit, but whatever, it just means Angel will actually be on time today. He reaches over to nudge Denji first. Get him out of the room and going before these two can bicker again.]

[ Where Denji's movements kept Aki half-awake the remainder of the night, the utter stillness of his bedfellow made for a wonderfully restful sleep on his end. Power has much of the same sleeping habits as he does, so rooming with her tends to cause him undue stress more often than not, of which bleeds into his dreams. Someone gnawing on his compound fractures or rolling him on a gurney to extract his organs while he's still awake, imaginative sequences that tend to have him waking up in cold sweat.

Aki's nice, though. Comforting to have nearby, even. He lets him hog all the space he wants, and he doesn't have horns to poke him in the eyes with when Denji unwittingly broaches to his side, both of his legs folded over his own, hanging off the edge of the bed. ]

Whaaaat…

[ It's an odd little giggle that comes out. Sleepy, but playful. Kinda gross of him, let's be honest. He must really be enjoying his dream right now, because none of Aki's shaking manages to wake Denji up. Rather, all it's doing is further entwining him within the covers, whorled like a mollusk shell washed ashore a warm and sandy beach bed. He even has the nerve to blissfully sigh for a second, any awareness of his dimmed by sleep.

No, it's not until he hears a cacophony come all the way from the bathroom, shortly accompanied by Power's thunderous laughter. "Yes! Yes, Meowy! It would behoove you to accept your fate as a harbinger of chaos!"

Denji's eyes squint up, then whip open fully wide. Face reddening in an instant, he simultaneously kicks his feet out at Aki and frantically tries to crawl off the bed — ]

Ueh?! Y-You…!

[ He drops over the footboard, not exactly prepared for it, because he lands face-first into the floor. His neck makes a snapping sound. Did… Denji just die?

A groan wriggles out from his throat. Nope, still alive. The only good part of this morning so far is probably that he didn't land on Angel. ]

[Angel was pretty clearly attempting to stay in bed as late as he could, but Denji splattering to the ground and nearly dying sort of ruins that plan. He pulls to the edge of the sheets on the ground to dodge his drop, even if the action was unnecessary, squinting out unhappily at the scene before him. Aki rubs at his head, tempering his momentary panic until he hears Denji's groan that proves he didn't die. No blood-letting this morning. He reaches down and hoists him up, knowing he'll take a moment to get his bearings. Best to get him out of here before he and Angel have another argument.]

[Which nearly begins as Angel says over his shoulder, "You live with such inconsiderate housemates." And Aki thinks, Pot, meet kettle, but only says aloud,] Go wash up if you want, but don't take too long in there. [And he raises his voice, just enough to be heard in the other room.] Power, there's a guest, so you can't hog the bathroom.

[Power says something back about how it's actually her bathroom, so the guest would be the one hogging it. And why does it smell so angelic in here and why are there bird feathers in Meowy's special brush?! Aki sets Denji down at the table in the center of the living room and begins on breakfast.]

[At some point, Angel comes out of the bedroom, still draped in a blanket, and sits down across from him. He's staring at him obviously, almost expectantly. Waiting for him to say something.]

[ Denji's out cold for five minutes to the tee until his eyelids, still closed, spasm and jerk unconsciously, before bursting open as he flings upright with a gasp, like some sort of reanimated corpse, stomach slamming into the edge of the table. He didn't die, but he did suffer a minor concussion. This is just how he generally overreacts to things of that nature.

A pause. ]

Morning. [ A second pause, but this time around his eyes narrow, zeroing in on the winged devil, who he's finally realized is staring. At him. The reason why indiscernible. He gives Angel the type of look you'd expect from a dullard with no self-awareness. ] What. [ The question that isn't really a question doesn't even have time to gestate into the open air between them — a disturbed glint falls across his gaze, disguised as understanding. Or, at least, made-up understanding. His mouth twists into a sneer as he thrusts his hand out, palm facing Angel in a "stop" gesture. ] Nope. Not happening. No chance, no way. [ The hand folds into an accusatory finger point. ] If you think I'm sharing my plate with you after that kick earlier, think again!

[ Yes, never mind that he actually, physically, bit Angel. What matters is that he retaliated and kicked him! That really hurt, though no more than the head trauma he casually gave himself not a few minutes earlier. ]

I don't want your plate.

[He doesn't have one right now, anyway. But for some reason, Angel is pretty sure Denji knows that's not what he's after.]

I kicked you because you bit me. And you haven't made it up to me yet.

[Devils don't care about something like an apology. Those don't mean anything. No, this is a trade. Angel will forget the slight if Denji does something worthwhile enough.]

Make it up to me.

[ Like a dog who comes sprinting at a whistle's call, clear and piercing, Denji recognizes a demand when he hears one. His frown doesn't retire from his expression, but he doesn't argue the necessity for restitution, a balancing of the ledger. Even though he really hadn't been aware the halo was that much a part of Angel at the time, as sensitive to touch as the hard-to-reach places of his wings. ]

Did biting you feel like a kick to your nuts or something…?

[ Tch. Chin leaning on his knuckles, Denji casts his gaze to the TV. It's not powered on, so he reaches for the remote. Light flashes on the monitor and out appears what looks to be a movie, a kaiju of some sort aggressively sinking its jaws into the shoulder of a large gorilla. He flicks to a different channel, almost guiltily. ]

Fine. Lay it on me, dude. If you want me to brush your feathers out again, just say so.

[Angel isn't sure anyone has kicked him in the nuts before, but that pain felt more like a sting than a blow, so he supposes it wasn't the same. Still, Denji actually sounds amenable to the idea of a favor in return for this which is kind of nice. Arguing isn't something he's good at. The only issue is what to ask for.]

[...They had this same kind of conversation last night, didn't they, he thinks. About what Angel would prefer to do. This whole experience of being in the Hayakawa household has kind of been a nightmare, considering he got grabbed all over, bitten, and not to mention woken up in the middle of the night. But what would he have done otherwise? Probably sat in his little cell staring at the ceiling until he fell asleep. Listening to the odd sounds of devils down the hall, pipes creaking and steam hissing. The rare sound of footsteps outside and human chatter.]

[He doesn't know if it was worth it, but he's already wordlessly promised to keep living through this life until it ends otherwise. He shakes his head at the offer to brush out his wings.]

You can come and break me out again.

[Like that's an offer, or something to be granted to Denji.]

Tonight?

[ That's his first question, without betraying a hint of disbelief. Not why, or how, or if that's the sole stipulation to to this very strange favor. He reacts like a courier, a very bored and disinterested one, but one who understands he's got a job to do all the same.

His second question is — ]

Where you wanna go? Back here again? That guy's not gonna be as gung-ho about it as he was last night.

[ Well, gung-ho is an exaggeration. But really. Aki was forgiving this time around because they were being pretty nice to him, but if he were to find out they decided to come out and play of their own selfish volition… Denji can't imagine that going well. Not that making Aki mad is enough deterrent for him to turn down the request, but if he's going to get in trouble for something, it better be worth it. ]

Not tonight.

[That, unnaturally, comes out quickly. Especially for the time of day. Angel wants to make sure he doesn't come for him tonight. He needs time to recover from this whole ordeal first.]

[But about his buddy being gung-ho about this... His eyes trail over to him, his back turned as he's in the midst of getting something out of the fridge. When he looks back at Denji, he only shrugs.]

I don't know. I want to do something different from usual. You know... See something different. I've never seen the inside of an apartment where a fiend and a human and a... [He kind of motions at Denji.] Whatever you call it cohabitate, I mean. I only ever see dead people's apartments.

[He'd never bought beer at a convenience store, either. Eaten kebabs in the street. Hell, a lot of the stuff they got tonight was his first time eating it, to his knowledge. Most of his previous partners weren't as willing to fork over money for a devil with a bottomless stomach to have his fill as Aki seemingly is.]

You're always running around. Don't you go anywhere interesting? I want to see that.

Er, yeah… Lots of cool places.

[ His finger taps on the table. Some office romance drama is reflected in Denji's eyes as he stares at the television, but truly, his mind is somewhere else entirely. Filtering through his limited repertoire of places he's been to. However, the more he tries to consult his memory, the more it's like scouring through the shelves of the emptiest library ever. There's the arcade, sure, lots of food stalls and restaurants, the souvenir shop at the station, other dead people's apartments, the movie theater with Makima, uh…

The thing is that even with the autonomy to wander this city, he's been satisfied so far with the novelty of exploring commonplace shops and things that may attract a tourist — which, for all intents and purposes, he still feels like. He's not as familiar with the hidden gems and localities. When he glances back at Angel, he isn't really looking at him, but his halo. ]

You ever been to a church before? Um… We got assigned to take out a Glass Devil there not long ago, and the people runnin' the place were, like, really grateful and invited us to come back, but I haven't gone or anything. I dunno about that stuff. It seems kinda boring.

[ But he overheard the folks talking about this thing called "holy water," though, and he's kinda curious enough about finding some way to taste test it, see if it's like a special type of soda, that he'd be willing to go back. ]

But your whole thing is…

[ Wrapped up, ribboned, and tied into religion. So maybe Angel'd like it??? ]

If you don't wanna go there, I think we should go to a movie theater instead. I went on a date to one once, and it basically changed my life.

[A church...? Angel looks vaguely unhappy with that suggestion.]

People who go to places like that always act weird around me.

[Sometimes they kneel down and pray near him, and other times they ask him to bless something for him. Even worse, sometimes they try and touch him. It's not his favorite kind of interaction with humans.]

They'll probably try and recruit you. That's usually what they're interested in. But you wouldn't do well in a place like that.

[A movie, however, is what kind of piques his interest. He's seen movies, but never been to a theater. He's not sure if he'd be allowed, honestly, but it'd be worth a try. The stuff about going to one as a date and that changing his life soars mostly over his head, though, and Angel nods in agreement to the proposed idea.]

A movie. That'd be good.

[Aki, watching from the other side of the counter as he finishes putting toast on Denji's plate, can't help but silently think someone with a constant light bulb over his head wouldn't be appreciated in a theater.]

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

1/2

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject