[When he doesn't accept the handkerchief at first and just rubs at his face with his hands and sleeve, then even reaches into his pocket... Aki figured he was rejecting it, turning down the offer, and his hand lowered slowly. Uncertain. Then, suddenly, it was taken anyway and in return was placed more money than anyone had ever given him before.]
Uh... huh?
[Even more uncertain. Aki stared down at the money in his palm, sticky with mucus and tears. Mentally adding up the bills and coins - This is enough for... for a whole month's worth of curry bread at the convenience store. And he's handing it to him?]
Wait, huh?
[Because now this didn't feel right. Why was he being paid...? Still with his hand held out, unwilling to accept the money, Aki shook his head twice.]
I don't - want any money.
[Which was true. He didn't really want for money. He was comfortable, got an allowance, could easily ask for a few coins to get curry bread if he wanted to. Even if this guy was rich (...doubtful), taking money for doing a deed like this felt scummy.]
I was just helping... 'Cause he looked so sad. He was crying. I've never seen a devil crying.
[He shook the hand holding the money, offering it back out.]
Here, take it back. Um, you can keep that, too. [The handkerchief. He kind of didn't want it back now.]
[ The second the boy refuses the money, pushes it back to Denji, his hand swiftly sweeps over his open palm, reclaiming them — all but snatches the items out of his hand, honestly. He's not going to argue with someone who doesn't know a gift horse from an ass horse. This was was the only amount of cash he had left on him after paying out his savings just to travel out there, so back into the relativee security of his pocket they go.
Pinching the hanky around his nostrils to squeeze out what excess mucus he could, Denji turns his eye back to Pochita. The effect on his voice is a distorted, hopelessly clogged inflection. ]
…You were scared, eh? I know. Me too. [ He sets the (ruined) rag down on his lap, smothering a hand over the top of the devil's head again, the short strands of fur where he rubbed him swept up unevenly from the rest of his coat. ] It'll never happen again. I promise.
[ He just has to get acclimated. Moving from one place to the next always sets him on edge — it's a different headspace to be in, and he's certainly not much of a logistics guy. ]
Hey, so whaddaya want then? [ Still petting Pochita, Denji finally addresses the boy without glancing back at him. ] For bein' a good smearitan. This is your last chance to ask for a reward before the two of us jet. Just name the first thing that pops in that bitty head of yours.
[He wanted to ask questions. What happened? How did you guys get separated? How did you meet? Why are you friends with a devil? Does he eat people? The older boy told him to name the first thing that popped into his head but that would mean there was nothing there to begin with. Unfortunately, his mind was filled with things he wanted - and none of it was anything this random person could give him.]
[After a long moment, he mumbled,] It's Samaritan.
[He spoke up with what he asked next, though.]
Can I touch him?
[Because, really, when else would he get a chance to go to school and tell everyone that he got to touch a devil? That it barked like a dog and was crying, had a chainsaw stuck in his head and a tail like the starter cord? Squatting down from his position, he got to an even level with the other boy, the side of his bag dropping to the ground.]
I never saw a devil before. I thought they were bigger.
[And, hesitant in case his one request is denied, he reached out his hand, eager to try petting the back of the devil's body and feel that soft fur once more.]
[ What was the thing he said? Samir…ertan? Somehow that sounded no less wrong than his first attempt.
It was as Denji pondered life's deepest questions that he clocked movement skirting the edge of his field of vision, his focus sharpened on the boy the instant his fingers twitched toward his companion. Thankfully, he was quick to recognize his own force of habit before reaching for violence. He leaned back, allowing the devil to scoot off of him and investigate the little sausages wiggling in his direction. ]
Aren't you low maintenance… Oi, [ he called to him, staring for a moment. Clearly, sizing him up. ] Have some manners and introduce yourself first. Maybe he'll even letcha hold him. See, this little guy's name is Pochita. Po-chi-ta. I named him myself, so you should use it.
[ Failing to acknowledge that he, himself, remained nameless, Denji gave a light pat to Pochita's bum. ]
You'd be surprised, y'know. There're littler devils than Pochita out there. Don't live long, though, 'specially out in the big cities. Most stay in hidin' in the boonies where we're at 'cause they're wimpy.
[Actually, Aki already knew the devil was called Pochita. He heard the guy screaming it a few minutes ago. His fingers flinched back when met with the dour tone, the way the blond, older boy sized him up like he was a stray dog taking in the scent of a domesticated pet - but once given the go-ahead following an introduction, Aki squatted down further to sit on his knees.]
My name's Aki. [Stranger danger was still at least kind of in effect - he's not supposed to tell people his whole name, he knew that much. But even thinking that he's doing the right thing, he still reached out eagerly to rub his hand down the side of the devil's body, watched with thinly hidden delight as Pochita rubbed into his hand and adjusted his head to guide his touch up there. He pet over the top of him, mindful of the chainsaw sticking out, his fingers digging into the shallow fur and stroking carefully. All the while listening to this person tell him about devils.]
Are you a devil hunter? [He sat down on his butt next, slipping his arm free from his bag and using it to pet up the other side of him as Pochita rubbed into his hands and panted eagerly at the contact.] Is that why you're here, to kill little devils? 'Cause we don't have public safety here anymore, they went to the, uh, the sub-pre-frecture... city... [He kind of trailed off, realized as he was speaking that he didn't know anything about what he was talking about. That it was just a parrotting of what he'd heard on the news.] Um, my teacher said devils aren't something we need to worry about, living here, 'cause people here are braver than people in the city.
[That, however, he said with confidence. Be it a way to keep morale up or a form of propaganda, it made sense to him. No one in his village ever died from a devil attack, so probably there was a reason for that.]
[ Without thinking too hard about it: ] I can be, sometimes. Started as a side hustle when I was your age.
[ Denji stayed put where he was, the long grass dancing against his arms as if in fellowship. His hand rose to caress the stems as the boy's talking went in one ear and out the other, seeming at first to be admiring some fluttering bug stood on the tip — for all of two seconds. He broke off the strand, twisting the stem to get the sap dripping before sucking it between his teeth. ]
Kid. [ The piece of grass rolled to the side of his mouth as he spoke. There was no meaning in learning a name he would soon forget; as far as he was concerned, the kid remained nothing other than a boy who had wandered too close, asked quite a few questions, and petted his dog all over with his baby-pudge hands. Being unknown wasn't a bad thing. To this day, 'kid' was all most folks knew Denji by, too. ] You sure your teach ain't full of crap?
[ Nah, the reason had to be simpler than that. Where Denji came from, really came from, it was much of the same kind of thinning population. Devils went where the food was most ripe. ]
Not everyone in these boonies's brave. I'd say some people stay in a place like this 'cause they ain't got no other choice. Or they get cold feet just thinkin' about leaving home. [ Denji shrugged his shoulders. ] Some people, anyway — you? Maybe ya got a little somethin' in you, seeing as you stuck 'round Pochita here.
[ He filled his hand with the folds of the devil's neck, prompting him to arch his head toward Denji's touch, flopping onto his back. ]
Pfft — not that he's scary, look at him. But you two are like the same size. He could probably beatcha up.
[Aki looked up at him with a long, unbroken pause.]
[It was the first time he'd heard anyone say something completely against the status quo. First of all, this guy couldn't be past school age, so he should have been in school. Second, if he was hunting devils at Aki's age, then he should have been in school back then, too. And third of all... What did he mean, his teacher might be full of crap?]
I'm not that small.
[He muttered that at the end of all that thinking, nonplussed and maybe slightly offended. He was definitely bigger than this devil. Stronger, too. Just because it had a chainsaw didn't mean it could beat a human in a fight, especially since Aki had a book bag he could use as a shield. He'd definitely win that fight.]
I'm 10 years old now. I'm not a little kid anymore - I'm double digits. And I told you, my name's Aki.
[The frustration grew into his voice, both at being belittled and not being recognized at all. Because it's all thanks to him that this guy even found him again - and no, he didn't want payment in return, but maybe some respect, okay?!]
[But it never went beyond the slightly miffed tone in his voice. Because, despite it all, he was interested in this person. Someone completely new and unique to the area. Someone who should have been doing one thing but was doing something totally unheard of instead.]
...If I needed to, I could definitely kill a devil.
[Not that the thought had ever once crossed his mind before this moment. But if this guy was able to, then Aki could, too.]
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no subject
Uh... huh?
[Even more uncertain. Aki stared down at the money in his palm, sticky with mucus and tears. Mentally adding up the bills and coins - This is enough for... for a whole month's worth of curry bread at the convenience store. And he's handing it to him?]
Wait, huh?
[Because now this didn't feel right. Why was he being paid...? Still with his hand held out, unwilling to accept the money, Aki shook his head twice.]
I don't - want any money.
[Which was true. He didn't really want for money. He was comfortable, got an allowance, could easily ask for a few coins to get curry bread if he wanted to. Even if this guy was rich (...doubtful), taking money for doing a deed like this felt scummy.]
I was just helping... 'Cause he looked so sad. He was crying. I've never seen a devil crying.
[He shook the hand holding the money, offering it back out.]
Here, take it back. Um, you can keep that, too. [The handkerchief. He kind of didn't want it back now.]
no subject
Pinching the hanky around his nostrils to squeeze out what excess mucus he could, Denji turns his eye back to Pochita. The effect on his voice is a distorted, hopelessly clogged inflection. ]
…You were scared, eh? I know. Me too. [ He sets the (ruined) rag down on his lap, smothering a hand over the top of the devil's head again, the short strands of fur where he rubbed him swept up unevenly from the rest of his coat. ] It'll never happen again. I promise.
[ He just has to get acclimated. Moving from one place to the next always sets him on edge — it's a different headspace to be in, and he's certainly not much of a logistics guy. ]
Hey, so whaddaya want then? [ Still petting Pochita, Denji finally addresses the boy without glancing back at him. ] For bein' a good smearitan. This is your last chance to ask for a reward before the two of us jet. Just name the first thing that pops in that bitty head of yours.
no subject
[After a long moment, he mumbled,] It's Samaritan.
[He spoke up with what he asked next, though.]
Can I touch him?
[Because, really, when else would he get a chance to go to school and tell everyone that he got to touch a devil? That it barked like a dog and was crying, had a chainsaw stuck in his head and a tail like the starter cord? Squatting down from his position, he got to an even level with the other boy, the side of his bag dropping to the ground.]
I never saw a devil before. I thought they were bigger.
[And, hesitant in case his one request is denied, he reached out his hand, eager to try petting the back of the devil's body and feel that soft fur once more.]
no subject
It was as Denji pondered life's deepest questions that he clocked movement skirting the edge of his field of vision, his focus sharpened on the boy the instant his fingers twitched toward his companion. Thankfully, he was quick to recognize his own force of habit before reaching for violence. He leaned back, allowing the devil to scoot off of him and investigate the little sausages wiggling in his direction. ]
Aren't you low maintenance… Oi, [ he called to him, staring for a moment. Clearly, sizing him up. ] Have some manners and introduce yourself first. Maybe he'll even letcha hold him. See, this little guy's name is Pochita. Po-chi-ta. I named him myself, so you should use it.
[ Failing to acknowledge that he, himself, remained nameless, Denji gave a light pat to Pochita's bum. ]
You'd be surprised, y'know. There're littler devils than Pochita out there. Don't live long, though, 'specially out in the big cities. Most stay in hidin' in the boonies where we're at 'cause they're wimpy.
no subject
My name's Aki. [Stranger danger was still at least kind of in effect - he's not supposed to tell people his whole name, he knew that much. But even thinking that he's doing the right thing, he still reached out eagerly to rub his hand down the side of the devil's body, watched with thinly hidden delight as Pochita rubbed into his hand and adjusted his head to guide his touch up there. He pet over the top of him, mindful of the chainsaw sticking out, his fingers digging into the shallow fur and stroking carefully. All the while listening to this person tell him about devils.]
Are you a devil hunter? [He sat down on his butt next, slipping his arm free from his bag and using it to pet up the other side of him as Pochita rubbed into his hands and panted eagerly at the contact.] Is that why you're here, to kill little devils? 'Cause we don't have public safety here anymore, they went to the, uh, the sub-pre-frecture... city... [He kind of trailed off, realized as he was speaking that he didn't know anything about what he was talking about. That it was just a parrotting of what he'd heard on the news.] Um, my teacher said devils aren't something we need to worry about, living here, 'cause people here are braver than people in the city.
[That, however, he said with confidence. Be it a way to keep morale up or a form of propaganda, it made sense to him. No one in his village ever died from a devil attack, so probably there was a reason for that.]
no subject
[ Denji stayed put where he was, the long grass dancing against his arms as if in fellowship. His hand rose to caress the stems as the boy's talking went in one ear and out the other, seeming at first to be admiring some fluttering bug stood on the tip — for all of two seconds. He broke off the strand, twisting the stem to get the sap dripping before sucking it between his teeth. ]
Kid. [ The piece of grass rolled to the side of his mouth as he spoke. There was no meaning in learning a name he would soon forget; as far as he was concerned, the kid remained nothing other than a boy who had wandered too close, asked quite a few questions, and petted his dog all over with his baby-pudge hands. Being unknown wasn't a bad thing. To this day, 'kid' was all most folks knew Denji by, too. ] You sure your teach ain't full of crap?
[ Nah, the reason had to be simpler than that. Where Denji came from, really came from, it was much of the same kind of thinning population. Devils went where the food was most ripe. ]
Not everyone in these boonies's brave. I'd say some people stay in a place like this 'cause they ain't got no other choice. Or they get cold feet just thinkin' about leaving home. [ Denji shrugged his shoulders. ] Some people, anyway — you? Maybe ya got a little somethin' in you, seeing as you stuck 'round Pochita here.
[ He filled his hand with the folds of the devil's neck, prompting him to arch his head toward Denji's touch, flopping onto his back. ]
Pfft — not that he's scary, look at him. But you two are like the same size. He could probably beatcha up.
no subject
[It was the first time he'd heard anyone say something completely against the status quo. First of all, this guy couldn't be past school age, so he should have been in school. Second, if he was hunting devils at Aki's age, then he should have been in school back then, too. And third of all... What did he mean, his teacher might be full of crap?]
I'm not that small.
[He muttered that at the end of all that thinking, nonplussed and maybe slightly offended. He was definitely bigger than this devil. Stronger, too. Just because it had a chainsaw didn't mean it could beat a human in a fight, especially since Aki had a book bag he could use as a shield. He'd definitely win that fight.]
I'm 10 years old now. I'm not a little kid anymore - I'm double digits. And I told you, my name's Aki.
[The frustration grew into his voice, both at being belittled and not being recognized at all. Because it's all thanks to him that this guy even found him again - and no, he didn't want payment in return, but maybe some respect, okay?!]
[But it never went beyond the slightly miffed tone in his voice. Because, despite it all, he was interested in this person. Someone completely new and unique to the area. Someone who should have been doing one thing but was doing something totally unheard of instead.]
...If I needed to, I could definitely kill a devil.
[Not that the thought had ever once crossed his mind before this moment. But if this guy was able to, then Aki could, too.]