2nd Trick

[canistricari]

[ Video ]

[ Some of you have heard his voice. A lot of you have probably heard his laughter. Even more of you have probably noticed that as of this morning, everything in the hospital has been turned upside down.

That laughter is making a return, this time in its truest form. ]

Ahahahahahahahaha!

The wise and generous Coyote has finally made his

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[magerights]

[Anders sticks his head in at the crash of someone falling over, and relaxes when he sees Haruki isn't hurt. The dark tabby kitten he got from the other man wastes no time in bouncing over to climb all over the prone man again.]

Even in here, is it? Maker's breath...

[naochansensei]

[Continuing to subtract from Naoshi's "badass" total, the unexpected kitten ambush combined with everything that's worriedly holding the little man's attention results in another oh-so-manly GAH!, but thankfully he recognizes the thing that's jumped upon him and stops before throwing the innocent little furball off of him.

After a moment he props up on his elbows instead, staring up and over at Anders with wide eyes.]

[magerights]

[The silence makes Anders frown and he drops down to distract Trouble from attempting to chew Haruki's nose or something.]

Are you alright? Not hurt or anything?

[naochansensei]

[He snaps out of it a little, complete with a short shake of his head, looking up in the direction of the countertop computer.] I'm-- I'm f-- I'm not... hurt. B-but I've heard that laugh before. Talked to it. It's-- s-something from the woods.

[magerights]

[Frowning, Anders plucks the kitten up and holds the squirming, complaining bundle in one hand before standing and offering his other hand to the man to help him up.]

Are you frightened? By the laughter and whatever that thing is?

[naochansensei]

[It takes Naoshi a moment to divert his attention from the computer to Anders's offered hand. When he takes it and takes the help in shakily standing, the trembling in his fingers should answer the mage's question clearly enough.] Y-you're not?

[magerights]

[Anders shrugs his shoulders loosely and with a rustling of feathers.]

It's only laughter and a little over-turned furniture. You should see what they put mages through back home.

[naochansensei]

B-but it came from the forest. Nothing g-good comes out of there.

[magerights]

There can't be nothing at all good from there, can there? What about food or useful plants?

[naochansensei]

Hnng. [Logic, doesn't count right now.] Things have b-been too quiet. With this, and th-that music... I've g-got a bad feeling....

[magerights]

I'd been thinking things seemed a little quieter here than I was used to. It probably shouldn't be reassuring that that's not normal, should it?

[He's smiling, trying to keep his voice light and even despite the topic.]

But, a little singing and a trick like this isn't that bad, is it?

[naochansensei]

[Gathering his mess up again, putting it on the counter, surveying the cafeteria "damages" and giving the computer a wide berth... just in case. If Anders were one of the younger islanders, like so many of Naoshi's friends and associates are, he'd be a lot more concerned with pulling himself together and putting up his "competent adult front". As it is, his worry remains obvious.]

It always... start s-slow. L-last time, it-- it s-started with the moon. B-before that, fruits shaped like... l-l-like people's faces.

[magerights]

[When Haruki doesn't calm down even with the reassurances, Anders looks around for a chair to right and motion the younger man to sit on.]

Nothing's happening now. Why don't you sit down and tell me about these other times?

[naochansensei]

[He regards Anders uncertainly, unhappily. He doesn't like talking about the other times. They happened, of course, but around here it seems like nobody really talks about things once they're over. They just pull themselves together and move on. Really talking about things means really thinking about them, and Naoshi copes by... keeping thinking to a minimum. Maybe because he has no one to confide in. No one he feels like it would be proper for him to confide in, anyhow. The people he's closest to are all his youngers. The adults he knows are all in passing.

But Anders is new here, and should know, so... he ends up sitting in the indicated chair after all, leaning over on his knees and clasping his hands tightly together, looking at the floor.] I've b-been here... almost three months now. What... what've you heard, s-since you arrived?

[magerights]

[Locating himself another chair, Anders sits down and makes himself comfortable. The cleaning can wait a little longer, since it seems as though everything has been balanced surprisingly neatly.]

A little about demons and monsters here, but I've yet to see any myself. Not that I doubt they're out there; I've seen both before I came here often enough not to doubt they exist.

[naochansensei]

[Naoshi puts his thoughts together slowly, and softly starts to speak.] The monsters are always out there in the forest, but... it n-never stays just as simple as defending the town from them. When I arrived, there was a... a grove of what were called "jinmenju" trees dropping f-fruit that wound up all over town. They... looked like the faces of everyone here. Books in the library said eating the fruit meant immortality, and some p-people ate them. Said they tasted like blood, but nothing else happened to them, far as we know.

But those of us that d-didn't eat them wound up... attacked. The fruits came alive and we... we wound up in the grove. The trees were b-blood-drinkers. [If Naoshi looks ill at the recollection, closing his eyes tightly, it's not Anders's imagination.] We had to be rescued. Someone had to... give their own blood instead.