❆ 2nd Present ❆ [public video post]

[saltysanta]

This place..... h-has anyone seen anything like it so far?

[Noël has been exploring a lot lately, trying to learn more about this strange, empty, ruined town they've been trapped in. He's scrambled around the burned ruins a fair bit, seeking out what he can find in the rubble. Today, he's managed to find a strange, unnerving store front--one that makes his skin crawl enough that he's decided to document the place over the network. The camera pans slowly across the ruins as he turns with his mirror, capturing a store whose merchandise selection is..... ominous, to say the least.

He props the mirror up on shelves to have his hands free, carefully lifting items off to show people. The first shelf is full of whips; he sorts through piles of riding crops, bullwhips, even cat o' nine tails with cruelly hooked metal barbs on the ends. Another has heavy chains and manacles; the cuff he lays his wrist into frames half of it perfectly, and he doesn't bother trying to see how well it might fit closer to being shut. Another has collars and leashes; he tries on a well-padded red leather collar in front of the camera, and finds that it fits perfectly. It's even surprisingly comfortable, for the minute or so he wears it--he wouldn't be surprised if it was meant to be worn for days, maybe even months at a time.

He takes a hefty chain with him, when he goes to investigate the cages; it looks like he could probably stand up and pace around in one, maybe even comfortably lay down in them. The chain gets tossed in through the door as a precaution, landing with a heavy metallic clank, but nothing happens--clearly motion and weight aren't enough to make the cages react. It's encouraging enough that Noël slides his cane out of his belt and steps warily into the cage to look for clues, cane held outstretched to ensure it can catch the door and keep it from locking, just in case it should swing shut behind him.]

Gyah!

[The only problem is how utterly ineffective his attempts at safety are. The moment he steps through the doorway, the cage door slams shut, violently enough that it nearly sounds like a gunshot. His cane shatters explosively, caught by an impact of such force; Noël cries out in shock, and both the mirror and jagged stump of cane are dropped as he recoils, slamming back against the opposite wall of the cage. It takes a moment for him to bend down and pick up the mirror from where it lies, camera view shaking from the way his hands are trembling.]

I-I..... ah..... Could someone help me out of here?

[He'd meant for this to be just documenting an unsettling find during his exploration, and maybe a way for people to share and discuss what they've found so far. How the hell has it suddenly turned into a cry for help like this?!]

Comments

[foeyay]

[Kamui stops in his tracks then. He's quiet for one, two, three, four seconds. Without one word of explanation, he turns on his heel and starts running in the opposite direction.

Guess they're not going after those monsters anymore.]

[saltysanta]

Ghhh?! Where are we going now?

[Noël grunts quietly in pain and confusion as he slides across the cage. Had he struck a nerve there? Is this going to be more or less dangerous?]

[foeyay]

Somewhere unpredictable!

[Not even he knows. They're closing in on the houses and church though.]

[saltysanta]

Ah--you really don't need to--

[Predictability isn't always a bad thing. Noël hunkers down in his cage as they go, uncertain and uncomfortable. How will they even know when we get there, wherever "there" even is?]

[foeyay]

I don't need to free you either, but now I want to! It's a challenge, a challenge!

[He's not turning to round the church. He's just... running straight for it.]

[saltysanta]

Oh god--

[The only appropriate thing to say in this situation, really. Noël has enough time to curl back into a ball and close his eyes before impact--

--And then all he can do is scream in agony, as he's subjected to the violence of both the impact and the rebound.]

[foeyay]

[Kamui doesn't escape the rebound. Both he and the cage are sent flying after the bone crunching impact. All of the momentum he'd built up - all of his strength, speed, and density - are thrown back at him with twice the ferocity. In turn, the cage's own power is turned against it as well. For the first time, they've managed to deal damage on the cage's unbreakable mystery metal. An entire row of bars are dented inward (the row that connected with the barrier), and two of those bars have been strained so heavily that they've disconnected with the cage's now mangled roof.

Fair trade, as far as Kamui is concerned. Totally worth his broken arm and bruised backside.

The injured Yato sits up with the support of his still functional left arm, grimacing as he squints through the shine of the sun. The first thing he does is pop open his parasol. Then he wobbles to his feet.]

Still breathing now?

[saltysanta]

[There's little more than a groaning wheeze in response, one that sounds uncomfortably wet with every breath he struggles to take. It's a minor miracle he both survived the impact and didn't just black out from the pain; he's certainly not moving from the mangled heap he's currently laying in. Given a little encouragement, he could probably expand the snowfall enough to help Kamui's arm, too--as it stands now, though, he's a little too incoherent to do anything.]

[foeyay]

[Wheezing is technically a type of breathing. Kamui accepts it as an answer.

With a triumphant grin, he plops down onto the cage like it's his favorite bar stool. The shade from his parasol smooths over Noel's face and shoulder, if only so that Kamui can inspect his handiwork. The satisfied Yato whistles.]

You sure are lucky to have healing powers like that. But it feels like such a waste when your body's that weak. Maybe try some push ups once you fix your spine, hm?

[saltysanta]

[It's a struggle to focus on Kamui's voice long enough to even listen, the way his head is spinning. He forces his eyes open to look up at Kamui regardless, bleary and unfocused. The whole situation is so absurd, he can't help but latch onto the most inane part of that declaration.]

Push ups don't make spines stronger. Humans are just..... fragile.

[He probably could stand to be physically stronger, it's true--but he's pretty sure no matter how much muscle he built up, an impact like that still would have shattered him. There's no way a human like him can compare to Yato physiology.]

[foeyay]

They wouldn't be so fun to watch if that were true for all of them.

[No human can stand stronger than a Yato in a physical fight, it's true. But the ones who keep fighting anyway, the ones who get so angry with him that they're willing to risk it all to stop him... Those humans are more thrilling opponents than any Yato.]

Human persistence is seriously strong, ya know? It might as well be a venereal disease!

[saltysanta]

Even if it's true, you don't have to phrase it like that.

[Calling persistence and determination a venereal disease..... that's just gross, to be honest. Still, it does beg the question.]

Why human persistence, anyway? Aren't Yato persistent, too?

[foeyay]

[Kamui's grin sharpens.] Sure, but we're not usually on the losing side.

[saltysanta]

That's not surprising, either.

[The effort makes him gasp in lingering pain, but Noël finds he at least can move now. He forces himself to sit up with considerable effort, leaning heavily against the bars to stay upright. He's healthy enough, at least, to urge the little stormcloud out of the cage to float up over Kamui's head now; after an impact like that, even a sturdy Yato like Kamui could probably use a little healing.]

[foeyay]

[Kamui doesn't rush poor Noel. Now that he's won against the cage, he's in no hurry. He even freezes when those snowflakes start hitting his parasol, not having expected Noel to extend such unearned courtesies.

He tilts the parasol to its side and even sticks out his tongue to catch one of the snowflakes in his mouth.]

Tingly.

[saltysanta]

Magic usually is.

[Noël laughs wearily at that; his entire body is one huge ache, and he feels like he could sleep for a week, but his magic does get the job done. However unorthodox, painful, and potentially lethal the methods have been..... well, Kamui has been trying to help him. He at least deserves to walk away from this ordeal unwounded.]

[foeyay]

I thought it'd taste like sour gummies. That's more your style.

[Oh, he was talking about the taste.]

[saltysanta]

How would sour gumdrops be my style? I'd think it'd be more candy cane.....

[After all, those are more associated with Christmas, aren't they? Even his cane is striped like one.]

[foeyay]

'Cause you're biting but squishy.

[Also because Kamui has yet to celebrate Christmas.]

[saltysanta]

What's that supposed to mean?

[foeyay]

You bark a lot, but you'd still make a really colorful mess on the floor.

[He says with a straight face.]

[saltysanta]

.....That's revolting.

[Look at that grimace, Kamui. He knows full well you probably wouldn't hesitate to kill him on the slightest whim, but for the moment, he's tired enough that it's just registering as gross and tasteless.]

[foeyay]

It also made me hungry again.

[saltysanta]

Oh my God.

[BRB, pulling his hat down over his face, he is absolutely not down for thinking about being literally cannibalized. Or maybe not-quite-cannibalized, since Kamui isn't technically a human, but.....

Whatever. He can't get eaten yet, he's still trapped in a cage that's only a bit broken. He'd rather not get eaten at all, thanks.]

[foeyay]

[Luckily for Noel, Kamui's more interested in sour gummies than in actual human meat.

Kamui chuckles lightly, shamelessly. He's glad he didn't pass this up.]