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To dance along the light of day (Closed)
Who: Lapis Fathalla (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
oneirism), featuring Setsuna F. Seiei (quaria), Kavi Misra (umberly), Lord Light (accordance), Sion Astal (sunderings), Tieria Erde (buildyourworld) and Regene Regetta (remotecontrols)
When: From Narcissa (March) 15th to the 17th!
Where: The Baths
What: Bath time shenanigans! Aka Lapis is a vain idiot who likes to mess with peoples hair.
Rating: Mentions of nudity and Lapis being way too casual about it and probably terrifying people with that...
SETSUNA
LORD LIGHT
KAVI
SION
TIERIA
REGENE
oneirism), featuring Setsuna F. Seiei (quaria), Kavi Misra (umberly), Lord Light (accordance), Sion Astal (sunderings), Tieria Erde (buildyourworld) and Regene Regetta (remotecontrols)When: From Narcissa (March) 15th to the 17th!
Where: The Baths
What: Bath time shenanigans! Aka Lapis is a vain idiot who likes to mess with peoples hair.
Rating: Mentions of nudity and Lapis being way too casual about it and probably terrifying people with that...
SETSUNA
[Lapis doesn't tend to bathe in the morning, but she had tired herself training way to late last night and so one in the morning was sorely needed. It helps that she wakes up stupid early as well, so when she gets there, it's practically empty. Except there is one other Hero there.
And while Lapis tends to be in the habit of covering herself at least a little bit, since she knows people are more fussy about nudity than she is, she only just holds the towel in her arms as she waves over at Setsuna.]
... Morning, Setsuna. [A-at least... she has a nice figure?? Even if she is badly scarred.Sorry for the trauma Setsuna]
LORD LIGHT
[Lord Light's hair is one of the many things about him that Lapis has always been curious about. There's never a strand out of place, and even during the expo his hair was as perfect as ever, despite all the chaos going on. Meanwhile, she's certain her head was resembling a birds nest by the end, though she was more focused on other things at the time.
Even now it looks like his hair is as perfect is ever, and Lapis squints her eyes from her corner of the bath, before shifting closer. She really wants to style it, but will he let her, what if it's something considered offensive where he's from or it's some kind of blasphemy... ]
... Hey, Lord Light, can I braid your hair? [Might as well just go ahead and ask!!]
KAVI
[Judging peoples hair care routines are things she never really tried to do, but sometimes, she just can't help it. Especially when they could have such nice hair, and instead only just do the bare minimum.
Which is why she is rather unimpressed when she notices how Kavi is just... using soap in his hair. It's almost painful to watch, and eventually she moves over to him, her expression unimpressed as she puts her hands on her hips.]
... Let me do your hair. [It's sound more like an order than a request...]
SION
[Now, Lapis isstupidly vainproud about her hair, but she could never imagine growing it out any longer as it is now. Or as long as, for examples, Sion's. She has no shame in admitting that his hair is amazing, but all that hair must take forever to take care of. And probably requires least a small army, something like that.
And while she doesn't really know Sion that well yet, she does want to try and remedy that. So what better way to do that than to offer to help with his miles and miles of hair!]
... Do you need any help? [Said with a finger pointing at his majestic mane of hair, her other hand cradling her chin as she sits on the edge of the bath.]
TIERIA
[It's one thing to judge peoples hair care and see them do something like put their hair in a bun afterwards, but it's another thing when the hair care is awful but their hair is still nice. That is something Lapis finds more mystifying than annoying.
Like with Tieria. Considering Tieria's general attitude, things like fussing over his hair is something she can't imagine him doing, but his hair is still always nice somehow! Maybe he's just born with it or something...]
... You're only using soap, how're you able to still make your hair look nice? [She wants to know your secrets Tieria!]
REGENE
[Lapis has only see Regene and Tieria together a few times, but it's enough to make it clear that there is a very big resemblance between the two. She's pretty certain that the two are identical twins or something like that. Beyond their attitudes and hairstyles, they are pretty much the same.
Which is when she spots Regene in the baths, an idea comes to mind. One that will probably piss off Tieria, but when Lapis has an idea, she tends to roll with it not matter the consequences.]
... Hey, Regene, can I try something?
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So that playful challenge gets a quiet, amused huff - a smile appearing on her face for a second.]
... Of course. Your hair is going to look amazing when I'm done with it. [Then she motions to the spot in front of her, shifting to sit by the edge of the bath.]
So move over here and I'll get started.
[No escape now, Kavi.]
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Huffing out a laugh, Kavi wades to the indicated spot and settles down again, letting the water lap at his shoulders. He's curious to see what Lapis intends to do with his hair. It's been quite some time since he's had actual shampoo to wash it with. Soap was the next best thing.
So yeah, Lapis, his hair may be a little dry. ]
Did you learn how to do this back home or did someone bestow the title of grasshopper on you in this world? And took you under their wing?
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Lapis patiently waits as Kavi makes his way over to the spot she indicated, looking almost pleased with herself that he was listening. Even though she would've bullied him into this if she had to.
But she soon frowns when she notices how dry his hair is - making an unimpressed sound at the back of her throat, before she leans down so she can scoop some water into her hands to wet his hair. Time to get started!]
... I would do this for my sister. Sometimes she would be too busy or tired to bother taking a shower, since she works a lot, so she would ask me to just do her hair for her.
[As she speaks, her hands move smoothly to lather the shampoo into her hands, before she moves to massage it into his hair - making sure that none get into his eyes.]
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...-oh hey. This is actually feels really, really lovely. He's usually cautious when people touch his head, the risk of normal people brushing against his horns and thus discovering them tends to be too high. But in Caissa, he's encountered a monkey person, someone with dog ears and a great many other people who are decidedly not normal. He's starting to believe no one would care if he stopped hiding behind his hat.
Here's to hoping Lapis doesn't mind.
Kavi relaxes instead and closes his eyes, practically melting under Lapis' skilled fingertips. Her voice is soothing, the water is warm and the shampoo smells nice. This isn't as terrible as he thought it would be. ]
...Did your sister work a very strenuous job then? It sounds like she did.
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While her fingers do brush against the horns, she doesn't think much about them - she's met a talking monkey, and one of the people she's closest to here is a former deity. So she hardly pays them any mind, instead still focusing on massaging the shampoo into his hair.
It's easy to see that he's relaxing, and she lets herself smile proudly for a moment, before she focuses on her task once more. Her fingers still moving smoothly as she talks, even as she starts gently washing out the shampoo from his hair once it's all massaged in.]
... Mmhm, she's a pharmacist. She runs her own apothecary too, so between that and doing work for the hospital, she's all over the place. She usually helps me with my work too.
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There is a moment of stillness, of quietness before Kavi tips his head back and peers at Lapis. There is an odd intensity in his eyes, something like recognition before it melts away into his usual smile. Hearing that... He can relate to Lapis' sister. And, perhaps, in turn this is how his own little sister felt when he was running all over the place. Perhaps by talking to Lapis... ]
Does she even sleep? Her own apothecary, hospital work and helping you... It's kind of her to do so but are you sure she isn't an alien who can time travel? [ The teasing tone is soft, kind. He doesn't mean to insult because he doesn't want to make Lapis feel guilty. He knows he would be worried if someone he cared about someone and saw them running themselves ragged. ]
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Gold eyes blink down at him when he peers up at her, tilting her slightly in question. There's a faint hint of curiosity on her face as she peers down at him in return, wondering if she said anything weird. The recognition is something she picks up on - maybe he has an overworking sibling too?
And judging by how she smiles with a quiet, amused huff, she's able to tell he was just teasing. Taking a moment to mock-think about it, before shaking her head as her expression becomes something softer, more fond.]
... I sometimes wondered that too. But I can confirm she's human and she sleeps, I've had to carry her to bed sometimes. [Another hum from her as she finishes rinsing his hair, before she moves to place some conditioner into her hands. Now time to massage that in.]
Luckily she lets me help at her apothecary sometimes, so that at least lightens her workload a bit. And I only let her help me with the easier jobs. [Aka the ones where the ghosts are just being annoying.]
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[ Even siblings don't have to help each other, despite their shared blood. There is nothing binding them together but their own will and want to aid one another. You can simply decide not to help, that it isn't worth getting involved and move on with your life. But Lapis, she cared, still cares, really, from what Kavi can tell. And that's what explains why he likes her so much.
He's quiet for a few seconds longer as Lapis works the conditioner into his hair, eyes closed and head tilted back. He helped his sister into bed, too, on the exhausting days when they both came home, thin and weary from their trials and tests. He remembers her waking him up, carrying a plate of fluffy pancakes in one hand and nice, warm tea in the other.
They relied on one another.
Water runs down Kavi's face as Lapis rinses the hair and he opens an eye to look up at her, curiosity written all over his features. ]
So she worked several jobs at different places. What did you do? [ It's not an accusation. ] Did you work with kids? [ Somehow, he thinks Lapis would be good with kids. ]
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But her hands soon start moving again, fingers gently massaging against his scalp as she works the conditioner into his hair. Even if there were things she had done for her sister, she still can't shake away the thoughts of the things she's taken away from her. Or caused her to see.]
... I'm not too sure about that.
[It's said quietly, much quieter that how she normally speaks, and it almost seems like she hasn't said anything, with how she just continues on and rinses his hair, her general attitude back to normal. Peeking down at him when he looks up at her, blinking at his words before she hums quietly.]
No... Well, sometimes. Though considering the circumstances, I wish I didn't. [Though saying that causes her to sigh softly, realizing he'll need context for that. While she does like working with kids, it's just not while she's actually working - there's nothing more sad than seeing the ghost of a child, especially one overcome with grief or anger. It would probably be better to explain it to him... By now he's seen her at pretty much her worst, so she feels it should be okay to admit what she was able to do back home. She hopes so, anyway.]
Do you believe in ghosts, Kavi?
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...He'll ask again later. For now, he considers her next question. Does he believe in ghosts? There was a time, when he was young and his world was limited to a tiny sphere, that ghosts are nothing but make believe. His mother taught him there would be shadows under his bed, too, who would scold him if he didn't clean his room but they never showed up and his room was always a mess back then.
But as he grew up, he saw and learned things he would have rather remained blissfully oblivious about. Deep things, darker things which were worse than monsters under a child's bed. Something more dangerous.
Kavi's eyes drift to the side.
Does he believe in ghosts? ]
Yes. Things like me exist so I wouldn't be around if ghosts were around as well. I believe they have more influence over the living and the living realm than a lot of us believe. [ He turns around and places his elbows on Lapis' legs, propping up his chin on both hands. His body language is causal enough but the expression on his face...
He would like to hear the truth. ]
Are you able to see them, Lapis?
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For now though, she just waits for his response. So far people have believed her, but she doubts that everyone who hears about her abilities will, and she's fine with that. The main concern is if people will treat her differently if they knew - back home, so many people were scared of her straightaway. But it's different here, and as selfish as it's been, she's been hiding her powers because she doesn't want people to be scared of her anymore. It's a chance to finally be something else, without people judging her for her abilities.
So his answer is a relief, though his words get her brows to furrow slightly - "Things like me exist"? She files that away as something to ask later, instead watching as he turns around and leans against her legs, shifting to lean forward slightly so she's more on level with him.]
... I can. Or I could, back home. My only friends were ghosts, and my job involved either helping spirits pass on or... well, dealing with troublesome or violent ones.
[Which would explain where all her scars came from.]
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Sometimes, the supernatural causes pain and hurt and he can only guess how many times Lapis came home and sat down to treat her wounds, with or without her sister's help.
And sometimes, the terror humans can inflict on others of their kind is equally as cruel.
Kavi shifts, reaching up to place a hand on Lapis' head. ]
That must have been tough. Were you always able to see them? Or did an accident trigger your abilities?
[ It being an inborn ability makes more sense but who knows? Sometimes, accidents happen. Sometimes, latent abilities are triggered by the weirdest things. It doesn't make it less painful. ]
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And her scars are a patchwork of injuries from both the supernatural and humans - while Lapis herself isn't violent, the others like her are very much so. Because what better way to gather more spirits to increase their power than to kill someone like them? It's a thought that still makes Lapis feel ill.
Though the hand on her head causes her to blink, her eyes widening for a moment before her expression becomes flat and calm once more, leaning into his hand slightly. The answer comes easily, even if she does glance away for a moment.]
... I always have. At first my parents thought it was just imaginary friends I was talking to. But then my mother and I came across a car accident when I was four, and I mentioned some things about what I saw... Then I went to live with my grandmother, after that.
[She says that casually, as if she's just talking about the weather. But how she glances away shows she's more bothered by it than she sounds.]
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Gently, carefully, Kavi begins to pet Lapis' hair. She may act and sound unaffected, try to project the image of a strong woman who is not bothered by the shitty cards life has dealt her.
But it has to hurt. Always seeing how people have died. Listening to them, seeing their sadness and their anger and their confusion. Being shunned for merely being able to see what others can not.
It's not pity making Kavi move his hand.
It's sympathy. ]
I'm sorry, Lapis. You did nothing wrong.
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She was prepared to quickly change the topic though - she dislikes serious situations, especially involving anything about her - only to pause when he pets her hair. Automatically leaning and nuzzling into the touch, even as she frowns in confusion. Only to freeze at his words.
'You did nothing wrong.' She would be lying if she said she hadn't wanted to hear that - she's been wanting to hear it for years, after always asking herself what she had done wrong, what could she do better. It's enough to make her eyes burn and a lump to form in her throat, before she forces it away with a shaky sigh.]
... I know, it's fine. [She shakes her head, taking a deep breath. She is not going to start crying on him again, once was enough. Her pride won't allow it to happen again.
So she steels her expression to something more calm once more, though she still keeps leaning into the hair pets.]
Anyway, I didn't mean to make this so serious. But... I've been curious, about something you said earlier. When you said "things like me exist", what did you mean?
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She handled her situation the best she could. She isn't at fault.
Kavi's fingers pause in their petting for a while as he rolls her question over in his mind. He did say that, didn't he? In hindsight, he sounded more callous than he intended to but Kavi knows he can downplay his bitterness all he wants. It will still seep through the cracks.
Yet, when Kavi speaks, his tone is slightly amused and he runs a hand through his wet hair in a casual gesture. ]
That came out harsher than I wanted it to. People- [ Because there are others like him and they might be some of the most human he has ever met in his life. ] -like me exist. Who used to be human but aren't any longer.
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For now though, she patiently waits for Kavi to answer her, resisting the urge to pout when he stops petting her hair. Okay, she does pout a little bit, before she forces the lineface back up. But her expression does soften slightly when he uses the term 'people' this time.]
... Okay, that's better. [Because he was a bit too harsh before.
There's a slight tilt of her head as she mulls over his words, and she reaches a hand out to gently ruffle his wet hair, remembering the horns she had felt before. She can't really suppress the urge to be
nosycurious, and she does want to know more about him.]Is it okay if I ask what you are?
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Smiling, Kavi resumes petting Lapis' hair. His speech is a little slow but it's less because he isn't confident but because he is trying to word it right. He's only ever had to explain the situation to children who also turned into beings like himself and he made it as simple as possible so they would understand.
But Lapis isn't a child. ]
Back in my world, there exist beings called Akirami. They live in what is referred to as Mirror World and for a long time, no one knew they existed. They aren't human, more monstrous in shape and form. Some cannot be seen save for a single arm and others do not possess arms at all. Picture, if you will, all the monsters children are told about, the ones with scissors for hands, the whispering shadows under their beds, the ones who loom and bear down and crush you with their weight. The stories where something rips out your eyes and wears them as a necklace. Wherever they manage to cross into the human world, bloodshed follows.
I was careless and they got to me.
[ There is more to it than that. Much more. But Lapis has seen enough terrifying ghosts and Kavi doesn't want to add to the pile by telling her about the parts he remembers. Like the way despair crawled up this throat and strangled him until he wanted to kill himself.
His tone is conversational as he picks up a bottle of shampoo and gives Lapis a questioning look. Would she like to have her hair washed, too? ]
The memory is a little blurry- [ Lies. ] -but the old man told me the encounter had changed me. To be more like them.
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Of course, once he starts petting her hair again, she happily leans into the touch with a quiet hum - almost sounding similar to a cat purring, for a brief second. Though she quickly falls quiet as she listens, her expression unchanging as he speaks - but she can feel her heart sink at his words. That sounds horrible, like the things out of nightmares... Even through her years of seeing the dead, she's never seen anything like how he describes. Not even in the ghosts of people completely warped by their hate and anger.
And her expression cracks at his admittance they they got to him, her expression softening as her brows furrow. In a way, she can imagine what that must've been like - the memory of the ghost clawing and pulling her out of her body, the darkness so suffocating that she thought she might die from that.
But as quickly as the memory appears, she shoves it away again, focusing on him and then blinking at the questioning look as he holds up the bottle. Hesitating for a second, before nodding - it seems pretty nice, so there's no reason to say no.
Though her eyes do narrow for a second as he keeps speaking, searching his expression for a moment before nodding once more.]
... Which explains the horns. Did you develop any powers, too?
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[ Now that he has Lapis' permission, Kavi pulls himself out of the water and sits on the edge, letting the water drip down. His body feels heavy from the heat and it distracts him for a moment before he gestures to the spot in front of him for Lapis to make herself comfortable. She has a lot of long, luscious hair. This is going to take a while but Kavi doesn't mind. He finds talking with Lapis quite soothing. He only hopes he isn't making her uncomfortable in any way.
Kavi continues as he opens the bottle, squeezing a generous amount into his hands. ]
Before it happened, I'd learned how to heal wounds with magic, more or less through trial and error. [ Which happens when the only other people who could possibly teach you either don't have a clue either or are dead. ] After the change, I could do more. Strengthen others, heal larger wounds, restore more energy. I learned how to call winds to do my bidding.
[ He idly tilts his head back to stare at the ceiling, tracing the cracks with his eyes and waiting for Lapis to move. ]
I don't get hungry anymore. Not for food anyway.
[ His gaze slides back down and he smiles at Lapis, wondering if she has ever felt anything like that. Not having to eat anymore. Drawing your power from something else. Since she was born with her skills, she probably didn't have to. Unless she used ghosts as power supplies and that...
For someone with a gentle heart as Lapis', that would have been quite painful. ]
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As she does this, she keeps listening - her eyes still focused on Kavi. While she knows it'll take some time to wash her hair, she doesn't mind, since she does enjoy his company. Really, he's one of the few people here she's completely comfortable around - especially since it seems like they're similar in some ways. It makes it easier to open up to him.
And she likes being able to know more about him too, listening attentively even as she loosens her hair and lets it fall across her shoulder. It does sound like a lot changed, and his smile gets a soft one in response, before she places her towel to the side and hops into the bath, glancing up at Kavi over her shoulder.]
... I can understand that. I need to eat, but I also require another energy source because of my powers... Which is where my ghost friends came in. We had a kind of... energy exchange.
[Which made the fact that she got a power boost for each ghost that linked with her a bit more bearable. They get energy from her, and she always made sure it was their choice - she could never force them into it. It's also what made it easier for her to get used to mana transfers here.]
But is that what you need instead? Energy of some kind?
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[ Giving away a little bit of yourself so you can receive a piece of someone else to mend the void? Or perhaps he's coming to the wrong conclusion. Either way, he's curious. The concept of exchanging energy to strengthen oneself is nothing new, many people have explored the possibilities or moving energy one way or another.
But perhaps it was different for Lapis back home.
Humming softly, Kavi spends a solid minute massaging the shampoo into the tips of Lapis' hair, slowly working his way up until his fingers brush against the back of her head. He pauses a second to scoop up more water to make sure he's not missing a spot. Attentively, he begins to massage her scalp in circling movements, taking his time near her temples and the back of her head. Lapis, for all her quiet strength and mild manners, should be allowed to relax as well. To close her eyes and let the tension bleed away.
He considers not answering Lapis' question but it doesn't feel right. There is something about the situation which has Kavi at ease, which makes him want to talk because he feels as if Lapis understands. And won't judge. ]
Warmth. I take body heat.
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[The very few situations where they took a bit too much was usually due to Lapis' urging during tough encounters - afterwards they would immediately fuss and scold her for being so reckless. Even though he can't see it, she can't help but smile fondly at the memories.
Though her attention soon goes to how his fingers massage the shampoo into her hair, humming softly as his fingers massage into her scalp. Any previous tension slowly melting away, sighing quietly as her eyes close for a moment, letting herself relax completely under his fingers - the soft, content sounds escaping her sounding almost like a cat purring. This is really, really nice... Now she can understand why sister like it when she did this with her hair.
His response to her question gets her eyes to flutter open - but all that fills her is curiosity. Seeing no reason to judge, and instead she peeks up at him over her shoulder, still as completely relaxed and calm as before.]
... Body heat? Then does doing things like this help?
[Like touching people in general. Or does it have to be a more full body thing? Her thoughts are only filled with knowing more about him - the very thought of judging him not even dawning on her.]
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Have you been hurt before by someone who took too much?
[ He could worry about Lapis straining herself before arriving here all day. It's better to ask and make sure.
He smiles at her contented and happy noises though, his fingers moving lower momentarily to massage her neck before going back to her head, pressing his fingers into the area behind her ears. He join in with her humming for a few seconds before he picks up the bottle again and lathers up his hands with more shampoo. Lapis truly has an almost frightening amount of thick hair. But it's very soft to the touch, a little bit like touching silk.
He meets her gaze and his fingers stop moving. He watches quietly for a couple of moments before pressing two fingers against Lapis' cheek in a playful gesture. ]
It does help but it's like taking nibbles. Like taking small sips from a water bottle despite the fact that you're thirsty enough to empty an entire lake. I can only take through skin on skin contact. The more contact, the more I can take.
[ A small wink follows the words, just to make sure Lapis understands what he does when he gets, ah, hungry.
You don't get to be on a first name basis with a lot of people working in Gobang Alley by collecting bottle caps, either. ]
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... Nope. If anyone tried, the other ghosts would be quick to get on her case.
[Even if she usually only had the dead for company, at least they looked out for her and cared for her - which she's always grateful for.
But those thoughts quickly come to a halt when she feels his fingers massage her neck - tensing in surprise for a moment, before she sighs as the tension practically melts out of her. Almost sinking into the water as his fingers press behind her ears, but she manages to keep herself mostly upright. It's been so long since she's been this completely relaxed, the thought of maybe having a little nap sounds almost tempting.
Though as she peeks up at him, she starts to focus a bit more, before blinking and then giggling softly at the poke to her cheek. Attentively listening to his explanation, blinking at his words and how he winks, taking a few moments to put two and two together. So, something that has a lot of skin on skin contact... Something that has a lot of skin on skin contact...
Oh.
Oooooh.
The understanding eventually dawns on her, and she gives a quiet 'aha!' before nodding. It doesn't even dawn on her to feel even a tiny bit embarrassed about this.]
... Ooooh, I see. Though, can you still eat food even if you don't get hungry for it anymore?
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