darkcharge | IC Contact ( Aefenglom )

[ It's been long enough since Vanitas consented to doing a favor for a one-armed man in a tattoo shop that no one could blame either of them for putting the event from their minds altogether. A brief meet-up, insignificant, fleeting. A sharing of magic between the two of them, with Vanitas generating it and Sasuke absorbing what was on offer.

But that connection wasn't something so meaningless that it could be washed away without a trace, prints from both of them still lingering on one another's psyche in a way impossible to perceive until it's too late.

The next time Vanitas chooses to sleep is when it happens, the world of Aefenglom fading for what should be a night of his own dreams – no doubt at worst – or a rest without any at best. Instead he'll trade the scenery of Geargadas for something far more tranquil and innocuous: a lake stretches out before him, wholly undisturbed save for a few wisps of stream curling up off of the surface just in front of him. If he looks down he'll see a dock, wooden slats seeming large beneath small sandaled feet. An equally tiny hand lifts to his face, fingertips barely grazing the skin around his mouth before they jerk back. It stings, unseen burns making him hesitate before he'll give into a mighty sigh. Still not good enough, echoes the thought in his head, even as those two hands come together to absently form a few slow hand seals for practice. A few moments pass before the young boy whose eyes Vanitas sees through will turn on his heel, abandoning his spot on that dock to trudge back up to the adjacent main road. The scenery comes second to his self-deprecating thoughts, eyes focused more often on the nondescript dirt path beneath him than the trees dotting the landscape.

It's a few blurry minutes before a dusty road turns to cobbled stone, eyes lifting to a gate that simultaneously fills him with dread and excitement. He'll be home soon, another unbidden thought that spurs on a quickened pace. The streets within the compound are largely empty as he passes store fronts and homes alike, worrying at the inside of his cheek when he reaches his own. Shoes toed off at the entrance, he navigates to the back porch, hoping to avoid being spotted by his father. Surely all he'd do is scold him for returning home so late, after all, with maybe a punishment or two waiting–

"Sasuke? Wait a minute." The gentle voice of a woman interrupts his thoughts, with his head lifting to catch sight of her in one of the side rooms. She sighs, a warm sound, before she's approaching and kneeling down to his level. ]

What is it? [ He barely gets the words out before she's lifting her hand, flinching at the sudden contact with his burnt skin... but any discomfort is quick to fade. Her touch is caring and soft as she applies ointment to her son's face, small bandages stuck overtop the worst of the marks with equal attention and precision. It chases away the doubts that were haunting him the entire walk back just like it soothes his aches and pains, her smile lingering in his mind more than anything else even as the dream begins to fade. One emotion above all others stands out and will be felt by Vanitas the most sharply when he wakes.

Love. ]

[ Sasuke, of course, will not get out of things unscathed.

It all starts with a Flood filling his vision. There's some curiosity. Mostly, there's a feeling of disgust that comes with gazing upon the twitching creature. Then, as if by magic a blade appears in hand. However it isn't a usual blade, oh no. Void Gear looks more like a giant, chained key than anything else. Yet there's no internal puzzling over where it comes from. Instead he takes a swing at the Flood. The creature is destroyed in one swing. It vanishes into something like a dark cloud of smoke. There's relief. ...For all but a few seconds anyway.

Then there is a pain that grips at his chest. Severe, stabbing. He falls to his knees, completely overwhelmed by it. And in the process? More of those creatures appear. More Floods. Scrappers. Their attention turns toward their maker. Even though there's that ache in his chest, he still lashes out. Fear. Panic. He destroys them all bu it only intensifies the pain. He doesn't know what's going on. Why is this happening? Why does it hurt so much?

He falls to his knees. His chest feels tight and something is bubbling in the back of this throat. Those emotions are consuming him, wanting to burst out while he is working so hard to contain them. It doesn't work like that, unfortunately. Even as his own hands claw at his chest, something is coming. Before he knows it, he's coughing. Hacking. What follows is heaving. What falls from his mouth is a thick, black substance. It doesn't stop. The more he allows his fear to have a hold on him, he more he spits up. His throat burns and abdominal muscles begin to ache. There's barely any breath in his lungs, for as soon as he can get air, he's vomiting again.

And, of course, it doesn't stop. There are ears stinging his eyes and everything hurts. All he wants is this to stop. Why this? Why him? And when it is more than he can bear?

All he can do is pass out. ]

[ The text comes early the next morning, sometime around seven a.m. ]

I need to speak with you. Are you awake?

Would I be answering if I wasn’t?

And are you unharmed?

Why are you asking?

Because I was given reason to believe otherwise. Answer me.

I'm perfectly fine. No injuries, mentally or physically. Why.

I had a vision.

[ Because calling it just a dream... feels inadequate. ] And I suspect that it was about you.

A vision?

That's rather ironic, considering I had something like that too.

Describe it, then.

That I was seeing things through someone else's eyes? Feeling what they feel? Sensing their thoughts?

You're describing sensations, not events. What happened?

A scene that I don't really understand. Things like siblings and family, that is.

[ ... ]

Do you believe that they could've been mine? Did we look similar?

I'd like to know how THAT happened. I'm not connected to you in any way so why would I have a dream about YOUR family?

Because yes, you do look like your brother Somewhat..

[ Right. Deep breath in, deep breath out. Stay calm about this. ]

We've encountered each other once, so either it's a randomized event or it was from something that occurred during that time. Has anything like this happened to you before?

It hasn't. Not with anyone I'm not connected to, that is.

You mean not with anyone with which you haven't exchanged magic.

No. I mean that quite literally. There's never been magic involved prior to coming here.

Then you've experienced this in your world as well?

I am half of a whole. Naturally the connection I share to my missing piece means that I, from time to time, experience what he is.

You say that as if I should understand it without more context.

What do you mean, half of a whole?

I am a piece of a person's very essence, ripped out of their heart. Their soul, some would call it.

Again. A literal half of a whole person.

[ A piece of a person's essence. It's such a huge claim and yet he doesn't disbelieve him, not when he's seen souls and bodies torn and reformed in the past. Just never like this. ]

So you've shared memories with this other person, but no one else.

IC Contact ( Aefenglom )

i'm so late, this got away from me but I'VE ARRIVED

took me a minute to reply sorry

no apologies needed, I'M SO MUCH LATER

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