showhost | ( r6 ) talking-head: minami.

Hehe, did you miss me? [ tsukasa doesn't need to answer that.

minami hops into the chair, still riding the high off of no longer needing to act like a soggy napkin. ~~and maybe last night~~. ]

Oooh, I get to see it now? I'm ready, I'm ready! ★

[ interview what interview. ]

Edited 2024-11-18 01:55 (UTC)

[THE INTERVIEW CAN WAIT!! TSUKASA MADE A PROMISE... TO PERFORM!!

He is even dressed for the part. He can't really act out every single role--there's only one of him, which means it has to be more of a dramatic story telling and re-enactment, but he has to look nice either way. It's a show!]

Very well then. In that case, let the show begin!

[So. Tsukasa is, actually, a very good script writer (well. Only if there's a happy ending, anyway). But in this case, it's a story he's clearly taken great pains to craft. He started with the base of a sleeping beauty story--but it changes very quickly to instead be about a sleeping prince and the demon who protects his dreams. It's ironic because Tsukasa has no idea that that's what Minami did, it's just that he promised Minami a sleeping beauty story and here we are.....

It's not a long story, and there aren't many twists; Tsukasa can only act out so much of a story himself for so long. But it's full of energy, and despite his everything else, Tsukasa is an excellent actor.

The story ends with the prince waking up--with the demon wondering if he should go, uncertain how the prince will react to his existence, and there's no explicit closure.

(But Tsukasa prefers happy endings, so it's probably not difficult to figure out how it would end.)

And with that wrapped up, he drags in a deep breath, and turns to see how Minami has received it, still buzzing with the energy he always feels when he gets to perform in front of others (and hopefully see them smile).]

[ that is a nice fit. it's funny because minami doesn't perceive physical characteristics like most others do, but he does notice when someone dresses well.

and for the majority of the play, minami is just enthralled with watching the story unfold. he's not thinking too hard or at all really, because he never gets to see something like this. maybe a snippet of a performance here or there, but definitely not a full one and definitely not one of this calibur. plus there's nothing sickly sweet to pull him out of his immersion either.

tsukasa has a captive audience, something he'll easy be able to pick up on as he performs. it's only at the end that minami's braincells actually bother to piece together any kind of meaning. he couldn't miss the demon thing obviously, but he was too taken by the energy of the performance to really let it spur thoughts. ]

...that was just for me, right? Is this your way of guessing what kind of demon I am?

[ his expression is open, searching, because honestly he's like two now loading bars back. ]

[Tsukasa is thrilled that Minami seems to have enjoyed it; there's nothing he appreciates more than an audience that can't look away, after all.

That said, Minami's brain cells piece together the implications much faster than Tsukasa's do; he blinks, tilting his head to one side as he moves back to his interviewer's seat and flops into it with a sigh.

.......... wait.

WAIT!!]

... Ah!! Aaaaah!

Is that the sort of demon you are?!

[He just... wanted to do a sleeping beauty play and then added demons........... because it was for Minami...]

[ sorry, sorry, (minami's not sorry) that he just bursts out laughing at tsukasa's realization. he's not actually laughing at him but at the absurdity of the situation which is made clear when he jumps up and cups tsukasa's cheeks in his hands. ]

I'm an incubus. Do you get it now?

[ he'd call bullshit on literally anyone else, but minami also trusts tsukasa. ]

[Tsukasa's interest in the supernatural is passing (aside from pegasus, because it's in his name, and he's self-absorbed that way), and most of his knowledge comes from whatever he's learned for the plays he's performed in.

As such, his understanding of what an incubus is is... fuzzy. Something to do with dreams... feeding off of humans in some way... ... ...]

Then... do you eat dreams? [he is TRYING]

[ he knows he is and minami thinks this is the cutest thing ever. ]

Not quite ☆. [ what a pity, he can't just give him the answer now (he wouldn't have anyway). ]

Wanna try again? If you get it wrong I get a prize. If you get it right, you get a prize!

["Don't make deals with demons," Ritsuka's voice echoes in his brain, but like three beats too late because he's already guessing again.]

Ah... do incubus make nightmares instead? It has something to do with sleep, right?

I can cause nightmares, yeah. I can go inside dreams too and talk to the dreamer inside if I want.

[ how does he count this because it's not wrong but not what he was looking for (what he eats) either.

he decides impulsively to split it down the middle, squishing tsukasa's cheeks to make himself feel better. ]

'Kay, what do you want as your prize?

[Hmmm.... Minami doesn't seem very satisfied by that, even if he said that he's r.......

right........]

[HELLO???

THOSE ARE HIS CHEEKS, MINAMI

He freezes a little, startled, blinking owlishly at Minami.]

[And then he tries to speak but with his cheeks squished it's not entirely understandable.

So he pulls back a little, cheeks still a little red, and tries again.]

A-ahem...

[HE'S SMOOTH. HE'S COOL. HE'S GOT THIS.]

Before all of that--was that still the wrong answer? You were smiling more before.

[ never fear, those reactions are so cute that they lift minami's mood again even if it's not the grin he was wearing before. there's no protest on tsukasa moving back either, but minami himself is still leaning forward so he can appreciate the view. ]

It's not wrong but it's not what I eat. [ tsukasa's facial expressions buy him that much at the very least. ]

But hey, are you really worried 'bout my smile?

Ahhh, what you eat, huh...? I see...

[He looks very thoughtful at that, considering. It's not dreams... but Minami can make nightmares. What else would a demon eat? Beside, like. People. Whole.

... Nope, he's not thinking about that right now!]

But of course I am! I said it before, didn't I? I'm going to be an actor who brings smiles to the entire world someday. [He's in the business of making sure everyone leaves here smiling.] That includes you as well, demon or not!

[ wow he doesn't eat people whole? rude.

just their soul. ]

Hehe, but that was before. But you still feel the same way, huh? I'm kinda flattered! [ and going by his grin, that is the truth.

(its funny how he can accept this solely because it manages to slot into the tsukasa is delicious category and not the: eww someone's trying to force good feelings off on me gross). he'll come back to the play whenever that bar finishes loading. ]

But tell me what you want for a prize before I change my mind!

[help.

Tsukasa crosses his arms at that, beaming, and:]

Fine, then! For my prize, I want to know the answer! What do you eat?

[uh oh]

Heyyy, that's almost cheating!

[ but it isn't exactly, and he is a demon of his word. ]

What else do demons eat? Souls. [ he says that as casually as someone saying they like chicken. and then he tries to nuzzle tsukasa's cheek. ]

And parfaits, hehe.

[Almost but not quite!! He wanted to know the answer!!!

... But at what cost tbh.

He does freeze up at that, of course. How could he not?]

S-souls?

[..... ... ... it's said so casually it takes him a moment to process, eyes wide. Minami is getting away with so much cheek nuzzling in this thread because Tsukasa is so distracted.]

Like... human souls?

Mmhmm! Why does that make you scared? Does that make you hate me? I can't change what I am, I was born this way, you know.

[ sorry the nuzzling is continuing. ]

[Of course he's scared. He's only human, after all; this is the first properly demonic thing he's really heard out of Minami, and there's something about the way he says it so casually, too, that's just--

--

Tsukasa drags in a careful breath, and then puts his hands on Minami's shoulders to gently hold him in place to stop him from nuzzling for just a moment, so he can meet Minami's eyes. Granted, Tsukasa is definitely not strong enough to do that unless Minami allows it, given he's just a regular human, but he's going to try.]

... Of course it's scary. But I don't... hate you for it. [How could he? As Minami said--that's... just what demons are. Besides, Tsukasa doesn't really hate anyone, much as he puffs up sometimes.]

...

[The next question is obvious, but he's finding it hard to ask. Just a few words. Just--

Are you going to eat mine?

But... he really, really doesn't want to know the answer to that question. Because whichever way Minami answers, he will have no idea how to react at all.]

[ it's more the eye contact than the physical contact that gets minami to pause (though he wouldn't have persisted even with only the latter). his eyes are bright, brilliant, focused but not feral ]

Tsukasa-chan. [ he could ask for him, because he knows what he has to be thinking. but he doesn't, because that's something tsukasa will have to find the words for himself. it wouldn't be fair to either of them, would it? ]

I think you're crazy if you're still okay with being like this with me now that you know. [ he could say it doesn't quite work that way, that as much as he can take a bite off the top or a nibble, to truly devour him they'd need to complete a pact. but he doesn't, because that'd make it too easy. he doesn't, because-

instead he continues, his voice even and clear. without the usual bounce and without the ominous timbre. ]

But I think that's why I really like you.

[ funny how that sounds like a confession, more than any of the other times he's said it before. ]

[Maybe he is kind of scary, but also--but also.

Those are the same eyes that watched him put on his show, and the same eyes that met his when he was checking in on him after the Match Ceremony (even if, yes, Minami was also threatening to murder Akechi at the time)--

... Tsukasa is in way over his head. It's a thought he's had more often than not recently, but never so much as right here and now, with a demon looking him in the eye (with Minami looking him in the eye). But he said... Minami's happiness matters too, and he stands by that. He meant it when he said it, and he means it now.

(Besides. The way that Tsukasa is in over his head most of all is that... he likes Minami too, isn't it? Is it dangerous to like a demon for his playful personality, the silly way he pouts, the way he's overprotective sometimes?)]

Minami...

[... It does sound like a confession, doesn't it? And Tsukasa knows that he needs to know before anything else just why Minami likes him--if it's because of his soul, or...]

That's not...

[... He frowns, lips pressed together tightly.]

There are still things I promised you. I still need to play the piano for you.

[ tsukasa frowns and minami smiles, even if it's much more muted than his usual ones.

again this isn't what he was expecting, because surely tsukasa would push back against him now right? he'd know what to do if he did, but without it he's following instincts that are completely new to him. ]

You better. I wanna hear it.

[ he doesn't put into words the half-question, the "you really still want to?".

his chest feels heavy again and he doesn't know what to do with that other than to give some of it back. ]

Your show was really good even if I think you somehow managed to cheat a little on that one too. [ a dream demon, really...

no cheek nuzzling this time, but nose to nose. an eskimo kiss if he knew what an eskimo was. a more gentle affection than he's shown tsukasa so far, earnest in a different way. (at least while tsukasa has been awake.) ]

[.... Ah. Huh? Wait.

... Minami has been very affectionate basically the entire time they've known each other. Teasing touches and pokes, grabbing his hands, threading their fingers together--but it's always had that underlying sense of teasing. Maybe when Tsukasa thinks about it in the sense of Minami being a demon, it even had a sense of toying with him to it.

This... doesn't. This is just... affection, gentle and earnest and warm, and for a moment he's so taken off-guard that he just stares at Minami in return.]

[But...

"Your show was really good."

So Tsukasa laughs, a little startled still, but entirely bright, and he squeezes Minami's shoulders with his own affectionate gesture, since his hands still rest there.]

Of course it was! After all, I'm Tsukasa Tenma, he who soars through the sky like a pegasus!

[He says that, but he seems so genuinely thrilled that Minami liked it...]

So thank you for watching...!

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

1/3

2/3

3/3

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

1/2

2/2