Rin also takes a tenative step away from Kanashimi and Hitari. "Oh great."

Link: https://www.sylestia.com/forums/?thread=94683&page=108#1071 Author: Mystiria827 Time Posted: 12/29/2020 at 12:56 PM Rin also takes a tenative step away from Kanashimi and Hitari. "Oh great."

"_I^I _nⁿ_e^e_e^e_d^d _t^t_o^o - " They fall silent and still as grey mist suddenly pulls from them, dissipating away.

Shiawase stands there with her mouth open in surprise. "Kanashimi. . .they. . ."

Left? Itami finishes. Obviously. They probably ran out of energy.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Well. Your friend didn't stick around for long."

Hitari whips around, unable to find the source of the voice. "Kanashimi's a timid one, and this isn't his body. Or yours, for that matter."

"In a strict sense, you're right. But, when you expand your reasoning, it really is. . ."

Rin sighs. At least they only have to deal with Hitari and the.... other thing now.

Link: https://www.sylestia.com/forums/?thread=94683&page=108#1073 Author: Mystiria827 Time Posted: 12/29/2020 at 1:22 PM Rin sighs. At least they only have to deal with Hitari and the.... other thing now.

Shiawase looks up in the sky. "Itami, you. . .I don't think you understand. It takes a long time for Kanashimi to reform from energy loss."

And why should I care? It's not like they did much, Itami says. You don't really seem to care about Hitari as much as you've devoted yourself to being.

Her faces turns a little red. "How dare you - "

"Please stop yelling. . .it's. . .terribly distracting from what. . .I'm doing. . .here. . ." Hitari murmurs, still unconscious.

Shiawase looks at him, surprised. "Is - Hitari?" She crouches down and carefully pokes his shoulder. "Are. . .you awake. . .?"

Rin shrinks back from Shiawase's anger. He glances at Felix, who is smartly watching the scene from a safe distance. Clever owl.

Link: https://www.sylestia.com/forums/?thread=94683&page=108#1075 Author: Mystiria827 Time Posted: 12/29/2020 at 1:38 PM Rin shrinks back from Shiawase's anger. He glances at Felix, who is smartly watching the scene from a safe distance. Clever owl.

If only you could join him.

Hitari flinches when Shiawase touches him, but that's all that happens. She bites her lip, worried. "He. . .isn't feeling anything. I can't feel anything from him. . ."

Okay, wow, someone clearly doesn't understand how potentially being mentally mixed with an alternate version of yourself along with Chaos itself is bad, Itami mutters. When you meet and contact said alternate self, do you have any idea how many timelines or universes might warp? It's not meant to be - and whomever's stronger will obviously win control over this version. I doubt our Hitari is the strongest, so either Chaos or someone else will be in charge. He throws his shadowy hands in the air. What did you even think about when nothing was happening? Is your brain empty?

Shiawase stares at him. ". . .what?"

Itami facepalms. . . .unconscious talking to self means bad thing probably happened. Is that easier to understand?

She shakes her head. "No, not really."

Delightful.

Rin huffs, becoming more and more agitated as the two argue.

Link: https://www.sylestia.com/forums/?thread=94683&page=108#1077 Author: Mystiria827 Time Posted: 12/29/2020 at 4:14 PM Rin huffs, becoming more and more agitated as the two argue.

"Your Shiawase seems much different than mine. Not a bad thing, I suppose."

Hitari glances at the empty space. "Mm. Hey, why can't I see you?"

"Don't know. If it makes you feel safer, I can't see either."

"It really doesn't. Would you like being stuck with a complete stranger somewhere you can't see?"

An exasperated sigh. "We are not strangers. You are merely a copy."

"If I'm a copy, what are you?"

". . .don't worry about it."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Shiawase looks down at Hitari, who is still lying quiet and motionless. "So, if. . .if what you called his alternative self 'wins', what. . .?"

Why would I know? It's probably the same as possession - the weaker is forced down. They can watch, but not act, Itami says. He turn and looks at you over his shoulder. I suppose you'd still call it possession, right?

"Why are you asking him? He's not even from here." Shiawase glances at you apologetically. "Sorry."

"It's fine," Rin says weakly. "So, we just.... wait and see who wins?"

Link: https://www.sylestia.com/forums/?thread=94683&page=108#1079 Author: Mystiria827 Time Posted: 12/29/2020 at 4:32 PM "It's fine," Rin says weakly. "So, we just.... wait and see who wins?"

Shiawase looks down at the ground. "I suppose that's all we can do."

I mean, we can kill him, Itami says. That'd probably solve the issue.

Shiawase glares at him, eyes glistening with poorly-held tears. "You can stop talking now."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Chaos. . .how are they to you?"

Hitari blinks in surprise. "What do you mean?"

"You know exactly what I mean. What are you to them?"

". . .cipher, but I. . .don't see why that matters."

A chill runs down Hitari spine as the voice shifts, suddenly behind him. "It matters to me. How were you raised?"

". . .I wasn't. My parents - "

"Dead, gone, whatever it is. You're a lucky duplicate."

Hitari narrows his eyes, hand tightening on the knife inside his pocket. "In what sense?"

His breath is pulled out of his lungs as something incredibly cold clamps around his throat. "In that you managed to be important to someone."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Hitari exhales sharply on the ground, but doesn't move - you don't see him breathing now. . .but Shiawase is trying not to cry by ignoring everything, and Itami isn't paying attention to anything.

Almost a minute passes, but you still don't hear or see Hitari breathe.