IC Contact (Folkmore)

[nativized]

[ This is an IC contact Post for Lex, that I'm going to make look nicer eventually ]

Comments

[nativized]

... But like. Normal people just call it that?

[ Or - why would you need to ask the God of Death? God this is complicated. And weird. And showed how connected Cale was to all this?

... They totally derailed off the topic again oops ]

[goldenturtle]

No? Nobody ever really calls it anything, which might be why it was classified as Nameless 1 by the Hunters.

[nativized]

[ . . .

Why the hell is there so much jargon that this guy is just expecting him to handle at face value? Or to intuitively understand? Lex looks at him with skeptical and exasperated eyes, which have shifted to a grayish color. ]

[goldenturtle]

I'll tell you about them someday. The short version is that they travel between worlds to sacrifice them, and they want to kill me because I'm both Cale Henituse and a Thames.

[ He decides to lay down in an elegant sprawl, crossing his front paws over each other neatly. His tail flicks a bit; slightly anxious. ]

...There is a chance they could try hunting me here.

[nativized]

[ ... What in the fuck is a Thames? Why is there so much jargon. There's so much jargon. Lex frowns a little. Maybe it would sound just as whacky if he explained about them outside of the context of the realms he knows? He can't imagine it would, or if it would he would take knowledge for granted. Probably?

But he nods all the same.

Even if he privately doubts that's possible. The likes of Betsy and her insane worldview are here. ]

[goldenturtle]

...Thames is my biological mother's maiden name.

[ He raises a paw and waves it dismissively which, while awkward as a cat, gets the point across. ]

But that's not important.

[ At least not right now, when nobody has tried to target him despite him advertising who he was in a way Hunters would find irresistible. ]

What's important is why you thought a Familiar bond would make someone think you were cheating.

1/2

[nativized]

--That's changing the subject again! [ Like he hasn't been this whole time. Okay so they didn't like... his mom? Probably not his Korean mom? Probably Cale's mom? ... But he's from like. A book? So why did someone write a that into-

Oh who cares. ]

2/2

[nativized]

[ Lex exhales and then runs a hand through his bangs. The man leans back a little before he just stands to stretch himself a little. Cheating, huh... ]

Well, it's one of the things Linda would probably take issue with - it's similar enough to our thing.

[goldenturtle]

Like you haven't been?

[ He decides to stretch as well because, firstly, why not? And secondly (more importantly), a cat doing a big stretch is hard to ignore and he's petty that way. ]

Linda being... your most powerful of spirit companions?

[ From all that Lex has told him about the elemental spirits of his world, Cale thinks that's most likely where this is going. ]

[nativized]

She didn't have to be the most powerful, you know.

[ But he laughs a little and waves a hand in such a way as to imply yeah! Guessed right on that. He looks up at the ceiling a moment before then looking over back at the cat and - eyes turning to a somewhat sparking blue color ]

But yeah, you're right, you're right. That's the one, in all of her glory.

[goldenturtle]

If she has enough of a personality to be upset over this type of thing wouldn't that imply that she's very powerful, and wouldn't want to share you with another powerful spirit?

[ It only makes sense that she would be Lex's most powerful spirit companion. ]

Would she really be upset with you sharing a Familiar bond with someone like me? I can't compare to a great spirit like her, so there is no reason for jealousy. It would be like being jealous of an ant.

[nativized]

Man if you say that she'll squash you like an ant. And then you'd have to show if you are or aren't and ant and I'm willing to bet that you aren't, really.

[ He says this with a soft roll of his eyes, flat and mildly irritated in tone. It's masking, of course, a painful, horrible familiarity. He's not seen her in months and it's killing him. ]

[goldenturtle]

I am weaker than an ant.

[ He lays back down, though this time makes sure he's in proper loaf form. ]

Pat me more.

[ He'll continue to act cute and demanding for as long as he thinks Lex needs it, because as much as Cale is an asshole he's not such a complete bastard that he would leave a companion alone like this. ]

[nativized]

[ Why??? He doesn't ... ugh. There's no real need to pet this guy, right? He's being demanding at this point. But it's a dull realization he has as he's thinking that, that Lex connects an oddity here, that he's both tolerating this and being actually annoyed. It's... hmm. It's not to say he's felt nothing this whole time here, but something about the character of this is a little different. He doesn't (yet) feel the need to just stand up and walk away but he's also not really focused on the moment.

Still doesn't mean he's going to pet the guy. ]

Your story just there involved death gods and you've been making storms show up. If that's an ant I shudder to think what a "human" is to you.

[goldenturtle]

The God of Death is the bastard responsible for my transmigration. [ He flicks his tail. At this point he is honestly very grateful to have switched places with the original Cale Henituse, but he will never let Death know it. ] If I use these powers too much I will die an agonizing death from recoil, because I am a weak and frail human.

[nativized]

Well yeah, I could have told you that you need to eat more. Probably sleep too.

[ Just given how thin he was. ]

[goldenturtle]

[ There is a lot he could say to that, but instead he just purrs obnoxiously loud. ]

[nativized]

More seriously though, it's precisely because it is a pacted bond like that. That's a different matter than just a relationship, at least to someone like that.

[ A beat, and... ]

... Or I'm just projecting, who knows.

[goldenturtle]

[ The purring quiets down at that. ]

Projecting or not, your feelings about it matter too.

[nativized]

[ His feelings, huh? Lex's eyes shift to a more green color, closer to but lighter than his normal hazel. ]

As if I could forget that. We are ever trapped by who we are, my man.

[goldenturtle]

You're as trapped as you let yourself be.

[nativized]

[ that's not true. And his eyes turn gold to reflect that, as he shakes his head and sighs. ]

[goldenturtle]

Hmm? I didn't expect you to be a pessimist.

[ Sigh. ]

If you want to talk more about her I would like to hear it. If you don't want to right now, that's also fine.

[nativized]

That's not pessimism. [ A beat, ] ... Like, perhaps you've had some many identities this argument seems a little silly, but that's just the truth of it. People can only ever be who they are.

[goldenturtle]

Whether Kim Rok Soo or Cale Henituse, I'm the same person. That person has just changed on the inside over the years because—

[ Because I'm not alone anymore, he realizes. ]

...Haaah.

Because people naturally change over time. The 'you' of now is different than the 'you' from when you were a little kid. And the future 'you' will be different than the current 'you'.