dramadramaduck | video + text

[ This video is legitimately just of Natsume sitting on the a bare, dirt floor with his knees up to his chest. Nyanko-sensei is rolling back and forth on the floor, obviously bored. There's a strange pot with an eyeball. Behind him is a window with bars on it above his bag, hung on the wall. In front of him is an entire wall of thick wood bars, much like a dungeon cell, covered in ofuda. Not just one or two, a lot.

They just sit there for a while until Natsume glances up and realizes that the community seems to be giving him access through a piece of paper that fell out of his bag. His eyes widen, then he quickly dives for it and switches to text, cutting off the feed. It takes him a few seconds to get a pen out of his bag, then... ]

Can someone worldhop here, no questions asked? I need to be back before tomorrow night, I promised I'd go watch the meteor shower with some friends.

[ No, no he's not quite commenting on why he's stuck in what looks like a prison cell built to keep really powerful youkai in it.

..And yes, worldhops are cut off at this point. Consider it interference from the massive numbers of traps set up in the surrounding forest, not all of which solely affect youkai.

At least he's not tied up anymore. ]

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[ Kyouko doesn't have a worldhop, so she couldn't help with that either way other than ordering someone else around to get him out of there.. but there's more important matters first. Or rather, her emotions kick in first when she sees Natsume like that. What is... ]

N.. Natsume.. what the heck do ya think you're doing?!

I was getting something of mine back and I got caught and refused to cooperate.

Moron, that's not what I mean! [ For once Kyouko actually sounds aggressive in front of him. It's not even aggressive anymore, this is bordering on sheer bloodlust, her expression is almost crazed. ]

Who did this to you?! Tell me, I'll kill them..!

[ He can see that. It's kind of.. scary. But he's seen this before, with someone who cared about him. Maybe not in the same way Kyouko does, but.. ]

Don't get involved, Kyouko.

[ Natsume's voice sounds calm, oddly serious. Kyouko can't rush off without a worldhop, so she's not exactly the kind of danger that Kai was when he tried to kill Natori because Natsume accidentally fell into a trap. He doesn't have to panic, and besides.. ]

Even if no one can come, I'll find a way out of here. It's not like this is the first time I've run into him.

That doesn't matter! [ It's pure instinct now. Even if he says he'll find a way out, that doesn't matter that it happened. And he says it's not the first time, so it's going to happen again. There's someone doing this stuff to Natsume and as long as they're not stopped, they're going to keep doing it -- like she'll just let that happen! ]

How can you tell me to not get involved?! Just tell me who did this!

A human, Kyouko.

[locked]
Even if you can see him, there's nothing you can do. I'll find a way to handle this from this end since it seems like worldhops are cut off anyway, but it's a human who controls a lot of youkai and doesn't care about them at all, so they'd get hurt whether they wanted to fight or not. Even if you won by some miracle against things you couldn't see, there'd be a lot of damage to the ones that don't have a choice in this.

I don't want to hurt him or anyone else, I just want to get out of here.

[ She's tempted to say whatever to all of it. Even if it can't be accessed by worldhops, she'll find a way, she'll just try to attack the guy himself directly and hope the youkai don't hit her too much inbetween, she'll do anything, but.. instead it's annoying her, almost as if Natsume's resigned himself to being the martyr here. ]

And what about you?! I don't want you to be hurt..! [ That's one of the more honest things she's said, at least.. ]

He won't hurt me.

[ Natsume says that with confidence, at least. ]

I told him I wouldn't work for him, that's why I'm here. He wants me alive.

Alive isn't the same as fine..!

[ It's more frustrating that she can't do anything. She wants to so badly, she's jump in and put her life on the line if she has to, but she can't. And Natsume is being so stupidly calm that she can't stand it. ]

Don't you do this to me!

[ "This is normal."

Like he could say something like that. With how she's reacting just to this, there's no way he could ever tell her what his life is really like.

Natsume stays quiet for a few moments, then speaks up. ]

Kyouko, can you please trust me? I'll take care of it. I'm going to stop this conversation now, then message you as soon as I'm out. I'll be okay, I promise.

[ Even though her taking action is always what ruined stuff in the past.. having to stand back is even worse. Not that she doesn't believe in Natsume, but if he somehow doesn't make it then she'll forever blame herself for not at least trying, she already knows it. Her stomach twists. ]

... Make it a pinky promise. You can't break that one or you'll have to swallow a thousand needles. And I'll make you swallow them all if you break it, got it?!

Somehow I believe you, but I won't break it.

[ He holds out his pinky. Even if they're not in the same place, he can still do it this way. ]

I promise.

[ It's stupid and childish. And way too caring on her side.

But even so, she still reaches back despite them just talking like this over the community, like it's still just as real of a pinky promise. ]

It's a promise.. so I'll be waiting for you.

[ He smiles, then curls his pinky finger like he was grabbing hers. ]

I'll be back before you know it.

[ And he signs off now. He doesn't quite know what to do yet but.. sitting here talking to Kyouko until something happened to make her worry more wasn't going to help. ]

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