Description: Stasya Voronkova is alarmingly domestic.
The days since the escape from Capital 7 have been, by and large, strange and confusing. The rest of the world goes on its way, the vast majority of people blissfully unaware of what transpired in the sub-basement of the casino, but what about those who survived? How have they been changed by their experiences there?
Tenma Kiryuu, for one, hasn't been around much. Despite his rather disastrous return to SNF, the Guardian King leader has scarcely set foot outside of his house, at least until recently. For some reason, as the end result of some mysterious doings, Tenma is back at Gedo... And back on 'his' roof.
Yes, the king has returned to his throne.
In fact, it might almost seem like he's never left, as Tenma is sprawled on the rooftop, fast asleep, napping in the warm late afternoon sun, a pleasant breeze moving through the area. His bokken is close at hand, wrapped neatly in its bluish cloth sheath, and his face is covered as he naps. By a magazine.
On the cover of the magazine is a rather, uh, buxom young woman with a cute face, wearing not much of a bikini, in some kind of island setting. One can only wonder at what mysteries lurk within. Or what Tenma is dreaming about as he snoozes the afternoon away.
Tenma isn't alone for long. Presently, the roof access eases open and a familiar blonde peeks out. Spotting Tenma, her worried expression relaxes marginally. Relief mingles with a sudden shy uncertainty, and she hesitates before she steps completely out on the rooftop and shuts the door behind her. Adjusting her messenger bag, she picks her away across the curving roof: moving quite stealthily, long familiarity having honed her ability to navigate the curving surface.
She had been a little worried about him lately. Though she hadn't really tried to go to his house looking for him, feeling that was a border he might not appreciate being crossed, she had been coming up here fairly regularly to look for him. This afternoon, when it's finally paid off, she seems to forget much of what she cared to say.
She invites herself over to Tenma's side, sitting herself down next to him with a sort of blithe unconcern for the magazine on his face (this is something she got used to a while ago). For a little while, unless detected, she just sits there, basking in the sun and trying to unwind a little, sighing out a long and pensive breath as she lets Tenma sleep a little longer. Then, with two fingers, she pries up the edge of the magazine and peeks under it. "Zdravstvuite, sleepies."
Fun fact: Russian is one of the two worst languages to be woken up by. The worst? German, naturally.
Tenma finds his lovely nap disrupted by the lifting of his magazine and the sound of someone speaking to him in a foreign language, but any horrible tongue-lashing - or general lashing - the Gedo swordsman was likely to administer is forestalled when he cracks open one dark blue eye and spots just who it is that woke him up.
"Voronkova," he says, by way of a greeting.
In a way, it's sort of odd to see her like this now, all... Normal. But, Tenma would certainly say that any oddness in it is preferable to the 'gap' that was left by one of his teammates being absent, or the infuriating sight of what was done to her in the bowels of Capital 7. Well, he would if he were inclined to talk about that sort of stuff. Instead, what he says is this: "You doin' okay?"
Stasya angles a wan smile down at Tenma when he greets her, pulling the magazine more completely off his face and folding it up to one side. She still looks pale and drawn, even more so than usual, and the scarring of what was done to her has yet to fade. But while the physical signs of her ordeal remain clear to the eye, the emotional and psychological ones are far harder to see. And while that's probably what concerns Tenma more, Stasya can't really bring herself to talk much about it; she probably thinks it would burden him even more than he already is.
She has been rather different since she got back; a little quieter, a little more prone to introspection, but considerably more even-tempered: having attained a quiet unity of identity and placidity she didn't have when she first arrived. She'd been guarded and cool when she first got here, kind of shut up in her own head after a lifetime of constant change. That she's come into her own a little now is not just because of what she went through, either; much of it's due to living in Southtown, finally able to live a stable life with good friends and far fewer secrets.
Another byproduct of her time in Southtown? Her Japanese is already sounding more fluent, the girl having managed to eliminate many of her initial grammatical errors. She's always been a quick study in language; though given who she hangs around most of the time, her Japanese is starting to sound a little... rough.
And as Tenma asks whether she's all right, her smile fades a little in brightness, going a little more mellow as she pulls her bag into her lap and hugs it a little. How is she doing? "I'm better. It will take some time for me to be 'good,' but I will get there. My parents understand," oh yes, they understand, more than most parents would, "and I have you all," she answers honestly. She doesn't elaborate much on how hard it is to deal with what happened sometimes, how she's now afraid of strangers who look too long and prone to sitting up at night just going over what happened in her head. Instead, she just laughs a little, and counters, "I was a little worried about you and the others, actually. I wanted to ask if -you- were okay."
Meanwhile, Tenma's gaze as he looks up at Stasya could best be described as 'critical'; he's looking to make sure she isn't /too/ pale and skinny still. She'd better be eating right! Though it's an open question whether his concern for the Russian girl is enough to overwhelm his characteristic resistance to overtly being nice to anybody. Only time will tell. "Tch," he mutters, when she says that her parents understand - of course, he doesn't know what her parents are like - and also that she has them all. "Gettin' all sappy and girly on us, huh?" There's no heat in his words though, more just a gentle teasing.
The worst of Tenma's own psychological damage - to be sure, not as drawn out as that faced by Stasya or Shurui, but nevertheless quite damaging in a very short period of time - seems to have faded. Not entirely, but it's like a weight has been lifted off of his shoulders. "'course I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?" Tenma wonders, even though he's already demonstrated, on live television no less, that he really hasn't been fine lately. But, for all his bluster, he adds more quietly: "An' even if I weren't, well, I'd do the same thing again in a second, if it came down to it. Least I can do for my friends."
"I should be allowed moments," she laughs. "Otherwise, this team is too much boy. But if you insist, I admit I see the logic; we have an image to maintain." She lifts a hand, brushing affectionately along Tenma's shoulder in a sisterly fashion, before squeezing his upper arm in a light tease. "And since it is scares you, I will stop for your sake. But I guess that means I will be keeping--" a finger prods in light indication at a suspicious cylindrical shape in her bag-- "this soup I have made."
But the topic turns to more sombre matters, and Stasya's expression sobers accordingly. "I know you would do the same," she says, rather quietly, "and that is why I want never to put you in such a situation again. I -know-, Tenma," and from the tone of her voice, there really IS no doubt, "it was rough on you. You had to take Hakuya and Kenji into danger. You had to kill, even though that thing--" Stasya does not dignify Marise as a 'woman,' "--fully deserved it."
She shakes her head lightly, her blonde hair whispering across her shoulders. "It was because of me. So I want to do what I can, even if only to listen." A futile offer, really-- Tenma is not much of a talker-- but one she feels she should make, just on that off chance.
Luckily, Tenma doesn't exhibit the discomfort with touching one might expect, given his background and general personality. Sitting up, his only real response to the teasing is a faint, knowing narrowing of his eyes. Oh yes, he's onto you, missy. But seeing Stasya able to joke around is a great relief to the Gedo swordsman, in truth. After the way he saw her. Of course, the mention of the soup makes his stomach growl; he hasn't eaten anything since lunch!
But once Stasya turns serious, Tenma simply listens quietly... And once she offers to listen in turn, he remains silent for a few moments longer, letting the silence stretch out before he speaks.
"My family, you know... That's the sort of stuff they do." Tenma's admission is quiet, and somewhat difficult. He really isn't much of a talker; not about himself, at least. "'Demon' hunting. But demons aren't really like... Stuff out of mythology or whatever, I dunno if those sorts of things ever existed. Demons, they're people. People with power, who throw away their humanity for more power, or for their goals or whatever... Like that woman who held you an' Chiang. She said she'd even met my grandfather, guess that might be true, I dunno. But the point is, that's what I was raised for." Not that he has to like it. In fact, he really doesn't, as a rule.
Joking and trying to act normal is Stasya's method of trying to cope. If she doesn't, she just starts thinking about what happened; if she acts too sombre and upset, it's like she concedes that thing Marise was able to affect her quite deeply. Besides, she wants to show some front of strength for Tenma. She doesn't want to look weak, or to trivialize what he and the rest of GK did for her, by spending her saved life moping.
Of course, it's all easier said than done. But Stasya has always had a talent for controlling and compartmentalizing what she feels.
In silence, she listens as Tenma eventually opens up to her. As she does, she's opening her bag, aimlessly fishing around inside as she considers what he says. She's always been fascinated by mythology, but had never believed it to be anything more than... well, mere stories. Her belief hadn't been shaken until she'd felt what Marise was-- until Shurui told her what it was she saw in the creature-- and now, as Tenma tells her his lineage, she feels her lingering disbelief drop away. Even if the demons Tenma's family pursues aren't strictly those out of myth, it's nonetheless fantastical enough for the Russian girl, and it's only her trust in Tenma that makes her believe him with few reservations.
She whistles out between her teeth. "So. It is what you are meant to do." She looks at him, a little sadly; she has no destiny of her own, but she can guess at a little of what it must be like. "I doubt it is what you -want- to do. But, well, at the least... you spared the world a lot of evil doing what you did here." And on that note, Stasya surreptitiously presses a still-hot thermos of chicken soup into Tenma's hands. She won't be offended if he doesn't do anything with it right away, but she's of a belief that it will have SOME beneficial effect, even in these most metaphysical of times.
"So there is that, at least... though. It is sad." Stasya chews absently on her lower lip, looking pensive. "It is not as if the world needs demons to be a terrible place; normal people are evil enough by themselves. Even the most kind have something dark in them. I know this from... growing up."
"Dunno if I'm 'meant' t' do anythin'," Tenma says, and he does take the thermos, because he's hungry. Chicken soup is good for you anyway, right? "Sure, it's the family business an' all, but... Well, I dunno if you noticed," he adds, with an unusual expression on his face: A slightly self-deprecating smile. "But I'm a little bit rebellious."
Meanwhile, Tenma starts opening up the thermos, so he can get at its delicious contents. Nobody really brings him soup, anymore... His mom's a little too far away for that, and his grandfather probably doesn't believe in those sorts of indulgences. Especially after a certain Brazilian demolished his room. "'course, we get to see how bad normal folk can be all the time, around here. But killing... I've gotta live with that. Not gonna argue that you an' Chiang don't have to live with worse, but I had to make a choice. And I've got to live with it, even if it really wasn't much of a choice at all." If he hadn't killed Marise, then who knows what would've happened? They might not have escaped. They might all be dead. Or worse.
Stasya smiles ruefully to herself at Tenma's sardonic words. She figured he would be the sort to rebel against such traditionalist concepts as lineage and destiny, and, well, to be even more mundane, even just the idea of a 'family business' in general. "I guess they expect you to take it up?" Though he seems to be ducking his family rather well, from what she can see-- for now, at least. Of course, she really doesn't have any idea what his grandfather makes him do while he's at home...
Her offering accepted, Stasya seems fairly pleased with herself. She likes doting on her teammates, probably precisely because they-- with the exception of Kenji-- don't have much of anyone else to dote on them, what with psycho demon hunter families. "Yes... you really had no choice," Stasya agrees, though for a moment she feels a secret little stab of surprise at herself for espousing such a 'her or me' line of thought. After all, Marise had to die if she was going to live... and despite Stasya's earlier reassurances the creature was evil enough to deserve such, she can't help but feel... a little -uneasy-. "I can only hope that can make it, well. Easier to live with."
She's quiet a moment. And then she shrugs, a little helplessly. "I am glad you seem better now," she says quietly. But that just brings her to the question: "Have you seen Hakuya or Kenji much?"
And Stasya is probably happier not seeing the inventive and sometimes bizarre training methods Tenma's grandfather prefers. Most of which also have the secondary goal of teaching Tenma to settle down and behave like the heir to the Kiryuu family should, even if he has to wear down Tenma's stubborn will outright to do it. Tenma himself, of course, is currently quite content with soup, presumably using the lid of the thermos as a cup so he can enjoy some without just chugging it. Which would be even more impolite than Tenma usually is.
There is no further comment from Tenma on the situation of Marise and her 'death'; instead, he remains silent and drinks soup until the Russian girl brings up Hakuya and Kenji. "Mn... Not that much. Ain't seen much of anybody lately," Tenma admits. "Been a bit of a recluse. Why... Am I supposed to save 'em some soup?" That's actually a joke, though he does a passable job of looking suspicious as he says so.
That's right. Tenma has been scarce from all their usual haunts; it stands to reason he wouldn't have seen the other two members much at all. Stasya had thought, however, that maybe he'd had some contact with them anyway. At the least, she had felt it possible he might have spoken to Hakuya. But then, boys are not always likely to talk to their friends when these things come up, are they?
Having long since given up on being able to accurately decipher people, much less boys-- even with her extraordinary empathic gift, nothing is ever entirely clear-- she just nods: a slight smile pulling at her mouth at his suspicious addendum. "No, I am making enough for all three of you," she replies, plopping her chin into her hands and regarding Tenma wistfully. "I guess... I was hoping you knew if they were doing OK. I should just go find them myself, though. I have missed you three these past few days."
She -is- worried about them. But part of it is probably just that Stasya kind of... wants their companionship. She wants things to get back to how they were before all this happened. The change that has come over them in the past few days... it unsettles her, much like a cat gets unsettled by shifted furniture. Even though a few days is hardly all that long, it still worries her a little.
And so, his worries mollified, Tenma drinks soup. He was pretty hungry, after all. "Well... S'not like any of us are gonna complain 'bout you worryin' over us," he says, because what guy doesn't appreciate that once in a while? "As for us being okay, we'll be fine. Just gonna take us some time." Frowning a little, he regards Stasya over the rim of the cup of soup, his dark blue eyes narrowing faintly.
"An' you as well. Hidin' out was probably not the right thing for me to do, maybe," Tenma concludes, in what was very nearly an admission that he was incorrect about something. "Last thing you need is to be worrying even more, an' besides... Only way we're all gonna get through this is as a team. Just like how we got outta there." And in there, sort of. Adelheid was part of that team, but only because he had a tank.
Aha. Now that is a rare thing to see from the leader of the Kings. A mischievous sort of smile flickers on Stasya's face as Tenma nearly admits to being wrong, and she moves to slip a companionable-- but conciliatory arm-- about his shoulders, affectionately bumping gently against him. She was always a rather physically affectionate sort even before her ordeal... and now, for her it a soothing sort of return to those familiar patterns from simpler times.
She DID worry, but she can understand his need to be alone for a few days. "Is fine. We all needed some time to ourselves, I think, in the beginning," she says quietly, soon enough giving him his space and withdrawing: scooting over an inch or two. "But in time, I think we should get together. Like you said..." She pulls her knees up to her chest, resting her chin on them and giving him a pensive look. "When we get through it, it will be as a team."
How strange, for Tenma to get hugged again by a girl, even if it is one-armed. Isn't he abrasive, completely unlikeable by the fairer sex? He arches a brow a little, but he doesn't say anything about it, not even once Stasya does move away from hugging rage, and instead settles on herself. "Yeah, exactly. I bet Ashima's fine, he's got student council an' tryin' to find a date to keep him occupied. An' Hakuya..." Well, in some ways, Hakuya is a closed book even to his best friend. But he trusts the Suigetsu heir absolutely, even with his strange behaviour when they faced off against Marise. He knows Hakuya will be all right, too.
So instead of continuing that thought, Tenma says: "This is good soup."
Log created on 21:31:24 04/09/2008 by Tenma, and last modified on 17:52:47 04/10/2008.