jikan_network | video | un: furfeathers

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video | un: furfeathers

[Sometime around the late afternoon on the 25th, the video opens up to an old desk, its surface occupied with a sketchbook with a metal cover (engraved with a butterfly design,) some assorted graphite, a few long-bristled brushes, an ink stick, and an grinding stone/well. A bit of water is put off to the side.

[After a moment, the camera shifts a little, one tentacle reaching for the comm, and adjusts it for a more aerial view while keeping the pages in focus, and another, just in the peripheral view at the top, visible with a singular eye. Until it manages to shift out of frame. Another tentacle opens up the sketchbook, first with a partially-done drawing of a smiling woman. It turns to the next pages at a leisurely rate, between different sketches of a few people he's met in rather detailed (and, to the discerning eye, affectionate) renderings. Between them are different drawings of flowers, insects, the odd yokai, an even a few different ayakashi (such as the minobi.) One thing that's of note, perhaps, is that Glenn seems to use some unique, delicate shading in places to denote a sense of movement, even if the subject itself looks relatively still.

[After a moment, he turns to a blank page and starts to draw anew, the sound turned up enough to pick up the rhythmic scratching of graphite to the paper. After a moment, he speaks up.]

...So, I'm not feeling the most social, even though it's my birthday. But if anyone wants to watch me or chat while I'm drawing for the night, please feel free. If you wish to communicate, please use audio, at least, so long as it's within your comfort zone to do so. It's just easier for me to notice if you speak up rather than message, since, well.

[He turns his head a bit to look at the camera.]

I'm not going to really be looking at the comm.

I estimate I'll be drawing for at least the next four hours before I call it a night.

[He purses his lips, cheeks turning a little ruddy.]

And, um. If anyone enjoys this sort of thing, let me know. I could.. do it more often.

[Not expecting anything, he turns back to the drawing that's rapidly taking shape with careful, practiced movements.]

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[ oh, he knows two of those people in the sketches. But he decides not to say that and rather focus on the suggestion ]

Happy Birthday.

I haven't drawn in a while but- I wouldn't mind getting back to it, if you want company. [ even if it's through the communicator ]

[Oh! The sound of a voice slightly startles him, indicated mostly by a subtle tension in his shoulders and the fact that his feather/antenna-like cowlick goes sproinging upright. It's not a voice he knows, but he relaxes quickly enough with a soft laugh.]

Thank you very much. I would greatly appreciate it.

You need not say much if you don't wish to. Just.. knowing I'm not alone is enough.

[Ages and ages ago, his birthdays were treated as holding significance by the most important person in his life. He supposes that's why he's doing this tonight. And having spent so many birthdays alone, it's nice to have company in some capacity.

[He continues to draw and feel out the details he wants, relying on memory for each segment. He really should pick up taking reference photos again, but everything and everyone has been so new and novel that he's forgotten to.]

[ he hbums softly ]

Well, why don't you invite someone to spend the day with you? Not over the network, but in person, I mean.

Ah, I don't want to intrude. I've been quite needy of late, and it's a bit embarrassing.

[As that probably what happens when one spends the majority of one's time alive, alone. And with an increasing feeling of loneliness.

[He also realizes he's been pack-bonding with just about every-fucking-person he's met. It's overwhelming, and, in some ways, quite stressful.]

I don't think it's embarrassing. [ kaneki can't help but to to smile a little ] We are in a whole new place without the people we know... without our friends and family.

It's normal to be a bit scared and wanting company, right?

Ah, it probably wouldn't be possible for anyone I know, be they friends or family, to be here unless they were from a different world than myself.

[Hopefully the hint gets across without him having to outright spell it out. It still hurts to acknowledge some days. His cowlick twitches, angling itself downward a little, its feather-like barbs flattening against each other, just barely in view of the camera. Unlike that small tell, his voice is still calm.]

I've been entirely self-reliant for longer than I've ever been around people.

It's overwhelming.

[That there are so many good people here. That so many of them are treating him so kindly. He doesn't know what to make of it - doubtless the other shoe's going to drop and he's going to hate it. It's terrifying.]

Ah - so you draw? Your style is interesting.

[ that's a compliment from him, and it sounds like it might be one, too. ]

[Well, the feedback doesn't sound negative to him. He nods, knowing he's still in frame.]

Yes. Have been for quite some time. I do portraiture, landscapes, and creatures, in particular. I primarily draw for my own pleasure, but at times I'll draw for someone else.

[He eventually stops his current drawing, and turns to another blank page. A dragonfly starts rapidly taking shape on the paper, with few stray lines, with practiced ease. His style isn't strictly true-to-life here, boasting of some excess exaggeration in the perspective of the wings.]

Insects are my absolute favorite. And there are more than just Earth-bound variants. I've seen some in other worlds that are as large as I am.

You'll have to show me some of the off-Earth insects you've seen through art. I like insects. [ Always has. ] I'm an artist as a matter of career, so I'm always interested in seeing whatever new things are around.

I like different, different is good.

Ah?

[He actually turns to the camera, face absolutely lighting up like someone's told him it's Christmas. He completely forgets about drawing.]

Do you have any favorites?? I really like the ones with wings, but I also love the Earth variants of orb weaver spiders because they have super pretty webs with their use of parallel lines. And they're pretty friendly-ish and it's fun to watch them when they decide to occupy the space near a window.

I actually figured out how to make safety masks because of how they arrange their webbing. And it's a simple matter for me to recreate spider thread to make clothing. And when done right it's super durable.

Off-Earth, I once saw this butterfly-like creature with ant-like mandibles and coloring that could only be easily seen by creatures with more than three color cones. Five at best! And it was just the trippiest thing to see once I figured that out. It was like this huge array of reds, pinks, blues and yellows that don't even exist on a tri-cone spectrum. It was just--

[He spreads his hands out with a verbal "whoosh!"]

--amazing! I'll have to redraw it and try to recreate it in a way that human eyes can easily see the approximation of colors.

[He notices the drawing, and it's definitely very good. But he doesn't know what to say, so he focuses on something else.]

You didn't make the minobi obnoxious looking enough.

[More importantly-]

And birthdays are for shitty parties and being forced to hang out with friends.

[Since he's still not looking at the device, he only hears the audio, though the comm's camera does shake a little at the latter comment. There's the faint sound of his breath shaking.]

...

[He turns to the camera, brow furrowed and expression clearly unimpressed.]

You do not want to keep going on this verbal path with me, Bakugou.

And regarding your first comment - a much safer topic, mind you - the minobi weren't the focus on that drawing. You are.

[Bakugou rolls his eyes.]

It was sarcasm. [Mostly.] But ain't it harder to focus on drawing when you're having a conversation?

[He's never really done much drawing, so he's not sure. But then Glenn changes the subject back to the original topic, the one Bakugou was avoiding, and he blurts out the question.]

But why?!

I don't know you well enough to properly hear your sarcasm yet. Ah, but if you continue to do it, I will eventually catch on.

[He taps a finger as he thinks further, and then tilts his head.]

Why? Why not? I had fun fighting with you, and you left an impression. I draw what - and who - matters to me.

Why wouldn't I draw you?

Don't fucking worry, I will.

[Bakugou's eyes widen at Glenn's honesty. After he gets over his surprise, he shrugs and averts his eyes. Having friends is...it's not terrible.]

Whatever... your art ain't shitty.

I should hope it isn't bad.

[Glenn visibly pouts at him - somewhat - and then returns his focus to his art, deciding to be completely cheeky and switch back to Bakugou's drawing. Might as well add more details since he's on the video. Hope he doesn't mind an extra eye stalk staring back at him, its iris reflecting the appearance of the camera.]

Do you like to do more things than fight? Hobbies?

[It's not meant as a slight, and he's careful to keep his tone reflecting his genuine curiosity.]

I don't lie. Tch- Draw whatever you want.

[Bakugou keeps grumbling and cursing under his breath, trying not to pay attention to the drawing.]

I like hiking and rock-climbing. Cooking's okay, or anything where I can win.

[Anything and everything can be a competition.]

Anything where you can win, huh?

[The drawing gets a few more details along the hair and face, bringing a little more dimension to it.]

Would you like to go hiking with me sometime?

Yep. Anything where I can murder my enemy or obstacles.

[Flustered, Bakugou shuts his eyes and leans back against the wall, folding his arms so he doesn't have to watch the video.]

What, you like hiking?

I like it, yes.

[It's getting easier to remember that he did, and still does.]

I used to do it more often. Nowadays I just explore the areas I'm in, but it's different from hiking.

And I like spending time with you, so might as well do something that we both like?

[Never mind fighting, though that's still on the menu as far as Glenn's concerned. Glenn takes a moment to look at Bakugou's feed in turn, and can't help but smile a little.

[Cute.]

No pressure. Only if you want to sometime.

Those tentacles... You must be Glenn. Nyuu told me about you. I'm Lucy.

[She remembers a Glenn from the texts, but she didn't want to jump to conclusions. What if the Glenn from the texts was different from this Glenn? Then she'd just look silly confusing him for someone else.]

I thought the drawing was of me at first, until I saw the eyes. When I saw how bright they were, I knew then it had to be Nyuu.

[It's the same voice, but a different tone. Lucy's words make it click into place. He gives a glance at the username, and then flips to Nyuu's portrait, looking at it to better cement Lucy's voice in his mind as also belonging to the person who has such looks on the page.

[He then finds himself just distracted enough to start adding more details.]

Lucy. Good to meet you. I am Glenn, yes.

[He stops again, needing to focus on speaking rather than drawing for the moment. His cowlick gives a bit of a wiggle, and he opts to look at the camera - if only briefly. In that time, his irises reflect the mechanism, albeit in only muddy detail.]

...I hope you'll forgive me in advance - switching rapidly between one task and another is... difficult, at times, and sometimes makes speaking harder for me. All the same, I hope the two of you have been well of late.

[Beat.]

And, uh. Thanks for coming? Watching? I thought I'd try something new, in doing this, but I only partially thought it through.

It's fine, I bet it takes a lot of concentration to draw. I don't have that talent--though, I did have a friend who liked to draw. Two friends come to think of it, back in my world.

[She'd been thinking of Aiko at first, until she remembered that Kouta liked to draw as well.]

I've never actually seen someone draw before, so even before I saw the sketch of Nyuu, I was interested. Also, she wrote to me about how you saved her from being swept away by the waterfall back in Takamagahara, so I wanted to thank you for that.

[He had saved her life as well by saving Nyuu, after all.]

Mm, more like it takes concentration to speak. When I'm drawing, it's like... I'm taking my language skills and locking them behind a door. And it takes a moment to retrace the right key path.

[So for now, he doesn't draw as much, wanting to put attention to their conversation.]

...Regarding that... I would have saved her no matter what. And if you had been in the lead, I would have saved you, too. It... I'm not sure how to handle your thanks.

[His cheeks burn, and he clears his throat.]

I guess... "you're welcome"?

[Wat do????]

[There's a smug chuckle from Lucy.]

If it had been me, I wouldn't have let such a thing happen in the first place. Unlike Nyuu, I'm comfortable with my vectors. To be honest, I'm surprised she even had it in her to access them. She's so gentle.

[Lucy just hoped that Nyuu being able to use the vectors wouldn't ruin her other self's innocence. The last thing Lucy wanted was for Nyuu to end up like her.]

At least she'll be able to defend herself a little more.

Gentleness doesn't prohibit their use, as Nyuu showed me. I can't see them, but. She petted my hair with them, when we met. I could feel it. The difference between them and human body heat.

[His lips press into a bit of a line. They'd upset each other, at least at first, and with both of them unable to lie, it had been awkward to navigate. His expression quickly softens, however.]

I think she knows in some way that it's possible to use that power with gentleness and kindness at hand and heart.

She was also using them to keep herself from going adrift at the waterfall, before her grip faltered.

I think it's possible for you, too.

[He offers the camera a bit of a smile.]

Ah yes, she wrote to me about that too.

[Among other things, such as the fact that Lucy was a murderer, but Lucy herself doesn't seem bothered by it. While she's not exactly proud of it, she wouldn't deny it either.]

I don't know.

[Lucy says that, but she sucks at saying her true feelings most of the time. In truth, she felt touched by Glenn's words yet at the same time wasn't sure how to feel about them, as tended to be the case when people showed her kindness.

She had used her vectors to save Kouta's life in the end, and not even the DNA Voice was able to stop her from doing that, despite its attempts to dissuade her. What's more, she now knew they were capable of healing. So perhaps... it would be possible for her to use them for better purposes besides hurting people.]

I'm just going with the flow of things right now, trying to find my niche here. [Small pause before she adds:] Me and Nyuu managed to find work at a jazz club.

[The news of their new employment brings a genuine, excited smile to his face, before he can even think of a single word to reply with. His heart swells to the point that there are visible hearts in his eyes and a visible shimmer to his hair. Though dulled by the sepia tone of the video feed, both are in bright pink.]

A jazz club. I'm glad you both found something. I hope it's fun for you.

[He's completely forgotten about drawing for the moment, too overwhelmed by his excitement for the duo to care.]

Is everyone nice there?

[Since Nyuu had written to Lucy about how she told Glenn of her hopes to find a job in singing, Lucy figured she might as well bring it up. He looks very happy for them.]

It's interesting to say the least. [What Lucy really means is, "Yes, it's fun."]

I guess. Everyone's been willing to answer our questions and to show us the ropes. We were even given an allowance to use for buying a dress. The address is xxxx, Yoshiwara, if you'd like to come see us.

I'd love to!

[No hesitation. He's just about bursting at the seams to hear it. In as much as his usually-restrained mannerisms allow.]

I look forward to it. At your convenience, of course.

[He'd rather not show up so quickly that Lucy or Nyuu feel uncomfortable. Especially while they're still learning the ropes.]

You can show up anytime. I don't mind, and I know Nyuu would be happy to see you.

[Although Lucy is nervous by the idea of someone she's interacting with listening to her sing, it's not like she didn't anticipate it given what the job was. Nyuu had written an encouraging message, saying that she (Lucy) would grow less nervous the more she did it.]

Enough about me, though. I'd like to see you continue with drawing.

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