Tsuki knew his time in this world would likely come to an end far too soon. From the torture of his birthplace to the dangers his bloodline was likely to cause him, the other half of himself that wanted nothing but carnage. It was a difficult reality to face, but after a while he just got used to it. The world was a dangerous place, and pieces of him made him a dangerous person.
Did I ask for this?
No.
Do I deserve this?
Maybe.
He remembered these words from a dream, the first night he fell asleep in the safety of Nao's home, his newly gifted bedroom. Tsuki had believed he'd been looking in a mirror at the time, but it was likely his first interaction with his other half. He didn't understand it back then, being merely a child, but those two questions, and their respective replies, always sat with him uncomfortably. Tsuki didn't think it was something Keiko would want to expand on, but if all of his interactions have proved anything, it was that he never truly knew how Keiko would respond.
"Keiko? Could I ask you something?" Tsuki was met with silence, which was disappointing, but he continued with his inquiry anyway. "When we first got here, and I fell asleep in this room, I had a dream. Or well, I thought it was. But I think it was you I was talking to." He relayed his dream just as he remembered it, then closed his eyes. "What did you mean by 'maybe'? That I deserve this?"
You really want to assume that some weird ass dream you had about a mirror just had to be me talking to you? I don't know what the fuck happens when this body falls asleep. If anything, I end up getting up on my own a little while later.
This was quite a new bit of information. "You wander when I sleep?"
Silence again, for a moment. No.
"I'm trying to get to know you. You know, like we should be doing? Ask me questions too, if it makes you feel better." Tsuki flopped back onto his mattress, opening his eyes to stare at the ceiling. "The only times we've seen each other face to face is when Asuka jumped into our head and when you got knocked out in that class."
What's your point?
"Don't you think it's kinda neat how, when neither of us are fighting for consciousness, we end up face to face? Who's to say that dreamlike state isn't just our subconscious interacting?" Silence once more, and Tsuki sighed. "Look, we both learned from that class that you and I won't make it very long. I don't have the killer instinct you do, and you are aggressive and uncontrolled. You could use my strategy as an advantage."
And?
"I was thinking of...making a deal with you. More equal trade, where you get an entire day to yourself so long as you let me tell you when you need to stop." Tsuki closed his eyes again. "So you can venture, train, study, kill animals on a hunting trip, make friends even. But in return, no more secrets. It isn't fair to either of us if we don't work together to take care of ourselves."
I've been taking care of you. You would be dead if it weren't for me.
"I know! But you don't have to protect me anymore. I need you to work with me, not for me." Tsuki slid off the bed, opening the closet. The left half was all pastel, things that Nao had gifted him. The right was Keiko's side, filled with black and red articles. "You have a nice wardrobe. We can switch that up too. On days you're out, you can wear what you want all day long. Eat whatever you want, whether or not it's healthy. Hell, I won't even say anything if you want to do some little illegal things, so long as it doesn't get us in too much trouble." Tsuki walked to the mirror, looking into his own eyes for a moment. "You don't have to hide away and kill things in our head. I'll research our bloodline, we can find better ways to help you with that need for carnage. I'll even...study Jashin. I just need you to be on the same team as me."
Fine. You have a deal.
Did I ask for this?
No.
Do I deserve this?
Maybe.
He remembered these words from a dream, the first night he fell asleep in the safety of Nao's home, his newly gifted bedroom. Tsuki had believed he'd been looking in a mirror at the time, but it was likely his first interaction with his other half. He didn't understand it back then, being merely a child, but those two questions, and their respective replies, always sat with him uncomfortably. Tsuki didn't think it was something Keiko would want to expand on, but if all of his interactions have proved anything, it was that he never truly knew how Keiko would respond.
"Keiko? Could I ask you something?" Tsuki was met with silence, which was disappointing, but he continued with his inquiry anyway. "When we first got here, and I fell asleep in this room, I had a dream. Or well, I thought it was. But I think it was you I was talking to." He relayed his dream just as he remembered it, then closed his eyes. "What did you mean by 'maybe'? That I deserve this?"
You really want to assume that some weird ass dream you had about a mirror just had to be me talking to you? I don't know what the fuck happens when this body falls asleep. If anything, I end up getting up on my own a little while later.
This was quite a new bit of information. "You wander when I sleep?"
Silence again, for a moment. No.
"I'm trying to get to know you. You know, like we should be doing? Ask me questions too, if it makes you feel better." Tsuki flopped back onto his mattress, opening his eyes to stare at the ceiling. "The only times we've seen each other face to face is when Asuka jumped into our head and when you got knocked out in that class."
What's your point?
"Don't you think it's kinda neat how, when neither of us are fighting for consciousness, we end up face to face? Who's to say that dreamlike state isn't just our subconscious interacting?" Silence once more, and Tsuki sighed. "Look, we both learned from that class that you and I won't make it very long. I don't have the killer instinct you do, and you are aggressive and uncontrolled. You could use my strategy as an advantage."
And?
"I was thinking of...making a deal with you. More equal trade, where you get an entire day to yourself so long as you let me tell you when you need to stop." Tsuki closed his eyes again. "So you can venture, train, study, kill animals on a hunting trip, make friends even. But in return, no more secrets. It isn't fair to either of us if we don't work together to take care of ourselves."
I've been taking care of you. You would be dead if it weren't for me.
"I know! But you don't have to protect me anymore. I need you to work with me, not for me." Tsuki slid off the bed, opening the closet. The left half was all pastel, things that Nao had gifted him. The right was Keiko's side, filled with black and red articles. "You have a nice wardrobe. We can switch that up too. On days you're out, you can wear what you want all day long. Eat whatever you want, whether or not it's healthy. Hell, I won't even say anything if you want to do some little illegal things, so long as it doesn't get us in too much trouble." Tsuki walked to the mirror, looking into his own eyes for a moment. "You don't have to hide away and kill things in our head. I'll research our bloodline, we can find better ways to help you with that need for carnage. I'll even...study Jashin. I just need you to be on the same team as me."
Fine. You have a deal.