V. Twins ( Ren & Kami ) - Tumblr Posts
@windsfavored | FROM
he gracefully lowers himself to the ground, one foot at a time. as much as he loves hovering just above his brother, they're in for a long conversation, and ADMITTEDLY, kaminari is eager to spend time with ren. it'd been such a long time since they'd been able to spend any amount of time together, and kami is looking forward to at least an hour (maybe longer) of uninterrupted conversation.
"what makes you think i've gotten into trouble?" he puts a hand on his chest in mock dramatization, canting his head to the side to complete the act. "i'm appalled that your first reaction is to accuse me of such crimes. ren, we've barely said more than two words to each other."
he pauses though. it's not an unfair accusation, and kami DOES have quite the story to tell. his adventures over the past few months had been annoying at best, but not without good results. he'd not be thrilled to revisit that particular landscape again, but the memories have at least been useful for later conversation.
"i also wouldn't say befriending a caricature of a long dead dragon counts as trouble, either," he continues. "or being deigned as a hero in another realm. not that i would call this dragon my friend exactly. more of a..." he trails off, not sure WHAT word he'd actually use. "...pest. irritating second brother, next to you of course."
ren is undoubtably going to have a lot of questions over this. kami doesn't mind sharing the story. the overall company of this adventure hadn't even been half bad to begin with, the most irritating part is the fact that mini durin doesn't know the meaning of silence. not that kami can fault him. some people react differently to their own life experiences. durin just happened to latch onto kami, hard.
"which i mean to say is you're less annoying."
he first notices ren some distance away. ren looks pensive, in some type of mood that kaminari almost doesn't want to interrupt. they both have these mood swings often, and sometimes it's better to give space first, talk it out later.
he COULD go find and bother someone else, maybe pick at alhaitham's brain for more knowledge, but he can't shake the feeling that ren might need him. so of course, kaminari quietly moves to stand next to his twin, overlooking the city. there's something so tragically beautiful about the scenery, or perhaps ren's own mood is instantly having an effect on kami. (funny how they often seem to be in sync.)
it doesn't take long for ren to speak his mind. HER.
the topic isn't surprising. SHE has often been on kami's mind too. the emotions often stretched from melancholy to rage, but more often than not remain some sort of cool simmer that he tries to push aside. it's more hurt than anything substantial. he can't do anything with hurt. it's a useless emotion, and evidently, he's not alone in his line of thinking.
"i don't want to know what she thinks," kami says, just as quietly. he refuses to face ren, not sure what emotion will boil 'neath the surface if he does. kami has spent so long FEELING that...he's comfortable with the numbness, and wants to wallow in it for a little longer. "i've wrestled with the unknown for too long. i thought..." he trails off, bending down to rest his chin on his arms. "i thought hiding out here would help. that staying with bue ― with nahida, would help." it hasn't. no one and nothing can take away that permanent sting of feeling discarded.
"do you want to go back?"
kami doesn't. he really, REALLY fucking doesn't. but he also can't deny that pull that's been there for five hundred years either. that wretched longing.
it's so fucking WEAK.
he's standing atop a particularly high balcony, leaning comfortably against the railing. it's late — late enough that sumeru city appears more akin to a sea of stars beneath him. ( no more or less real than what stretches above. ) the night air is filled with the droning cries of countless insects, occasionally interspersed by the unintelligible ramblings of what few humans dare still wander the streets. drunks and revelers and drunks in the throes of revelry. ren can't help but envy them — such a simple, mundane life is a LUXURY far beyond his reach. always has been, even when he deluded himself into believing the contrary.
... he's aware that he has company, but he doesn't feel the need to turn and greet kaminari when he appears. ren isn't in the mood; thoughtful and sullen and overly quiet in the way he tends to get when he's spending too much time sinking into the recesses of his own WRETCHED SKULL.
❝ i've been thinking. ❞ the wanderer suddenly says. the insects around them HUSH their chirping accordingly — as if even nature itself listens with bated breath. ❝ ... about her. about closure. ❞ and were he speaking with anyone else, he would not even DARE broach the subject — it's only because kaminari is perhaps sole individual who would ever hope to understand precisely where he's coming from. ( and without the possibility of smothering him in repulsive PITY. ) ❝ i'm not pining for a resolution ... even if she were capable of remembering, there isn't a thing she could say to change what's already transpired. ❞ a hand extends, almost as if he intends to blot out the lights below. it's pointless; ren knows better than anyone the futility of trying to alter the past. ❝ i just wish knowing that would be enough to STOP this feeling. ❞ it aches like an open wound.
@oficeandwind &&. liked for a STARTER.
FATE HAS A funny way of making his life miserable. all of his life, he'd been dealt one bad hand after another, somehow always making all the wrong twists and turns that led to this moment. he'd tried so hard to fight his own emotions, his own demons. it didn't matter how long he'd tried to work for buer, he ALWAYS found himself coming back here. still wishing he could start completely over somehow.
all of sumeru hates him. he'd grown used to being hated and loathed, being once a harbinger that threw out abuse like it was rubbish. he'd belittled, mocked and discarded anyone who had failed him in the most asinine ways. it doesn't feel good to have that same mistreatment thrown back in his face by the average person. if not for buer and the traveler, kaminari is certain he'd have tried this a long time ago.
but even their concern is never enough. he had tried, he had tried so hard to build himself back up. he'd earned himself a name and a vision, and even SOCIALIZED briefly. but nothing ever felt like enough, nothing would ever work in his favor again.
which is why he finds himself standing before irminsul, really taking in the glory of this cursed tree. it's overwhelmingly large and bright; kaminari had never appreciated it before. it can do the impossible, and it can bend the will of people around it. it can also hold people prisoner.
but can it actually grant him his wish of freedom? not freedom to leave...but the freedom to start completely over from scratch. if kaminari could go back, he'd make better choices. he could even possibly save niwa.
the name hurts. kaminari doesn't think about him much anymore, because remembering brings about an ache that will never heal. true, his vision allowed SOME of that pain to lessen, but generally, he cannot manage his grief. niwa had died due to a series of mistakes, and if kaminari could do it all over again, he would.
entranced, he's stepping forward and reaching out for irminsul without thinking. there's one single wish on his mind: to start over anew in a world where people don't know him.
irminsul seems to respond. the light envelops his being, pulling him into some abyssal space that feels like shrinking and expanding simultaneously. though, there is no pain from it. it's enough that kami feels confined and unable to move, but he can still see. sort of. the area surrounding irminsul is dimming and fading from view, leaving him in total and complete darkness.
he isn't sure if he slept or not. he isn't sure how much time had passed. but his next sense of awareness is falling to the ground soundlessly. part of him still doesn't want to move, wishing to go back to that endless stretch of nothing -- it had been peaceful there. but the brightness of irminsul is back, causing him to squint.
it's not just vision that's returning, but sound. because kaminari can now hear voices coming from the other side of the tree. they sound far too familiar for his comfort, and it's only when he hears the sound of his own voice that kaminari realizes that something is wrong.
fate has a funny way of playing tricks on people. it can give someone exactly what they want, and never leave them needing anything else. it can also cruelly take and take and take from others until they're at their lowest point with no hope of climbing. fate can also change the entire scope of reality to fit its own whims.
as kaminari circles the tree to see what is going on, he learns that he's a victim of the third option. fate is definitely toying with him, and not in a very amusing way.
is this what you wanted, one who is formerly scaramouche? you wished to enter a world where you were never known.
he stares into the eyes of his mirror image, and kaminari realizes that this is going to be a very long day.
kami is not dumb enough to think he's smarter than ren or that he knows more. they're both incredibly similar, having gone through a lot of the same ordeals and trauma. their lives DID veer off though, where ren went through irminsul and erased himself, and kami did not. HOWEVER, their emotions, no matter the outcome are still similar in that they both share a huge lack of trust in people and a huge dislike for their past.
though, kami still feels inclined to protect ren!! not because he's older (what's ~100 years in the grand scheme of life?), and not because he chose a more difficult road, but because he knows that suffering alone isn't worth it. he can't tell ren what to do or how to act because KAMI himself doesn't know! they're both just floundering through their shitty existence with the shitty hand they were dealt, but the difference is kami can support ren.
that's his brother! ren is his family!!!
kami also doesn't want to go back to his own world quite yet. he COULD at any time. he knows that if he were to go back to irminsul and be like "take me home", he could go back and face life a little bit stronger and a little bit wiser. but kami is also stupidly selfish and isn't ready to leave behind the one person who understands most what he's going through. it's not some heightened understanding, but kami can bullshit as well as the next person. he spent time in the fatui too, he lived as a harbinger, he knows things, he's done things. he likes to pretend to impart little nuggets of wisdom, and ren seems to humor him well enough. (or maybe kami actually does know what he's talking about sometimes, and it helps that it honestly seems to benefit ren.)
but that's why he's here with ren! they might not NEED each other. more specifically, ren might not need kami, but that support system, especially with someone who can empathize, is a whole lot better than going through it alone. plus, who needs therapy when you can be murder twins together? that's the best kind of therapy!
l;sjksdl;fk i just think so much about these two. i think so much about how much kami actually loves ren and would do anything for him. he can offer his own wisdom with his own thoughts and life experience and hope it gives ren some perspective, and he can also be an obnoxious prick to give ren something else to think about and do instead of falling into a depressed stupor over things neither of them can control. as long as they're together, kami DOESN'T have to worry about either of them getting hurt. he can see that ren is slowly getting happier, and surviving well enough. eventually kami might have to leave and go back home, but for now, he's not going to worry about that.
because he still wants to help, he still NEEDS to help. he needs to be certain 100% that ren doesn't need him anymore. but as long as ren continues to trust him and even want to return the favor, kami is going to take that as permission to stay put and continue to protect ren the only way he knows how: by sheer anemo kick ass power.
they're brothers, your honor.
"we are NOT cowards," kami snaps. the anger itself isn't directed at ren, nor is it even a revelation of kami's opinion of himself. the phrase 'hiding out' seems to have struck a nerve with ren, and in turn, kami's trying to avoid his own rising panic. historically, neither of them really do well when it comes to feeling NEGATIVE emotions. it seems they share the same mindset that anything forcing a positive change in their lives is ALSO a downside. cowardice ― kami loathes that word. he's never meant to come across as a coward in his entire existence. hasn't their shared background taught them they're anything BUT?
kami supposes his brief burst of anger is more directed at the electro archon herself. her one act had been so careless, so thoughtless toward him. them. he supposes that to her, it had been a mere drop in a bucket, and not even ONCE considering how a puppet with freshly developed emotions would feel centuries later. maybe SHE'S the coward, refusing to confront or acknowledge the harm she caused. and even centuries later, is still evidentally acting blameless in her actions.
it pisses kaminari off.
as for himself, he could go back and see his own iteration of the raiden shogun. he could confront her. but this is ren's world, this is ren's issue to confront. forcing ren to face his past wouldn't do much for kami, but it COULD give him an idea on how he wants to approach his own issues.
"i don't have the first idea either," kami admits, voice returning to a quiet monotone. "i would say ask buer for advice, but i have the feeling she'd rather not meddle in family affairs." kami doesn't even want to consider anyone else in sumeru. not that many people even know of kami's existence in the first place. THAT much is still a secret ― though it is funny to confuse the citizens with the 'twins' seemingly switching clothes at random.
"my personal suggestion is to take the plunge." he shrugs. it's easy to give themselves this pep talk and work up the courage, but it's an entirely different thing if they have to actually get on a boat and travel to inazuma.
"what about that boyfriend of yours?" kami asks. "doesn't he travel with a pirate crew? what if we paid for passage to inazuma?" this is for ren's sake, kami is telling himself. ren would probably appreciate having both kami AND his romantic partner by his side. kami wonders if that kind of double support would be all the encouragement ren needs. and for a brief moment, kami is JEALOUS. he has no such support in his own time. swallow it down, push it away.
"of course, if you'd rather we didn't, i'm more than happy to stay on the mainlands forever. i hear it's fun to explore the water depths in fontaine."
does he want to go BACK? lips press into a thin line — not quite a smile so much as it is something that aspires to be. the only sense of amusement it conveys is predictably grim. ❝ what would be the point? ❞ ren asks him — and similar to his twin, he still refuses to look at him directly while he speaks. it's nothing personal; his face has always been an open book, and the wanderer can only assume whatever PAINED expression has etched itself into his countenance is far too embarrassing to share. weak. lost. worthless. ❝ there isn't anything back there ... for either of us. ❞ tatarasuna is gone; a broken, unrecognizable echo of what was. those who inhabited it, those who they once called their family — whether as a result of tragedy or simply the relentless march of time, not a single soul still draws breath. the living do not recognize them and their creator ...
well. briefly ren entertains what would be worse — if her mind was wiped clean just as neatly as any other soul, or if she held some nondescript recollection of the creation she so callously DISCARDED. he wonders if the pain of not knowing would be preferable. the wound may fester and refuse to heal, but at least then he could choose to believe whatever option was less insufferable at any given moment. it's the coward's way out, he knows. ( and isn't that just like his MOTHER? )
he stares at the lights shining between the gaps in his fingers, then curls his hand into a fist to blot them all out. ❝ hiding ... ❞ the wanderer echoes. ❝ i suppose when you put it that way, that's exactly what we've been doing. ❞ ( just like his mother. just like his mother. ) just. like. his. MOTHER. throat goes tight at the revelation; he has to take a moment and exhale a slow breath — attempting to recall lord kusanali's words of wisdom as he untangles the gnarled mess of knots making itself at home inside his chest. ❝ after a while ... the only difference between laying low and cowardice is what you choose to call it. ❞
the wanderer straightens up very suddenly, as if the railing has grown hot enough to BURN HIM. ❝ i don't know. ❞ he finally says, voice tight with the dissatisfaction the admittance brings him. ❝ i want to move on, but it doesn't seem possible without facing the issue ... the difficult part is knowing HOW to do that. ❞
avalon and i figured out the main differences between ren and kami, and how you can tell the twins apart if you ever run into both of the.
ren is very controlled. there's a method to his madness, he's very meticulous and plans every move down to each tiny step. as wild and mean as he seems, it's all planned out, he operates with care.
kami on the other hand is a wild card. he's very chaotic, doesn't plan anything. he doesn't like to plan much, he doesn't like to put much thought and care into his actions. he's the very definition of a feral cat and lashes out when cornered, but he does have his favorite people that he runs to when he feels threatened.
they're both SO VASTLY DIFFERENT and yet so similar. this can apply to wanderer era and/or scaramouche era. it's so interesting to see the different portrayals we have.
and yet, they are brothers all the same.
ren's confession almost passes by unacknowledged. kami doesn't want to discuss the finer intricacies of ren's love life. in part, because kami is still JEALOUS that ren can find love, and also part because the idea that ren can befriend and even marry one of the descendants of the raiden gokaden is still so, so laughable to kaminari. it stands to reason he'd gloss right over this.
except―
tipping his kasa back, kami GLARES at ren with the most bombastic side eye. there is nothing funny about what ren's told him, but this entire confession is even more laughable than the idea that ren is dating his supposed enemy.
"ren." kami's voice comes out far more curt than he'd like. but then again, it's not sharp enough, either. "you are going to marry this man," kami continues. he shifts his body, angling it more toward his brother. "you instinctively correct me on what your titles to each other are. you are dedicating yourself to him in the most mundane, pointless ceremony to ever exist. and yet, you haven't told him anything about yourself?"
kami's TRYING to place himself in ren's shoes. he's trying to understand where ren's coming from. if kami had such a loyal partner as kaedahara, certainly he'd feel comfortable enough to share the darkest parts of his past, to ensure his partner would still love him.
isn't that how it's supposed to be?
kami ISN'T in ren's shoes. though they share incredibly similar experiences, and may have even walked in the same footsteps, their opinions and outlooks on life are still entirely separate from each other. case in point: ren and kaedahara being engaged.
"are you going to lie by omission this entire time?" kami continues. "forget even the fatui. does he even KNOW you're the one who kickstarted his clan's downfall?" he puts a hand to his mouth, trying to stifle the sudden onslaught of laughter, but this is way too fucking rich. this isn't funny. ren isn't funny. but okay― this is a little funny.
"i can't believe you," kami laughs. "i can't wait to see the look on his face when―, and yes, i'm expecting you to actually tell him, ―he learns the truth about you."
kami bows his head, biting on a finger to try and control himself. he can't just keep laughing at ren, but sometimes kami wonders how much of an idiot he really can be.
"―and i thought i was the reckless one."
the anger earns a blink — though ren isn't so ignorant as to assume it's directed at HIMSELF. the situation they've found themselves in goes beyond merely messy. it's a veritable minefield with no end in sight where each step carries the risk of setting off yet another explosive — vitriolic feelings, some echo of past trauma, a memory better left buried. instead of adding more fuel to those white-hot sparks of anger, the wanderer decides to observe in silence. chin propped up on that same fist that once feigned snatching up the lights of the city below, eyes sharp and unapologetically attuned to every detail.
❝ she wouldn't. ❞ he only speaks up when kaminari decides to shift the SUBJECT. ❝ ... and frankly, i would prefer not to have that conversation with her — even if she's already well aware of the details. ❞ lord kusanali's wisdom is invaluable, but her guidance is too GENTLE. ren's mind craves an answer — direct and uncompromising. he cannot handle a vague push meant to gently nudge him towards his own conclusions. his head is far too muddled to produce anything of value, emotions clouding his judgement. it's precisely for that reason why he's decided to consult KAMINARI about this — knowing full well that his twin is both similarly straightforward and already aware of the ugly feelings HAUNTING him. it's a shame he didn't take the time to consider that might lend itself to the same hindrances.
❝ ... ❞ take the plunge, huh? it's certainly an idea. perhaps it's the only option they truly have. ❝ he's my fiancé. ❞ ren quickly corrects — words spoken on REFLEX rather than conscious thought. ❝ ... not my boyfriend. ❞ honestly, the wanderer doesn't particularly care much for the difference — and he doesn't care much for the concept of marriage in general. still, it's important to KAZUHA. ❝ i doubt we have the funds to pay for a personal trip to inazuma ... but if they happen to already be heading in that direction, there's a chance we could tag along. ❞ although, even thinking about it has discomfort squirming in the pit of his nonexistent stomach. this is very rapidly beginning to feel a bit too REAL. ❝ to be honest, i'm not sure how deeply i want kazuha to be involved. he's already has his own experiences involving my mother, and i can't imagine they're PLEASANT ... it would be SELFISH to involve him in my issues on top of that, wouldn't it? ❞ yes, they may be in a relationship — and yes, he knows by definition that means they should be around to support one another... but is it so wrong to want to PROTECT HIM from discomfort that would otherwise be completely avoidable?
... perhaps. ren knows he has a tendency to keep SECRETS. ( more than he should. )
case and point, ❝ he still doesn't know about the fatui. ❞
well now it's no longer funny. kami doesn't enjoy watching ren lose his temper like that, even less so when that anger is directed at him.
he should have expected this, in all honestly. ren is EXCELLENT at hiding things from others, including kaminari. he's great at shutting down and shutting out the world around him; evidently he's trying to pull that same shit with kami. it's fair though; kami DOESN'T know what all ren's done with kazuha. every part of that relationship had happened behind the scenes. kami was never involved, he doesn't know the extent of what ren put himself through for his relationship.
perhaps kami SHOULDN'T have laughed. the entire situation is a complete mess, and kami KNOWS he just made it worse. that doesn't stop the anger from rising up in his own chest at ren's reaction. or the hurt. hadn't kami tried to help? he'd stayed well out of everyone's affairs, remaining hidden so people don't know there's TWO of them running around. he's already isolated and alone, with not a single spot of company aside from ren. not even nahida is great company these days. her focus is on her world's wanderer, while kami's usually left to his own devices. he spends most of his time in the sanctuary, with only books to keep him occupied.
kami had tried to understand. offering support and guidance, giving them an unshakable bond of understand and sympathy between them, that no one else could penetrate. why does it take a brief bout of surprised laughter to have all that thrown back in HIS face?
rejection. pain. kami is not unfamiliar with those concepts. he's not unfamiliar with that crushing loneliness that threatens to overwhelm him this time. he will not cry. he will not lose control in front of ren.
stay away from me.
"as you wish," kami says tersely. he's not going to argue the point. he's not going to come seek out ren later, either. if ren wants to find him, he can find him elsewhere. though, it's unlikely to happen anytime soon.
coward. parasite. USELESS. PUPPET.
"good luck with your marriage," he digs. "hopefully you don't torpedo that relationship, either. given your masterful ability to lash out, who knows?" that's all he says before he's leaping over the railing, flying away to get as far away from his 'twin' as possible. there's more he could say. there's more kami could throw back in ren's face, to show him exactly why this conversation is a sore topic. but ren knows. he already knows what it's like to be in kami's shoes. as much as kami wishes for the same, he doesn't love anyone the way he loves. LOVED. ren.
he'll never befriend anyone on the same level. he'll never reach that complication of navigating friendships or even romance the way ren has. kami isn't ren, and he'll NEVER be.
you don't belong here. spineless. coward. is that all he's doing anymore? is just HIDING? it never really mattered to begin with. kami's life began as a mistake, and he's going to live out whatever pathetic lifetime he still has as yet another one. there's no HOME to go back to, and there's no home here, either. perhaps he'll go back to shakkei pavilion and isolate there forever, let himself rot in some never ending stupor, just like what he was created for.
let ren run his life.
kami hopes he fucking chokes on his misery. he's choking, frantically wiping away tears already falling unbidden as he zooms off, not entirely sure where he's going anymore. leaving sumeru, maybe.
he already misses ren.
he understands entirely what kind of HOLE he's dug himself into — and perhaps it's partially for that reason why he even confessed to his lie by omission at all. it isn't as if he's chosen to hide the truth from kazuha indefinitely; what is one more sin to add to that mountainous pile? the ronin has never rejected him before, even when ren can only assume any LOGICAL person otherwise would. but of course, kazuha has never been the type to do anything even remotely logical — he thinks with the heart of a free-spirited poet rather than his actual HEAD. even so, uncertainty stills his tongue. every time the ideal opportunity presents itself, the wanderer finds it slips through his fingers before he has the chance to capitalize. he needs to tell him, he knows — and he will. but doing so poses the risk of exposing the one person he wishes to protect above all else to a world rife with cruelty, atrocities and bloodshed. if he tells him about the fatui, he'll need to tell him about EVERYTHING ELSE — and under no circumstances will ren allow him to be dragged into his obsessive war against the doctor.
he understands all of this — and part of him hopes that kaminari will be able to understand as well. he doesn't expect him to CONDONE his actions, but to at least be capable of approaching them with some degree of genuine empathy. it seems like he was expecting a little too much.
does he even know you're the one who kickstarted his clan's downfall? ❝ ... ❞ with a harsh CRUNCH, the railing CRUMBLES beneath his grip — stone reduced to dust as though it were made of dry, fragile clay. does he know? does he KNOW? ren can accept being mocked for what he hasn't told kazuha — but he won't accept this. ( won't accept his greatest regret being treated as a joke. ) it feels like his blood has been set ablaze from the sheer force of his anger. he feels sick. he feels lightheaded. he feels a traitorous prickling at the corners of his eyes — not tears, so much as they are a liquid form of vitriol. ire potent enough to poison an entire village with a single drop. ❝ shut the fuck up. ❞ his voice comes sharper than any blade. it's exceedingly rare for the wanderer to curse, but in this very special situation, other words fail to encompass the sheer breadth of his anger. ❝ for once in your worthless existence, know when to STOP TALKING. ❞
he has no idea. he has no idea. and perhaps under different circumstances, ren would feel more inclined to calmly correct kaminari's assumption — but not when his doppelganger has the nerve to LAUGH in his face. he has no idea that was the among the very first things he told him — that he approached kazuha fully with the intention of it being his own EXECUTION. ( for if it were at all possible, it would only be fitting if it was by his blade. ) he has no idea the months he spent diligently devoting himself to one human's happiness, doing everything in his power to ensure that he would be able to live freely — even if it would do little to compensate for the suffering he had already INFLICTED. he has no idea the sheer amount of self-loathing his own feelings brought him. how there are still nights ( even now ) wherein the hatred is great enough that he nearly CHOKES on it. disgusting, selfish, wretched. his mere presence in kazuha's life is an indulgence ren doesn't feel at all ENTITLED to. he has no idea how many times that knowledge has shattered him into so many ugly pieces — only to have them carefully, lovingly reassembled by the hands of the person he has unwittingly burdened with that cavalcade of past mistakes. ren already knows that he doesn't deserve kazuha; he doesn't need kaminari rubbing it in his face.
... opening up to anyone never comes without more regrets than it's worth. how naive of him to forget.
❝ stay away from kazuha. stay away from the wedding. ❞ uninvited. whatever; it's not like he CARES, right? ❝ in fact, why don't you do us both a favor and stay away from me? if you're going to hide in my world like a hypocritical PARASITE, the least you can do is keep out of my way. ❞ fingers uncurl from the ruined railing with a clatter of falling rubble. ❝ i don't think a COWARD too spineless to go home and face his own mistakes has any place to mock me about my own — now does he? ❞
"seriously kami, why do you even bother with ren? he's rude, cold and lies to everyone. it's pretty obvious he doesn't care about anyone other than himself. the second you say something he doesn't like, he just cuts you out of his life like that? after everything you've been through? talk about cruel. you're better off without someone like that hanging around."
kami agrees. HE AGREES. ren has a very short fuse, he's always had one. kami knows that all too well ― he's LIVED it before.
part of his entire journey now is to find some sort of recovery, no matter what form it takes. he should have expected the bumps in the road; kami and ren are too similar in some aspects. they both take hurt and offense way too quickly ― ANYONE would butt heads with either of them.
"you're right," kami says coldly, rooted in place, staring out into the distance from whence he came. "ren has a sharp tongue that's going to land him in trouble. and his dishonesty is going to land him in even more. he needs to curb that temper of his if he's going to make any meaningful progress with the people in his life."
he stops there. because as much as kami agrees with the words thrown his way, he also, at his core, still cares deeply for ren. there is NO ONE ELSE who could even attempt to understand or share his pain.
even now, subtly and just barely unseen, kami is holding out his hand, absorbing the breeze and wind, letting it swirl menacingly in a circle. a small funnel that's he's staring at with narrowed and hate-filled eyes.
"but if you think i'm going to stand here and let you talk about him that way, you're dead wrong. it doesn't matter what i did or what he said, he's still my brother, and you have not earned the right to speak about, or even think about him."
he's never caused a tornado before. perhaps he's learned this trick by watching kaedahara from a distance, wistfully wishing he'd been allowed to have friends. but he could still learn by watching and hearing about what other visions can do, and he's applying that knowledge to this situation with a level of malice that only the balladeer could conjure up.
with a swish of his hand, the tornado grows in size, gaining speed and becoming far more deadly. it's not quite big enough to be a STORM, but it's enough to cause plenty of damage. it's headed straight for the accuser.
"now do me a favor, and die."
@windsfavored