aionlogs | that time i got reincarnated as a baby catboy.

[ Guess who's been poking at Eustace's Communion space these past few days in an effort to reach him. This isn't like when Joonghyuk had disappeared and there had been a feeling of an unreachable distance between them, so Dokja tries and tries again until one day, something gives.

He pushes a bit harder, an insistence coupled with an anxiety that's been persisting ever since the return from the raid. ]

Eustace? You there?

The number you have dialed is currently unavailable. Please try again later.

[ No, just kidding (again), he's finally here this time, some four or five days after the raid on Achamoth concludes. He sounds tired (but when hasn't he in the past two weeks) but his (mental) voice is clear and alert. ]

I'm here. What is it?

[ Get smacked in the face with this massive wave of relief coming from Dokja's end. He tries to reel it in, but imagine being in control of your emotions.

There are so many questions he wants to ask, but he thinks he knows the answer to some of the more pressing ones, so. He'll save them for later. ]

I have your gun.

[ It's not that hard? Just practice for a decade and you'll get it right?? Haven't you been alive for 22k years now, buddy???

He doesn't think any of that, too busy both being smacked in the face by a wave of relief and also startled enough by the news that his own (smaller) wave of relief also floats out. Whatever other thoughts he might have been occupied with before get immediately tossed away, his attention now fully on Dokja. ]

How?

[ He used to have a wall in his head that did all of that for him but it's been gone.......

And really, Dokja wants to be the one asking how this had happened. ]

One of the Pleroma had it. She said she got it from Syrlya. [ A hesitant pause. ] What happened? Did you let him borrow it?

[ Because he fucking died with it, bruh. ]

[ Who the fuck is Syrlya?

But he sets aside that question for later, his short-lived relief morphing into something moodier and more hesitant. He hasn't forgotten the parting words Dokja had flung at him before splitting ways - don't die - and while he'd never promised such a thing, he hadn't actually intended on giving his life up so immediately anyway.

The silence that stretches between them for a second too long is probably enough of a sign that the words that follow aren't the whole of the picture. ]

It was taken from me by one of the Kenoma. I wasn't able to get it back.

[ For.....reasons. ]

[ Ah... He's putting together the picture he hadn't wanted to put together now. Eustace's absence, the way it had felt like the other man was asleep when Dokja had tried to Communion with him, the gun going through a number of hands...

They can't dance around this topic forever and so he has to ask. ]

... Did you die?

[ After Dokja's specific instructions NOT TO? ]

[ you're not the boss of him!!!!!

But.........ah, how is he supposed to avoid the subject when he's asked point-blank like that? There is a long, long silence before: ]

Yes.

[ He will not be elaborating unless asked. ]

[ There it is. A ripple of distress shoots through their connection, but it's quieter. After all, Eustace is back now and that's what should matter.

But Dokja's still annoyed. ]

Where are you right now?

[ He's going to take this gun and beat Eustace with it. ]

[ In next week's episode: watch Eustace hatch out of an egg for the third time in six months because people won't stop fucking killing him!

It's a valid question to ask, presupposed by the assumption that Dokja is asking in order to return his gun back to him, but a flare of alarm spikes up inside him at the thought of exposing Gray in her unattuned state to anyone he doesn't implicitly trust.

If he were alone, it wouldn't matter. But Gray's safety is the most important thing to him right now, and he's not about to compromise that just so he can feel a little more secure. ]

If you need to talk to me in person, pick a place and I'll meet you there.

[ There's a halting hesitance on Dokja's end. He's in Greentruth now and while he knows Eustace is no longer aligned with the Kenoma, he's not too certain if he can just invite the other man in. Is there a probationary period? He's never dealt with anything like this before...

And while he's not too keen on returning to Godsblood, he'd at least (finally) been taught how to use glamours in order to change his appearance. That should hide him from the citizens who might recognize him. ]

If you're near Godsblood, I can meet you there. Outside of where I used to live?

[ He has no idea where Eustace is, but it seems like a safe enough place to meet up. ]

[ Godsblood...

He'd planned on heading there anyway, both to lose himself in anonymity as well as meet up with Ernesto and Dextera, but there's no way he can make it there in any reasonable amount of time. The sooner he gets his gun back (and has some sort of weapon with which to defend himself with), the better. He can't really afford to dawdle. ]

The Artisan shrine. I can meet you there.

[ And then he can pick up some of Dokja's ants and Dokja can see him in hideous pink heart capri pants. ]

[ Ugh, he just spent two days in that shrine having the worst time of his life and now he has to go BACK?

Wait a minute. ]

What the hell are you doing all the way out there?

[ But he's starting to grab his things and Eustace's gun and heading out that way now. ]

[ :)

:)

:)

:)

There's nothing but radio silence as Eustace HANGS UP like the rude little binch he is. See you at the shrine, Dokja!! ]

[ WOW.....

Okay, it's going to take him some time to get there. While he can fly and use the wind to aid him on his travels, it's still a good distance away from Greentruth? The portal to the valley is also no longer there? This is so out of the way!!

When Dokja finally gets there hours later, he's exhausted. It doesn't help that he hasn't had a proper moment to rest since the raid, and he looks like he's in desperate need of sleep when he shows up, rifle strapped to his back as he makes his way toward the shrine.

Where's Eustace... Dokja has so many bones to pick with him at this point. ]

[ Bro just use a teleportation spell like the rest of them?? How do you think the normies of the world get anywhere???

Actually, the fact that Dokja shows up hours later (rather than the expected thirty minutes he's accustomed to) means Eustace is extra on edge by the time this touching reunion starts to unfurl. He's leaned against one side of the monument at the center, shoulders even more tense than usual, and he's quick to bolt upright as soon as he catches sight of Dokja, the deep frown on his face a mix of annoyance and concern. ]

Did something happen on the way here?

[ Yo, why did it take so long. ]

[ He's been using teleportation spells for days now he's tapped OUT. Also, sometimes I just think he should suffer for the hell of it.

Anyway, check out how exhausted he looks... He's going to hand this gun to Eustace and just knock out for three days straight in this shrine because he deserves the break, holy shit. ]

Had to... [ wheeze ] fly here...

[ Give him a second to double over to grab his knees and suck in some much needed breaths and then they can go on with their merry exchange. ]

[ you know what, that's fair

Eustace will not comment on Dokja's OOCly inflicted suffering, though he does file this particular maneuver away under the evergrowing list of Stupid Shit Dokja Has Done. Still, he's not unappreciative of what Dokja's put himself through by coming all this way just to return something, and his voice softens as he stares down at this sad pathetic man. ]

Sit down.

[ This is just painful to watch. ]

[ No, he will NOT sit down! In fact, he inhales rather sharply at the demand and straightens himself out, finger already pointed and ready to jab itself into Eustace's chest. He's got a whole spiel ready, mostly about how dumb Eustace was to have died at the hands of his former allies, but then

he stops. ]

[ His mouth, which had been open and prepared to start yapping, clamps shut.

And he stares at Eustace for a beat longer than he means to. ]

[ ... Sits down.

Glares at the ground the entire time.

Why did he have to remember what happened the last time they met face to face. ]

[ ..............................

you okay there buddy ]

[ But also thanks for reminding me that something did in fact happen the last time they met that wasn't them just arguing with each other like a pair of idiots.

Does Eustace also remember what happened? Results inconclusive. Between dying, reviving, learning about Gray's deattunement, and having to watch with gritted teeth as Gen slinks off into the great outdoors all by himself, it's been a rough almost-week. In comparison, a single brief kiss feels incredibly tame, a little blip of normalcy to be held onto like some sort of weird anchor instead of a freak occurrence to be held at arm's length.

But again, he doesn't talk about it. (Will he ever, stay tuned.) Instead he stands next to Dokja, staring at Dokja's bowed head. ]

Thanks. For coming.

[ Well, if Eustace won't talk about it and Dokja won't talk about it, then did it actually happen?

There's a pause as he tries very hard to scrub his thoughts clean before he huffs out a breath and starts undoing the sling holding the rifle on his back. He doesn't need the gratitude, but he would like an explanation. ]

Why did you want to meet me all the way out here?

[ Since Eustace so rudely hung up on him when he'd last asked. ]

communion!!

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