final curfew pcs in sitting room

[fetteredwings]

a succubus,a normal? boy and a doll gather in a room full of books, snacks and plushies

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[revengier]

[ He settles back against the couch, mug still clutched in his hands. There's a bit of distance in his voice as he speaks, like the memories are far away. ]

We moved around a lot, so we didn't settle in one place for too long and mostly relied on what the forest provided. Our numbers were small, but we were happy.

[renjou]

( worryfrog... But Kurapika is pretty assertive about when he doesn't want to talk about something, so Yuki trusts that. )

... It doesn't sound like you ran away, then.

( Since Kurapika mentioned a loophole, and all. Despite my meta, he can't imagine Kurapika would describe what happened eventually as a loophole, either. So... something else? )

[revengier]

I left, but it was for good reason.

[ He wonders if he should divulge more, and he takes another sip of his tea to buy himself time.

…

Why not. ]

We had to pass an exam if we wanted to leave, so I studied for it and passed the written portion. The other portion… I cheated.

[renjou]

( Huh. Surprisingly pragmatic way to leave.

He raises an eyebrow at the cheating bit, taking note of the delay in answer. )

Cheated in what way?

[revengier]

My people possessed a specific trait that we needed to hide if we wanted to live in greater society. One of the tests was to ensure we could spend a day out without letting that trait get the better of us. I was supposed to take eyedrops that would reveal whether or not it had, but my friend switched them at the last moment to regular eye drops.

[ … ]

I failed it, but passed because the village elder never had evidence that I failed.

[renjou]

... That was terribly kind of them.

( Maybe it was cheating, and maybe the test had a purpose, but ... well, the past is past, and the dead are dead. It doesn't need to be more complicated than that. )

Was the world beyond the village what you'd hoped?

[revengier]

…Not really. It was exciting at first, but on our way back, we were harassed.

[ He looks down at the remainder of his tea. ]

My trait was activated, and we were chased out.

[renjou]

That's awful. Why would they ever...

( He shakes his head, half a rhetorical question. Kurapika has been pretty vague about some things and not others, and while he does wonder...

He studies Kurapika for a few moments. )

... Is this difficult on you to recall?

[revengier]

[ Is it? He… doesn’t know. For the most part, it feels distant for him, like a far off event that happened to someone else yet still left its mark on his heart.

Because he doesn’t know, he decides not to answer that question.

So, he answers Yuki’s first thought instead. Why would they indeed. ]

My people were known for the Scarlet Eyes. Any great surge of emotion would cause our irises to turn scarlet. When we were angered, this would be accompanied by an almost superhuman strength and a nearly uncontrollable rage. Our reputation, as a result, was poor.

[renjou]

( The lack of answer only concerns him more,

But. hm. Well, it makes sense the test was particular on this point. )

... Still. That's only prejudice. ( Preaching to the choir, he knows, but. ) So the test was to control your emotions, I imagine. But ... it hardly seems fair, when these are things you were born with.

[revengier]

It isn’t fair, but sometimes it’s necessary to bend to the will of a society.

[ He doesn’t like it, doesn’t think it’s right, but it is the truth. ]

[renjou]

( It's true, but... he doesn't feel good about simply agreeing when it's someone else. )

... Must you hide it, even now?

[revengier]

It’s easier.

[ In part due to his abilities, but he’s not going to open that particular can of worms right now. ]

When I was only security for the Nostrade family, I wore them constantly to avoid negative reactions to my eyes and questions regarding my reasoning for being there. By then, I hadn’t learned how to fully keep my emotions under control.