He's the one who told me death wouldn't last, and how the gems work. Ideally, he would've been tethered and she would've found peace, but...
[ A shrug and a vexed sigh. As Yuri had said, Kuja evidently won't let go of his powder keg even though he damn well should for all of their sakes. If for no one else, he ought to do it for himself... But Yuri can only guess at the shape of whatever desperation drives Kuja to hold onto Brahne.
He'd said he wasn't built to last, something about his soul, but what good was having a volatile extra going to do him?
Yuri has to set these ruminations aside for a later time when Andy speaks again. The question is...odd, to say the least. Yet Andy's clearly expectant, he can see it in the way the other man is watching him. ]
Why would I be uneasy? That's a useful ability to have, if someone's out of control or causing trouble.
[Man, what a can of worms that question was. Andy debated just brushing it off, but hell, he was getting a little tired of dodging and ducking under awkward topics. Even he, a trained infiltrator, got tired of just... hiding.]
...in my world, people think differently.
[He sighed deeply.]
It's kind of complicated, but, y'know when I told you that I was at the bottom of the social ladder back home? Well, that's why. I'm an esper, and my powers marked me as a pariah since childhood. Espers are heavily discriminated against by Normals - uh, that is, normal humans - and it's not uncommon for them to call us monsters or whatever.
But other espers hated me because I could suppress their powers, so... both sides shunned me. Honestly, this is the first time I've been somewhere that no one's made a big deal about my powers and stuff. People just treat me as some guy. Hell, there're skeletons just walking around. I'm practically normal in comparison, which is great.
I know it's easy to say this, but those people are wrong.
[ Plain and simple. Power isn't what makes someone into a monster, it's what they do with it. And Andy has been nothing but a decent guy, in the time that Yuri has known him. He'd sooner judge a man by what he's done with what he has than the things he can't help and had no say in. ]
That doesn't change what you've had to deal with, but you're simply Andy to me. And I've only ever seen you look out for people.
[ To him, that's far more important than whether the man can snap his fingers and nullify his magic. ]
[Andy couldn't help the knee-jerk discomfort - and the guilt. It was easy for Yuri to say that, when he only really knew Andy at surface level. He didn't know that Andy spent such a large chunk of his life angry, hating espers for not accepting him, hating Normals for rejecting him, telling himself he didn't give a shit about anyone, that the only person he had to look out for was himself...
That he trained to be a hunter of his own kind. If Hyoubu hadn't opened his eyes, Andy didn't want to think how many espers he would've dragged into his organisation's greedy hands. How many would've been brainwashed or experimented on because... well, did cruelty even need a reason?]
I've done a lot of shit I regret, and... I'm trying to make up for it now. So, you're only seeing me after I've done all my fuck ups and realised that being angry at everything just makes me even more miserable.
And I'm a man who knows how to kill people quickly, without their notice. Does that sound like a man with clean hands to you?
[ There are precious few saints in the world. Everyone does things they deeply regret, or has a list of them. Whether of their choosing or because needs must or the product of a torturous and bitter life, people did things they felt remorse over.
Does he wish Andy had a better life? Of course he does. Stories like his, at its core, abound in Abyss. ]
The reason I could come to you about this insane situation is because to me, you're decent. I wasn't there for what came before, but being cut up about your mistakes only reinforces my opinion.
[It was a testament to how much Hyoubu had violently shifted his worldview that he didn't even blink at Yuri's casual admission of murder. Truthfully, he was just wondering if Yuri would still think the same if he actually knew what Andy had done. Aside from being a paid traitor, he had also almost caused a bunch of esper children to be kidnapped and brainwashed into weapons (though, admittedly, he hadn't known that was going to happen at the time.
But Andy wasn't going to admit all that just to win this argument about how terrible he was, so he just sighed and waved a hand, visibly dismissing the topic in general.]
If that's what you think... anyway. [Yup, we're changing subjects! Avoidance! It never failed.] Back to the whole Kuja thing. D'we know when he's gonna get possessed or do we have to wait for shit to catch fire or what have you?
[ Yuri sees the deflection for what it is, but he's learned from the last time they strayed into the topic of Andy's past. More to the point, the topic of Andy himself. If he pushes it, they'll just reach some uncomfortable impasse.
But he doesn't imagine his thoughts regarding the man are liable to be changed now. He's seen enough to be sure of that. ]
He did rattle off some numbers when he was drunk the other evening, let's see here...
[ Yuri had the forethought to write it down, at least, so he takes out his notebook and reads the number off to him. ]
[Props for being so well-organised? Andy sighed heavily and crammed his hands into his pockets, giving his head a bit of a shake.]
Well, works out for us, I guess. Alright. Now the question is if we should wait, or if I should just go and ambush him now, get him in a headlock and see if I can smother that unwanted guest of his.
To be honest, there's no point trying to understand what goes through that monkey's skull. No doubt he'll kick and scream whenever we decide to deal with him.
[He just gave off that spoilt brat vibe...]
He's predictably immature. So... y'know, we should probably just take care of it once he becomes a problem. I can't deal with him complaining about us being spoilsports if we jump the gun before this unwanted guest of his possesses him again.
[At least then they could use the excuse of being a repeat offender as a reason for being put in power jail.]
[ Yuri couldn't deny that Andy had a point there. Kuja operated on his own logic that, even when he was eager to expound upon it, Yuri couldn't rightly say he followed all that well much of the time.
Inviting the soul of someone who despised him into his body, given the risks it entailed that he evidently knew about, wasn't something Yjri could claim to understand. ]
You've got a point there, so... Let's go with that.
[Andy grimaced slightly. This bit was important if he decided to permanently put a block - even if 'temporarily' - on Kuja.]
...if I do end up having to permanently suppress Kuja's powers. It takes a lot out of me. As in, I'll be unconscious for over a day or two. So, y'know. I'd appreciate it if you could drag me somewhere where I won't get rained on, or eaten by the local wildlife.
The reason it takes so much out of me is because of the permanency of it. When I'm just passively negating, or doing temporary suppression, it doesn't take much effort. It's like, the... spiritual equivalent of chopping someone on the back of the neck to hit a pressure point. Like this.
[He demonstrated, doing a little chopping motion - sharp and fast.]
See? No effort. But doing it permanently... it's hard to explain. You're like, rewiring them or, trying to divert the natural rhythm of their powers. It takes more focus and effort to do, and it's more difficult the stronger the person is.
[But, again, Andy had quantified infinity itself. It made him wonder if that meant, theoretically, his own powers were beyond infinity. His powers were rather odd, though, in that it naturally scaled against whatever force it was pushing against - it was always that little bit stronger, no matter what.]
So, yeah. Glad to hear you'll help me out if I have to put Kuja into timeout. That's one worry off my mind...
[ It was a temptation to say that it might be best simply to kill Kuja again the next time Brahne surfaced. There wasn't much of a toll to be had there, save that Yuri would have to get increasingly creative in order to get the job done, or involve others in it, but it would just be delaying the inevitable once again.
Ideally, they'd just free his little guest and let her soul move on. It would be the right and proper thing to do, to allow the dead to rest. But they didn't have a way of extracting Brahne, and their options were limited. ]
I'd like to think that nobody would just...leave you to the elements. [ He'd like to, but he wasn't the trusting kind. ] If this situation comes to that, to using that much energy, then the least I can do is look after you. The best I can do is just resetting the clock.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
[ A shrug and a vexed sigh. As Yuri had said, Kuja evidently won't let go of his powder keg even though he damn well should for all of their sakes. If for no one else, he ought to do it for himself... But Yuri can only guess at the shape of whatever desperation drives Kuja to hold onto Brahne.
He'd said he wasn't built to last, something about his soul, but what good was having a volatile extra going to do him?
Yuri has to set these ruminations aside for a later time when Andy speaks again. The question is...odd, to say the least. Yet Andy's clearly expectant, he can see it in the way the other man is watching him. ]
Why would I be uneasy? That's a useful ability to have, if someone's out of control or causing trouble.
no subject
...in my world, people think differently.
[He sighed deeply.]
It's kind of complicated, but, y'know when I told you that I was at the bottom of the social ladder back home? Well, that's why. I'm an esper, and my powers marked me as a pariah since childhood. Espers are heavily discriminated against by Normals - uh, that is, normal humans - and it's not uncommon for them to call us monsters or whatever.
But other espers hated me because I could suppress their powers, so... both sides shunned me. Honestly, this is the first time I've been somewhere that no one's made a big deal about my powers and stuff. People just treat me as some guy. Hell, there're skeletons just walking around. I'm practically normal in comparison, which is great.
no subject
[ Plain and simple. Power isn't what makes someone into a monster, it's what they do with it. And Andy has been nothing but a decent guy, in the time that Yuri has known him. He'd sooner judge a man by what he's done with what he has than the things he can't help and had no say in. ]
That doesn't change what you've had to deal with, but you're simply Andy to me. And I've only ever seen you look out for people.
[ To him, that's far more important than whether the man can snap his fingers and nullify his magic. ]
no subject
[Andy couldn't help the knee-jerk discomfort - and the guilt. It was easy for Yuri to say that, when he only really knew Andy at surface level. He didn't know that Andy spent such a large chunk of his life angry, hating espers for not accepting him, hating Normals for rejecting him, telling himself he didn't give a shit about anyone, that the only person he had to look out for was himself...
That he trained to be a hunter of his own kind. If Hyoubu hadn't opened his eyes, Andy didn't want to think how many espers he would've dragged into his organisation's greedy hands. How many would've been brainwashed or experimented on because... well, did cruelty even need a reason?]
I've done a lot of shit I regret, and... I'm trying to make up for it now. So, you're only seeing me after I've done all my fuck ups and realised that being angry at everything just makes me even more miserable.
no subject
[ There are precious few saints in the world. Everyone does things they deeply regret, or has a list of them. Whether of their choosing or because needs must or the product of a torturous and bitter life, people did things they felt remorse over.
Does he wish Andy had a better life? Of course he does. Stories like his, at its core, abound in Abyss. ]
The reason I could come to you about this insane situation is because to me, you're decent. I wasn't there for what came before, but being cut up about your mistakes only reinforces my opinion.
no subject
But Andy wasn't going to admit all that just to win this argument about how terrible he was, so he just sighed and waved a hand, visibly dismissing the topic in general.]
If that's what you think... anyway. [Yup, we're changing subjects! Avoidance! It never failed.] Back to the whole Kuja thing. D'we know when he's gonna get possessed or do we have to wait for shit to catch fire or what have you?
no subject
But he doesn't imagine his thoughts regarding the man are liable to be changed now. He's seen enough to be sure of that. ]
He did rattle off some numbers when he was drunk the other evening, let's see here...
[ Yuri had the forethought to write it down, at least, so he takes out his notebook and reads the number off to him. ]
...Provided his math was right.
no subject
[Props for being so well-organised? Andy sighed heavily and crammed his hands into his pockets, giving his head a bit of a shake.]
Well, works out for us, I guess. Alright. Now the question is if we should wait, or if I should just go and ambush him now, get him in a headlock and see if I can smother that unwanted guest of his.
no subject
[ Which begs the question of whether Kuja had expected it, this first time around. ]
As for timing... I'm unsure. He acts like he's settled with it, but how can he be?
no subject
[He just gave off that spoilt brat vibe...]
He's predictably immature. So... y'know, we should probably just take care of it once he becomes a problem. I can't deal with him complaining about us being spoilsports if we jump the gun before this unwanted guest of his possesses him again.
[At least then they could use the excuse of being a repeat offender as a reason for being put in power jail.]
no subject
Inviting the soul of someone who despised him into his body, given the risks it entailed that he evidently knew about, wasn't something Yjri could claim to understand. ]
You've got a point there, so... Let's go with that.
no subject
[Andy grimaced slightly. This bit was important if he decided to permanently put a block - even if 'temporarily' - on Kuja.]
...if I do end up having to permanently suppress Kuja's powers. It takes a lot out of me. As in, I'll be unconscious for over a day or two. So, y'know. I'd appreciate it if you could drag me somewhere where I won't get rained on, or eaten by the local wildlife.
no subject
[ That sounded rough, and like a last resort. Andy's power, while convenient, demanded a great deal out of him. ]
Obviously I wouldn't let something like that happen to you. That'd be downright callous.
no subject
[He demonstrated, doing a little chopping motion - sharp and fast.]
See? No effort. But doing it permanently... it's hard to explain. You're like, rewiring them or, trying to divert the natural rhythm of their powers. It takes more focus and effort to do, and it's more difficult the stronger the person is.
[But, again, Andy had quantified infinity itself. It made him wonder if that meant, theoretically, his own powers were beyond infinity. His powers were rather odd, though, in that it naturally scaled against whatever force it was pushing against - it was always that little bit stronger, no matter what.]
So, yeah. Glad to hear you'll help me out if I have to put Kuja into timeout. That's one worry off my mind...
no subject
Ideally, they'd just free his little guest and let her soul move on. It would be the right and proper thing to do, to allow the dead to rest. But they didn't have a way of extracting Brahne, and their options were limited. ]
I'd like to think that nobody would just...leave you to the elements. [ He'd like to, but he wasn't the trusting kind. ] If this situation comes to that, to using that much energy, then the least I can do is look after you. The best I can do is just resetting the clock.