you should smile, little thing

[infesting]

Characters: au kariya & open.
Setting: out & about. .. ngl he's probs lost.
Format: i action-spam, but feel free to reply in prose if that's more comfortable for you.
Summary: this is one upset little body horror.
Warnings: body.. horror via worm infestation?

[ waking up in a strange place when he'd just been with lancelot had been not only jarring, but extremely upsetting. he'd spent the first few minutes in a terrified haze, vainly searching the room for his servant. he can't sense him anymore, though the seal remains on the back of his right hand. so.. shouldn't that mean he's still here? he'd said he wouldn't leave kariya. he'd sworn it, that he'd be by his side as long as he could.

that had been before saber, though. before he realized he'd have to fight his king for the grail. that he'd have to choose between her and a little boy he barely knew. maybe.. maybe he'd made his decision.

there are letters, but kariya can't focus to read them right now. he's upset and frightened and he hurts. he always hurts these days. father says the pain is a good thing, that it means the crest worms are making him stronger, to take care of his family. kariya doesn't understand it, of course, but if it's what father says, then it must be the truth.

father isn't here. lancelot is gone, father is gone, and kariya is all alone in a strange place and he doesn't know what to do.

he has the presence of mind to fold up the letter, tucking it into a pocket. he slips out, then, little bare feet silent on the floor. he has no idea where he is, and there are rooms everywhere, and stairs, and-- he has no idea where he should go or where he should begin looking. surely, after all, this is a test. father likes testing him. so.. so he can't cry, because crying doesn't do any good. and anyway, it always makes father angry. instead, he takes a deep breath, picks a direction, and starts walking.


residents of the tower may later find a small, white-haired boy with an eyepatch and bare feet wandering the various halls and rooms. ]

Comments

[looselips]

[...Ugh. He had been hoping the white hair and covered eye were just a coincidence, but no, he can't be that lucky, can he? He frowns.]

You're another Matou, right? [Seeing as he can't even take family lines for granted in this place... THANKS, RIN.] My name is Shinji. You look like you're lost, so I'm assuming you just got here.

[He's more confident about that assumption.]

[infesting]

[ he blinks at the question, then nods uncertainly. ] .. You're.. a Matou? [ .. could it be his big brother's son? he does look a lot like his brother, but kariya's never actually met his nephew, so he isn't positive. ]

.. Are you Shinji? [ that's his name, right? ]

[looselips]

That's what I said, isn't it? You better hurry up and clean the cotton out of your ears, because I'm not going to be generous and keep repeating myself if you can't keep up with what I'm telling you.

WHOOPS I CAN'T READ

[infesting]

[ he shakes his head, some kind of attempt to order his thoughts. ]

S-Sorry, I just-- I didn't think you were my age.

it happens!

[looselips]

[. . .]

[Goddammit.]

Okay, listen up, because I'm only going to tell you this once. [Perhaps for Kariya's benefit, he speaks more slowly and carefully, enunciating each word clearly.] We're not related, got it? I mean, we both come from something calling itself the Matou family, but I don't know you. I don't have an uncle named Kariya or anything else. Get that through your head now, and it'll be a lot easier for both of us.

/)_(\

[infesting]

[ he doesn't seem bothered by shinji's attitude, but that's probably no surprise, given his appearance. he hasn't had the best childhood so far. instead, he nods meekly, even though the explanation doesn't make a lot of sense.

still, it's better to take it at face value right now. he's too tired and he hurts too much to think it through. ]

.. Okay. 'M sorry.

[looselips]

Don't apologize! [He only sounds more exasperated. Even if they aren't really related in his mind, seeing someone using the Matou name displaying so little backbone bothers him.] Anyway, you need someone to explain things to you, don't you?

[infesting]

[ he flinches at the order, shrinking back a little. he doesn't know how to handle this shinji. he seems angry at kariya, and kariya can't figure out why.

at the question, he shakes his head mutely. after all, if shinji's upset with him, the last thing he wants is to keep him around even longer. ] N-No, I'm okay. It-- [ oh. .. right, maybe..? ] It's.. probably some kind of.. of Second Magic.

[looselips]

[No, no, that won't do at all. When Kariya shies away, Shinji moves forward, reaching out to grab his hand.]

Don't— Stop acting like a little milksop, would you? You're representing the Matou family here.

[It's not really a reasonable request, but Shinji doesn't really know the details of how Kariya's family operates.]

Well, at least you can figure out that much. [huff puff] It's something like that, but it's more than that, too. You probably can't tell right now, but these bodies aren't real. They took our souls and put them in substitutes.

[...Which, even if that had left him distressed at the time of the glamour failure, he has since rationalized as not being that bad at all. So, he's able to give his explanation steadily, his tone much less caustic than a moment before.]

[infesting]

[ meekly: ] A.. different Matou family. [ still, he doesn't bother trying to free his hand. he thinks that would probably make shinji angrier.

at the explanation, though, his good eye lifts, mouth thinning uncertainly. ] .. Sub..stitutes..? [ did they bring the crest worms, too, then? because he can feel them. he presses a hand against his abdomen, brows drawing together a little. they squirm and crawl and bite. if he's not himself.. how..? ]

[looselips]

It doesn't matter. You're using the Matou name, so you had better shape up.

[But! He lets go of Kariya's hand once he's satisfied he isn't going to try to back away again, nodding seriously.]

They don't even look like human bodies. All of this— It's all fake. [As if Shinji would break anything to anyone gently.] Also, since we've already been over the Second Magic part, you should know that there's another Kariya around here. Actually, there used to be two of them, but—

[He breaks off, waving a hand dismissively. That doesn't matter now.]

He's a real bleeding heart, [Shinji says with some discontent] but I get the feeling you'll get along with him.

[infesting]

[ he feels dizzy. he's so distressed at this point that he just wants to curl up in a corner somewhere and ignore everything. none of this makes any sense at all, no matter that it's some kind of second magic. his body isn't his own? there's another 'him'?

his gaze ducks to his hands, fingers rubbing over his seal as if it might magically bring lancelot here to protect him from.. all of this. it doesn't, of course, and it wouldn't-- he's not stupid. miracles don't happen. if he wants anything good, he has to work for it. ]

M-Maybe.. if we're much alike.. I guess-- you've been here a while.

[looselips]

[Automatically, Shinji looks downward when Kariya does. He hadn't paid any particular attention to his hand before, but now that he does, the red mark of the Command Seal is obvious. That gives Shinji pause; he had thought maybe Kariya was just younger at first, but if there's that mark on his hand...]

Are you a Master?

[He just out-and-out asks the question without any particular thought.]

...Yeah, I guess I have. [He shrugs, trying to seem nonchalant about that answer.] It's been a few months, anyway. I haven't exactly kept track. There are people have been here longer than I have, though.

Do you want to see if we can find Ka— You know, the other one?

[He's actually trying to be helpful, in his way, but he doesn't really know what to do...]

[infesting]

[ at the question, he offers a small, wary nod. there's no point in hiding it here, especially not from another matou. ] Lancer is my Servant. He's not.. here, though.

[ a few months? the war will be over by then if he's stuck here that long. still.. if there's another 'him' here, one who's been here a while, maybe he knows more about it..

after a moment, he offers another nod. ] I guess so.

[looselips]

[Shinji makes a face as Kariya says Lancer.]

There are a couple of Lancers here. I couldn't tell you whether or not one of them belonged to you, though.

[Seeing as he is...not on good terms with either of them, hence the face.]

[Kariya's agreement is met with a short nod. Shinji doesn't attempt to take Kariya's hand again, instead just jerking his head in the direction he means to go.]

Let's check his room first.

[infesting]

[ a couple? ] He's not. I can't sense him at all. What do you mean by a couple..?

[ still, as shinji starts forward, he follows obediently, hands curling in his shirt again as he glances from room to room curiously. this place is huge. ]

[looselips]

I mean there's more than one of them. Second Magic, remember? Different Wars, different Servants, blah blah blah.

[Shinji is the best at answering questions.]

There might be one that you know, even if he doesn't know you. And, hey, maybe you can even find yourself a new Servant if it comes down to it.

[infesting]

[ he shakes his head, ringers rubbing the seal again. ]

Father's not here to tell me to, and if I don't have to, I-- I don't think I want another one. [ only lancelot. of course, he supposes that might change if he's stuck here a while, or if it becomes apparent that lancelot won't come back to him. ]

[looselips]

[Hm.]

Okay, let me put it another way. There's no War here, but it's dangerous. People die here. Unless you have some way to defend yourself, you'll be a lot better off with a Servant.

[infesting]

.. I'm a magus. [ he lifts his palm, expression going a little blank as something shifts beneath his skin, pushing against it. ] I didn't.. spend all that time in the basement just to be weak at the end.

[ he closes his fingers around his palm again, letting his arm drop to his side as he ducks his head. ]

I'll.. be okay.

[looselips]

[STOPS]

[TURNS AROUND]

Alright. So tell me what you can do.

[He just wants someone to teach him proper magecraft okay.]

[infesting]

I-- [ he pauses, looking a little startled. ] Mostly I use my insects. Father taught me all the basic things, though.

[looselips]

Well, the basics are better than nothing. [There is the smallest of pauses before Shinji says:] Teach me.

[It doesn't sound like a request.]

[infesting]

R-Right now?! [ there's no way he can right now. but then, he thinks maybe shinji just means.. eventually? ] I-- I need time. Maybe.. in a few days..?

[looselips]

I don't care when, so long as we get started soon. I just need a teacher.

[The usual flippancy carried in his tone is completely gone.]

What do you want me to pay you with?