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

[fionnuisce]

[On one of the dormitory floors, Kariya might just stumble upon a tired-looking magus coming out of his room and placing a pair of sunglasses on his head with a yawn. Seriously, did he just wake up?]

[(yes. yes he did.)]

[Waver looked around at the sound of motion nearby, gaze finally landing on Kariya with an expression that was largely confused with some element of surprise to it. Was that who it looked like? But he was...for lack of a better word, tiny. What was even the proper reaction to this?]

...Are you lost? [He certainly looked it, so Waver decided to take the most tactful approach he could think of.

[looselips]

[As it turns out, Shinji's room isn't all that far from Kariya's room. So, the chances that they would stumble upon each other sooner or later were pretty good to begin with. When Shinji comes across him while heading to the elevator, he double-takes, and then he squints.]

[Naturally, he marches right up to the other boy. His demeanor isn't exactly a reassuring one.]

Hey, you.

[infesting]

[ kariya startles at the voice, turning to blink up at waver. for a moment or two, he looks as if he might bolt, fingers clutched in the hem of his shirt. (and though the sleeves are long, yes, the seal is visible one the back of one tiny hand.)

he ducks his gaze a moment later, nodding, voice a meek murmur. ] I can't.. find Lancelot.

[infesting]

[ .. oh. someone that looks close to kariya's age. for a few moments, he just.. stares, a little surprised despite himself. which is silly, of course, because he knows there are other children in the world. he's even seen them from a distance. but he's never met one before.

at the greeting, though, skinny shoulders straighten, fingers going nervously to adjust his eyepatch, making sure it covers his blind eye properly. ]

.. Kariya. That's.. my name.

[fionnuisce]

[and i can't html, we've all got problems kariya]

Oh... [Waver hesitated, casually moving his right hand to his coat pocket to hide his own command spells--no need to unnerve the poor kid further.]

Did you just get here?

[infesting]

[ cries into hands ]

[ another nod, shuffling his feet a little, toes curling against the floor. ]

Wh-Where's 'here'?

[fionnuisce]

It's...sort of difficult to explain.

[Waver knelt down to talk to Kariya a little more directly, uncertain of where he could even start.]

Do you know what Second Magic is?

[infesting]

[ he draws himself up to his full (unimpressive) height, trembling a little. ]

Of course. I-- I'm a magus. It's.. [ his gaze ducks again, fidgeting. ] It.. has to do.. with other worlds.

[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.]

[fionnuisce]

That's exactly right. [Waver had no earthly idea how to deal with kids, but boy was he trying.] Where we are now is one of those other worlds. There is one Lancelot here somewhere, but I don't think it's likely he's the same one you know.

[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? ]

[infesting]

[ another world? they're in another world? how had he been brought here? (oh. maybe he should have read the letter, after all.)

the mention of lancelot brings his gaze back up, though, visible gray eye wide and stunned-- at least until waver finishes his thought. he seems to deflate, then, scarred hands going white-knuckled in his shirt. ]

.. Oh. Then.. I guess.. I'm alone.

[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.

[fionnuisce]

Well...not really, no. He's a pretty tolerable individual, all things considered. You might just get along with him.

[Shrugging, Waver continued in a casual voice.]

This place isn't really ideal, but most of the people in it aren't too bad.

[infesting]

He's-- He's not my Servant here. [ so why would he want anything to do with kariya? instead of voicing that, though, he glances shyly over waver, curious about his clothes and features. ]

.. I'm Kariya.

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.

[fionnuisce]

It's nice to meet you, Kariya. [...Again.] You can just call me Waver.

[infesting]

.. Waver? [ waver? waver velvet? rider's master? kariya stares hard at him for several moments, squinting, before his good eye widens again in surprise. ]

But you're supposed to be little!

[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.]

[fionnuisce]

Oh--have we met? [He actually laughed at that, just a little. Idly, Waver wondered if this Kariya could've known a version of himself that was even younger than eighteen. The idea of every Master as a little kid briefly crossed his mind as a hilarious absurdity.]

It's been at least ten years since I was anywhere near the Holy Grail War, myself.

[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..? ]