[Rinku nods when Yuuri recognizes the man from earlier, and makes a worried noise when he explains a little. She nods again, just slightly.]
Yeah. That guy said stuff like that he didn't want Wolfram-san to have human friends, and he knew what happened at the concert. I kind of... There's a guy. Like him -- someone possessing someone I know, who used both of us. He used the power of the soundwave we created to mess with the audience, tried to kill his host, and basically kinda ripped me out of my body and threw me into the back of everyone's minds. I think that's how it works.
He also said he wasn't a person? Which I don't get, everyone's a person. And he kinda... outed you and blamed you hiding for some stuff, which was mean. I mean, don't lots of people hide? Especially in Earth-ish places. I know no one cares here what gender you like, no one's been mean about me loving all kinds of people, but they're also not mean about how many people you like, and back on Earth I think people would freak out about both those things.
...And yeah, I'm a human. Even if I don't look like one anymore. I mean, if you do a magic scan I still come up as human unless I'm trying not to.
( Yuuri listens patiently in turn -- it might feel much more patient than Shinou's impassiveness from earlier. Though Yuuri started out with the same awkward grin/fond smile when speaking about Wolfram on, the expression in Yuuri's eyes seem to harden with worry and darken slightly in a rather unreadable way the more she spoke--... )
{ when he next opens his mouth he began babbling almost without "thinking" at first-- }:
... I believe you when you say you're human! I don't need to do a magic scan!! I'm not even sure I can... -- But I get what you mean. Um...
Even in my "extremely typicalmodern-dayEarth" where I come from, I don't think any humans there would have a ... tail...
( once again the tail/etc. of that "look" seems to confuse more than even her scars )
-- But other than that, you definitely alsolook like a human to me!!--
( if anything, he sounds really happy about that, not as angry as ""Shinou"" sounded earlier-- )
Edited ({She might notice he puts Odd Emphasis in Strange Places} /o\ /o\ (Its a Novels!Yuuri thing where he randomly capslocks certain terms in English too, but everything here should be heard in Japanese for now--)) 2026-01-03 01:40 (UTC)
2/? Its a Best Yuuri Look/Reaction sorry-- /o\ \o/
... It's a little [ A LOT!!! ] hard to explain--!!
Edited ({He can't exactly reveal the reasons for *why* it's being 'disguised' as a Political Marriage because haha Shin Makoku StrategyTM}) 2026-01-03 02:01 (UTC)
... But, basically, I kind of... um.... messed up.
( Normally, ""Yuuri"" wouldn't reveal this kind of thing out loud at all. It's something really only those still closest to Yuuri know about best... Anyone who was present back when Yuuri...
But because this is a ""dream""... and she feels trustworthy... )
... I... entered the ""engagement"" with him kind of onaccident. And then we just... kind of... kept it goingbut....
There's... a lot of things happening in the world where Wolfram comes from especially. Earth too!! But especially in "Shin Makoku"!! And...
To try to fix some of it we decided to try a kind of... "temporary marriage".
[ It sounds better than 'fake marriage' ]
You know, like... in those historical dramas??
... Some of those ... other places in Wolfram's world... their heads and most of those places really think we're... together-together since a long time ago. No matter what I say, it's hard to stop the rumors...
It would have... looked really bad if we didn't try this when wedid...
( because the engagement was slowly approaching 10+ years ) --
"That guy" you talked with back there... if "he" was saying those kinds of things...
[ beat ]
... That's why I think... there's something from our world that's still trying to hurt Wolfram.
[ b e a t ]
It doesn't... add up. He hid a lot of details from you... but some of what he saidtoo...
( ... might have been part of ""the truth""-- )
Wolf has "human" friends now... I mean... I'Mhuman after all. Even if I'm also... "part-demon". Um... it's COMPLICATED...!!
-- But it's not just me. There's alsoGreta -- that's our daughter --... and I think he counts Murata... and... Greta's friend Beatrice, and her father Hyscliff-san, and I think he counts Flynn-san since I do -- oh, there's Hazel-san too, he really took a liking to her!! -- and--
( WAIT Yuuri if you start listing everyone you can think of you mightbe here a bit )
Edited ({He's *trying* to Reassure but also doing it Very Badly} /o\ /o\) 2026-01-03 02:37 (UTC)
[Rinku giggles at first at the flustered reactions, but the laughing fades as he explains, and she makes worried noises again. As he moves into the rest of his response, she shakes her head.]
Those kinds of people hide a lot, you're right. Human friends are great, just like anyone! And I'm glad things are getting better for him. Even if that guy -- is he his dad or something? Or the ghost of his ancestor or something? -- thinks it's a bad idea. So that's the "something from your world," huh...
[Her tail swishes from side to side, and she thinks.]
And... I don't get some of it, but I think I get other things a lot. Like... not knowing who you are, and how sometimes when you do figure it out, other people get upset or convince themselves you're just confused or you're something else that makes more sense to them. And what you said about loving someone else the way they need. Sometimes even if you do love them, it's still not...
[Rinku's head lowers, and her tail droops.]
There's someone who confessed to me, and I had to turn her down twice. Because she didn't understand the way I am. At first it was "okay, you're a free spirit," and then it was "you can't really love me if you love everyone," and then it was "I'm trying to be okay with it so you can date me, I just have to make myself the kind of person who wants the person they love to be with other people too." But that doesn't make any sense! I don't want someone else to force themselves to be different! And I definitely don't wanna force myself to change either now that I finally understand my own feelings!
So if you mean that for real, I think I can understand you. Just as much as if that scary guy were right and you're just afraid. Either way, isn't who you are your business? After all, you're you.
1/? Yuuri Just Might Be Connecting Dots but his "mind" is Still Processing Everything-
( Yuuri's mouth unconsciously forms a small "oh" in his surprise the longer she speaks in turn, but it's not meant rudely-- )
... Yeah... it IS "my business"...
( He sounds really, reallygrateful in tone that she said that at least. )
[ It's honestly one of the things he's alwayshated about this entire predicament he got himself and ALSO pulled Wolfram into into since the very beginning --
-- why did the entire kingdomand even past there!! ALWAYS have to be all up in their -- HIS -- business anyway?!?? ]
Justlike... ( he trails off for a second, as if having a bit of an epiphany in thought anyway-- ) Wolf's... .. . . .
But...
... Isn't yoursalso "yourbusiness"?? Despite... what that person who confessed to you 'thought'...
Edited ({expression at start similar to the gif before the small/shy smile} /o\ {+Quick fix for Clarity}) 2026-01-03 03:47 (UTC)
There's this HUGEpainting of him that hangs on the wall back at the castle... I pass by it every single day.
( Like "Shinou" may have once had it hung there as a kind of eternal reminderto all who came after him-- )
It's in like that kind of... classic-y, historical art style. Like something you'd see straight out of a fantasy book.
Or a "RENAISSANCE" painting except the history of Wolf's world is different from "Earth"...
( Yes that "renaissance" bit is spoken in Emphasized Tone )
But according to what everyone from Wolf's world has told me... he's also always been kind of like a ...
"legend."
Edited ({Yuuri means Shinou more specifically has always been considered a kind of "legend" despite *assumptions* he's also Wolf's ancestor}) 2026-01-03 04:13 (UTC)
[Rinku gasps a little, her eyes going wide. She makes a surprised, overwhelmed noise.
This is the version of Yuuri in Wolfram's head. Someone Wolfram's told her is uncomfortable at best with the kinds of things Rinku's discovered about herself. And yet to hear him say this anyway, that there's nothing wrong with being who you are even so, that she's right to embrace who she is whatever it leads to...
She looks like she's about to hug Yuuri. She might still. But what she does do, eyes watering, is spin in a circle and shout out in English.]
「Happy Around!」
1/? (I at least kind of know why she does this now after seeing Ep1 hehee~)
[ There's a very vague memory of Murata. Where's mURATA when you actually might need him?!??-- ]
Edited ({There is some flashing lights in the gif since it's from the musical but} Yes MurataTM Has A Certain Way About Him Too--) 2026-01-03 04:57 (UTC)
Hah.. -- I'm not fluent!! But I was born in Boston and lived there for a short time before my family moved to Japan... I was very young -- so my memory of Boston isn'tvery goodbut--
-- it still slips out sometimes--!!
( and now Yuuri looks a lot more sheepish in turn-- )
Edited ({he means the English can slip out sometimes for him too} \o/) 2026-01-03 05:09 (UTC)
Wow, really? I'm bad at English, but I know a few little bits! But I grew up overseas too, mostly in a place near Madagascar called Tiotio Island! So I know some other languages better.
[Rinku bounces on her heels.]
And hm... 「Happy Around」 is 「Happy Around!」 It means I'm happy and I want that happiness to go around everyone around me and then come back around.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
4/4
... So I took a gamble.
( awkward grin-- ) { because gambles usually work out for Yuuri in the end Or Do They }
I don't really mind if that other guy said strange things about me. He can say whatever he wants...
I'm... a little more worried about Wolf.
It can be ... a little dangerous to hang out long around Wolfram's heart for too long.
-- But Wolf's a good person!! Really!! Just, some circumstances...
( ... How does ""Yuuri"" explain about the Boxes to someone like her? Should Yuuri even be mentioning the Forbidden Boxes to a human??
... Murata would probably be heavily advising against it but... )
no subject
Yeah. That guy said stuff like that he didn't want Wolfram-san to have human friends, and he knew what happened at the concert. I kind of... There's a guy. Like him -- someone possessing someone I know, who used both of us. He used the power of the soundwave we created to mess with the audience, tried to kill his host, and basically kinda ripped me out of my body and threw me into the back of everyone's minds. I think that's how it works.
He also said he wasn't a person? Which I don't get, everyone's a person. And he kinda... outed you and blamed you hiding for some stuff, which was mean. I mean, don't lots of people hide? Especially in Earth-ish places. I know no one cares here what gender you like, no one's been mean about me loving all kinds of people, but they're also not mean about how many people you like, and back on Earth I think people would freak out about both those things.
...And yeah, I'm a human. Even if I don't look like one anymore. I mean, if you do a magic scan I still come up as human unless I'm trying not to.
1/? Wait for It~
Though Yuuri started out with the same awkward grin/fond smile when speaking about Wolfram on, the expression in Yuuri's eyes seem to harden with worry and darken slightly in a rather unreadable way the more she spoke--... )
{ when he next opens his mouth he began babbling almost without "thinking" at first-- }:
... I believe you when you say you're human! I don't need to do a magic scan!! I'm not even sure I can...
-- But I get what you mean. Um...
Even in my "extremely typical modern-day Earth" where I come from, I don't think any humans there would have a ... tail...
(
once again the tail/etc. of that "look" seems to confuse more than even her scars)-- But other than that, you definitely also look like a human to me!!--
( if anything, he sounds really happy about that, not as angry as ""
Shinou"" sounded earlier-- )2/? Its a Best Yuuri Look/Reaction sorry-- /o\ \o/
3/? This Is Still ""Yuuri"" After All--
W-wait, no, no no no no n O you -- have some things wrong bUT--!! uM
( MENTAL FLAILING can a "dream" have ""mental"" Flailing.... )
We're -- I'm -- Wolf and I --
( does she know about the "almost-married" Political MarriageTM--?!?? )
I -- I mean, some of the things you said there about how... people can react on... Earth is true but--!!
I... I haven't actually...
.... "Confessed" to ... Wolf ..... .... ... .. .
4/? This was a cute reaction style too hahaa... {He Can Get Quite Pouty}
... This is going to reflect badly on me too, huh...
... But, yeah, Wolf and I are... were? Fiancés since I was fifteen...
Does it still count as "fiancés" if we [ mUMBLE Mumble ]
... It's a little [ A LOT!!! ] hard to explain--!!
5/?
( Normally, ""Yuuri"" wouldn't reveal this kind of thing out loud at all. It's something really only those still closest to Yuuri know about best...
Anyone who was present back when Yuuri...
But because this is a ""dream""... and she feels trustworthy... )
... I... entered the ""engagement"" with him kind of on accident. And then we just... kind of... kept it going but....
... I don't... think... [ beat ]
6/?
... That I can...
" LOVE " Wolf the way Wolf needs me to love him.
[ b E A T ]
( ... Maybe there WAS some truth to the things ""
Shinou"" was saying but as for the contexts... )7/? The truth Slipping Out
So, right now, it's kind of like...
[
at a standstill. ]There's... a lot of things happening in the world where Wolfram comes from especially. Earth too!!
But especially in "Shin Makoku"!! And...
To try to fix some of it we decided to try a kind of... "temporary marriage".
[ It sounds better than 'fake marriage' ]
You know, like... in those historical dramas??
... Some of those ... other places in Wolfram's world... their heads and most of those places really think we're... together-together since a long time ago.
No matter what I say, it's hard to stop the rumors...
It would have... looked really bad if we didn't try this when we did...
( because the engagement was slowly approaching 10+ years ) --
8/8 He's resorted to rambling....
[ beat ]
... That's why I think... there's something from our world that's still trying to hurt Wolfram.
[ b e a t ]
It doesn't... add up. He hid a lot of details from you... but some of what he said too...
( ... might have been part of ""the truth""-- )
Wolf has "human" friends now... I mean... I'M human after all. Even if I'm also... "part-demon". Um... it's COMPLICATED...!!
-- But it's not just me. There's also Greta -- that's our daughter --... and I think he counts Murata... and...
Greta's friend Beatrice, and her father Hyscliff-san, and I think he counts Flynn-san since I do
-- oh, there's Hazel-san too, he really took a liking to her!! -- and--
( WAIT Yuuri if you start listing everyone you can think of you might be here a bit )
no subject
Those kinds of people hide a lot, you're right. Human friends are great, just like anyone! And I'm glad things are getting better for him. Even if that guy -- is he his dad or something? Or the ghost of his ancestor or something? -- thinks it's a bad idea. So that's the "something from your world," huh...
[Her tail swishes from side to side, and she thinks.]
And... I don't get some of it, but I think I get other things a lot. Like... not knowing who you are, and how sometimes when you do figure it out, other people get upset or convince themselves you're just confused or you're something else that makes more sense to them. And what you said about loving someone else the way they need. Sometimes even if you do love them, it's still not...
[Rinku's head lowers, and her tail droops.]
There's someone who confessed to me, and I had to turn her down twice. Because she didn't understand the way I am. At first it was "okay, you're a free spirit," and then it was "you can't really love me if you love everyone," and then it was "I'm trying to be okay with it so you can date me, I just have to make myself the kind of person who wants the person they love to be with other people too." But that doesn't make any sense! I don't want someone else to force themselves to be different! And I definitely don't wanna force myself to change either now that I finally understand my own feelings!
So if you mean that for real, I think I can understand you. Just as much as if that scary guy were right and you're just afraid. Either way, isn't who you are your business? After all, you're you.
1/? Yuuri Just Might Be Connecting Dots but his "mind" is Still Processing Everything-
... Yeah... it IS "my business"...
( He sounds really, really grateful in tone that she said that at least. )
[ It's honestly one of the things he's always hated about this entire predicament he got himself
and ALSO pulled Wolfram intointo since the very beginning ---- why did the entire kingdom
and even past there!!ALWAYS have to be all up in their -- HIS -- business anyway?!?? ]Just like... ( he trails off for a second, as if having a bit of an epiphany in thought anyway-- ) Wolf's... .. . . .
But...
... Isn't yours also "your business"?? Despite... what that person who confessed to you 'thought'...
2/? {Still Thinking It Through}
They actually had it right the first time. "Love" is... they're supposed to let you live... That they would then say...
( ... ... ... )
That is... you were... right. To not force yourself or others to change such feelings...
3/?
( and Yuuri makes a lightly distressed noise himself as if he wants to continue that line of thought but is having trouble doing so-- )
-- Oh, about "THAT Guy"--!! [ sAVED?... ] No way, he's not Wolf's dad!! Actually --
I don't... really know what happened to Wolf's dad either... Wolf never... talks about him. And I've never met him...
... He has his mom though!! She also lives at the castle we live at, but -- well, she travels a lot... but she visits a lot when she can too!!
-- You were a little closer with the ""ancestor"" part... kind of. ( nERVOUS Grin-- )
-- A very very very very VERY far BACK ""ancestor"".
He doesn't really have a name... Wolf's world has always called him "Shinou". [ "Shin'ou" ]
4/?
( Like "Shinou" may have once had it hung there as a kind of eternal reminder to all who came after him-- )
It's in like that kind of... classic-y, historical art style. Like something you'd see straight out of a fantasy book.
Or a "RENAISSANCE" painting except the history of Wolf's world is different from "Earth"...
( Yes that "renaissance" bit is spoken in Emphasized Tone )
But according to what everyone from Wolf's world has told me... he's also always been kind of like a ...
"legend."
5/?
... Which is why ... that guy really shouldn't be existing here.
... Even if it is Wolfram's heart ....
6/?
.... It's Wolfram's heart.
Wolfram's heart should belong firstly to .....
.... Wolfram .... .
{ He Is Connecting Dots Maybe } --
7/?
-- But it's also Wolfram's business who Wolfram --
-- "" Loves "" or keeps in his HEART!! --
[ dun dun dunnnn ]
-- Whatever ""Shinou"" says, it doesn't mean anything if that's not how Wolf feels--!!
( Yuuri you're getting a LITTLE TOO EXCITED aGAIN )
8/8
... A-Ah, darn it, sorry, that wasn't aimed at you--
-- Just...!!
( and Yuuri's fists clench lightly, his face scrunching up as if in a
lightbut emotional pain, but-- )... I wish I knew what it was that... caused all that back there but...
... And ... you... ( Just like Wolfram-- ) -- you DON'T have to "force" yourself to change either--!!
No matter what that other person SAID--!!
no subject
This is the version of Yuuri in Wolfram's head. Someone Wolfram's told her is uncomfortable at best with the kinds of things Rinku's discovered about herself. And yet to hear him say this anyway, that there's nothing wrong with being who you are even so, that she's right to embrace who she is whatever it leads to...
She looks like she's about to hug Yuuri. She might still. But what she does do, eyes watering, is spin in a circle and shout out in English.]
「Happy Around!」
1/? (I at least kind of know why she does this now after seeing Ep1 hehee~)
( And at first, Yuuri just looks really fucking confused bUUT... )
[ There's a very vague memory of Murata.
Where's mURATA when you actually might need him?!??-- ]2/?
-- Wait!! That's also English--!!
Hah.. -- I'm not fluent!! But I was born in Boston and lived there for a short time before my family moved to Japan...
I was very young -- so my memory of Boston isn't very good but--
-- it still slips out sometimes--!!
( and now Yuuri looks a lot more sheepish in turn-- )
3/3
-- But, what's that -- pose you just did??
( He's KIND OF GETTING that it made her REALLY Happy just now but... He's Yuuri thus Confuse!!! )
no subject
[Rinku bounces on her heels.]
And hm... 「Happy Around」 is 「Happy Around!」 It means I'm happy and I want that happiness to go around everyone around me and then come back around.
1/?
( even though Yuuri's almost always also peppering his ramblings with random foreign location names at various times too-- )
-- Oh, I do kind of know where Madagascar is though--!! Huh, there's really another such island near it??... .. .. .
( Less about that, but something else she said suddenly also caught Yuuri's attention, and-- )
{ Yuuri suddenly lowers his head and murmurs but it's loud enough for her to still hear... }:
2/? \o/ {He Is Having Epiphanies}
3/3 Yuuri Shibuya Is Still Slow AF
(no subject)
1/? (Wait for It)- {He's A Bit Conflicted}
2/?
3/? What Is Acknowledging Certain Other Feelings
4/?
5/? Wolf Why TF Aren't You Waking Up When He Needs You To?!??
6/? {Wolf is at least much more like icon right now currently}--
7/7
(no subject)
1/? {see the 'bAM' react from before--}
2/? Digging His Own Grave Too Possibly
3/?
4/?
5/?
6/?
7/?
8/8
(no subject)
1/? Wait for It
2/?
3/?
4/?
5/?
6/6
(no subject)
1/? /o\ /o\ \o\ \o/ /o/
2/?
3/?
4/?
5/?
6/?
7/?
8/?
9/?
10/10
(no subject)
1/? {Hold on-}
2/?
3/? Wait for It
4/? {In case it can ever become possible during future plots/events again hahaa....}
5/5
(no subject)
1/? Wait for It~
2/2