[ When he'd come to Earth before, his stay had not lasted nearly as long as he'd been planning it to; the appearance of X and Sicks were unexpected, and together, they drained his power beyond the point of survivability, forcing him to return home after a little less than a year.
This time, however, things are going much more smoothly. There have been no superhuman criminals crawling out of the woodwork to threaten him and sap his energy, and thus, Neuro has been able to stay moderately healthy, with each case recharging him enough to make up for his expenditures. It's a delicate balance. And while delicacy is something he normally lacks, he's not so arrogant that he'd recklessly overwork himself when it's not necessary. Since his reunion with Yako on the plane, the demon has been surviving with his wicked head held high for three years on Earth. Little about him had changed from before; he was the same sharp, strange figure with the same sadistic sensibilities and the same insatiable craving for mysteries, and he'd settled into the same battle plan he'd had from day one: take Yako and find the Ultimate Mystery.
He was quick to discover that Yako was not as changeless as him. This was not a surprise - Neuro expected her to grow and change, and would be disappointed if she hadn't. The girl he left behind in Tokyo had grown and pupated into a woman, wordly, more independent than before, and with, perhaps, a speck of wisdom in her (a seed that he had no doubt planted, he thought.) Their relationship had changed from that of a master and servant to one with more equal footing since that time. Naturally, his sadistic play and torture never once stopped, and he treated her almost the same outwardly - but there was a difference, perhaps one only the two of them could notice, in the way he viewed her and spoke to her, and in the responsibilities he granted her. She could never stand on equal footing with Neuro - not in his mind - but she had become someone rather than something, an ally rather than a slave.
None of this is troubling to him in the least.
What is somewhat more troubling (as much as anything could trouble an ancient monster like Neuro) is a more recent change in his partner. He's as godawful at reading humans as ever, but he had become more proficient at reading Yako over the years, even if he still couldn't understand what she was feeling or why. And she's been feeling something different lately. He's a detective at heart, hard-wired to pick up small changes in his environment, and Yako is full of them now. Distant gazes. Troubled sighs. Quickening heartbeats. Her work never suffers for it, but when Neuro fixes her with his eagle-eyed stare, there's something different in the pitiful mortal eyes that stare back at him.
How annoying.
Since her new job involves a lot of traveling, it's not uncommon for the two of them to share rooms on the go. Now is not one of those times, since she's supposed to simply be taking a few days off right now. But... well, when has that ever worked out for her in the past? It's about four in the morning when Neuro appears, and by 'appears,' I mean 'literally kicks in the screen on her window and sends it flying into her bed with the intent of waking her up.' As if the noise wasn't enough already. ]
Good evening, slug, [ he announces in a cheerful(ly mocking) voice, perched in the window frame like some sort of enormous human vulture. ] Open your useless ears. We have business.
[ Yako Katsuragi has many flaws, but lack of self-awareness is not one of them.
Of course, it's a little hard to notice something that happens in increments, like walking along a beach eroding a centimeter a day until you look behind you and see nothing but the ocean waiting to swallow you whole. Still, now that it's happened, it's useless to pretend it isn't there. Now, something other than the prospect of her next meal makes Yako's breath catch in her throat and her heart beat out of time, and she's never been in the habit of lying to herself, so she's perfectly aware what it is.
She likes Neuro. More specifically, she's attracted to him, which is such a terrifyingly ill-advised prospect that she's not sure what cruel trick of brain chemistry even led to such a thing. Objectively, she knows it makes sense: they're partners, now, and they've been through a numbero f what might be considered traumatic circumstances together, and heightened emotions and adrenaline are a cliche for attraction for a reason. While Neuro continues to treat her with casual abuse, his actions speak louder than words. Harass her though he might, he's never actually left a bruise or broken skin, and it's troubling to realize that's one of those qualities she likes about him.
And the list of those grows by the day.
Ultimately, she recognizes it's something she has to do something about. Neuro himself, of course, is as ignorant about human emotion as ever -- perhaps the only reason she hasn't pinned to a wall and the truth hooked out of her with a spiky finger. But she doesn't know how quite to approach it either, which is why she's taken the opportunity to excuse herself after their latest case, visiting a hot spring resort to try and soak her troubles away and come up with a plan of action.
Naturally, as it's Neuro, nothing goes as planned. She'd been tossing and turning in bed all night, and she's only just started to drift asleep when half the door ends up in her lap and she sits up like she's been shocked awake, eyes wide in the darkness of the room. Her heart's racing. ]
B-business? [ Self-consciousness was never an issue before, either, but she's painfully aware of how her yukata's slipped around in her restless attempts at sleep. Even if she's wearing a perfectly decent pair of pajamas underneath, she finds herself clutching the sheets to her chest, though that admittedly has less to do with modesty and more the need to hold onto something. ]
[ yes, if she thinks Neuro cares one whit about how much coverage her clothing is giving her, she's dead wrong. His green eyes twinkle in the weak, dusky lighting from outside the window, almost glowing, and it's easy to imagine his toothy grin there, too, as he slips from the windowsill to stroll easily to the foot of her futon. Looks like he didn't get a headshot with that one -- too bad. It would have been funny. But, on the other hand, he'd have to go through more trouble trying to rouse her back to consciousness. ]
Don't make me repeat myself. My breath is wasted on the likes of you. [ he crouches again where he stands - presumably to get more on her level, although it's doubtful that comfort is his intention. When is it ever? ] I have a fondness for hot springs. How dare you come to one without your gracious master? Your thoughtlessness is truly without limit. Luckily, I have remedied the situation myself.
[ idle commentary, more than anything, although it's not like he's lying, either. There is a point in his words, though: it's not like her to take time off. ]
[ So he had noticed. It's silly to think she could get away with it unobserved: Neuro can still sniff out a mystery, even if it's one likely to be as unappetizing and pitifully lacking in nutrition as this. It's oddly humbling to think that she can still keep some secrets, though if Neuro has his way, she has the sinking feeling it's not a state of ignorance he's willing to tolerate for much longer.
Still, she does have other priorities at the moment. Such as trying to anticipate the next flying projectile's trajectory, for one. If nothing else, at least she's thoroughly awake now. ]
Considering how the last time we visited a hot spring turned out, you can't really blame me for not wanting to repeat the experience, do you? [ She's gotten better about answering back, even if it usually comes with an automatic attempt to pre-emptively evade whatever retaliation is coming. ]
[ the proper response would have been to grovel and beg for forgiveness at his feet, of course, but he has to admit that her tendency to backtalk can be entertaining. She'd been such a sniveling worm at the beginning; he'd watched a bit of this foolish courage grow in her the first year, and it had only continued to strengthen in the time he'd been away and following his return.
But it's still foolish. And she's still backtalking him. And Neuro hasn't grown a whit more mature over the years. So his response, naturally, involves a middle finger suddenly shooting out in that ever-so-impossible way he likes to employ for the purpose of issuing her a friendly uppercut to the nose. ]
Hoh? And what do you mean by that? It was a fun and relaxing experience, as I recall. [ for exactly one of them, of course. The elongated finger doesn't snap back to his hand once he's smacked her; rather, it rears up, like a snake (a bit too much like a snake, really), and prods the center of her forehead. ] However, your words are thin. There is something of more substance going on in this feeble brain of yours.
[ There's almost an unspoken question at the end of that sentence, an "isn't there?", because Neuro doesn't know for sure - he can only assume based on his observations of Yako's normal behavior in comparison to her recent self. He doesn't know anything beyond 'there's been a change,' and she'll probably be able to tell he doesn't know - not that it's surprising. ]
[ As her nose gets violently flicked, Yako yelps, hands shooting up protectively to cover the poor abused thing -- it's truly remarkable that it hasn't gotten broken, with all the abuse she gets put through, but Neuro seems to always know the right amount of force to apply to cause maximum agony with as little actual injury as possible. It would be more impressive if she wasn't the target.
She squints at him with watering eyes, wondering why exactly she thought being attracted to him was a good idea in the first place. Clearly, her conscious brain had nothing to do with that decision, much less her instinct for self-preservation It's certainly hard to find anything particularly attractive about him at this moment. Looking him in the eye is a mistake, though, leaving her feeling like she's prey that's been hypnotized by a larger predator ready to swallow her whole.
But she senses the real question underlying his condescension, knows him well enough to know that he doesn't really have a clue what he's prying for, except that it's a mystery he wants to unravel. She doesn't think he'd expend a demon tool to dig a secret that paltry out of her skull, so she relaxes a little, shaking her head and trying to pull back with a small grin. ]
It's not something that's going to get in the way of work, if that's what you're worried about. [ As much as Neuro ever worries about anything, and she huffs a little, glancing at the door. ]
Did you really have to break in the door to tell me that? [ Sometiems it's hard to tell the difference between dealing with a supernatural monster and a small spoiled child. ]
[ the fact that she can pull back and still smile at him after he does that is really a mark of her patience and endurance. Neuro mentally pats himself on the back for training her so well. His serpentine finger retreats a bit from its previous harrassment, though his hand doesn't take its normal shape again quite yet. After all, she still hasn't complied. ]
Of course, [ he replies, grinning widely and not missing a beat (no, he didn't, but it seemed like it would be more fun.) ] Do not question my actions. You're misunderstanding your position, Yako. Though I could surely provide you with an infinite amount of answers, the one being questioned right now is you.
[ not mentioning the 'getting in the way of work' bit. Honestly, he doesn't care if she thinks it will get in the way or not. She is his tool - no, his partner, and if he has a concern regarding her, then he's going to address it. That's the way things are. ]
comes back to this thread about to be a graduate student lmfoa
[ It was too much hope for that he'd accept the misdirection, Yako supposes. Neuro after a mystery is like a bloodhound after a scent; he'll accept nothing less than seeing his prey captured, or destroyed. She carefully edges her head to the side, evenings with acidic spit nearly taking her face off still fresh and vivid in her memory. Not that she expects him to start salivating, but with Neuro, it never hurts to be sure.
But she's not exactly sure how to answer his question, either. He may have acknowledged her as a partner, but above all else, Neuro is a demon -- and there are aspects of being human she doubts he'll ever really understand. Typically, her strategy in these sorts of situations is to struggle until he gets bored, but she has that uneasy feeling that things aren't going to be so easy this time around.
Particularly because, much to her dismay, her body's reacting in the ways it shouldn't to the harassment, heartbeat picking up and blood rising to her cheeks. All things Neuro's only sure to take as encouragement, and she tries to will it down without much success. ]
I'll tell you if you let me go. [ She manages, though she doesn't manage to put much conviction into it. ]
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hurr HOPEFULLY THIS WORKS FOR YOU... sorry for the tl;dr, i was just setting up background
This time, however, things are going much more smoothly. There have been no superhuman criminals crawling out of the woodwork to threaten him and sap his energy, and thus, Neuro has been able to stay moderately healthy, with each case recharging him enough to make up for his expenditures. It's a delicate balance. And while delicacy is something he normally lacks, he's not so arrogant that he'd recklessly overwork himself when it's not necessary. Since his reunion with Yako on the plane, the demon has been surviving with his wicked head held high for three years on Earth. Little about him had changed from before; he was the same sharp, strange figure with the same sadistic sensibilities and the same insatiable craving for mysteries, and he'd settled into the same battle plan he'd had from day one: take Yako and find the Ultimate Mystery.
He was quick to discover that Yako was not as changeless as him. This was not a surprise - Neuro expected her to grow and change, and would be disappointed if she hadn't. The girl he left behind in Tokyo had grown and pupated into a woman, wordly, more independent than before, and with, perhaps, a speck of wisdom in her (a seed that he had no doubt planted, he thought.) Their relationship had changed from that of a master and servant to one with more equal footing since that time. Naturally, his sadistic play and torture never once stopped, and he treated her almost the same outwardly - but there was a difference, perhaps one only the two of them could notice, in the way he viewed her and spoke to her, and in the responsibilities he granted her. She could never stand on equal footing with Neuro - not in his mind - but she had become someone rather than something, an ally rather than a slave.
None of this is troubling to him in the least.
What is somewhat more troubling (as much as anything could trouble an ancient monster like Neuro) is a more recent change in his partner. He's as godawful at reading humans as ever, but he had become more proficient at reading Yako over the years, even if he still couldn't understand what she was feeling or why. And she's been feeling something different lately. He's a detective at heart, hard-wired to pick up small changes in his environment, and Yako is full of them now. Distant gazes. Troubled sighs. Quickening heartbeats. Her work never suffers for it, but when Neuro fixes her with his eagle-eyed stare, there's something different in the pitiful mortal eyes that stare back at him.
How annoying.
Since her new job involves a lot of traveling, it's not uncommon for the two of them to share rooms on the go. Now is not one of those times, since she's supposed to simply be taking a few days off right now. But... well, when has that ever worked out for her in the past? It's about four in the morning when Neuro appears, and by 'appears,' I mean 'literally kicks in the screen on her window and sends it flying into her bed with the intent of waking her up.' As if the noise wasn't enough already. ]
Good evening, slug, [ he announces in a cheerful(ly mocking) voice, perched in the window frame like some sort of enormous human vulture. ] Open your useless ears. We have business.
THIS IS ALSO TL'DR JUST FOR SETUP gomen
Of course, it's a little hard to notice something that happens in increments, like walking along a beach eroding a centimeter a day until you look behind you and see nothing but the ocean waiting to swallow you whole. Still, now that it's happened, it's useless to pretend it isn't there. Now, something other than the prospect of her next meal makes Yako's breath catch in her throat and her heart beat out of time, and she's never been in the habit of lying to herself, so she's perfectly aware what it is.
She likes Neuro. More specifically, she's attracted to him, which is such a terrifyingly ill-advised prospect that she's not sure what cruel trick of brain chemistry even led to such a thing. Objectively, she knows it makes sense: they're partners, now, and they've been through a numbero f what might be considered traumatic circumstances together, and heightened emotions and adrenaline are a cliche for attraction for a reason. While Neuro continues to treat her with casual abuse, his actions speak louder than words. Harass her though he might, he's never actually left a bruise or broken skin, and it's troubling to realize that's one of those qualities she likes about him.
And the list of those grows by the day.
Ultimately, she recognizes it's something she has to do something about. Neuro himself, of course, is as ignorant about human emotion as ever -- perhaps the only reason she hasn't pinned to a wall and the truth hooked out of her with a spiky finger. But she doesn't know how quite to approach it either, which is why she's taken the opportunity to excuse herself after their latest case, visiting a hot spring resort to try and soak her troubles away and come up with a plan of action.
Naturally, as it's Neuro, nothing goes as planned. She'd been tossing and turning in bed all night, and she's only just started to drift asleep when half the door ends up in her lap and she sits up like she's been shocked awake, eyes wide in the darkness of the room. Her heart's racing. ]
B-business? [ Self-consciousness was never an issue before, either, but she's painfully aware of how her yukata's slipped around in her restless attempts at sleep. Even if she's wearing a perfectly decent pair of pajamas underneath, she finds herself clutching the sheets to her chest, though that admittedly has less to do with modesty and more the need to hold onto something. ]
we're on the same tl;dr wavelength
Don't make me repeat myself. My breath is wasted on the likes of you. [ he crouches again where he stands - presumably to get more on her level, although it's doubtful that comfort is his intention. When is it ever? ] I have a fondness for hot springs. How dare you come to one without your gracious master? Your thoughtlessness is truly without limit. Luckily, I have remedied the situation myself.
[ idle commentary, more than anything, although it's not like he's lying, either. There is a point in his words, though: it's not like her to take time off. ]
no subject
Still, she does have other priorities at the moment. Such as trying to anticipate the next flying projectile's trajectory, for one. If nothing else, at least she's thoroughly awake now. ]
Considering how the last time we visited a hot spring turned out, you can't really blame me for not wanting to repeat the experience, do you? [ She's gotten better about answering back, even if it usually comes with an automatic attempt to pre-emptively evade whatever retaliation is coming. ]
no subject
But it's still foolish. And she's still backtalking him. And Neuro hasn't grown a whit more mature over the years. So his response, naturally, involves a middle finger suddenly shooting out in that ever-so-impossible way he likes to employ for the purpose of issuing her a friendly uppercut to the nose. ]
Hoh? And what do you mean by that? It was a fun and relaxing experience, as I recall. [ for exactly one of them, of course. The elongated finger doesn't snap back to his hand once he's smacked her; rather, it rears up, like a snake (a bit too much like a snake, really), and prods the center of her forehead. ] However, your words are thin. There is something of more substance going on in this feeble brain of yours.
[ There's almost an unspoken question at the end of that sentence, an "isn't there?", because Neuro doesn't know for sure - he can only assume based on his observations of Yako's normal behavior in comparison to her recent self. He doesn't know anything beyond 'there's been a change,' and she'll probably be able to tell he doesn't know - not that it's surprising. ]
no subject
She squints at him with watering eyes, wondering why exactly she thought being attracted to him was a good idea in the first place. Clearly, her conscious brain had nothing to do with that decision, much less her instinct for self-preservation It's certainly hard to find anything particularly attractive about him at this moment. Looking him in the eye is a mistake, though, leaving her feeling like she's prey that's been hypnotized by a larger predator ready to swallow her whole.
But she senses the real question underlying his condescension, knows him well enough to know that he doesn't really have a clue what he's prying for, except that it's a mystery he wants to unravel. She doesn't think he'd expend a demon tool to dig a secret that paltry out of her skull, so she relaxes a little, shaking her head and trying to pull back with a small grin. ]
It's not something that's going to get in the way of work, if that's what you're worried about. [ As much as Neuro ever worries about anything, and she huffs a little, glancing at the door. ]
Did you really have to break in the door to tell me that? [ Sometiems it's hard to tell the difference between dealing with a supernatural monster and a small spoiled child. ]
i come back to this thread a graduate yea
Of course, [ he replies, grinning widely and not missing a beat (no, he didn't, but it seemed like it would be more fun.) ] Do not question my actions. You're misunderstanding your position, Yako. Though I could surely provide you with an infinite amount of answers, the one being questioned right now is you.
[ not mentioning the 'getting in the way of work' bit. Honestly, he doesn't care if she thinks it will get in the way or not. She is his tool - no, his partner, and if he has a concern regarding her, then he's going to address it. That's the way things are. ]
comes back to this thread about to be a graduate student lmfoa
But she's not exactly sure how to answer his question, either. He may have acknowledged her as a partner, but above all else, Neuro is a demon -- and there are aspects of being human she doubts he'll ever really understand. Typically, her strategy in these sorts of situations is to struggle until he gets bored, but she has that uneasy feeling that things aren't going to be so easy this time around.
Particularly because, much to her dismay, her body's reacting in the ways it shouldn't to the harassment, heartbeat picking up and blood rising to her cheeks. All things Neuro's only sure to take as encouragement, and she tries to will it down without much success. ]
I'll tell you if you let me go. [ She manages, though she doesn't manage to put much conviction into it. ]