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Cycle

The Reincarnated Lovers Meme

Everyone knows the feeling of when you see someone and you know you've seen them before. Isn't that a part of déjà vu? But what if the connection you have with that person goes beyond the superficial recognition of familiarity? Perhaps you were connected once...in the most intimate of ways. Some religions and philosophies believe in reincarnation of souls, and it's said that souls could be reincarnated together - once again to follow out the same path they did before. Or maybe not. Maybe it could be a second chance for fixing things that went wrong before, like the a tragedy or circumstances keeping you apart. But can you take that chance? Do you even want to? HOW TO PLAY Comment with your character, stating preferences and pertinent information. Tag around to others and roll the RNG to determine what your scenario will be. The first roll determines the parameters of the "past life," the second the parameters of the "present life." The meme is intended to take place in the present, but there's nothing stopping you from playing out flashbacks to the "past." Play out the scene! WARNING: There will probably be triggers here.		A. THE PAST Medieval: The two of you lived in the middle ages or an equal high fantasy setting. Kings, queens, knights, wizards, your doomed love was set among the sword and shield. Feudal Japan: During this time, honor reigned supreme and warriors lived and died by the sword. Perhaps the two of you lived here? War: World War I, World War II, World War...III? Whatever the tension was, the two of you weren't living in happy times. Not Human: You were gods, demons, monsters, angels - or at least one of you was. Sci-Fi: The two of you found love in a world of science and technology...maybe a base on the moon? Taboo: In a past life, the two of you were related, yet still somehow fell in love. Or perhaps there was a big age gap, or different social standings. Whatever it was, your affection was "wrong," somehow. Intended for Someone Else: One of you was engaged, intended, or taken by someone else. Not Allowed: For some reason, you couldn't have your love back then. Tragically Cut Short: Somehow, your love ended in tragedy and one of you died. Living Happily Ever After: The two of you grew old together, had a family, the whole shebang, and died of old age. As a reward, you get to be with your loved one again. WILDCARD or CHOOSE YOUR OWN B. THE PRESENT (Not So) First Meeting: You could swear you've seen this person before...but where? Need to Be Near You: You don't know why, but you have to be close to this person, to protect them, to love them. Memories: You're having memories of your past life and it's freaking you out. The Reveal: Somehow, the truth is revealed to you about who you used to be and what you life was like with this person. But I'm Taken: Unfortunately, you've already moved on to someone else who doesn't fit into the picture of your past. You Have to Be With Me: You're determined to rejoin with your past lover...even if they're not interested. He Doesn't See Me: You're afraid your lover only sees the past "you" and not the you who exists now. Are they in love with a memory? Madness Ensues: It's getting hard for you to tell which life is the "real" one, the one you have now or the one in the past. Perhaps you only see one way of release: becoming reincarnated again. It All Worked Out: The battles are fought, the war is one. You've earned your happy ending in this life and the two of you can live together. WILDCARD or CHOOSE YOUR OWN
Meme inspired by the anime/manga Please Save My Earth. Feel free to repost this as you feel fit.

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[Look, with the gif choice on this meme I always have to toss her on here. Also comes in Mina!flavour, of course. Voicetesting.]

[ guy who spookily recognizes your soul on sight because he was a death cult shaman with woo soul powers in a past life... ]

[ Not interested in A10. Give me some past angst to work through. ]

( once again especially interested in immortal Claire reuniting with a reincarnated past love in some vague future time. but open to discussing other AU possibilities! )

( there were rules in the life before and many suggested seeing each other again would never be possible. and, in lots of ways, that's true. angel doesn't meet aki hayakawa until he's 17, working a host job where he doesn't fit in except that he's pretty enough for it. the first night aki comes to this specific club, he's with coworkers. they seem like run of the mill businessmen, perhaps a little better off. angel isn't sure, but aki looks like both the youngest and most out of place. he only learns his name because he's been trained to even if he's not told. but each time aki's group comes, angel feels like he's watching him. every time he looks over though, this isn't true.

he asks not to be assigned to them and gets soundly denied. they requested him after all, and the only blessing is so-far none have asked for anything beyond rote table service and soul killing small talk. angel isn't even good at it but his 'guardian' says that's the appeal. not a real guardian, more like an owner de facto. but this is what happens when you let yourself be picked up off the street and re-socialized just enough. you owe debts and you get trapped.

you meet aki hayakawa and wonder why it doesn't feel like the first time.

tonight, again, angel has that weird feeling aki is looking at him but sure enough when he turns his head to meet that cold gaze, he's just scrolling through his phone then drily responding to something a jovial woman is saying to him — one of his seniors it seems.

oh well.

going to offer them the next round of drinks, angel flinches when one of the men grabs his wrist. as far as the people who frequent here, the veneer of class and none of the substance as always, it's quite tame. but angel knows it just is a stepping stone to the rest, especially based on how the other hand sits at home against his waist, turning him towards...what was this man's name? crap.

for some reason, despite this group being here a bunch of times now, despite his training, angel has only ever picked up aki's name. maybe, because he has that thought, his eyes flit over to him for a second before returning to this other person. he sighs inwardly, not doing what he's supposed to at all and instead trying to pull his wrist out of his hold and step away. no dice, and no surprise given angel's frame and the man...laughs.

angel fights the weird knee-jerk reaction to want to look at aki again and instead looks at the floor. the hollow circular light fixtures over head cast sharp shadows and from this vantage, looking down at his own, it's as if he has a halo. )

Edited 2025-02-10 22:08 (UTC)

[ aki has no expectations in this new life. regrettably, he does end up smoking again. when the memories of his past life begin to resurface, the cigarettes both help curb the anxiety and stress, and feel… familiar. old habits die hard even in an entirely new life, apparently.

the first time aki sees angel, he promptly excuses himself from his coworkers and violently throws up in the bathroom. the intense emotions and memories that hit him all at once are visceral and almost paralyzing. it’s not a slow, easy burn, but like being plunged into ice water. maybe it’s his heart or his mind or his soul or what-the-hell-ever else reacting so strongly to this other soul it recognizes.

this soul it loves.

angel does not react similarly— there’s no hint of recognition in his eyes or his expression. it’s crushing.

but they keep going back to the same club— aki keeps going back. there are no devils in this world. that means angel is living a normal life— relatively normal, anyway. he’s allowed to touch, to be close, live his life freely, even if he’s chosen this place.

if only aki knew the truth.

tonight, the “gang” is a little rowdier than usual. it escalates quickly, and aki’s body reacts the same way: immediate. one moment he’s seated, the next he’s pulling his arm back and punching his coworker square in the jaw.

the fuck’s wrong with you, newbie?! he asks from the floor. even, almost blankly, aki responds: ]

That’s a man.

[ silence, and then… suddenly the group erupts into laughter. aki’s in-fighting is ignored by the rest of his group in favor of hooting and hollering at their injured coworker— both his pride and his face— instead.

aki keeps his back to his table, his “comrades,” and leans down a little, offering a hand to the fallen angel. ]

Sorry. You okay?

[ this is an awful idea, but aki can’t stand to turn away or leave him on the floor. ]

( as luck would have it, he hits the table on his way down, but angel has no time to notice he's bleeding at his temple or his arm, because when he accepts aki's hand, the entire environment disintegrates. he's not there. it happens in all of two or three seconds but for that instant, angel is not in this club at all. aki is still present but they're at the shore. there's a woman with red hair. and the sea is the same red as fresh blood.

when he comes back to himself, he's not sure why he saw that or what it really was. he hasn't let go of aki's hand, in fact, is gripping it that much tighter, enough for the other likely to feel his trembling.

there's complaints behind them from the others but angel doesn't pay them heed.

he'll get in trouble for it later, but he can't bring himself to care right now.

helped up by aki, he finds himself staring again, this time head-on. again he has that pinch of a feeling: familiar.

but angel is sure he would remember someone who looks like this.

when he averts his gaze, he also winces with a turn of his head, pain finally setting in. but all he says is, )

Funny thing to ask.

( it's unsettling for angel, to find he cares that aki probably does not actually care. he's not sure why he thinks this except that it's safer than believing otherwise. why indeed would aki ask if he's okay after pointing out his gender to an obviously unreceptive audience? but it did get him free. angel can't complain, but it makes him wary.

under his breath there's a slight 'ow' as he raises his free hand to his head, pale fingertips coming away with minimal blood. it's not serious. all head wounds bleed like crazy even if they're just scratches. angel knows from experience. he tugs at his wrist, indicating aki to let go. )

[ angel is... shaking. aki hadn't meant to upset him. he just... sort of... acted. no thoughts, just doing. god, who is he? denji? ]

...sorry. I don't really give a damn about gender or sex, personally, but the rest of them aren't like that. I was looking for something that would make him back off.

[ you DID punch him, aki. the gender comment was enough to redirect his "work" group completely, so... not a total failure, besides the fact that he seems to have made his first interaction with someone his entire being painfully aches to be near, entirely awful.

he lets go of angel's wrist, though his fingers linger before lifting to sheepishly rub at the back of his neck. ]

I didn't mean to be rude— [ oh. angel is... bleeding. he seems extremely unfazed by it, and that, too, is familiar: more or less indifference accompanied by a almost as unaffected complaint. ] Shit— I have a handkerchief. Here.

[ aki pulls a handkerchief from his pocket and holds it out to angel, unaware he's repeating something from his past with some minor differences. ...okay, zombies might be a big difference. maybe aki has seen the memory before, but there's been, uh, a lot of both physical and mental trauma involved with this whole "past life" thing, so... it may be reasonable to have forgotten. ]

( there's an abrupt sense of loss when aki's fingers uncurl, the unconscious glide of them against angel's skin entirely natural. it doesn't mean anything. he's just letting go — doing what angel implied for him to do, no less! so why does he regret it? the confusion must show on his face, normally so unreadable simply because he tends to have a resting...non-expression, that anything else is drastically apparent.

tonight, angel's makeup is, as always, expertly applied: delicate eyeliner accented by soft touches of red around his eyes and across his nose. the soft glow of a highlighter that makes him seem sort of ethereal and actively leaning him into that androgynous category, to appeal to more customers. point just proven. his hair, almost always down, is partially up, pulled back and twisted high on his head with a pair of gold plated chopsticks. it shows off the single drop earring in his right ear, a teardrop pearl. the other has an earring like a pin that goes through the upper and lower lobe, the detail: a gold wing.

all of this is meant to cater to a certain taste, but unbeknownst to angel, it also touches on aspects of a life he does not remember. a pearl from the ocean. the wing of an angel. hair kept long, longer even than aki's, though angel has off and on had the thought that aki's hair suits him even though he's not sure why.

the faint shaking hasn't entirely gone away but angel's hand drops to his side like a deadweight. he shakes his head once. )

I get it. You don't have to — oh.

( whereas in a life before, angel asked, in this life, aki just offers. angel accepts, his would-be response derailed by said offer as he takes the handkerchief and blindly lifts it to daub at the torn skin. he grimaces. it's tender. well of course it is, probably more from impact than the cut. the flicker of discomfort is gone as quick as it appears.

his gaze falls to aki's hand, wordless. he actually might have said something but his guardian/owner appears out of nowhere, a large hand under his elbow, pulling him away.

it's unconscious, and one could write it off as angel trying to give aki back his handkerchief, bloodied though it is. but the truth is: he reaches his hand out reflexively, very obviously towards aki's, as if wanting to grasp onto it. the handkerchief ends up dropped on the floor and angel is led away, one last look over his shoulder before he's pulled into the back.

ten maybe fifteen minutes pass before the owner steps out of the back again, as if nothing had happened, though he provides a round of drinks on the house for the group aki is with before also setting them up with someone else, a hostess this time. angel, however, does not re-emerge, now in one of the rooms in the back, past the dark velvet curtain, examining a bruise slowly starting to bloom across his cheek. well. that's what one gets for refusing customers. the mirror angel is using in this room is cracked, and makes it seem like he's been split into two versions of himself.

though the door is locked from the outside, angel can still hear the music and the chatter.

he wonders if aki is still there, if he left.

stopping his self-examination, he lowers his hand and stares down at where aki had grabbed onto him. no mark at all. )

[ it's been a little too long since angel was escorted off the floor— it's even more worrying when he doesn't reappear with the establishment's owner. unlike the rest of his group, he isn't swayed or distracted by free drinks and booming music.

after waiting what feels like way too much time (it's been maybe another 5-10 minutes, aki excuses himself again, but doesn't give a reason for it. his "partners" seem distracted enough; it's really the staff he has to look out for. making his way to the back as nonchalantly as possible, aki slips through the dark, velvety curtains with the least movement he can manage.

he has to check on him. aki can't stop thinking about angel reaching for him. his chest feels tight.

it's not incredibly well-lit back here, and dark curtains that line the wall behind him make it even harder for light to reflect. there are... doors. rooms. a couple of them. maybe angel is in one...? or maybe aki is insane and angel was just sent home.

aki can handle himself fine, but there is the worry that doing this will get angel into even more trouble, if he is here, and the tension his voice holds shows it. ]

...Angel? [ nevermind that aki has no reason to know angel's real name. he'd been introduced as something... similar, but only in association. for protection, aki assumes, which is... really ironic, given what just happened. ]

( the voice startles him, not expecting to hear from anyone but his owner. but it's not him.

he blinks at the door, calling out quietly. )

Hello...?

( a slight pawing at the door, in case aki is trying to figure out which door it is, and if angel can hear his footsteps come closer, he adds, still quiet, not wanting to be caught, )

Um...What're you doing back here?

( there's a soft thud as angel slumps to the floor, leaning his head lightly against the door, leaving a faint smear of blood. it's starting to dry at least, though it's causing his hair to mat together unpleasantly. he lets his eyes flutter shut, listening through the door more attentively than he even understands why himself. to make sure aki is really there? and if he's not? why does he want him to be? )

[ oh— he hears it. both angel's slightly muffled voice and the sound of someone scratching at wood. it helps him find the correct door, and when aki reaches out to turn the knob, he's met with resistance.

locked? did they lock it? that's... disgusting. the door doesn't seem to have a key, though. just a simple bolt lock. aki knows how to pick a lock, but strangely, this lock is on the outside... even more disgusting.

unlocking it, aki checks over his shoulder before opening it, finding himself acting on instinct when there's a body suddenly slumping forward. he bends down quickly to catch angel, and aki's heart catches in his throat. they're touching— skin to skin, in some places. this is the first time he's ever touched angel's skin— well, third. but now it's starting to click that this is real, that this is allowed... and aki feels awful for the thoughts he has, no doubt inspired by his past life.

throat a little tight he asks: ]

Your head— are you okay? Does it hurt? That asshole didn't help you?

[ way to not answer the question, but the whole tumbling through the doorway thing distracted aki, just a bit. as did... other things. ]

( angel blinks, surprised as arms catch him. his association with touch in this life is also negative, but not because it's forbidden; rather, because nothing is. he's so taken off guard, for a moment he's just perfectly still. maybe aki will even think he's passed out. but when he snaps back to himself, breathing in the smell from aki's clothes -- cigarettes, something else, a third something -- and finding it oddly familiar again, he realizes, unconsciously, he's curled one small hand in the hem of aki's jacket.

oh.

he lets go as if burned but also doesn't pull away. he's dizzy. blood loss? can't be. )

A little...but it's not serious. 's why he didn't...

( okay that's not true. the truth is the owner didn't help because he didn't want to, even if it had been more serious. angel isn't doing his job. so he doesn't warrant the 'care'. he sighs, raising one hand to touch, and wincing. yeah it's not bleeding so bad anymore, but it's tender and his hair is tangling further down where it's dripped.

oh well.

more importantly...angel clears his throat, still soft. )

You should go.

( he's not looking to get anyone on his boss's bad side.

at the same time, as soon as he says aki should go, angel has such an intense pang of: no...no...don't. it's blinding. he ends up collapsing more against aki even than before. his breaths come a little too fast and uneven.

beyond the dark hall and curtains, the music and general din of things continues. it lends a blurry and strange background tone to everything, like time is both slow and fast. )

[ angel tells aki to leave with the same breath he uses to cling to aki. shit. fuck. it doesn't seem like angel remembers, but why else would he be so ready to cling to him? maybe it's desperation. maybe they hurt him here— maybe it's why he's received no medical attention for his head wound.

he can feel angel's chest rise and fall almost frantically and... and aki can't help it. he's being greedy, yes, but when he holds angel tight, it feels so surreal that there's no loss of life involved if they happen to brush skin. ]

...I don't want to leave you. [ like a lovesick idiot, he blurts out, quiet: ] Come with me instead. You won't have to work. [ softer still: ] You hate work...

( 'you hate work' is somehow the thing that prods at the not-quite-memory angel is experiencing in aki's presence; familiarity. he stares for a long moment, mouth softly parted as he peers up at him. why would a stranger offer this kind of thing to him? why doesn't he feel like a stranger in the first place? is it the bloodloss? he can't make sense of it.

and yet, he believes him.

the hand curled in his jacket still hasn't let go, clutching it into so many wrinkles of fabric. he blinks. )

Why? Why would ....why do you care?

( why do /i/ care that you care? angel shivers, head to toe. if he still had wings, they would have fluttered behind him, an anxious frenzy of want, fear, and questions. )