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[killtohero]

This is Kazutora. Got a message? Well, what're you waiting for?

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[koutsuanzen]

Yo.

it's me. u free now?

i can head to ur place.

[killtohero]

Yeah ok

[And with that, he'd send Baji the address of a small run-down one room apartment he'd be squatting at since he'd arrived. It wasn't much, and he didn't need much.]


Sorry if it looks like shit. Lemme know when you get here Ill let you in

[koutsuanzen]

like id care.

[Of course he cared, but only insofar as he didn't want Kazutora living in some haunt with no running water and shit bugs everywhere and no proper sleeping place. Interior decor he could give a shit about-- or a mess, for that matter. He'd seen Pah's room, after all.

Baji would head that way quickly, steeling himself for what he'd had to do. Mikey had asked him to do it, sure. But this was a task he'd assigned himself a long time ago... something he had to fix, to make Kazutora well again. Because he'd promised he wouldn't abandon him.

Baji didn't bother with knocking. It was Kazu, so, hands in pockets, he'd just toe open the door with the front of his boot, assuming it was unlocked.]

It's me.

[Called, voice low.]

[killtohero]

[The place was dark. It smelled of stale and rotted wood. He could hear the scurry of rats rather than see them.

In the center of the room was a table with a single chair, and on the floor was a stained mattress. Kazutora would be standing facing away from him, hands also in the pockets of his Valhalla jacket.

When Baji would step in, he'd turn around with an unhinged smile, his eyes too wide as ever, gleaming yellow from the one flickering light above him.]

Welcome to Casa Kazu, Baji.

[koutsuanzen]

[...yikes. A place straight outta hell-- ...well, literally, yeah.

Baji had long since taken off his own Valhalla jacket, firstly because that shit was ironic in the underworld, and secondly because it gave him a bad taste in his mouth when he was around Mikey. It just didn't work anymore, now that everyone had read ahead. Figured he'd be a few chapters behind, huh?

He'd opted for just his tank top and tee, casual. He didn't have his Toman jacket with him. Sorry to Mitsuya; that stitching had been impeccable, but on the bright side, least he hadn't gotten blood on it.

Around his neck though, hanging on a leather string, was the brown-spattered "Traffic Safety" charm, worn as a necklace. That's how Mikey had been wearing it, before he'd returned to to Baji like this. Put it right over his head and heart.

...There was no shying away from that with Kazutora now. He didn't know what Kazutora remembered, but hopefully he'd find it in himself to remember Baji would never betray him either. Not Mikey, not him. Not really, not ever.]

Kasa...?

[Umbrella? Wasn't 'kasa' umbrella in Japanese--? Did the kanji have another reading??? Holy shit he didn't even speak his own language?????

Shaking his head to clear it of that stress-- whatever, they could have a vocab lesson later-- he'd rub his temple with the heel of his hand and take a deep breath.]

...it smells like rain water and shit in here, Tora. We should get you someplace warmer.

[Mikey had asked him to bring Kazutora back to them. He'd try.]

[killtohero]

[He'd laugh when he'd see how clearly confused Baji was, a moment of levity in his otherwise morbid state of mind. He'd turn around to greet him more properly, walking up to him and shrugging.]

Eh, it's all I can get at the moment, but there's a roof at least.

[He'd point up to the ceiling and then grin, looking at him more clearly. He wasn't wearing his jacket. He was wearing...

And here he'd stop, looking at the charm on Baji's neck. The charm that signified his love of his friends. His love of Toman..

His expression would darken and he'd move to lift the charm delicately with his index finger..]

Hah, well this is a fucking throwback..

[koutsuanzen]

[A brow raise, not taking his eyes off of Kazutora's face, as if it didn't trouble him in the least that he'd closed the distance to thumb at something precious. He wasn't about to treat Kazutora like he couldn't be trusted-- no matter what had happened between them.

So, he'd let him toy with it, rolling a shoulder back and nudging his knuckles softly into the side of his own neck.]

Yeah. You remember that day-?

[He sure did. They'd done it, in part; in large part; for Kazutora.]

Said I'd hang onto it, after all.

Anyway, I might have a better option for you an' this.

[killtohero]

I thought you'd get rid of it, after you switched sides.

[He'd toy with the charm more..]

You never used to wear it like this..

[There was a lilt to his voice, a sing song scratch that sounded foreign and harsh, even as it was upbeat.]

[koutsuanzen]

...yeah. I lost it, the day Moebius came for Draken.

[Baji would keep his tone even and impassive, his gaze calm and unerring.]

So I didn't have it when I joined you; and Valhalla. ...Guess Takemichi was taking care of it for me.

[...here is the tricky part, the part that might snap his friend into a place of hurt he didn't want for him.

But Baji would be honest.]

Then Mikey held onto it. ...Wore it like this. After I passed.

[Two implications: that Baji knew he'd died, and that he and Mikey were in accord enough that Mikey had entrusted it back to its rightful keeper and protector.]

[killtohero]

[There'd be a brief look of betrayal, eyes widening sadly before they'd go a little too wide and a little too blank. It was complicated, a mash of deep and dirty feelings, all of which were bad: his guilt at stabbing Baji, presumably killing him, his hurt at believing Baji had stopped caring for him, had chosen Toman and Mikey over him..

.. but the complication would settle by his feet, and he'd instead be left with the easy parts of the formula.

Baji was with and loved Mikey. He had lied. He had chosen his enemy over him.

He'd left him.

With a sudden, violent jerk, he'd rip the charm off Baji's neck.

He'd hold it in his trembling fist, hair covering his eyes, voice shaking and off kilter when he would speak.]

You-- and Mikey--

[koutsuanzen]

--ow!! Shit, what the hell, Kazutora?

[Hand still close to his neck and hovering there, he'd rub the back where the leather had bitten in. It didn't hurt, per say, even if it had left a nasty rash; leather was hard to snap against skin and segments of spine; but Baji barely felt it. The only thing he felt was concern. He knew the situation was delicate. He knew.

He'd keep his cool. Something he wasn't known for, something he didn't prefer, but something he'd honed and perfected at school. With his mom. Sometimes, even, with Mikey's sour moods.

He'd stay calm, because Kazutora needed that right now.]

We made up.

[He'd fill in the blank. Maybe not what Kazutora was implying, but what he needed to hear.]

And he wants to make up with you, too. Be a family again. All of us.

[killtohero]

You--
[He'd laugh, too loud and too high pitched, his eyes glistening yellow from moisture.]

S-so I'd been right-! You never meant to help me, never believed me, never planned to kill Mikey-!

You're such a fucking LIAR. All you ever cared about was THIS--

[He'd toss the charm at his chest with as much brute force as a small fabric satchel could withstand.]

Toman. With or without me.

[koutsuanzen]

[He'd catch it easily, and the reply came simple, short, and sweet:]

With you.

[killtohero]

I'm not part of Toman anymore you fucker and you know that-!

Mikey ruined my life and you said you were with me-!! You promised--

[He'd turn away, shaking, stifling a sob. He couldn't bring himself to really lash out at Baji anymore, not after he'd realized he was indeed the most precious thing to him. Not after he'd realized he'd ruined that precious thing.

But it hurt. God it hurt]

You promised.. and you lied.

You chose Mikey over me. For two years you-- ....

[koutsuanzen]

...that's not fucking true.

[He had promised. And he intended to keep that promise. No matter what. Even if it meant Mikey fucking hated him-- Mikey would be okay, wouldn't he? He had Draken and all the rest. He had so much love, so many people who understood and supported him. This was in fact, here in this place, a Mikey who had survived without him.

...He knew it was a fucking blow if he went. He knew he was one of the few people who'd really known Mikey as a child, who knew everything that went down, who'd seen his personality form, who understood the depth of the dark within him; who understood he had a killer instinct deep down but didn't want to. Should never evolve into having. Could be stopped from having.

Kazutora was the opposite... he was a killer on the surface, and shattered glass deep down. A broken, wounded thing who'd make a mistake and had suffered for it. A friend who needed a friend. A person who simply needed... forgiveness. A future. Hope.

Keisuke Baji wasn't smart. But he was a good first division leader. He knew people. He knew his people. He'd do anything; anything; for them.]

I promised you. And I won't go anywhere without you. I won't go home without you; but I wanna take you home, cause this place sucks.

[killtohero]

I don't have a home, Baji. I don't have a family, I don't have anything--

All I had was you. All I ever had was you, and it's all I wanted, and in jail, I--

[He'd look up at the mottled, moldy ceiling.]

Fuck revenge, fuck redemption, the only thing that actually kept me going, day after day, were your letters. All I wanted was to get out and be with you again..

But it didn't matter 'cause you didn't want that, and I can't stand that-!

[He'd clench his fists tightly, so tightly his nails would dig into his palms, drips of blood splattering the cracked floor.

When he spoke again, his voice would crack with emotion.]

I killed you, you know. You must have heard that from Mikey already. Stabbed you when I realized you'd left me.

You don't want me, and I'm no good, so just -- go. Just go.

[koutsuanzen]

Yeah, I'm not doin' that.

[Kazutora could rant if he wanted. Get it all out. That was probably productive, even.

Didn't matter though. He was rooted to the spot because he wanted to be, and he was rooted to the spot because Mikey had asked him to be.]

...I'm glad the letters meant somthin' to you. Good. They were a bitch to write. Sorry about the handwritin'.

[Chifuyu was a saint. Like... the patron saint of being irritating as fuck, mostly, but a good, good kid. He'd helped a lot.

He missed him, which felt vaguely stupid after beating his face in. But just like he knew Chifuyu didn't mind one iota, already forgave him, Kazutora had to know the same went for him.]

You're with me now, and I don't give a shit if you stabbed me. You didn't kill me. And I want you to come with me now. So we can all be in once place together. Safety in numbers. Mikey wants you with us; I do too.

[killtohero]

[He'd turn around suddenly, aiming to punch Baji directly in the face with a roar of rage and frustration.]

[koutsuanzen]

[...and he'd let him.

Baji was quicker than Kazutora, stronger.

He'd take the hit easily, head snapping to the side with the force of the hit. That was fine. Let Kazutora vent it all out here; it was safer that way.]

...you can be mad at me. But I need you to drop your vendetta against Mikey.

He wants you, Kazutora. We all want you back.

[Or well, Mikey was working on wanting him back. They could both work on this a lot faster together.]

NUUU TAAAGGG

[killtohero]

[He'd hit him again, and then again, and then again, the rage boiling in his veins, spilling over in his eyes, through his tears, clouding his vision, his thoughts, the space around him.]

Don't you fucking understand?? I HATE him! He stole two years from me, he stole YOU-!

[koutsuanzen]

[...And he'd take each and every blow, as unflinchingly as he could, standing in place like a scolded puppy. Nothing cowed him, except his friends. He'd stand still for no one, except the people he loved. This sucked, but okay; fine.

His main concern was that if he bruised up too bad, Mikey was gonna be pissed at Kazutora. So--]

...man, stop.

[Requested, a little blandly. He didn't want to pull Kazutora forcefully out of his delusion. He didn't know what that could do to him, and knew that was his place of safety, of refuge... but...]

...you lost those two years, yeah; forgive him.

[It didn't need to make sense. If it was real to Kazutora, he'd talk to him on those terms.]

He lost his brother; and he lost you too, right? His close friend. You both lost irreplaceable shit. But you can get summuvit back.

And he didn't steal me. I'm right here. And you should know that, because you keep fucking planting your fist into me.

[killtohero]

[Kazutora would give just a hint of a smile at that. Yeah, okay, fair enough, he was literally there, and Kazu was indeed beating the shit out of him.

But the smile would fade fast, even as he'd stop the barrage of punches. He'd set his fist against Baji's chest and glance down]

I can't.. I can't let go, Baji, I can't, I can't, I can't--

[He'd shake his head furiously, fist tightening.]

I'm too far gone..

[It was a moment of rare clarity for Kazutora, available to him because of what he'd just done before he'd arrived in this Hell. His stabbing Baji...]

If I can kill you, then there's nothing left of me. I'm done.

Just-- go home. Go to Mikey. It's where you really wanna be anyway.

[koutsuanzen]

...You didn't kill me.

[Repeated again.]

Mikey told me what happened, and you didn't kill me.

[He didn't know? Or he'd just forgotten? Who knew, with Kazutora. But he repeats that reassurance like a clear bell, tolling the truth.]

If you dont wanna come, I can't force ya. But I'm not leaving you here alone.

[killtohero]

[He didn't understand.. how could he have stabbed him and he died and it wasn't Kazutora?? All he remembered hearing Mikey say was that Baji had died.. and it had been because of him.]

That's fucking -- it doesn't make sense! He told me you'd died cause of what I'd done-!

[koutsuanzen]

Look, I wasn't there--

[A brow furrow. Timelines are hard wtf.]

--I mean, I guess I was there, but I wasn't--

[Shit, his head hurt. Maybe because Kazutora had hit it like five times.]

Mikey said I committed suicide to end your fight, okay? Guess I stabbed myself. So maybe don't fucking test me, cause I'm batshit.