[ closed ] simmer for seven days

[seafloor]

WHO: kaito and pals
WHAT: post-surgery and mid-month event shenanigans
WHERE: around town
WHEN: from april 12 to the end of the month
WARNINGS: potential discussion of body horror; will update as things Go On

Comments

[immortalpoet]

Oh yes. Because I'm so well known for that.

[He stares at him for a moment. Some kind of healing power....and now he's dealing with the consequences.]

[His red eyes flit over the food - again that familiar pang - before he's moving to Kaito and clasping a scarred hand over his shoulder.]

You and I. Let's go.

[seafloor]

...Are you hurt?

[ The murmur slips past his lips before he can connect that it's a reaction based off his empathy, and not from any physical signs of pain from Verg. But the world moves quickly around him, and the next thing Kaito knows, the old man's hand is on his shoulder.

He actively resists the urge to tilt his head onto that scarred skin. This isn't Malkuth, quit messing. ]

Where are we going? What about all this food? It's gonna go to waste. [ A beat. ] Are you gonna take me back to the med bay? They won't entertain me. There are hardly enough cots for all the people who were affected by that rift.

[ Despite all his explaining, he does stand up. ]

[immortalpoet]

...Huh? No.

[Not physically, no. Mentally? He would say no, too, but there's something here that tugs at a little knot of worry that's been there for a long time.]

[When the man stands up, he retracts his hand, but his expression is as stern as ever.]

I know it might go to waste, but let everyone else have the buffet. [And....hm. He doesn't like that. Well, they are sort of similar, he'd probably say the same thing...but.....] Why won't they entertain you? Augmentations can cause serious aftereffects. You could be bleeding in your brain for all I know.

[seafloor]

Surely you can fill in the blanks. [ Really funny choice of words considering your CONSTANT MEMORY BLUE SCREENING, Kaito. ] We're disposable, and the victims of the rift are good research material. Even at their most benevolent, there aren't enough hands and supplies to properly take care of us on top of everything else.

[ A hand lifts to tap and drag along the base of his skull. ] My implant will alert the medical staff if something more serious than these episodes comes up. Until then, I've gotta deal with it on my own. It should only last for a week.

[ After a few seconds, Kaito looks up and smiles. ] ...And sometimes I get to enjoy extended stretches of normalcy.

[immortalpoet]

Tch. When everything changes...nothing changes.

[Same old City bullshit.]

[The simmering annoyance is tamped down into something a little exhausted, but he doesn't seem like he's ready to just up and leave, either.]

Coffee, then. Out in the city. Getting fresh air might stir up whatever brain cells you have.

[seafloor]

...You're gonna take an amnesiac on a date? Is this karma?

[ Kaito shakes his head. ] I'll go, but you're gonna have to pay. And maybe walk slowly. I'm in a lot of pain.

[ He's talking casually, as if he wasn't carved into without anesthesia the other day. ]

And it I keep forgetting everything, you have to remind me everytime.

[ Since when did you become so needy? ]

[immortalpoet]

...That's exactly why I'm doing it. You won't remember the amazing time you had and I'll rub it in every chance I get.

[As dry as ever.....]

[But despite the man's neediness, he doesn't seem to mind, in fact, this seems expected - he's almost vaguely amused.]

I've done worse. Now, if you ask me to do paperwork on top of everything you said, I'm out. That's my line.

[seafloor]

[ Kaito snorts. ] See? We're so alike. That's something I wouldn't hesitate to do in a heartbeat.

[ Sorry, Malkuth. Kaito falls into step beside the Fixer, trying not to focus on his headache—or the figurative cliff up ahead that'll rewind the clock on his memories. ]

Don't worry. There'll be no paperwork if I have a day in it. Now how do you like your coffee, Vergilius? This is an important question for the health of our friendship.

[immortalpoet]

What a bastard.

[POT CALLING KETTLE BLACK, TEASINGLY, VAGUELY AFFECTIONATELY(???)]

This friendship stuff again... [le SIGH] How about...you guess. I don't think it should be hard.

[seafloor]

I know. [ Griiiiin. ]

You enjoy your coffee black, like any other world-weary soldier.

[ A beat. ]

That's what I would have guessed even if I didn't already hear the answer from Malkuth, for the record.

[immortalpoet]

[There's a little flip of emotion at the mention of the name of Malkuth, before there's a feeling of "THEY TALK ABOUT ME???".]

[He squints.]





Are you sure you have memory loss?

[seafloor]

[ Kaito's smile grows at the sight and sensation. ]

It's only short-term memory loss. Anything from the barbeque forward is subject to going out the window, and not all of it is gonna be permanent.

Are you already regretting your kindness?

[immortalpoet]

It's not kindness.

[>:/]

........I'm just getting an accumulation of good karma, that's all. Anyways. Any other information about me you'd like to spill?

[>:\]

[seafloor]

...You must be so easy for Malkuth to lead around, huh?

[ Kaito laughs brightly. ] She has a way with people, y'know. And the grumpier they are, the stronger she gets. I saw it firsthand. When we met, I wasn't very inviting.

Now look at us.

[immortalpoet]

[>://///////]

[NOT ADDRESSING THE MALKUTH (AND KAITO) ALLEGATIONS]

You weren't very inviting? I find that hard to believe.




You know, outside of how obnoxious you are.

1/2

[seafloor]

Who's the one suffering from memory loss now? Remember, I used to... to...

2/2

[seafloor]

...Shit. Did I ever tell him that I used to be a delinquent?

[ The words are more or less stage whispered. And the answer is yes. ]

[immortalpoet]

[Without even a pause.]

You did. But I was talking more about here, when you got grabbed with the rest of us. Not your life.

[A beat.]

Unless Malkuth made you change overnight from said delinquent to now...her power....

[seafloor]

I wouldn't say overnight. [ Can you feel the smile in his words? ] She was admittedly kind of annoying for the first few minutes we knew each other.

But I suppose you've got a point. I'm a lot more easygoing nowadays. That doesn't detract from her power, because look at you. She didn't even have to prank you.

I bet she just smiled and you felt your first pang of positive emotions since coming to Neo Tokyo.

[immortalpoet]

Don't claim like you made me more outgoing because you pranked me. You made me worse.

[b inch]

[He's leading the way to the outside, before bee-lining down a street - he thinks this is the same place March asked him to meet up for coffee. Might as well use that and not some place he has no idea about.]

[The last statement makes him feel - weird. Fluttery?]

No. She got on my nerves. She practically threatened to tear my door down if I didn't come outside.

[seafloor]

I made myself your favorite. Favorite to hate, but favorite nonetheless.

[ There's that sneaky smirk. Kaito follows along—slowly, but never too far away. ]

Heheheh. She never had to threaten me that far, but we both know why. That's cute. I bet she would have gone through with the threat, too.

[immortalpoet]

You say that like its a role deserving of a medal.

[A little ragged sigh at that.]

I wouldn't put it past her. Vicious, that one.

[seafloor]

It made me feel special, wrong reasons or not.

[ Kaito bumps shoulders with the Fixer, smiling bright. ]

She really is. I don't need much convincing around her, but I bet she'd fold me in half without a second thought if it would help me in any way. Exaggeration, but y'know.

[ Snicker, snicker. Even if that example, he sounds so fond. ]

—Do I wait until after we've had our coffee to ask if you have feelings for her, or should I do it now?

[immortalpoet]

She would.

[She would.]

[She....]






[The last question makes him feel like Kaito took a brick and smacked him in the head with it. He'd actually rather prefer that than this. That would make some kind of sense.]

[There's a roiling sort of weird spike of annoyance, like the man's gone and poked him in the side in a weak spot he didn't know was there. What a useless, stupid question. This busybody, Kaito...]

What kind of question is that? [With a little gruff noise.] Do you have feelings for her?

[seafloor]

[ Aha.

He knew, of course—that's what he's telling himself right now, in the instant Verg's emotional state spikes. Kaito's very good at finding those weak points in people and non-people. Making use of them has been one of the tenets of his success as a mediator and negotiator.

But in this moment, just this once, he wishes he'd been wrong. Wishes he'd missed the mark by any margin. But the Fixer's surely doing his best to play it casual, so he will too. ]

Eheh, y'know, that's a real interesting question... But I'm only gonna answer if you do!

[ Smile, smile. There. Even Verg won't take such obvious bait. They can get their coffee and maybe Kaito can talk about other girls instead. Or have an amnesiac episode. ]