( catch-all)

[cranekin]

WHO: Tsurumaru Kuninaga and you
WHAT: Various prompts for July
WHERE: Various
WHEN: July into August
WARNINGS: N/A for now

catch-all for the month, open to using event prompts, setting up starters, etc.
if you would like an original starter or have your own idea, hit me up yosakoi | discord: diejoubus

Comments

[lifeprice]

[ Ah... The wedding...

Aki might be blushing. ]

Of course. I'd like him to be there.

[cranekin]

Then let's invite him. (It's decided. That's it. ) He'll be so happy to come.

(There's more to the conversation but right now, it just feels so nice and ordinary. He almost feels bad for what he's going to say next but it has to be said. Calmly, quietly, watching Aki carefully,)

I spoke to Erechan, too.

[lifeprice]

[ A clatter, as Aki narrowly avoids cutting off his pinky finger as he chops the tofu.

A frown, clear tension in his shoulders before he breathes out. ]

Oh?

1/2

[cranekin]

...!

(Ah, he gets up quickly and starts to come over. From his angle, it looked like he'd--)

[cranekin]

(But he's too calm. He's clearly missed, so instead, Tsurumaru remains standing, watching Aki as he calms himself and readies for the change in conversation,)

We haven't spoken to each other since we returned.

(So of course, he wanted to see her again.)

... You know.... We're quite similar.

[lifeprice]

I spoke to her. Once.

[ And that was more than enough for Aki, all things considered.

Glancing over, he puts the knife down. They're doing this now, are they? ]

What do you mean?

[cranekin]

Because of our nature... it's easy for us to become twisted.

(He speaks carefully, calmly... and quietly. It's a part of him he's never really talked to anyone about until now and now, the words feel heavy and awkward and every part of him is screaming at him to stop.)

... I fell on my own. She did nothing to me.

[lifeprice]

I'm sure she did nothing to help.

[ Aki is staring at the wall, now, jaw tense. ]

[cranekin]

She sought help.

(He keeps his tone gentle but he doesn't back down,)

She was alone in the dark with only herself for so long... when she couldn't bear it on her own anymore, she tried to help. But she didn't understand what she needed help with. She didn't understand what would happen.

(It sounds like excuses even if he's just trying to explain.)

You heard it, didn't you? When you came to our rescue... you heard your own darkness call out to you. You saw your own weakness. I saw it too.

(In Taiyo who tried to get Aki to stay in the Underworld, to give into his grief.)

[lifeprice]

I remember.

[ It would be so easy to respond that it doesn't matter. That he had fought back against that darkness, because he had chosen to live. That he had recognised that he wanted to live with Tsurumaru and Denji more than he wanted to return to that dark end, more than he wanted to be with Taiyo.

But he doesn't. He stares down at the tofu, he chews on his lip, and he closes his eyes. ]

You can say anything you want in her defence, Tsurumaru. You can give whatever explanation you like. It's not going to stop me being angry about what happened.

[ A small breath. ]

I've been to Hell itself, and that wasn't as frightening as seeing...

[ That. ]

[cranekin]

Me.

(A version of himself that was recognizable but not. )

My own darkness. My own weakness. (Raising a hand to his chest, right over his heart,) You saw what I let myself become.

I won't ask you to forgive her, Aki, but that miserable spirit you saw was me. The same me standing in front of you right now.

[lifeprice]

So, what do you want?

[ Aki turns his head, looking down at him, his expression tight. He takes a long breath in, and then a long one out, his fingers flexing. ]

What do you want me to do, Tsurumaru? If it's not forgive her, then why bring it up?

[cranekin]

(What a miserable look. Just seeing it makes him want to take things back. It makes him want to laugh and smile and throw a surprise at Aki to distract him from everything and yet... he continues.)

If I had fallen first... and if I had called you and told you how miserable and lonely I felt...

(There's a distance between them right now. It feels so far away.)

What would you have done in that place?

[lifeprice]

I would've come to you. I know that.

[ Aki rubs his face, breathing out a sharp noise. ]

I know you want to rationalise it for me. To make it make sense, to try and stop my anger. But I'm still going to be mad, Tsurumaru, about what happened. Aren't I allowed that?

[cranekin]

I would never deny you anything.

(He would give Aki every allowance without question. Even if he wishes he could take his anger away, if he wanted to keep it, he would allow it.)

... For all that you've given me, I would never take more that.

[lifeprice]

Tsurumaru…

[ Leaning down, he presses his face into that soft white hair. ]

Just give me a little more time.

[cranekin]

(Reaching a hand around his waist, his other gently brushing his mechanical arm, fingertips touching metal. A wordless acknowledgement, silent understanding, )

All of my time is yours. (He's said it before and he'll say it again,) A thousand years and more.

(Even if it takes that long, he'll wait. Leaning up, he kisses him softly on the lips, )

... I'll go set up.

[lifeprice]

So is mine. All the hours I have left, and all the hours after that, too.

[ Aki leans into the kiss, then leaves another on his forehead, sweet and tender. ]

I'll make some tea to go with it.