generalflirt | ~♥TWENTY-NINE♥~

~♥TWENTY-NINE♥~

[Masaomi has been dreadfully ill since, well... since about Nagisa's party and going to look for a starfish the night before. Since then, well... he passed out there, barely made it home, and had been nursed ever since. He was slightly delirious though all this, and he relied on Saki to get him through things while working on autopilot. He wasn't able to really move much himself until about the 29th or so. After that you might have seen him going in and out of the kitchen. But had he not seen Saki as much somehow...?

This pattern lasts until he wakes up about three PM on the 3rd. He's finally feeling better, and is able to pick up the journal, flip through things, and then go check on Saki and... she's not there. He searches the apartment, is it just him or is it more empty. Finally, he goes to make a filtered message to her to see if she's around...

And. She's not. The filter breaks.

She's gone.

Gone.

He got back his cell phone a while ago - he hasn't opened it, really, but after Fray gave it back to him the only thing he used it for was that thing with the texts and "Tanaka Taro." But. He flips it open to see Saki's picture in there. His grip tightens. They never even talked and she's gone.. completely gone. He begins to shake. The rage lasts a while and he tries to calm down enough to make a little post saying she's gone. and finally... two hours later, he thinks he is]

[Voice]

Everyone. Ah, I - I... [...No, he can't do it. He can't be calm]

Son of bitch! No! [And then he throws the cell phone clean across the room. It hits the wall with a loud sound - it's not broke, not quite, but the battery pops out of the back and the screen cracks. But who cares. Now, now? His voice is pained beyond anything people have heard in Luceti since about when Mikado was sent home, but this pain is different - Mikado's was cold fury, this one is erratic fury and sorrow and... well yeah]

Why now?! [Voice break] Why- dammit, [He grits his teeth] Dammit!

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[Sometimes, Gold wondered how he ended up with a guy like Masaomi as a friend, someone who had such problems facing problems, always running from them.

He presses a finger to his forehead.]

But you're talkin' here like you wanna start that all over again. But if it was so 'troublesome' for you, [to borrow Shikamaru's word] then why?

Because after the Scarves and Squares vanished, a new one cropped up a few years later. That's Dollars. And they exist here.

That doesn't answer the question. [At least not fully. Shikamaru tilts his head, regarding Masaomi carefully.]

You tried to leave that life behind you, even though it's clear you got involved again somehow. But here? If it were the Squares, it'd be one thing, but you haven't mentioned what your deal is with the Dollars.

Right. It's obvious what your beef with the Squares is, and I don't blame you one bit. But what's the deal with the Dollars? Their leader doesn't seem like he's got it all together.

[They're the same. They're connected. He's not sure how, but they have to be. They have to be, because Mikado is the leader of the Blue Squares. Mikado is the leader of Dollars. Dollars exists. Ergo, the Blue Squares, somehow, exist. But... that's his best friend. That's his best friend and an incrimination he's not ready... he...

He said he would trust them with anything. He looks contemplative for a moment. No, forget that, he looks deeply conflicted. He sighs and then nods to himself]

Dollars has been responsible for a lot back home. Big meetings, big happenings - a lot of people think they were connected to the Black Bike - the Headless Rider, I should say - and a series of slashings which was going on recently back home. [Anri did those... somehow. He's still not sure he understands the details. Lying, he's lying. He wishes he wasn't] They're bad news, or they could be. They could be dangerous.

[A beat] And I didn't leave it, Shikamaru. I ran away.

[And this is me standing up for it]

And now you want to fix that.

[And he's still not answering the question. Troublesome as it is that Masaomi's still keeping things from them, that means there's a reason for it. And he can respect that - it's not like he wants his whole life story or anything. Just his intentions.]

Here's the thing though: anyone in this village can be dangerous, and some of the worst keep to themselves. There are people in this village that I'd be under orders to kill on sight if I were in my world, but if I tried that here, I'd only be giving them a reason to start things up when they weren't.

[He frowns, then brings his example back to it's point.] So I guess what I'm asking you is how far you're planning to take this if the Dollars are the same.

[Always the difficult one, Masaomi. Gold decides it's time to share what he learned about the Dollars.]

I had a chat with the "leader" of the Dollars, that Taro Tanaka guy. The Dollars... They're an "anonymous" group. Anyone can be a member and you'd never know it. Everyone's the same in the Dollars... And there's no goal. No rules. They're not fightin' for anything or tryin' to prove somethin'... It's a group where the members decide what they want to do, and they've got the power to do it.

...A lawless band of thugs with no restraint, if you let 'em get out of control, right? And you don't want to let them get out of control, am I right?

[He's staring straight at Masaomi now, waiting for him to answer both of them, but most especially Shikamaru.]

[They're both right, but Shikamaru's mention of that... of the kill order. That makes him wonder. That makes him question things. Because, he's not an informant is he? A shinobi. Ninja. In other words, a hitman. But he was willing to put his trust in that, so what does it matter? He doesn't waver, just keeps staring straight at them now.

He still can't share about Mikado, not yet]

If they do nothing, I'll be corrected, we'll just... have someone to rely on if another situation arises. I don't know what I can do against some enemy ninja, Shikamaru, but I'm willing to... try. [A hint of fear comes out of "try," but his facial expression doesn't change much] But if Dollars complicates things, if they start slashing people, or causing problems, or anything like that... ah.

I'll kill them.

[Flatly. Saki's gone. He'll do it.

...Kill Mikado? His expression clouds a bit in the second after he resolutely says those words. It's the first time they show some doubt since he started the contents of this comment. It's subtle, but it's there for Shikamaru at least to pick up. No. Don't think. Don't think. Be ready]

So. That's what it is. It probably won't come to that, I hope it won't... but can we be comrades?

[...Resolve. Clarity. Commitment. These are the things Gold wanted to see from Masaomi. A leader, in Gold's opinion, is someone devoted to their cause, unifying people together for that cause. That's a test he feels "Taro Tanaka" failed utterly. But maybe... Masaomi might have what it takes.

...But a leader's nothing without his followers, right? Without followers to support that leader, what good is the leader? Red was such a great leader to them because people were always behind him 100% of the way. That's something Masaomi needs. People to stand behind him and back him up.

When Gold sees that hesitation, that vague sense of doubt from him, he does the one thing he should; Walk up next to Masaomi and clasp his head on the youth's shoulder.]

I'm with you... Bro.

[When Gold so readily does that, Masaomi's heart actually skips a beat. Not in a gay way, but in an excited way. When he was first drafted, he remember thinking they brought me back. They forced out this part of him that he left behind. But the truth is... the truth is no matter if he did or didn't love Saki enough, he never left it behind, not really. And he might not be the General of the Scarves anymore but he is... he always has been a leader. Not a good one, not a great one, but a leader. He always has been the guy who is going to accomplish things, even if he's failed.

Gold reassures him in that moment. A lot of emotions well up in him at once, but... he places his own hand on top of Gold's (still not in a gay way, and closes his eyes briefly before replying]

...Mm. Gold, one condition then- you need to call me "Masaomi."

[~~Gay.~~

...Okay, that's a weird request.]

...Ooookay, why? [Seems pretty weird to suddenly tell him to call you by your "last name", dude.]

Because that's his given name. [Duh. And still thinking over his response here.]

[And now Gold looks vaguely horrified.]

Say what?!

It's true!

[And he even.. smiles. it's even a little sincere]

[Shikamaru snorts, half-amused. Idiots, the lot of them.

This is still serious though. Truth be told, this conversation has been surprising - just not for the reasons you'd think. Masaomi's impressed him by proving he can sit down and think things through when he wants to. And beyond that... he's offered something Shikamaru would never ask of him, in regards to his own enemies.

An idiot, yes, but a loyal one. And that's something Shikamaru's respected about him for a while.]

I've considered you my comrade before you asked, you know.

[Said matter-of-factly. Besides his friends from home, Masaomi's one of the few he can say this about - just him and Katara. Even so, there's still an unsaid 'but' hanging off the end of that sentence.]

[Good luck in trying to reign Masaomi in, Shikamaru, because Gold's a lost cause right now, wrapped up in the current matter. He feels vaguely insulted now.]

You mean I've been callin' you by your last name all this time? Why didn't you say anything?!

[He starts to seriously answer Shikamaru. And then Gold interrupts. ... ... ]

...Well it's shorter?!

[Nah. Better to just let them finish.]

That's what nicknames are for, Bro! [Never mind that Gold's nickname for Masaomi was 'Emo Fringe Dude'...]

You used to call me a fringe... something! A poser?!

[So he's going to have more of this stuff to look forward to, huh.]

Emo fringe dude! [Pointing straight at Masaomi's head.] On account of your fringe!

Come on, my hair doesn't look that bad?!

[Ignore that his roots are totally showing right now, even if it might be hard to see in the poke-light]

[Action]

Pretend his hair is yellow still...

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