LOCKED TO blazingspirit

[diamondo]

[He doesn't remember much about his execution.

Oh sure, he remembers the lead-up to it; he remembers how the others looked on as he was led away and sure, he remembers Ishimaru's screams. He doesn't remember the death cage nor does he remember the sudden pain before it was all over.

It made waking up here incredibly confusing.

"Here" must be some sort of afterlife, but Mondo hasn't been able to figure out what it is, exactly. It's obviously not heaven (he's killed two people, he doesn't belong in heaven), but it doesn't seem to be hell either. Things are monotonous, yes, but they're not bad.

That leaves the option of purgatory, which Mondo is more or less fine with. It's better than spending an eternity suffering. It's probably not right for him to stay here instead of moving on to hell, but he doesn't know how or when that will happen. He's content to leave it at that for the time being.

This place is a rather large city - half of it is full of native English speakers, whom Mondo tends to avoid (his English is atrocious, after all), the other half is full of Japanese speakers. The city itself doesn't seem to be anywhere Mondo has ever seen, but it's large and spread out, with plenty to explore and do. Mondo hasn't seen everything there is to see though; he's only been here for a few weeks, and he knew if he wanted to make ends meet, he'd need a job first. Exploring could wait.

It's convenient that there's a carpenter's shop just down the road from the apartment Mondo woke up in. It might not technically be his, but he's been staying there until he can afford to properly rent it out. No one has complained so far, so he figures it's fine for the time being. The carpenter works him to the bone and he's never been so exhausted in his life when he comes home, but it's a good kind of exhaustion that means he's doing something productive. He can't make up for what he's done in the past, but he can help out here.

He's off work for the day, lounging around in what serves as the living room of his apartment, flipping through the newspaper. The dates here are all screwed up - it's almost winter here and he knows he'll have to put some money away toward buying proper winter clothes. That's only a minor concern though, because he has much bigger things to worry about.

In a city this large, it's possible that he's just missed seeing the others. He hasn't been looking very hard, admittedly. He's not sure what to say to them when he does see them. "Sorry" simply won't cut it for Fujisaki. He doesn't really want to see Kuwata, Enoshima, or Maizono either. He's sure it's only a matter of time before one of them finds him, or before someone else shows up here.

All he can do is hope that it won't be Ishimaru.]

Comments

[diamondo]

'Course I was. I mean, I didn't know where you went or what had happened to you and I was... kinda freaking out about it, to be honest. I'm not sure where I would've looked if you hadn't been there.

[blazingspirit]

...Hey.

[That's just going to get more nuzzling, okay.]

It's okay, kyoudai. I...got somewhere to stay the first night I was out; I wasn't even out there for too long. And I'm not stupid; if I really couldn't manage you would have known about it.

[diamondo]

Yeah, yeah. I know you're not stupid; you definitely would've figured something out. I just can't help but be worried, y'know? You're my brother.

[The nuzzling is nice though! He's quick to return that, holding Ishida even tighter.]

[blazingspirit]

...Y-Yeah, well, maybe I'll...I don't know, call that shop you're working at or something next time. Just to let you know that I haven't died.

...again.

[..............]

...Can we even...fucking die here, or...?

[diamondo]

That's... a pretty fucking good question, actually...

[...huh.]

I don't intend on finding out, that's for fucking sure! But yeah, I'd appreciate that call if something does come up. I don't think it will though!

[blazingspirit]

[Ishida steps away a bit at that, though he still seems pleased.]

Yeah, well, I doubt we'll have any reason to find that out in the first place!

[...he does still kinda wonder if everyone else here is dead sometimes, though.]

But yeah, hopefully nothing like that will happen again - it's...

[...it's...]

...I just don't like fighting with you!

[diamondo]

I don't like fighting with you either! I don't think anything else'll come up though; I mean, that was the one thing we really argued about before, so...

[That totally means they'll be argument-free, right? Right??]

[blazingspirit]

Yeah! Everything should be fine now.

[...Right!

Either way, Ishida just grabs Mondo's hand and starts tugging at him impatiently, toward the direction of the stairs.]

C'mon, kyoudai - I'm fuckin' tired, let's go lie down.

[...he also might...kind of want to hug you some more but feels awkward asking, but that isn't the point.]

[diamondo]

[Mondo laughs but eagerly follows Ishida upstairs. He only breaks his grip on Ishida's hand to obtain pajamas and head toward the bathroom.]

I'll be real quick, promise.

[And true to his word, he's in and out of there in under fifteen mintues. His hair's still a little wet, but that's no big deal. He's quick to flop on the bed and wait for Ishida to either shower or join him, either one works.]

[blazingspirit]

[There are things that Ishida hadn't considered about coming back home after being gone for a while - one of those things was how nice it was to have a shower you actually knew how to work and was stocked with less than a million products, none of which would leave you smelling like some unholy combination of lilies and fruit and Brazilian silk (whatever the fuck Brazilian silk was even supposed to smell like - he strongly suspected whomever made girls' shampoo was seriously just making shit up at this point).

Of course, not being fundamentally wigged out by the shower had its downsides, such as enjoying it for perhaps a bit too long and promptly getting hosed down with what felt like water pumped in straight from the Arctic Circle; the sudden burst of swearing could probably be heard in the next building over, to say nothing of the next room, and it doesn't take him long to vacate the bathroom after that, wrapped up in the long-sleeved shirt and pants he's been sleeping in and getting into bed immediately afterwards, momentarily ignoring the personal vendetta he tended to have against the blankets in favor of getting under them to warm up.]

...that is fucking killer in the winter, I swear to god.

[diamondo]

[Mondo laughs at that swearing and waits for Ishida to come out of the bathroom, cuddling up to him once he's settled in under the blankets.]

Yeah, it's pretty fucking brutal. Maybe once I've got enough money I'll start looking for a better place. 'Course by then it'll be fucking summer or something and the cold water'll be appreciated!

[He laughs again and reaches up to mess with Ishida's hair. It's so good to have him home; he's in a ridiculously good mood today.]

[blazingspirit]

[Ishida's certainly not going to complain about that cuddling, especially not now; Mondo is way warmer than he is, and Ishida's quick to latch on.

He just laughs a bit at Mondo's words, though, pressing into that hair-playing and smirking as he replies.]

Nah, I like it here! It's comfortable, you know?

[diamondo]

Yeah, it really is. I mean, sure it's got its flaws, but it's some place I can afford and shit, so that kinda makes it worth it, y'know?

[He'll happily return that latching on, just cuddling close to Ishida and continuing to play with his hair. This is nice and relaxing and he really couldn't be happier.]

[blazingspirit]

Yeah.

[...well, Mondo's definitely going to get nuzzling for his effort, okay.]

...You're too fuckin' good to me, kyoudai, you know that?

[diamondo]

Yeah right.

[He could comment on what happened during the trial, but he doesn't want to bring that up. He's content to let it go for the time being.]

'Sides, you're my brother. There's no such thing as being too good to you.

[...Well, sort of. He couldn't resist repeating Ishida's words back at him, alright.]

[blazingspirit]

[That seems to make him happy, anyway; his grip tightens a bit as he nuzzles up a bit more.]

Yeah, well. I love you, okay?

[diamondo]

[The ease with which Ishida says it makes Mondo flush straight to his ears. Of course he's heard it before, but he hasn't heard it since he was a little kid, and even then it was the sort of thing Daiya really only said jokingly. To hear it now, without any sort of teasing behind it, flusters him for some reason.]

Y-Yeah, well I love you too!!

[He's a bit forceful with his words, but he buries his face in Ishida's shoulder to die of embarrassment in peace, alright.]

[blazingspirit]

[Ishida just laughs a bit at that, messing with Mondo's hair a bit.]

Hey, come on! You don't have to be all embarrassed about it!

[Sorry, what was that about doing this in peace?]

[diamondo]

Sh-Shut up.

[That's mumbled into Ishida's shoulder though, and Mondo tugs lightly on Ishida's hair.]

I just don't hear that all that often, that's all.

[blazingspirit]

[...Mondo, that was almost depressing just now, holy shit.]

W-Well, you should.

[diamondo]

It's... it's not that Daiya didn't love me! I mean, obviously. He just didn't really say it, y'know?

[...And let's not even discuss his parents.]

[blazingspirit]

[...that's just going to get some more cuddling, okay.]

Well, I'm gonna fucking say it, okay? Because you deserve it.

[diamondo]

[...Yep, back to burying his face in Ishida's shoulder.]

Y-Yeah well...! You deserve it too, alright!?

[blazingspirit]

[He just laughs again, going back to playing with Mondo's hair.]

I don't know anyone who doesn't deserve to hear that shit from someone once in a while! But you're my brother and I fuckin' love you, so I don't see why I shouldn't say it to you, you know?

[diamondo]

[He's fairly sure he can't possibly go any more red than he is at this exact moment. That said, his grip on Ishida tightens with those words and despite the mumbling into Ishida's shoulder, it's clear that he's quite pleased with that.]

Well... I appreciate it, alright!?