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

[blazingspirit]

What? You've been fine! So we don't always fuckin' agree - who cares?!

[diamondo]

Well, yeah, but even with this I'm being really clingy and shit!

[blazingspirit]

How the hell is that hurting me?!

[diamondo]

[...]

Well, it's not hurting you, exactly, but it's really fucking annoying!!

[blazingspirit]

What's fuckin' annoying is having to argue it in the first place! You aren't doing anything wrong!!

[diamondo]

[Mondo pauses for a moment there, considering.]

...You mean it? You really don't think I'm doing anything wrong?

[He doesn't understand how that's possible, but if Ishida says so...]

[blazingspirit]

Right!

[Why is this even a question, kyoudai.

...admittedly, he kind of thinks you do no wrong whatsoever, but...]

[diamondo]

[...just. let him hug on you a bit, okay. He kind of needed to hear that. There's totally going to be a lot of nuzzling too.]

I'm so glad to hear that. Thanks.

[blazingspirit]

Good!

[So much nuzzling, goddamn.]

...You're really fuckin' important to me, okay?

[diamondo]

Yeah. You're really fucking important to me too.

[God, he could just stay like this forever. He's so happy right now, even if you do like that girl back.]

Nothing'll ever change that.

[blazingspirit]

I'm glad to hear that, okay?! So...so stop worrying about whether you're doing things wrong; I'd fuckin' tell you if you were!!

[Well, there's the tsun; it was really only a matter of time before that showed up.]

[diamondo]

[Oh god, so cute!!]

Y-Yeah well, I'm glad to hear that, okay? I just don't wanna fuck things up with you. I mean, we argue sometimes but it usually isn't that bad... so I guess I'm getting worked up over nothing, right?

[blazingspirit]

[Y-yeah, well, it's not like he's going to -

...wait.]

...Is this over that time I left for a while or something?

[diamondo]

[...]

Yeah. I don't wanna lose you like that again. I was... kinda concerned you weren't gonna come back.

[...]

Alright, I was really concerned you weren't gonna come back.

[blazingspirit]

[He twitches sharply at that, though he doesn't seem angry; he pulls away from the cuddling, though he closes his eyes almost immediately, finding himself unable to maintain eye contact.

He's still not focused on Mondo's face when he looks at him again, not really, but at least he's making an effort.]

Look, I shouldn't have just...

[...]

I-I'll try not to...

[...mnnngh.]

Look, I'm sorry, okay? I was just...really fuckin' angry and I didn't know what to do about it!!

[diamondo]

[It sort of hurts when Ishida pulls away from that cuddling, though Mondo isn't sure why. He allows it though, once again resting his hands on his knees and listening to Ishida try to find words.]

H-Hey, it's okay! I don't want you to leave again, but I understand if you need some alone time, y'know? If it happens again could you just... fuck, I dunno, let me know you'll be back? I'm not asking you to always stay here 'cause you might need your space!

[blazingspirit]

...Y-Yeah. Yeah, I guess so.

[He falls quiet for a moment after that, looking away and glaring at nothing in particular.]

I was pretty sure I fucked up with you, okay? That's why I didn't come back.

[diamondo]

What? Really?

[That's new. Mondo tips his head a bit before realizing what he's doing and correcting the behavior.]

No fight's ever gonna get between us. We'll always be friends, no matter what! You sure as hell didn't fuck up then, and you aren't gonna fuck up in the future. So... don't ever get that idea again, okay? If something really bad happens, we can always work through it together!

[blazingspirit]

...Good! Good, I'm glad, okay?!

[He just kind of twitches again at that, though; just...give him a moment.]

I just really don't wanna fuck things up with you, okay? I spent a lot of time fucking things up with people in the school - I don't regret it any, not after what those bastards did, but the point is that I'm...really good at pissing people off and I don't...

[He shakes his head, as though to clear it.]

I just don't like fighting with you, okay?!

[diamondo]

Well, sure, I don't like fighting with you either! But you don't have to worry about that! No matter what happens, I'll be here for you. I promise. I'm not gonna leave you over an argument or anything. You're my best friend.

[He can't exactly call Ishida his brother anymore without it getting weird and incesty, but if he could, he certainly would.]

You're never gonna piss me off to the point of leaving. So don't worry about that, alright?

[blazingspirit]

I'll try not to, then!

[He's still hesitant, though; after a moment, he keeps going.]

...I got...killed. By the last person I fought with. Back home.

[He's avoided discussing what happened in Hope's Peak with Mondo since he arrived; it's never been anything he's wanted to talk about. He's managed to get the point across that pancakes and butter in general aren't okay, and it's obvious that he died somehow, but that's all he's felt Mondo really needed to know; he's still not sure if this is going to go anywhere, but at least it's something.]

I know you wouldn't do that to me, but it's not really something I've forgotten about.

[diamondo]

...Shit.

[Of course that would upset him, why hadn't he thought of that? He didn't know how Ishida had died, true, but surely he could have at least tried to be a bit more gentle with him?]

I'm sorry. 'Course I'd never do anything like that to you.

[Unless he blacks out...]

It's... it's okay. We're here now. Nothing's gonna hurt you like that again.

[blazingspirit]

Yeah, of course.

[That seems to relax him a bit; after a moment, he leans up against Mondo again.]

I've got you now. You take care of me.

[diamondo]

Of course I do! I'll always look after you!

[He immediately moves to play with Ishida's hair, smiling once again.]

[blazingspirit]

[Ugh, you're just going to get more nuzzling at this point, not fair.]

I trust you, kyoudai. And I know that I was being stupid about it, it just...I don't know, I was pretty sure I'd fucked things up.

[...]

It hurt to think about, you know?