IC Inbox (the quiet place)

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[there's like. a really long pause before the response comes in. we have keyboards now, majima!! letters!! a full script!! just ask him what's up like a normal person!!]

... Really?

[but then because he's kiryu, he figures he may as well send a greeting back. but he's not having a full conversation with you over numbers, majima.]

0840

[ There's a photo attached with the next message: what Kiryu may or may not recognize as Majima's new house, off a road that Kiryu should recognize. There's an arrow around the side; a back entrance? ]

8451

[well, he does recognize the road, but not the house. and that's kinda weird to him, honestly. but then again, most things in this place are.

and he's super not having a numbers conversation with you, majima. goddamn it.]

I don't recognize that place. What is it, exactly?

It's my new address. Come by the back when you got a minute.

[ yeah kiryu

just visit

don't expect any traps or anything, it's totally fine

a friendly invite ]

[HE'S SUSPICIOUS.]

The back? Why, what's wrong with the front?

There's nothin' wrong with it, but I'm gonna be in the basement. It's faster than coming up through the house.

[ gosh kiryu, was this really a time to stick to formalities

just come visit majima's basement!! ]

[oh. well that sounds... perfectly normal and reasonable, actually.]

Alright. I don't mind stopping by. I don't really have much going on right now anyway.

Perfect.

[ When Kiryu arrived, he'd find Majima back in his customary outfit, using a cloth rag to polish the counter of the minibar at his new place.

By now, all the bottles had been put away and a couch and table set up near the center of the room. He'd gotten the dart board up, too, though the rest of the place was still lacking in decoration. ]

Kiryu-han.

[Swanky place you got here, Majima -- though Kiryu's gotta say, this might be the first time he's ever seen you with a shirt on. And he's back in his old threads, too... not that Majima would recognize them for what they were, at this point.

Kiryu shuts the door behind him before heading all the way downstairs and taking out his device. His attention hangs on the honorific of Majima's choice, and he's unsure if his discomfort shows on his face. This is still in a period of adjustment for him.]

Majima-no-niisan... Is it safe to talk down here?

[Funny how that question has a completely different meaning back home.]

Yeah, should be. Tetora came by the other day to reinforce the soundproofin'.

[ He just, you know. Didn't want to do it with the door open.

In any case, Majima gestured to one of the bar stools. Take a seat, Kiryu. Take a seat right over there. ]

So what'll it be?

[Oh, thank god. The sound of Majima's voice is almost as comforting as the actual answer itself is. Though, Kiryu realizes belatedly that this will be the first time Majima's ever heard his voice. It's a strange thought, to be sure.

He pulls out a stool from under the bar and sits, still tentatively looking around. It really is nice down here.]

I'm not sure. What do you have stocked so far?

Scotch, whiskey, some wine. Gonna have to look around for a mixer if people start wanting cocktails.

[ Kiryu's voice sounded like... Kiryu, to be honest. Direct, was the best word Majima could find for it at the moment.

He did seem a little... nervous, somehow. ]

Mind if I ask ya a question?

[The suddenness of the question catches Kiryu off guard -- having this sprung on him before even being served just strikes him as odd.]

Yeah, sure.

[He adjusts his posture in his seat to get a bit more comfortable and gives Majima a go-ahead nod.

Except, wait. One last thing first.]

And whiskey. By the way.

Edited 2018-03-06 04:48 (UTC)

[ Majima retrieved a tumbler and plucked a bottle of Yamazaki from among the others, pouring two fingers into the glass. He placed it in front of Kiryu -- hope Kiryu liked it neat.

He'd even wait for Kiryu to enjoy his drink before springing his question. ]

[Kiryu very slightly bows his head in thanks before taking a sip. As he pulls away, though, a mild look of astonishment crosses his face.]

This is... really good, actually.

I didn't realize you could get Yamazaki in a place like this. Or that you knew how to pour drinks.

[Nothing personal, Majima. Just... not what Kiryu expected.]

What, I never told ya? I'm pretty well known for my customer service skills in Sotenbori. They even gave me some ridiculous nickname for it.

[ Majima switched cloths to begin polishing an empty tumbler. ]

...But from your perspective, I guess that's all in the past.

[A tiny, quiet "heh" bubbles up from the back of Kiryu's throat.]

Yeah. It'd be pretty weird to see you working a job like that back in Kamurocho, from when I know you.

[...Actually. He takes a second to think on it.]

Actually, it's pretty weird seeing it right now.

[Again, nothing personal. And a lot about you is pretty weird to him right now, Majima, but he decides to leave that part out.]

[ Majima canted his head slightly to the side in response to this. ]

You do seem a little on edge. I know I outrank ya in your time, but I figure that's not really why.

In which case, I gotta ask -- am I really different in the future?

[Hoo boy. Kiryu's not sure if he's ready for this conversation.]

That's a... complicated question.

[Just like the first time they met, he instinctively reaches for his cigarettes -- and is once again dismayed to find that they're not there. Goddamn it. He smoked every single day of his life for twenty years, and now he has nothing. It was easier to find smokes in the joint than it is here.]

Mostly because I don't really know what you're like right now. But even then...

[He takes another sip of his drink before continuing. An unintended sigh follows.]

I can't say I know you very well back home, either. You were the one guy I could never get a read on. It doesn't matter how long we've known each other.

[ Majima recognized that gesture; he'd repeated it himself several times over the past month. Wordlessly, he reached into his jacket pocket and extracted a pack of cigarettes, sliding one partway out of the box to offer to Kiryu. ]

That a bad thing?

[Holy shit, Majima. Kiryu's eyes literally light up at the sight of those cigarettes, and the gratitude he feels is so real that he's just about ready to kiss you on the mouth (yeah if only). He reaches over and plucks the cigarette from its pack with no small sense of relief on his end. Right now, he's willing to tell you any goddamn thing you could possibly want to know. It's the least he can do for you.]

No, I wouldn't say that.

[He places the cigarette between his lips before continuing and reaches into the inner pocket of his jacket. This, at least, he knows he has on him -- it'd been a consolation gift from the natives when he first arrived. Nishiki's old lighter appears in his hand, and Kiryu wastes no time flipping it open to spark the flame. The sudden rush of nicotine that hits him on his first inhale after going so long without leaves him lightheaded -- but god, it's like ecstasy.]

There are a few things about you I could always count on. I always knew you as a man who kept his word, and there were few things scarier than facing you down in a fight.

[And he says that as a sincere compliment; the endearment in that statement is clear in his voice. He takes another short puff from his cigarette before idly looking around for an ash tray. No way he's ashing on these nice floors.]

It was just your moods I could never predict. I guess in that sense, you do seem a lot calmer than what I'm used to. But that's the most I could tell you.

[ Majima slid an ash tray over the counter in one soundless motion. Thanks for not trashing up the bar, bud.

In any case, he knew that look -- and sympathized. Having cigarettes 'magically' show up at his house had been a godsend, and he'd savored ever second of his first smoke for an entire month. ]

That's a new one. Keep gettin' told that I'm an open book.

[ First Lee, then Shimano. Granted, Lee had pegged him sort of wrong as your everyday Omi goon. Now, it was rather gratifying to hear that this man hadn't been able to pin him down so easily.

Good.

At the same time, he couldn't help smiling a little when Kiryu started talking about fights. ]

Nice to hear some things ain't changed. Had to keep that shit secured at my last gig... but now that I'm out, I feel like a new man.

[ A new man with a new KNIFE, that was. And he wasn't planning on ever letting that edge go dull. ]

But maybe you know what that feels like more'n me.

[An open book? Majima? That is a new one. Kiryu tries to hide the bewilderment from his expression by taking another sip of his drink. It'll probably be a bit before he fully processes that one -- but at least the gears are starting to creak to life in his head.

The implication behind Majima's last line there has him smirking, but just barely. Some things really don't change.]

Maybe. But maybe not.

It is true that I kept to myself in the joint. I didn't get into any fights, and I was a pretty model prisoner. But I never planned on going back into the business after I got out. I was ready for that part of my life to be over.

[Which meant putting his fists on ice. Though, of course, he'd always pictured it going a little bit differently, possibly (definitely) including Yumi, a wedding ring, some kids, and maybe a dog. That dream had been dashed pretty early into his prison sentence, but it was something he always thought was within his power to reclaim. Except, now he's here instead. And he has no idea what to do about it.

Also he's a huge fucking liar who lies to himself and in reality gets off on fighting just as much as Majima does, but that's neither here nor there. He takes another puff from his cigarette and turns his head to exhale.]

But don't worry. I won't go back on my promise. You'll get your fight.

I ain't worried.

[ Of course, by the next time it rained hard enough, Majima might not even strictly need the fight any more -- at least not for the reasons he'd originally given. Either way, Kiryu didn't strike him as the type to renege on a promise. ]

But bein' around Kamurocho as long as ya have, you must realize that a lotta guys say they're gonna leave... right up until they get dragged right back in.

[ When and if Kiryu's glass started to run a little empty, Majima would lift the bottle as if to ask him if he'd like a refill. ]

So, you got a plan? Sounds like you were still tryin' to get yourself sorted when ya ended up here. Lookin' for someone, was it?

[He'll never admit it, but Kiryu can't help but find something incredibly touching about the fact that Majima's not worried about him keeping his word. It's nice to know that you're trusted, especially by someone you respect.

He leans back slightly just to give Majima a little bit more room to refill his drink, nodding once in gratitude. It's also nice to be able to sit down and drink and smoke and talk about this kind of shit with someone who understands, even if it's not the exact version of the person that Kiryu remembers.]

Yeah. As the date for my parole hearing got close, it was all I could think about. But then...

[But then that letter from Kazama had arrived. Ten years with no word, and then suddenly that bombshell. And even still, Kiryu can't find it within him to be angry or bitter about it. His responsibilities are his responsibilities, and there's no point in complaining. And following Kazama's trail would probably wind up leading him to Yumi eventually, too. He has to believe that, on some level. He just has to.

Majima's words strike truer than he's comfortable with, though. In the back of his mind, Kiryu's very aware of the fact that no matter what happened or how much time passed, if Kazama came knocking for him, he'd come running in a heartbeat. He wouldn't even think twice about it.

He lets out a heavy sigh and ashes his cigarette in the tray with a frustrated flick to the filter.]

I still have some things I need to take care of. I feel like I'm just wasting time in this place.

[ Majima poured Kiryu another drink while he listened. That was one thing he'd gotten pretty decent at over the past year or two -- blending into the background, letting other people speak.

Kiryu might have been built like a brick shithouse, might have been the hardest yakuza in the Tojo for all Majima knew right now, but that matters were weighing heavily on the man's shoulders right now was obvious. And well-acquainted or not, Majima could feel the old urge itching away at him.

When I meet someone, I think it's all I can do to make their life just a little bit better, right? It doesn't hurt to try. ]

If ya think about it like that, you're just gonna drive yourself up the wall. People here, they wanna get home. Sure, we might not know how right now. And I don't think either of us is about to pull a quantum physics degree outta our ass.

But that doesn't mean there's nothing we can do. Helpin' people's not a waste of time.

[ (unless their dream was to swagger across a bridge with a BRING ON THE FIGHTS jacket, and then it absolutely was a waste of time.) ]

[He's right. And Kiryu knows he's right, but it doesn't make him feel any better -- if anything, it makes him feel worse. He's being selfish about this, putting his own worries first when there are so many other people here who likely come from much more dire situations. Whatever's waiting for him at home in Kamurocho can wait a bit longer. What's a few more months on top of the ten years he'd already been away?

There's a long silence before he responds, and Kiryu can almost feel the guilt and sorrow touch at his eyes.]

I know.

[And he'll just leave it at that, as empty and non-committal as it is. It isn't that he doesn't want to help people -- of course he does. It's just that he has other responsibilities. Other people's expectations that he has to fill. That he feels bound to.

He takes one final inhale from his cigarette before butting it out completely in the ash tray. Tiny wisps of smoke escape from his nostrils as he speaks.]

Sorry, Niisan. I guess I'm not the best drinking partner right now.

[Not that Majima's even drinking with him, but the sentiment is still the same.]

Nah, don't worry about it.

[ Well, that had backfired spectacularly. And Majima didn't like this feeling, didn't like feeling guilty and didn't like seeing another yakuza looking like that, like a fucking puppy someone'd kicked and abandoned in an alley or some shit.

It reminded him too much of the recent past.

So instead, Majima pulled out a glass and poured himself a drink. Fuck it. ]

By the way, I'm settin' up a gym.

[Kiryu straightens in his seat a bit and wraps both hands around his whiskey glass, now that he no longer has the cigarette to busy himself with. He's more than happy to drop the previous subject, because he knows that if he's not careful, he'll get stuck in a horrible feedback loop of failing to organize his priorities while trying to square with the fact that he can't be everything to everyone all the time.]

A gym? You sure are keeping busy here.

[Though honestly he's not sure what else he expected. At the end of the day, this is still Majima. The man can go 1000mph without even breaking a sweat.]

[ subject change accepted, let's do this ]

Yeah, well. It's not all by myself. Plenty of health nuts around, turns out, so they're all pitching in to make it decent.

I figure once it's done, I can hand it off to whoever wants it.

[ He set down his glass; he needed to track down some damn coasters. ]

[Fair enough, he supposes. Kiryu takes another sip of his drink, but can't shake the feeling that there's something about this that still bothers him. While he's not exactly a heavy lifter in the thinking and theory department, he's not completely unobservant.]

Doesn't it seem odd to you, Niisan? How easy it's been for us to do things like this here?

[He shakes his head, eyebrows furrowing.]

I mean... why wouldn't the natives have had this place up and running a long time ago? Why wait for us? The town was mostly dead when my group showed up.

You want weird?

[ Majima plucked a bottle off the shelf and placed it in front of Kiryu. ]

Cream liqueurs last two years, max; this one's just fine. A girl just told me her friend's baseball bat showed up on her porch, but she never mentioned it to anyone here. They hauled that dead lady from the Tower trip to the closed-off theater, and won't let any of us inside. And apparently that one dude's mind control powers don't work on the locals.

I don't think it's their priority to get things workin'.

[Kiryu takes the bottle in his hand and inspects it carefully. He doesn't know much about shelf life or chemistry, but he knows when shit just straight up does not fit together right or make sense. And the longer that Majima goes on, the more bizarre it all seems.

He looks up at him tentatively, the smallest hints of worry starting to creep onto his expression.]

What are you saying, exactly?

Edited (fuck redundancyyyyyyyyyy) 2018-03-09 06:13 (UTC)

[ He took a drink of the whiskey. ]

This world shouldn't work. Also, I don't think the locals're human. Not the same way we are.

IC Inbox (the quiet place)

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