#echo.with loveshot

[loftycries]

you sound like my sister, kyungseok says, with a tone so derisive that it makes REMI want to retort — is that so terrible ? is that so surprising ? there was a time when remi would have considered kyungseok to be something like a brother, if only because he would have done anything to protect him. yet, it's just another thought that goes unsaid, unexpressed. he's not used to holding back his words with kyungseok in the same way that he pulls his punches while sparring with a new agent-in-training.

remi is not an easy person to rile up by any means, but he feels his impatience give way to a flash of anger. " oh, cut the bullshit, kyungseok. don't give me that shit. yes, i care. " if anything, remi is more concerned now than he was before stepping out into the balcony. the signs are hard to read unless you know kyungseok, but they're there. and it's unlike kyungseok to seem so rattled… so off-kilter. remi doesn't flatter himself enough to assume that it was only his absence at his former mission partner's side that led him to reach this point. however, he does wonder if anyone else in kyungseok's current circle has noticed. he's not your responsibility, he thinks, but it's not a comforting thought. you gave that up.

he crosses his arms, and it's not just to combat the oncoming chill. " should i feel bad, kyungseok ? is that what you want me to say ? or would you rather i not give a fuck. would that be more convenient ? "

"Right." He should have known that. Then again, years change people. A life could be severely altered in one day — it's happened to pretty much everyone in this building. A coin flip — did you get lucky or not? These day, Kyungseok isn't sure. It feel like bad luck has been piling on his shoulders, one straw after another. Sooner or later, one of those is going to snap his spine. Faults with his public image, these long, dragging days, and these fucking nightmares. Something had to break. He shakes his head, arms resting heavy against the railing.

He glances over his shoulder, looking Remi up and down. He narrows his eyes slightly, letting the cigarette burn down between his fingers. A scoff. "You sound like my sister." Not a bad thing, necessarily but according to most, Kyungseok doesn't hold them in high opinion. Many are surprised that he even has one with all that he brings her up. His temper, it seems, is short and sharp. "Are you worried my coat isn't thick enough? I don't have my socks on? What?"

The cigarette is crushed into the metal of the railing. "Or are you just trying to fill up space because you feel bad? Do I make you feel bad, Agent Echo?"

[loftycries]

the realization that this civilian who attended kyungseok’s signing apparently doesn’t know who loveshot is would be amusing in any other context. in this current situation, it’s slightly more confusing than anything else. REMI’s sure there’s an explanation, but it’s not one he feels is necessary to unpack right now.

one moment, he’s just listening to the mother’s hysterics as she continues to berate kyungseok from where she stands next to remi. in the next, remi can barely register what is happening before he feels himself get shoved to the side.

the slap rings out across the atrium. distantly, he can hear bystanders gasp around them.

though remi wasn’t the one that was slapped, he feels his ears almost ring from the impact. he physically has to shake off his shock and his anger, as he steps closer to the woman.

“ ma’am, “ he says, his voice clipped as he puts a hand on her shoulder. but it feels like it’s too little, too late. agent loveshot has already been slapped, in front of his fans, no less. “ i’m going to have to ask you to step away from loveshot. “

When was the last time we hung out? It's been ages since I've seen you. You never have time for me anymore.

Those were a few of the many guilt tripping sentences that had persuaded Charlie to go to the mall with her friend. Had she known it was because her Ashley had wanted to go to a Cerberus fan meet, she never would have said yes. While she didn't hate Cerberus and their business model, she did think the whole celebrity status of their Agents was bizarre.

Though apparently being a celebrity didn't stop you from being thoroughly reprimanded by an angry mother, if the scene in front of her was anything to go by. The man who'd helped her keep the little boy safe was trying his best to placate the woman, but she wasn't having any of it and was intent on dragging Charlie into it. Sighing and consigning herself to her fate, Charlie piped up from the sidelines.

"Ma'am, there was no way anyone could have predicted this would happen." One minute Charlie had been in line with her friend, and the next the crowd was surging forward. Clearly a sign from the universe that she should stop hanging out with this friend.

"Agent..." Shit what was this one's name again. "...this man was at the front of the swell. There was no way he could have reached your son. What's important is that you're both safe."

[loftycries]

even after all these years, it feels all too familiar to stand next to kyungseok after an incident like this. after all, they were regular mission partners once. even now, REMI can read the tell-tale signs of kyungseok beginning to implode on himself. it's in the clench of his jaw, his balled fists.

remi's power hadn't helped much today, and neither did his physical training from years spent as a cerberus corp agent. nevertheless, he steps in between the mother and kyungseok, hoping to diffuse the situation. his greatest strengths as an agent have always been his ability to stay calm and his ability to calm others.

then, the summation of kyungseok's anger and frustration rears its head in an outburst. remi can't help but wince. most of the crowd has already dispersed, but there are still civilians lingering around them, eager to see what happens next. it must be an uncommon sight, to see a level i hero getting berated like this. he notices a phone pop up out of the corner of his eye—with the obvious intention to film what's happening—and steps into its line of sight.

"the important part is that your son is safe, miss," remi tries to tell the mother. she's all but shaking, mind still trapped in the panic of a situation that is now over. "i assure you that loveshot did his best—"

she scoffs, interrupting him. "it wasn't him who saved my son, even though he's the hero. that was you. you and that girl."

her statement leaves him at a bit of a loss for words—sure, he's currently in civilian clothes and part of why he stepped down to level ii was to be less recognizable to the public. though would it help the situation to tell her that he is a cerberus corp agent as well ? at the mention of 'that girl', his head turns towards the civilian eo who had helped him, who has been silent until now.

@ofpantheons

@loftycries & @ofpantheons // [ LOVESHOT : ECHO : SILHOUETTE ]

Kyungseok has to clench his fist into a tight ball as the adrenaline thunders through his veins. It crawls cold up his arms, spinning each heartbeat into a flurry, and all he wants to do is get out of here. The sirens blare too sharp in his ears, the sobbing, the crying, everything just felt like it was pressing in on every side. He just wanted to leave. He just wanted this to be over.

Instead, he's staring down at the pointed finger of an upset mother.

His fault. His fault. His fault. It didn't matter what actually happened. It didn't matter the truth of the thing. It didn't matter no one died. The kid sobbing into her neck had been swept away by the rush of the crowd and knocked down to the floor. A miracle he hadn't been hurt but — a mother doesn't see those edges when her eyes are rimmed-red and her voice is hoarse from screaming.

"How could you have let this happen? You're ... you're supposed to be a hero! He came to see you and—and—"

"Let this happen?" It snaps out too quick, his temper already flaring hot. "You think I let this happen? I wanted this to happen? I can't be everywhere at once!"

[loftycries]

nothing is stopping you from staying in touch, REMI wants to say. you would know what i've been up to had you just asked. it was never a secret. but that's not quite fair now, is it ? a friendship goes both ways, and remi has done their own part in keeping this distance between them. we're too old for this, they think. the bond that they used to have was one that they poured literal blood, sweat, and tears into. once upon a time, they were partners ready to face death together. how was it that a friendship like theirs splintered so easily ?

perhaps because it was because it was so sweet that it soured all the more quickly.

"no… i was just wondering," they reply. kyungseok's tone seem to veer on the more combative side, any misstep and remi feels as though they'd be sliced open by his words. though, if kyungseok were to be believed, maybe his cold demeanor could be attributed to a lack of sleep. a few years ago, remi would be able to tease out of him what kept him awake at night, and maybe even be the one to drag him to bed. now, remi's uncertain if they should even ask about what ails them.

they hesitate. part of them wonders if they should accept ; it'd be an easy excuse to stay out here with kyungseok, to spend time with their ex mission partner if only to wear down his cold exterior by close proximity over time. "no, it's alright. i've never been one to smoke," they reply instead, opting for honesty. "are you planning on heading inside soon ? it's starting to get chilly."

"I don't know, actually. I never see you. I don't know what you get up to these days." There's a soreness in his voice, a pain there. It feels like a thorn buried deep in his skin or a bruise that never actually fades. He tries so very hard to hide his emotions, bury them somewhere. Remi, however, seems to be the one of the few people he can't do that with. ( Perhaps, he didn't feel like he had to with Remi, once upon a time. They were close once — & it feels like ages ago. ) A wounded animal that won't let you near it — even though all you're trying to do is help. Kyungseok can see the olive branch but that didn't mean he would take it.

It doesn't mean he wants it.

"When I don't sleep, yes. I smoke." & he has been sleeping less and less these days. All those ghosts with all their hands and all their eyes looking at him, asking why their lives were worth less. He looks down at the cigarette between his fingers and watches the smoke curl and disappear. The single ember like some false star in the dark, trying to echo those lost overhead. The taste suddenly heavy on his tongue and he suddenly feels like a kid caught sneaking cookies. "Why? Is it bothering you? You're the one who came outside. I was here first."

Petulant. He knows it is. He knows that it's not fair either. That olive branch has been reaching for a while and Kyungseok keeps ignoring it. Maybe this is how he keeps Remi in his life — by refusing them. ( Illogical, he knew. Remi was going to wise up and just stop reaching one of these days, he knew it. ) He looks to him, the shadows of the evening drawing on the lines and angles of his familiar face. They're both so much older than they were when Kyungseok showed up on the doorstep of Cerberus — filled with more scars, edged out in ruin.

"Did you want one?"

[loftycries]

the change in kyeongseok's demeanor is quick enough to even set REMI off balance, and he feels themselves having to bite back a bemused smile. the other agent's reply is borderline petulant, almost validating remi's earlier taunt that if he had left kyungseok alone at this moment, he would have spent the rest of the evening sulking.

"i had some paperwork to do," remi explains, his response serving as an olive branch, of sorts. it's common knowledge within the company; when a mission goes wrong and it's hard to discern where exactly it started to derail from just the mission log, remi is called in to use his ability. memories have a tendency to be biased, even when collected by remi, and so his value to the agency lies in the ability to remain impartial. "they asked me to collect memories on a mission that went wrong earlier in the afternoon, so i got back a couple of hours ago and just finished writing up the summary."

"i still patrol, you know." he just showed his face less. there's a difference between the level ii agents clearly gunning for level i, and then the others like him — who are content to help from the sidelines. where level i agents soar in the sky, jump between highrise buildings with their movements tracked by news cameras, level ii agents often stay closer to the ground, unnoticed. that's not to say that there isn't anything that remi misses about being a level i agent. it was challenging, of course, but in some ways fun. not to mention, he and kyungseok were partners. friends. but, even now, he can't quite say that he regrets his decision — maybe just the way he went about it. "were you always a smoker?"

Kyungseok straightens like he's been electrocuted when he hears that voice. Remi? What's he doing that this hour? Not that he would have any idea of his schedule — not anymore, anyway. For all that Kyungseok knew about Remi these days, he was on night patrol now. He's caught off guard & every single sharp retort falls flat into silence. ( An odd thing, Kyungseok doesn't get surprised so easily. He had senses that seemed to almost feel every wobble and wave in the air. Off his game? Who knows. ) His mouth opens but nothing comes out, not even a squeak.

& then he exhales, a laugh or a scoff. "No? Who says I don't?" It's weak. He knows it's weak. "The whole point of being alone is so that I don't have to." Kyungseok should put out the cigarette and leave. If Remi wanted the space then he could have the space. He stays though. Maybe it's that horrible pressing of time that makes him stand there, maybe it's something else. Maybe he misses him. ( & there's a weakness in that. Remi left, remember? He stepped away. He decided not to be there, that being a hero wasn't what he wanted — he left him. He shouldn't miss him. ) Kyungseok would rather chew, spit out, eat again the cigarette in his hand, ember and all, before he ever admitted to that.

"No!" It's too quick. "Sorry. I didn't mean it. Please ... feel free." & he gestures to the empty space. There's plenty of it. & it fills quickly with a heavy, staticky silence. "... Are you heading home? Or just catching a break? I'd ask if you were paroling but that would require you to be ... involved. I know that's not your specialty anymore."

[loftycries]

when remi pushes open the door, the scent of cigarette smoke washes over him first, acrid but still somehow inviting in its familiarity. the voice comes second — equally acrid, equally familiar. but it's this, and not the smoke, that causes his nose to wrinkle in discomfort.

"do you just expect everyone to be able to register your presence before seeing you ? even you don't have that ability." perhaps it'd be better for them both if remi had just chosen to turn and walk away. but despite his ex-mission partner's animosity for remi, it doesn't quite flow the same in both directions. remi's frustration in the other agent's aversion to listen, to even try to understand why remi would have chosen to step down from being a level i agent when he was given the option.

besides, remi hadn't been trying to seek kyungseok out. "should i leave you to sulk by yourself, then ? "

AFTERHOURS @ CERBERUS CORP. kyungseok — open to all.

He isn't supposed to be smoking.

What would the media say? What would the staff say? Christ, what would his mother say? Something along the lines of propriety and decency, perhaps. A face is only as good as its smile or something. Kyungseok is supposed to care about that as much as he isn't supposed to be smoking. Yet he finds it doesn't really matter right now as the smoke curls upwards into the dark. They all disappear like that, those tiny voices dissipating in the slow, practiced movements of fingers to mouth. Kyungseok had the decency, at least, to smoke outside. He's not a heathen.

Well, he isn't one right now. That could change. The night is something of a purple bruise seeping darker and darker overhead. No stars, plenty of time to catch up to trouble. He breathes in, he exhales, he disappears in the smoggy-smoke heartbeat of the city. There's a little peace in that, something small he can find and hide in.

& Then the door to his little escape fucking opens.

"Usually when someone is standing by themselves and alone, they don't want to be bothered."