mewgagotoku

[mewgagotoku]

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[mewgagotoku]

kazumakazzy‌

“N-no,” Ryu’s dark eyes nearly flickered elsewhere, perhaps speaking too hastily. “It was the first song on the list.” The younger let the teasing slide, but with his typical expression it could be hard to tell. However the point remained that Majima wasn’t up for singing, which was fine.

The next song for the night was better than the last one, Kiryu thought, in terms of resurfacing missing memories. A rock tune that the guy was fine with letting loose, singing just as passionately. It was difficult to describe what fragments he could remember. He could have sworn he had a buddy singing with him… he figured it must be the one man he could hardly remember, but he tried not to dwell on it for now.

Majima arched an eyebrow at Ryu, chuckling.

“Heheh, course it was.” The teasing didn’t seem to illicit any real sort of reaction. Boring. The one-eyed man looked away with a sigh while Ryu pounded through the next track. He had a good voice, he had that going for him at least. Shame he had about as much personality as a pile of bricks, but then some people were just like that.

Karaoke usually made for a great escape, but Majima wasn’t feeling it tonight. There was something in the air - and it wasn’t just the suspicious stink around Ryu, but that was certainly a big part of it. He hadn’t yet decided whether the other man were a hindrance or a help, sipping lazily at his drink while he tried to figure it out.

“I dunno what to do with ya,” he admitted. “I oughta turn ya loose, but somethin’s naggin’ at me, tellin’ me that’s a bad idea. Why might that be, huh? C’mon big guy, let’s get them cogs turnin’.”

[mewgagotoku]

snxkehips‌

“Yeah.. I do have them at home. That’s why I wanted to get some for you.” Makoto response made it sound like she shouldn’t have picked those sheets out. In a way, she felt offended. She wanted to do give her something special to make up for her screw up, and this is what she gets in return? At this moment, she may as well not even give them to her, which is what she’s exactly going to do.

“But ya know what, maybe ya don’t need ‘em.” Turning her back, she walked right back towards the upstairs area of the store to put the sheets back where she found them.

“O-oh.” About to apologise, the brunette was struck dumb by Majima turning and walking rudely away from her.

That was it. Makoto had had enough.

“What is wrong with you?? You ruin my house, you burn my bedsheets and I ask you to bring me one simple thing - white cotton sheets - and you bring me something totally different. And now you’re going to sulk like a child?? I can’t believe you!” Makoto dropped the basket at her feet, not caring if Majima continued to walk away from her - she needed to get this off her chest. “I am buying things so that I can cook you dinner, and I honestly don’t know why I’m doing it because you had one job which was to keep my apartment safe while I was away, and all you’ve done is made it worse!! All of that and it feels like you don’t even care what you’ve done! That you don’t care about me, either! Go home, Goroko. If this is what your idea of ‘help’ looks like, I‘d be better off doing it alone.”

There. She’d said it, and she couldn’t take it back. It had been a long journey back home, and she was exhausted - Majima’s blasé attitude was all just too much for her. She wouldn’t dream of treating Majima like that, and she couldn’t believe that the older woman thought it was okay.

[mewgagotoku]

rileysroleplayreservoir

The furrowed brow and crossed arms was enough to tell her frustration in trying to persuade the Patriarch, puffing her cheeks yet again. Fine. One of these days she’ll get him to let her do it. Somehow. As much as she didn’t WANT to paint him as a dictator sorts - he really wasn’t too far from it. She shot daggers at any of the men still lingering about and trying to ease drop. “Ohhh…I think I remember those things. Kinda thought they were a fun gag to be honest. Spicy chocolate is actually pretty good.” Riley released a breath through her nose, looking off in no particular direction with a sly look on her face. “Not as clever as you it seems…” Majima had finally opened the box and had a taste of her handiwork. She had no expectation for them to be perfect, but good enough quality would satisfy her. Tapping her two index fingers she swayed a little in thought. Why was she getting so goddamn bashful?? “A few different flavors, actually. Ah…some are matcha, Some are liquer mixed with a bit of Hokkaido cream. Uuhhh…oh! Others are plum wine!” Riley gave a happy clap. Each truffle had a simple and elegant design, some a little shaky but still with it’s own charm. One truffle in particular held a particular theme - a small little dogs head on it, eye patch and all, holding a little knife in it’s mouth. “I hope they taste okay…partly why I’ve been kinda a layabout today more than normal.”

Trying a different flavour - just to be sure - Majima nodded appraisingly. He didn’t generally crave sweet things, but these had a nice balance, especially with the complementary flavours she had chosen - though he hadn’t found the plum wine one yet. That might be a step too far for his tastes.

“Mm, ain’t half bad.” Her admission of laziness caused his face to harden, however, slotting the lid back onto the box of painstakingly decorated chocolates with a loud scoff. “Ain’t no excuse for ya to be a lazy bum. Get out there an’ make us some money, O’Malley. Unless ya about to open up a tuck shop, this shit ain’t worth nothin’ to me.”

[mewgagotoku]

criminaldelights‌

“Heh, alright. Sounds good to me.” Akiyama smiled, although now he had been curious of the place Majima had wanted to go. It didn’t matter where they went though, Akiyama could almost always use a drink. 

“I’ve never thought of it that way. I guess it is important to remember certain things to avoid making the same mistakes. It’s just so much easier to want to forget.” Akiyama chuckled a little. “Whatever keeps you motivated, Majima-san.” he could tell by the look in Majima’s eyes just how serious he had been about it too. “For now let’s just relax.” 

Pulling Akiyama along with him into the standing izakaya, Majima edged along into the far corner of the bar and picked up a menu.

“Order whatever ya want. Horse shashimi an’ nankotsu oughta make for a good start though, no? Ooh, horse jerky...” Ordering a couple of items, he nudged the other man with one elbow. “Forgettin’ means it may as well’ve not happened. And it did happen. Like it or not.” Whether it be love, or the fuckers who stole his eye, he wasn’t going to let either go to the grave, and he didn’t think that anybody else should either.

“You’ll find somethin’ better, an’ then ya’ll wonder why ya wasted so much time dwellin’ on it, I swear.”

[mewgagotoku]

rileysroleplayreservoir‌

Riley jumped in her seat at such a notion, let alone from her friend. “No!! If I do he’ll probably think I’m joking!” Or the very concept of it all would only grow more complicated, with every facet between her and this man - it couldn’t be more complicated than complicated could get. As much as she wanted to express that side of herself that decided to crop up out of the blue.

Lost in the clutches of the older woman she just grunted, ready to tell Makoto she had no need to pay - but welp. She was here now: pinched, poked, pulled and shifted. Every word that feel from the reader’s lips may as well be the turn of every page of her life. Must be tall to nourish my face what does that even mean..

Riley wore her life on her sleeve, not only just her heart that bled from time to time. She could not deny how much she let it overflow, and in that - it drained her despite her good intentions. Perhaps it was something for her to consider, should she wish to not risk herself further from depletion. Not like she was just a civilian anymore. Jealousy in others? That was going to be stuck in her mind.

Crinkling her nose she bowed her head to the woman and turned to Makoto, as though offering her a turn were that her choice. “I’m paying for yours. Curious what sort of mysteries lie there, Makoto-chan.” She gave a gentle tap to her friends nose with a laugh. “You ever confess feelings to anyone? I’m so out of the loop these past couple years I don’t even know where to start, eugh.”

Makoto shook her head in quiet disbelief at Riley’s claim. She supposed it must be complex indeed if it was enough to put the determined woman off-kilter. Lacing her fingers together, she listened as Riley’s fortune was given, amused by the forthright fortune teller - she didn’t pull any punches. Makoto supposed that once a person got to that age, there was no longer any need to hide behind niceties when the truth was more important.

She scanned Riley’s face when the old woman appeared to be done, watching as she handed over the scribbled length of paper she had been scrawling on - a report, of sorts, on what she had seen. Scooping her coat beneath herself, she sat in the hot seat with a soft laugh.

“We’ll see, won’t we...” Placing both hands on the small table, she scooted forward on her seat a little. “No, I... No. But if he means that much to you, you really should tell him! You never know what might happen.”

[mewgagotoku]

rileysroleplayreservoir

“No matter the situation, most if not all deserve a decent epilogue. Hopefully, a happy one.” Long since finishing up her drink, she’d stared off in no particular direction, mingling with the thoughts often times caught in her mind.

It was always there in the back of her mind, a reminder of what she’d gone through and continue to live through, and the potential shifts that may or may not come. Much like Makoto, she wanted to do all she could for herself - hell, maybe not even herself, but for others. Negatives aside for this career, it opened up other things in her artillery, and be damned if she wasn’t going to use it for some good.

“I’m really glad I met you today, Makoto. If that’s not too bold to say so suddenly. I will do my best to help bring more of those smiles to people these days. I always feel like there could be more.”

“Not at all, I’m glad too.” Thoroughly agreed on Riley’s sentiment, Makoto smiled warmly, setting down her cup and looking around the small restaurant as if remembering where they were. “I should probably let you get home to bed, shouldn’t I?” Though Riley looked somewhat recharged by their breakfast, there was no denying the exhaustion which had been writ plain across her face

Checking her watch, she nodded to herself.

“And I should get going to the museum, for that matter - I don’t want to be late. It’s been really lovely to meet you, Miss Riley - you’ve got my card now, so don’t be afraid to give me a call whenever you like!”

[mewgagotoku]

rileysroleplayreservoir‌

Riley’s face fell flat, having not picked up on things properly it seemed. She snorted, moving over and reaching to bap him on the head with one of the DVDs. “Shoosh! I’m not giving them to you, dummy! Pfff- blueray.” Setting them on the counter she poked at him playfully. “Talkin’ like you had it already. My bad. You’re literally going to live in a theater by the sounds of it.” The very thought brought her amusement, imagining Majima just splayed on a couch on his own, admiring the high definition classic horror. Geez. “Until then, you’re welcome to join me in a horror fest of films.” She would not however press him, despite her words, but learning this of course she couldn’t help in offering. As much as she detested most work, much like her at times, he had his own things to take care of. Before anything else could be said, her arms wrapped around his torso in a firm hug.

“…thank you, by the way. For all of this. I appreciate it…a lot.”

“Keep ‘em.” Gifted or borrowed, Majima didn’t want them. He waved a hand dismissively at the lilac-haired Yakuza and turned away, not bothering to defend himself against the boxed assault.

“Ya laughin’ now but ya won’t be once I get this sweet setup goin’. You’ll be begging to come round my gaff an’ I won’t invite ya.” He stiffened when she threw her arms around him, hands in the air with a grunt. “Yeah yeah, whatever, just remember it next time I need a favour.” If he hadn’t wanted to help her, he wouldn’t be here at all - and it wasn’t because he craved acknowledgement or gratitude.

He’d seen the way Shimano spoke to her, and it wasn’t on. The big bald bastard could be a cunt at the best of times, but he didn’t treat anybody quite the same as he treated Riley.

“You’ll be fine. Jus’ keep ya chin up.”

Ebb and Flow

[mewgagotoku]

criminaldelights

While Akiyama wanted to joke around with her, he figured right now wouldn’t be the time. He could see the frustration on her eyes at this point. He didn’t really understand it, here Akiyama was trying to be sincere and yet Hana appeared to be upset. He wanted to take her out to show his appreciation, but instead it seemed like Hana was now in a bad mood after his offer.

He wasn’t entirely sure what he had been expected to do, what he thought was going to be a fun night now just turned into Akiyama feeling an immense feeling of dread looming over him. Should he not have invited her out then? He wasn’t sure what the right approach was to Hana especially since she never seemed to take him seriously. What would it take for Hana to see that he was being sincere with his words? There was a frown when Hana asked him to just go out, but Akiyama knew there wouldn’t be a point if she wasn’t by his side to accompany him.

“No point in me going out when my Valentine’s date already rejected me. I guess my gift to you will just be helping you out here… What do you need me to do?” he got up slowly walking over towards Hana that had been rummaging through files. He knew she did so much for Sky Finance which is exactly why he wanted to do something nice for her, and if that meant staying in then so be it. “You know… I could always just order some food for delivery for us here if you prefer that.”  

Knowing that she needed to calm down or risk saying something she was bound to regret, Hana huffed a sigh and ignored Akiyama for the moment, putting a stack of work into a box file and tucking it away. She could hear him walking over to her desk, but still didn’t turn around, straightening a few books with a sigh.

“Fine, go ahead.” He would do what he wanted regardless of what she said anyway; Hana didn’t see the point in labouring the issue. She did wish he might take her more seriously from time to time - she was convinced that he forgot she was a living breathing human being occasionally. Only then did she turn around and look at him, more composed now. On any other day besides today, she mightn’t have been so offended by his teasing, but something about the date had gotten to her. Dark eyes scanned his face in silence for a few seconds before she shrugged and sank into her seat.

“I don’t want you feeling sorry for me. If I wanted a date for Valentines, I’d have one. It’s a silly holiday anyway. So commercial.”

[mewgagotoku]

kazumakazzy‌

It wasn’t long before their order was taken and their food arrived, those left maybe were those looking for a bite after hitting a few bars. Kiryu only guessed though. Certainly he figured they’d be louder; probably were just people working late shifts or the like.

Downing his glass of water, Kiryu meagerly began to eat once he prepped his chopsticks, reluctantly releasing Makoto’s hand for a moment to do so. The sashimi was good, but he wasn’t really thinking of enjoying it thoroughly as he could have. Now was hardly the time. The man picked at his food. His gaze slowly surveying his surroundings; every new sound that was added to the kitchen, to the greetings to others arriving inside the place, to trivial chatter from customers, Kiryu couldn’t help but to be hyper aware of everything as if ready to go at a moment’s notice.

“I just ordered what I read first–hope it’s okay.” He finally said after some time.

Feeling around for a pair of chopsticks and then the plate set ahead of her, Makoto hummed quietly. She was used to men overcompensating for her weaknesses, but she couldn’t really decide how she felt about somebody ignoring them completely. She supposed it was rude of her to expect him to compensate for her own problems. Cleaning her hands with a towel, she found the shashimi with the tip of her finger and ate daintily.

“Is this... usually what you eat?” She hadn’t heard what he ordered, so without an explanation she would have to feel around and guess, a sinking sensation in her stomach. All she wanted was to find her brother and go home. She was so sick of running, of hiding, of guessing blindly in the dark not knowing what was out there.

Too polite to complain, the brunette lowered her face with a nod, feeling her lips tremble as she slowly ate.

[mewgagotoku]

criminaldelights‌

While Akiyama might have heard the name once or twice, he hadn’t really known much about the type of person Nishitani was or why he had meant so much to Majima. It was easy to tell that this person meant a lot to Majima though especially by the way he had been speaking about him. “Majima-san… You have my condolences.” What was Akiyama supposed to say? He did tread carefully however, not wanting to accidentally upset the other man.

Akiyama tried to keep all knowledge of the Yakuza fairly vague not wanting to get too involved in knowing much more than he needed to. He remained silent, looking over at Majima trying to get some kind of read on him.  There was something different about him in this moment, of course he could tell this loss bothered him but it had been clear that this might be causing Majima some actual physical pain. He frowned. 

There was a moment before he decided to speak up again…

“Majima-san… If you need to talk about it. I’m here to listen. I might’ve not known the guy, but I can tell that he meant a lot to you.” 

“That’s what everyone else said,” Majima murmured, staring up at the ceiling without really seeing it. It hadn’t been enough.He had sort of hoped Akiyama might have had something better to say. That he might have felt the earth quake at eight forty four on Sunday morning, perhaps not in the same way that Majima did, but in some small shift of his own. Evidently not. He knew it was selfish to expect anybody else to feel even half of what he did, but everyone he had spoken to until now had been just like this. Just as mild. Just as weak. Just as if the world hadn’t ended twenty four hours ago. Because it fucking had.

“You got no idea, do ya. He’d be disappointed.” Even back when Majima himself wasn’t sure how he felt about what they had, Nishitani had wanted everyone to know. Had they kept it so hidden that folks truly didn’t know? Surely not. Surely... had he clung thus to the past shell of his former self that nobody knew?

He closed his eye again, and when Akiyama spoke anew, shook his head. He tried to come back with something biting, something accusatory - something which could adequately convey the rage he was left to live with... but instead he just swallowed hard, took a shaky breath and let his hands fall loose in his lap.

“Y-... fuckin’ dial it up a bit, Moneybags. He weren’t just some guy. An’ he didn’t just mean a lot to me. He’s... I loved him.”

[mewgagotoku]

criminaldelights‌

“Hm.” although Saejima appeared to be frowning, he seemed to be smiling iwth his eyes. These were the moments he enjoyed the most; being able to sit and enjoy a good meal with his kyoudai had been one of his favorite pastimes. 

“I know that. I ain’t gonna give him that much, but he can still help even if it’s a tiny bit.” there he went vouching for his little furry friend once more. “Ain’t bein’ gooey, it’s just the truth.” 

Feeling the kick underneath the table, Saejima shook his head. Typical Majima. As the waiter approached the table, he checked to make sure the cat wasn’t visible. 

“You’re talkin’ about me? What about you?” It was a good time to throw that back at him. “Don’t see myself bein’ married and havin’ a kid. Sure, it sounds nice but do ya really think someone like me could be a family man? Don’t think so. Easier to stick to takin’ care of cats.” 

“Pfft, ‘not gooey’, big pile o’melted cheese, you are.” Pinching a cube of pickled white radish from one of the small plates, Majima chewed with his mouth open. “Yeah I’m talkin’ about you. I don’t even like kids, dunno why ya want me makin’ my own one! You, though, I seen ya adopt three strays since Tuesday! When ya gunna admit it, haw? Far as I’m concerned, makin’ the kids is the best bit! It’s everythin’ after that which goes downhill.”

Sitting back as the stack of meat arrived, the one-eyed man grinned as he threw a few pieces on the grill.

“‘Sides, y’are a family man.” Different kind of family, sure, but family all the same, and the Saejima-gumi were gaining traction like few others in town lately. “But now ya mention it, I guess a pack of whippersnappers runnin’ round town with your ugly mug on ‘em would be weird...”

[mewgagotoku]

criminaldelights‌

This was a lot harder than he thought it would be. Words were easy when he had been thinking about them, but to actually put a face in front of him to say those words too had been difficult. Majima hated having to be like this, but he felt like it was necessary. It was the only way, wasn’t it? It had to be like this, it was the only option available to keep Makoto safe. That’s what he needed to keep reminding himself to justify all of this.

“…” now that wasn’t a response that Majima had been expecting but it really did put things into perspective for him. Maybe Makoto was right though, maybe they really didn’t know each other. Not truly anyway. “Then… I guess not.” was all Majima could really say to fill in the silence.

“That ain’t nothin’! I mean… It was somethin’, but it ain’t nothin’ compared to how worse things could get if ya continued to hang around me.” that was all Majima could really say without going into too much detail. “Ya gotta stop, Makoto! Seriously! Don’t ya get it? I don’t want anythin’ happenin’ to ya! I know ya can take care of yourself, but why put yourself in more danger if ya don’t have to?” 

“… I’m sorry.” 

Makoto’s mouth dropped open, shocked by how he could so coolly just say such a thing. Never mind the fact that she’d said it first - Majima wasn’t supposed to agree with her. The brunette wasn’t all that familiar with anger - in fact, she avoided it wherever she could because she knew she had few ways to handle it - but something about the way he weakly spoke gave rise to a fury such that she could feel her hands begin to tremble.

“Nothing!? Nothing?? Y- you are-” She stopped herself before daring to continue. “Cruel.” Makoto almost dropped the tray in her haste to slam it noisily down on the small table, bowls clacking together and a sputter of scalding hot water coughing from the spout of the tea pot. “And I- ...”

She could feel it welling you inside her. Words she couldn’t take back once she’d said them. Words which burned the inside of her chest, her throat, her lungs.

“And I love you, doesn’t that count for anything??”

[mewgagotoku]

criminaldelights‌

“It has. I forgot how much I liked having you do this for me.” Akiyama almost sounded like he had been teasing, but really he was being sincere. Hana had always done so much for him, even back then. Except in his younger days he probably wasn’t as appreciative as he is now. Well, maybe he was but in a different way. Regardless, Akiyama did his best to show Hana more gratitude these days like she deserved.

He couldn’t help but smile back at her, Hana looked extra beautiful tonight but he really hoped that she would believe him but he already expected his words to be brushed off. Annnd… Here we go.

“You want me to stop telling the truth? I’m not a liar, Hana-chan.” Akiyama hoped that would be enough convincing but he already knew that it was going to take a lot more than this to get Hana to accept a compliment.  “It looks great on you. Really. You should wear it more often.”

Laughing off Akiyama’s comment weakly, Hana picked up a long box from the edge of her desk. Flipping it open, she pulled a delicate necklace from within and held it up to the light. People didn’t often buy her pretty things as gifts - more likely to buy her cute items like stationery or plush animals. This necklace was one she’d had a long time - a gift from a Christmas Gala at Toto Bank, of all places, a homogenised present for all the women in the business. The more glamorous among them had turned their noses up, she recalled, but to Hana, this necklace had meant so much more. It was proof that she had earned her place, that she deserved it and much more besides.

Dark eyes glanced toward Akiyama, quietly amused. How times had changed.

“I never go anywhere which would warrant wearing it,” she clipped, pressing the backs of her fingers to flushed cheeks as if to cool them. “Besides, it’s not very comfortable.” Looping the necklace around her throat, she fumbled with the clasp, tutting when she couldn’t get it to hitch.

“Anyway, are you nearly ready?”

[mewgagotoku]

criminaldelights

Seriously? Why was this happening now? Still Akiyama was a bit hesitant about leaving Hana behind but he figured he should at least get a head start before the cat got too ahead of them. He gave a nod before running after the cat, Akiyama had to carefully navigate his way careful not to bump into too many people. The cat didn’t show any signs of stopping soon as it headed down Tenkaichi street towards Taihei Boulevard. Everything had been going fine until a street thug had put himself right in front of Akiyama and his group had been attempting to block his path. 

“Where you going in such a rush?” the thug smirked, but Akiyama didn’t have time for this! “I’m sorry, but I really need to…” he was cut off by another thug, “Hey! He asked you a question. Answer it or else we’ll smash your face in!” “Yeah!” Another thug chimed in. Akiyama sighed, this looked like he might end up having to fight these guys and he really didn’t have the time. “There’s something I need to get.” Akiyama tried to keep a visual on the cat that was nearly out of his sight now.

“Ok. Well, we can let you go if you pay a fee.” the lead thug said, proud of himself for coming up with the idea. “How’s about… 100,000 yen? Seems like you’re a flashy guy. You can afford it right?” the other thugs nodded in agreement. Even if Akiyama did want to pay them off, all his money had been back at the office and he couldn’t get in. “I can’t pay you now. I got locked out of my place and I’m trying to get the keys so if you let me through then…” “You’re lying!” another thug chimed in. Akiyama shook his head, he was hoping to catch Hana passing by to let her know the direction the cat went in. He could just barely see it now. 

Running in heels was not Hana’s favourite pastime. In fact, neither was running in any other kind of footwear for that matter. Still, this was a matter of life or locksmith! Making haste in Akiyama’s wake, she skidded to a halt not far behind him when Kamurocho’s sketchy night denizens made their appearance. She’d told him more than once that they ought to set up office somewhere nice like Ginza more than once, but had he listened? Of course not.

“Chief, stop playing around!” She squinted after the cat, a long tail disappearing through a crowd of guffawing university students and off toward Akaushimaru with a telltale jingle. Panting, Hana did her best to chase after it, leaving Akiyama behind - he could handle a gang of two-penny thugs like that with both arms tied behind his back.

“Here kitty, pspspspsps, here kitty...! Want some lovely beef?? I’ll buy you some! Just please... not the keys...”

[mewgagotoku]

criminaldelights

An eyebrow was raised at Majima’s statement – out of curiosity, not judgment. “Oh, are you an equal opportunist, Majima-san? I guess that shouldn’t surprise me.” he chuckled at Majima’s comment. “Guess we’ll have to find out won’t we?”

Oh but this wasn’t time to be flirting with Majima, he needed to focus on trying to get Hana to take him seriously.

“It sounds so much easier than it actually is. Hana only goes to Sky Finance and goes home most of the time. If I suggest that we should go somewhere at all she brushes me off. Hmm… She does like Korean Barbecue a lot, oh, and some good sushi. It’s a shame I’d love to take her out to a nice sushi place but she won’t budge so I usually end up having to bring the food to her.” Akiyama shook his head. “Hana-chan isn’t most girls, but that’s exactly what makes her so special.”

“I sure am.” Majima grinned lopsidedly, still flirting despite their present topic of conversation. Just because Akiyama had a beau, there was no reason to lay off toying with him. Truth be told, it had been a while since the Mad Dog had anybody to play with - anybody who could keep up with him anyway. A smart guy like Akiyama made for the perfect foil.

The one-eyed man arched an eyebrow at the moneylender’s defeatist attitude.

“If that’s all she’s into, she sounds way too borin’ for ya. There’s gotta be somethin’ else she’s mad on which ain’t just food. Sounds to me like ya just lazy. Or ya just don’t want it that bad - am I right?”

[mewgagotoku]

criminaldelights

“You got that right.”

Although Akiyama agreed, he still didn’t want to believe it. It was so much easier to continue to blame himself. It was pitiful really.

Only a few people have heard Akiyama venting about this before, but no one had ever really told him to just move on. He knew that he should, but it was so much easier and more comfortable to cling on to the familiar pain than to continue to move forward. “I know, I know…” he was trying to convince himself at this point. “I just keep thinking about what I could have done differently, you know?”

Akiyama sighed. He needed to pour himself a drink after thinking about this, at least this way he could try and forget Eri. At least for tonight. Things were looking bleak tonight, as he made the mistake of looking at a photo he had so often tried to hide away – it had been so long since he had seen her face. His thoughts began to wonder about the type of person Eri was now. What was she like? Was she really happy? It shouldn’t even matter.

“Majima-san… How do I forget?”

“What would ya have done? What good would it have done?” Frowning as he asked the questions, Majima shook his head. It honestly surprised him that the moneylender was still at war with this - it was out of character for somebody who seemed to have his shit together as well as Akiyama did. They all had their demons, he supposed, and not all of them were dead.

He took another drag and exhaled at length before even thinking about answering the next question.

“Ain’t about forgettin’,” he said, voice unusually soft. “An’ there ain’t no drug in the world what’ll take it from ya, neither.” Except one, perhaps, although the sentiment was altogether too soft for Majima to ever voice it from this side of a bottle. “Ya gotta turn it into somethin’ else. Somethin’ ya can use.”