#~*i cant be assed to finish my subversion icons*~

[yotou-blog]

“I figured I’d find you here.”

These words were not his own; but the Ryoma who was born here, the other, almost thought he was hallucinating. But lo--there was another man who looked just like him, staring back at him, just beginning to place a phone back into the obi of very traditional looking clothing.

(The fashion choice was deliberate on Prince’s part.)

“I figure you have some questions. I do as well--do not panic, I wish not to resort to violence, unless you attempt so first.” The prince closed the space between one another, enough room between them at least for personal comfort. A few beats of the wave onto the dock rocked calmly.

“Wh...who are you?” Nerves struck the other Ryoma; his voice failing him. He wasn’t usually this shocked, but what else do you do when you see yourself? The spitting image--was this person some sort of shapeshifter? There were nonhumans in the city, sure, but he didn’t know if any could pull this sort of--

“Your name’s Ryoma, yes? You have three siblings by blood--Takumi, Hinoka, and Sakura. They’ve seen you through the deaths of many a parent, have they not?” He placed a hand onto his counterpart gently, trying to keep his tone reassuring. “You and I are one in the same, this...this life is mine as well, in a way.”

The other really...wasn’t sure how to process this.Sure, his family was affluential but why did he look just like him? “Look--- if you want to take my life, you can have it! You’ll cave under the pressure!” He was gesticulating, a laugh bubbling around each word like a feral foam. He pulled himself from the other, sea breeze on his back as he found himself closer to the tip of the dock. (Admittedly, he wasn’t worried about that, or even registering it.)

“I'm hardier than you realize. Besides, I don’t want your life, it’s already mine in a way. It’s...complicated, I don’t quite understand myself but, well--” He tried to launch into an explanation, but his other decked him square in the face, making Ryoma stagger away as other self made a run for it. He made a shot in the dark, grabbing the other’s ponytail and putting him into a headlock.

“Fine you want to do it this way? I’m no master of hand-to-hand, but I know full well how to incapacitate a man when my sword fails me!” The other Ryoma flailed against his arms, trying to lower his center of gravity for the upper hand, but Ryoma was more than a match for him. Even if they had similar builds, he was just simply more experienced.  “Now, we can do this the easy way or the hard way--I can make this painless for you, or I can have you bleed out by Raijinto’s touch.” Honestly, the other Ryoma lucked out, he wasn’t going to get a death by electrocution, which was very well possible had Raijtino been able to carry a charge.

“And what the hell entails painless? Gonna strangle me?” 

“No. As I was trying to explain earlier--I can apparently seal you inside some sort of cyber-pocket. It’s apparently non-lethal, but I know nothing of this ‘cyberspace’. So you tell me.”

This actually relaxed the other somewhat. He, unlike this Ryoma, was a native of the city and fully aware of the technology at their disposal. And though he wasn’t sure how this would work, he was...oddly trustworthy of it. He still didn’t want to die, there wasn’t any peace in death, no stark awareness that death was simply part of his role to fill.

He was just some guy.

But did he really want to get gutted by a sword? Honestly, he wasn’t sure how good this guy was with a sword, actually, but if his own kendo skills were any indicator, as well as this stranger’s strength...

Ah, fuck.

He sighed. “Fine, do your worst. I wanna ask, though--how good are you with a sword anyway?”

Ryoma procured his phone, firing up the app.

“Well, for one, I’m a samurai, with the resources that nobility allots me at my disposal. I haven’t once dared to waste that.”

Damn. He wasn’t messing around about the sword thing.

“Maybe we can meet again and have a fair fight--how about that?”

Ryoma smiled, clicking the necessary button, his other beginning to fade.

“You know, I’d like that. Stay sharp, Ryoma.”