expiationnet | (video) a lil game moment

Greens. Acres of them.

[What a question, Mikey.] ... More or less. How's Aldrip been for you so far?

Huh. For your information, I ate that too, probably.

... Huh. Let's go out.

"Probably."

[...?] I should warn you that I'm not a cheap date.

[Okay, so FIRST of all, that's absolutely not true--]

I should warn you you're not at all my type of man, anyway. Come on, and you're paying.

Edited 2023-10-21 02:26 (UTC)

Now there's an offer I can't refuse. Where and when?

Ice-cream shop. Bring your wallet. I hope you can carry me back, it'd be sad if you were this big for nothing.

See you soon.

[Ice cream in October...wouldn't be his first choice, but it's easy to find, at least. It doesn't take him long to get there; when he spots Mikey, he gives a little wave in greeting.]

(well, yu's paying. he's so happy. he's ordered the biggest ice cream there was, a mountain, and he's going at it, his face all smeared with chocolate, but who cares!! sweets!!! he's so happy, he's waving like a child.)

[He orders something a bit smaller for himself, pays for both, and joins him at a booth. The giant smile is catching, to be honest.]

Looks like you're getting used to things already.

I'll live. I'm not alone, after all.

(even if he looks adorable with his feet swinging, there's an arm subtly acting as a fence, separating himself and his treat from the other. he's childish like that. it's his!!!)

So, what's the problem?

That's good.

[He's got such a childlike way of acting...but Yu gets the sense that Mikey has that air because people know not to mess with him. Anyway, he's definitely not interested in taking any of Mikey's dessert; he's got his own, after all!

...?] Problem?

I asked you how you were doing-- you said 'more or less'. You got problems with something, dude?

(it's the fact the possibility is there that is making him almost growl, but whatever, he's just eating, he even talks with the spoon in his mouth like it's second-nature.)

[He exhales, a faintly resigned smile tugging at his expression. Yu doesn't love lying about things, so he tries to be as truthful as he can, but of course that means people like Mikey have to ask questions.]

It's been a hell of a month, so far. There's a lot going on.

[Stupidly, he's reluctant to share more right now. He has this irrational moment where he worries that someone might overhear, or that someone may be watching him...even though there's no reason at all to think as much.]

You've got exactly 10 seconds to decide whether you'll tell me because, after that, I'll stop caring.

(sorry, he thinks that's fair. he already offered himself as a listener, and he somewhat does give a shit, but it won't remain if yu doesn't open and talk to him, it's already not mikey's problem anyway. why insist, anyway. SUGAR)

[It's definitely fair; Yu laughs a bit at his bluntness, this straightforward guy chowing down on a mountain of ice cream. He's an interesting guy.]

They started carrying out sentencing this month. I'm one of the ones they picked.

[In truth, that's only part of it -- a big part, granted, but Adachi is part of the same equation as well. It's just...he's a part of it that Yu hasn't yet figured out how to deal with.]

And? Did you get arrested? What does that even mean.

(how the fuck is he on trial for LOYALTY. and worse-- how will that affect manjiro when his time comes? all his murders were attempts so far. makes no sense.)

Not "arrested" exactly. Detained is more like it.

[Even that doesn't feel like the right word, but it all happened so fast that there's no better way to describe it. How exactly do you explain an inquiry without being inquired? He was there, and then he was done. It's easier to talk about the rest, at least.]

They gave me a task for "rehabilitation." Investigating my friends for crimes and then turning them in.

[He sounds thrilled.]

That's low. You're not gonna do it, are you? I'd rather be sentenced to Hell and back.

(this actually reminds him of something he doesn't particularly like, and yet, his face demonstrates nothing other than the empty, neutral expression he often has in place. he's a gang kid, of course someone is bound to get detained, arrested -- and if it were up to him, one of his founding members, pah-chin, wouldn't have. surely, stabbing is not great, but he could have run. he could have followed mikey out of the battlefield.

he chose to stay, and while mikey wanted to bail him out with all his strength, others denied it. he'd go to jail for the other if it had been an option.

yu better not fucking do it, it'd be a low blow. fuck the police. etc.)

No.

[The answer is quick, but decisive. This is one thing he had decided almost right away, actually -- whether he talks to his friends about it or not... he has no intention of turning anyone in to save himself.

In truth, he's a little relieved to hear Mikey say something like that. A lot of his friends seem fairly worried about what might happen if he doesn't do it. He can't blame them, but... that does seem like another reason why he can't do that to any one of them.]

I have no intention of doing their bidding like that. I can't.

Good. I can respect that.

(which is something, when it comes to a person like mikey. there's nothing more precious than friendship, nothing more important than loyalty.)

Sucks, though. They are testing your loyalty after all. Any idea what they might do to me?

[A flicker of smile. Yu is grateful for the support, so to speak.]

They are. I'll let you know if there ends up being a consequence.

["If." That feels optimistic. He pauses a moment at Mikey's question, thoughtful about it.]

"Murder," right? Protecting people, maybe...healing. That's what I would expect, at least.

'When', you mean. No one is rallying against it?

(because, please. nothing in this place screams leniency so far, just starting from the KIDNAPPING PART.)

... That'd be dumb. Why do you think I lead in the first place? Unlike what most people think, the beginning of most gangs ain't money or none of those things. It's protection, I was born into this, and I take it seriously, I've never lost a single fight and most of my fights are due to that. So, what would that even teach me?

["When." He nods slightly at that.]

I wouldn't say that. We're all still trying to figure out how, I think.

[He is, at least. Is he just supposed to stand outside of City Hall telling them to go kick rocks? He doesn't even remember the Council.]

You also said your crime was inaccurate. So clearly they don't have all the information -- they might not be getting an accurate picture of who you are and what you "need to learn."

It doesn't do anything if we aren't an organized unit.

(or at least, that's what makes sense to mikey. he can put himself in that position very easily - if one person wants to defy him, that's easy to crush. a group, that's more trouble, and the possibility of him rethinking his decisions is definitely higher -- although, most often... pffft.

here's what's fucked up, however. there's not a single change in his expression, words that are factual, but not emotional, not an opening, rather much more of a statement.)

Or I just haven't done it yet, or it's a matter of intent. I did attempt recently, but Takemitchy stopped me, and he knows things I don't, so I might as well be punished now rather than later, I guess.

Edited 2023-10-24 21:09 (UTC)

["We." The second time he's heard that word used in conjunction with sentencing. He rolls those words over in his mind. Mikey has a point.]

Only a few people were given a sentence. Not everyone. I wonder if that's why.

[It's easier to not get involved if it's not your problem, right? Organizing this many people...it'd be a lot simpler if everyone had been sentenced at once.]

It may be different for everyone. [...] Someone else I know considered it at one point, too. But they were charged with attempted murder.

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