Between the Lines, All the Days and Nights... And the World is my Playground

[ktotheatothez]

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Comments

[shuryoinai]

[And that makes him look at you.]

Why are you apologizing?

[He doesn't get it.]

[ktotheatothez]

I... didn't exactly ask. I did with the others.

[ There's a sheepish little shrug from him, and he turns to sit so that he's facing you. ]

[shuryoinai]

[...]

But you didn't exactly plan on suddenly getting a Social Link, right?

[ktotheatothez]

Not exactly. I mean, I knew I could probably get Justice, but I didn't know who I could precisely get.

[ Well. ]

I'd already kind of pulled on Josh's early on, but I wasn't sure until I saw that any other Chariot I'd seen was already inactive for me. That, and I kind of ran smack into a tree.

[shuryoinai]

So then it was unconscious on your part, and therefore it's no skin off of your back if you didn't ask for permission.

[Shrugging as he's sitting up -- on the air he's floating on. The book's getting tossed to the side too.]

Cards shouldn't have to, at any rate.

[ktotheatothez]

[ He's looking up at you from where he's sitting with a quizzical look on his face. ]

I shouldn't?

[shuryoinai]

[How do explain.]

Does a friend ever have to apologize for making friends with another person?

[ktotheatothez]

[ I do when I'm not too sure if someone wants to be friends. Kaz thinks, unable to say it out loud. Makoto's... Well, he's Makoto. Josh's Bro, Yulia's Bro, Taning's Mortician Bro.

He's still thinking, so he tucks Josh in while he's at it and then goes to sit on the floor at the edge of the bed before he answers. ]

No, they don't.

[shuryoinai]

Then there you go.

[Like it's that simple. It is in Makoto's opinion, anyway.]

[ktotheatothez]

[ Kaz is thinking about it for a bit. ]

I suppose...

[ He trails off, because this is one of the first one-on-one moments he's had to be around you. He's also a puppy so he meanders over closer to you and lights up. ]

Why'd you ask?

[shuryoinai]

I would have thought that there were better Justice Social Links out there for you.

[You know. People you were closer to.]

[ktotheatothez]

[ Oh. Kaz thinks, mentally shrugging with Roxas. Puppies. ]

W-well... I picked you, so...

[ Elaine help him. Talking to Makoto is hard. ]

[shuryoinai]

...Which leads me back to the possible reasons why.

[Tilting head at.]

You really can't think of any?

[He doesn't actually mind. Maybe Kaz will pick up on that, given how Makoto's not as abrasive or cold as usual. He hasn't been since this conversation started.]

[ktotheatothez]

[ If he had to give it a deliberate thought... ]

Honestly? There's one reason.

[ He shifts a little, and looks back at the conked out form of his older brother on the bed. ]

You share his headspace, you're an older brother to him the way he is to me. I don't know you very well outside of the files.

[ That is the most indirect "I want to get to know you better" he has ever said in his life, Makoto. ]

[shuryoinai]

[Ah, that made a lot of sense now.]

Well, what do you want to know?

[Have a small smile, kid. He might as well try to be a little nicer, and it's not like he isn't starting to get fond of these Hounds anyway.

(Not that he's ever going to tell Josh OR Hikaru that...)]

[ktotheatothez]

Lotsa things, but I guess the one thing in my head right now is how you're doing. In general, I mean.

[ He's perked up considerably. The boy is also very curious. ]

[shuryoinai]

Beyond occasionally eyerolling at the dumb things that Josh does? I'm good.

[Heh.]

[ktotheatothez]

Dumb things? Like what?

[ He shrugs and relaxes into his position. He looks a lot less tense now, Makoto. And his definition of "dumb" is very... weird. He hangs out with Taning, after all. ]

[shuryoinai]

Like not communicate nearly as effectively with Hikaru as he could. But let's not talk about him for now.

[Drag, exhale.]

Full disclosure: how are you doing now?

[ktotheatothez]

Full disclosure? [ He pauses, the wording is tricky. ] Uncertain. Its been a month since I drew my Second Breath... just a month. I guess I've been a little rash about certain statements to certain people.

[ Of course he means the whole 'I'm expendable' crack when they went after Marcin. ]

[shuryoinai]

[Listening to that, and also thinking back to any incidents that might make Kaz say that...

...Which, of course, leads him to that walk down to the Underworld. With Marcin.]

Rash is something that people ought to expect out of kids, even if they happen to be Keepers.

[His tone is deceptively neutral.]

[ktotheatothez]

But I shouldn't be so, right? Not at this point...

[ It'll get him killed again is what he's thinking. ]

[shuryoinai]

[ Hmm. ]

I think you ought to allow yourself a few more mistakes. There's no such thing as not having any margin of error, at least with friends and family.

[ktotheatothez]

[ Headtilt. ]

Maybe. But I tend to not have a mind-to-mouth filter sometimes, and... Sometimes maybe all I really want is to make sure my family's okay...

[shuryoinai]

Then maybe you should have a little bit of faith in the idea that even if your delivery might be bad and your timing might suck, the other party will get that.