[There's a small amount of approval in his voice. One less thing to worry about. (And it also gives people like him time to look at those fucking Wings properly.)]
I'll be there when you return.
[For the initiation, he means. That's kind of a really big deal.]
[Kaz doesn't miss the approval, but doesn't let it get to his head. He also takes a little bit of time to scream internally. He hadn't actually forgotten about the initiation after his Walk, but... Perhaps that was a question for another time .]
Is everything okay, Alistair? I mean, apart from the whole bones broken everywhere...
Would you... like some company? I'm nearly done packing anyway.
[He hesitates, because Alistair should be resting, but forges on because he's unused to long conversations with the man over the phone. After all, they almost always taked face-to-face, even when Alistair had a headache dealing with him.
Kaz isn't even lying when he says he's done packing. There's a duffle on his bed, clothes inside, his sidearm's been cleaned and assembled, extra clips loaded. The tonfa Brigade gifted him with are clean, the blades sharpened.
His Netsach coat's been pressed and now hangs on the back of his door, and he wonders when he'll get to wear in again.]
[Technically, he had plenty of company. He was right smack dab in the middle of a Zangyaku base, and his ex-boyfriend is sleeping on a bed just a few feet away.
[He drops the call after a beat, slipping his phone into his pocket and snagging his smokes from his desk. Kaz takes a cab to Kibo, naturally, not wanting to waste any time.
Kibo still intimidates him a little (a lot), but he gets there just fine, and asks for directions to Alistair's home. The looks he gets. But he's directed to a beautiful house, serene in the middle of a forest.
He knocks on the front doors, still admiring the quiet.]
[Which gave Alistair plenty of time to pocket his phone, fetch his own smokes and round over for some booze, limp over to the main dining table just a turn away from the entrance to his house, and curse himself over saying yes to this in the first place.]
Let yourself in.
[The Seer's currently looking out the ceiling-to-floor windows, towards the rest of the garden and the lights of Kibo. The ashtray close to his hand has a LOT of butts in it.
Once Kaz is close enough:]
I am going to have someone throw you out if you stay here for too long.
[Kaz walks in and doesn't comment on being thrown out. As he does, he's careful not to make the door creak - it's only polite - before he walks over to where he finds Alistair with a near-full ashtray. He raises an eyebrow at that, but then again...]
Nice view.
[He takes a seat and lays his pack on the table, and a new pack as well.]
Given how things were with you for a while, a little. Let's face it: Netsach became your first real home. The Brotherhood was something you chose because of the circumstances, and maybe because it gave you a chance to step up and be recognized.
[Lighting up as well.]
Now, though, you're going for the Brotherhood because it'll help you grow. It may end up putting you on a different path form your blade mates - your second family. But you're doing it anyway.
[It stings a little, the fact that for a while, Kaz had strayed. He wrinkles his nose - a tic of guilt - and replies:]
Blade is Family. No matter what paths we take, or how long it separates us, we'll find our way back to each other. At least, that's what I've been taught. That's what I've been shown.
[He thinks back to the homework that Hikaru gave them and remembers how Alistair found Hikaru time and time again. He doesn't want to mean it like that, though.]
The Walk will take a while. For all the fact that I can travel all over the world I know that this will be very, very different from hopping onto a plane and jetsetting to wherever Mamita wants to holiday.
[He takes a long drag off his cigarette, breathing it in and taking a long look at Alistair.]
I hope it changes me for the better.
[He never wants a repeat of Korea, and in choosing the Brotherhood of Violence, he plans on making sure it never happens again.]
[That... He was really not expecting. Taking care of... Was he not okay? Then again, this was Hikaru and he remembers the last operation, and that the Godslayer had been authorized.]
Is he okay?
[He'd have to be deaf to not notice how Alistair sounded.]
Are you okay?
[He takes a swig of his beer and lights up again, having put out the stub of his previous one minutes ago. He's never seen Alistair like that before.]
He's sick. Nothing fatal, really, but that doesn't make it any less terrible for him. I'm --
[Shoot straight, you old git.]
Better than expected.
[And one would have to be pretty stupid to not pick up on the fact that he isn't referring to how he's taking the fact that the Blade King's down for the count.]
[Kaz winces because oh yeah he's noticed. For a second, Kaz looks up, Hikaru is probably asleep somewhere in here.
He's unsure what to say next, because there's history between the Seer and the Wolf that he can't begin to understand. So he settles for a hand on Alistair's shoulder, meant to comfort the older man.]
[Kaz pulls his hand away after giving said shoulder a light, but firm squeeze, not wanting to cause the older man any discomfort. Said hand grabs his beer bottle from the table and he takes another swig.
There's something in the way he says 'talked', but he knows better than to pry. Kaz sighs.]
If you're sure. Talking's always good anyway, that way, you know you're both on the same page, I suppose.
[Or the same volume.
He doesn't voice it, beacuse damn, seeing Alistair like that in the flesh is way different from photos and recordings. It makes him feel a bit like he's intruding on their time alone.]
Maybe the trick is to just let it be what it is? I dunno.
[It's veeeeeeery different between him and Nico. They've been together four years and it's like he doesn't even really register it, but the love is there all the same.]
You're worried about him, I know. But it's not fatal, and you've at least talked. So let's count that as a win for now.
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[There's a small amount of approval in his voice. One less thing to worry about. (And it also gives people like him time to look at those fucking Wings properly.)]
I'll be there when you return.
[For the initiation, he means. That's kind of a really big deal.]
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Is everything okay, Alistair? I mean, apart from the whole bones broken everywhere...
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[And then he can't help but glance back towards the figure on the bed.]
...I'm good.
[No, he's not. Not really. Better? Maybe.]
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A few alarm bells go off in his head, and his eyebrows briefly shoot up. Hmm.]
Okay... Where are they keeping you, anyhow? I could bring you a drink. You sound like you might need it.
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[He is totally hedging.]
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[He hesitates, because Alistair should be resting, but forges on because he's unused to long conversations with the man over the phone. After all, they almost always taked face-to-face, even when Alistair had a headache dealing with him.
Kaz isn't even lying when he says he's done packing. There's a duffle on his bed, clothes inside, his sidearm's been cleaned and assembled, extra clips loaded. The tonfa Brigade gifted him with are clean, the blades sharpened.
His Netsach coat's been pressed and now hangs on the back of his door, and he wonders when he'll get to wear in again.]
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He could say no. He really could.]
Sure. You know where Kibo is, right?
[Why, self.]
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[He drops the call after a beat, slipping his phone into his pocket and snagging his smokes from his desk. Kaz takes a cab to Kibo, naturally, not wanting to waste any time.
Kibo still intimidates him a little (a lot), but he gets there just fine, and asks for directions to Alistair's home. The looks he gets. But he's directed to a beautiful house, serene in the middle of a forest.
He knocks on the front doors, still admiring the quiet.]
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Let yourself in.
[The Seer's currently looking out the ceiling-to-floor windows, towards the rest of the garden and the lights of Kibo. The ashtray close to his hand has a LOT of butts in it.
Once Kaz is close enough:]
I am going to have someone throw you out if you stay here for too long.
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Nice view.
[He takes a seat and lays his pack on the table, and a new pack as well.]
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[Saying that as he takes a swig from his bottle of beer.]
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[Kaz helps himself to a beer as well.]
Remember how you said we'd always be straight with each other? What's on your mind?
[He takes a swig of his beer and fishes a cigarette out of his pack, lighting up before he continues.]
I mean... I know the Walk is a huge deal and all. Did it really surprise you that I'd pick the Brotherhood over Netsach?
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That was good.]
Given how things were with you for a while, a little. Let's face it: Netsach became your first real home. The Brotherhood was something you chose because of the circumstances, and maybe because it gave you a chance to step up and be recognized.
[Lighting up as well.]
Now, though, you're going for the Brotherhood because it'll help you grow. It may end up putting you on a different path form your blade mates - your second family. But you're doing it anyway.
[It's a move that he honestly approves of.]
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Blade is Family. No matter what paths we take, or how long it separates us, we'll find our way back to each other. At least, that's what I've been taught. That's what I've been shown.
[He thinks back to the homework that Hikaru gave them and remembers how Alistair found Hikaru time and time again. He doesn't want to mean it like that, though.]
The Walk will take a while. For all the fact that I can travel all over the world I know that this will be very, very different from hopping onto a plane and jetsetting to wherever Mamita wants to holiday.
[He takes a long drag off his cigarette, breathing it in and taking a long look at Alistair.]
I hope it changes me for the better.
[He never wants a repeat of Korea, and in choosing the Brotherhood of Violence, he plans on making sure it never happens again.]
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[Leaning back, then, and fiddling a little with his bottle before taking another drink.]
I'd like to believe that you'll make it back and make something out of yourself.
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Thanks, Alistair...
[He thinks back on the looks he got from the people when he asked where Alistair lived.]
It's a beautiful home. Y'know, I got some pretty interesting looks when I asked how to get here.
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Is he not looking at Kaz right now? No, not at all. He's just focused on his drink.]
Hikaru's in. I've been taking care of him.
[And maybe his voice is a little softer than usual.]
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Is he okay?
[He'd have to be deaf to not notice how Alistair sounded.]
Are you okay?
[He takes a swig of his beer and lights up again, having put out the stub of his previous one minutes ago. He's never seen Alistair like that before.]
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[Shoot straight, you old git.]
Better than expected.
[And one would have to be pretty stupid to not pick up on the fact that he isn't referring to how he's taking the fact that the Blade King's down for the count.]
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He's unsure what to say next, because there's history between the Seer and the Wolf that he can't begin to understand. So he settles for a hand on Alistair's shoulder, meant to comfort the older man.]
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We talked. Guess I'll have to see how things go from there.
[They didn't just talk, really, but he's not about to go into the details.]
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There's something in the way he says 'talked', but he knows better than to pry. Kaz sighs.]
If you're sure. Talking's always good anyway, that way, you know you're both on the same page, I suppose.
[Or the same volume.
He doesn't voice it, beacuse damn, seeing Alistair like that in the flesh is way different from photos and recordings. It makes him feel a bit like he's intruding on their time alone.]
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[It took them long enough, at any rate. But he knows that in many ways? That was his fault.
Leaning back now, and lighting up another cigarette.]
I do wonder how long it'll stay this way, though.
[Bad habits, and all. Push and pull, back and forth.]
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[It's veeeeeeery different between him and Nico. They've been together four years and it's like he doesn't even really register it, but the love is there all the same.]
You're worried about him, I know. But it's not fatal, and you've at least talked. So let's count that as a win for now.
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[Not quite a yes, not quite a no. Even he's cynical at this point.
...Still, it IS better. Even if it had to involve a makeout and a pretty heavy conversation.
Taking a swig to let the taste of the alcohol drown out the memory of the way Hikaru had looked at him. Yep.]
He should be up within a few days. You'll be gone by then, though.
y-yo man!