(open catch-all) if there's one thing that i learned while in those county lines

[invinciblemikey]

Who: a newly updated, curse-free, many years older manjiro sano and ... you...
Where: many
What: picking up the pieces that he left fucked up the past few months. it's set forward-dated to the last week of the month.
Warnings: for once, nothing lmao i will add to the subject line if needed.

Comments

you have gotta lose your pride

[invinciblemikey]

(everything he sees hits him with a sense of deja vu that is a little bit disorienting. perhaps this is a dream, and that wouldn't be the craziest explanation in the world considering the core of his life.

he has yu's work hours memorized, and he decides to not step foot into lupin in those times. it's a safe time right now, so he sits by the bar, ordering the sweetest cocktail there is in the menu, except...)

No, one more spoon of sugar-- no, mhm, still no, one more... Just drop the whole thing in it, actually.

[grappler]

[Yu might not be there, but Vi is.

she's making him a drink, and she frowns when she just keeps on pouring the sugar.]

Your teeth is gonna rot out, you know. And you're about to lose space in your glass.

[invinciblemikey]

Already? Then it's perfect, gimme, gimme gimme. And my teeth ain't rotting out, I brush 'em, alright?

(he's reaching for his glass, grabby hands, but hey-- listen, with the amount of glucose in that glass, he might as well not even get drunk.)

[grappler]

[she shoves the glass over to him... and even though she hadn't seen him in a while, she does recognize him.]

Dyed your hair, Mikey? Not bad.

[invinciblemikey]

(sweet as always, that vi. he barely lets it touch the bar, he's already taking a happy sip with both hands.)

Yeah, but now that I'm back in this place, that sounds like a fucking horrible idea. My roots are gonna come out and it's gonna look like shit.

[grappler]

[she shrugs.]

There's probably hair dye in one of these stores somewhere. There's all kinds of shit now that the city got a whole lot bigger.

[invinciblemikey]

And who's gonna do it? And who's gonna pay for that?

(he hasn't done anything to earn money in... forever, actually.)

Ugh.

[bonobos]

[ you know who should absolutely not be at lupin considering what happened last time? this guy. you know who's there regardless? this guy.

still, as he slinks into the bar, hands in his pockets-- he spots a familiar wayward soul. sha-ming straps in right besides him, cradling his own head in his hand. ]

Come to drink away yer sorrows, pal? [ well, well, well. what's declawed this guy? it's his responsibility to look after one of minato's mates, soo-- ] Hey barkeep, get this guy the fruitiest thing on the menu. Maybe Sex On the Beach'll do?

[ sha-ming sighs through his nose. ]

You get your heart broken or what? C'mon, don't be shy, I went through a breakup pretty recently myself.

[invinciblemikey]

(is it because this guy's incorrigible? manjiro sure thinks so, considering the grit and combative behavior he's witnessed in that basement.

finally, that sweet bomb of a drink is coming his way, and instead of being disgusted by the pool of sugar on the bottom, he's delighted. the sip that he takes from the straw is mostly that, after all.)

Bro, fruitiest? Seriously, fucker? But, whatever, are you paying?

(that said, he does not have the right to complain about the fact that he did, indeed, get his heart broken.)

Did the Russian tell you he's not that into you? Missed your shot with the golden Euro-thighs?

[bonobos]

Thought it’d suit yer tastes.

[ he’s a fruit and he wanted something sweet! at the question though, sha-ming stretches his arms out, leaning back into his seat. ]

I got like, 5 bucks to my name… I know the chick who took over this place is pretty tough too so we can’t even dine and dash, damn… well, we’ll figure somethin’ out.

[ and then he chokes a bit on his own drink at what he says next. ]

Me and that guy— we aren’t… a thing. Do you think he’s interested in me, though…? [ just asking for a friend. ] I meant my ex girlfriend though, the one I had a little before I wound up here. Complained about me being “emotionally unavailable” or whatever… plus there was all that fake memory bullshit… The hell happened to you?

[invinciblemikey]

She's a'it. I don't hit women n' all, but she convinced me once because she wanted to see if she could withstand a kick of mine. Landed on her ass. I'll pay mine, but just mine, cuz I too am not making bank or anything.

(he likes her! he'll probably get a tab he'll pay up as soon as he's established again, god knows doing what. delivery, maybe? bike services? to be seen. but alright, the other drink comes along, and sha-ming is soon going to realize that's a mistake.

he gets white-girl wasted a-real quick.)

I mean, Nikolai is a tough one to crack. We weren't-- close or nothin', it was more of an agreement. Also, ex-girlfriend? Bro, you're gayer than me... Yeah, that fake memory shit also happened with me. Is that how you met Minatan? You said he was your brother and all. Bullshitting Euro-thighs or what?

And, uh, which part? Fuckload happened to me. You gotta be specific.

[bonobos]

Shit, okay… lemme make a note to not fuck with ya.

[ how much heat is this prettyboy packing, goddamn… sha-ming sips his drink, shoulders drawn up. white girl wasted is the way to be— that’s how you get the best conversations.

but then mikey says that and sha-ming squints hard, a little flabbergasted. ]

Bro, have you seen yourself? [ just saying. ] Listen, I don’t date guys, just sleep with ‘em… I’ve had too many girlfriends to count at this point. But you… just one look at you and I can tell you’re the typa guy who gets into like… those super intense situationships with other men. Like, the ones where you’re slamming it raw and there’s feelings involved and you start doing a lot of shit you shouldn’t because you’re in way deeper than you should be…

[ a sip of his drink. ]

What? I’m just saying! I recognize the type, ok?

[ anyways— ]

Yeah. Minato was my lil bro. [ a sigh. ] Was like, a half lie to throw Thunder Thighs off his game. It kind of worked thanks to what you said.

Uhhh, I dunno. Haven’t been around. You got that much going on?

[invinciblemikey]

It's prolly wise, man.

(much heat. very heat. wow.

but oh my god, what sha-ming says next has him laughing so hard that he has tears on his eyes from the sheer force of hilarity. he has seen himself, thanks, yes!!! he just grew a new set of abs on what is already a very jacked stomach, thank you.)

Dude, nah!! I mean, yeah on the situationships, but I'm just loved as fuck, so it is what it is, intensity is fine - I'm fine, I'm fine-- hehehe, that was funny.

(okay, he's catching his breath.)

Yeah. Like I told you, I wouldn't drag Minatan into it. The reason why I left was not to drag anyone into anything, but, whatever. It's long gone for me, you feel?

(no???? that was like yesterday????)

Dude, yeah. Apparently, I was here, went home, returned here, didn't remember shit. Did some shit, went home for like, what, a fucking decade, now I'm here again, and I remember everything. This place has a grudge with me. Can't wait to stomp on Jerry's balls repeatedly.

[feintofhart]

[ If there's one truth about Claude that's been maintained these past months, it's that he's made an effort to have a finger in every pie, not out of desire for material profit, but out of a desire to ingratiate himself as part of the community, to be seen as a friendly face, a trusted advisor, a convenient confessional. Which is how he does trade here, supplying coffee shops with tea leaves, the medical clinic with tinctures and salves, and the local bars with botanicals to mix into their trendy cocktails. The herbaceous smell of soil and evergreen clings to his loose cotton shirt as well as his bag as he slides his delivery over the bar, sitting long enough to leaf through his cash to make sure he's been paid in full. To the other barkeep on staff (the one not shoveling sugar into the drink beside him), he says, ] I'll take that drink before I go. Just an old fashioned, I think.

[ He raises the highball glass to his nose, breathing in the pungent rye, the twist of orange. He glances beside him to where a stranger with dark hair is terrorizing the barkeep. Except... that's not a stranger, is it? ]

Pour some chocolate sauce around the rim, [ he tells the barkeep. ] And add some creme de cacao. That'll help.

[ He raises his own glass in Manjiro's direction. ]

You dyed your hair.

[invinciblemikey]

(he isn't quite aware of anyone that comes into the bar - not relevant to him. if it's a problem, he can tend to it pretty quickly, and if it isn't, why bother? if it's someone who wants to talk to him, they will. therefore, large black eyes keep on the drink that is being prepared for him, a pout of entitlement because -- it's gotta be delicious and sweet to the point his teeth rot and his jaw closes on the first sip.

but then, the voice makes him perk up, almost too fast that a couple of strands that were in the messy bun atop manjiro's head fall on his face. it's funny, what a man who knows him, and at the same time, none at all. it makes him laugh, mostly to himself.)

You gotta leave 'em a little guide on how to make drinks that'll make me happy.

(claude has never failed him, even if it weren't... real.)

Man, yeah. Years ago. Went home, but now that I'm here, fucking terrified of these roots coming out. How you doin', anyway?

[feintofhart]

I thought you looked older!

[ Hard to tell, though. The guy has a youthful face and Claude fancies that he'll probably look youthful well into his thirties. He's just got one of those looks to him. Not like Claude himself; sometimes he glances into the mirror and finds that he's surprised by his own reflection, as though still expecting that old curve of baby fat, the braid of youth swinging by his cheek that he's long since cut off. ]

Well, welcome back, Manjiro, [ he says, lifting his glass and clinking it against Manjiro's. ] I'm doing just fine. Same as I ever was.

[ He's never been one to complain anyway. ]

How was home? Even if you didn't remember this place... it must have been good to see your clan again.

[invinciblemikey]

(he'll look youthful forever, it's a mix of personality and great genes. his mom was beautiful, even when sick, and manjiro definitely has stolen the best genes in the family, aside from, well, height.

but he clicks their glasses either way, taking a sip, and an honest to god look at claude from head to toe before he laughs.)

You're fine alright. Did you grow taller?

(or maybe manjiro's shrinking. but this is just to make claude blush, it's a little competition he has with himself right now.)

Home was good, some gang wars, some time-travel. All as should be, I guess.

[feintofhart]

[ Claude hides his smile behind his drink. Manjiro's the same as ever, isn't he? Claude's always been the incorrigible flirt of his house -- having someone else return that energy always feels a little odd, ears going a little pink as he doesn't even bother concealing the way his eyes rake across him. ]

You know damn well I didn't, [ he demurs, though it's fair to say that Manjiro is one of the few men around he can really feel tall around. The guy's pocket-sized. ]

Gang wars and time travel, huh? [ He props his chin up on his wrist. ] Did you win?

[invinciblemikey]

(he likes those little rushes of scarlet that claude's skin goes through when he's like that. when he reaches his tally, he's just going to kiss him. watch out, claude.

freaking adorable.

but the comment pulls a laugh from the man - it's exactly because he's pocket-sized that he wouldn't particularly know.)

Can't tell. You're a tower next to me, if you grow taller, it won't make a smidge of a difference.

(he just sees 'tall'.

... it's nice, though. welcoming. he's been dealing with quite the blow due to the things he had been up to before he left that there's no one exactly happy to hear about his tales of victory. it makes him smile, ear-to-ear, a beaming one as he copies the other's pose.)

Actually? Yeah. I did. In many, many ways. It's been decades for me, now, but I know it's been just a few days for you. Didn't even give you enough time to miss me, huh?

[orphne]

[Is it safe. Is it really. Because Kotone's attitude toward most jobs is "I'll show up if it'll be fun," and thus her schedule tends to be what one might optimistically call "flexible." She's cute enough and hard-working enough to get away with it most of the time, but it does mean it's nearly impossible to memorize hers.

She gently, but firmly, gives Mikey's increasingly incredulous bartender a bright smile and takes both the cocktail and the sugar, relieving him of duty and putting both right in front of Mikey.]

Go ahead! Add whatever you want.

[Her smile is friendly enough, but it doesn't quite reach her eyes. What's new, bud?]

[invinciblemikey]

(yeah. so. he actually wanted to drink first, but he can take a very good guess that kotone might probably not be on the best terms with him either. considering, well, scott. yu. yosuke. their friends. whom manjiro has hurt.

so. he'll down the drink, because fuck him, right, first.)

I actually wanted to talk to you.

[orphne]

Yeah?

[Again, her tone is as friendly as ever, but it doesn't quite reach her eyes. There's hurt in them, a little bit of anger, and just a vague kind of Upset lingering in them that keeps her smile from it's usual cheer.

Also that's not the kind of drink someone's supposed to down in one go, but hey, it's not her body.]

How come?

[invinciblemikey]

Drop it, you know what I want to talk to you about.

(he has no patience for it. he's never been great at the back and forth, and hell, he knocked out scott. he wouldn't be happy, he can't imagine she is.)

Just yell at me already instead of keeping this up.

[orphne]

[Her smile fades, though not completely, settling somewhere into what passes for neutral for her. She takes the empty glass and gives the bar a cursory wipe, studying his face carefully.

Finally, she shakes her head, the vestiges of a smile still lingering over her lips.]

No, [she says simply, setting aside the dish rag and making no move to get Mikey a second drink. Instead, she keeps her gaze level with his and asks,] Why'd you do it?

[invinciblemikey]

I left because I thought I was protecting everyone from me by doing it - shitty move, learned from it.

(if she wants to hear more reasoning, she'll have to tell him regarding which - he's done a lot of shit.)

And I hurt people because I was cursed. I'm sure Takemitchy might have told you something about that. He told Scott. Didn't tell me.