(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

[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.

[bonobos]

[ mikey bursts out into a fit of laughter, and honestly, it's a little infectious -- sha-ming looks a tad dumbfounded at first before easing into a smile of his own, watching mikey in silence.

"loved as fuck", huh? good he has that for himself. ]

Can't relate, honestly. Been alone for most of my life, it's probably gonna stay that way. [ a shrug of the shoulders. ] But lovin' and bein' loved...yeah, there's no shame in that. Good for you.

[ a raise of the brow. ]

It was like...two weeks ago, but yeah, they took ya out for a long ass time so...it happens! Time is real funky up where I live anyways. [ ... ] It's...uh, good. That Minato's got people like you lookin' out for him. I know if anyone fucks with him, you'll pull up, so...

Yeah. He's a good guy. He deserves that.

[ and then sha-ming's smashing back his own drink, beckoning the barkeep for another, and that last bit threatens to make him laugh too. ]

I'm real tired of these asshats messin' with us. First the fake memory bullshit, now the rest of this... Don't want a damn part in their experiment. I think Jerry's just their little spokesperson, the guy at the bottom of the chain... we gotta go higher than that, ya feel?

[invinciblemikey]

Fucking dumbass. When you went missing, not only did Minatan write that post, but there were hella people worried about you. What else do you need, a bed of rose petals, a house in the hills, a written love declaration straight from someone's heart and/or nuts? It's in shit like that that you get to see it.

(he breaks minato's brain, now maybe he breaks sha-ming's, but there's no bite in his words, as they come out light and well-spirited.)

Weirdly enough, pretty sure Minato can handle himself when he feels like it, but, yeah. I got him.

(if sha-ming looks at him, though, now with all that dark hair, the redness of his cheeks are starting to show. yes, he's already starting to get tipsy, and the drink is not even finished and he already has another one queued up.)

Yeah, Jerry's just their spokesperson for sure, no way motherfucker runs anything... But he's what I have so far, so my plans are stomping on his left ball to get impulse to kick the higher up in the face. This place gave me super-strength, Shamin'. That's fucked up.

[bonobos]

[ sha-ming -- for a moment, blinks dumbfoundedly, at a loss for words. his lips are flattened into a thin line, eyes wide, throat drying as he attempts to find the words.

shamefully, he looks away, growing meek in a way he's never quite been in this city. then his eyes flit back to mikey, the rim of his cup pressing into his lower lip. ]

...I guess I just--- assume it's all pity. Which is fine by me, pity's all I need to get by, but...

I don't want people to have to worry about me like that. And I don't wanna know what'll happen if they all just... up and vanish one day. You feel?

[ a sigh. how unexpectedly personal. ]

...You're right. He's a strong guy -- but he's one of those martyr types, you know? So used to doin' what other people ask of him. Someone has to keep him in line, remind him to be selfish... you'd be good at that.

[ and then another blink -- head canting, a brow raising. ]

Super strength? They're practically beggin' for you to fuck people up. [ a beat. ] How strong are we talking, though?

[invinciblemikey]

(unfortunately for everyone, manjiro has always had that effect. it's a certain charisma, a certainty in his words, along with that ridiculous strength and larger-than-god attitude. no wonder he has been a beloved leader, he just feels things, says things, helps when he feels like it, to whoever he finds worthy of his time and attention - not many, mind you. he'd not even look at sha-ming if he didn't see something in there.

not that manjiro is smart, he's observant in ways that are almost a string of poetic metaphors. shoulders that seem to carry the weight of the world, feelings that he can't particularly shake, things that his large eyes see and just stick to it. right now, he sees that sha-ming shrunk in size, almost like he wants to fit somewhere manjiro can't exactly see.)

... I thought you were much better than that, Shamin'. I'd rather die than ever be pitied - and you shouldn't either, when you got the real thing right in front of you. People are going to worry about you - because they care about you. Nothing in life is roses, love is worry, pain, suffering, but it's wonderful, and it's worth it, and a thousand times better than pity. You should know, you love Minatan so much you were tortured not to give him up. Would you rather pity him instead because he's sheep?

(sorry, how unexpectedly personal.)

People come and go, but they make who you are. What will happen is that they'll stay a part of you regardless, you gotta trust me on this, kinda expertise at this point. So, wipe that look off your face, you are much better than that... and I don't like it, actually.

(oof. his b.)

And real fucking strong. I could lift this bar counter with a single hand. I've always believed in fist fighting, your own damn strength and everything, because then it's fair. Can't be fair if I am stronger than anyone, so it is fucking with me personally.