[ This battle is two years late. Samatoki could have gone back to Sasara once he was ready to face him, but in all honesty, was Samatoki even ready for closure? The man before him was the second person Samatoki trusted the most. Nemu was first, of course.
All Samatoki can see now is red, anger clouding his judgment. Samatoki could easily be the better man here— talk and try to fix things, but Samatoki chooses to climb atop the mountain that is his pride. He may have lost his friend, and now he's lost his only family, but the bond he has with his sister is something that can't be severed no matter what. No matter how long it takes, no matter how much it hurts, he's going to get Nemu back.
Sasara, he's given up on. He's done nothing to the guy thay deserved the treatment that he did. Samatoki always had Sasara's back, but when Sasara was given the chance to guard Samatoki's, he took a knife and stabbed him with it. That's not Sasara being taken away the same way Nemu was— that's betrayal.
It's not something that Samatoki can forgive. ]
You don't gotta tell me twice, [ The words that will come out are two years late, but they're definitely words that have been polished during all those days. The beat comes from the speakers, quick and rough. Samatoki intends to finish this quickly. His time's better used elsewhere. ]
I got rage every day, buildin' up inside me that I can't even see, Confusion, betrayal, guilt, misery - youdamnbetterknow what the fuck you did to me Two years late, we're havin' a Mad Comic Dialogue, You're gonna be bloody and bruised, 'cause I'm Yokohama's Mad Dog!
You think you got a place here, but Lunatia's turned blue, Ain't got no time, no space, for someone I once knew, It'sallover, it'sallover, you may as well withdraw, Before your head's in a jar and your body's in pieces, 'cause I'm gonna fuck you raw!
[ Dragging on unsung, Sasara could pretend to anyone else that he'd forgotten in all this time. Far from it. He'd stuffed his regret in his suitcase when he went back to Osaka and never emptied it out, never been able to unpack what'd happened that day. If only they both knew.
He has come here with every intention of losing, not because he'll throw the fight but because he deserves it. The verse fast brings him to his knees, it's powerful and angry. It's everything he expects and then some... because it makes his head hurt beyond the lyrics getting in his ears. (What's going on?!) ]
Ggh... Sa-Samatoki.
[ It's not just the words that make him cringe and hold his head, the threat of them. No. He feels strange. (I-I know why I came here!) Sasara sits behind his microphone and already looks close to defeat. He sways as he pulls himself up, but that is it. He's not staying down. ]
GAAAHH! [ Sasara wraps his hands around the mic stand. (My head... hurts.) He looks at Samatoki. There's something in that narrow gaze, something. His own dread clouds Sasara's side of the view, landing a realization that can't pass through the fog.
The beat picks up over his confusion. ]
Two and two? <It's a double-run hit> Quit the game, I'll put ya down like a dog <Do you still trust in blind faith?> Someone who never learns from his ways, I can't stand your pride, your fucking face, This dialogue'll be your EPILOGUE!
Mad Dog's hollow rhymes got me livid, You good for nothing gangster, That dirty trade'll never turn a clean profit! I'll finish ya where I finished– Ggh...!
[ Sasara breaks away from his microphone, like it just gave him an electric shock, yet the pain's not in his hands but where he holds them again. He pushes the heels of his palms against his temples. It may sound like, but his plea isn't for Samatoki. ] Ngh– I can't...! Stop!
[ Samatoki falls on one knee, and his head's started to hurt. He gets stronger when he's in a lot more pain, a special trait that he somehow possesses, compared to other rappers out there. Right now though, while there's a ringing in his head that's not supposed to be there, he's aware that those verses Sasara just spit out would only damage an average thug. This guy didn't even finish his rap! ]
Are you insulting me, ah?!
[ Slowly, he pushes himself up so he's standing again. A hand is on his mic stand, holding him up, but as soon as he catches his breath, he's back to normal. ]
A kid in preschool would spit those lines easily!
[ Give him time, Sasara... He'll notice soon enough. ]
[ It's like his head's about to come apart, pounding and piercing, it feels all kinds. Just one thing brings remedy: hurting Samatoki. Fighting all instincts, a sliver of clarity made Sasara recoil from that. ]
You idiot– [ You're an idiot, Samatoki, but not because you don't understand this. Neither does Sasara. It's just to get him going again. ] If that's all ya got, I don't have to try! Ggh... [ Is it worth the agony if he sounds the same? (I'm about to pass out, if I keep going...) The first time struggling against the compulsion had been a useless after-thought, if that much.
He just can't keep it up now either. The pain's too much, if he had the willpower to cry about it... Sasara clings back to his mic the same. And now, without a care for the rules of a fair fight, it's his music that comes back. This'll be his relief. ]
I'll tear ya to pieces, count on one hand how many? I'll break more than five fingers, breath rattling! Keep your head above the water, man, I'm laughing, In the bay they call that babble battling?!
[ Good! This is the kind of pain he's searching for—this is the kind of pain that he needs. Samatoki is pushed to the ground, both due to pain and pressure, but he's smiling. He's familiar with this kind of verse, even though it's been years since this kind of rap was aimed at him. It's all good. ]
Heh...
[ He gets back up, a little sluggish than last time. The smile on his face turning into a toothy grin. Whatever happens now, Samatoki's become stronger. Two more verses and he could likely knock Sasara out. His own head's ringing a little, but he's still got energy and spirit to fight.
When Samatoki's beat drops, it's noisy, hazy, like the climax of any song. ]
Yokohama, the coastal city, is the place to be, Guns, booze, crimes, all for top shinogi, "Hey, Samatoki-sama, how do you get to do all this shit?", If you don't got a dream to achieve, you're gonna lose it!
Gah...! [ Sasara remembers what his rhyme used to be like back in Ikebukuro. It was rougher in Mad Comic Dialogue, raw. Better?
He can't say.
The beat and lyrics are obviously doing the damage they need to, forcing Samatoki down once again. The answering verse leaves Sasara's nerve ends burning. The music is abrasive, even through the trance and headache he feels it. On his knees too, he then finally takes some of the distance first left standing between them. Here's another look, Samatoki... ]
A story where the crook's the hero, that's in Seine Your pipe dreams'll drown in Dotonbori river
[ His rap will hit again but Sasara up close, beyond soon spent, looks distant. ]
Mad on Trigger, where's your aim, killing your own fantasy I'm Comedy but that's tragedy
[ Samatoki lets the words hit him, lets the words hurt him, but he doesn't move from where he is. He's determined to come out the victor here. It's not just a want at this point, but a need to prove to Sasara that he's not needed anymore. Mad Comic Dialogue had the two of them leading everybody, but Samatoki stands by himself now. He doesn't need Sasara to be strong. He can get to where he wants to go with other people now.
His hold on his microphone tightens a little, a desperate attempt to not let go. His hands feel shaky, knees wobbly, but he won't let Sasara see him fall down again.
There's something wrong, though... that much he can tell. As for how to approach that part, he doesn't know yet. ]
[ That's how it'd ended. That's how it was, before he'd gone looking for excuses on his own, too glad if few people ever asked what happened to split up Mad Comic Dialogue. "I guess I wasn't myself," laughing off an answer he can't earnestly give. ]
Ha... my head...
[ Unlike Samatoki, Sasara can't stand it anymore. Literally, he's on his knees and for good. The mic wobbles a bit on its stand when he lets go. Yet, even now the right thing won't pass his lips, like his mouth is numb for that. (I'm sorry and I quit.)
He can't say what he wants to, holding his head like that'll fix the words down. ]
I'm n– I am... Hah... [ Let that one count and snap, smack, rap him out of it anyway. When Sasara opens his eyes they're all glassy. Watering? But he can see Samatoki standing on his own, this time. ]
[ That's now how his hypnosis microphone works, Samatoki thinks. Sure, his rap is strong, but it's not the type to cause headaches... It's more a kind of shockwave that pressures people to stay on the ground. A heavy kind of air.
Sasara shouldn't be crying, either. At least, that's what he thinks, anyway. This is a little confusing. . . he's honestly never seen anybody react this way to his rap. It's what brings him to start walking towards the comedian, but it's not out of the goodness of his heart.
He picks up Sasara by the collar, holding him close to his face. There's a lot of things that could be said at this time. Samatoki could start talking about the damage Sasara's done to him, but that's not manly. That's not who he wants to be. If he ever shows anyone he's weak. . . then he can never achieve his goals. ]
Two years, I've been waitin' to fight you. I didn't expect you to be so weak, Sasara.
[ Samatoki speaks softly, his voice low. It's not the usual explosive anger that he shows everybody that's speaking now. It's an anger that's been deeply seated for weeks upon weeks, months upon months. You're not supposed to wake up sleeping dogs is what they say, isn't it? ]
[ Sasara never imagined that Samatoki cried about their fight, not the man he thought of when he thought back. His own sorry feelings and emotions for spitting those crushing rhymes at him, back when? Of course, they'd never made it into words. Maybe that's what's surfacing now?
But it's that grip on his shirt that really chokes him up just now. Samatoki's tall enough to where being eye-to-eye is hard without standing weak in the knees. Sasara is too roughed up to even bring his own hands up to hold on. And anyway he'd put them back over his ears if he could – it's not even rap and the words drill deeper into his skull. All that pain, the headache and the soreness from the battle, that's just a gasp, all he can do right now.
The meaning hits harder still. Right? This was gonna be a different fight in Sasara's mind, too. But Samatoki should still know, he's not one for leaving the dog(s) alone. ]
I don't know...
[ It's just single tears that come down, instead of being swallowed right back up by Sasara's confusion. Even the low tones hurt, maybe even more because they're so earnest, but with the tears from it comes a moment of clarity just as crystal: ]
[ That's certainly confusing... Samatoki's not sure how to even respond to that. He's dumb and misses a lot of social cues, but he's doesn't miss this. Something is wrong and he doesn't know what. It's annoying. It pisses him off. He doesn't like not being on top of things. ]
The fuck does that mean.
[ He's pissed off, but this doesn't look like the kind of situation where he should continue stepping on Sasara when he's already down. ]
You're a fucking adult. Talk like one.
[ He shoves Sasara away, letting go with a slight push. Today, he's actually gonna give some time to listen. The clock is ticking. ]
[ Let go of, Sasara lands on his ass and stays there, frankly. This is tiring now and he as much wants to just lay there. Instead he sits forward, head falling into his hands. What he says sounds absurd, right? Like he's telling Samatoki he pissed himself. ]
I'm... [ He's got to wipe his eyes. (Can't even hear myself think...) Crying doesn't make sense, either, but it keeps him here. His head feels funny... not in the usual way. Hazy, like the look he's given. ]
My head's not on right. It's feeling like that– Ggh... that time!
[ That time two years ago. Saying and thinking it rips through Sasara's skull like a lightning bolt and he curls up. Flashes of his scathing rap and leaving Samatoki in the dust with it come up as memories and not just something he 'watched' distantly, and makes him realize something. ] Hh...?! I'm not being myself!
[ Now Samatoki's just yelling at him. Kicking or punching Sasara while he's down... Honestly, he could start doing it now, but he doesn't see the need to, as much as he wants to. The guy already looks like he's beating himself up, literally.
Totally unaware of the true potential of a hypnosis mic, Samatoki just continues to get angry rather than begin to understand. ]
... You gotta be accountable for the shit you've done to people, Sasara.
[ You can't have a sad clown, someone who sobs and begs or tears up old wounds. Then again Sasara's lost two people to this, his brand of silent understanding. Two of the most important.
Isn't distance better than kindness that causes pain? If not for holding a Hypnosis Mic in his hands again, he would not have gotten Rosho back. Isn't anger better than asking for forgiveness from something that hurt more than just pride? If not for the circumstances of this world, this rap battle would have ended in an arena with a winner instead of in confusion.
You could say, that Sasara just wants the easy way, and he does, but not for himself. Look, two years isn't enough to let him forget that raging temper – not with how often he provoked it in good fun. Just like letting Rosho go, letting Samatoki stay mad seemed easier on him.
Now, this is just tragedy without comedy. ]
...I, hah... I'm sorry... Samatoki.
[ But Sasara can't explain it either. Hypnosis apparently has a thing for not leaving itself in memory like that. All you get is a flippin' headache. ]
For the things I said. [ Samatoki's personality, his tone, his behavior, his pride, his face... Sasara doesn't actually hate any of that. Being the one to break up MCD in that way has haunted him. Sasara finally reaches for his mic again with one hand, and because he grabs the stand from so low it tips over, only to deactivate it with that shut-down sound effect. ]
[ A police car parallel parks along the street not to far from the scene. It's the designated time he'd been sent in a very cryptic text message from Samatoki, and Jyuto's arriving now, shutting the door of the driver's side with a click and hurrying to see what the commotion's about. He can hear his friend shouting, though it's difficult to make out the words from this distance. Something something responsibility. When he comes into the clearing, however, he sees a pulpy Sasara on the ground and Samatoki not looking any less damaged. A rap battle; so that's why. Samatoki wanted him to wheel barrel them home or something.
Sasara is sorry for the things he said.
Did Jyuto come at a bad time? He feels like he's seeing a scene he isn't supposed to, and there's an urge to turn on his heel to go smoke a cigarette somewhere else until the conversation is over. Their relationship isn't one he knows a lot about. ]
It seems the timing is bad, but I'm afraid I was asked to intrude upon your reunion here. [ Jyuto says in Jyuto. He doesn't know how the stranger's apology is going to make Samatoki feel (he hadn't been too happy to see him the first time around), so he's providing his team mate a way out of having to acknowledge it in case he wants to try and sift through his feelings later. There's a practiced, polite smile on his lips, one that thinly veils his bite. ] That is, unless my leader's changed his mind? Should I be on my way?
Samatoki's reaction is almost violent until he remembers that yes, that's right. He called Jyuto here. While he's confident in his own skills, honestly... What if Sasara has gotten better after all these years? Samatoki might have been the one on his knees. Samatoki might be the one who needs medical attention now.
Speaking of medical attention... he backs away from Sasara before looking over at his teammate. The timing isn't bad. . . it's just that this situation wasn't how he expected it to be. ]
You're stayin'. [ That's a good enough order as any from Jyuto's leader. Firm, commanding, and anyone who goes against his word is going to get bitten. His words turn softer, though. . . not exactly bleeding of care, but there's a hint of it with what he says next. They're accompanied by a nod towards Sasara. ] He needs to see a doctor.
[ Oh... that's all three members then. Introductions could have been better, right?
Sasara looks from Samatoki to Jyuto, words of his left standing. Sure they roughed each other up, with nothing said of his intentions of leaving the stage to Samatoki and when he steps back Sasara hangs his head again. For a solid moment he thinks he's really done for. (Hah... I'm not up for a two on one fight like this...)
Turns out that idea is ridiculous, anyway. ]
Ah... Samatoki. [ He'd get up for the sake of some dignity but he's all out of pow, head ringing. Yeah... but there's something bleeding through despite that. ]
Sorry, huh... [ Now this is a different apology, for the time being. He needs to see someone, that can't be helped. However, with Jyuto there Sasara is trying to put his face back on, like holding it together just about, with his hand on his head still. ] What a mess, right?
[ Jyuto is a policeman, not a nurse. Not that it matters, because if he brings up specifics in order to be sassy and leave them to crumble in the park, who knows what'll become of them. Alien buzzards might pick at their eyes or something. Thugs might steal their mics. Jyuto sighs the way he always does when Samatoki is a handful, but he doesn't reject the order. ]
Both of you need to. You're coming too. [ Jyuto knows Sasara without knowing Sasara. What he knows is that Sasara and Samatoki share a complicated past together, but he hasn't pried too far simply because he hadn't considered it relevant to MAD TRIGGER CREW. He moves towards the downed comedian, extending an elegant arm for him to grab onto in order to pull himself up. ] You can use me to lean on. The car isn't too far—
[ But if Sasara isn't able to get to his feet, things may be harder for them. Jyuto can probably carry him, but it won't be flashy or cool, the way it'd be if he were Riou instead. ]
[ Samatoki draws back his microphone, deactivating it. It turns into a regular dynamic mic before he puts it in his pocket. ]
I've had worse.
[ He doesn't need to see a medic or anything. His head might be in a little bit of pain, but it'll die out sooner or later. Now, he lets Jyuto take care of Sasara while he pulls out a cigarette to smoke. ]
[ Sasara takes Jyuto's arm to help himself up. He'll take the lawman up on his offer further, mic in the hand that isn't going to be holding on. Emphasis on help, but he's lighter to drag around than Samatoki. And of course the guy's still tough as nails, there's just one time Sasara didn't see him get back up.
No witty answer here, though, from hanging over the policeman's shoulder he looks Samatoki's way. ] He came around to pick you up.
Come on, Samatoki. [ Sasara wants him to, too, for what it's worth... Jyuto seems like he'll let him smoke in the car anyway. Give an ear to your teammate–current and former. ]
i am so sorry about this tag taking like a month guys ;;__;;
[ Jyuto shifts under Sasara's weight, stabilizing his arm over his shoulder. He's about to nag at Samatoki himself, but wordlessly, he appreciates the help Sasara's offered him. He doesn't know the comedian well enough to have any sort of opinion on him, but it's refreshing that at least Samatoki's former teammate has some sense of keeping a look out for him, someone who's been reckless as long as Jyuto has known him. ]
You don't have a say in the matter, Samatoki. [ Frankly. Jyuto will bend him over the car, cuff and drag him if he needs to. The text message had summoned him specifically to play the role of nurse, hadn't it? Jyuto's been invited, and he's not about to do him a disservice. Something may be sprained.
He hoists and walks Sasara along towards the police car with a muttered apology, a polite one between strangers. He can't say this is the way he'd imagined he'd learn more about Sasara, but somehow, he's happy he was entrusted to this task before anyone else. (Though he can't help but keep thinking that Riou makes a better heavy lifter...) ]
Don't make me bend you over and cuff you— [ Bitten mom threat, called back to Yokohama blood. He lowers Sasara into the backseat in the meantime, careful. ] There we go. Do you need water or anything before we depart?
Jeez, shut up already. You're like some kinda nanny!
[ He won't say "mom". He's not gonna say it, even though he knows the line is to tease someone that they're acting like a mom when they nag a lot. His mom is sacred, okay.
Samatoki is grumbling as he opens the door to the passenger's seat. The car jumps slightly when he sits inside, arms crossed like he's a kid throwing a tantrum. (He is.) ]
[ It's all right, Sasara assures, and thanks the guy and apologizes with a similarly distant politeness to Jyuto. Samatoki being Samatoki contrasts his teammate completely, but there can't be much said about that when he once joined up with Sasara. Polar opposites, when he's telling jokes instead of barely holding his knees.
He'll take the ride lying down across the seats, just as soon as Jyuto lets him in. ]
Ah– I'm good. [ On water, anyway, of course he's hurting. If he wasn't he'd say something smart about Samatoki being a brat... Some grunted discomfort is all when the car feels like a boat. ]
[ Jyuto gives Sasara a tight-lipped smile, like he’s embarrassed that Sasara has to witness Samatoki being this way. He may already be familiar enough with it, but even so. ]
He calls. [ Jyuto says quietly enough, words dismissing himself. He closes the back door of the vehicles and then heads around back to the front where Samatoki’s seated and urging him to go. He sighs and starts the car, but doesn’t pull out or drive until a cigarette is lit, an important step that he can’t skip out on. Tobacco wafts in a little cloud, and Jyuto creaks the windows down so that the smell isn’t trapped around them. He doesn’t know how much or how little Sasara may care.
The ride for the most part is quiet. He leads Sasara and Samatoki to the clinic where he once worked, leaving them to sit in the waiting room together and hitting the buzzer to summon whatever NPC receptionist has been hired in his place. ]
Jinguji-sensei? [ He flashes the woman ID, and she moves to notify the doctor after passing Jyuto a clipboard. He moves back to the waiting room where Sasara and Samatoki are, filling out most of Samatoki’s paperwork for him because he gets the feeling Samatoki will bitch about having to do it otherwise. ]
[Of course he's tending to other things at the time. But to hear Jyuto is dropping off a couple of patients...well, this should be interesting. He pulls on his coat and makes his way out to them. For Jyuto, this was possibly more like a favor. They were colleagues after all.
When he opens the door to the waiting room, he raises a brow.]
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no subject
All Samatoki can see now is red, anger clouding his judgment. Samatoki could easily be the better man here— talk and try to fix things, but Samatoki chooses to climb atop the mountain that is his pride. He may have lost his friend, and now he's lost his only family, but the bond he has with his sister is something that can't be severed no matter what. No matter how long it takes, no matter how much it hurts, he's going to get Nemu back.
Sasara, he's given up on. He's done nothing to the guy thay deserved the treatment that he did. Samatoki always had Sasara's back, but when Sasara was given the chance to guard Samatoki's, he took a knife and stabbed him with it. That's not Sasara being taken away the same way Nemu was— that's betrayal.
It's not something that Samatoki can forgive. ]
You don't gotta tell me twice, [ The words that will come out are two years late, but they're definitely words that have been polished during all those days. The beat comes from the speakers, quick and rough. Samatoki intends to finish this quickly. His time's better used elsewhere. ]
I got rage every day, buildin' up inside me that I can't even see,
Confusion, betrayal, guilt, misery - youdamnbetterknow what the fuck you did to me
Two years late, we're havin' a Mad Comic Dialogue,
You're gonna be bloody and bruised, 'cause I'm Yokohama's Mad Dog!
You think you got a place here, but Lunatia's turned blue,
Ain't got no time, no space, for someone I once knew,
It'sallover, it'sallover, you may as well withdraw,
Before your head's in a jar and your body's in pieces, 'cause I'm gonna fuck you raw!
[ WHY DID HE WORD HIS ANGER LIKE THAT WHY ]
no subject
He has come here with every intention of losing, not because he'll throw the fight but because he deserves it. The verse fast brings him to his knees, it's powerful and angry. It's everything he expects and then some... because it makes his head hurt beyond the lyrics getting in his ears. (What's going on?!) ]
Ggh...
Sa-Samatoki.
[ It's not just the words that make him cringe and hold his head, the threat of them. No. He feels strange. (I-I know why I came here!) Sasara sits behind his microphone and already looks close to defeat. He sways as he pulls himself up, but that is it. He's not staying down. ]
GAAAHH! [ Sasara wraps his hands around the mic stand. (My head... hurts.) He looks at Samatoki. There's something in that narrow gaze, something. His own dread clouds Sasara's side of the view, landing a realization that can't pass through the fog.
The beat picks up over his confusion. ]
Two and two? <It's a double-run hit>
Quit the game, I'll put ya down like a dog
<Do you still trust in blind faith?>
Someone who never learns from his ways,
I can't stand your pride, your fucking face,
This dialogue'll be your EPILOGUE!
Mad Dog's hollow rhymes got me livid,
You good for nothing gangster,
That dirty trade'll never turn a clean profit!
I'll finish ya where I finished– Ggh...!
[ Sasara breaks away from his microphone, like it just gave him an electric shock, yet the pain's not in his hands but where he holds them again. He pushes the heels of his palms against his temples. It may sound like, but his plea isn't for Samatoki. ] Ngh– I can't...! Stop!
no subject
Are you insulting me, ah?!
[ Slowly, he pushes himself up so he's standing again. A hand is on his mic stand, holding him up, but as soon as he catches his breath, he's back to normal. ]
A kid in preschool would spit those lines easily!
[ Give him time, Sasara... He'll notice soon enough. ]
no subject
You idiot– [ You're an idiot, Samatoki, but not because you don't understand this. Neither does Sasara. It's just to get him going again. ] If that's all ya got, I don't have to try! Ggh... [ Is it worth the agony if he sounds the same? (I'm about to pass out, if I keep going...) The first time struggling against the compulsion had been a useless after-thought, if that much.
He just can't keep it up now either. The pain's too much, if he had the willpower to cry about it... Sasara clings back to his mic the same. And now, without a care for the rules of a fair fight, it's his music that comes back. This'll be his relief. ]
I'll tear ya to pieces, count on one hand how many?
I'll break more than five fingers, breath rattling!
Keep your head above the water, man, I'm laughing,
In the bay they call that babble battling?!
no subject
Heh...
[ He gets back up, a little sluggish than last time. The smile on his face turning into a toothy grin. Whatever happens now, Samatoki's become stronger. Two more verses and he could likely knock Sasara out. His own head's ringing a little, but he's still got energy and spirit to fight.
When Samatoki's beat drops, it's noisy, hazy, like the climax of any song. ]
Yokohama, the coastal city, is the place to be,
Guns, booze, crimes, all for top shinogi,
"Hey, Samatoki-sama, how do you get to do all this shit?",
If you don't got a dream to achieve, you're gonna lose it!
no subject
He can't say.
The beat and lyrics are obviously doing the damage they need to, forcing Samatoki down once again. The answering verse leaves Sasara's nerve ends burning. The music is abrasive, even through the trance and headache he feels it. On his knees too, he then finally takes some of the distance first left standing between them. Here's another look, Samatoki... ]
A story where the crook's the hero, that's in Seine
Your pipe dreams'll drown in Dotonbori river
[ His rap will hit again but Sasara up close, beyond soon spent, looks distant. ]
Mad on Trigger, where's your aim, killing your own fantasy
I'm Comedy but that's tragedy
no subject
His hold on his microphone tightens a little, a desperate attempt to not let go. His hands feel shaky, knees wobbly, but he won't let Sasara see him fall down again.
There's something wrong, though... that much he can tell. As for how to approach that part, he doesn't know yet. ]
You ready to give up, Sasara?
[ He'll start there. ]
no subject
[ That's how it'd ended. That's how it was, before he'd gone looking for excuses on his own, too glad if few people ever asked what happened to split up Mad Comic Dialogue. "I guess I wasn't myself," laughing off an answer he can't earnestly give. ]
Ha... my head...
[ Unlike Samatoki, Sasara can't stand it anymore. Literally, he's on his knees and for good. The mic wobbles a bit on its stand when he lets go. Yet, even now the right thing won't pass his lips, like his mouth is numb for that. (I'm sorry and I quit.)
He can't say what he wants to, holding his head like that'll fix the words down. ]
I'm n– I am... Hah... [ Let that one count and snap, smack, rap him out of it anyway. When Sasara opens his eyes they're all glassy. Watering? But he can see Samatoki standing on his own, this time. ]
no subject
[ That's now how his hypnosis microphone works, Samatoki thinks. Sure, his rap is strong, but it's not the type to cause headaches... It's more a kind of shockwave that pressures people to stay on the ground. A heavy kind of air.
Sasara shouldn't be crying, either. At least, that's what he thinks, anyway. This is a little confusing. . . he's honestly never seen anybody react this way to his rap. It's what brings him to start walking towards the comedian, but it's not out of the goodness of his heart.
He picks up Sasara by the collar, holding him close to his face. There's a lot of things that could be said at this time. Samatoki could start talking about the damage Sasara's done to him, but that's not manly. That's not who he wants to be. If he ever shows anyone he's weak. . . then he can never achieve his goals. ]
Two years, I've been waitin' to fight you. I didn't expect you to be so weak, Sasara.
[ Samatoki speaks softly, his voice low. It's not the usual explosive anger that he shows everybody that's speaking now. It's an anger that's been deeply seated for weeks upon weeks, months upon months. You're not supposed to wake up sleeping dogs is what they say, isn't it? ]
What the hell's with you?!
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But it's that grip on his shirt that really chokes him up just now. Samatoki's tall enough to where being eye-to-eye is hard without standing weak in the knees. Sasara is too roughed up to even bring his own hands up to hold on. And anyway he'd put them back over his ears if he could – it's not even rap and the words drill deeper into his skull. All that pain, the headache and the soreness from the battle, that's just a gasp, all he can do right now.
The meaning hits harder still. Right? This was gonna be a different fight in Sasara's mind, too.
But Samatoki should still know, he's not one for leaving the dog(s) alone. ]
I don't know...
[ It's just single tears that come down, instead of being swallowed right back up by Sasara's confusion. Even the low tones hurt, maybe even more because they're so earnest, but with the tears from it comes a moment of clarity just as crystal: ]
I don't know what I'm doing anymore...
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The fuck does that mean.
[ He's pissed off, but this doesn't look like the kind of situation where he should continue stepping on Sasara when he's already down. ]
You're a fucking adult. Talk like one.
[ He shoves Sasara away, letting go with a slight push. Today, he's actually gonna give some time to listen. The clock is ticking. ]
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I'm... [ He's got to wipe his eyes. (Can't even hear myself think...) Crying doesn't make sense, either, but it keeps him here. His head feels funny... not in the usual way. Hazy, like the look he's given. ]
My head's not on right. It's feeling like that– Ggh... that time!
[ That time two years ago. Saying and thinking it rips through Sasara's skull like a lightning bolt and he curls up. Flashes of his scathing rap and leaving Samatoki in the dust with it come up as memories and not just something he 'watched' distantly, and makes him realize something. ] Hh...?! I'm not being myself!
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[ Now Samatoki's just yelling at him. Kicking or punching Sasara while he's down... Honestly, he could start doing it now, but he doesn't see the need to, as much as he wants to. The guy already looks like he's beating himself up, literally.
Totally unaware of the true potential of a hypnosis mic, Samatoki just continues to get angry rather than begin to understand. ]
... You gotta be accountable for the shit you've done to people, Sasara.
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Isn't distance better than kindness that causes pain? If not for holding a Hypnosis Mic in his hands again, he would not have gotten Rosho back. Isn't anger better than asking for forgiveness from something that hurt more than just pride? If not for the circumstances of this world, this rap battle would have ended in an arena with a winner instead of in confusion.
You could say, that Sasara just wants the easy way, and he does, but not for himself. Look, two years isn't enough to let him forget that raging temper – not with how often he provoked it in good fun. Just like letting Rosho go, letting Samatoki stay mad seemed easier on him.
Now, this is just tragedy without comedy. ]
...I, hah... I'm sorry... Samatoki.
[ But Sasara can't explain it either. Hypnosis apparently has a thing for not leaving itself in memory like that. All you get is a flippin' headache. ]
For the things I said. [ Samatoki's personality, his tone, his behavior, his pride, his face... Sasara doesn't actually hate any of that. Being the one to break up MCD in that way has haunted him. Sasara finally reaches for his mic again with one hand, and because he grabs the stand from so low it tips over, only to deactivate it with that shut-down sound effect. ]
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Sasara is sorry for the things he said.
Did Jyuto come at a bad time? He feels like he's seeing a scene he isn't supposed to, and there's an urge to turn on his heel to go smoke a cigarette somewhere else until the conversation is over. Their relationship isn't one he knows a lot about. ]
It seems the timing is bad, but I'm afraid I was asked to intrude upon your reunion here. [ Jyuto says in Jyuto. He doesn't know how the stranger's apology is going to make Samatoki feel (he hadn't been too happy to see him the first time around), so he's providing his team mate a way out of having to acknowledge it in case he wants to try and sift through his feelings later. There's a practiced, polite smile on his lips, one that thinly veils his bite. ] That is, unless my leader's changed his mind? Should I be on my way?
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Samatoki's reaction is almost violent until he remembers that yes, that's right. He called Jyuto here. While he's confident in his own skills, honestly... What if Sasara has gotten better after all these years? Samatoki might have been the one on his knees. Samatoki might be the one who needs medical attention now.
Speaking of medical attention... he backs away from Sasara before looking over at his teammate. The timing isn't bad. . . it's just that this situation wasn't how he expected it to be. ]
You're stayin'. [ That's a good enough order as any from Jyuto's leader. Firm, commanding, and anyone who goes against his word is going to get bitten. His words turn softer, though. . . not exactly bleeding of care, but there's a hint of it with what he says next. They're accompanied by a nod towards Sasara. ] He needs to see a doctor.
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Sasara looks from Samatoki to Jyuto, words of his left standing. Sure they roughed each other up, with nothing said of his intentions of leaving the stage to Samatoki and when he steps back Sasara hangs his head again. For a solid moment he thinks he's really done for. (Hah... I'm not up for a two on one fight like this...)
Turns out that idea is ridiculous, anyway. ]
Ah... Samatoki. [ He'd get up for the sake of some dignity but he's all out of pow, head ringing. Yeah... but there's something bleeding through despite that. ]
Sorry, huh... [ Now this is a different apology, for the time being. He needs to see someone, that can't be helped. However, with Jyuto there Sasara is trying to put his face back on, like holding it together just about, with his hand on his head still. ] What a mess, right?
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Both of you need to. You're coming too.
[ Jyuto knows Sasara without knowing Sasara. What he knows is that Sasara and Samatoki share a complicated past together, but he hasn't pried too far simply because he hadn't considered it relevant to MAD TRIGGER CREW. He moves towards the downed comedian, extending an elegant arm for him to grab onto in order to pull himself up. ] You can use me to lean on. The car isn't too far—
[ But if Sasara isn't able to get to his feet, things may be harder for them. Jyuto can probably carry him, but it won't be flashy or cool, the way it'd be if he were Riou instead. ]
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I've had worse.
[ He doesn't need to see a medic or anything. His head might be in a little bit of pain, but it'll die out sooner or later. Now, he lets Jyuto take care of Sasara while he pulls out a cigarette to smoke. ]
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No witty answer here, though, from hanging over the policeman's shoulder he looks Samatoki's way. ] He came around to pick you up.
Come on, Samatoki. [ Sasara wants him to, too, for what it's worth... Jyuto seems like he'll let him smoke in the car anyway. Give an ear to your teammate–current
and former. ]i am so sorry about this tag taking like a month guys ;;__;;
You don't have a say in the matter, Samatoki. [ Frankly. Jyuto will bend him over the car, cuff and drag him if he needs to. The text message had summoned him specifically to play the role of nurse, hadn't it? Jyuto's been invited, and he's not about to do him a disservice. Something may be sprained.
He hoists and walks Sasara along towards the police car with a muttered apology, a polite one between strangers. He can't say this is the way he'd imagined he'd learn more about Sasara, but somehow, he's happy he was entrusted to this task before anyone else. (Though he can't help but keep thinking that Riou makes a better heavy lifter...) ]
Don't make me bend you over and cuff you— [ Bitten mom threat, called back to Yokohama blood. He lowers Sasara into the backseat in the meantime, careful. ] There we go. Do you need water or anything before we depart?
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[ He won't say "mom". He's not gonna say it, even though he knows the line is to tease someone that they're acting like a mom when they nag a lot. His mom is sacred, okay.
Samatoki is grumbling as he opens the door to the passenger's seat. The car jumps slightly when he sits inside, arms crossed like he's a kid throwing a tantrum. (He is.) ]
Hurry up already!
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He'll take the ride lying down across the seats, just as soon as Jyuto lets him in. ]
Ah– I'm good. [ On water, anyway, of course he's hurting. If he wasn't he'd say something smart about Samatoki being a brat... Some grunted discomfort is all when the car feels like a boat. ]
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He calls. [ Jyuto says quietly enough, words dismissing himself. He closes the back door of the vehicles and then heads around back to the front where Samatoki’s seated and urging him to go. He sighs and starts the car, but doesn’t pull out or drive until a cigarette is lit, an important step that he can’t skip out on. Tobacco wafts in a little cloud, and Jyuto creaks the windows down so that the smell isn’t trapped around them. He doesn’t know how much or how little Sasara may care.
The ride for the most part is quiet. He leads Sasara and Samatoki to the clinic where he once worked, leaving them to sit in the waiting room together and hitting the buzzer to summon whatever NPC receptionist has been hired in his place. ]
Jinguji-sensei? [ He flashes the woman ID, and she moves to notify the doctor after passing Jyuto a clipboard. He moves back to the waiting room where Sasara and Samatoki are, filling out most of Samatoki’s paperwork for him because he gets the feeling Samatoki will bitch about having to do it otherwise. ]
He should be out any moment.
i arrive finally hello
When he opens the door to the waiting room, he raises a brow.]
Samatoki-kun, Sasara-kun. Come with me.
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omg you guys can kick me next time!!!! PLS
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