Voicemail.

[irregular]

Hi, it's Ken. If you can hear this I'm not here, so... uh, leave a message or something and I'll call you back when I get it? Bye.

Comments

[insorrow.livejournal.com]

[Like Ken cared about it either. Wasn't like he really wanted to be a stupid florist in the first place (but what else was he supposed to be?). He just - sometimes you say stupid stuff because you just don't know what else to say.

[At least it was something to focus on. Like Muraki.]

What about him?

[Why bring that psycho bastard up now?]

[1blackcat.livejournal.com]

[Omi what are you doing. He's calmed down about it and you're...]

Nothing. Never mind.

[insorrow.livejournal.com]

[--Oh.]

It ain't nothing, Omi, if it had been nothing you wouldn't have mentioned it in the first place. What're you thinking?

[Video to Action]

[1blackcat.livejournal.com]

[Several long seconds of silence.]

Hold on.

[Because like hell he'll say anything on a potentially hackable line. He hangs up and a minute later knocks on Ken's apartment door.]

[Action Forever~]

[insorrow.livejournal.com]

[And here's Ken answering it, so quickly he must have been standing right there.

[He's careful to make sure they're well into the room - please ignore that broken lamp by the wall, unavoidable accident, he'll clear it up in a minute - and the door is closed and locked before starting to speak, though. Ken may be reckless, but he's not dumb.]

I'd ask what you were thinking but if you're over here and not on the phone I guess I can guess.

[1blackcat.livejournal.com]

[Omi doesn't comment on the mess. He heard you make it, after all. He keeps his eyes averted.]

You still want to, don't you?

[Read: Please tell me I'm not the only one.]

[insorrow.livejournal.com]

[Yeah, Ken figured that was why Muraki about a half-second after he even asked...]

Why would I have stopped?

[1blackcat.livejournal.com]

...Aya-kun was right: we can't kill him.

[Pause.]

It's also true that we can't hurt him. It's criminal activity with all the risk and none of the ends. I can't allow either of us to do that.

[insorrow.livejournal.com]

So what's the plan, then? 'Cause you didn't come all the way over here just to tell me something we both already know.

[1blackcat.livejournal.com]

[Despite himself, Omi feels a smile coming to his face. Ken knew him so well.

He looks up.]

It's not criminal to fire a warning shot, is it?

[insorrow.livejournal.com]

Not so long as nobody else gets hit...

[Should I be smiling back? It feels kinda weird not to, but he tries it and that feels kinda weird too.]

What're you thinking, Omi?

[1blackcat.livejournal.com]

No one else will get hit.

[His smile fades but the resolve in his voice does not.]

We'll make it clear that we could and would. We can make him think we really are.

Since he won't stay dead, there's no point in following through, and getting ourselves in trouble with him. But that's no reason to let him think we're a force to be taken so lightly. That he can hurt us or our friends without hearing from us about it. We have to make a point, right?

Let's do it, Ken-kun. Let's walk all the way to the line. And stop just short of crossing it.

[insorrow.livejournal.com]

[He's going to be alive afterward whatever you do.

[It doesn't seem like much, when Omi puts it like that. Knowing the line's there, and knowingly not crossing it... where's the point of that? But where's the point in killing Muraki either, when it's not like it's even going to take? Why - Aya was right, wasn't he? And Omi, too - why stick your own neck out over a guy like that? And anything was better than letting the bastard think he'd gotten away with it, that nobody cared--]

You think we could? How'd that work?

[1blackcat.livejournal.com]

Just like a mission. But don't let your strike connect. I can deliberately miss. So long as he thinks we're really going to do it, that's enough.

[insorrow.livejournal.com]

So... you're thinking we'd scare him?

[It's funny, it seems hard to imagine doing that; for a moment, Ken's hand drifts toward his throat. What, scare Muraki? Omi really thinks they could?

[But if there's even a chance that it would work--]

Okay. Okay. I'm with you.

[1blackcat.livejournal.com]

I don't know. It would be good if we do, but it's enough if he understands the ability and the will are there.

Either way, we have to answer him.

[insorrow.livejournal.com]

Yeah. We got to... someone's gotta make him understand--

[Ken turns away. He looks like he'd like to find something else to throw.]

Damn it, Omi! Everyone keeps saying oh, he don't have his powers any more, he's no danger now-- so what, were none of those bastards back home any danger just because they weren't magic enough?!

[1blackcat.livejournal.com]

Exactly, Ken-kun. Lack of teleportation abilities never stopped a murderer before. If they think it's less likely a criminal will have the opportunity to escape and commit more crimes free and under supervision than locked behind bars, they're crazy.

Besides that... [Omi shuts his eyes.] I can't just let this go. It's unforgivable!

[insorrow.livejournal.com]

Don't, then.

I'm with you, Omi. Someone's gotta do something. Even if it doesn't work, at least we'll know we tried.

[1blackcat.livejournal.com]

[A beat, and Omi nods.]

Yeah... You're right.

Thank you, Ken-kun.

[insorrow.livejournal.com]

Hey, figure I'm the one should be saying that.

[Sure, he could let it go. It'd be simpler. Safer. Probably a Hell of a lot smarter...

[He just doesn't want to.]

[1blackcat.livejournal.com]

[A few moments to process that and Omi just smiles, as though this comment is somehow funny to him. For how different they were, they could still be so alike.]