abraxaslogs | Chapter 2 | Just Enough Rope

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Chapter 2 | Just Enough Rope | [backdated]

WHO: Kiryu and you, Kiryu and Coraline, Kiryu and Majima
WHAT: finding a certain tape recorder and frustrations
WHERE: Room 7, around the castle, dungeons
WHEN: before the trip to the singularity
NOTES: No warnings to begin with. If you'd like a starter, or to plot for something, feel free to ping me on plurk @ yarnzipan

[closed to Coraline]

Kiryu had seen the tape recorder before, which is why when he spots it after Jon's disappearance, he goes to collect it in hopes of ensuring it isn't taken or broken by anyone else in the room. He goes to put it away when his fingers close on the play button and start to play the interaction. Once he identifies the voices on it, he'll walk over to his bed to listen to the rest, turning the volume down a little so as not to disturb anyone else. He resolves to discuss the issue with Coraline and the next time that he sees her in the room (without anyone else there), he beckons her over and pulls the tape recorder (thankfully still there) from beneath his bed and a pile of clothes.

"...there's something I think you need to hear as well."

[closed to Majima]

Majima will probably be surprised, not to see Kiryu, but to the way the man bows his head once he reaches the bars. He's come with his usual extra food and another pack of matches and he'll do his usual check over of the other man before he speaks.

"They won't release you. I'm sorry."

[closed to Jon]

He'd thought that they might not allow him to see the other man, considering how intensely he'd advocated for saving his life, for letting him go, but after enough polite prodding, they let him see Jon, and he offers him the same low bow and apologetic look that he'd given Majima, though with considerably more concern.

"A part of me wishes you'd told me what you were going to do. Another is glad you didn't, since at least one of us is outside of the bars." More quietly, he adds. "I found your gift, however.

[wildcard]

If you're looking for him after the festival/gathering quest, you'll find him where you'd normally find him: out and about, helping servants, and doing the best he can to bring supplies to those in the dungeon. If he looks more surly than he usually does, well, that might just have to do with the fact that his polite (very polite!) attempts at freeing two of his friends hadn't exactly gone well and he's losing patience with the 'smart' approach, getting close to doing something stupid.

But there are people relying on him, so he's... trying. Trying really hard.

Feel free to say hello, though. He's probably not annoyed at you.

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Majima smiled softly at the regards. "Tell her to stay outta trouble."

He sobered as he took the paper from Kiryu. As he read over the written retelling of the encounter, he absently lit up a cigarette and took a drag. When he finished his eye flicked to the licking flame still held in Kiryu's hand and stared at it unblinking for a moment, lost in thought. When he moved again he took the hint and burnt the paper. It wasn't needed any more.

"...Like I said, I'm not surprised."

Though perhaps that only referred to the general idea of why things were the way they were, or more specifically why he was here. He may have been vaguely curious about the Singularity and its power. That was new. That brought along more questions as to what it was, what it did to scare this high mage, or what it was actually capable of. What it would do to them, those brought here against their will, its supposed 'chosen'. So many goddamn questions all over again. It was infuriating.

Nothing in the paper had been surprising, except perhaps for the scope of the problem and the focus on the Singularity. But he's glad, at least, that Majima knows it now. Mostly just because he hated thinking he knew more than him (that is a weird idea in his head) but also just because he knows him to be craftier. The information is better for him to have, and despite some of the reasons why he perhaps shouldn't, he trusts it with Majima as securely as if it was in his own head.

"I had similar luck in asking for Jon to be given amnesty."

Majima nodded then took another hit from the cigarette. His eye turned its attention to the older man. His expression was hard to read but the seriousness conveyed its own message.

"That sounds about right. No way he didn't piss off the guy for that stunt."

Yes, he can see it. And he knows what it means; Majima keeping his voice low and deep is a sign that he'd better get his shit together. He doesn't expect it to be any different for the young version.

"I thought to appeal to the strangeness of our situation, to the difficulties some have had in adjusting to this world. They... were not sympathetic."

They seemed to appreciate that he wasn't taking more extreme measures, but they weren't any more apt to budge.

"They've been saying that they'll have more information soon. I'll be curious what they have to say, considering."

He gestures to the ash of the note.

Majima grunted in response to the first. He just was not surprised by any of this story. It was a pity the people here weren't more sympathetic but considering what they did in the first place, bringing people here and locking half of them up from the start without explanation for either group, it wasn't unexpected that they have no sympathy for an attack on one of them. A reasonable person would perhaps take it under consideration. But these people weren't really reasonable in the first place.

It was irritating. Majima's muscles tensed and he fidgeted slightly.

"Sure, I'd like to hear what they've got to say for themselves. Doubt it'll be anything worth hearin' though. Not to say it ain't interesting to receive something from them." He said with particular emphasis. It was less that it wasn't worth hearing and more that it probably wouldn't be more than they'd already found out. Or that it wouldn't be skewed in their favor somehow. Or that it would help out anyone here.

He wanted to hear it, too. He just didn't have any high hopes from where it was coming from.

He keeps his voice down because he doesn't want to be overheard, doesn't believe that he should share information shared in confidence with him with anyone but his and Jon's closest allies, but he can't deal with any of this without being earnest with... well, Majima at least.

"The mention of other worlds, of our world, that concerns me. We both have precious people back where we came from that we would do anything to protect. Whatever I would do to help you, or... him."

He glances at Majima, because his gut tells him that Majima would never endanger those he cares about, Saejima and Yasuko and the others, and one day, he might include those that Kiryu cares for in that number. But he can't assume here.

Majima stilled at Kiryu's words. There was a seriousness there he couldn't deny. And a concern that he wouldn't belittle.

"...Seems to me that nobody really knows the truth. Everyone's got their own opinion on the matter. We don't really know if there's any danger to other worlds or not. Ambrose thinks it's the end of the universe if he doesn't control this Singularity thing. But the other countries don't agree."

He paused. It was a delicate matter. Of course he had people to protect back home. And if anyone deserved to know the truth in his heart it was probably this fellow here who did so much for him. But hiding himself deep within and being contrary on the outside was just part of his nature. He couldn't help it anymore.

"...not saying we don't need to be cautious. Or that we don't got anything to worry about. But we have no reason to trust what Ambrose or anyone else from this country tells us. We need more information. Information we gather on our own. Before we make any moves on this thing. Before we get wrapped up too deep in all the bullshit of this world."

"This is also a threat we didn't know existed until we were brought here," is the point he is going to raise, has to raise. It's not that he wants to trust Ambrose on the matter of this, but he's also not foolish enough to ignore the very idea because he doesn't like the messenger.

"We do need information. But the very fact that he could bring us here speaks to a connection between worlds. I've never heard of anything like this. I doubt you have either."

He breathes in and out and rubs at the back of his neck with one hand, clearly irritated.

"Which means we don't even know what to look for. And no one who would teach us would do so without an agenda. That is another issue."

"We don't even know if there actually is a threat, is what I'm sayin'," Majima countered with a sharp glint to his eye. He didn't care for the message Kiryu was trying to make. He understood they needed to find that out but he severely hated Ambrose and all he stood for.

He took a deep breath and huffed it out in a hurry. "Fine. I don't know anything 'bout all this fantasy bullshit either. And maybe there's a damn connection between the worlds, or maybe that's just how magic works. Or maybe--" He stopped. Let Kiryu finish. Turned his gaze away in frustration.

A thought occurred to him and it felt like turning down a familiar path. Reluctantly, he resigned himself to it.

"Ain't it always. Don't worry about that. You just worry about figuring out what you can, I'll worry about the rest."

It was a gamble, telling the older man what to do, how to play the game. But one he was willing to try.

Kiryu? Nods to the instructions. He's not someone who takes well to orders but he can agree with companions and allies on how to proceed. Majima makes valid points, and he doesn't actually disagree with any of them.

They don't know there is a threat. But he, for one, hadn't even thought there could be before the idea was introduced. He doesn't like the idea of a connection between worlds because connections mean that others might be taken and there are quite a few people he doesn't want to see here. Doesn't want to be in danger.

He's overly troubled because his mind is on the children he left behind. He knows Majima has his own precious people back at home, but at least those are adults, people who wouldn't be defenseless (as he can't think of even Yasuko that way). His head may be clearer.

"You're right. I'm... concerned. And it won't help anyone if I do something reckless. I'll do what I can to figure out the truth of things and I'll tell you what I know when I know more."

Majima let out a breath he hadn't been aware he was holding as he waited for Kiryu's response. The simple nod was enough. Kiryu was agreeing--though he didn't know to the extent of what he was agreeing to perhaps. Because what Majima didn't say aloud was to what degree he would go to uphold the promise he just made with or without Kiryu's actual comprehension of it.

If Majima had to sacrifice himself to get the answers that Kiryu wanted out of this damn place then Majima would do it to find out. Easier said than done from behind these bars but the one-eyed man didn't plan on being behind them forever. Once he was out he would start the investigation in earnest. And find the information to how this all worked, what link if any there truly was, and if there was a way to either reserve it or shut it down permanently. Anything that would ease Kiryu's mind to know, to have a possibility of protecting those back in his (their?) world.

Why did he make such a promise on a sudden whim? That was a harder question to pin down. Perhaps he just felt like he owed the man that much. Maybe he was just used to making the hard sacrifices in life for another already. What was one more.

"Sounds good." The irony wasn't lost on Majima who already was planning on being reckless enough with his own life once he was out of here. But, he'd won. For now. Kiryu was probably safe for the moment. "Can't have you ending up in here with me. Gotta keep ya out there so I have a steady supply of cigarettes."

It was a joke to lighten the mood. Was he getting better at them? Absolutely not. Was he going to keep making them anyway? You better believe it.

The returning expression isn't a smile, because Kiryu doesn't really smile, but it's the closest thing he's got for anyone over five years old. He looks amused, genuinely fond, and glad to hear Majima making jokes even if they're a little dark.

A part of him thinks he should believe it to some degree, but in his heart he doesn't. He has faith in Majima, not just the man but in their connection to one another. They might not share history or experiences yet (or ever, back in their world) that he remembers, but he can't imagine Majima being there and not being his friend, and an ally.

"The only use I'd have down here is a doorstop. And it doesn't seem like the doors open too often down here."

"Hey, don't underestimate the good use of a doorstop. You may get to make that happen sometime anyway," Majima said. And if it wasn't entirely clear he was making the play on words of stopping up a door instead of holding one open, which might be more clear with his next words. "We might need one if'n we ever have to break out of here the hard way. But don't go thinkin' about makin' that kinda sacrifice without other attempts first. Can't have you hoggin' all that glory either."

Or, what he may have actually been thinking, don't go making sacrifices where I won't get to see you again. Majima was selfish enough to admit to himself, at least, that he didn't want to be alone in this world. He didn't know if Kiryu would read into that, kinda hoped the guy wouldn't, but that's what he probably meant. He was just a coward deep down after all.

The look on his face should make a couple of things clear to Majima: he's been thinking about very little else, for one. For another? He's been doing his damnable best to remember that if he gets caught, that's just one more resource that the people down here won't have. And that? Won't help anyone.

"I'll keep it under advisement."

But, his eyebrows add with a quick jump, when and if Majima has a plan? He's all in.

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Chapter 2 | Just Enough Rope | [backdated]

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