Dank Darkwick - student-dorms

....... .......... *AAAAHHHHH!!!!! HE'S GOING TO LOSE HIS MIND!!!! RIGHT NOW!!!!! Shitty teammates, shitty raid, shitty rewards, shitty effort, shitty night, shitty shit!!!!!! He takes a deep breath and then promptly sends his controller flying across the room onto his bed. It helps only enough to keep him from losing his marbles any longer, and he decides he really, really, really, really needs a Fucking Break before he Breaks Something. SIGH.*

"Haxs." Leo stands in the corridor of the Frostheim dormitory. It is early enough in the day that no one would give him too much trouble for wandering aimlessly and he made sure Tohma would be preoccupied before he strolled in. He tunes into the nearest conversation that he picks up with his stigma. Except it sounds more like angry garble than anything else. He takes a few steps forward until the sound becomes more clear.

*The voice is clear, yet not quite recognisable. It should be familiar, and it is, but even with Leo's keen sense of hearing, it doesn't quite match anybody on campus.* Fuuuck! Fuckyoufuckyoufuckyou!!! Eat shit and die!! Scum!! Fucking losers!!! Do you play with your hands up your ass?? Is that why you're braindead??? Can you fucking think for once or did they also fuck that up when making you!? Motherfuckers!! *There's a very quiet beep and then silence and the sound of typing for a long while.* ...............

Leo can't help the wide grin that splits his features as he picks up the entirety of the spiel. "That sure doesn't sound like a guy with the etiquette you'd expect from these rich snobs. Now where have I heard that voice before?" Leo's attention locks on the door he suspects its coming from, nearing the end of the hall. The sound of aggressive typing piques his curiosity. "Pffft, and a keyboard warrior too?" The vice-captain leans against the side of the wall, waiting idly for anything interesting to happen.

*Unfortunately, he'll be waiting a long time for that. It really seems like it's just typing. Forever. Every so often the beep occurs again, and the typing momentarily speeds up, but it's otherwise uninteresting. ...... A slightly flustered Tomosei approaches Leo from the end of the hall, tilting his head curiously as he did so.* Ah! Mon ami! What brings you to our venerable Frostheim? *He smiles softly and ignores the headache that is only worsening at his stigma's activation. (Fuuuuuuuck me. I knew it!! I knew it was that rat bastard!! God dammit!!! Thank fuck for the security system!!! Thank fuck for that anomalous exit!!! Thank fuck!!!! What's his problem!? Fuck you, Kurosagi!!! Fuck you!!!!!!!!!!!)*

Leo pushes himself off the wall, smirking as Tomosei approaches him. "Who, me? Just meeting up with another first-year, that's all." The vice-captain is lying through his teeth, of course. His gaze rakes over Tomo, his flustered state not going unnoticed. "What about you? Are you sleeping in or going out?"

*He scratches his cheek in consideration and glances towards the door Leo was standing near. His door. Fuuck.* You're meeting... here? My apologies, mon ami! I was not aware this room has gained an occupant... *He tilts his head to the side as he glances at the door, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion. (Just play it cool, Tomo. Just play it cool.)* Ah! Me? I'm embarrassed to admit that I am turning in for the night. It's quite late, non? And besides, I agreed to lend a hand to Hotarubi in the morn. Should you require company whilst you wait, I would he happy to oblige, though. *(PLEAASEEE SAY NO.)*

Leo's gilt eyes narrow at Tomo and he hardly conceals his amusement. It's interesting to see that he's the only one in the hall. The voice he picked up earlier doesn't quite match the one he's hearing now, that much is certain. Maybe Leo will force Tomo's hand in making him stay anyway. He wants to see if anyone else makes an appearance. "The Hotarubi captain is spineless. He doesn't have the guts to say anything if you end up being late from oversleeping." Leo's grin widens as he leans back against the wall. "Why don't you keep me company? Just until my date shows up, kay?"

*He wants to strangle this little freak so bad. (Of couse my voice doesn't match!! I tried really hard to conceal it!!! Do you think I'm fucking stupid?! Bastard!! Fucking dog!!!) He nods cordially.* Though I disagree with the notion that Monsieur Kagami is spineless, it would nonetheless be my honour to accompany a vice-captain. Perhaps you can tell me about this date, in the meantime? If it wouldn't be too much of an imposition, that is. *He resists every urge in his body to glance back at his room, instead keeping his focus on Leo. The sounds of typing were gradually getting quieter from within, but they hadn't stopped yet. Not fully, at least. He estimated he had a fair bit to go before the track ended, but by then it should be so late anyway that if Leo was still here he'd just kill himself instead.*

"Yeah, my date. Tall blonde, big rack, talks too much, usually has a dark blue sweater on." Leo brings a hand to his chin like he's contemplating something-- putting in theatric flare as he bullshits a description of a generic Frostheim student. He doesn't even care how dishonest he comes off. "What color were her eyes? Green? Blue? Purple? Surely you know who I'm talking about."

(Fuck off!! There's like, eighty of those bitches in here!! Can you be for real!!) He brings a hand to his cheek as though he's thinking and shakes his head with a rueful smile. Désolée, I'm unfamiliar with such a student in detail. If you know of her name, or perhaps her school year? Many of the exquisite mademoiselles in this dorm are rather tall and rather blonde.... *(Like hell I'm gonna comment on the bad traits!! And can you be any more obvious!? You can't even remember her fucking eyes!? Green, blue, purple, my ass!!)*

"Come to think of it, we never exchanged first names. Or maybe we did and it slipped my mind?" Leo throws up a hand in the air in a dismissive gesture. "Gotta be a second-year, though. She talked like she's been here a while, but not long enough to know anything to know shit about our third-year captains. Think she plays a few instruments? What was it a banjo? Cello?" Leo looks at Tomo, the devious grin still ever present. "C'mon Tomochan. Really big rack. And when I say she talks a lot, it's a lot. SUPER fucking annoying! Really not ringing any bells?"

*He'd wring Leo's neck right now if he thought he could get away with it. Instead, his anger flared internally, and mercifully created a flush across his face.* I'm really sorry, Monsieur Kurosagi, but I've hardly a clue on who it could be. Though I know quite a few second years, none quite match your description. Nonetheless, I look forward to discovering the identity of your mystery maiden. *He hesitates slightly afterwards and says,* Monsieur.... I don't mean to impose, nor do I mean to question a vice-captain, but I fear I must insist you treat those around you with more respect. There is nothing wrong with those who talk often. It means they have full hearts and varied minds. And, in addition, even if someone may be.... well-endowed, it is crass to speak of them in a public forum like so.... *(If someone overhears you it'll be my fucking head they come for for not saying shit!!! You may be right but time and place!! Talk about her tits online like the rest of us!!)*

Leo's grin falters slightly. He sighs and shifts his weight back on his heels as he studies the Frostheim student in front of him. "Guess you really are a boring goody two-shoes." The vice-captain rolls his eyes and brushes past Tomo, making a beeline for the exit. "And if you see big tits tell her I said she's dumped." Leo calls back over his shoulder as he walks, his words loud enough to echo throughout the corridor. A snicker follows his parting statement.

*(Fucking finally! Rat bastard! Fucker!! Do you know how many levels I could've grinded out by now!? On the limited event!?!? You've fucked up my margins!! Die a shitty dog death!!!!) If it helps, Tomo also finds his goody two-shoes behaviour maddening. It's exhausting and so pathetic it genuinely hurts, and as he watches Leo's figure retreats, his headache only grows worse. He decides it's not even worth replying to and lets out a small sigh, not daring to drop the act just yet. He's hungry, for one, and may as well go get food if he's already out, and for two, he doesn't trust Leo for a moment, and he feels attempting to enter the room from the front would result in nothing good. With a heavy heart and the wistfulness of a princess missing her beloved prince, Tomo turns and heads towards the school store.*

*Games. Check. Devices. Check. Shit eating grin as he types away on WickHive. Check. Only thing that could possibly make this godforsaken night better is if Chihiro spontaneously died. Oh well. Can't have everything! He swipes off WickHive before Chihiro announces the time. Who gives a fuck, even if Leo will drag him there? It'll probably be at 7:30 or 8:00, like most fucking showcases, so it's fine. Whatever. He shoots a text to his least-favourite-favourite guild member. r u ready 4 raids at 6???? b prepared lololol wanna bet on who'll get the most damage this time?

GOD DAMMIT.

Leo's eyes crack open as he stirs from his sleep. His head is throbbing from the worst migraine he's ever experienced and the room is dark. Darker than usual. Even if it were still night time, Leo generally had some amount of light leaking into his room. The blanket covering him feels different too. Did Chihiro decide to kidnap and drug him again? Or was it that demonic anomaly he pissed off last night? The vice-captain decides it's neither when he easily sits himself up and finds his limbs to be free of any shackles. He palms around for his phone and eventually finds it towards the edge of his bed and hooked up to a charger. Once the device is in his grip, he removes it from the cord and wakes it up. Oddly enough, it's a home screen he doesn't recognize, and he quickly realizes that this isn't the model of phone he owns. Additionally, it's well into the morning. Instead of getting up to look around, he unlocks the screen with his fingerprint and pulls up Wickchat. The first message that pops up is from Kamitani, a Darkwick staff member. It's incoherent, at best. A warning about an anomaly? Leo types a direct message to Kamitani that reads: ‘wtf r u on about?’. Upon sending it, the icon that pops up next to his message nearly makes him jump right out of bed. “...No fucking way.”

Seiya woke up later than usual, he found it strange when he didn't hear his alarm clock go off at the time it was supposed to. It was bright. And cold. He got out of bed and scratched his head. Wait. There were more hair there than usual. And its curly. Huh? After blinking a few times his vision cleared and he noticed familiar scars on his arms. '...Jo...? No wait, hold on.' Definitely not his room, definitely not his body. Time to check Wickhive!

“Pffft, this guy has seen better days, huh?” Leo stands in the bathroom mirror of Kamiyama's dorm, as Kamiyama himself. Come to find out, this phenomenon is the result of an insect anomaly– one that closely resembles a tick. Based on Kamitani's text, he can only assume that it escaped from Darkwick's research facility. The way Leo sees it, as long as this doesn't last for an extended period of time, it's great news. This would be a perfect opportunity for him to do a little digging. What are the odds that Kamiyama would end up with Leo of all people, nosing around in his body? Leo brushes his bangs out of his face to get a better look at the features staring back at him. He realizes that he's never seen this person before. Leo would remember if he saw someone with a birthmark this obvious too. That doesn't mean he wouldn't make attempts to cover it up though, right? Why do the eyes look familiar, though? It would only make sense that Kamiyama would wear a disguise considering his track record online. Considering how aggravatingly long his bangs are, he can only assume his eyes are a strong hint to his identity. But even then… Leo is having a hard time recognizing the face. “Because I'm so gracious, I'll let you have your privacy, loser.” Leo digs around in the drawers which are relatively barren. He eventually comes across a few bobby pins and uses those to hold up the weighty bangs. There's no way in hell he's walking around with a thick mop of hair blocking his vision. Leo decides he will do a basic morning routine to get this guy ready for the day. And he won't shower unless this goes on longer than a day. Out of respect or whatever. He guesses.

Seiya had been pacing the room for hours on end, finding not much to do other than pace, doomscroll, and maybe do a few pushups for the past however long the real Jo was asleep. Being in someone else's body was seriously limiting, mainly because he didn't want to do something without the owner's permission. And snooping would be rude. Luckily, Jo had finally awakened and he now had permission to get dressed and finally leave, staying in one place for so long made him want to break out a window. Looking up at the ceiling he finally got dressed and freed himself from Jo's room. God it was way too fucking cold here. He's going to Vagastrom.

Leo had been spending the body swap messing around in Kamiyama's space. He managed to get into his computer room, but like with everything else, KY kept his shit pretty clear. Leo found a whole lot of nothing. Just games, memes, and screenshots that didn't particularly interest him. He did come across a folder with a partially scanned photo that looked suspiciously similar to the one he found in the trash. The person in it looked like a younger version of the body he's currently possessing, except with shorter hair. Leo leans back in the desk chair, with his arms folded over his chest. After a moment of deliberating, he strolls back over to the trash can and picks up the other half of the photo and looks over it again. What, siblings? Twins? “...” Leo tosses the photo in the bin again after a few beats and continues his search.

Kamiyama's body feels like shit in general. Beyond the throbbing headaches, Leo found himself feeling overall lethargic and a little too stiff for what appeared to be the body of a twenty something year old. Maybe he'd recommend this guy some supplements, or a nutrition plan. He probably wouldn't listen to his advice anyway. After finding some painkillers in the medicine cabinet and swallowing a few, Leo decides to start stretching in the middle of the room. He kept his movements static, because he's pretty sure that if he does anything too crazy he might get vertigo, or just make the overall shitty feeling worse. Leo wonders passively if this is some kind of chronic condition, or a byproduct of his stigma. When Leo presses his palms against the wall in preparation for a calf stretch, something catches his eye. A fleeting flicker of light on a nearby shelf. Subtle enough that he might dismiss it under normal circumstances. The vice-captain stands up straight and makes his way over to the space and spots a figurine. At a glance, it looks to be an ordinary statue of a woman in a kimono, holding a fixed fan. But upon closer inspection… Leo brings an index finger forward and taps the object in the figure’s hand. His instinct proves to be correct and the fan falls out of her hand, clattering to the surface below. “What do we have here?” The vice-captain picks up the fallen piece between his fingertips. An all too familiar tingling sensation trails up the length of his hand on contact, confirming his suspicions. Leo snickers to himself. “Looks like you're shit out of luck, KY.” Just as he envisions it, the fan blooms into Leo's hand at full size. It’s an icy blue color, with daggers that are thin enough to line up in between the folds. And then he flicks his wrist with force experimentally. The sharp objects fly forward and embed the wall just ahead. Leo looks back at the fan to find the blades quickly regenerating on the artifact.

7:44 PM

"Hey, that's cool."

Leo did say he wouldn't actually leave the building. Yet despite his commendable deeds, KY still was acting like a little bitch boy in his mind. "You've forced my hand, loser." The vice-captain opens up the mini fridge and pulls out all of Kamiyama's energy drinks and sets them on the bathroom sink. He pulls back the tab on all the cans and begins pouring them down the drain.

In the event Kamiyama does grow a pair and pull up, Leo leaves the door unlocked and then gets on his computer to pull up his games and delete save files.

Zero follows—is dragged by—Kamiyama toward the student dorms section of Frostheim. He's feeling apprehensive about whatever it is that Kamiyama is expecting him to do with Alan's body.

"They're real quiet aren't they?" Leo sits at Kamiyama's computer set-up, with his feet propped up on the desk. He messes with KY's artifact while he sits idle. He wonders if that idiot is actually gonna expose himself because of a temper tantrum. It would make his week if he did.

*Good news, they made it. Bad news, Tomo is so mad he's literally seconds from bursting a blood vessel. At the very, very, very least, he has enough common sense left in him to try the door first before enlisting Zero-in-Alan's help. He finds it unlocked, and promptly slams the door open, tosses Zero in, and slams it closed behind him. Locks it for good measure.* I'm going to end your goddamn life right this fucking second.

Leo spins to face him, not bothering to get up from his seat. "Wooow. You look really, really, mad. If only I could see that on your face." The vice-captain snaps the artifact shut and points the fan in a lackadaisical motion at Alan(Zero). "Damn, you actually pulled up. You gonna beat my ass for real this time? Oops. I mean KY's ass?"

Zero can't help but feel mildly disappointed at the reveal. He has no idea who the fuck he's looking at. Maybe Kamiyama hadn't been lying about not being a ghoul. Hmm. He opens his mouth to respond to Leo but chooses not to. This is Kamiyama's situation to deal with. (edited)

*Seeing his stupid fucking dumb face and Leo's stupid fucking dumb expression as he uses his stupid fucking dumb artefact is really genuinely too much. He takes a step forward, then glances to Zero and grimaces, mistaking his expression for something else.* Don't say a goddamn word. I get it. Not the first goddamn time I've heard it. *He then takes a deep breath and marches over to the trashcan, grabbing the letter and the photo and heading into the bathroom to flush them first. Should've done that when they arrived. Fuck, he's so stupid. Alright. That's those taken care of. Now, all thats' left is.... Well.* Leo fucking Kurosagi, you're the goddamn worst, and I hate you so fucking much. *He takes a couple of steps closer, undoes the bobby pins keeping Leo's, his, bangs up, and promptly slaps him across the face as hard as he possibly can on the left side. If it leaves a mark, only he will know.*

Zero visibly winces. If ever there was a moment to use Alan's body for its strength, now was the time. Leo or no Leo, He's not about to watch Kamiyama beat himself up. Literally. He steps up to Leo and Kamiyama and grabs Morgan's body, restraining him with a hold on his arms. "Whoa okay. Uhhh Kamiyama, probably not the way to go about this..."

Leo wasn't fully anticipating the slap. It was hard enough to jolt his head in the other direction and it stung, but it wasn't rattling by any stretch of the imagination. Based on Kamiyama(Morgan)’s flustered appearance, and the labored breathing that followed, he really put his all into it. Leo watches Alan(Zero) hold him back and restrict his arms, as Zero's new himbo voice tries to calm him down. It fully dawns on him that this is the first time he actually managed to get under the supposedly impenetrable student's skin. And he didn't even have to expose him to do it. “...Pfffffffftt.” The vice-captain stifles his laughter in the palm of his hand, his amusement only growing by the second. “Holy fuck, that's what all your rage amounted to?” Leo manages, his body shaking as his subdued laughter heightens beyond his control. “And… ahahaha... all I had to do was– pfffttt... throw out your fucking pipeline punch? Sell your s-shitty imaginary items? Send feet pics? Ahahaha…!” Tears spill from the corners of his eyes as he holds his stomach with his free hand. Leo's body nearly falls from the chair as he soaks up KY’s misery in all its glory.

*Ugh. If this body wasn't such a shitshow, if he could have been in Alan's body, that shit would've hurt. But he's not. And it evidently didn't. He struggles, and fails, to get out of Zero's grip, frustration mounting as he deals with the fact that he's getting more and more pissed off the longer he stays. Why did he think this was a good idea? Was it because of the fucking candy? God, he's gone way too fucking soft. He makes a mental note to stop that soon. It was almost like he was getting a friend. He shivered as he thought that, and struggled to free himself more.* God fucking dammit! Let me go! *Ahh. Leo's laughter seems to quiet him down. Holy shit, he's right. God, how could he be so fucking stupid? How can he be upset at all this? Tomo's head begins to pound again as he clenches his jaw and settles, eyes locked firmly onto the floor. It's just games. Just drinks. Just him. So why give a fuck? Everything in this room is worthless. Even the stupid fucking body in that chair. He lifts his head to sneer at Leo.* You're so fucking lucky I'm in this goddamn body and not Alan's, because I'd strangle you no fucking question. *He looks over to the computer and nods towards it.* How much damage did you do? Get rid of everything? Delete my whole fucking existence? You wanna know what the fuck that achieved? Literally fucking nothing. You're just a goddamn prick. I don't even give a fuck about that shit. *Despite his words, his eyes seem a lot more lifeless than before.*

Zero can practically feel Kamiyama's frustration radiating off of him as he keeps hold of his arms. He has an idea. It's not a great one, but it's an idea nonetheless. "Kamiyama... I can knock him out if you'd like. I won't fuck him up, but if you want him unconscious, I'll willing to do that."

Leo's laughter begins to die down after a while. For the moment, he ignores Zero's threat to respond to Kamiyama's accusations. "I didn't really do much beyond what I already told you. If it helps, I only deleted really old saves on your least played games, nothing major." Leo sighs ruefully. "This is funny, but it'd be waaay more satisfying if I managed this without the swap." Leo rests his chin on his palm and displays his signature pouty look. It probably looks way different on KY. "Aaaawh, you gonna cwy?" Leo opens up Kamiyama's phone to the camera app and points it at him, as if the waterworks were actually going to start pouring.

Take the fucking picture, it'll last longer. *God, knocking him out would be great. He twitched again ever so slightly and takes another deep breath, worried the smoke might come out again. It doesn't, thankfully.* Nah. Let me kick the shit out of him first. Then you can knock him out. Either way, I can't imagine whatever the fuck he did is any worse than whatever the fuck Taiga did to him. You sure chose a piece of fucking work to look after you, huh? You think your precious little body'll be okay? As fucking if. *It's just a fucking game. Least played game. Whatever. Whatever. He doesn't give a fuck. He really doesn't. The tears aren't even there. Definitely. Really. Not there.*

Zero sighs. Kamiyama has never been one to be reasoned with. He shifts Kamiyama so he's held in place with his left arm and with his right arm, fist balled, Zero clocks Leo with a hook that lands squarely on his jaw, knocking him out immediately. Only when he sees the slump of the body does Zero let Kamiyama go. (edited)

*Oh good. The moment Zero looks away Tomo blinks away anything that might've been gathering in his eyes. And then finally, when he's released from that fucking brick wall's grip, he promptly walks over to his own body and kicks it. A lot. God, he'll feel that in the morning, but he needs this at the moment. When he's finished he sits at his computer and motions for Zero to sit on the bed for a second. It's. Really a miracle Leo woke up on that bed, considering how unused it looks. First order of business is doxxing the fuck out of the dude who bought his legendary for pittance. Second order of business is doxxing the fuck out of the guy who bought feet pics. Third order of business is..... deleting a bunch of shit. Like a lot. Half the games he saw Leo touch, half the ones he saw Leo didn't touch. Changed all the passwords to everything, crinkled his nose, and looked down at the PC in disdain. He turns to Zero.* Need a new computer? And phone? You can have both. I'll wipe them clean for you so you won't have any bullshit on it.

Zero watches as Kamiyama kicks his own body. Ah... he probably should have seen that one coming. He blinks for a second, stunned by the offer. "Uh... sure, I guess. How much are you asking?"

Free. *It's not even a goddamn question. If Zero rejects the offer he's just throwing that shit off the roof of the school. Anything touched by Leo's hands, even if they were HIS hands, destroys any possible value associated. He'd just have to order a new goddamn computer and phone, and in the meantime, kill himself or something. At the very least he's decided he's spent way too long being himself lately.* You'll switch back to your body if you go to sleep, so get the fuck out of this room before then. I'll take them back to Hotarubi and get one of their bitchass demons to knock me out. *He looks down at his body and scowls, stands up, and promptly drags it into the bathroom before shutting the door. Whatever.* If you say a fucking word, I'll kill you. You won't have to worry about seeing me on campus. Just don't say a fucking thing about it to anyone, even Seiya.

He doesn't question Kamiyama's answer. What an odd guy. "Oh, uh. Sure okay. Thanks." He also most certainly does not envy Kamiyama having to make the walk back to Hotarubi and deal with Morgan's demons. "Yeah... good luck with that. And believe me. As far as I'm concerned, I'd like to forget this day ever happened." He has a weird thought. He pushes it aside but it persists. Ah fuck it. Kamiyama already hates him. He can't imagine the guy can hate him any more than he currently does. He gives Kamiyama-as-Morgan an awkward hug. "Listen. I know you 'don't give a fuck' or whatever but, it sucks being a ghoul. Like 99.99% of the time. I can't blame you for wanting to hide." He opens his mouth to say more, but quickly clamps it shut, knowing he's probably going to be the next target of one of Kamiyama's kicks for the stunt he just pulled. He gathers the computer and peripherals with ease in Alan's arms and walks out the door without a second glance to Kamiyama, shutting it behind him.

*He immediately tenses up at the hug and tries to push him away, relaxing only when he hears the door shut behind him. Jesus fucking christ. He's really, really fucked up. Like big time. A hug. A fucking hug. .....* I'm not ashamed of being a fucking ghoul. *He wishes he could've used his stigma to figure out what the fuck Zero was thinking hugging him. When he's been nothing but a dick this entire time. When he's TRIED to be a dick. His stupid fucking princess persona must be rubbing off on him. That's. That's probably why he did it. Because he was too much like him. Tomo clenches his jaw and forces down the nausea. Whatever. He doesn't care. He won't care. He logs out of Morgan's account and into his. Deletes it. Deletes the backups too. And then he shrinks his artefact back onto its chain, slides it under the bathroom door, and pulls out the general use artefact. Pick a place within Darkwick's borders and go there once every 24 hours. Useless as fuck, but handy for him. He supposes his stupid fucking princess persona is good for something. He activates the artefact and opens his door into Morgan's room.*

Jo's door is, in fact, unlocked.

Saki eventually decides to come pay Jo a visit. "Knock knock~"

Thank God, Jo had time for an extra shower. Her make-up and hair are already fixed up, but she's still in a silk bathrobe when the call comes from her door. Jo freezes at her wardrobe and glances down at herself. She knows what she said. She knows what she told Zero. But was she really ready for, well, any of this? There's a few good reasons Jo avoids dates in general. And this?? Bloody hell. "One second," Jo calls out softly. Any louder, her voice might shake. She tightens the rope around her waist and opens the door. "Miyazaki Saki? Welcome to my little corner of winter, darlin'. Come in."

Saki's eyes immediately drifted downwards at Jo's bathrobe. She bats her eyelashes and give a flirtatious wink "Oh my~ I didn't expect you to want to move this fast." She steps into the room and starts scanning her surroundings.

Jo actually blushes. The bathrobe was not intentional, she meant to find something suitably nice to wear. "We don't have to move any faster than you want to," she assures Saki, closing the door gently behind her. "Make yourself comfortable." Jo's room is tastefully decorated and elegant. She keeps seashells on her windowsill, beautiful glass perfume bottles are neatly arranged on the vanity, and Parisian art hangs by her bed of silk sheets and thick layers. Her surfboard leans against the side of her wardrobe. Surprisingly, her desk is full of books.

She scoffs a little. "I'm no stranger to one-night stands~" She looks around, eyes landing on the surfboard for a second before she decides to make herself comfortable on Jo's bed. "Seiya mentioned that you guys went surfing, once. How many times did he fall in the water?"

And Jo is a total stranger to one-night stands. Dammit, Zero. She watches Saki situate herself on her bed. "He told you about that?" Jo asks with a little smile. "Uh, a lot, actually. I lost count. Seiya seemed to be having fun though." Between his bouts of sulking. Get it together, Waker, she thinks before daintily sitting beside Saki on the bed. Jo reaches out, her finger guiding Saki's chin to face her. "I've heard you two are close. Did you miss him when he left for the academy?"

Saki looked up at her, batting her eyes innocently and sniffling. "I diddd, I used to see him everyday until he moved into the dorms here..." She jokingly wipes an imaginary tear from her eye before smiling. "But I also see him almost every weekend. Text him almost everyday too but, obviously, gotta worry about education and shit." She tilts her head. "Buuuut I basically know allllmost everything he knows. Except for the ghouls and anomaly shit. Had to learn about that when I got here. It also looks like he was keeping some sort of drama from me based on what happened on WickHive earlier..."

Jo's smile widens a bit at Saki's theatrics. All the playfulness put her further at ease, to the point where she almost forgot why she'd invited the woman to her room. "Hm, well, Seiya's drama is none of my business. There's plenty he doesn't talk about." But Zero does. As if I'm giving up that information so easily. Jo's fingertips graze the curve of Saki's neck, almost absently. She likes Romeo. She likes Romeo a lot. But he hadn't made any moves and Jo could admit to herself she was going mad over it. Letting herself indulge in a pretty woman's company was okay for a once-off. Right? "Why don't you forget about Seiya, just for a little while?" Jo glances up from where she was tracing Saki's skin, opal eyes glinting with dark greys, blues, and soft fiery red. "Just for tonight."

Saki smirks as she kicks off her shoes. She sits on her knees when she faces Jo, opening her legs teasingly. "What do you think I've been doing for the past two years~?" She slowly rolls down a stocking, watching Jo's face carefully to gauge her reaction.

Jo's irises seem to darken with the contrast of her widened pupils. It's always more noticeable on her pale eyes. Embarrassing, usually. But how can she help it when Saki widens her legs like that and rolls down her stocking? Jo swallows, hard. "I'm... I only wore this," she says, meaning her robe. She hasn't got as much to undress, and so Jo doesn't touch anything in herself yet.

Saki's eyelids lowered and she tilts her head to the side. "Hmm~? Undress me instead then~" She rolls the stocking down her thigh before lifting her knee and taking it off completely. She sits back down and leans back, looking at Jo expectantly.

Jo's in deep shit. Fuck. Okay, she can do this. She shifts closer to Saki, helping guide off her uniform jacket and vest. Jo eyes the small scarf wrapped around Saki's neck. "Did you want to keep that one on?"

"It's the school uniform tie." She pulls at the end of the tie and it undoes itself, "I just didn't feel like wearing it properly." She tosses it to the side and undoes the knot of her shirt.

Jo inhales sharply. Her gaze flicks up, meeting Saki's eyes. "You don't wear a lot of things the way you're supposed to," she says, but there's admiration there. "You look good that way." She's gentle in helping the unknotted shirt off. Then she traces the black lacy bra. "Is this okay?"

"I wouldn't be here if it wasn't." She tosses the shirt to the side. "Also just really fucking hate buttons. So tedious for no reason, we should normalize zippers." She scoots closer, pulling Jo closer by the knot of her bathrobe sash without undoing it.

Jo makes a faint, helpless sound when Saki pulls her closer. She almost has the ridiculous urge to fix up her robe to make sure everything's still decent. But the pull swayed her in dangerously close to Saki's face. Jo tilts her head. One of her hands has gone to Saki's shoulder to steady herself. Her eyes flit between Saki's lips and her eyes. "I've... I've never..." It's too embarrassing to admit.

"You've never...?" Saki looked up at her and blinked innocently for a moment before her face drops into a an almost mocking expression. "Don't tell me you're a viiirgin~" She drags the word out in a teasing tone, like she was trying to embarass Jo further.

Jo blushes and she withdraws her hand from Saki's shoulder like she's been stung. "...I am. I don't let most people close enough for this sort of thing," she explains, quietly discontent. "But you're gorgeous and I'm tired of waiting for someone else to come along." Jo looks away and shifts to sit on the edge of the bed. "You can go, if you want. I'm not keeping you here if you don't want me now."

Saki laughs. "W-wait for real?? Pfft- haha, I was joking~ You were so bold too, all bark no bite huh? Hahaha~" She giggles for a bit more and takes a few breaths to calm herself. Scooting closer she sits behind Jo, pushing her long blonde curls to the side to expose more of her neck. "Don't worry~ I'll make sure your first time is the best night of your life~" Saki lightly kisses the shell of Jo's ear and continues a line from her jaw to her neck, tugging lightly at the sleeve of her bathrobe.

Jo's jaw clenches at the laughter and she resolutely stays still and silent. But then she becomes aware of Saki's weight on the mattress behind her. Jo's breath shudders as she exhales when her hair is brushed aside. Her neck feels too exposed. Yet, she doesn't want to cover it up. Heat crawls up her body at Saki's words. She gives a faint gasp when she feels the first kiss. And Jo, who never bares her throat to anyone, tilts her head aside to give Saki more access to her jaw and neck as the kisses trail down. Jo gives up on decency and lets Saki draw her sleeve down, helping it off so her scarred shoulder and arm is bare. The Frostheim air is cold on her bare breast too. "S-sorry about the... the scars," Jo murmurs. "I used to be prettier to look at."

"Hm? Why're you apologizing? I think it's hot." Saki traces a finger along the scar on her shoulder. "I see unmarked skin all the time, a little variation is exciting. Especially..." She lowers herself so she can trail her pierced tongue along Jo's shoulder, "...when I can inflict it." She lightly bites on the area between Jo's neck and shoulder, waiting for a sound of approval before she tries to leave a mark.

Jo shivers as Saki's fingers runs along the closest scar on her shoulder. A small, faintly surprised sound slips out at the long lick. Her hand goes up to sink her fingers into Saki's hair, holding her close as her teeth lightly pinch down at the base of her neck. "Mnh... you can do harder than that."

Zero stares down at his phone. Maybe he'd been a little too jokey with Kamiyama... He'd been trying to deflect his emotions about being outed and had instead tried to get at the heart of why Kamiyama had done it. but now, looking at the words frostheim. now. he wasn't sure it was the best idea

2:29 PM

He replied to Kamiyama but stayed put in the secret passage where he'd been hiding out all night.

He swallows nervously. Maybe Kamiyama was right, he really was braindead. Oh well. He exits the passage and walks down the hall to Kamiyama's door and then counts down three more. He knocks on the door. (edited)

*There's silence for a moment, and then the door opens juuust enough for a hand to grab Zero and yank him inside. The door shuts behind him. It's dark, naturally, though the glow from the computer screen is enough to light the space to see. If the last room Tomo took residence in was bare, this was straight up empty. A desk, computer, blanket. Pillow. The essentials. Tomo stared at Zero, though it was hard to tell with all the hair in his eyes. The Princess of Frostheim is nowhere to be found.* You're so fucking stupid. You're an idiot. What the fuck is your problem? *He's so angry he's shaking. He takes a deep breath to compose himself and straightens up again.* I'll ask again, mon ami. Choose. Tomosei or KAMIYAMA.

Zero takes a deep breath. Fuck. He had read that whole conversation wrong. He had thought they were bantering. He hadn't meant to make him so angry. He considers the question briefly. Sure Tomosei was nice, but he was... off putting. In the same way a wax figure looks real at first glance but starts to seem fake upon closer inspection. But then there was Kamiyama. He was abrasive at the best of times, but at least he was honest. And outing Zero last night was sort of forcing him to confront an issue he'd been trying to hide for a while. But why did he have to choose? That wasn't really Zero's place. "Why don't you choose? Why is it so important that I pick one?"

*He recoils before Zero even asks the question, taking a few steps away. Really? Why? God, he was stupid. So fucking stupid. Why. Tomo clenches his fists and then unclenches them as if he can't decide what to do. He resists the urge to twitch, but he does anyway, and turns away. Deep breath. In and out.* The fuck you mean by that? Huh? It's a simple fucking question. Choose. You can't have both. One or the goddamn other. Are you so fucking stupid you don't understand that? It's simple. You have prefereces, don't you? Your fucking boytoy, your friends, fucking any other goddamn thing in the world, they're choices. Things that make you happy, things that piss you off. Like how you piss me the fuck off. So... *He turns around again. Searches Zero's thoughts.* Choose. Shitty fucking princess or asshole online. Which do you prefer?

Zero sighs. It occurs to him that he's being hypocritical. Implying that neither or both is fine. It's not like Zero afforded himself the same sympathy. He was desperately trying to scrub his ledger of the blood that would always seem to stain those pages. He didn't want Zero and Kōji to exist simultaneously, and continuing to call himself Zero was a reminder to himself that he would always be an abhorrent person at his core. No matter how hard he had tried to bury it when he'd come to Darkwick. He doesn't understand what has driven Kamiyama to this point, but he can sympathize with warring identities. So what if he did pick? Which persona would he choose? Again, it felt wrong. But he knows he's not getting away without answering. He thinks he prefers someone who speaks their mind. Working at the lounge had meant interacting with patrons that reminded him a lot of Tomosei. Saccharine-sweet. Laced with false-morality. Kamiyama sometimes rubbed him the wrong way, but at least he knew the guy wouldn't bullshit him. After all, He'd helped Zero with securing his digital devices when he'd asked. Sure it had been interspersed with name-calling and derision, but he had helped, and genuinely so. Well that was probably his answer. No sense in mincing words. "I prefer Kamiyama." (edited)

*Kamiyama. Kamiyama, and he's not even lying about it. Kamiyama and it's the honest fucking truth, and it's coming from this fucking idiot, in the flesh, even after everything. He yanks on his hair sharply and uses the motion to go into a crouch. He's trembling again.* You're so fucking stupid! You're such a fucking idiot! You're goddamn braindead! Asshole! Motherfucker! You're worse than a dog! You're worse than me! Do you know how fucking awful you have to be for that?! Holy shit! *Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid! Stupid fucking Zero! Stupid fucking idiot!* Why the fuck isn't it enough for you, huh? Why the fuck do you insist on this..... this bullshit! Sympathy is fucking stupid. We're different. Your goddamn stupid fucking whatever bullshit identity issues are different. You're really fucking stupid, you know that? You think you're a piece of shit? You think that's what people think of you? Holy fuck. Holy fuck, Kōji. *He's angrier than he had been when Leo was in his own body. He doesn't know what to do with himself. He stands and steps forward again to jab a finger into Zero's chest. Kōji's chest.* You chose wrong. Choose again. For real. Don't be a fucking idiot.

Kamiyama's reaction hits him with a pang. In Zero's mind, Kamiyama isn't wrong. Zero is worse. But Kamiyama doesn't know that. "No, no, no. What do you mean my 'identity issues?' I never said—" He hadn't said anything. He sure as hell had thought it though. Oh. That's why he'd wanted to meet in person. "Can you read my thoughts? If you can, then why do you keep asking which one I choose? You should know I'm not lying." (edited)

Because you're fucking insufferable! Why the fuck is that your choice?! Can't you just choose the right fucking thing for once? *He snarls, and then steps back. Every time he jerks he takes another deep breath. Tugs on his hair again. Calms himself. It doesn't fucking matter. It doesn't. It does.* You are, the only fucking one, *his voice is barely above a whisper.* The only fucking one, who has made that stupid fucking choice. The only fucking one. Why? *Tomo's head is killing him. He wishes his computer would shut off and get rid of the light. It won't. He knows it won't.* Why the fuck are you choosing something so fucking worthless over and over and over and over? Why isn't he enough for you! I don't fucking get it!

Zero takes a step toward him. "Because you're enough as you are. Has no one ever told you that?" He believes what he's saying. Kamiyama's personality was... unique. But it didn't make him worthless. "I dunno what all you gathered from my thoughts, but I've done some things I'm not proud of. A friend of mine recently told me that they don't make me irredeemable though. If that's the case for an idiot like me, it's almost certainly the case for someone of your talents."

*Has anyone ever told him that? Anyone at all? He wracks his brain, and then, in spite of himself, laughs. Sharply.* How the fuck do you think I should answer, huh? The fuck do you think I am? You think I'm fucking stupid? There is only one goddamn person in the whole fucking world that matters to me. He's enough for her. *Does it answer the question? No, he knows it doesn't. Because Zero doesn't mean him. He means Tomosei. KAMIYAMA. Whatever the fuck, whoever the fuck. But it doesn't matter.* To be irredeemable, you have to be something. You get that, don't you? Maybe you're a piece of shit. Maybe you're the fucking worst. Maybe you're Leo fucking Kurosagi. Redeemable, irredeemable, who gives a fuck! You have to be something. *This was a mistake. It was a mistake and now it's too late to stop it.* I'm not irredeemable. I'm not redeemable. Do you get it yet? Can you understand how fucking stupid you're being? *He points to the door, to the rest of Frostheim,* Tomosei. *To his computer,* KAMIYAMA. *To himself,* Nothing.

The corners of his lips twitch. "Mmhmm. And you're saying that to a guy that still calls himself Zero." Zero. Nothing. Something clicks for Zero in that moment. The ever-present reminder of the true origin of his nickname. The world around Zero seemed to blur, the edges of his vision fading into a soft vignette of stillness. His fingers curl with the distant memory of something heavier, something colder. He brings his sight into alignment with the target. Zero inhaled deeply, the air filling his lungs with a quiet intensity. His heartbeat drummed in his ears, loud and persistent, a reminder of the stakes that seemed to be tethered to his every word. He steadied himself, the tension in his muscles taut but controlled. He can hear the words that would so often haunt his nightmares.

5:17 PM

“Steady hands come from a steady breath,” the man had said, low and measured. “Your body moves with every heartbeat, every breath. The only way to control that is to let go of everything—air, tension, doubt. Breathe out, hold, then take the shot.” As he exhaled, it was slow, deliberate—a practiced release of everything unnecessary. The rush of air emptied his lungs completely, leaving only the quiet void he needed. The tremble in his hands disappeared, his focus sharpening to a single, razor-thin line between him and person before him that felt impossibly distant. With the last dregs of air, Zero whispered his incantation with a deliberate intention he hadn't used in over two years. "Salfuro." The world was silent now, time slowing in those last few moments. In his mind's eye. his finger brushed the trigger, not pulling but waiting—waiting for that fleeting, perfect second where everything aligned. "You are someone worth caring for. Regardless of how you are perceived by others. You are worthy of love. You can exist for yourself and others simultaneously." And then, with a soft click and the sharp crack of a shot, he fired. "You are not nothing."

*You are not nothing. The wind is knocked out of him. Forced out of him. He's on his knees. Tugging at his hair. Ripping at it. His head hurts so bad he wishes he was dead. He should be. He is.* I... *His voice cracks into something resembling the persona he's held all this time. The princess. He tries again. I. It doesn't get much farther. The Doctrine of Anomalous Reciprocity states that all actions upon the spiritual or anomalous plane invoke a proportional reaction upon the material plane. The usage of a stigma, anomalous in nature, thereby invokes a physical reaction. Tomosei jerks, limbs disobeying his command as he tries to reign them in, tries to do something other than shiver on the floor. Zero's stigma lands like it's a real bullet, like his heart has just been pierced. What were the chances before? Zero? Less than zero? Why? Why couldn’t it have been you? Why did it have to be him? Thank god. Thank god it wasn't you. Thank god... He's screaming before he realises it, and crying before he realises that. He's glad his room has been soundproofed. He's glad it's contained to the dark, to the two of them, to nothing. It's a horrible and wretched sound from a horrible and wretched man. His head hurts. It hurts. But it doesn't hurt forever. He tugs sharply and sucks in a breath. Chokes on it. Does anything to get himself to shut up, to calm, to realise it doesn't matter. He believes Zero. But it doesn't matter.* She's not... She's not happy when it's me. *His voice is shaky and shuddering and he curls in on himself to keep his body from doing the same. It aches. He's tired.* I don't know who I am if I'm not him. If I'm not... *He shuts his eyes tightly and takes a deep breath again. It's different from the ones Zero took. He isn't letting it go. He's bottling it back in. He shudders violently.*

5:50 PM

Tomosei exists for her. KAMIYAMA exists for me. I exist because I have to. Because I won't take another fucking thing from her. I won't. *Another deep breath. He steadies. It doesn't matter. It doesn't. It will never matter, because it was his job to keep him safe, and he failed every step of the goddamn way. Because he has found the way to atone. Because he learned how to make her happy. Tomosei stands and wipes his eyes, turns from Zero, clenches his fists so hard he's sure pricks of blood are forming in the crescent indents.* .... Get out.

Zero doesn't move. Not voluntarily anyway. He never could after taking the shot. The simultaneous exertion of all his senses in tandem with his stigma made it nearly impossible to move in the way he wanted to. Every scar that riddled his body was on fire like they had been when the wounds were torn into him the night of his accident. That was the cost he incurred for using the incantation. A searing reminder of the odds he had defied all those years ago. He doubles over, gasping. He distantly registers what Kamiyama says. She.... She... He doesn't hear the command to leave. Clutching his sides and kneeling on the floor, he manages to choke out something that sounds like, "Who is... she." It's not even a question. He doesn't know what he would do with the answer. Only that saying those words tethers him to the conversation at hand.

*He'd care if he was Tomosei. He wouldn't if he was KAMIYAMA. When he realises Zero isn't leaving he whirls around to yell again, to kick him out, to punch and bite and claw if necessary, but Zero looks worse than he does now, and his world feels underwater. Like his movements were trailing behind him.* You look like shit. *It's not an answer, but it wasn't a question, so it's even. Zero looks horrible. Looks like Tomo feels. So he retreats into the bathroom for a moment and returns with a bottle, tosses it to Zero, scowls. Anomalous pain medication. Half full.* Two. No more. No less. Two. *And then, quietly,* ... Our mother. My mother. It's not important.

Zero tries to catch the bottle, but misses by a longshot. A bit too long to be caused merely by the pain searing across his body. The bottle rolls on the floor and he palms after it, finally snagging it on the third go. Zero fumbles with the cap, his fingers trembling and curling as though the thin stripes of muscle within them had atrophied completely. "It's important... to me." He replies, eyes fixed on the bottle.

*He doesn't know how to help. He doesn't know anything. He knows he's sorry, though. It's his fault Zero used his stigma. He clenches his jaw and crouches down to help.* ... You're just like him. *He doesn't look at Zero as he unscrews the cap and shakes out two pills.* I don't have water. They're fine to swallow without. I'll... figure something out if you need it. *God, what is he doing? Why isn't he kicking him out? Playing pretend? Why does he have to do this?* Marito said the same shit. Stupid of him. He even said the same stupid, 'one is better than none' shit you do. So stupid. He was so stupid.

He takes the pills and swallows them. It's impossibly hard to think through the pain. It always was. "I'm... like who? Mar—" The name is interrupted by a pained noise as he clutches his eye. Zero fights to stay present. "You said... was."

*Tomo takes a deep breath and stands again to retrieve his phone. He sets a timer and sits back down in front of Zero, eyeing him carefully.* It'll go off when they kick in. Keep your ass on the floor 'till then. *He eyes him wearily and watches for what sort of symptoms he's having. It's not what he's used to. He's a bit lost. But he knows how to wait for shit to kick in, so he persists on. Whatever. Zero's made his choice, even if Tomo thinks it's stupid. He looks away.* It was forever ago. Stupid accident.... my fault. So fucking stupid. *He falls silent for a second and sighs. Tries to stay tethered. Zero's worse off than he is. He takes a deep breath again.* .... He was the better of the two of us. Good at kissing ass, mostly because he always meant the shit he said. Gave people a chance even if they were shitty, especially if they were shitty. Never liked cutting his hair, so I'd always have to braid it for him in the morning, and it was a huge fucking pain in the ass. Not that I ever told him. I might've been jealous of it. Orange. Easy to do shit with. Not like mine.

Zero doesn't protest. He couldn't stand even if he wanted to right then. His hand remains pressed to his eye as he stares at the floor. "Sounds... like a princess..."

Ha! He was a shitty fucking princess. But.... yeah. *Tomo stared at Zero with a frown, trying to make sure he was okay. Well, as okay as he could be given the circumstances. Whatever that might mean.* Probably would've been a student here for real. General admissions. Would've suited him. Probably would've tutored a bunch of stupid fucks. Ones who can't read and are annoying and stubborn as hell. *He shrugs.* Ones with stupid fucking nicknames, like a number or some shit.

For a brief moment, Zero is blessed with a moment of clarity through the pain, was he... making a joke? Zero looks up at Kamiyama and tries his absolute best to give him a smile. He succeeds somewhat, but it's clearly a pained effort. "Man... he sounds... obnoxious... " He probably shouldn't be trying to use sarcasm when he could barely get words out. But Zero never knew when to stop. "What... happened."

*He matches Zero's smile with a frown.* Don't smile, asshole. Just focus on not shitting yourself or whatever. *Tomo... expected the question. He withdraws into himself a little, pulling his knees up to his chest. It's hard to see his face anymore between his posture and hair.* ..... It's so fucking stupid. He didn't take his medication—I didn't remind him—and... he was always fine up there before. He was fine, until I said some stupid fucking joke, some stupid whatever the fuck, and... *His hands find their way bak to his hair. He tugged.* Cataplexy's a bitch. Couldn't grab him in time. The doctors... said it probably didn't hurt at least. Was quick. Instant.

His collar and necktie suddenly feel too tight. He claws at his neck. Or at least tries to with his curled fingers. The coroner's report had said DOA. Suspected falling asleep at the wheel. She never had finished the drink. Only took a sip and passed it on. "Not... your fault." How could it have been? Tomo wouldn't have known he hadn't taken the medication until it was too late. "Instant... is good. Better that way." Damn his fucking tie. Damn his weak fucking fingers. Damn his insistence on keeping all the ink covered. "Balcony... or roof." (edited)

It was. *'My fault', or 'better that way', both surely work. His fault. Better to be instantly. He reaches out with a trembling hand and swats Zero's away from his tie, uncurling to focus on the task that could help. He loosens the tie with less ease than desired, but more than Zero could've hoped for.* Tree. Maple. We always climbed it together. I wanted us to. *His fault. His mistake, his suggestion, his stupid joke.* God, you look like shit still.

"He was... happy then. When... it happened." His nerves were screaming. The pain was always worst in his hands and behind his eye. Fuck, he hoped those pain meds would kick in soon. "Feel... like shit. My fault."

*He can't muster a reply. It was the first time someone had said something like that to him. He sighs and flicks Zero on the forehead. Hard, but not devastating.* Fucking idiot. *He looks over at the timer. The meds should kick in any second now.* You're thinking about something. What? *His own stigma had long since been deactivated, but he can't bring himself to use it again. Not when his head already pounded with a sharp pain.*

Zero doesn't register the flick. He's lost to the sensation of the pain across his torso slowly ebbing away. Much of the tension in his body visually starts to loosen. He doesn't know exactly how Kamiyama's stigma works, but he assumes it won't do him any good to lie. "You said I looked like shit. I said I feel like shit. But that's my own fault. You didn't tell me to use my stigma. That choice was all my own." His sentences are disjointed, but at least he's able to get more words out now. He keeps a hand clasped to his eye. Anomalous meds or not, it was always the last section of pain to fade. (edited)

*Tomosei watched him carefully until he was sure Zero wouldn't suddenly keel over before backing away. They both look like shit, he guesses.* Still used it for someone else. Still means it's also their fault. *You are not nothing. Zero's words rang in his head. He reached for the bottle himself and took one pill, returning it to the bathroom after.* Guess that answers your stupid fucking assignment, huh? Pain medication. Who would've thought. *He lets an awkward silence fall between them as he stares at Zero.* If you still feel like shit in a little bit, go see Nicolas. And... *He points at Zero's eye.* Tell me why that shit seems to hurt the most.

Zero doesn't argue. He's done enough convincing for one day. If Kamiyama wants to believe he's to blame for Zero's stigma, he'll have to prove him wrong another day. "Yeah I'll pass on seeing a doctor, but thanks for the meds." He sighs. "Wish I could tell you. I think it's because turned my head to look at my mom. Drove whatever metal shrapnel bitch in further than it would have been." He doesn't think through the fact that none of that would have made a lot of sense to Kamiyama without context. "You don't have any saline solution, do you?"

*He cringes at the description and brings a hand up to his own eye in sympthy. Fucking ow.* Fucking christ, dude. Not that I get it, since that was the vaguest fucking response you could've given, but.... *He didn't really have an ending to the sentence, so he headed back into the bathroom to check. Nothing. He sighed.* ... nah. There's a first aid kit in the shitty princess's room though. Probably have some there. I can grab it for you.

Zero shakes his head. "No it's okay. I can take care of it later. The pain's mostly in my head anyways." Ah, right. Kamiyama would've had no idea what he was talking about. "Car accident. Thirteen. Took out my eye and fucked up some other stuff. S'why I'm shit at reading. Part of the reason anyways. Usually I manage okay, but using my stigma... I mean really using my stigma, makes all the pain flare up pretty bad. Anyways. Um. Sorry for taking up so much of your time." He struggles to stand but manages to get up. His legs are shaking.

puts a cookie on Jo's desk before disappearing

Jo came back to her room after her usual workout and went to go shower. She spotted a lone cookie on her desk when she emerged from her bathroom in a towel. Her stomach growled. She has no idea how it got there, but her snack stock is empty and she's so hungry she could eat a horse. Jo picks up the cookie, gives it a wary little sniff test before shrugging and taking a bite out of it. The rest of it's gone in just a few seconds. Weird... why's her heart all fluttery and light? She just came back from a workout but now she feels like a walk. As soon as she's dressed in her usual finest, Jo leaves her dorm in search of something unknown.

(Sorry for the awkward late reply 02_SORRY

)

All pain is in your goddamn head. *Zero's explanation only worsened his expression as he listened. God, he's such a dick. Really a top tier asshole. And Zero still chose him?* .... Fuck you. *He says it as though it means something different than his usual insult. Without hesitation Tomosei wraps one of Zero's arms around his shoulder, helping to support Zero's weight so the other wouldn't fall.* How the fuck have you managed to stay alive in this shithole for so long? Holy shit. *He refuses to look at Zero as he forces him over towards the desk. He picks up the same artefact he always uses to leave.* Stop trying to do shit on your own, stupid motherfucker. Ask for an audiobook or whatever the fuck. Text to speech exists! Get some accommodations you dog ass motherfucker. *He assumes Zero intends to go back to his dorm, but he instead connects the door to the infirmary.* Saline solution, pain meds, a goddamn shitty ass bed to rest under medical supervision to make sure you didn't fuck up that sad ass brain of yours even more from using your stupid fucking stigma. *It sounds less like a suggestion and more like a demand.* If I hear a goddamn fucking word that you died from stupid fucking internal bleeding or some shit Kōji, I swear to god I'll kill you myself.

Zero feels nauseous at the thought of going to the infirmary, but he knows Kamiyama is right. He should get checked out. "Stayed alive because of friends like you, I suppose." He gives him a half smile. Man, sure sounded like the guy was dangerously close to caring. "If I die... you'll kill me...? Promise?" Then the smile dies, turning into something more serious. "Am I gonna get to see you again? Or did I ruin it all? ...I still have that obnoxiously sour American candy for you." He was stalling a bit. He really didn't want to go to the infirmary. But he also still cared about Kamiyama. That's how this whole thing had started.

We're not— *Friends? Tomosei can't seem to finish that thought. Instead, he shakes his head and tugs Zero into the infirmary, making sure there wasn't anyone looking as he did so. The door shut behind them, because though he couldn't see into Zero's thoughts, he didn't trust he'd stay unless there was somebody there. Stubborn bitch.* I don't promise a damn thing. *At Zero's next set of questions he glances over and finds something unreadable, and debates using his stigma to figure out what the fuck is going through his mind, but Tomosei knows it'd be useless anyway, because he had used it before and still couldn't figure it out. So instead, he answers truthfully.* .... You can see the shitty princess whenever. Or the asshole online. He'll probably stop being a dick to you and your boytoy. Not the other bitches though. *He shrugs,* If you want to see me for some fucking reason... *He looks away as he sets Zero on a bed and waves Nicolas over, whose expression shifts from surprised to concerned to relieved and back to concerned.* I guess you can. If you text first. And don't use your stupid fucking stigma again. And bring the candy. And an energy drink. And a five hour energy. *He starts to make the gesture for a pinky promise but quickly shoves his hands into his pockets as he stared at the wall.* Seems like a pain in the ass though. I'd just tell that asshole to fuck off.

Zero gives him a genuine smile. "Eh, how about we settle for a mutual 'fuck you' ?" He lifts his hand, middle finger extended. "I promise to text first. Who should I text though? Not sure which one feels right anymore."

*Tomo glances up as he hears Zero's remark and quickly looks down again, shoulders shaking. He's silent, and then he shakes more, and then,* Pfff.... fhahaha! *He almost doubles over. Almost. Luckily he has the awareness to remember they're in a public space and quickly reigns himself in, an amused yet genuine grin on his face.* Holy fuck, you really are stupid as hell. *He lifts his own hand, middle finger extended too.* And a pain in the goddamn ass. You know how hard it is to make a new goddamn account? Really the fucking worst. *He pauses.* I'll just convert one of my burners or some shit. So... if you don't pass the fuck away, I'll text.

Hearing him laugh makes Zero feel a little lighter. "You better. Because I tried one of those sour fuckers and there's no way I'm gonna be able to finish the bag." He entwines his middle finger with Tomosei's briefly before letting go. He gives Tomosei a pleading look. "Please don't tell anyone I'm in the infirmary. I don't want to have to explain that my stigma does actually work."

You just have a weak ass tongue. *He has to hold back another snicker as they entertwined their fingers, quickly shoving his hand back into his hoodie after. He looked around and shrugged, motioning to the largely empty room.* Your shitty secret's safe with me. The shitty doctor over there could probably keep a secret too. And... even if someone did ask why you're here, just lie. Who gives a fuck? Tell 'em you were picking shit up for me. Tomosei, Kamiyama, who gives a fuck which name you use. *He pulls out his phone and checks the time, clicking his tongue in annoyance.* You're such an asshole, Kōji. If I miss this raid event 'cause of your stupid ass bleeding heart I'll start a rumour you're best fucking friends with that freak ass professor on campus.

Zero looks like he might actually vomit. "Ok fuck, geez okay. Go get on to your event. If you start that rumor I might actually jump." He gives Tomosei one last smile. "Talk to you later."

Who the fuck wouldn't!? *Tomo grins and turns on his heels as Nicolas finally arrives to check Zero out, flipping him off again as he began to walk away.* See ya, shithead. I'll leave your fuckass Occult homework with Benkei when I finish it. *He darts out before Zero can reply.*

Jo looks up with blurred eyes from her phone to her door, lower lip wobbling. She drags herself to her feet and slumps against the door, not moving a hand to unlock it. "Go away, Zero. I said I didn't want to see you."

"I have lamingtons..."

There's a click of the lock and the door opens a crack so Jo's pale eye can peer out. It's red from crying.

"You have to let me in before I surrender the lamingtons, ok?"

"...you know I could beat you up, right?" she says sulkily.

"Would that make you feel better?"

11:50 PM

he pushes slightly on the door

Jo scowls and pushes back, shutting the door once again. She just stands there, pouting at the mental image of Zero on the other side.

"C'mon I'll let you get one free shot."

"I don't want to hit you, asshole, don't assume shit." It comes out weaker than Jo intended. "I'd never hit my best friend. You should know that," she adds, voice going shaky again.

"Hon, you said you could beat me up. I was just going along with it." He tries the handle and pushes the door to no avail. "Please Jo?"

"No." It comes out choked, and fresh tears fall. "Go be with your higher priorities." With that, she lifts her weight from the unlocked door and shuffles back to her bed, collapsing onto it and burying her face in the silk to muffle her sobs.

He tries the door again and walks in. He sets the bag with the lamingtons down on her desk and sits next to her on the bed. "I was in the infirmary most of the day. Unconscious. I used my stigma. When I really use it, and actually like, use it with intention, it's got a painful aftermath. I sent most of those texts to you from a hospital bed with an IV in my arm." He sighs. "I don't want people knowing I can actually use my stigma without fucking it up. I'm sorry I wasn't there to keep you from seeing Towa. I'm sure it was terrifying to realize after the fact that you did things outside of your control and that you weren't acting in your right mind. I hope you know I still love you Jo." He gets up and walks out, closing the door behind him.

You lied to me, she thinks as he speaks beside her. She doesn't look at him. Her sobs only calm so she can hear him better. Jo tenses up at Zero's apology, and hiccups into almost total silence. "I hope you know I still love you, Jo." And then he had the gall to just up and leave. Jo props herself up and looks owlishly back at the door. She glances at the lamingtons on her desk and then at her phone, seeing the texts come through, but even reading the previews of those is enough to spur her on out of bed. Not even bothering to throw on a coat, Jo rushes out the door in her pyjamas and runs after Zero. "Get back here, you fucker!" she calls out before tackling him into a hug with a pathetic, sorrowful sound. "I love you too."

He winces at the hug but hugs her back. "Go eat your lamingtons. I need to go study." He sighs. "I really am sorry about not being there for you yesterday." He's about to say "I promise it won't happen again." but something stops him. The demand of his time sticks like a thorn in his side. He can't place why he feels so upset that she wasn't more accepting that he was occupied yesterday. Jo was his friend, and she needed help. That was fine enough. But that's not what bothered him. It was the insistence. The way she'd messaged him like what had gone down was his fault. He'd done that dance before. It was an ugly feeling. "Get some rest ok? I owe you an outing or something tomorrow, promise." (edited)

Jo slowly draws back, eyes still wide and sad as she observes Zero while he speaks. He's saying all the right things. For the most part. He hugged her back. Why do things still feel... off? Jo tries for a smile. It probably doesn't look like much of one. "Okay." She crosses her arms over her chest, glancing around. It was probably a bit silly to come out here in her pyjamas. She supposes she just didn't like the feeling that she might lose Zero. Just like she didn't like being reminded she was always going to be someone's second thought. Second best. Second. Jo looks up at Zero with watery eyes but firms her lips into a line. He doesn't look so good... was that because of yesterday? Or... was it her fault? Maybe she'd said enough. "Okay... okay. Thank you for the..." Jo swallows thickly. "The lamingtons. That was really sweet of you to do." She kicks gently at the floor, an anxious move that Jo had never done in front of anybody here before. "Guess I'll be seeing you," Jo says with another attempt at a smile before walking back to her dorm, shoulders heavy with something she couldn't figure out. (edited)

Jo doesn't answer texts. Jo doesn't answer calls. Jo doesn't even answer her door or attend classes for an entire week. She's withdrawn into herself for no apparent reason since the day of the love spelled cookies and Zero's visit. The only times she emerges from the physical shell of her room are to creep down to the Frostheim kitchens at night to snatch food and stock up on drinks. Whenever she came across one of her housemates, she just told them she was sick and it was contagious. No one's sure what she's doing in her room all day. In truth, Jo divides her time between pacing the carpet, sleeping in a roll of blankets, scrubbing her skin squeaky clean in the shower, pouring over textbooks with far too much eyestrain, and staring out her window. She feels bad for blowing Zero off at the start of the week. She feels worse when she remembers that odd look in his eye when she last saw him. It's better to stay in here, she knows. Tucked away. At least, until she figures things out. Jo will figure it out; she always did. Vulnerability always made her feel like she had to throw up. The act of taking off her shell to bare herself in front of anyone was not something she was well-versed in. That wasn't how she was raised. Jo's brave until it's about her. Until she might have been the one to have fucked up. Until she has to face someone without a shelled mask. It's better to stay in here. Away from best friends who keep secrets, hook ups that couldn't care less, and loves and mistaken-loves that make her question everything about herself. It's safe in here. She's protected. So long as Jo keeps her shell on and doesn't face anyone.

When Jo returned from a healing visit to a poor, migraine-afflicted Zero, she collapsed onto her bed and opened up Wickhive. Then ensued a rather interesting string of discussions. Currently, she's sat up again and glaring at a particular text on her screen. "Not his type? I'm everybody's type unless they're gay men or cowards." Jo's scowl deepens as she looks incredulously out her window. "Not his type?" Not that she cares about Kamiyama. Still...

Carried on the wind from Jo's dorm room window is a frustrated scream of Kamiyama's name.

‍♂️

Jo answers the door the moment she hears Zero's footsteps outside. "Zerooo!" When she throws her arms around him, the sharply sweet scent of alcohol stains her breath.

It's a scent he knows well and despises from his days as a lounge pianist. He takes her by the shoulders and steers her to the bed "Sit." He shoves a bottle of water into her hand. "Drink." He looks around her room for the offending bottle

Jo promptly sits -- she has barely any balance to be doing otherwise. Her fingers feel clumsy around the bottle Zero gave her and she squints at it like the drink insulted her. From the open door of her bathroom, an empty bottle of whiskey and an upset glass can be seen sitting on the tiled floor. "Gross," Jo grumbles. "You gave me water."

He frowns. "You're gonna drink that whole thing and then you're going to bed and I'm gonna make sure that's what happens, got it? Where's your phone?"

Jo glances up, eyes glassy and wide as she takes in his frown. Instead of getting sad like usual as of late at the idea of upsetting Zero, she tilts her head and says, "You're sooo cute when you frown." She has to sound each word out carefully, which makes each one sound a little off when they roll from her slurring tongue. Holding up the water, Jo reappraises it before giving a shrug to Zero's words and drinking. When he asks about her phone, she lowers the bottle and sweeps her gaze around the room before pointing at her armchair. "Ov'there." Her phone sits on the cushion at an odd angle as if thrown carelessly, possibly when she got up to answer the door. Open on it are Wickhive and her personal chats with Saki, Kamiyama, and of course, Zero.

He retrieves the phone and powers it off. That's enough of that. He walks back over to Jo and climbs into her bed. He watches as she drinks the bottle of water. When she finishes, he pats his lap. "C'mere, lay down and I'll brush your hair till you fall asleep, ok?" He wanted to ask questions but he knew she wasn't in a state to do so. And would probably hate her answers come morning. This seemed like the best solution.

Jo tosses the empty water bottle aside with a drunken little smile. Her wide, owlish gaze blinks uncomprehendingly for a prolonged moment at Zero before his words seem to click. "Oh! Um, okay." Happily enough, she settles herself down with her head in Zero's lap, golden curls sprawled everywhere. Her eyelids begin to flutter with sleepiness almost immediately, though she doesn't drift off quite yet. "This is nice..." Jo hums. "Reminds me of... something..."

He runs his fingers through her hair, careful not to pull too hard or tangle anything. As he works, he hums to her. It's quiet and uncertain at first, but eventually he finds himself humming the wistful tune of Clair de Lune. What is he going to do with her? He cares so much and yet she's so independent. Where is the balance? He doesn't know.

Jo's eyes finally lay shut as Zero's fingers comb gentle paths through her curls. Carefully from the scalp and out, taking detours when the curls prove difficult to navigate, but maintaining the repetitive motion. This does remind her of something. Something very long ago, before all the sadness and rage. The taste of custard made on the stove, a warm body to lay on and light hands brushing and idly plaiting her hair, and the sound of the night outside filled with wintry winds that would bring frost in the morning. Someone's humming. She's not sure who it is anymore, someone from before or someone from now. But Jo leans into touch and warmth as she resettles herself and listens to the song. It sounds familiar. "Kōji," Jo mumbles as she stirs closer to consciousness again, briefly, "don't leave yet. Don't..." She doesn't get a chance to finish that sentence before she fully goes under, breathing slow and even.

Zero says until Jo's breathing settles into something calmer. And stays. He pulls out his phone and texts Tomo. It starts with banter and then shifts to something more serious. Jo's comment the other day about 'Love should be about knowing someone,' has him unsettled. Maybe he should text Seiya? He looks down at Jo. Jo would say to do it. To go for it, right? So he texts Seiya. It's late, he probably won't get a response until morning, but at least the message is sent. He stays with Jo until exhaustion pulls at the edges of his brain and he leans against her headboard to sleep. He dreams the same dreams he always does. Shifty alleyways, smoke filled parlors, blood soaking into velvet. He used to wake with a start, but it's been so long, they're less nightmare and more just standard programming now. He looks down at Jo, still sleeping soundly, head in his lap. And he stays. He stays until the first light streams through her frosty window and paints the room in sunrise. And stays. And stays. And stays.

Welp. That was another set of messages from Tomo without a single 'fuck.' Something was seriously wrong. Time to use the secret passage again. Zero makes his way to Frostheim using the dark passage that was becoming all too familiar to him again. He knocks on Tomo's door.

*He's insufferable. Truly insufferable. His security system alerted him to someone at his door, and of course it's this asshole, because he can't ever mind his own fucking business. Tomosei approaches from the end of the hall and nods his head in greeting.* ... Monsieur Yōgai. What brings you here today?

Of course it has to be this persona right now. He's not gonna get anywhere meaningful with Tomo now. "Ah... Hi Tomosei. I was coming to check on a friend. He wasn't acting like himself and it concerned me."

I am truly sorry to hear that. Perhaps it would be best for you to give him some space then, oui? *From the opposite end of the hallway, not quite in view, someone knocks on a door, panting, and asks, Is Tomosei Himeji here? No? Where can I find him? Tomo tenses. Looks at Zero. Panicks.* In. Now. *He unlocks the door and shoves Zero inside, closing it just as the figure rounds the corner. From inside the room, KAMIYAMA's computer displays sound and footage of the outside of the door, the camera hidden.*

Zero barely has time to process being shoved in the room until after it happens. Well. He can either press his ear to the door or sit comfortably in the chair at the desk with the display. Zero picks the latter and watches in silence as the scene unfolds.

Tomo! Holy shit, god, your room is so far, *Gen sprints the last few feet to Tomo's side and doubles over, panting heavily as though he had just run around the whole campus. And he did. He really, really should've gotten a a map.* Tomo, holy shit.... It's really you?

*Whatever panic there was before virtually disappears as Tomosei takes a step back. Takes a deep breath. Tries really, really hard not to run away as fast as he possibly can. He opens his mouth to speak and finds that, when Gen meets his eyes, he really can't say a thing. So he turns on his heels and stars to walk away. It doesn't work.*

Wait! Please, just wait. *He grabs onto Tomo's wrist instinctively, pushing his glasses up with his other hand. When Tomo turned to glare at him he let go, took a step back, and frowned. God. Now that he was here.... what to say? How have you been? Is this place nice? Are you making friends? No. He knows what he's here for. No point beating around the bush. That never helps anybody.* Why'd you break up with me?

*Of course it'd be that damn question. He didn't even have to use his stigma to know. He'd know what Gen is thinking without it no matter what. No matter how long its been.* Monsieur Ai, *he's cut off by Gen's expression getting worse, a quiet, We're not strangers, Tomo. C'mon, a sharp sigh. Gen. It.... wasn't your fault. It was.... the circumstances surrounding it was... *He can't form the words. He can't get it out, even as Gen watched, even as his hand twitched the way it always did when he wanted to hold Tomo's hand. Hold him. But Gen was always patient.*

Zero gasps and covers his mouth, staring at the screen. (edited)

Tomosei Himeji, you know how I felt about you. Feel about you. *He corrects himself immediately. Feels, not felt. How he feels about Tomo, because he's been driving himself crazy thinking about it, because he's been driving himself crazy trying to understand what he did wrong, what he could've done better. He'd do it, too. He'd do it for Tomo.* Tell me what I did. You didn't leave immediately, so it wasn't because you were coming here. It wasn't your parents, because I've met them, and you know how they feel about me. It wasn't because you caught feelings for somebody else or I caught feelings for somebody else, so what was it? *He's genuinely upset. Genuinely hurt. Tomosei broke up with him over text, suddenly, and blocked him without warning. Avoided him for the rest of the year. Left after that. Even when Gen tried his utmost best to figure out where he went wrong, he honest to god could not think of anything. So why?*

*Of course, it can't be that simple. It can't just be, I didn't like you anymore, because that's a lie, and they both know it. It can't be, You just aren't what I wanted, because that's a lie too. Tomo had always been able to read others' thoughts, but Gen could always read his, too. He took a shaky breath. He wants to say, it wasn't your fault. It wasn't anything you did. It was me. It was always me. Instead, he very slowly said,* Gen..... M-Monsieur Ai. It was not... you, but rather your.... the rumours surrounding you. *He struggled even now. Something wet dripped off his face and he realised, suddenly, that he was crying. Gen moved to wipe his tears away. Tomo let him.* There was news from somebody online that you.... were not as you seem. That you were different than who you claimed to be. I apologise. It scared me. That is why.

God, any ground he might've gained with Tomo was going to be completely lost after witnessing this conversation. Tomo was going to shut him out again and Zero couldn't even blame him. But that thought made him despair a little.

Bullshit. You're lying to me. You always call me my surname when you're deflecting. *He brushed his thumb against Tomo's cheeks, wiping away the tears as they fell. As he did this, despite himself, he chuckled softly.* God, you were always good at makeup. That shit stays on, even now, huh? Not sure why you even use it. But... it looks good on you. *He watched as Tomosei tensed and the tears began to fall faster, and he knew he said something wrong. This is going terribly. Really just awful.* Tomo... please, tell me. Please. I... I know you don't want to get back together with me. I get that. Just... *Gen slowly shut his eyes and took a deep breath.* If you don't care, if you were scared, why haven't you dyed your hair back?

Because. Because... *Because it's a wig? Because he can't? Because he's been lying to you this entire fucking time, been the guy you hate so much you can't even hear his name without your eye twitching, who you said is the worst person you've ever met? He can't say any of it. So he keeps his mouth shut. Tries to do anything other than tremble and cry. Tries to do anything other than push him away again, tell him it's over. Break his heart.* I'm sorry. I can't tell you, Gen. I'm sorry.

Zero feels an odd sense of jealousy. He'd just had the awkward convo with Seiya the night before and now he's hiding in Tomo's room watching Gen clearly fighting so hard for Tomosei. Fighting so hard to prove he cares.

*He takes in a deep breath and sighs. He should've expected this. Should've known. He presses his forehead against Tomo's and closes his eyes.* .... Fine. I'll wait for you. For you to be ready. I'm patient. *His thumb brushes against Tomo's lips as he speaks. He might not understand everything, or even some of it, but.,.. He'll wait. If Tomosei needs him to.* Whenever you're ready, call. Text. Find me. I don't care. I love you. I always have. No matter what.

Don't. *It's so quiet, he's sure nobody heard. Don't be patient. Don't wait. Don't love me.* ....... I'm K— *Kamiyama. He can't do it. This is a line he still can't cross. He brings his hands up to Gen's and chokes back another sob, shutting his own eyes tightly. He hates how gentle Gen is. How much he cares. He takes a shuddering breath and leans in, his lips brushing against Gen's cheek. It wasn't much. Tears sprung from Gen's eyes too.* .... I'm sorry. *It's a goodbye. Even now, Tomosei denies him what he wants. Even now he can't face the truth. He untangles himself from Gen's arms and gently lowers his sunglasses over his eyes. It's what Gen always did when he cried. He always believed in that stupid 'eyes are the windows to the soul' stuff. He watched as Gen took a deep breath. And then another, gathering his courage at Tomo's words. It hurts. Tomo wishes he could undo it all.*

Okay. *It's clear Tomo still has something to hide. Something he can't tell him. It hurts. It sucks, and it's unfair. He wants to yell. Get pissed. Say something mean and unfair, just so Tomo knows he's the guy he made up in his head, just so there was something to justify this hurt. But he doesn't. He just nods, hands Tomo a piece of paper with his number on it. WickChat ID.* Stay in touch, Tomo. I mean it. Even as friends. Especially as friends. *He nods his head and takes a few steps backwards, waiting to see if Tomo will tell him to stop. He doesn't. So he walks away.*

Zero stares at the screen in silence. And waits. Waits to see what Tomo is going to do. Waits for an idea of what the fuck he could possibly say to him. Just. Waits. For once in his life, Zero doesn't do anything. Doesn't jump the gun. Doesn't try to get ahead of what's going on. He just waits and stares at the screen.

*He watches as Gen leaves. Watches as he turns the corner. Watches as his figure disappears. And then, slowly, carefully, he opens his door and goes inside. Shuts it. Slides down to the floor and curls into a ball.* H-H-He.... *Tomosei chokes back a sob. His pitch rises and falls as if he can't decide who to be. Who he should be.* He grew his hair out.

He turns in the chair to face Tomo. He's not sure what the best move is here. He gets up and walks over to Tomo and sits on the floor next to him. Doesn't touch him. Just sits. And stays. It dawns on him that what he's doing is very similar to how Seiya reacted the night before. Just sitting and listening. He doesn't say anything. But in his head, he thinks, Oh. So Gen doesn't know all of Tomo. That must feel awful for Tomo.

*God. He's so fucking stupid. Security system. Of course. He buries his face into his arms and tries so, so hard to look like he's not crying. Like he's fine. Like Gen never mattered and never will matter. He can't do it, though. Any of it. He buries his face into his arms and takes the deepest breath he can. And then holds it.* ........ It's so much worse if they like you for someone you're not. Rather than fucking hating you for who you are.

Oh. Oh. That sounds a little too familiar. This is a terrible fucking idea. And Zero knows it. But per usual, he never knows when to quit. He reaches an arm around Tomo and pulls him closer into an awkward on the floor hug.

Fucking idiot, *Is he talking about himself? Zero? He doesn't know. Both. Neither. He tenses into the hug and tries to mumble out his incantation, failing to do so, and simply dissolving into quiet sobs. Fucking idiot, stupid, stupid, stupid.* I loved him. And I was a fucking coward. *He doesn't push Zero away, even still. He wants to. Wants to imagine he's hugging him as Tomosei. Or KAMIYAMA. Not both. Not neither. When was the last time someone had hugged him like that? He can't even remember.*

Zero's embrace tightens almost imperceptibly when Tomo says the word 'Coward.' What can he say? 'You're not a coward?' Not when he was still working through the consequences of his own cowardice. 'I understand?' No that was.. trite. He's struck by a different idea. "Do you want me to tell him?" He pretty sure he knows what the answer will be, but the question is genuine. He would do it for Tomo if he asked.

No. Never. *He doesn't want to lose Gen's perception of him. Lose Gen. He already knows how it'll go, how he'd respond, how betrayed he'd be. It'd be worse than never giving him a clear answer to begin with. But it doesn't make it hurt any less. He takes a deep breath. Holds. Pushes it all down. It's stupid, nothing can change it, it doesn't matter. Another deep breath brings him back to normal. He thinks about how stupid he looks. How stupid he feels.* .... Excuse me, Mons—Kōji. *He withdraws from the hug and scurries into the bathroom.*

Zero swallows hard as he lets go of Tomo. He knew that was a stupid thing to say. He stands and takes a few steps toward the bathroom but stops short of entering. "Tomo...?"

*He's quiet for a minute as he stares at himself in the mirror. Tomosei Himeji, princess of Frostheim stared back at him. Disheveled, eyes red and puffy, makeup holding strong despite it all. He sneered and turned away. He removed the stupid school blazer and tie and the stupid wig on his stupid head, and realised he doesn't have anything for the makeup, nor any clothes to change into, and gets mad at himself for not planning ahead. He stares at himself again. Not quite Tomosei. Not quite KAMIYAMA. Hair over his eyes, black and curly, unruly. Makeup covering the mark. He goes to open the door. He also stops short.* Why did you come? I'll use my stigma if I think you're bullshitting me, so just cut the shit from the get go.

It hadn't crossed his mind to lie to Tomo. Tomo was probably the only person at the school he hadn't lied to up to this point. "I came because I was worried about you. You weren't... yourself... in your messages. I wanted to make sure you were okay because..." Because the last time I didn't check in on a friend, they nearly drank themself to death? "Because you're important to me."

Why? *Tomo could accept that he was important to Zero--Well, could almost accept it. He's exaggerating, Tomo decides, but perhaps not lying. Important is relative too. But the issue of why continued to plague him. What had he done to earn it? What had he done to get this fucking dude to care so much about a dickhead like him? A poser like him? He twisted the doorknob and stopped short of opening it, looking back at his appearance in the mirror. He hated it. It was the worst parts of both sides.* I don't fucking understand you, Kōji. At least Gen was easy. You're nice, he's nice back. You're a dick, he's a dick back. But no matter how much of a fucking prick I am, you still insist on being nice. So what's your fucking angle? What do you want from me? How am I useful?

"I don't want anything from you. And you don't want anything from me. There's no pre-conceived notions or whatever bullshit. I don't need to have an angle. You're just you and I find that refreshing." He gingerly tests the door handle and finds it's unlocked. He pushes the door open and glances at Tomo briefly, taking in his disheveled appearance. "You're... I don't know..." He reaches into the pocket of his blazer and pulls out a silk handkerchief. It looks old, but clean and well cared for. "You're outwardly going through the same hell I feel like I'm constantly going through internally." He steps over to the sink and wets the silk in one corner. "I know that probably sounds like complete bullshit to you, and you're welcome to read my mind or whatever if that helps but..." He moves over to Tomo and starts to raise the handkerchief, but hesitates.

*He's tense and ready to run. Run where is a whole other issue he'll figure out if he has to, but for now, it's enough to just be ready. He doesn't expect Zero to open the door, or to pull out some stupid fucking handkerchief, or to approach him in the way he does. He feels like a caged rat. Distrustful. Worried. He'd use his stigma if he didn't think it would just confuse him further. Zero sounds too stupidly sincere for it to matter anyway, and Tomo has his limits. His head pounded from the encounter. The paper felt like stone in his pocket.* Thanks for saying I look like shit, *There's no venom in the words, but it's not exactly a joke either. It's just the truth of what he feels. He eyes the handkerchief warily and turns his head to the side, almost hiding the half of his face where the mark usually would be.* What? There shit on my face? Shouldn't be. This shit's stayed on through a lot more than a measly fucking cry session.

He takes a step back. "No.. I'm sorry that's not what I meant. You just... looked like you were trying to get out of the princess persona getup and I thought maybe... I thought..." He sighs and takes Tomo's hand placing the handkerchief in it before stepping back completely. "I'm sorry. I really wasn't trying to imply anything. I think you're beautiful. Princess or not." He awkwardly steps toward the door of the bathroom. God, why can he not do literally anything right this week?

You're so fucking stupid! *All that, for what? To say that shit? Tomo had half a mind to kick his ass, but he didn't, instead kicking the sink and letting out a sharp yelp of pain. Fuck. That was so stupid to have done. He glances at Zero and mutters out another string of curses, So fucking stupid, jesus fucking christ, you're the goddamn worst, how the fuck does anyone even stand you, as he slowly scrubs the makeup away from his face.* Your stupid fucking cloth is going to be ruined, by the way. Just so you know. *He's pointedly ignoring Zero's comment. Stupid. So fucking stupid. He's scowling the whole time, conflicted feelings being replaced with something more... relaxed. Angry, but relaxed.* That stupid fucking mouth of yours is going to get you into so much trouble one day, I swear to god. You're worse than I am.

Zero laughs, he honest to god laughs. He stops his attempt to exit and turns back to face Tomo. "I can get blood out of anything, you think a little bit of makeup is going to be an issue? Hardly." And then his laughter dies. "It used to get me in a lot of trouble, actually. But my track record at Darkwick has been pretty good all things considered." He watches as Tomo removes the makeup. "Better now? Even just a tiny bit?"

*He shoves the handkerchief back into Zero's chest when he's finished, turning to face him with a frown. His face was a bit red from the scrubbing, and in the interest of drying off his face, he pinned his bangs back against his head. He's him. Nobody else but him.* You don't get it, that shit's a motherfucker to get off. I could swim in the goddamn olympic pool and still look perfect. *He huffs and gently kicks Zero's shins. Gently. There's no real malice in it at all, just a little annoyance. And then..... silence. For a long while. And then,* You really don't have a damn fucking thing to say? About any of it? You might be the least nosy bastard on the planet. Holy shit, Kōji.

Zero folds the handkerchief and places it back into his pocket. "What is there to say? You didn't ask for my opinion, so I'm not gonna insert it where it's not wanted. I figure if you want to talk about it you can. Obviously it wasn't a conversation meant for my ears." That much Zero was good at. His former occupation put him in many positions to eavesdrop and he learned quickly that it was best policy to keep things quiet if the other party didn't mention it.

*He narrows his eyes as if scanning Zero's eyes for any indication that he's lying or joking or being anything but sincere, and of course he finds nothing. He's sure his stigma would find nothing too.* ........ Gentaro Ai. Ex-boyfriend. Knows about the shitty princess and online asshole, but not that it's both. *It's all stuff Zero already knows. Stuff he's already admitted to in some way.* At least you and your boytoy kiss. Couldn't even give him that. *And that's that. Tomo pushes past Zero and walks back out into his room, scowls at the fact that he still has to wear his shitty uniform. Whatever. It's not the worst.* I'm sure I don't have to tell you not to say a goddamn word, but I mean it this time. He's nobody. Doesn't matter. Even if... Even if you told him, or I told him, or fucking, Satan himself told him, it wouldn't matter. All ends the same. (edited)

Zero sucks in a breath trying to block out the odd image of Tomo kissing.... someone. It summons some odd feelings that he quickly compartmentalizes and shoves away. A different feeling takes its place. Frustration. Confusion. "So what, you're fine telling me to confess my shitty fucking background to Seiya but you're somehow immune to the same advice?"

*He squints a little. Stares. Tries to figure out how the fuck Zero managed to take that whole interaction and end with, 'It's okay to Tomosei that he does this, but I can't.' He wants to be mad. He is mad, but really, he's just.... He couldn't describe it if he tried. So he settles on mad, because it's easy and it's what he knows.* Yeah, that's exactly what I fucking mean. I'm a fucking hypocrite, don't you know that already? And here I thought you could use your fucking brain for once. *He doesn't look at Zero as he says it. He knows it's shitty. But there's a difference between the two of them.* You wanna know why the fuck I won't tell him? It's simple. Because I'm not fucking changing. I haven't changed, won't change, can't change. You, however, are stupid, and you try to ruin fucking everything you touch for some goddamn reason. And you've changed since then. You've become a stupid fucking kicked puppy ass motherfucker, who I don't think anybody could stay mad at for too long without feeling like a piece of shit.

He chews the inside of his lip, unsure of how to respond. But something about the vitriol gets to him this time. Normally, he just writes it off as Tomo's own special brand of care but part of that tirade sticks in him like a knife. 'You try to ruin everything you touch.' *That hurts in a way Zero doesn't want to name. But maybe Tomo is right. You know what? Fuck it. Fine. Maybe he'll ruin this too, while he's at it. Prove Tomo right, for once.* "Is that what you think of me? Do you think I'm going to ruin you too?" If Tomo really thought that, then what was the god damn point, really?

There's nothing left to ruin, asshole! *He doesn't even have to think before saying it. Ruin him? Him? What could Zero possibly ruin? His love life? His friendships? His family? His games? He lets out a sharp laugh and tries not to let anything but the anger show. He's being a dick and he knows it. But it's easier this way. He's a coward, through and through.* I'd like to see you fucking try, Yōgai. But you know what's worse than that shitty ass comeback? You don't even understand what the fuck I mean! I'm not saying you want to ruin shit. Just that you try. That you think you're shitty, for some fucking reason, and so you try to sabotage all your shit. And don't call me a fucking hypocrite for that, I know I'm fucking worthless. You just assume, and it pisses me off! *Somewhere within the rant his hands find his hair again and he tugs, frustrated at himself and frustrated at Zero. Frustrated he doesn't understand. Frustrated he still can't bring himself to use his stupid stigma for some goddamn reason. Frustrated that Zero can't get a single fucking thing through that thick skull of his. Frustrated at it all.*

Salt in the wound. 'You don't even understand what I mean.' Was it wrong for Zero to try? To try and convince Tomo of what Zero could so clearly see but Tomo seemed blind to? Why was Tomo so fucking hellbent on declaring himself worthless? Beneath all the anger and the fear and the shame, there was a real person under there. Someone Zero had only seen glimpses of, but he was desperate to see more. "I'm trying to understand you Tomo! I'm trying so fucking hard and I don't even know why I am. I feel like if I—" his voice cracks and the sentence shatters with it. I feel like if I can figure you out, maybe eventually, I can figure myself out.

How the fuck am I supposed to understand why you're doing it if you don't either?! *God. He wishes he could hear Zero's thoughts. He looked at Zero and then at the floor and let out a frustrated groan, wishing there was something to kick again. Wishing there was something to put this energy into other than tugging at his hair and swearing. He knows they won't get anywhere like this. He knows that there's something Zero can't fucking say, because he hears the way his voice cracks and the sentence just ends. So he takes a deep breath and shuts his eyes and says his stupid fucking incantation, just so he can know. Because he has to know. I feel like if I can figure you out, maybe eventually, I can figure myself out. His voice drops into the barest whisper.* You are the only goddamn obstacle in your way for doing that. You are the only goddamn one who can't see the effect you have on other people.

Zero laughs bitterly. It's not a pleasant sound. He assumes Tomo heard exactly what he hadn't said aloud given the way his face screwed up into concentration. "No. You're wrong. I know exactly what my effect on people is. All I leave in my wake is either death or misery." He laughs that twisted laugh again. It's awful. He steps closer to Tomo. "The three people I'm closest to here are all on the verge of figuring out they probably should have had nothing to do with me in the first place. And I can't even blame them. I know I'm selfish to hang on when I should just let them go." A step forward. "I hurt Jo. Jo who has been one of my best friends. I hurt her so badly she nearly drunk herself unconscious." a step closer "I hurt Seiya. Seiya who is so kind and so gentle. I pushed him so far that he's publicly lashing out at his vice-captain. Probably due for a week of hell because of it too." A step closer. He doesn't say the next part out loud. He knows he doesn't have to. I hurt you. I'm actively hurting you. Every time I come to visit or try to help in some way, you look like you're in actual physical pain to be around me. I know I infuriate you and yet I keep showing up. What is that if not selfish. one final step closer, they're nearly toe to toe now.

*He's so, so fucking stupid. Zero is so fucking stupid. It would be easy if he could read thoughts. If he could do the very thing Tomo is doing to him. But he can't. And Tomosei still can't bring himself to speak. He's tense and still ready to run. He doesn't look for the exits. He just stares defiantly at Zero, takes a deep breath, stifles down the fear.* Yeah, you fucked up. A lot. *There's no denying it. What's the point in useless platitudes? It's not your fault'? They both know how useless that is to hear.* I can't tell you a goddamn thing about your shitty aussie or fucking boytoy or whoever the fuck, even though you're way too fucking good for them both. So I'll tell your stupid ass about me instead. *Tomo grabs Zero's shirt and yanks him closer. Scowls again. Angry, downright furious, upset... afraid.* You hurt me? Yeah. Because you don't have a stupid fucking mind reading stigma to know what I'm thinking when you're here. Because for some goddamn reason you insist on choosing me over and over again for some fucking reason. *God. He wishes his bangs weren't pinned back. Conflict flickered in his eyes. For just a moment. And then he let go, took a step back, and said,* You want to know what selfish really is? Selfish is the fact that I can't bring myself to be the shitty princess around you. That I have to be me for some stupid fucking reason, despite the fact that my mother's first goddamn words to me after he fell were— *Why did it have to be him? Why couldn't it be you? The words died in his throat, bitter and sour. He unpinned his bangs.* I wont stop you from fucking off out of my life if that's what you want. But I'll be so goddamn mad at you, Kōji, I swear to fucking god. (edited)

His heart beats, hard, as Tomo pulls him close, and gives an odd pang as he releases his shirt. Zero doesn't miss it, that brief moment of hesitation he sees written across Tomo's face. He's not sure what it means, but he sees it. And pounces on it. He's gonna understand Tomo if it fucking kills him. "Why is it so wrong for me to choose to care about you? Why are you so fucking hellbent on being hated? Why is it selfish to finally get to be whoever the fuck you want if only for one goddamn person? Why—" Why then would you be so upset if I left your life? He doesn't really expect Tomo to answer his rapid series of questions. He doesn't know what he expects. He just lets the silence hang, hoping Tomo didn't hear that last thought.

Hope doesn't do shit against my stigma. *He doesn't know how to answer any of it, really. Why is it wrong? Why is it selfish? Why is he hellbent on being hated? Holy shit, it's all simple to answer, really it is, but he still hesitates. Just because it's simple doesn't mean it's easy.* Because. Because, *He tugs at his hair again, too restless to stay standing still, but too rooted to start pacing. Conflict warred within him. The last time he had felt this way had been with... He pushes those thoughts. It doesn't matter.* It's selfish because I should've killed any self that wasn't the shitty fucking princess. But I couldn't. Because I don't.... I don't want to be that stupid fucking... *He presses the heels of his hands into his eyes and takes a deep breath. He's frustrated. He's frustrated Zero can't understand.* Every goddamn person. Every goddamn one. My mother. My father. My 'friends'. Gen. The assholes here. Every goddamn one prefers the shitty fucking princess except for you. Even if they hate the fucking act, they still prefer it to me. Except for your stupid fucking ass, who doesn't for some goddamn reason. *And it's killing him. He doesn't get it. He doesn't know why Zero insists on trying to know him, the real him, when nobody in the entire goddamn world had ever wanted to. Had died too early for it to matter.*

His mind sticks on a particular detail. Tomo had listed all the people that supposedly preferred the princess. To include 'friends.' But Zero wasn't on that side of the equation. If he wasn't a friend, what was he? "I don't get it. You say you'd be upset with me if I left your life, but yet you you're angry with me for preferring who you really are. Which is it?" He steps forward again and catches Tomo's hands before they can pull at his hair again. It's not rough, just the winding of a finger on the inside of his wrists. Touch light, but direct.

*What was he? Tomo doesn't know. He can't put it to words, can't explain it beyond what he's already thought and said and swore. Zero's not a friend. He's a fucking idiot. A kicked puppy, a stupid braindead motherfucker. He's a lot of things. Too many things.* It's both. *He hisses out, almost flinching at Zero's touch. He tenses again and observes. Waits for what Zero was planning on doing. His pulse thrums and he knows the reasons they're even having this conversation. Knows whats happening in both of their stupid ass lives. He stares at the ground.* I'm a selfish fucking asshole, okay? That's the goddamn truth. I'm a selfish asshole who's mad you're being fucking stupid, and a selfish asshole who can't work up the fucking courage to tell you to fuck off. Because you... Because you are the only goddamn fucking person in who has told me that I'm worthy of love since Marito died.

There it is. Something actually resembling an answer. Something that wasn't just hurling topic-deflecting insults at Zero. "And I'm a selfish asshole who can't tell my friend she's better off without me and—" and my boyfriend he deserves better too. "But you know something? I think I've figured out part of why I can't leave you alone. You toe this line of kindness and assholery that equates to treating me just about exactly what I feel like I deserve. No one else does that." He takes a breath, "But regardless of all of that. I think it's important you know you've been worthy of love the whole time. I'm sorry about Marito. I know what that's like. To lose the one person who knew you. But their passing didn't somehow render you unworthy of love. I don't know how to prove that to you I don't—" His fingers tighten on Tomo's wrists as he considers something, and then he lets go. "I don't know how to prove that to you yet. But I'll figure it out. In the meantime, don't torture yourself with Gen, ok? None of that is your fault. It's the result of a series of events that— never mind I'm rambling. It's not your fault. It's punishment enough you had to see him today, I'm sure." Zero is walking toward the door as he says all of these things. Strangely desperate to leave now, despite his earlier insistence on staying. "I'll... text you later ok?" He exits and the moment the door is shut and he's out of Tomo's line of sight the thought he had so desperately compartmentalized earlier, floods his mind. The one Zero had shoved away before Tomo had started reading his thoughts. Fuck. Had he almost...? No. No. No. He hadn't. Couldn't. That's not how he actually felt, right? The stress of the week was finally getting to him and he was losing it. That's the lie he told himself anyways. He drags a hand down his face and finds the nearest common bathroom to vomit. He doesn't know what to think anymore. (edited)

*You deserve better, asshole. He doesn't say it. Stop letting people treat you like shit. Stop letting them walk all over you. Grow a goddamn pair. He doesn't say it. That you don't? Don't what? You didn't even fucking think it for me. What? He doesn't say it. Why the fuck are you running all of a sudden? Tomosei lets him go. He lets Zero back out to the door, to the hallway, to anywhere but near Tomo, as if there had been something that had gone horrible wrong in between each of Zero's phrases. It's his fault, too, that Zero is upset. All of it can be traced back to him. So why is he so upset to see Zero leave? Why does he grab his own wrist instead of his hair as he stares at the door, listens to the thoughts in Zero's head, listens to it despite the fact that Zero obviously didn't want him to hear? That's not how I actually feel. It's just the stress of the week. It's getting to me. I feel sick. He locked the door. Turned off his phone. He logs into his computer and sends a single message. And then, he shuts that off, too. talk to seiya. talk to jo. stop being stupid. He leans against the door and shuts his eyes, tries to avoid the thoughts racing through his mind. Tries to fall asleep for the first time in days. Tries, and fails.*

Maver is walking down the hall from the direction of Frostheim's student dormitories. In particular, Jo Waker's room, with a frown etched into his pretty features. He's wearing a beanie that covers his thick blonde waves, their golden colour dulled nearly to a bronze by the winter. He spots someone down the hall and stiffens before breaking into a nervous little smile. "Detective, right? Fancy seeing you here."

"Real fancy," says the detective. "Where were you just now?"

"Visiting a friend," he answers easily enough. Maver's warm chocolate stare looks, perhaps, a little frosty. He casually circles around the detective. "Can I help you with something, detective?"

The detective waves a cigar in a glowing arc on the chilly air. He didn't have it a moment ago. Logic doesn't apply to Private Eyes. "Oh... no." Detective Hale pauses. "Well, actually, now that you mention it..." He walks up to Maver, stopping just short of the younger man. Detective Hale impolitely releases a puff of smoke right in the Welshman's face. "You're a quiet one. You see things. You didn't happen to see a little lady around here not too long ago, did you? 'Bout your height, looks like a supermodel during her off-season, might look sorta the shady type?"

"Wow, uh..." How does Maver put this without sounding entirely too rude? "That's not much of a description to go off. A lot of people at this academy look like supermodels." He checks his watch, before remembering the face is broken. Maver quickly lets his sleeve slide back down again, hiding it. "Would you look at the time. Sorry, Dick, I think I should be going. It's nearly my bedtime and I have to walk all the way back to Sinostra. If you'll excuse me, sir..."

"Hey now, old sport." Detective Hale lays a heavy hand on Maver's shoulder, smiling a little too widely. "How'd you know my first name's Richard?"

"It's... you know they call your type, Private Dicks? Dick? For detective? There's no way your actual name is Richard. That'd make you Dick Dick Hale." (edited)

"All right, wise guy. I'm keeping an eye on you." Detective Dick Hale takes a drag from his cigar. "You know... you play your cards right, we both could be set up to benefit from this. You just dig a little information for me on the little lady, Jo Waker's, whereabouts and..." He grins. "You can get a portion of what her family's paying. Here's my business card." He passes over a little plain card with details that look like they were printed by a typewriter.

Maver takes it without looking at it. "Sure. Thanks for the offer, I'll think about it." With that, Maver sticks his hands into the pockets of his leather racing jacket and walks off. He ignores the piercing feeling of the detective's eyes on him from behind the entire way back to Sinostra.

‍♂️

what are you doing?

Sorry he's gone already.