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[contract_star]

[Hei appears mid-stride. He's got a black eye and just generally looks worn out. He's also wearing his game face--blank, alert, watchful. For those who know it, this is his Contractor face.]

My business is my business. It doesn't concern...

[He frowns and looks around, freezing momentarily.] What...I didn't mean to come here.

[After a moment he seems satisfied that this isn't a trick (or a hallucination) and he visibly relaxes. He sighs and suddenly looks even more tired than he did at first.]

Comments

[saythistostart.livejournal.com]

[Takes a moment to let this all sink in, remembering when Misaki was Contractorified.] ... But you're not emotionless or soulless, are you?

[He's quiet at that question and doesn't reply right away.] Sakurai... There are a lot of reasons, I suppose. One being that he's engaged to my little sister, and my future self, Nogami, apparently approves of it, but I can't understand why. He's barely cut out to be Den-O: he fights with his Imagin, he's impulsive and his fuse is so short... he doesn't seem fit to be Ai-chan's husband.

And... [He has to pause for a minute, again. There's more to it, but even after Hei admitted all this to him, he's still extremely reluctant to keep going.] And... it's better off that he stops liking me or trying to be my friend. It won't be doing him any favors.

[contract_star]

Yes, I am. [Would really rather not get into this argument AGAIN. Never mind his own doubts.]

Ah. [Tries, briefly, to imagine what he would do if he found out Bai was getting married.]

[Yeah, no.]

[Stares at Ryotarou as if waiting for the other shoe to drop. And slight frown at that last bit. But Hei isn't going to be the one to ask the next question, because he's not really enjoying this.]

[saythistostart.livejournal.com]

I don't really believe that.

[Just... stays silent again. He's not going to admit the other part of his secret unless Hei asks. He can't just admit it.]

[contract_star]

It's the truth.

[Well, Hei isn't going to press until Ryotarou asks another question. They might both end up getting off easy :D]

[saythistostart.livejournal.com]

[You call this getting off easy? Also, does this count as 'another question'?]

... If that were true, and you were really ruled entirely by logic, why would you continue to help me whenever I got hurt? You weren't getting anything out of it, were you?

[contract_star]

[Bluntly,] What I get out of it is that you don't suspect me as being anything but Li. [Snorts.] So much for that.

[And yes it counts, because here's the question you're dreading, Ryotarou.] Why is it that you don't want friends?

[saythistostart.livejournal.com]

Mm... if you say so.

[Just... stops for a moment, glancing away again.] I... Zeronos.

[contract_star]

Zeronos?

[saythistostart.livejournal.com]

Zeronos. Its... its power source is.. why I made myself that promise.

[contract_star]

Promise... [Forgetting, memory, Sakurai, sister, future self, Imagin, time trains...]

[It takes a moment, but it clicks.]

Memories? It takes memories?

[saythistostart.livejournal.com]

[Doesn't flinch away, just looks at Hei straight in the face... and nods.]

... it takes memories.

[contract_star]

[Stares back at him for a long, long time.]

That's...

...

It's like an obeisance.

[saythistostart.livejournal.com]

[Had eventually looked away during that, but then his attention is on Hei again when he speaks.]

... obeisance?

[contract_star]

It's...each Contractor has one. It's a payment--a remuneration for using one's power. It's as varied as...as having to break one's own fingers, having to sleep, having to drink the blood of children...whatever it is, it has to be paid, no matter what.

[saythistostart.livejournal.com]

[That's kind of ew, but Ryotarou nods.]

Then... it is like that. [Ironic, tiny little smile.] Funny how I'm contracted to an Imagin, too.

[contract_star]

Is that what it's called? That's...[small smile] odd.

[saythistostart.livejournal.com]

[Nods.] That's what I thought.

... but, Li-san. [Now that he's thinking about all these things...] You can't... you can't tell Sakurai about this. Or anyone. Please.

[contract_star]

And I'd prefer if you don't tell anyone anything I just told you. [Pauses.] A few people know. Mu, Misaki, Dino, Diva and Sam. But no one else.

[saythistostart.livejournal.com]

[Nods.] Of course. And... Deneb knows about Zeronos, but other than that...

[contract_star]

[Nods.] Alright.

[saythistostart.livejournal.com]

... Thank you.