006 - Unfinished Business

[chasingstars201.livejournal.com]

[Misaki appears, stretched out on a comfortably battered-looking couch. The coffee table that shows up next to it is covered in files, photos and maps. Her hair is down and in a tangled mess; she’s using some wadded up sweatshirts for a pillow. The shadows under her eyes look as dark as bruises. She’s nearly asleep, her hand resting in an open file. Her other arm is in a cast and sling.

She’s lying under a fuzzy blue blanket that is not nearly long enough to cover all of her, or to hide the fact that she is wearing a light-blue tank top and matching pajama pants covered with tiny mallard ducks. Her eyelids flutter shut, and she shifts her weight. The file slides to the ground, sending photos pinwheeling across the Astral floor.

The scene they depict is not pretty.

Two bodies, cut up and arranged to spell the word ‘Naughty’.

She makes a tiny, sleepy sound and drifts off.]

Comments

[contract_star]

[Shakes his head and is quiet for awhile.]

I've noticed that some of the calendars are off in my world. Parts of Tokyo feel different.

[Lets that hang there for a moment, then looks at her.] Where is it you caught the copycat, and when did it happen? I might be able to learn something.

[chasingstars201.livejournal.com]

[She just stares at him for a while. A long, long, while. And then looks away, and says,]

It wasn't in Tokyo.

[contract_star]

[This catches him off guard, and for a second he's rendered speechless.]

What?

[chasingstars201.livejournal.com]

Manchester, England, 1973.

[She says it like an automaton.] Macy Fuller, ten year old female, body broken and woven through the guardrails of a merry-go-round.

Pursued the suspect from the crime scene. Injured during the chase. Culminated in a standoff, during which...

[...]

I shot him down.

[contract_star]

[Says nothing. Yeah, he's pissed at her, but he's not the "I told you so" type, and he also knows she's been through a lot. But he warned her. He's somewhere between anger, confusion and worry, and he's not looking at her.]

[chasingstars201.livejournal.com]

[Knows he's pissed, but doesn't say anything to stop him from being so--not that she could. She's in a masochistic mood.]

[contract_star]

[Quietly,] You're not used to it.

[chasingstars201.livejournal.com]

[Stirs a little.] Used to it?

[contract_star]

Cutting yourself off from people. Cutting ties. [Pauses.] I should have known better than to ask that of you. You're only human, after all.

[Gets to his feet and stands looking out over the Astral Plane for a moment, silent.]

If you don't want it to happen again, try visualizing a wall on the edge of the places where your reality meets Mr. Tyler's, or Mr. Hunt's, whoever's it was. That seems to be working for me. It takes work--concentration. [Looks back at her. Then, coolly,] But it's probably worth it.

[chasingstars201.livejournal.com]

[Only human. It feels like a slap in the face, somehow, as though she's lost status with him for letting her humanity show.]

Is it really that easy for you to cast people off? Do the rest of us really mean so little?

[There's anger behind the words, the betrayal blossoming in her throat adding its scent to the ridiculous bouquet of emotions that fight away from her control. She focuses on the table, on the files strewn across it. Draws back, draws in, regains control.]

Thank you for the advice. Li-san.

[contract_star]

[Sharply,] It has to be. Contractors don't have a choice. Humans use them as tools. Contractors use each other as temporary allies. You learn, or you get killed, that's all there is to it.

[Looks away from her. Softer this time,] But that doesn't mean...[Trails off and closes off.]

[Jaw tightens at the thanks and the -san, but he says nothing.]

[chasingstars201.livejournal.com]

[Hugs herself, but quickly shifts so she's crossing her arms instead.]

...you aren't a tool. And I would hope I am more than a temporary ally.

I'm sorry.

[contract_star]

I am. [Pauses.] And you...[Glances at her and decides to go with honesty.] I'm not sure what you are yet.

[Shakes his head.] It's alright.

[Looks back at her.] As for the killer--you're still in a position to fix things. You're not responsible for his actions, but you are responsible for correcting them. Don't forget that.

[chasingstars201.livejournal.com]

[She stands up, grab's his sleeve, turns him around to face her.] You're not. No more than November was emotionless, no more than July doesn't care about his teammates. You aren't a tool, Li-kun.

[And then she realizes that she is in her pajamas, a tank top, and that she is showing a lot more skin than she is typically comfortable with. She lets go of him and tries to drag the blanket around her shoulders one-handed. It doesn't work too well.]

Thank you. I... let me know when you figure it out, all right?

[contract_star]

[It's not really something he wants to argue about, so he just doesn't respond. He's surprised that she grabbed him, though.]

[Smiles a little bit at the attempt to wrap herself up. And the duckies are cute :3]

I will.