UN: @kyouken // Back when I was a brat, I found a sparrow with a broken leg and took it home

[justbeingknife]

Seems like a couple people here have been showin' up with folks they know from back home. I was figurin' that since they came from the same place, they were also from just about the same time -- but from what I been hearing, that ain't necessarily the case.

So if you're from the 'future' compared to someone ya know here, lemme ask ya this: do you remember that other person going missing?

I also heard that there were people who came here before us, but it tapered off before starting back up again last month. But how long was that dry spell? Would anyone from back then be around?

Comments

un: ryuoh

[countersway]

[Well, he certainly doesn't know anything about that weird timeline shit (lolol), but...]

When the group I came with got here, the only other people around were the natives. Are you saying there were different people around before us?

[justbeingknife]

That's right. People who appeared outta nowhere, same as us.

'Course, that's second or thirdhand intel at this point. I was hoping that if it was true, there might be some proof that they were here. I mean, what happened to 'em? They go back to their own dimension? Or did they stick around?

[countersway]

Their own dimension?

[wtf is with the people here always laying abstract, high-concept shit on him like this]

I wouldn't know anything about that, but it's probably a safe bet to think that they didn't make it long enough to meet any of us. For all we know, there might be a limit on the amount of times you can be reset.

[justbeingknife]

Well, that's depressing.

What if some of 'em did survive, though? Maybe not long enough to meet us, but long enough. Hell, maybe some of 'em even married one of the natives, had a kid or two.

[countersway]

I guess that's possible. If you have nothing to go home to, this place might not seem so bad. I knew a few guys like that back home.

[in prison, he means.]

[justbeingknife]

Yeah? Where's home?

[ He totally disagreed that this place was 'not so bad', it was definitely bad there was no karaoke and there was no wailing like a banshee and he hadn't even stabbed a single person since he got here ]

[countersway]

Tokyo. Though, I haven't been back in a while.

[justbeingknife]

Same here -- been a couple years.

Used to have a couple restaurants and other joints I used to go to... wonder how they're doin'? When I get back, I oughtta see if they had a changeover in management. Hell, maybe some of the employees'd even remember me.

[countersway]

[you can't see him right now majima, but he's squinting at the screen a little bit. this guy types so casually that kiryu would've never pegged him as having a tokyo accent when he speaks.]

What part of Tokyo, if you don't mind me asking?

[justbeingknife]

[ This was where Majima would ordinarily go ん? but SADLY ]

Kamurocho. You?

[countersway]

[and then there's this really long pause before the next message comes in, as the hamsters that run on the wheels that power kiryu's brain go into overdrive. of course this guy doesn't talk like he's from tokyo, because hE'S FUCKIN...]

... Majima-no-niisan? Is that you?

[not even the auto-translate of the device can strip away kiryu's title formalities.]

[justbeingknife]

What?

[ I mean he didn't say no, but...

what

Did he know this guy?

Nobody called him 'Majima-no-niisan', especially not these days. And even in the past, it had always been 'aniki' or maybe 'you fucker arrrghhhh'. ]

[countersway]

[oh shit was that a swing and a miss? oh boy he feels stupid.]

Sorry. You remind me of someone I know. Well, knew. I guess. That's all.

[justbeingknife]

Nah, my name's definitely Majima, but... do I know you?

[ username ryuoh? was that a hint? it was pretty ostentatious, but he didn't recall any dragon kings or... anything...... ]

...You in the business?

[countersway]

[oh thank god. can you feel his relief coming through the screen, majima?]

Yeah. It's Kiryu. I had no idea you were here.

[justbeingknife]

[ Kiryu...................... ]

Kiryu Kazuma?

[ mostly what he feels is confusion, but other people have dudes from their own worlds, WHY NOT HIM ]

[countersway]

[... um. did another kiryu show up while he was in prison?]

Come on, I wasn't gone that long.

[justbeingknife]

[ Oh!!! He was right. Man, what a small world. ]

I apologize for my prior rudeness. What a coincidence; I wasn't expecting to run into anyone from Kamurocho here.

Now that I finally have the opportunity, I'd like to thank you for all you've done.

[ that was definitely not kansai ben 8') ]

[countersway]

[what the fuck was THAT, majima?? if only noise wasn't forbidden here, you might've heard, off in the distance, the sound of kiryu's head exploding]

Wait. I thought you said you were Majima?

Majima Goro?

[justbeingknife]

[ 'Majima-no-niisan'... did that mean this Kiryu was from the past, or the future? If it was the future, that'd mean Majima had finally gotten back into the Tojo. Then again, it might be that he'd known Kiryu from before he'd gotten TRIPLE SUPER BANISHED, and simply forgotten about it.

It was possible; the Tojo had plenty of goons. Either way, he was apparently Kiryu's senior... ]

That's right. And here I was lookin' all over for ya! So I'm older than ya, huh? Never would've guessed.

Oh, right. Sorry for roughin' up your boy.

[countersway]

[... well, he's certainly all over the map like the majima that kiryu knows, so that checks out, at least.]

My boy?

[justbeingknife]

Yeah. But after all this time, let's not do this over the network. We should meet face to face!

[ yeah, meet up and text each other face to face... like real men.... ]

[countersway]

[as much as kiryu would love to see a familiar ('friendly' probably isn't the best word) face, something about this seems fishy...]

You're not planning something, are you?

[justbeingknife]

Plannin' something? Like what?

[ Look at this innocent face that you can't actually see, Kiryu. Can you not find it within your ancient withered ossan heart to trust your friend? ]

[countersway]

With you, I can never be too sure.

[HE DOESN'T BUY YOUR SWEET BOY ACT FOR A MINUTE, NIISAN.]