against all odds this may in fact go smoothly?

[donttasemebro]

WHO: Blue-haired Yugioh dudes satisfiedsigner and donttasemebro
WHERE: Some 24-hour coffee joint that also has really good pie or something idk (think the Royal Diner in Bones)
WHEN: Sometime in the evening of the June 20th(?) after dis thread
WARNINGS: Kiryu and Bruno's confusing friendship. Also possibly Kiryu's mouth.
SUMMARY: Bruno feels like kind of a douche for refusing to accept that Yuusei is gone not telling Kiryu sooner that Yuusei is gone. So he's invited Kiryu out to one of his local haunts to apologize, as well as to perhaps touch upon a few other things. And, inevitably, get mocked by Kiryu for his taste in eateries.
FORMAT: Quick because my para muscles are still atrophied ;_;


[To say that Bruno is UNSURE about this would be an understatement. Mostly because Kiryu's tone in their very very short conversation made it sort of almost sound like Kiryu's going to punch him in the face as soon as he walks in. Which, well, Bruno isn't concerned about for his own sake, so much as he really likes this place and he doesn't want to cause the owners any trouble by starting an imPort fight right in their establishment.]

[But this is still the place they've set up to meet at, so Bruno's just gonna sit there on his side of the narrow two-seater table by the big window and tightly cradle his coffee and wait (while the serving gal behind the cafe bar stares openly and him and wipes down the same space of counter over and over again while wondering how the fuck his hands aren't burning yet because she just poured him that hot coffee about 30 seconds ago, what.)]

Comments

[satisfiedsigner]

[Frankly, Kiryu is also very unsure about this, because he's not sure if he should be pissed off that Bruno didn't say anything or glad that Bruno wants to try to make up for that. So he's settled on a compromise; he's in his normal form for once but still kind of mad.

He pauses just inside the door of the shop under the guise of looking for Bruno but really to wonder if this was the right spot. He supposed it fit with Bruno's personality...but he hadn't really expected such a...quaint place...

But eventually he makes his way over to Bruno and flops down into the seat across from him.]

...So.

[donttasemebro]

[Bruno looks up as soon as the little bell above the door rings and kinda stares for a sec before awkwardly raising his hand for a little (unnecessary, since he's practically the only customer in here right now) wave. He's a little relieved surprised that Kiryu came looking all normal for once. Is that a good thing? He hopes that's a good thing.]

[And now he's just going to stare some more while Kiryu makes his way over and flops down.]



... S-so.

[... quietly stirs coffee.]

[satisfiedsigner]

[...And silence. God, he hated silence. Especially awkward silence. And he supposed just staring at Bruno until he started babbling wasn't going to work.

So he leans back in his seat, crosses his arms, and stares moodily out the window.]

Did you know? That he was gone...

[donttasemebro]

[Well, it probably would work eventually, but this way definitely gets the job done faster and more coherent-like.]

Well, I...

[And now it's Bruno's turn to stare moodily, down into his coffee. When he talks, it comes out a bit quiet and almost... worn-out, somehow.]

... Yeah. I knew.

[satisfiedsigner]

[Kiryu scowls and rests his head in his hand, his fingers digging into his hair. He wasn't really surprised and it just aggravated him even more.]

I don't hate him any more, you know. I was even starting to think of him as a friend again.

...I really hate making that announcement...

[donttasemebro]

[That apparent conversational detour actually catches him by surprise a bit, and he looks right up at him.]

You-- what? ... Oh. [Aaaand he looks away again a bit sheepishly.]

I... forgot you used to hate him.

[satisfiedsigner]

Heh. [that actually earns him a little smile] It wasn't that long ago. Even though our duel was just a formality...

...Why didn't you say anything?

[donttasemebro]

[and Kiryu gets a rueful little mile back.] Yeah, I know. It's just that... Yuusei's always called you his friend, when he talks about you.

[Getting back to the sharp and pointy bits of this discussion sobers him back up, though, and he uncertainly cradles his coffee again.] I...


I was hoping he'd come back. I... wanted to hope that.

[satisfiedsigner]

[Kiryu sobers up much faster; he'd known that Yuusei had always thought of him that way, but now that he didn't hate him and even felt a little sorry, it kind of hurt to hear that.

he nods at the rest of it, thinking about the other people he'd lost to that machine. the people he hadn't wanted to admit might be gone...]

Mmm...I know how that feels. They can always come back but...it isn't always the same.

[donttasemebro]

Yeah... [Bruno himself has only known one or two people who left and came back without their memories, but... He thinks of Ruka. Of Ruka and Edgeworth. ...]

[He worries the cup between his hands for a few moments. He still hasn't so much as sipped at it since Kiryu came in.]

... I'm sorry. For not telling you that he was gone. I... know I should've.

[satisfiedsigner]

[Kiryu's quiet for a long couple of minutes, still staring out the window. He wasn't going to stop being angry so easily...but most of it wasn't directed at Bruno. It wasn't his fault that Yuusei was gone.

And this was probably on of those things that would make Saitou annoyed with him...

He finally looks Bruno in the eye and shrugs.] It wouldn't have made much difference if you had. It turned out the same way. [and that is the best Bruno is going to get out of him...]

[donttasemebro]

[Bruno waits pretty patiently, all things considered, for whatever Kiryu's response will be. He even actually drinks some of his coffee.]

[When Kiryu does look at him, though, he looks back. He doesn't say anything at first, but then he... almost-smiles. More like a sudden absence of the worried frown he's had on this whole time. He knows enough about Kiryu to know that he just made out pretty okay.]

... Thanks.

[satisfiedsigner]

[Kiryu shrugs again and looks away, fighting back his own smile. Stupid Bruno and his stupid moods being stupidly contagious...

Of course, that had been settled rather quickly and was probably something they could have discussed over the comms...though Kiryu did appreciate his company (even if he'd never admit it). So he isn't looking away for long.]

Was there anything else? You didn't have to invite me here for that.

[donttasemebro]

[It went a lot faster than Bruno thought too, and now he's just kind of sitting there on the very cusp of awkward silence. He blinks for a sec, trying to think whether there's...... oh.]

Well... [Looooking away awkwardly now. ... Is he... biting his lip?] Um...

There is kind of... one other thing I should probably tell you. [... beat] Probably should have told you a while ago.

[satisfiedsigner]

[His hesitancy and awkwardness definitely gets Kiryu's attention and he sits up just a little bit straighter in his seat. He might have expected this from Bakura, but Bruno tended to not be quite so nervous.]

Okay.

[donttasemebro]

[Seeing Kiryu notice him stumbling makes Bruno suddenly try very hard to come across more sure-footed about this. Even if he's gotten a lot more certain these past couple months that Kiryu truly wants to be friends with him, it still almost feels like there's a bigger... risk, somehow, in telling Kiryu about this, than there was telling people like Ruka or Lupin, or even Alastair.]

Um... [finds himself making a little throat-clearing cough, even though he doesn't technically need to] It's about... that time a few months ago, when you and Alastair broke into Kaibacorp. And I ran into you. Er, remember?

[Okay, this part he can't help but look kinda awkward about. "Remember when I judo-locked you and smashed your face into the floor" is pretty much never not a terrible conversation starter.]

[satisfiedsigner]

[Kiryu laughs and rolls his eyes. Well, that was one way to put it. Did bruno really think he would have forgotten about that? That night had been one of the most fun times since he'd arrived here.]

How could I forget? I had bruises for weeks after that.

[donttasemebro]

[Oh god telling Bruno that would have about a 50/50 chance of making him feel either a) very slightly better or b) so, so confused.]

[... In any case, he is now swallowing down what would probably be Compulsive Round of Apologies #14 and moving on.]

Y..yeah. [beat] Sorry.

--But yeah, it's... about the reason I ended up reacting like that with Alastair's powers, instead of just passing out like most people did. I've... I already told Alastair-- I mean, they're his powers, so I figured he deserved to know, you know?-- but I asked him to keep it to himself, for now. It's... not anything really big, I just don't really like telling people about it until I'm, uh... ready. ...


[Well, he looks... mostly ready, but he still tosses a glance at Kiryu like he thinks he ought to wait for a response before he goes on.]

[satisfiedsigner]

[Wow, Bruno is really nervous about this. Kiryu has a pretty good idea of what's coming next, but Bruno's so nervous about it, he's not sure. He didn't really think that was something to be so nervous about; it was cool and not really that unusual around here.

Of course, he could be completely wrong so he wasn't sure he wanted to say anything here...and Bruno might think Alastair had said something if he was right...]

Are you ready? [there, that was neutral enough]

[donttasemebro]

[It's your fault for being confusing and intimidating Kiryu :T and ttly not at all Bruno's for not having the guts to ask a straight question ever. He nods though, after a second.]

... Yeah. Um...

[... Well now this is just starting to feel vaguely anticlimactic. He sorta glances away from Kiryu and rubs the back of his neck.]

I'm, uh... not actually, really a human. [hello meaningful pause.] I'm... I'm kind of a robot.



[welp.]

[satisfiedsigner]

[For a moment, Kiryu does look surprised...because wow he was actually right for once. Much as he likes to pretend he's always right, it doesn't actually happen that often.

But the moment is pretty quick, and he smiles and leans back in his seat again.]

Oh. Yeah, I thought that might be it.

[donttasemebro]

[bl..ink...]

... You knew??

[satisfiedsigner]

You had glowing red eyes and threw me into the floor and had the monotone thing going on. After you should've been in a coma. It was pretty high on my list of explanations.