VIDEO; UN: SMOKING_BOMB (forward dated to after zombies)

[bakudan_bambino]

 [The video cuts on and it's in the arrival room. It seems that whoever has turned this device on is having a hard time focusing on it, until the camera is moved to show Gokudera. He's looking relatively well, all in one piece, but clutching at his chest. There may be smoke coming out of his mouth, which is usual considering how many cigarettes he goes through. If you watch the video long enough you may see that there is no cigarette in his hand. Maybe he put it out? Maybe he's actually exhaling smoke. He's not talking about it. Just says:]

Takeshi. I'm back.

[He's clearly struggling, but again, there seems to be no visible wounds on him. If he got attacked by the zombies, there's no evidence, there's no blood. Just a teenager looking grumpy (as usual), and sweaty. He's in a lot of pain, ok?]

@KABALLSDEEP (but still public if anyone wants to chat about death and revival)

So... I didn't kill anyone...

Just set myself on fire and I'm back. No uh... [He's hoarse. Smoke in the throat, maybe?]

Metal parts. Just me and everything I arrived on Anchor with. [He's still wearing his collar, too, even though he had Yamamoto Takeshi take it off him and carry it about after his body turned to ash.]

So, got any questions? People don't stay dead, apparently.

Comments

video; un; Yamamoto

[tsuyoi_ame]

[Fuck fuck fuck.. the collar is gone and Yamamoto has his device loud so he can hear it as he tears through everything in the base in a panic.

Then he hears it, doesn't see it at first but his name, his given name and a voice he has ached to hear. Two seconds, his heart stops, he nearly hits his knees and then he is diving for it.]

Hayato! [Relief is already threatening to flood his eyes with tears as he scoops the device, his sword, and his bag, he has medical supplies in it, wanting to be ready for this moment.]

Hang in there I'm on my way.

[He's already racing across the dome as he says it, it will not be more than a few moments before the frazzled ballplayer reaches his boyfriend. Then his emotions are likely to completely overwhelm him. For now, he just needs to get there, to see him, to know this is not some dream, not some part of the collar that he malfunctioned but that this is in fact Hayato back, finally. The smoke, the chest clutching only heighten his panic, is he still burning from the inside out, is he going to lose him again, he just got him back, he hasn't even seen him and already fear is there.]

[video]

[bakudan_bambino]

I'll stay right here.

[The pain isn't building, and Gokudera doesn't know how long he's been gone. He's keeping the device on, recording all of this, because why not? He's just looking up that he's been gone for nearly a month and taking deep breaths.

It's good to see Takeshi again, even if it's just on the network, and even if he hasn't gone through the same kind of pain. He didn't lose anything. Literally, he's in the same clothes he was in when he died, down to the accessories on his wrists and the small earrings in his ear lobes. The smoke is now no more than a lingering taste, the pain only refreshing with his breath, but not unbearable.]

[ACTION!]

[tsuyoi_ame]

[His heart is hammering in his chest, white noise rushing in his ears as his feet pound through Anchor, anyone who he passes is no more than a blur as he races past them, life in his face and eyes for the first time in a month. He skids into the arrival area as if he is preparing to slide into home and the moment he sees Hayato there, it is like he has come home, because his heart so shattered in his chest suddenly springs to life, love, relief, need all fill him in one solid rush, like a tidal wave, sweeping him up and sending his head spinning for a moment.

He's here. It's real, he can not deny what is in front of his eyes and he means to say so many things but all that comes out is a strangled sob as he rushes forward. He was so scared he was imagining this, that he flings his arms around Hayato, pulling the bomber to him as tears streak his cheek, his shoulders nearly shaking from the force of it as he grips probably tighter than he should.

All but forgetting to ask about the pain or the smoke at the sheer joy of seeing those green eyes, that silver-hair and the face that has filled his every moment, sleeping or awake since it turned to ash in his hands. He can not breathe, think, talk, he can do nothing more than be here, holding to the bomber for dear life. The darkness in him developing cracks, just from this first touch, already the light returning into his life.]

You were...I thought..[Another sob chokes him up and he forces in a ragged breath, trying his hardest to speak to say anything.]

I love you, please don't ..I can't do this without you.

[It's scattered thoughts, he has so much he wants to say and it is all tumbling out between tight breaths as his chest nearly explodes from happiness.]

Are you okay?

[ACTION!!]

[bakudan_bambino]

[Gokudera is literally standing in the arrival area, and he tucks away his device, not recording, but leaving it on his video recording so he can hear if anyone responds. He waits, an impatient young man, but too tired to get up and try and run to meet his boyfriend halfway when he has no idea where he's coming from and promised that he would stay put.

Which works out in his favor when Takeshi runs at him. He braces himself and then he's hugged too tightly that even if he were knocked over, he'd simply just be in the baseball idiot's arms, held to his chest. Gokudera wraps his arms around him in response, and calmly sets his face against his shoulder, rubbing gently at his back.

His mind fills in the blanks of what Takeshi says. Dead? Yes. Gone for good? No. He doesn't want to die again, doesn't want to put either of them through that. Being dead, he doesn't remember what that was like. One moment he had to see Takeshi and know that it might be the last time and that was the worst of it. Now, it's a second change. He isn't trying for a third and doesn't want to ever.]

You don't have to. I'm not going anywhere. [Gokudera brings a hand up, runs fingers through the hair at the base of Takeshi's neck and turns his head to kiss at his cheek softly, or his temple, or his ear... or whatever he can reach.]

I love you too.

[The bomber nods and gives a hum.]

I will be. [His chest still hurts, but it doesn't feel anything like the pain of dying will flames setting him on fire from the inside-out. It's just a aching raw sensation with each inhale, not changing how he breathes, or how his heart is beating steady in his chest.]

Are you okay?

[ACTION!! Forever, never ever letting go..nope.]

[tsuyoi_ame]

[Yamamoto is not often one to breakdown emotionally but after a while, he gave in and as he stands there, holding tightly to the love of his life it is all vibrating out, coming out in one long shuddering sob the moment he feels Hayato's fingers in his hair and his lips searching, catching against his skin.

His voice, is like music to the swordsman's ears, it sings his soul back to life and after a few moments the tears stop, his breathing begins to slowly come back to normal. His head nods softly, for a moment just holding him, just willing this to all be the last time they ever have to be apart from each other this way. Praying to whatever is out there that he never leaves Hayato again and that Hayato never leaves him, that he never fails again.

Finally, he pulls back enough to look into his boyfriend's eyes and for the first time since the last time he flashed it at Hayato, his smile breaks his expression, right up to his eyes that still damp with tears, swim with love and happiness more than anything else.]

I am now, I just needed you, that's all I ever need.

[Forget words, actions, those are what he is best at and his lips press to Hayato's a happy sigh passes before he just gathers the other boy against him tightly again, the location does not matter, even if it's just one he needs this and so for a moment, he parts his lips and sinks himself into the feel of his boyfriend in his arms again, kissing him deeply before pulling back with a soft breath, forehead pressing against Hayato's]

There's something I want to show you.

[ACTION!!!]

[bakudan_bambino]

[Gokudera brings up his other hand and holds the sides of Takeshi's face, looking into his eyes, glancing at that smile, and sucking his own lips in, biting at them. There is no happiness in his own eyes, seeing those wet cheeks, the way his boyfriend had clearly been in so much pain over losing him.]

I'm sorry...

[He says gently on a sigh, but then makes a small noise of surprise at the kiss. Gokudera smiles against it and relaxes, returning the kiss. Let whoever walks by or whatever see. He literally died and came back for this, to be with Takeshi and if anyone is bothered, they can fuck right off. Even his usual tendency to hide and bluster about public displays of affection can fuck off. Nothing matters in this moment, and he gives himself to the kiss, arms wrapping about the back of Takeshi's neck.]

You wanna deactivate my collar first? I don't uh... I don't know why I woke up with it on. [And it's reactivated from his resurrection, too, able to cut his head off and everything. Gokudera will clip it back on, but cannot reactivate it, so it will act more as an accessory.]

[ACTION!!!!]

[tsuyoi_ame]

Don't..it's not your fault. If I'd just gotten there sooner.

[Never does he want Hayato to think he blames him, he never could, he loves his bomber with every ounce of his being. Yes he was a husk of himself without him, could only think of the grief, the pain of missing him but it's already fading. All it took was being near him again, holding him and kissing him, that kiss is perfect, it is the kiss he craved every time he stepped into the simulation in the last month, he can feel his heartbeat against his chest, he's real, he's alive and they are together. This is all he ever needs again.

Yamamoto blinks when he says the collar is reactivated, the tips of his ears might even flush a little pink.]

It was on my arm, it disappeared this morning. [Softly he slides his fingers under that collar, pressing his thumb to the piece of metal that will only work for him.]

It activated in the VR room when I went in, that may be why?

[Of course he'll tell Hayato about accessing the memories, he'll tell him everything, even which memories he saw in truth he had all but forgotten in the joy of seeing him, the collar falls into his hand as it opens.]

You don't have to wear it. We're together now, we're not back there with pet conventions and Elites.

[ACTION!!!!!]

[bakudan_bambino]

No I heard him. I... it’s done now. Are they all gone?

[He doesn’t feel scared even if there are zombies about. If he’s with Takeshi, he’s safe. Gokudera is in a vulnerable state, and could activate his weapon system, but he’s back. He’s not going anywhere.]

Activated? What...?

[Gokudera blinks, blushing softly. How does Takeshi know about pet conventions?!

He snatches the collar back and clips it back together, frowning and obviously embarrassed.]

I’ve been wearing it for so long though it... feels weird to not... How-what... what do you know about pet conventions? [Gokudera does NOT want to talk about this right now. This is a wildly uncomfortable subject.]

[ACTION!!!!!!!!!]

[tsuyoi_ame]

They're gone and somehow the luxury suites were opened, we can have a real home, not the quad or the base.

[And he wants that more than anything, for the two of them to find an apartment they both like and build their life. Put away the darkness and stand side by side together, for there to be privacy, their own bathroom, their own bedroom, a living room, kitchen, it's all he wants. It may not be as luxurious as the place on Amoi but, it will be theirs, it will show that they both live there and he is determined to make sure of that.

Hayato's blush does not help his own, how does he tell his boyfriend, not just what he saw but what he did in the one simulation, will it upset him? When the collar is snatched Yamamoto blinks, he did not mean to fluster or upset Hayato especially when he just found him again but he also is never anything short of honest.]

I went to use the VR for the Daisy Darling but the collar did something goofy with the system, it...

[He pauses here, thinking how to word this.] let me access the memories in the collar, it let me live them. But I think I changed them with my choices. I...I just missed you so much and when I realized that I could be with you there, I had to, it's the only thing that got me through it.

Re: [ACTION!!!!!!!!!!]

[bakudan_bambino]

Luxury suites?

[He wonders if the apartment that he died in was one of those. It's hard to really remember anything except for the emotions and the physical sensations that surrounded his death. He doesn't want to bring it back up again and then nods. They can have a real home...]

I'd like that... Even if it's not luxury. [Honestly, his most domestic lifestyle had been when he lived in Midas, in the slums, in the home he'd built out of a shipping container. It was safe, and he had a roommate that cared for him.

But to have a home with Takeshi.

It's not something he ever knew he wanted, and it's more than he could ever think of wanting.]

...

[He looks uncertain, worried and even further embarrassed. Gokudera does not let Takeshi go, but he does look down, hiding his disapproving expression. Thinking back on how they met in Amoi, before he was even the baseball idiot's pet... it doesn't make him think of anything particularly bad, and it hadn't exactly been a bad memory, but he remember vividly what happened. The drug he'd been injected with, the display he'd been made out of, and how much everyone saw of him.]

There's something you wanted to show me?

[Quick! Time to stop talking about that! He unwinds his arms and slides his hands down to settle them on his boyfriend's shoulders.]

[ACTION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!]

[tsuyoi_ame]

Yeah, I haven't been to them since the first day. But I heard they are pretty nice.

[It was, they are not going to think of that though. This is a new start, a new beginning so to speak, their second chance and Yamamoto intends to make right all of it, with his patience and his love he'll show Hayato that even his past, like the pet convention is nothing to be embarrassed by, that no matter what Yamamoto loves him, only wants him and always will.

When he looks down, Yamamoto nearly kicks himself, he did not mean to upset him or bring things up that maybe he did not want to talk about. He does this far too often for his liking, his intentions can be as good as he wants but if he continues to say stupid things what good is it.]

Hayato, those memories were the only way I survived, there's nothing there that changes how I love you here and we never have to speak about it again if you don't want to, but I need you to know that you are the love of my life and all those memories did was show me how much and how long you've cared for me.

[Then there are hands-on his shoulder and he smiles, it almost feels strange, to smile so much, to talk so much again. He has not done either in quite some time, days on end the only conversations he had were the ones in the simulations. He reaches out, cups his face and leans in, kissing the bomber tenderly.]

I feel like I'm dreaming, I missed you every second. [Then he nods, stepping back he grabs up his bag and his sword, one goes over his body, the other his shoulder and he reaches out, taking his boyfriend's hand]

The suites, I waited so we could pick the one we both want to be our home.

video; un: starscream

[vosseeker]

[ deadpan: ] You set yourself on fire.

Re: video; un: starscream

[bakudan_bambino]

From the inside out [deadpan right back atcha]

[vosseeker]

Why?

[ The way Starscream says it, is not aghast. Rather it's a very how dare you tone of voice. ]

[bakudan_bambino]

To destroy the disease the zombie bite infected me with.

[Gokudera just sounds tired.]

@KaballsDeep | Audio

[kaballin]

Heyyy! You're the first who isn't a robot so as a man of my word you get the phone!

But let's back up a bit before we start getting all celebratory and handing out prizes cuz.. You set yourself on fire?

I've been there and that's a terrible idea. So gotta say I'm questioning your motives a little.

[video]

[bakudan_bambino]

[He seems fine now, completely back to normal. Doesn't look like he came back with any burn marks.]

I wasn't going for it, but I won't turn it away.

Yes. I set myself on fire. It was... awful.

My motive was to not allow myself to turn into a zombie after I was bitten.

[kaballin]

Wow there are about ten thousand better ways to off yourself than that.

How's the revive process? Excruciatingly painful or wake up and back at it like nothing happened at all?

[bakudan_bambino]

You know... I have a certain kind of energy in my blood that looks like fire if I focus is well enough. It's got a very destructive property, so I just... set myself on fire from the inside out with it. It sucked, but it was quick, and it destroyed all of me, which is what I was going for. Didn't want any part of me coming back.

Felt like waking up with heartburn. [Since he set his heart on fire.]

Coming back is the same as first getting here, but with pain. I wouldn't call it excruciating, though. More... persistent and then it petered out after a while. Also, I've got some marks on my body I thought I got rid of years ago. [He's been tortured. That was excruciating.]

[kaballin]

Okay that's a lot of different kinds of fucked up. I guess you're not a zombie so mission accomplished but.. eugh.

Aight that's actually not bad. Kinda figured people would come back in the same amount of agony that they died in and then it stayed like that. That's how it worked back home anyway. So this place continues to be an upgrade.

[bakudan_bambino]

Could have been worse.

People come back from the dead often where you come from?

[kaballin]

It's been known to happen. Or keep on being dead. We have a netherrealm for that shit. Full up of dead folks.

[bakudan_bambino]

Why would someone come back from the dead in your world? Does it seem like how it is here, or is that something that people do... like... resurrections?

[kaballin]

Usually cuz they're raised by a sorcerer. Or they crawl out of the underworld. I think Scorpion has died like... seventeen times now. And being raised by a shitty necromancer sucks, two out of ten stars: do not recommend.

[bakudan_bambino]

I’d say you don’t look like you’ve been resurrected, but I have never seen you.

What about it sucked, just the necromancer, or was it the process, or just that their process in particular was awful?