hatesthefood | (no subject)

First, there's a flurry of motion, a group locked in a deadly struggle for survival. The battle was brutal, the ground under their feet soon damp with vivid splotches of crimson. One by one, the men fell.

The survivor stood in a pool of blood, three bodies scattered around him; one, a younger man that looked like a much younger Mamoru, bloody and wrapped in razor sharp wire. The second was a lanky redhead, his katana still held in his lifeless hand. The third was a tall blonde wearing broken sunglasses and what looked like an almost wry smile frozen on his pale face.

Ken's face was blank, blood seeping from wounds above his eye and along his cheek but there's almost no recognition of pain. Then, he threw his head back and screamed, his hands flexing gloved fingers so blood soaked that the creak would be audible to anyone standing close to him.

[ooc: The battle near the end of the Weiss OVA. If you've never seen the Ken in action, it's a good peek into just how good he is. Feel free to try and talk to him but I'm not promising he'll be very coherent... or nice. ^^;]

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The truth... It's not easy for Mamoru to admit he's vulnerable. He glances away.

"I don't want to go back to sleep."

Ken's eyes were cast opposite of Mamoru's.

"... neither do I. I was planning on going Underground after the curse wore off. I knew I'd be able to keep busy down there."

"I'm not armed," Mamoru admitted. He hadn't carried weapons since...

"I'm always armed now."

The words were free before he could think.

"... I'm not going until later, anyway."

Mamoru watched him quietly, his eyes a little dark.

"Alright."

Ken glanced over, his gaze catching Mamoru's for a long moment before he looked down.

"... do you remember anything about your dream? I mean... if anyone was there?"

"No-one I remember." He looked back at Ken. "Why?"

"Just wondering. I mean... hell, you never know in this place."

The older man was studiously watching the path in front of them.

"You saw it." Not a question. He can tell.

And Ken couldn't help but look a little sheepish at that.

"Yeah."

Mamoru gave him a weary smile, raising an eyebrow. "What did you think?"

"I think you dream in abstracts."

He mirrored the smile back, hunching his shoulders a tiny bit against the cold air.

"The Siberian didn't like you much, did he?"

"Not very much," Mamoru agreed, looking to the side.

Ken walked on in silence for a long while, thinking.

"So what do you think it meant?"

Mamoru snorted quietly.

"I may dream in the abstract, Ken, but I'm not subtle."

He opened his mouth to snark back at the younger man but kept his words to himself. Sighing, he glanced away, feeling the gulf between them widen even more.

Mamoru sighed, crossing his arms in front of his chest. He knew Ken understood the dream. Why was he pretending he hadn't?

"The cat was you, Ken."

"I know it was. Don't treat me like I'm stupid just because I'm nothing more than Weiss' muscle."

Mamoru growled in frustration. "I'm not. You asked me what I thought! God, Ken, I know you're smart. Stop telling me that I don't!"

"Maybe because figuring things out is sometimes easier if you talk about it out loud, or at least that's what I've been told. Fuck."

He kicked at a can on the street, sending it clattering away from them.

Mamoru looked over at him, his eyes dark.

"What is it you want to figure out then, Ken?"

"I guess I wanted to figure out where I stood with you, after everything."

Mamoru looked up to him, his eyes dark.

"Weiss -- you -- will always be the best thing in my life."

Ken paused, looking down at him. His hand twitched with the urge to reach up and smooth some of the hair from Mamoru's forehead but he didn't dare. It wasn't his place anymore.

"I feel the same way."