MASK OR MENACE - contact.

[hostage]

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[earnedmystripes]

youre back!

[Saul had said he might be, but Kotetsu had been trying to avoid getting his hopes up. It's a nice surprise, after that whole Neverland disaster.]

[hostage]

I'm back

[earnedmystripes]

did you just get back today?

[he assuming yes, since he hasn't seen you around the school in the days since the city went back to normal, but of course he's wrong.]

lemme buy you a drink or something

[hostage]

About a week ago

Where should I meet you?

[earnedmystripes]

oh crap
you didnt get caught up in that whole mess in heropa did you

we could meet up at the bar a couple blocks from the housing complex?

[hostage]

No I was safe

I'll head over now

-> action!

[earnedmystripes]

see you in a few

[He grabs his hat and a light coat, and heads right on over, finding a booth within line of sight of the entrance. When Jesse arrives, he beams, getting up and raising a hand for their customary high-five...but should Jesse take him up on it, he'll change his mind at the last moment and move in for a hug instead.]

[hostage]

[The reception is considerably warmer than Jesse was expecting, even from Kotetsu. But he doesn't mind it, not at all. Hell, it's been a full fucking year since he's seen Kotetsu. So Jesse returns the embrace, squeezing him tight.]

It's good to see you, man.

[earnedmystripes]

[It's certainly more open affection than they've ever shown each other, but it's a good moment and Kotetsu's never shied away from being super embarrassing, anyway. He's still got that dorky smile on his face, though buried in Jesse's shoulder, when he says--]

You too.

...I missed you.

[The latter's probably not something he meant to say out loud, and they don't even have the excuse of alcohol just yet, but for once, Kotetsu doesn't feel particularly self-conscious about the honesty. Maybe it's because right now he's just too happy about having his friend back to care.]

[hostage]

I missed you, too.

[He's kind of numb to the concept of embarrassment by now. Far worse things than admitting his affection. Jesse pats Kotetsu's shoulder and gives him a final squeeze before drawing back. They did come here for drinks, not hugs - though hugs will probably happen again later.]

Whiskey or beer? How hard are we partying?

[earnedmystripes]

[Yes, of course. Drunk hugs are the best kind.]

Well--this place isn't a jungle, so I'd say that deserves some partying pretty hard.

[But then, something occurs to him. You can almost see the gears turning in Kotetsu's head.]

...You still can't get drunk, though, right? Ssssso maybe not too hard.

[He still thinks it'd be kind of weird to get drunk by himself while Jesse stays sober.]

[hostage]

Don't slow down on my account. I hate to kill a party.

[He gestures a server over and orders two bourbons to start. Setting the example.]

[earnedmystripes]

[He laughs and leans back against the chair of the booth, resting his head against his arms while he waits for the alcohol to arrive.]

So how've things been? You went home, right?

[you have a beard now 8|a]

[hostage]

Yeah, for a year.

[That response is light, conversational. Jesse's scars have been erased, all external signs of his mutilation invisible now, so he would hate to keep dwelling on the pain. Even if he doesn't intend to lie about it.]

[earnedmystripes]

Damn, that long, huh. And you didn't remember anything?

[He doesn't know why he bothers to ask, save for to make conversation, maybe. No one ever remembers. He didn't, the time he went back for an hour. It still kind of freaks him out, if he lets himself think about it too much.]

[hostage]

It's a nightmare, isn't it? Especially when you gotta go back and live through all the shit everybody warned you about.

[Again the delivery is breezy, though he sounds a bit fatigued, too. Mind-tired, soul-tired. Yes, everything would have been easier if he could have remembered.]

[earnedmystripes]

[There's...an uncomfortable pause, despite how casually Jesse delivers that remark. He himself doesn't know anything about his own future, except that some guy called Ryan comes to work for Apollon. Nothing particularly earthshattering. But dense as he can be sometimes, there's no missing the implication in his friend's words: he knew something terrible was going to happen in his future, and then he went back and lived it.]

--I'm sorry. If you wanna talk about it, or anything...

[hostage]

[Jesse gives Kotetsu a wan smile.]

I appreciate the offer and all, but it's pretty fucking heavy. I don't wanna ruin your day with this bullshit.

[earnedmystripes]

If you don't wanna talk about it, that's okay. But y'know...you don't gotta worry about protecting my feelings, yeah?

[Ah, there's their alcohol. Just in time. He takes a drink, buying himself a few moments of time.]

You've been there for me before. I wanna be able to do the same for you.

[hostage]

[Jesse grabs his drink and tosses it down, then nudges the glass forward for a refill.]

I... should probably tell you I'm a criminal.

[earnedmystripes]

...What?

[It's probably a good thing he had put his drink down beforehand, or otherwise there'd be a pretty classic spittake right about now. He doesn't sound angry, or incredulous. One could almost think he was asking Jesse to repeat himself because he didn't hear what he said, that's how neutral his tone is in that first moment. He did, of course; it just didn't register. Jesse might as well have just said that he's actually a purple polka-dotted unicorn-penguin for all the sense it makes to him.]

[hostage]

Yeah. Not like, "Oh, I shoplifted once," kinda criminal, either. It's pretty bad. Um, America's Most Wanted level.

[Not that he got many TV-watching privileges back on the compound, but he wasn't deaf. He'd overhear the news reports occasionally down by the clubhouse, accompanied by the wild laughter of his captors.]

[earnedmystripes]

[There's such a long pause. Kotetsu's still staring at Jesse as if he's suddenly grown a second head. Denial doesn't even properly describe it right now; he literally can't comprehend the reality Jesse's just thrust into his lap.]

You can't possibly be serious.

[hostage]

I'm sure as hell not joking.

[Oh, look. His second whiskey's here. He shoots it down and nudges the glass forward for another refill.]

[earnedmystripes]

[He doesn't sound like he's joking, no. But it's Jesse. Jesse Pinkman who is so protective of the kids at Xavier's, who always appears at charity events and volunteers in hospitals to heal the critically injured and terminally ill, who tortures himself every time something goes wrong at a swear-in to save lives. Kotetsu just...can't. He can't reconcile that image of Jesse who saved his life, personally, who helped him with his nightmares after Crane's fear gas and has kept his secret and been so unfailingly kind with someone who would willingly hurt others. He honestly...can't even imagine Jesse as someone capable of it.]

...S-so what, you're some kinda like, Bond-like superspy or something?

[That would be criminal, wouldn't it? Sort of. At least, spies probably broke a lot of laws if they were anything like in the movies. Maybe Jesse's going to tell him that the whole pest control thing was something he made up and it's really something more like that.]