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Post by Satoru Alabaster on Nov 15, 2014 22:56:18 GMT -5
There were few things Satoru wanted to remember about New Tokyo, and even fewer people he cared to recall. But sometimes the city clawed its way out of his memories unbidden. This was one of those times.
He'd only seen Kiyoko a scant few times, Ryota had bought him an evening of her time in effort to cure him. It hadn't helped in the slightest, but he'd still remembered hushed conversation and the stupid blind acting they'd pulled off to make everyone think it had worked.
And today, he saw her again.
City hall wasn't a place he normally visited, but resolving issues with building licenses sometimes had to be done in person. He was sat down on the steps, giving his leg a rest when she caught his eye. She looked different, healthier, not nearly so frail. But the burn on her face from Lady Jun was still there on her face. He blinked once, then twice, and the burn mark remained. "Kiyo!" He called out.
Because maybe it was a mistake, but he couldn't just drop the thought. She had been a friend.
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Post by Kiyoko Jun on Nov 15, 2014 23:09:48 GMT -5
Kiyoko was trying not to draw attention to herself, it was already hard enough to blend in a crowd with a face like hers. She knew she should be used to it by now, but the looks she got from people always made it worse than it really was, it sucked. Her hand she could tolerate, but right on her face, where attention was supposed to go to during conversation, there was no way of hiding that without wearing a mask, and then she'd look even MORE like a freak.
However, this time she would end up being thankful for the mark on her face as her head whipped around to catch who had called her name. Maybe it was a coincidence? 'Kiyo' could have been anyone, really, it was a nickname for several different names. At least that was what she was telling herself, but the man that caught her eye actually looked familiar. She tried to smile some, but it came out looking more worried than friendly. "Sorry, do I know you…?" She'd seen him before, she knew she had, but she couldn't quite place it, it was frustrating.
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Post by Satoru Alabaster on Nov 15, 2014 23:57:44 GMT -5
Satoru got up and hobbled over. He remembered, oh damn did he remember. And now he was definitely sure that the woman was Kiyoko. "Kiyoko, s'me." He came to a stop just in front of her. He'd changed a little since he'd last seen her, but it was largely age and the limp. The rest hadn't been enough to really differentiate himself. "Satoru, remember?"
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Post by Kiyoko Jun on Nov 16, 2014 0:12:38 GMT -5
Kiyoko blinked as the realization hit her, and when it did the smile she had forced grew into a much more genuine one. "Satoru?" No, no it couldn't have been. Toru had died YEARS ago, didn't he? That's what she had heard anyway, but the man standing in front of her was definitely him, she wouldn't dare forget the face of one of the few friends she had in New Tokyo. It really was him!
"Oh my god!" She exclaimed quickly before hugging him. Dammit her eyes were watering, not enough to cry thank god, but she was just so HAPPY! Of all the people she could run into, she couldn't be more thrilled that it was him.
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Post by Satoru Alabaster on Nov 16, 2014 0:36:28 GMT -5
Satoru stumbled a little with the embrace and hugged back just as tightly. His biggest regret was having to leave the city as fast as he had. He didn't have time to send out word to anyone, and with Kiyoko's situation he doubted she would have gotten it even if he had managed some sort of letter. But he'd missed her.
"How'd you get out?" The gunslinger asked, incredibly curious. Lady Jun wasn't one to let her property go easily, it would have been incredibly difficult to get out at all, even with help. He'd been assumed dead, no one had gone looking for him.
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Post by Kiyoko Jun on Nov 16, 2014 0:48:29 GMT -5
Kiyoko pulled back from the embrace and wiped her eyes a little as she spoke. "There's this organization that goes around rescuing slaves and stuff. 'Bout ten years ago or so a guy pretended to be a client and smuggled me out of town. Got me medical help and therapy and everything." There was no questioning that that was the best day of her life. Food and medicine and kind people, it had taken her a while before she could believe it was all real.
She was still smiling and turned the question back to him. "What about you? I thought you were dead!" It hadn't come as a shock when the news had reached her back then, considering the average life span of a New Tokyo citizen, but she'd still been devastated when she found out.
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Post by Satoru Alabaster on Nov 16, 2014 1:16:11 GMT -5
Hot damn Kiyoko had been lucky. There must have been some seriously talanted smugglers in that operation, knowing how much of New Tokyo Jun had controlled. Satoru wasn't going to look the gift horse in the mouth, though. Not when he had his friend back.
"I probably shoulda been dead," Satoru admitted. "There was a gunfight, most everyone was killed and I just lucked out. Cops must've taken me to a hospital and couldn't prove I was involved in the gang. Let me go free and I hightailed it here..." He frowned a little. "I'm sorry I couldn't send word."
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Post by Kiyoko Jun on Nov 16, 2014 2:22:48 GMT -5
Kiyo shook her head at that. "Like you would have been able to anyway? I'm just glad you're alive." Besides, things would have been even worse if her mistress had gotten a hold of any sort of letter Satoru might have been able to get across, and she couldn't have that.
"So what've you been up to all this time? Look like you're doing well." Really anything would have been an improvement from how either of them had been living back then. The limp was new to her though, but she'd ask about it another time if it came across her mind again. She just wanted to catch up, it had been way too long since they'd seen each other.
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Post by Satoru Alabaster on Nov 17, 2014 0:51:09 GMT -5
Satoru nodded. To be fair, Kiyoko had a point about communication being impossible. It didn't do too much to alleviate the twinge of guilt in his gut, but it was enough for him to push it aside. "Yeah, I'm doing alright. Got a business, some friends, a house, and a dog."
As if on cue, Echo yapped and darted forward, done with chasing squirrels. The more he thought on in, she wasn't much of a service dog. But he wasn't that much in need of one out in public where there was space to move. Maybe she'd get better at it in time. Whatever. "This is Echo," he said, gesturing to the golden retriever sniffing at Kiyoko's legs.
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Post by Kiyoko Jun on Nov 17, 2014 15:45:58 GMT -5
Wow, sounded like Satoru really was doing good. That was great! Kiyoko's eyes moved down to the dog that was sniffing her. "Hey girl." She greeted, kneeling down to scratch behind Echo's ear. She was sweet, a lot nicer than the ones in New Tokyo for sure. "You're pretty cute, aren't 'cha?"
She looked up at Satoru as she continued petting Echo. "So what kinda business do ya have? You never really striked me as a suit and tie kinda guy." Of course it'd been over a decade since they'd last seen each other, so things were bound to change. Still, it was pretty weird.
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Post by Satoru Alabaster on Nov 17, 2014 20:56:38 GMT -5
Echo licked at the hands, yes, good person. Person with skritches and pets and friendly, safe person. Not a threat. Echo sat next to the pair of humans, her tail swished over the concrete as her tongue lolled.
"Changed a little, I guess," he said, fingering his tie. It was old, honestly, and he'd get a new one if he didn't wear it mostly as just a formality. "Besides, I found out I looked good in one and people took me more seriously if I didn't have so much hair." But those hadn't really answered her question. "I run a shooting range down in Ookami territory, it's something I know how to do at least."
And that thought raised some questions. "You got anywhere to stay or work?" He asked. He was mostly out of open positions in the range, but there was a spare room at his house. It wasn't like he and Keith were using it, even with Gabe getting a little older. "I've got a free room if you need a place to stay, the Clan Barracks aren't exactly the greatest."
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Post by Kiyoko Jun on Nov 17, 2014 21:10:14 GMT -5
Kiyoko laughed a little at that. "Yeah, you do look a lot better all cleaned up. And you'll have to give me a tour around the range sometime then." It didn't surprise her at all that he'd stuck to something revolving around guns, if it was something you were good at then might as well stick with it.
She was surprised however at the offer. "Well, no I don't really have anywhere right now…" She admitted, rubbing her arm. She had only just gotten into town, not much had been done about her living arrangements, but if Satoru was offering… "If you wouldn't mind that'd be great." A thought hit her and she tilted her head to the side. "Do you live alone?" Well, alone aside from Echo, but she figured that went without being said.
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Post by Satoru Alabaster on Nov 17, 2014 22:39:07 GMT -5
Satoru nodded, if Kiyoko wanted a tour he'd give her one. He was proud of his range, he kept it well. Besides, almost everyone that was important to him could be found at the range, it was probably the easiest way to introduce her to people. Well, if she wanted to be introduced. Adjusting after New Tokyo was an experience to say the least.
"No," he answered, reaching a hand down to pet Echo's furry head. "I'm, uh," dating was the right word for it, right? He never really had to explain the relationship to anyone, most people already knew or it wasn't any of their business. "I'm dating a guy named Keith, he and his son moved in a little while ago."
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Post by Kiyoko Jun on Nov 17, 2014 22:52:19 GMT -5
Kiyoko blinked at that, followed by a quiet laugh. "A guy? Well now suddenly everything makes sense." She'd never questioned why Satoru didn't want her… services, when they first met, she had just been too grateful to push the topic. The mention of a kid though… she wasn't sure how that would go over. Most kids either got freaked out from her face or asked too many uncomfortable questions about it.
She'd think more on that later though. "Alright, tell me about him, I've gotta know everything." She'd have to meet him too. Kiyo wasn't big on meeting new people, but she'd make an exception for her friend.
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Post by Satoru Alabaster on Nov 22, 2014 23:58:07 GMT -5
Everything? That was a tall order, and it wasn't like Satoru had a lot of experience talking about Keith. The only people he'd talked to about Keith either had met him already or had dated him. Starting from the ground up was going to be new... "Well, he runs a tattoo parlor in town, not too far from here, actually." He started. That was technically how they met, so that was about as close to the beginning as he'd get for now. "He's Italian, and he's got a kid, and..."
Well, how was he supposed to go about describing Keith? "He's an asshole like me, but it works I think because of that. We give each other a lot of shit but at the end of the day we still give a shit..."
This was much harder than he anticipated. He needed some form of question or something...
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