The witch is dead but so is he

[akai_pride]

He really doesn't know how he ended up here. This is not the nexus' fault. Somehow Nephrite (not Nefukichi-kun!) is working at Crown Karaoke on the half-charity of some crazy human boy who doesn't seem to mind if Nephrite shouts or threatens him or breaks the dishes (again). It's like nothing he could do could make that guy really mad, and it's

Comments

[sculptingwater]

There's a startled noise from a book. That seems to be hovering. It jumps back when it nearly runs into Nefukichi Nephrite as he passes by.

A head peers over the book. "Eh?" One surprised Mizuno Ami stares. How did she end up here?! She reads often when she walks, so it's entirely unlike her to not pay attention enough to end up somewhere she didn't expect...and especially not in a different district! Isn't this--Crown?!

But...this person is... "Excuse me for intruding!" she blurts immediately (even though this is a place of business), bowing in apology for almost running into the new part-timer she doesn't recognize quite yet.

[akai_pride]

Nephrite.

"Watch where you're going!" he bellows at Ami. He doesn't even take a second look before the words come out. But when he does, the little twitch of his brow changes to some combination of shame, anger, and the confusion of which to feel and why. He stares at her, dumbstruck.

[sculptingwater]

"I'm very sorry!" she insists immediately in a small voice, bowing again. She looks up properly, and stops.

There's an awkward pause. She should turn and go now, but something keeps her from it. Isn't that...? No. But if it was the nexus, couldn't it be...? No.

"Um..."

[akai_pride]

It's a sailor senshi is what it could be. Nephrite's not sure if that makes him want to hide in the back room so she can't see a shitennou come to this, or reach his hand around her throat for being (oh so indirectly and illogically) the cause of all this.

"What do you want?" he asks her with ill grace.

[akai_pride]

Nephrite looks up at that unmistakable voice, stopping abruptly mid-run and mid-growl. What's this guy doing here? The new Crown part-timer honestly has no idea whether to be grateful for his life being saved, or whether to just punch Kunzite right now for all the scorn and all the smug superiority and all the taunting... and most of all, for all the being right.

"What do you want here?" What could possibly interest a shitennou here?

[akai_pride]

Oh, that's rich.

"Just go back," Nephrite advises. "I can't even use my powers anymore. I'm no use to you or anyone."

[akai_pride]

What the hell does a shitennou want with a human? Nephrite lets out a few more growls as he continues punishing the dirt and grime (which is entirely not his fault and has nothing to do with the tray he knocked over when a customer repeated after Motoki and called him yet another ungodly name).

On the return trip, Jadeite's still there. Nephrite turns his back to run down the corridor again and gets back to find out... Jadeite is still there.

"Damn you!" he bursts out finally, throwing the mop to the floor. "Why are you still there?" He can't even escape with any dignity.

[akai_pride]

"Aren't you going to laugh?" The question is sulky and defensive to hide honest surprise. Why isn't Jadeite laughing? A few months ago, he could swear either of them would be crowing from the rooftops to get the other like this.

[akai_pride]

Bastard pretending not to know when it happened right in front of him! Nephrite doesn't even take the five seconds it would have required to realize Zoisite is an alternate. He reaches to grab that white collar, that shitennou's collar.

"Don't make fun of me for being here!"

[akai_pride]

A glare. Of course not. "There's no point."

He's human; how's he going to hurt a shitennou? Nephrite un-bunches the fabric and his fist and, turns away. "Just go back wherever you came from. I don't need you ridiculing me."

[psychonefukichi]

Woah. Wait, that.

Woah. Talk about looking into a time warp.

"Calm the hell down!" And talk about that coming out of a Nephrite's mouth. It's the end of the world! "You are loud."

[akai_pride]

"What do you know about it, you---" Blink. He's looking at someone who damn well does know about it. Nephrite decides the Nexus has taken today to make a list of People He Would Not Want To See (Kunzite is totally at the top) and plopped all of them right here to see the pathetic misery of his current existence. Thank you, Nexus. Die.

The realization is enough to calm him down, though. He puts the mop sulkily to one side instead of throwing it (an improvement already!) and looks warily at his alternate.

"I guess you know," he admits finally.

[psychonefukichi]

"Well, I'd hope I'd know." A frown. "It's been nearly three and a half years for me."

[akai_pride]

That means... That means... That means... Nephrite's face twitches with the effort to keep it under control.

"I'm stuck like this forever?!"