[THREAD] to my motion FATIGUE : f a r e w e l l

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Who: Kengamine Nagi & OPEN
Where: the streets of Abyss
When: late afternoon to early evening
Summary: Owl of the burning forest, searching for some familiarity.
Rating: T (to start?)
Other: Start a new thread or hop onto a pre-existing one with permission, I'm good with either.

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To be honest, Nagi hadn't really expected anyone in Abyss to recognize him, and although he knew at the back of his mind that Crow was out there somewhere, he'd never really made the connection that he might run into the other here around the streets. It really was something of an amazing coincidence, wasn't it? But the first shout of his codename only served to startle him, it had been so out of the blue, and he looked up with a start, scanning the streets with shoulders tensed, wondering if he should be on guard?

But no, it wasn't difficult to spot the familiar figure down the street, what with the discontent grumbles of other people being pushed aside, and Nagi returned the wide-armed wave meekly, though cheerfully. And weaved down the street, between the people who were rather quickly making their way away from this eyepatched hooligan. Regardless, Nagi drew closer, a faint smile on his features. "Senji-san, I haven't seen you in a while."

And of course, there was the faint hesitation born from the fact that this man seemed to know more about the past few months than Nagi himself -- but that didn't matter too much. A small laugh, and Nagi looked to the now-emptier streets. "I didn't expect to run into you at a place like this."

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Knees almost buckled for a moment at the sudden weight of the arm across his shoulder, and Nagi looked up at Senji with a weak smile, faintly observing how impressive the other's stature was. No wonder the crowd edged away quickly -- probably unwilling to suffer through any more wayword shoves and pushes.

And answering the scrutinizing stare with a small laugh, he gave an awkward shrug. "Ah -- not much. I was just wondering if I could find anything around here that would -- help me remember." Even though he left the terms vague, it wasn't difficult to guess what he was searching for, and he cast a weak glance down the street towards where he knew the Scar Chain HQ was. But now that there was a distraction, he felt somewhat more reluctant to delve into that potential dangerous territory. Shaking off the darker haze that had fallen over his thoughts, he instead looked back up to Senji. "I'm not -- keeping you from any business, am I?"

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Not much left. It was a hollowing thought, but probably true, and he gave a blank nod, eyes directed down the street -- empty buildings in the Abyss rarely went untouched for long, he knew, often snatched up by wanderers and scavengers as temporary homes, plundered for all they were worth, then left to rot. Which meant that he had to go quickly, didn't he? Before whatever traces were left there were swept away?

Though those thoughts were quickly jostled aside by the suggestion of drinking, and Nagi looked up with a weak laugh, shaking his head jokingly. "That doesn't leave me with much choice, does it?" A moment of thought -- it was a Friday, after all, which meant no need to get up early the next morning for his job, and even though he wasn't much of a drinker -- maybe this momentary distraction would help?

Finally, he gave a small nod, turning his gaze away from the streets. Perhaps, perhaps, it would be better this way. "I suppose it would be rude to refuse such an invitation?"

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Later, was it? Perhaps -- it would be nice if the opportunity would wait for him, was the blank thought that flitted past his mind, before he was obediently trotting along after Senji, keeping an eye on the streets to remember the route they were taking.

And he sat gingerly in the booth, casting a cautious glance around at the rest of the patrons -- vaguely aware of how out of place he seemed -- before looking up at the bartender. A pause in thought, as he hadn't been drinking since -- quite some time ago. "Ah -- do you have sake?" When in doubt, go with what was familiar? Of course, regardless of what the drink of choice was, he probably wouldn't last that long given his low tolerance, but -- well. Maybe it wouldn't be too bad once in a while. A questioning glance back towards Senji, wondering what the other would order.

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Wondering if Crow was the type to get drunk easily or not -- probably not? he didn't seem the type -- Nagi propped his elbows on the table, relaxing a little bit despite the general discomfort that nagged at him whenever he was in Abyss. "Uneventful, I suppose. I'm afraid my life these days isn't terribly exciting."

And he unconsciously followed Senji's wandering gaze about the bar. Probably looking for opponent, judging by his general attitude? For a moment, Nagi idly thought back to the terribly faint memories he had of fighting Crow before -- if they fought again, would the deja vu tug any other memories back? -- Probably not, but it was a nice thought. Idly toying with the hem of his sleeves, he looked back to Senji. "And yourself? It must always be a bit hectic down here."

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"Haha, well -- just work?" A hand rose to tug at the folds of his scarf, pulling them up so that they solidly hid the scar at his throat. "Preparing for upcoming lessons and such. It's a fairly uneventful task, at least in terms of thrill or such."

And Nagi looked taken aback for a moment at the low whisper, before giving a weak smile. Admittedly, he didn't remember much about Senji, but this constant hunger for action seemed consistent, at least. And he was just about about to make some answer when the bartender approached, setting down their orders before sliding smoothly away to tend to some other table. A pause, and Nagi reached tentatively for the miniature bottle and ceramic cup. "Then, hopefully tonight will be at least marginally more interesting?"

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"I'm not sure if that's within the parameters of my job -- though I'll be sure to relay that advice to the physical education teacher when I get the chance." And he watched, almost impressed, as Senji downed a good portion of the bottle in one go -- did he have high alcohol tolerance? Maybe, judging by the nonchalant attitude.

Gingerly pouring himself a glass of the rice liquor, Nagi drank half of it before giving a low laugh at Senji's deadpan. "I suppose it counts? I'm afraid I don't go drinking very often, so at least it's a good deviation from the norm." A small pause, and a tilt of the head to the side. "If I may ask -- were you always a resident of Abyss?"

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Finishing off the rest of his first cup, Nagi gave a small, thoughtful sort of noise, mulling over what Crow had said. Elysium, was it? The other's life must have been more complicated than what he'd first assumed -- though, Senji didn't seem very discontent with life down here. Maybe it had been a voluntary move down here, rather than a misfortune.

His movements paused for a moment, though, and the question concerning his voice. Reaching for the bottle, he quietly poured himself another glass before shaking his head, features arranged in a small, sad smile. "I'm afraid not. It's a bit of a long story, but I was -- in an accident, and lost my vocal cords." Instinctively, a hand rose to press against his scarf. "This was the best alternative available."