Open rp, post Zi-O, please interrupt him at the quarry or three hours later or whatever

[kenzaki]

Kenzaki stands in the quarry, delighted, exhausted, and bewildered. Amane-chan is safe. Zi-O has their powers. That should keep both Jokers sealed, and, well, if it doesn’t, he can deal with it then.

For now? For now, he has a chance to actually build a life for himself again. He doesn’t have to hold himself back from contacting his friends. He scribbles his cellphone number on a scrap of paper and tucks it into Hajime’s hand (imagine, being able to touch Hajime again) and begins to stroll off.

He needs to find a place to stay. He hasn't exactly been here long; hasn't had time. Some human food. Oh, and a shower. A shower would be magnificent.

Right now, he wants to let Hajime and Amane-chan reunite without his interference. He’s not leaving town again. He just doesn’t want to be in the way, and maybe to take a couple hours to stare at a wall and let the shock of it all wash over him.

It could've been so much worse.

Comments

[kenzaki]

He turns, and can’t not smile to see the pissed off scowl aimed his way. “Hajime.”

It still feels like a gift to even be able to say it. “I, uh, I wanted to give you two some time. Please look after Amane-chan first, okay?”

[chalicejoker]

Look, Hajime's got some emotions about all of this that he needs to process, and he would like to have two of his favorite people there at the same time to do that, thanks.

But the urge to protect Amane is also very strong, and so he goes with, "If you aren't at the Jacaranda in an hour, I will hunt you down." It probably matches the scowl, even if there's something...fond in that irritated tone.

[kenzaki]

Kenzaki wants to stick around him 24/7 right now and not get more than a foot away, but he also wants to run and run and run and not deal with what he can see in Hajime's eyes even from this distance.

He's smart enough to know he needs to do something in between. He's stupid enough to not know what the hell to say in response to that, though he catches the touch of fondness in the words. It's reassuring. Bolsters him. "I'll be there. Promise."

[chalicejoker]

"You better be." Hajime tells himself he's going to relax in that time, just fuss over Amane a bit, and, well, he's just going to be tense while doing all of this.

[kenzaki]

He's not pulled to the other man to fight, fight, fight, until one of them is victorious. He just... wants to see him. No matter how complicated this is going to get.

To his senses, Hajime feels like a normal person.

He doesn't respond verbally, just gives Hajime a small - sincere - salute.

An hour later he's standing outside of Jacaranda. Wondering if he should knock.

[chalicejoker]

Hajime, for his part, is kind of baffled by not feeling anything out of the ordinary. Things seem slower now--or is that just his nerves?--that he's just a normal human. He's not hyper aware of every little possible threat, every human in his vicinity. It's kind of nice, but weirdly quiet, in a way.

Kenzaki might see a moving figure inside the restaurant--Hajime's lost in thought, pacing, and some part of him is still thinking he's just going to sense Kenzaki approaching so he can just go open the door at the perfect moment.

[kenzaki]

Hajime has been a big red dot in his awareness for the last fifteen years. A smaller dot, the further away he's been, but always, always there. Kenzaki's always been aware of him, and moreso if Hajime was particularly upset or agitated over something. But now everything's different.

...ah. There he is. Kenzaki taps on the door apologetically. He could just go inside, right? It's a cafe, it's not like they don't get customers coming in off the street. But it feels like an intrusion.

[chalicejoker]

That door is going to fly open so fast, Kenzaki may very well be in danger of getting whacked by it if he's not fast enough.

And Hajime should...say something...but he's...hold on, let him process things now that Kenzaki's already there, hold on. He'll just...awkwardly stare. Yes.

Smooth.

[kenzaki]

Kenzaki yelps, sort of spasming back in a very elegant way, and doesn't quite get hit. He looks at Hajime, feeling just as awkward.

Then he relaxes into a laugh. Because this is all ridiculous, and he's suddenly so incredibly fond.

"Hi," he says, then he'll gently shove his way past Hajime if Hajime doesn't move his ass.

[chalicejoker]

Well, that's good. He didn't hit Kenzaki with the door. Kenzaki is actually here.

Hajime's still kind of stunned that Kenzaki actually showed, but he figures it out quickly enough as Kenzaki gently shoves past. He at least has the presence of mind to shut the door and make sure the restaurant's "closed" sign is out. "...hey." Yes. Excellent socialization. He's so good at this.

[kenzaki]

It's almost helpful, that Hajime's just as thrown as he is.

"So, um..."

How've you been for fifteen years? How much do you hate me? Was it really that bad that I left? You were okay, right?

Yeah, none of those. Kenzaki is fumblingly aware that he doesn't actually want Hajime to hit him. They've done enough of that. "How is Amane-chan?" he settles on, thankfully. He does want to know, after all. He doesn't know much about these Another Riders, but he knows physical transformations, and that one looked incredibly painful.

[chalicejoker]

Um. Um, indeed. Though Hajime might have wanted to hear from Kenzaki over the years, he doesn't even know what he'd say. At least Kenzaki seems to be in the same boat? He doesn't know why he's surprised. Kenzaki couldn't even handle a phone call.

Talking about Amane is a solid move. "She's doing well. She's strong." Hajime nods. "She's getting cleaned up."

And now he...should carry on the conversation...that's how this works...Hajime wonders if it's having a fully human brain that's making him feel slow and flustered, or if he's just tired (can fatigue do that to a human? He thinks fatigue can do that to a human), or what the hell his problem is. "Are you okay? After all that?"

'All that' could mean a lot of things under these circumstances, really. That last fight. That last fifteen years. It covers a variety of topics and is a better question than Hajime was expecting himself to ask.

[kenzaki]

Kenzaki's shoulders slump a little with relief. "That's good. She's been through a lot, hasn't she."

Part of him wants to pin Hajime to the wall and apologise with his lips, before Hajime punches him through a wall.

He blinks at that, and there's a sudden thickness in his throat. It's not that no one has shown concern for him in fifteen years. He's had decent bosses and co-workers, he's even had a few friends, he thinks, not that he's been around any of them for all that long. It's just that it's Hajime...

Calm down, idiot.

"A little tired," he admits. "It was odd as hell getting Joker pulled out. How about you?"

[chalicejoker]

Hajime frowns. "It's...I suppose she would have found out sooner or later." They were bound to notice he didn't age one of these days. Only now...now that wouldn't be a problem, would it? "But this is absolutely not how it should have happened. I should have told her...somehow." Instead of trying to just quietly move on out of her life. Neither of them had been happy with that.

And yet that last bit, well. That gets a short, bitter--was that a laugh?--noise of some sort out of him. "I suspect it's a bit stranger for me than it was for you. I...didn't know there could be a me without Joker." The name still carries a bit of lingering distaste as he says it.

[kenzaki]

There's an uncomfortable nod. He understands why Amane-chan didn't know up till now. And it's not as though he thinks that he could've told her, if he'd been here. He's always been bad at personal discussions.

He also wishes it could've been different. Anything to make all of this easier on her.

But he doesn't blame Hajime.

"This was a horrible way to find out anything," Kenzaki agrees, nodding with his eyebrows up at nearby chairs. He drops down into one, hoping Hajime will take his invitation, even though it's really not his place to be giving any kind of invitation. "But you didn't know it was coming."

He wrinkles his nose sympathetically, still marvelling at the fact that he's here to do anything with any kind of sympathy with Hajime. "I've only gone back to how I was. Older, maybe. Slower. But it's all new for you. Is everything working okay in there? You're not in much pain, are you?"

[chalicejoker]

"How could anyone have known any of this was coming?" It hadn't even pinged his Undead senses until it was too late.

And that...oh, hello, emotions. He shakes his head. "A little sore, maybe. But nothing I haven't felt before." It's going to be hanging around longer than he's anticipating, but hey. He'll take it. "I don't know if I'll ever get used to wounds being red when I clean up." There's no keeping a slight sense of wonder out of his voice. "And everything feels slower now, yes." He still can't believe they're sitting here like this. It's a good feeling, even if he doesn't know what to do with it. "...can I get you something? Coffee? Tea?" He can do those things, remembers how to do those things, that's...easier than confronting emotions?

[kenzaki]

"You have a point."

Kenzaki hasn't kept up with the news like he knows he should. He does occasional Google searches for "Kamen Rider" and, also, uh, for certain people's names, when he's feeling particularly maudlin. He's learned a little here and there. Maybe there's been more about this kid Zi-O in the news, but probably not. He knows what it was like when he and Hajime and the others were active. There was surprisingly little.

Besides, reading an article about how there was a disturbance and someone in a funny suit saved a couple people, that wouldn't've warned him about this.

There's a flicker of emotions on Hajime's face, and Kenzaki feels his heart twist. The other man hasn't changed so very much, then. He can still read him, at least a little.

"Good. You're tough, I know." And maybe that's an apology for not giving him a chance to be tough, when Kenzaki made his decision for both of them, years ago. Maybe it's not. He gives a sudden smile. "Tea. Please. But let me help."

[chalicejoker]

Tea. He can do that. Even if he's being offered help. He would normally reject help outright, but...it's Kenzaki. There's a hesitant sort of nod. "Alright, then." And he turns to head behind the counter; he figures Kenzaki will follow.

...it's kind of nice, knowing Kenzaki won't run off again. There's no reason for it.

[kenzaki]

Hajime's actually letting him help. Almost like they've spent the last years together. Almost like everything can actually be okay again.

He follows, grinning, and finds the kettle.

[chalicejoker]

Honestly, this is more than Hajime could have hoped for. He's...hell, that is an actual smile as he's getting the tea out. He is totally unaware of this expression; he's just focused on getting the tea.