WELCOME

[You!]

Y didn't know why Belle's father insisted on taking care of Beyond so often. He hated it. He worried constantly.

Most importantly he didn't know what to do with himself when he wasn't caring for that child. He was far away from the friends he had in the States, the best he could manage for Belle was visiting her grave and he didn't like her brother or her father.

So he was alone, making his way through people while he clutched at his injured side like this would somehow help fix the problem there. He didn't know if his agony was apparent to the people around him or not but a few of them kept out of his way, looking at him with wary eyes. Maybe they thought he was sick? Oh, that was one of the waitresses, wasn't it? He wondered what she was doing in such a bad area, but she didn't seem to recognize him without a suit on because she hurried by.

He wandered the streets for a few more moments before he finally decided he'd go get a drink since he wasn't taking any of the medicines he was supposed to be taking anyway. He didn't have any reason to stay away from the drink, so he wouldn't.

He was kind of disappointed when the place didn't have the brand of whisky he liked, but he made due with some over-priced wine which didn't even look as if it was worth the money, much less smell or even taste like it. But beggars couldn't be choosers so he isolated himself to a dark corner and drank.

[[NC] Katsu]

He watched them enter. One by one, a lonely man, a man and his two ladies, two old friends that talked loudly... Every single one an unfamiliar face, and every single one a familiar situation. It made him sick. He sat there in his both, feet propped up on the seat on the other side of the table. Nobody bothered him for it, of course. He sat alone, three bottles in front of him and only one half empty... Heh, was that how things had become? Half empty, rather than half full? It really seemed that way. Even if he had water in that cup at all, it still couldn't satisfy the other half he had lost.

He had grown a tolerance for alcohol, now. He could drink so much more without falling into his raging self, for which he was thankful. Years of drinking did this, and this is what happens after you lose something precious twice. Four times if you count the actual number of people that have gone. It was utterly painful, and he filled in the empty space with traveling. New sights, new people, new events... And yet day after day they were seeming more and more monotonous. Everything was the same, just with different clothing... different faces... But somehow, even that was getting blended, too. He was worried that soon enough, nothing would... well... "pop"...

But something did. His eyes widened at the sight of a blonde male that walked in alone. This didn't look the same. It didn't feel familiar, and yet the person did. But how could that be? As he stared after the male with wide eyes he stormed his mind for the face. How could something be familiar, but someone be familiar? As if... He knows this person, but he never expected to see them here...

His eyes narrowed as he noticed the male holding his side. He nearly jolted up out of his seat but managed to keep himself down. He watched him a little longer, hoping a different name would come with the face... Oh, didn't mention it, but a name had appeared in his mind a while ago already. The word "you!" had come to mind the moment he saw the boy, but he had misinterpretted it. It wasn't "you!" as in some person, but "You!" as in the person... Was it really... It couldn't be.... You?

He finally stood and grabbed the half full bottle... Oh, better not let his hopes get too high just yet... So he grabbed his bottle that still had liquid in it and walked over, sitting next to the man.

"Hey, mind if I sit here?" It was a dumb question, but it was the first thing that popped out.

[You!]

Y was surprised when someone spoke to him in English. He noted it was much easier to understand through the thin film of pain obstructing his thoughts than the Japanese he was starting to get used to people speaking to him in. He was pretty sure he would be able to manage Russian better, actually. But all that aside, he blinked curiously at the stranger and tilted his head to the side slightly. But his neck didn't seem to be too fond of this, so he flinched and returned his head to the position it had been in previously. With slight reluctance. He was glad he hadn't been out to pick anyone up that night. He really did need his pain meds to function now, huh?

Who was this, anyway? They looked familiar. Very, oddly familiar.

He took a sip of his wine, watching the man who had so casually sat down next to him carefully. Contemplating his appearance in a cool manner none of the kids at Wammys had seen. He really didn't have to seem friendly here, away from all that nonsense. He was thinking that he didn't care if this one got bored and left when his mind latched onto a facial feature.

"Sorry, spaced out there. Of course you can." He offered in a friendly voice, putting the glass down as he spoke. He was stalling while he figured out who this was, of course.

He started to carefully sort through the people he remembered. Those with that specific feature, trying to compensate for age as he went. It might have been an easy task for a normal person, once that spark of recognition happened most were able to figure out why they recognized the person in a fairly short amount of time. But with his poor recognition of...it didn't take him very long to figure out who it was really (which surprised him).

He offered the man he once knew as NC a neutral look, wondering if the sudden change in expression would be noticed or not.

"I didn't think I would see you in person." He offered in a quiet, musing voice. There was a pause in which he took a deep, painful breath. "I don't know if I want to be near you or not. I wasn't in good shape after you left."

He couldn't find it in himself to be mad at the other man for some reason. He managed to make himself comfortable with the dull hurt, brushing it off as something stupid, childish. It had simply been some phase, a short amount of time he believed in something that ended up not being real. Well, maybe it would have been different if he was still with Sasha or if Belle had still been alive or...fuck that. He had every right to be angry! NC would surely have been angry if he'd been the one leaving, right? He had every right to be hurt, to lash out at this man! But even so he knew that revenge was a petty, unhelpful thing. That he wouldn't be doing anyone- mostly himself- any good to act on silly, stupid little impulses.

But...he could allow himself a little something right? Some satisfaction from this encounter.

"What could I have possibly done to deserve it, hm? What?"