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[He's still not sure what's up with this kid. It's odd to think of someone so close to Mikado and Anri, and moreso to think of someone who'd be so interested to talk to him. Given what they're all involved in, of course it's suspicious. But he's doing his best to trust that it's fine. It's not impossible for there to simply be a cute, talkative underclassman in the picture. Just because his life has fallen entirely into the bad side doesn't mean that other people can't have perfectly normal relationships with perfectly normal people.

So he's keeping his nice face on, poking at an annoyingly elaborate decorated milkshake and trying not to show any signs of nervousness.]

The same as always. He's a "first place" thinker and a "last place" performer! From the moment we met he's always been the prince of skinny nerds.

[ honestly, it's not like he particularly wants to go through with this. not that sentimentality has anything to do with it; murder is a messy matter at the best of times, even after the hassle of actually carrying out the deed, there's the matter of proper disposal, making sure everyone has their story straight, distancing yourself from the event as much as possible, all things aoba would rather not deal with.

but of course, he's been cornered, and once again: when it's between his own life and kida's, there isn't any room for doubt. he doesn't like how he's been rushed into this, how he's been forced to come up with something on the spot, but he always does his best like this. when the chips are down and there's nowhere to go but up, aoba soars.

now, after that failed attempt at sounding deep, aoba feigns a smile. it's not exactly difficult to pick up on how kida's feeling, but that just means he needs to get this over with. making sure he's not being obvious about it, he eyes kida's drink, taking a light sip of his own. this one's safe, after all. ]

Ah, really...? I've always felt that Mikado-senpai is a very kind person. Kind of cool, actually!

He is a nice guy. And he's kind of cool, in a nice, awkward way.

[And in other ways. Mikado is someone Kida admires a lot, despite his outwardly shy and ordinary appearance. He has an inner strength and determination that certainly outmatch Kida's own cowardly insecurity. They're like night and day, honestly. Where one has a weakness, the other often has a strength. Although lately...

No. Now's not the time to dwell on unhappy things. He has to keep that smile up, even if it means hiding the falter behind the impressively quick disappearance of his milkshake through his straw. He'll be feeling that soon.]

It's not really something you want to copy to get popular, though.

Well, I can't say he's not awkward... Especially when Anri-senpai's involved.

[ he talks about mikado so familiarly, he's almost a little jealous. ah, but this another reason this is going to be a hassle; the two of them are awfully close, and he can't deny this might end up backfiring on him terribly in the future, especially when mikado's proven himself to be so endearingly unpredictable, but that's the way this is. he'll deal with the here and now before he starts worrying about what may come to pass.

not that he has much to worry about anymore, not now kida's started on his drink. he feels more confident now, sitting up a little straighter, waiting for things to play out. ]

So how does one get popular, Kida-senpai?

By being charming, outgoing, and patient, of course.

[The milkshake is gone in record time, and the cute little cookies from the top follow equally quickly. He is a food devouring monster with no idea what's going to happen. It's strange, though, how close this kid seems. He should have heard of him, shouldn't he?]

But, hey. You sound really familiar with them. What's your name anyway?

[He gestures at Aoba with his spoon, aiming for a playful jab. But instead he drops it, and shakes his head a little as he leans over to pick it up. Huh. That's a bit of a weird feeling...]

[ He doesn't give much of a reply at first, maybe a little smile to humour Kida, but there's not much need to keep up the pretense now things are going in his favour. He can almost afford to relax a little, provided he stays vigilant. Even giving out his name should be fine now, if Kida has any chance of recognising it.

Still, it doesn't take a genius to to realise that Convenient Plot Device #28 is starting to take effect. Aoba leans forward, resting his chin on his palm, and waits. ]

Ah, it's Aoba Kuronuma. Didn't I mention before?

[He didn't know the face, but he definitely knows the name. The shock is obvious -- he immediately sits back up straight, eyes wide and face pale. Unfortunately (for him, anyway), that motion leaves the room spinning, and he slides sideways, nearly falling right off his chair. He catches himself with hands on the tabletop, the realization of what's going on hitting him just as soon as he's processed who he's really talking to.

Oh. He should have followed his gut suspicion after all.]

Kuronuma-- What are you trying to do?

Eh?

[ aoba's expression, unsurprisingly, is one of mock innocence, a light smile that really only seems more and more inappropriate as time goes on. even as he watches kida stumble, he does his best to feign concern, eyes wide and almost hurt that he's apparently being blamed for this.

he's holding on pretty well though, aoba has to give him that. ]

Asking me something like that... Are you feeling alright, Kida-senpai? I'm trying to find out how to become popular, remember?

Don't give me that, you little--

[He's not sure whether he wants to start a fight or run away. Either one is probably bad news given how fuzzy things are getting, but he can't just give in, can he? Not when this is obviously a threat not just to himself but to Mikado and Anri. If he's going to do anything for his friends, he can't jut disappear here. It's just-- It's just that when he tries to stand, to get aggressive, he can't seem to do anything but stumble backwards into the table behind them and go down.]

[ he doesn't so much as flinch as kida pulls himself up, and it's not until he sees him fall that aoba allows himself a smile. even if he's not exactly proud of the way things have played out, there's always the satisfaction of seeing his efforts bear fruit.

of course, they're not done here yet. aoba stands, letting his chair clatter to the floor, while his associates file out of the café to make sure there aren't any interruptions. once they're alone, aoba takes a seat on the table, looking down on kida, and sips at his own drink. ]

Is that any way to treat your juniors, senpai? [ looks like he's going to be mobile for a while; that's adrenaline for you. still, he shouldn't pose a threat at this point. ] Don't tell me you hurt yourself doing that.

[In a heap on the floor is not a particularly impressive position from which to defend himself, let alone anyone else. But his head his swimming and he's nauseous and his body doesn't want to cooperate any more than that right now. It's actually a little hard to breathe. Pushing himself up is a much harder task than just keeping his thoughts focused, and he's having enough trouble with just that, so things are really not going too well for him. He'll have to consider it a victory to get as far as propped on an elbow -- his other arm trembles visibly with weakness when he finally manages to anchor his palm against the floor and shove. He's got a lot of stubborn stamina, but it won't last more than another minute.

He can't say he's winning the battle with his emotions, either. He's trying to stay angry. He is angry, of course. Furious, murderously so. But he's not used to this kind of dizzy helplessness, and he can't keep that fear out of his expression when he glances up at Aoba.]

You're... You're the one that's out of line... What are you doing with Mikado?

[ kida's position is a pitiful one, really; were he a kinder person, aoba might even feel a little sorry for him. as it is, there's something deeply entertaining in watching him try so hard just to keep himself stable, seeing him shake and tremble under the force of his own weight. it's not that aoba bears him any ill will (or at least, no more than he does anyone else), but the sense of power this gives him is... invigorating, shall we say.

aoba crosses his legs, resting his drink on the table. it would've been easier for the both of them if kida had just passed out by now, but it looks like he's going to cling onto consciousness. they probably should've given him something a little stronger, but finding something flavourless on the spur of the moment turned out to be harder than expected. ]

I'm lending him a hand, of course! [ he says it as though it's obvious. a good kouhai supports his senpai, after all! ] Mikado-senpai really is an amazing person.

Though... shouldn't you be worrying about yourself right now?

[He shakes his head in response. No, this kind of thing can't possibly be helping Mikado. Mikado is his friend. There isn't any way he'd need this. And of course, that means Kida can't just worry about himself. Even if he's afraid now, it's what'll happen after he's taken out that's even scarier. If he can no longer take any action, will happen to the friends he came back to protect? Ah, that's assuming there was anything he could do in the first place. But now isn't the time to think about those kinds of doubts. They don't matter if he goes and dies here.

Not that his prospects are looking very good at the moment. Even as he's thinking of making a difference, his hand is slipping across the floor, leaving him totally collapsed. He could almost laugh. All that worry about approaching Mikado too soon, and now... Now what? He's losing the strength to even look up.]

... Not feeling so talkative now, huh.

[ kida masaomi actually keeping his mouth shut, now there's a shocker. one has to wonder what's going through his head right now; is he trying to find some way out of this? kicking himself for going down so easily? maybe even cursing aoba for bringing him down? or maybe, most likely, he's thinking about mikado. he's worthless like that, after all; he doesn't have any right to be worried about mikado when he doesn't even know what kind of person he is. ]

Now. [ aoba drops down from the table, squatting down next to kida. ]

Are you going to drop dead of your own accord, or are you going to make this difficult for me?

[Difficult appears to be the answer. His breathing is shallow, but he's still in there enough to make eye contact. He'd kill Aoba if he could. If his body would just respond, he'd punch that smile in until there was nothing left of it. It isn't fair, like this. He doesn't want to die stuck lying on the floor, unable to even fight for his life. It's humiliating, and it's terrifying, and it's so frustrating he could almost cry. But he doesn't want to look any more pathetic than he already does, so he focuses on glaring daggers instead. It's hard to get words out at this point, but he'll do his damndest to force a few.]

Couldn't... beat me honestly?

If it makes you feel better, sure.

[ he'd like to argue that a pair of gang leaders have no business to be talking about fair play, but he rather doubts kida has the energy to keep up a debate. as it is, he'll just enjoy this, the experience of being in a position of power, for as long as he can. ]

Though, if I couldn't, that's not much encouragement for me to fight you honestly, huh. [ he reaches over the table, slowly, and picks up a knife, toying with it for a moment to see kida's reaction before setting it down on the floor.

no sense rushing things, after all. ]

Don't hate me too much for this, okay? If you had the chance to take me out, you'd have leaped at the opportunity.

[As soon as the knife appears, his focus changes to it. He can't do more than try to keep himself awake by concentrating, so he concentrates on that instead of Aoba's face, following it with his eyes until it's on the floor. His fingertips twitch as he aches to reach out and grab it, but that's all the response he's able to get from them.]

He won't accept this...

[Not that he thinks that'll change Aoba's mind. But he can't just shut up and accept death, so even though his vision is swimming and his eyelids are drooping, he tries to talk back. It comes out a slurred mumble, but it's something. He's trying.

It's a shame he seems to have run out of his supply of lucky rescues.]

True.

[ he's destroying everything mikado-senpai's working towards here, after all. his senior's dreams of making everything and playing house or whatever the hell he's planning on will come to a sudden stop, and lord only knows what'll happen to aoba after that. well, even if it'd make it a rather pointless affair if he died over this, he can't say he'd have a problem with that; he wants to see the depths of mikado's madness for himself, so tasting his fury firsthand wouldn't be bad way to go.

or maybe he's just desperately trying to reassure himself that he's not making a mistake here, who knows. ]

But you see, he won't find out about this.

[ without much ceremony, aoba simply picks the knife back up and presses it against kida's leg, not hard enough to pierce the skin but certainly enough to hurt. it just wouldn't do if kida stopped paying attention to their conversation, and besides, he'd like to see if his sense of pain has dulled at all. ]

[His flinch, though present, is delayed by a beat. The sensation seems to come through a fog, but he can feel it, as much as he can feel his pulse racing, oddly irregular as it throbs in his chest and his head.

It wouldn't be that hard to hide this from Mikado, he supposes. Even if Mikado knows he's gone, he may never know it's Aoba's fault. But his disappearance as a whole will be noted. He'll be gone from chat, for one. Saki and Izaya will notice him gone from real life. Eventually his parents will think it's been too long without word. It's not like he's someone who won't be missed, entirely. But... but there's not much. He's not really important. It's not like he's a cute, successful young girl, for the police to stage a search for.

But, well, it wouldn't matter if they did. He'll be dead before it even occurs to anyone to wonder where he's gotten off to. There really isn't anything for him to hope for at this point, is there? It's just a matter of waiting to see how he's going to be finished off. As that sinks in, he goes a shade paler, giving up on arguing in favor of just squeezing his eyes closed and praying for a miracle.]

It's rude to ignore your cute kouhai, you know.

[ punctuated, of course, with another light jab to kida's knee. it's a fairly juvenile reaction, all things considered, but if kida has the gall to stay conscious he may as well listen, aoba reasons.

unfortunately, there's no way for them to hide the fact that kida suddenly vanished one day, but that won't be necessary; all aoba needs to do is stall, make sure the body isn't found for as long as possible, until tracing this back to him is no longer possible.

well, he imagines orihara izaya will probably figure it out at one point or another, but that's really none of his concern. ]

It's not like you have much time left, so you may as well appreciate it. Any preference for how I do this?

I don't... want to talk to you.

[It doesn't matter what he says anyway, does it? Aoba will just do what he wants. Besides, Kida doesn't want to think about different ways he can die, let alone lower himself to asking for mercy. He would just like to not die at all. But since survival is off the table, he'll at least keep his pride. He's not going to beg, and he's going to try not to pass out early.]

[ so going the fuck to sleep didn't work out all that well, go figure. ]

Really? Now there's a shame; we have so much to talk about, you know?

[ he's stalling, honestly, trying to give himself more time so he can psyche up for what he's about to do. but if kida insists on ignoring him, then he's really forcing aoba's hand here. again without any warning, aoba raises the knife and, after a few tense seconds, plunges it into kida's thigh. let's see how far that pride of kida's will take him. ]

[Instinct is, of course, to try to get away from that. Were he able to, he'd pull back, fight back, shove Aoba away. He'd scream, too -- it hurts that much, and he's that desperate for help. But his body won't move that much, and he can't get that deep a breath. All he can do is jerk a little, turn his head just a bit, and curl his fingers halfway as that scream is stifled into a choked, almost whimpering sound. But he doesn't give in and ask him to make it easier. Not yet. He doesn't want to give Aoba that satisfaction, no matter how terrified he really is. And he doesn't cry either, even if tears feel just a tiny fragile bit of self-control away.]

S-screw off...

[ kida's nothing if not tenacious, it seems; under drastically different circumstances, aoba might've found something admirable in that, but here and now, it's just a bother. there's no point in putting on a brave face at this point, after all! smirking, aoba twists the knife, digging it in a little deeper, if only to try and force another one of those stifled cries out of kida. it's quite a satisfying thing to hear, honestly, a reminder of how he's the one in control here. ]

I'll leave as soon as we're finished here. How's that?

[He gets the sound he was going for, of course. Kida's head is too fuzzy to hold back that much. It's followed by sharp, rapid breaths, shallow but almost frantic in their ragged pace. It hurts. It really hurts, and being unable to struggle or run hurts worse, the dark and ice-cold pain of fear in his chest and in his mind. He's trying to hold them down, but the thoughts keep multiplying in his head regardless: He's going to die. He can't stop it, and no one's going to save him. But he doesn't want to. He's not ready to, and inwardly he's begging someone, anyone to make this stop.

It's pathetic. But it's there, and it's an overwhelming feeling, and it's showing in his expression despite himself. He looks up at Aoba, trying to glare, but it just comes out a look of "desperately trying not to fall apart".]

How about you go-- go find something else to do...? This isn't going to help you.