no looky for real this time

[preordain]

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[preordain]

[ well. he is still violent but at the very least he is not trying to murder all humans anymore. if someone pisses him off though then akira would probably have to grab him and run but it's fine. sometimes you are extremely op and your personality is bad, which is a terrible combo.

but ryo nods at the answer, and then points at the direction to go. it's back to the city island, at least, so that part isn't hard. ]

It's only by coincidence I was even there today.

[tearduct]

[Still thinking about how Knives and Ryo would be best friends... OP, personality bad.

Holding Ryo against his chest, he turns in the direction of the city island even though he already assumed that might be the best place for a grocery run. He keeps looking ahead of them toward their destination.]

I know. I didn't know if you were even here, or if you wanted to see me, so... I didn't go out of my way to track you down, but... I did look for you wherever I ended up going.

[preordain]

[ he glances away from the phone to look at akira's face. ]

I did leave here for a bit. But I was always going to end up back in hell.

[ and he knew that if akira did ever show up here, that he would have been back by then unless akira somehow died really quickly in america. ]

[tearduct]

[Oh.

He glances momentarily at Ryo, seeming surprised.] Really, you left? [He doesn't sound judgemental at all.]

Where'd you go?

[Even if it makes him sad Ryo thinks he'd always end up back in hell. That's fair, but still.]

[preordain]

Scaramouche told me to go to his world. So I did with the cat, for a bit. Saw Childe and Lavi a lot. And then I left after a while.

[ scaramouche was the only person who felt genuine when he gave his offer, so. ryo took it. ]

[tearduct]

[Surprisingly, he manages a weak partial smile. This... makes him feel better? That Ryo was with other people (even if two of them are questionable as hell).]

I'm glad you went. [And Ryo didn't leave JD either... Sweet.] I'm glad Scaramouche had someone... and also you had people, too.

...Even you thought some of them were annoying.

[preordain]

[ unfortunately, those three were ryo's favorite non-akira people but ryo will never admit this out loud.

he does make a face though. ]

They were annoying. Lavi never learned how to shut up. [ he's probably dead now ] But it was more of a learning experience than anything.

[tearduct]

[Ryo, admit your fucking friendships challenge.

Wait, it suddenly dawns on him that this is the reason why JD looks so grown despite being in hell. Nooooooooooo, JD had a happy life just living for real. This makes him sad and happy, and he doesn't say anything for a long moment.]

What'd you learn...?

[He is expecting maybe the usual he heard from all the Ryo People in hell: humans are garbage, humans will betray you, the world is shit, life is terrible and unfair.]

[preordain]

[ ALL THE RYO PEOPLE help

but he thinks about how to answer the question. ]

... a lot of it were just scientific observations. Comparisons on their deities with ours. Abilities. Similarities in culture to ours.

[ it is genuinely fascinating to see the overlap and differences. he's been writing a paper on it that is relevant to no one but himself but sometimes you are still a scholar at heart even though you're satan. it's also the boredom of an eternal life.

he turns his head so he can look at the scenery ahead of them. ]

It gave me some hope for something, for a moment. And that hope turned out to be wrong. But I suppose it always was going to be. You're here now, so that doesn't matter.

[tearduct]

[When Ryo turns away, his eyes finally shift so he can watch Ryo's face. He's not sure if he'll ever be able to keep his heart from being empathetic enough to hurt over the smallest things he can feel in other people.

Gently, he frowns to himself, listening. Ryo...

He stretches his legs out below them so he can land solidly on his feet at the edge of the city. But when he puts Ryo down, he raises his hands and puts them on each side of Ryo's neck under the hair, threading his fingers a little around the back.

He uses his face to nuzzle Ryo's own, apologetic and reassuring. When he leans back, he looks somewhat embarrassed having done that so boldly.]

[preordain]

[ wow! that was so tender! soft enough that it momentarily just confuses the hell out of ryo as he processes the gesture because this is a person who has spent years getting affection from only a cat. ]

Akira...

[ ryo leans in, slowly, close enough to almost brush their lips together. and then he pulls away, taking a step back and turning to face the direction of the entrance to the city. ]

The store should be this way.

[tearduct]

[It's time for Ryo to be the cat. He freezes like he thinks Ryo will startle and race away if he dares move; his breath even gets caught. He really thinks Ryo is going to kiss him, and he isn't sure what to think about the idea. He's worried if he should be worried if he likes it, if he wants it.

Is that wrong? This feels like a betrayal, but it isn't. There's nothing now except him and Ryo and hell.

Then Ryo is gone, and he swallows everything held tightly in his throat down, the tension, the uncertainty, the hope, the dejection.] Coming... [Gonna follow while having an existential crisis.]

[preordain]

[ it's fine.... sometimes you want to kiss someone, and then second guess if it's a good idea or not. the last time he kissed akira, it went rather poorly when they talked about it after. ryo can physically touch him all he wants and get away with it not purposely coming off as romantic, but there's no other explanation for a kiss.

ryo will glance back at him, but will just follow the directions to the store. it's just your typical grocery store, small but fully stocked. ryo is just going to immediately go to where you buy the fresh meat to get as much as he can for akira. ]

If there's anything else you'd like, just grab it.

[ it'll be easier to just do a large run now then have to keep coming back later ]

[tearduct]

[GOD. This is the worst unintentional blueballs. He is too HORNY of a boy for this kinda thing. But he understands the logistics behind it, he thinks. He understands the reservation... even if he's sort of perceiving it as maybe Ryo trying to remember to be mad at him for leaving.

But he accepts that too.

In the store, he will get a basket for them and carry it after Ryo obediently. He holds it while Ryo fills it with meats. He's spoiled...]

Okay. Maybe some chips or something. [Don't give him time to think about it.] Bread for sandwiches. Or... cookies, or cake.

[preordain]

[ help. ryo is going to end up grabbing all of those things. the secret is that he has zero intention of actually paying for any of this so he doesn't care how much they grab

he will be quiet the whole time, except his aura is not awkward it's the kind of aura you would get from someone who knows exactly what they want and will hit you with their shopping cart if you dare get in their way. akira did not say what kind of chips or cookies so he is grabbing a bunch of different ones and piling it in. ]

Let's go.

[tearduct]

[RYO...... Do they even have to pay anything in hell except their dignity? After being in the real world Earth again, it's hard for him to not think about money exchange. He never had to pay for anything because the twins were rich just like Ryo had been before that...

He's a sugarbaby wow.

Really he should put some of the things back when Ryo isn't looking, but he does not. He thinks Ryo should eat too at least for pleasure if not for survival.]

You don't want anything, Ryo...?

[preordain]

[ he wordlessly just grabs whatever is closest to him at that exact moment without looking. whipped cream, sure. he puts it in the basket. ]

There. Now we can head back.

[ this isn't actual food but he's counting it. ]

[tearduct]

[Ryo retrieves whipped cream, and he wonders what the whipped cream is for (does Ryo eat whipped cream...). And the only conclusion he can come to is a perverted one, so

his face gets kind of flushed out of the blue. Ahem.]

Okay... [ANYWAY, TRYING NOT TO THINK OF RYO AND WHIPPED CREAM TOGETHER.] Do you... want me to fly us back? You'll have to hold everything in your lap unless we take the ferry...

[preordain]

[ akira truly has been blueballed for so long. ryo just looks at him intently before gesturing for them to leave. ]

Let's take the ferry.

[ he's walking now, but he'll pause. ]

If you want, there's an island that's like a red light district. In case you need it.

[tearduct]

Oka--

[HE CHOKES. DON'T LOOK. Noooooooooo. His hands are full of everything as he follows Ryo, but he still looks so SHOCKED when Ryo calls him out in front of Satan and everyone.

His face kind of gets redder in that the color is seeping into his neck.]

Wh...? I--uh, no. No, I'm... good?

[Why the FCK did his inhibitions decide to go buck wild the moment he steps foot in hell with Ryo? WHY IS IT SO EMBARRASSING FOR RYO TO SO CASUALLY BE LIKE, "YOU MAY GO FUCK"?]

[preordain]

Let me know if you change your mind.

[ ryo like, "you may get your dick wet as a tweat, i will allow it'

but he will just make his way to this island's dock. ]

You just seem flustered.

[tearduct]

[He's not sure whether or not he would ever let Ryo know or not until the time arises, so he chooses to say nothing. Imagine going up to the dude who you are aware probably still loves you obsessively and saying you're running down to the RED LIGHT DISTRICT TO GRAB SOME PUSS.

He shakes his head, trailing on Ryo's heels to the dock for the ferry.]

I... just didn't know you liked... whipped cream. But you did like the vanilla ice cream that one time, so... I guess it does make sense.

[THIS EXPLAINS NOTHING ABOUT WHY HE'S EMBARRASSED but it's fine.]

[preordain]

[ ?????? THIS EXPLAINS NOTHING ryo just glances behind him at that, his expression one of clear confusion because he is not making the horny connection with the whipped cream. he looks back ahead. ]

I see. [ he doesn't. ] You can have whipped cream.

[ if it's that intriguing to him................ ]

[tearduct]

[HELP. Ryo thinks he is interested in the whipped cream!! HE'S WITHERING AWAY ON THE INSIDE. Now Ryo thinks he's a WEIRDO, and he's not sure how to rectify this exactly without giving away his brain being naughty.]

No, it's okay... It's yours. I don't want it. I can... feed you some or something if you want?

[Wait.

THIS ISN'T WHAT HE MEANT. Very quickly, he snaps his head in the opposite direction. WOW.]

[preordain]

[ WHAT IS HAPPENING how do you feed someone whipped cream. is akira going to pour it into ryo's mouth or something... he is trying to imagine this... ]

Sure...? You can.

[ if that's what akira wants... unfortunately now ryo's thoughts are going to horny, except he's wondering if akira now has some kind of feeder kink which is way worse than what it actually is. ]