[ He's been searching. Walking, walking, walking. Even if he was supposed to rest his back, he couldn't help but look for Terry because as awkward as it was after what went down, he wanted to be sure Terry didn't hurt himself again. But the person in question was nowhere to be seen, no matter how hard Mondo looked and asked around. The number of people in town depleted quick and is still depleting, it just makes him increasingly anxious, even without his fluctuating uncontrollable emotions.
He's lost Oyakata and Kana-san. What if Terry disappears too? If he loses Terry too... what's he gonna do? What if it was all his fault? What if, because of that fight, he might've triggered something he shouldn't have? These questions continue going round and round in his mind, keeping his up all night and day. Regrets, and more regrets begin piling up the longer he doesn't see Terry. He can't even enjoy the festival - not when it's celebrating the dead, and he's... supposed to be dead, it's stupid. Even without all that, he won't be able to rest easy as long as he doesn't know if Terry's returned home safe, or injured badly somewhere.
It made him almost sure that Terry's returned home when he spotted Terry's five kitties lingering around the hospital, and none of the staff heard anything about Terry. But he's very much the 'believing what you're seeing' kind, and his stubbornness keeps him going, so the town will witness this big burly man walking around with 11 cats surrounding him.
After nearly 4 days without a result, Mondo was ready to give up for the night and return to the warehouse, when he spotted a silhouette that is so familiar he can't be getting it wrong. Even more so when Ami dashed ahead, looking like she noticed who it was. Mondo's thought a lot of things, what he'd do if he sees Terry. In his perfect plan, he'd sock Terry in the face and yell at him, no matter what time in the day it is, and sock him some more times.
But when it comes to it, the strength in his whole body feels like it leaves him, and he nearly goes slump, if not for his hands reflexively grabbed on the top of the bench's backrest, hovering over Terry. With the way Mondo's looking down, it's fairly easy for Terry to probably look at the way he's gritting his teeth. Tears seem to be threatening to fall, but he stubbornly keeps them in check, his body shaking. ]
You fucker... You fuckin' idiot.
[ He's exhausted, and his position makes his back burn in pain, but he doesn't care about that right now. Terry's here. He's alive. ]
[ Ah. So it wasn't a trick of the eyes after all. Terry opens his eyes, looking at Mondo after getting Ami off his face and onto his lap. His head is still tilted up at Mondo and he reaches out a hand to touch his cheek. It's dark, but it isn't dark enough to hide Mondo's face completely. There are street lights in town, after all. He smiles a little as he taps Mondo's cheek lightly first, but slides his thumb gently across it. ]
Hey, Mondo. Long time no see.
[ He lowers his hand back onto his lap. The kittens have gathered round now and Ami goes to tend to her babies while the humans do their thing. ]
[ Under a different circumstances, Mondo will probably be a lot more bashful about this gesture Terry is doing, but right now, he doesn't have the leeway to even feel that way. Without realising, he's leaning to the touch, as if savouring the sensation that Terry is here, and he's alive.
The bench's crowded with multiplied cat family, but they still leave some space for Mondo to sit. There you go, hooman. He would resist sitting, but his back is killing him ー he's been walking around all day, so he complies. Slowly and carefully, he places his bum on the seat, trying to kill the tiniest hint of groan that tries to escape from his throat. He can't help his eyes narrowing, though, so he just looks away from Terry when that happens.
His eyebrows are scrunched up when he looks at Terry again. He almost bangs the bench, but with all the kittens on the bench, he can't do that - he'll scare them and that's not something he wants to do right now. ]
Don't 'long time no see' me, you asshole. Where the fuck you've been?
[ His voice is quiet, but there's anger, frustration, relief, warmth - a mess of emotion in it. He doesn't want to fight Terry, but he's still really goddamn annoyed, so his hand grasps the fabric on the shoulder of Terry's shirt, but that's all he does. ]
[ Terry has been eyeing Mondo all this time, watching his face make various expressions and, well, he supposes that the back damage wouldn't have healed all the way already. It would have normally rendered someone forever paralyzed due to the excessive damage to the spine. He feels... pretty guilty about it. ]
Sorry, I was... looking for someone.
[ By the looks on his face, it's obvious that he didn't find whoever he was looking for. ]
[ Mondo's thickness finally comes to use, and the fact that Terry holds back quite a bit helps a lot. It still hurts like a motherfucker but he's managing with his willpower. Now that Terry's back, though, maybe he can take it easy a little. As long as he doesn't go disappearing again (ha ha jokes on him). ]
'Someone'... huh. 's that someone ya can't tell me?
[ His grip loosens when Terry said that he needed to cool his head, but a exasperated sigh leaves him heavily. ]
Can't you just say somethin' before ya leave? Even if not to me.
[ Terry quietly sighs and looks at Mondo in the eyes now. ]
I'm sorry. [ Again. ] I should have said something... you were right. I wasn't thinking clearly back then. But I can think a little clearer now. I didn't want to worry anyone with the news though... so that's why I didn't say anything.
[ He breathes in. It doesnt hurt when he does it anymore. ]
He's surprised to find himself feeling rather upset that Terry's not comfortable enough to share to him who it was he was looking for, but at the same time he's also upset that he's feeling upset. It's Terry's problem and he shouldn't butt in, and yet he can't help being concerned because the guy's made up of nothing but reckless energy. ]
Both of us were probably just too pent up, and we let our emotions get the better of us. I'm sorry, too.
[ Despite his words, he's actually so goddamn scared that he can lose control of himself like that. It's similar to what happened with Fujisaki, only he can remember everything clearly, even now. Things he uttered, things he did to Terry. He hovers his hand over the wound that he inflicted on Terry, not quite touching, but it's there. ]
I... didn't want to say some of the things I said, before... um.
[ His voice trails off. Terry looks down, his gaze following where Mondo's hand is going. ]
Just don't press it, and I'll be fine.
[ He wouldn't mind if Mondo did anyway. It's probably what he deserves... or so he thinks. Self loathing is apparently contagious in cetana. He's... not an M. No. lmao
Terry closes his eyes for two seconds and reopens them, looking back at Mondo. ]
Someone said they saw me at the broken castle with my Persona. I've been in town ever since I left in early July. If it was just me, I could understand since I look average, but you can't really mistake seeing Vassago.
[ Terry slowly breathes out. He didn't realize he was basically holding his breath until now. He must be feeling somewhat anxious again. ]
I guess my original would have the same Persona, since... we're pretty much the same people. [ Just muttering that leaves an incredibly bad taste in his mouth, even if it's true. ] I didn't want anyone to meet him, so I figured it would have been best to find him before he got too strong...
[ Persona seems to be unique to its user, from what he's seen so far, so Terry's concern makes sense. For him to be so worried like that, it could only mean one thing: ]
...So he's dangerous.
[ He does remember a few moments during the fight when Terry was acting strangely, almost like it wasn't Terry, especially with the way he continued provoking Mondo, insulting him and trying to fight him harder. A part of him wonders if this 'original' is anything like that - but then again Mondo too lost himself a couple of times during the fight, he was enraged enough to hurt Terry real bad, even if that was the last thing he wanted to do. It doesn't really matter, but he can't quite picture someone who looks just like Terry but with a different stance otherwise. ]
[ Mondo considers all the information Terry is giving him, trying to keep calm despite the urge to just say 'what' at everything. Walking to a certain direction and coming back to the point where he started... huh. That's weird. It's almost like this town and the surrounding forest are the only places there is in this universe. Though not completely the same, it eerily reminds him of Wonderland. He narrows his eyes. ]
He stronger than you?
[ Just so he knows what to expect should they have an unexpected encounter. Terry's obviously a lot stronger than Mondo is, and he was holding back. So if the original is any better... that could be a problem for everyone involved. ]
[ He doesn't want to admit that, but it's the truth. Terry definitely thinks he won't win in a fair fight against his original if he ever met him face to face. ]
He has better specs in every single way. He's stronger, faster, more efficient... everything, really. The only advantage I hold over him is that I can't die, but he can.
Ok, 's good to know he can die. But it ain't like you can get resurrected immediately or shit like that, right? [ Terry won't need to visit the hospital so often if that's the case. ] What were ya plannin', goin' to meet him alone?
No, I just don't die. I'd still be conscious throughout.
[ He wants to exclude the time when he got his heart dug out by the Daitengu because his lifespan also happened to be running short, since that... was a weird time. But he definitely believes that he still has his relative immortality.
...
He gets what Mondo is trying to say with that question, but. ]
I was going to ambush him, but I couldn't find him. I'd only need one hit to kill him. He's ruthless. I wouldn't want anyone to meet him. The sooner he's gone, the better.
[ The question was both rhetorical and not. Goddammit, Terry. That's what he doesn't want to hear. ]
And you're absolutely sure you can kill him with just that one hit?
[ Mondo runs his finger through his pompadour in discomfort, starting to want to believe that whoever it was, it wasn't Terry's original. ]
'Sides, how sure is that someone that they saw Vassago? Sure, it's distinctive, but it could be some other red dragon. ...Who's this 'someone' anyways?
I know that I can't fight him. I prolly can't even join you in the battle, 'cuz I'll prolly just be a hindrance. [ Through their fight, he's more than aware that Terry was out of his league. ] But there're other ways, ain't there? I dunno... use my persona to distract Vassago so your Vassago can fight him easier, or somethin'...
[ There's no way he can just let Terry go on his own if he were to know that he's gonna fight his original. He grunts in frustration. ]
[ Back home, Terry never had to worry about his friends being in danger despite how he himself was targeted by other demigods. But now that he has friends that he doesn't want to die and are in danger from time to time, he develops a fear. The fear converts into worry, and sometimes the worry turns into anger. However, Terry is tired right now, so thankfully, it doesn't get that far.
He looks at Mondo evenly before turning on the bench and leans on Mondo's side while his back is facing him. ]
... I don't want you to get caught by him and think that whatever you suffer by his hands is something you deserve.
[ The touch is warm against Mondo's shoulder, that even if Terry isn't facing him, it feels like he can tell what the other's looking like right now. It's... frustrating, sometimes, how much Terry understands him, and how he can tell just how much the guy cares for him. Even if the urge to push Terry away is huge, Mondo doesn't. He stays still where he is. ]
...You know how it goes, Terry. It's an eye for an eye, ain't it?
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He's lost Oyakata and Kana-san. What if Terry disappears too? If he loses Terry too... what's he gonna do? What if it was all his fault? What if, because of that fight, he might've triggered something he shouldn't have? These questions continue going round and round in his mind, keeping his up all night and day. Regrets, and more regrets begin piling up the longer he doesn't see Terry. He can't even enjoy the festival - not when it's celebrating the dead, and he's... supposed to be dead, it's stupid. Even without all that, he won't be able to rest easy as long as he doesn't know if Terry's returned home safe, or injured badly somewhere.
It made him almost sure that Terry's returned home when he spotted Terry's five kitties lingering around the hospital, and none of the staff heard anything about Terry. But he's very much the 'believing what you're seeing' kind, and his stubbornness keeps him going, so the town will witness this big burly man walking around with 11 cats surrounding him.
After nearly 4 days without a result, Mondo was ready to give up for the night and return to the warehouse, when he spotted a silhouette that is so familiar he can't be getting it wrong. Even more so when Ami dashed ahead, looking like she noticed who it was. Mondo's thought a lot of things, what he'd do if he sees Terry. In his perfect plan, he'd sock Terry in the face and yell at him, no matter what time in the day it is, and sock him some more times.
But when it comes to it, the strength in his whole body feels like it leaves him, and he nearly goes slump, if not for his hands reflexively grabbed on the top of the bench's backrest, hovering over Terry. With the way Mondo's looking down, it's fairly easy for Terry to probably look at the way he's gritting his teeth. Tears seem to be threatening to fall, but he stubbornly keeps them in check, his body shaking. ]
You fucker... You fuckin' idiot.
[ He's exhausted, and his position makes his back burn in pain, but he doesn't care about that right now. Terry's here. He's alive. ]
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Hey, Mondo. Long time no see.
[ He lowers his hand back onto his lap. The kittens have gathered round now and Ami goes to tend to her babies while the humans do their thing. ]
Sit next to me?
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The bench's crowded with multiplied cat family, but they still leave some space for Mondo to sit. There you go, hooman. He would resist sitting, but his back is killing him ー he's been walking around all day, so he complies. Slowly and carefully, he places his bum on the seat, trying to kill the tiniest hint of groan that tries to escape from his throat. He can't help his eyes narrowing, though, so he just looks away from Terry when that happens.
His eyebrows are scrunched up when he looks at Terry again. He almost bangs the bench, but with all the kittens on the bench, he can't do that - he'll scare them and that's not something he wants to do right now. ]
Don't 'long time no see' me, you asshole. Where the fuck you've been?
[ His voice is quiet, but there's anger, frustration, relief, warmth - a mess of emotion in it. He doesn't want to fight Terry, but he's still really goddamn annoyed, so his hand grasps the fabric on the shoulder of Terry's shirt, but that's all he does. ]
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Sorry, I was... looking for someone.
[ By the looks on his face, it's obvious that he didn't find whoever he was looking for. ]
And I needed to cool my head.
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'Someone'... huh. 's that someone ya can't tell me?
[ His grip loosens when Terry said that he needed to cool his head, but a exasperated sigh leaves him heavily. ]
Can't you just say somethin' before ya leave? Even if not to me.
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I'm sorry. [ Again. ] I should have said something... you were right. I wasn't thinking clearly back then. But I can think a little clearer now. I didn't want to worry anyone with the news though... so that's why I didn't say anything.
[ He breathes in. It doesnt hurt when he does it anymore. ]
I'm sorry for what I did... that morning.
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[ It's not apology that Mondo wants to hear.
He's surprised to find himself feeling rather upset that Terry's not comfortable enough to share to him who it was he was looking for, but at the same time he's also upset that he's feeling upset. It's Terry's problem and he shouldn't butt in, and yet he can't help being concerned because the guy's made up of nothing but reckless energy. ]
Both of us were probably just too pent up, and we let our emotions get the better of us. I'm sorry, too.
[ Despite his words, he's actually so goddamn scared that he can lose control of himself like that. It's similar to what happened with Fujisaki, only he can remember everything clearly, even now. Things he uttered, things he did to Terry. He hovers his hand over the wound that he inflicted on Terry, not quite touching, but it's there. ]
Still hurt?
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[ His voice trails off. Terry looks down, his gaze following where Mondo's hand is going. ]
Just don't press it, and I'll be fine.
[ He wouldn't mind if Mondo did anyway. It's probably what he deserves... or so he thinks. Self loathing is apparently contagious in cetana. He's... not an M. No. lmao
Terry closes his eyes for two seconds and reopens them, looking back at Mondo. ]
I was... looking for my original.
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Mondo's hand raises, about to ruffle Terry's hair when the guy's words trail off, but it drops back down the moment he hears what Terry said next. ]
Your original...? He's here?
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Someone said they saw me at the broken castle with my Persona. I've been in town ever since I left in early July. If it was just me, I could understand since I look average, but you can't really mistake seeing Vassago.
[ Terry slowly breathes out. He didn't realize he was basically holding his breath until now. He must be feeling somewhat anxious again. ]
I guess my original would have the same Persona, since... we're pretty much the same people. [ Just muttering that leaves an incredibly bad taste in his mouth, even if it's true. ] I didn't want anyone to meet him, so I figured it would have been best to find him before he got too strong...
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...So he's dangerous.
[ He does remember a few moments during the fight when Terry was acting strangely, almost like it wasn't Terry, especially with the way he continued provoking Mondo, insulting him and trying to fight him harder. A part of him wonders if this 'original' is anything like that - but then again Mondo too lost himself a couple of times during the fight, he was enraged enough to hurt Terry real bad, even if that was the last thing he wanted to do. It doesn't really matter, but he can't quite picture someone who looks just like Terry but with a different stance otherwise. ]
So? Didja go back to the castle?
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[ Wait. He needs to tell Mondo this. ]
I can tell where north is. So I kept going in that direction while searching for my original. But I somehow ended up back here.
Also, if you ever think you see him, run away.
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He stronger than you?
[ Just so he knows what to expect should they have an unexpected encounter. Terry's obviously a lot stronger than Mondo is, and he was holding back. So if the original is any better... that could be a problem for everyone involved. ]
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[ He doesn't want to admit that, but it's the truth. Terry definitely thinks he won't win in a fair fight against his original if he ever met him face to face. ]
He has better specs in every single way. He's stronger, faster, more efficient... everything, really. The only advantage I hold over him is that I can't die, but he can.
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[ Mondo heaves an exasperated sigh. ]
Ok, 's good to know he can die. But it ain't like you can get resurrected immediately or shit like that, right? [ Terry won't need to visit the hospital so often if that's the case. ] What were ya plannin', goin' to meet him alone?
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[ He wants to exclude the time when he got his heart dug out by the Daitengu because his lifespan also happened to be running short, since that... was a weird time. But he definitely believes that he still has his relative immortality.
...
He gets what Mondo is trying to say with that question, but. ]
I was going to ambush him, but I couldn't find him. I'd only need one hit to kill him. He's ruthless. I wouldn't want anyone to meet him. The sooner he's gone, the better.
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And you're absolutely sure you can kill him with just that one hit?
[ Mondo runs his finger through his pompadour in discomfort, starting to want to believe that whoever it was, it wasn't Terry's original. ]
'Sides, how sure is that someone that they saw Vassago? Sure, it's distinctive, but it could be some other red dragon. ...Who's this 'someone' anyways?
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[ Look, he didn't want to believe it either, okay? Now he has no choice. ]
Most demigods back from my place have something that's similar to a weak point. If it's destroyed, they die. My original's was...
[ He raises his hand slowly and puts the tip of his index finger right below Mondo's left eye. ]
This.
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...'s there somethin' in particular there?
[ He wants specifics, because if Terry's original really here, he needs to be ready for it when he comes. ]
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[ The method is simple, but Terry knows that it would be hard to get there in the first place. Hence, ambush. ]
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[ Even if it's dangerous, even if he knows Terry is undead, he hates the fact that Terry's still bearing the weight all by himself. ]
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[ Mondo... Terry worries about you sometimes. ]
He knows a lot of ways to defend himself while fighting to kill, so it's not going to be easy. He even has Vassago with him.
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[ He yells, a little louder than he meant to. ]
I know that I can't fight him. I prolly can't even join you in the battle, 'cuz I'll prolly just be a hindrance. [ Through their fight, he's more than aware that Terry was out of his league. ] But there're other ways, ain't there? I dunno... use my persona to distract Vassago so your Vassago can fight him easier, or somethin'...
[ There's no way he can just let Terry go on his own if he were to know that he's gonna fight his original. He grunts in frustration. ]
We can think out shit together, Terry.
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He looks at Mondo evenly before turning on the bench and leans on Mondo's side while his back is facing him. ]
... I don't want you to get caught by him and think that whatever you suffer by his hands is something you deserve.
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...You know how it goes, Terry. It's an eye for an eye, ain't it?
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