We all love angst. Join the angst party.
Yomo glances at his phone. Itori had given him no other indications besides an address in the fourth ward.
He arrives in the back alley to see Uta knocked against the concrete, surrounded by half a dozen thugs. Ghoul thugs, mind you; Uta could surely handle humans.
“What’s going on?” Yomo demands.
“Aw, has your boyfriend come to save you?” mocks one. Uta doesn’t respond.
“What’s going on is your boy is no longer in charge of the fourth ward. Not after all those investigators got called down here,” snaps the largest one.
“And we’re making sure he doesn’t come back,” adds the first.
Yomo eyes him.
“So Uta likes the strong, silent type?” tries another.
Yomo stays quiet. But in the dark they see his kakugans glowing.
The largest lunges at him, and Yomo easily knocks him into the wall.
“Ow!”
“Let’s get out of here,” says the first nervously.
The assholes run away, and Yomo scrambles to help Uta up.
“I’m fine. Just weak. Losing my leadership. Again.” Uta laughs bleakly, shrugging off Yoyo’s assistance.
“Again?” Yomo wonders.
“It doesn’t matter. I could have killed them all.” Uta smiles thinly. “I should have.”
“Then why didn’t you? What were you afraid of?” Yomo wonders.
Uta wants to tell Yomo everything he knows, but he can’t. Some things belong forgotten. “I don’t know.”
“On the bright side,” Uta says suddenly, “I’m now free of the ward. I can start that Mask Studio I’ve always wanted. And…I can devote more time to you.”
Yomo turns around, only to be met with Uta’s lips.
“They’re right,” he whispers, hoping that his love will cover his secrets, that his love will render him less alone, “I do like the strong, silent type.”
Mercy and Magic 