[Backdated revival] Mistakes upon mistakes

[darkerstripes]

For Kotetsu

On some level, Toshi had believed it was over for him. There was something awful and poetic about meeting his end by his old Master's hand. He had never expected death as such to come for him, but he had accepted it was true in the last seconds before his systems utterly failed.

So when he faded back in, on his back near the Edge, staring up at the sky, he was quite surprised. Slow, and surprised. It took a long moment of rumination for him to really realize what was happening. That finally made him sit up, and take in his surroundings.

The graves. Kotetsu.

With all the speed he can manage, the android takes off for the castle, a single goal in mind. He has to find the hero, tell him that he's alive again. Apologize. Grovel. Whatever it is Kotetsu needs and Toshi feels necessary for absolution.

He will speed himself to every one of Kotetsu's haunts until he finds him.


Open

Kotetsu found, Barnaby found, and forgiveness given, Toshi tries his best to return to life and routine. There's more to cope with now than ever, and the fresh scars of Adam's doing don't heal so easily, even with the hero duo there to support Toshi and visa versa. He still blames himself for much of what happened. He's struggling to reconnect with Barnaby, even if Kotetsu is being a wonderful support.

He's desperate for some normalcy.

So he finds quiet places to try to find it. Sitting in the library with a book, cooking something in the kitchen, or practicing his dancing somewhere more secluded than the ballroom. He isn't out and about as much as he used to be, but he's slowly getting there.

Comments

[mettaton_rex]

Mettaton finds him in the kitchen.

'Finds', not that he was looking. He's just - somewhere, wandering, reminding himself that he can go wherever he wants, and he steps into the kitchen and there Toshi is.

He's tempted to turn and run. But it's too late for that. Toshi's already seen him.

"...you like to cook?" What a brilliant observation. He should be on his knees apologising, really. Sorry I watched you die. Sorry for filming it. Sorry I didn't fight hard enough.

[darkerstripes]

Toshi knows there's someone else there right away. He can hear the footsteps, sense the heat of the robotic body. He isn't sure which Mettaton it is, but he knows it's Mettaton.

... Well, it isn't his and Ryoji's Mettaton, if he doesn't know that Toshi likes cooking, at least. That narrows it down. He shuffles uncomfortably, desperately trying to ignore the tension in the air.

"I like being able to take care of my organic friends. It's nice to make things."

[mettaton_rex]

The discomfort is clear. Mettaton realises he's in between Toshi and the door and takes a step to the side, so the other robot isn't boxed in. He's holding himself strangely, in general, a figure who normally commands attention now looking like he's trying to shrink away to nothing, despite being over six feet tall and mostly hot pink.

"It - really is. Being able to create something beautiful, whether it's a meal or a song or..." The speech about Art dies away to nothing on his lips. No. Pretending nothing's wrong isn't going to be the right answer here.

Toshi has every right to be uncomfortable. Toshi should be disgusted by the sight of him, if he knew what kind of person Mettaton really was.

He sighs. "I'll leave, if you want. If you'd like - privacy."