Living A Dead Dream (Baji x OC)

64

"Haha! I knew I had one!"

With a grin, Danaju pulled out the old VHS player from the shelf.

"Heh, and Kei said I should've gotten rid of some stuff. This baby might be old, but I think she'll still work. ... Hopefully." Hopping down from the stepstool, she took the old metal device into the house. After wiping it off and finding a cable, she hooked it up to the TV. Before she put the mystery tape in though, she tried out the tape she had for The Ring. After seeing that it worked fine, she switched it out with the unmarked tape. "Alright, what's this all about?"

For a few moments, black and white static filled the screen. Then, it flickered to life.

"You got that thing going yet, Shinichiro?" The camera moved to show a younger version of Mikey.

"Yeah, it's going, Manjiro," a deeper voice behind the camera said with a light chuckle.

"C'mon, what's taking so loooong?" another voice groaned before the camera panned over to the kid.

Is that...?

"I already told you I'm still learning how to use this thing."

"You ready or what, Baji?" Mikey asked with a grin as he got into a fighting stance.

"Didn't know Kei was such a cute kid," Danaju muttered with a chuckle.

Before the bout could begin though, the screen was suddenly filled with the Mikey she knew. He looked like he had in those few weeks before they traveled back to the future. He lifted his head, almost seeming to lock eyes with Danaju.

"To Danny, in twelve years. I've said plenty in my letter, but there's some things I want to address only to you. You may have noticed it by now, but when I can't control myself, it's as if there's another me. My dark impulses."

Her eyes stayed glued to the TV. Mikey's eyes, even through the screen, looked like they were looking at her like he was in the room with her. And, those "dark impulses"... she knew exactly what he meant.

"I'm scared of who I'll become in the next twelve years... When I'm like that, I know I'm definitely not pleasant to be around. That's why I bid farewell to everyone in Toman. You could sense it, I could tell. But... you get it, right? I don't want you all to be involved with me. These are just my suspicions, but... you're the same, aren't you? I wasn't around when Tenjiku attacked you, but from what Mitsuya said, it was like you were another person. And when we fought Valhalla, it was like you were trying to keep something at bay. So, you should understand when I ask you to promise me something, Danny. In twelve years, I want you and Takemitchy to stay away from me. Don't go back to the past to save me, or something." He smiled. "To walk down this path is my own decision. Danny, we will not be seeing each other again, so let me tell you this. Please live a happy life. You and Baji, along with everyone else." There was that smile again. The same one he gave her the night Emma, Izana, and Kisaki died.

The screen cut to black and white static once more.

Her brow twitched. Then her eye. "DON'T SAVE ME, MY ASS!" she shouted as she shot up from the couch. "GODDAMMIT, MIKEY! WHAT IS WITH EVERYONE AND NOT COMMUNICATING THEIR FUCKING FEELINGS?! Not that I'm any different... But, still!" Flopping back onto the couch, she let out a groan of frustration and ran her hand through her dyed locks. "You may be the leader of a yakuza, but that doesn't mean I'll listen to what you say, dumbass..." Letting out a sigh, she hopped back up from the couch. "Back to hacking, I guess. Since Mikey seems about as able as a rock to ask for some help."

~A few days later~

A frown adorned Danaju's face as she looked at the laptop's screen.

Pale skin, arms that were too skinny, dark, sunken in eyes...