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Kida had spent the past few days not only in a miserable mood, but inflicting that mood onto everyone around him. He had decided he needed to sort out everything that was happening and stop being so paranoid. He'd written a letter of apology to Lion and snuck it to her house in the middle of the night. Hopefully she got it and would respond. He understood if it took her a while. He was especially cruel and unkind.

He'd also spoken to Zelos, who agreed to talk to the people at Dagon and try to get them to back off of Lion. Even if Mikado wasn't directly involved in any of it, he couldn't help worrying it would lead to all sorts of issues of miscommunications and misunderstandings because he was with Lion that day and he was learning magic now, too.

He wasn't really sure what else he could do at this point though, so he decided to take it easy at home with his friend and try to relax with his friend. That's why Kida threw a pencil at Mikado's head from his spot lounging on Izaya's couch.

"You spend so much time reading those books, do any of them have a spell for inventing television or the internet in them? Or maybe a spell to summon a super cute girl in a maid's costume who will use -sama and bow and blush in cute ways while she serves us."

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Mikado glanced at Izaya and Erika and then nodded. They shouldn't run off with a basically naked Kida. They had long enough to get him dressed. He helped Kida sit again, because his friend looked shaky as hell.

"I think they're right over there. I'll be right back." He strode away to where the pile of clothes were quickly, trying to ignore the bodies around him as he gathered Kida's things. He turned back to bring the clothing to Masaomi, forcing himself to focus and not keep mentally jumping around at everything. He had enough to process he had to take it one at a time.

It wasn't like they were safe yet.

Kida nodded to Mikado and then lowered himself to sit again, grabbing the discarded dagger. He started digging into his own wrists. Paint the man, cut the lines. He could feel something crawling under there. He would just dig it out with this blade and then he'd be okay.

As he cut into his wrists, tiny things, like bugs but seeming much more sinister to Kida's mind seemed to crawl up and down his skin. There were still more in there though. They were the reason behind those horrible voices that echoed in his ear drums, they were the reason he didn't want to close his eyes. If he could just get them out, he'd be okay. That's why he was feeling so woozy.

Of course, this was all just a hallucination, the wooziness caused by the blood loss, which seemed to get worse and worse as Kida's hands shook. He blinked at his empty hand, noticing a strange scar there. He needed to get rid of that, too. Except he felt pretty tired now, so he would do that after he woke up. Detoxification was an exhausting process he thought to himself, still feebly hacking at his wrists with his slowly draining strength. He smiled, despite it all. He would be okay as soon as he was purged of that horror, and then he could go back to how things were before Mikado had interrupted the ritual.

It was hardly any time to get the clothes for Kida, but by the time he turned back to his friend, Kida was digging into his own arms. No, worse than that, he was bleeding everywhere and he was falling over. And what the... What the hell? Why?! Was this something the ritual had done? Powerful magic could induce madness, there was a lot Mikado still didn't know about the magic of this place, but that was a basic rule.

"Masaomi!" This time, his voice raised to an almost yell as he ran and then skidded, dropping to his knees hard enough to jar his own teeth.

He didn't know the exact ritual Izaya had used on them. He'd been trying not to invest his research in blood magic. All the same, with was knowledge he had of other rituals, and a... Sense he could feel when he touched Masaomi's clammy skin, he felt he could improvise something.

Izaya said it would bind them forever. He had some idea how to repeat the resurrection. It probably wasn't entirely accurate. But the power accumulated in this place wasn't gone either, and Mikado felt almost like he could reach out and through Masaomi and drag him back.

He whispered a set of strange words, managing not to stutter as he folded his hands around Masaomi's wrists. If it worked, would they heal? What about the bloodloss? He didn't have time to wonder, as a rush of dizziness and pain overtook him. He looked down to see his own arms bleeding... Not as badly or half as mangled as Masaomi's had been, but the wounds were undeniably the same ones, only as if they had been more shallow. Masaomi's wounds as well seemed half healed, not half as bad.

He felt something else as well. A strange... dissonance in his own mind and heart. He didn't understand it, at the time, but it was the first affects of magic use on his own psyche, and the pressures of the day adding to the pressure in his soul. It was the first sign of cracking beneath it all, and it was not dramatic or even noticeable. Even Mikado himself did not realize the significance of the chill down his spine and through his heart.

Kida felt his heart pound against his chest. The sensation of being brought from that place even more raw, the survival instinct even more dominant. He was unaware of his surroundings, unaware of who he was with or how he got there. All he knew was he couldn't go back to where he had just been, as he blindly lunged for the figure holding him, fingers wrapping around Mikado's throat. The action pained him in a way that he didn't understand, but he couldn't think, he could only act, only do what he needed to avoid that place.

Fortunately for Mikado, Kida wasn't at his usual strength, as his chest heaved and he fought to breath, his own fingers slipping and losing their grip as he tried to choke Mikado.

Enough stupidity. The blunt part of Erika's scythe, where the blade and handle met, cracked down on Kida's head and dropped him unconscious. It was a measured hit, at best leaving a bump that would be sore for a few days. Otherwise, though, he was safe and breathing, alive, despite it all.

Erika swung the scythe over her shoulders and leaned down, heaving Kida up into her arms. Not exactly the easiest solution but she felt, somehow, the need to take care of everything right now. A quick glance over of Mikado. He was all right for now, too.

"Coming back from oblivion is nearly as terrifying as oblivion itself." A simple statement as she looked at Mikado, impassive. "Ah, go get his clothes. I bet he would whine if we didn't."

It was a shock. Masaomi had never attacked him. But what Erika said as she lifted his friend off of him made sense. Of course... He could have no idea what Kida was thinking or feeling. His reaction to being nearly strangled was only to touch his neck, and then to stumbled to his feet and gather the clothing he'd dropped.

He had no words he could thank Erika or Izaya with. He'd just have to do it in actions later.

No, well, he'd thank them with words as well of course. But it would be inadequate. Strangely he felt calmer now that Masaomi was unconscious. Still... unsettled and distressed. But maybe it was shock, it was just all a little muffled.

His cheeks were still wet though, and he wiped them on his sleeve. His voice wavered than steadied as he turned to join Erika.

"Thank you. Let's get out of here."

AND THEN--they all trooped home. Izaya fetched Shinra, who patched up everyone and was generally genki. Mikado asked Erika to stay and keep an eye on Kida and VENTURED BACK TO THE CHURCH OF DAGON--idk maybe he talks to Izaya first. But anyway he's off to join a cult. OTHER THINGS IN OTHER THREADS. The end.

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