[IC] [Old Radio/Waiting in Earth Crossover]

[futureforbirds]

**After the library of doom made Kaito cough his lungs out, our Kaito Team has decided to go back to the city behind the wall. Kaito's illness has gotten much worse due to his weakened immune system and sleeping outside all the time. But now, here they are. He finds himself staring up at the wall with mixed emotions of relief and dread. How in the hell are they going to sneak in?**

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[futureforbirds]

**He could see that KAITO himself had gotten emotional when reading it. He didn't really expect it to be powerful for someone other than himself, so he was giving him a questioning look while he took back the letter.**

It's all right. I guess you can kind of understand where I'm coming from, now.

**He seems more empathetic than expected, but Kaito doesn't want to jump to conclusions**

[deteriorated]

Yes... it's more understandable.

[He pauses, staring at the letter in Kaito's hands and looking back up at the picture. Kaito probably noticed how he reacted to both. Maybe it wasn't worth trying to hide it. He leans his head onto the armrest.]

It reminds me of my previous Master. The one I had before -- everything.

[futureforbirds]

Really? My father does?

**This is unexpected, but it does explain why he was acting the way he was... sort of.**

[deteriorated]

[He nodded, still not bothering to lift his head. He wasn't even looking at Kaito; he was focused on something past the man. Or maybe just focusing on his past.]

He looks like the man in the photo. And the way the letter is written reminds me of the way he spoke.

If we'd spoken one last time, I wonder what he would have said...? Maybe he would've said something similar.

[futureforbirds]

He even looks like him? **he speaks quietly, then falls silent. This is too many lookalikes to be a coincidence, isn't it?**

[deteriorated]

Mmmm. The hair and the eyes are the same.

[futureforbirds]

**Kaito continued to stare into the photo, digging at the memories of his dad as he held the letter in his hands. KAITO had said that they looked alike, even spoke alike. If KAITO had been a human, Kaito might have shrugged it off as wishful thinking and sentimentality. But KAITO's memories could not have been dulled like that. It wasn't possible for his judgment to be clouded in this area, so ... why? Kaito sighed.**

Little Kaito looks like me, I look like you, and now my father is just like your master... why are there so many lookalikes?

[deteriorated]

[KAITO didn't have much of an answer for that. Kaito didn't remember much about his father, and KAITO remembered too much about his Master. The two were hard to connect, even with the similarities.]

I don't know. [He's starting to feel a little drained, thinking so much about this sensitive subject.]

Our names are the same, too.

[futureforbirds]

Names - right.

**come to think of it... there was an easy way to make a connection, wasn't there.**

... Hey, KAITO. What was your master's name?

[deteriorated]

[He blinked as he dug through his memory. It took him a while to find that piece of information, but he was able to.]

Naoto. My Master's name was Naoto.

[futureforbirds]

.... No way ....

[deteriorated]

[He looks at Kaito from his position on the couch. Judging by that reaction, that could only mean...

...but that was impossible. Completely impossible. His reasoning must've been malfunctioning.

Couldn't it?]

[futureforbirds]

M-my dad's name was Naoto too.

This is...

...

... it can't be a coincidence.

[synthesice.livejournal.com]

[...somehow, for some reason, KAITO didn't feel like it was good news. If they were the same person, then it meant his Master died before he was meant to. His Master died in a war. His Master abandoned him to live in a different city, away from unnatural beings like himself. Left and continued living, while he remained a witness to the reviving Earth.

It was so, so much simpler to believe that his Master died just like any other human. Easier to believe that was the reason he was left behind.]

If it isn't...? [He was looking down, away from Kaito's face.] What does it mean?

[futureforbirds]

... I guess it means he named me after you.

[synthesice.livejournal.com]

[That did not make things any better. What was the point in naming someone like that? He'd been out there the whole time -- he and everyone else and --

And he named his child after a Vocaloid. KAITO suddenly starts laughing at the absurdity of it all.]

[futureforbirds]

**ohhhh that doesn't sound like a happy laugh. Kaito immediately moves to his side on the couch**

KAITO --

**wait, he doesn't have any idea what to say to this. He can't even remember his father, how can he expect to console what is apparently his abandoned friend about him?**

... **a comforting hand on the shoulder, for starters. KAITO often does this to help him, so he should understand...**

[synthesice.livejournal.com]

[The hand helped. Just the fact that someone else -- not his master, but close enough -- was there with him helped. Otherwise, it would've been like mourning all over again. Sitting in a long abandoned home without any idea of what to do. Alone and completely confused.

Eventually his laughing (or crying, who knew anymore) died down. After a moment of silence, he found himself speaking again. Quietly, as if he wasn't sure if he should've been speaking at all.]

It's an honor. Using my name.

I'm honored.

[futureforbirds]

**Since it had really sounded like he was crying, Kaito had shifted to drape his arm over KAITO's shoulders and just hold them. He couldn't even begin to imagine what KAITO had to be feeling right now... he had all of these bottled up feelings for his master and now some of them were coming to the surface. He knew they were there all along, but - Kaito was probably a fool to think that making him a song would help him deal with them. And all this time, he'd been writing about his own father. Fate really was mysterious. ...He gave KAITO's shoulders an extra squeeze, but words were still hard in coming to him. He thought, trying to make sense of the situation.**

.... I think we were supposed to meet like this. Somehow I knew that already.

He wanted me to come out and find you and your friends, since he died.

[deteriorated]

[He nodded. The radio, Mekaito, Kaito... it wasn't a coincidence. It was supposed to happen this way; the Master wanted it this way. He made Mekaito, who could fly over the walls. He had the radio that continued to lead to other Vocaloids. He had his son, who was named after KAITO, who carried on what the Master was unable to do.

He thought of us, KAITO realized. The whole time, he was thinking of them.]

He was a very kind person.

[futureforbirds]

Yeah - he was.

And - **he thought back to one of the first times they'd spoken about his father. KAITO had said that since Mekaito was built to look like Kaito, it meant that his father loved him. But here was Kaito, who was named after KAITO. Who dressed like Kaito when he was little.**

- He loved us both. We couldn't see it at first...

**memories quickly surfaced of his young self feeling the pain of his father's absence, surfaced then faded back into his mind**

... But he was always thinking about our future.

[deteriorated]

[Another silent nod.] Always thinking...

[There's a pause before he admits:] I thought he died. I thought he died like all the other humans. I knew I'd never see him again.

Then... seeing this... this city and you. I thought he left because he didn't want to be with us anymore. Maybe he rejected technology just like the other humans here.

But he didn't, did he? [How ridiculous. The Master could've gotten into so much trouble if he'd been caught.] He didn't reject any of us. He wanted the best for all of us.

[The corner of his mouth quirked in a wry smile.] The best for all the Kaito.

[futureforbirds]

I wish he could see us now. I think he'd be happy that we've come so far.

[deteriorated]

I hope so.

[He reaches up to hold Kaito's wrist.]

Thank you.

[futureforbirds]

**he smiles in response - it probably looks like Papaito's smile, go genetics go - and after a moment, shifts his hand so that their fingers can intertwine**

You too.

Thanks for... waiting for us, even though it was sad.