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catsafarithewriter · 6 years

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Yato/Hiyori type situation, but with Baron and Haru (I.E. Haru keeps losing her memories of Baron, and Baron has to continually remind her of who he is and their relationship)

Few things really get my type of angst, but Noragami’s cutting ties/amnesia plot is one of them. (Skulduggery Pleasant and (RTD) Doctor Who are two others.) So of course I’m gonna write this.

“You know what the solution is, don’t you?”

The other immortal leant against the doorway of the Bureau, his tone disappointed and almost remorseful. He was dressed in the same style as Baron, in a suit and hat, but darker, so that while Baron could pass for an evening at the theatre, the other immortal wouldn’t have seemed out of place at a funeral.

They had both gone by many names over the years. Shifting with the current of languages and fashion, but now they went by Baron and Duke. Names running parallel with one another, uncomfortably close but never quite touching.

Duke stayed just beyond the threshold of the Bureau, watching. “You have to sever your ties with her.”

“No.”

“If she were to walk away from this - from this world, from you - right now, then everything would go back to normal for her,” Duke insisted, and this time there was the edge of bitterness to his voice. “Her near-death experience may be the reason she started slipping between the human world and the afterlife, but it’s only because she continues to meddle with the world of immortals and gods that it continues.”

“There’s no guarantee that that is the case,” Baron replied. He kept the brunt of his attention on the case notes that lay across his desk, refusing to meet Duke’s gaze. He read the same line for the fifth time.

“It’s better than any other theory you have. You know what you have to do - so why won’t you?“

“There has to be another way.”

“And how long before you find it?” Duke pressed, his tone getting sharper by the minute. Something akin to disgust crept into his manner, and he crossed into the Bureau. “Look at you. Getting torn up by the thought of severing your ties with a mortal. There would have been a time when you wouldn’t have even hesitated.”

“That was a long time ago,” Baron murmured.

“Not so long ago for the likes of us,” Duke said. “What happened to you? You’ve gone soft.”

“And you’ve grown crueller.”

“Is it the mortal? Have you spent so much time in the human world now that you’re starting to think like a human too?” Duke smirked. “Oh, how far the mighty have fallen.”

“If I sever her ties with this world, she’ll forget everything about it,” Baron said.

“Including you.” Duke chuckled and set his hands down upon the desk, prompting Baron to finally meet his gaze. “That’s what this is really all about, isn’t it? You don’t want the nice little mortal to forget you, so you scour your notes for a solution, any other solution, that means you get to keep your strange little friendship.” The amusement died away. “Well, it’s time for this… fascination, infatuation with her to come to an end. Sever your ties.”

“No.”

Duke groaned and rounded away from the table. “Senseless, stubborn… She may not know well enough to leave alone, but you… from you, I had expected more. The Baron I had known - the brother I had known - would have. But you…” Duke shook his head in a sharp motion. “It’s like I don’t know you anymore, and it’s all because of this human. Well, at least I can be confident that I made the right choice.”

Baron stilled. “What choice?”

“I had hoped to talk you to your senses, but now I see that while this human still occupies your mind, I stand no chance. So I’m taking matters into my own hands. If you won’t sever her ties, then I’ll do it for you.”

Baron slammed to his feet. “Don’t you dare,” he growled.

Duke tilted his head, and a thin smile caught at the edge of his lips. “Now there’s the fire I remember. But you speak as if you can change the past, and not even immortals can do that.”

Baron felt the world drop away from him for a brief moment, shatter, and then gather back in on itself. Breathing became painful. “What have you done?” he whispered.

“What needed to be done.”

“Honestly, I’m just glad you made it out this evening,” Hiromi was saying, tilting her head back to talk to Haru as they pushed through the crowds. As midnight neared and the new year loomed closer, the courtyard became busier still with the crush of people, and Hiromi manoeuvred her way through with uncanny ease. “I mean, you’ve been so weird these last few months.”

Haru snorted. “Define ‘weird’.”

“You know. Elusive. Disappearing suddenly. I don’t know where you are half the time.”

"So I’ve been busy. So what?”

“Okay, so what were you doing last weekend?”

“What?”

“We were meant to go to the movies, remember? Then you bailed but you never gave any reason. I mean, if you’re going to leave me hanging, you could at least pretend to give a decent excuse.”

Haru hesitated, and Hiromi almost went on without her. Haru tried to recall last weekend - she remembered texting Hiromi, she remembered thinking that there was a reason, a very valid reason, as to why she couldn’t go to the cinema - but the rest of the memory wasn’t there. It wasn’t even on the cusp of her mind - it simply didn’t exist. "I don’t know,” she admitted.

“You bailed on me and you can’t even remember?”

“Next time I bail on you, I’ll be sure to make it something worth my while,” Haru deadpanned.

“It better be. You can’t just abandon me for any old thing. Now come on - if we don’t hurry, we’ll lose the best spot!”

With a smile, Haru allowed Hiromi to drag her through the crowds. Her shoulder caught someone passing by and she faltered, her arm snagging away from her friend’s grasp. “Oh, excuse me, can I just--”

“Haru.”

Haru leant back, her eyes passing over the stranger. She took in his appearance. Bright green eyes, tawny ginger hair, light grey suit - definitely a stranger. And yet... and yet, he spoke her name as if he knew her. Not only that, but as if he cared.

Haru tried what she hoped was a polite, non-committal smile. “Hi. Do I... know you?”

“Haru, it’s me - Baron.”

Her smile dimmed a little further.

What kind of person gets called Baron?

She subtly tried to glance to one side. Surely Hiromi must have noticed that she’d left Haru behind. Surely she’d be back in a moment. Then again, the crowds were thick, and even Hiromi’s elbows had their limits.

Haru shook her head . “I’m sorry, you must be thinking of another Haru.”

“Haru, please--”

The man reached out, and when his gloved hand found her wrist, she pulled away as if burned. “What is wrong with you?” she snapped. She raised her voice just loud enough to start attracting attention from those around her. “I said I don’t know you, you creep, back off!”

The man withdrew, and Haru found herself unnerved by the look of hurt and fear on his features. As stares turned their way, the stranger offered what might have been an apologetic smile - if only it hadn’t been for the sadness still in his eyes. “I’m sorry. You’re right, of course. My mistake.”

“What’s up, Haru? You look shaken.” Hiromi appeared at Haru’s side, a little hassled from fighting her way back through the crowds, but non the worse for wear. “You miss me that much?”

Haru glanced back to where the stranger had been, but he was already gone. “Some weirdo just tried to pretend he knew me,” she muttered. “Knew my name and everything.”

“Stalker,” Hiromi said, and her grip around Haru’s arm tighetned, a protective, reassuring gesture. “You want to stick around for the fireworks or just get out of here?”

Haru eyed the crowd, but there was still no sign of the stranger. “Let’s get out of here.”

As the first fireworks of the new year rose with the chimes of bells, Baron watched the two humans from the rooftops. His Regalia, currently in his usual form of a crow, alighted on his shoulder.

“She’s forgotten me, Toto,” Baron murmured. “Every moment she spent with us, with the Bureau... it’s all gone.” He dropped his head, his eyes closing but the image of Haru - scared and confused by him - playing out in his mind. “It’s all gone,” he whispered.

#the cat returns #tcrmommabear #replies #it turned out differently than expected #i was hoping a more concise ficlet but here we go #the cat queues #cat writes #noragami au #i wanted it sadder dammit

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