[ An idiot...? Well. He won’t deny it; he can’t. He’s always been a headstrong, silly fool who caters to his own whims and indulges himself perhaps a bit too much. A burden to his clan, too, no matter how much he loves them; and they him, despite all odds.

But, that’s what makes HOMRA family, isn’t it? That bond, stronger and thicker than blood? Of course.

Tatara’s thought screech to a halt once Izumo mentions Anna though. That seems to come squarely out of left field. She... rewatched the videos...? He’s suddenly a little bashful, knowing he never got to properly compile them for her; hell -- he never got to properly finish anything he started, with his life suddenly cut short like it was.

But none of that spears him quite like that last bit:

”I still owe you another hit for that phone call”.

Tatara knows exactly which one he’s talking about, even if Izumo rightly shouldn’t remember it. All the minds of HOMRA have been wiped clean except for his and Mikoto’s, after all -- he’s confirmed it himself. So how...?

They’ll get to that in just a moment, perhaps. For now, there’s really something Tatara promised himself he’d say if Izumo ever remembered; something he owes the older man, and has for quite some time. ]

I knew it would forever be a burden on your heart, but in that moment, I couldn’t think of anyone better to call.

Still... [ He looks down and away, watching condensation trickle down his glass. ]

I’m sorry, Kusanagi-san. For leaving all of you behind like that.

[ He doesn't know his death sparked a war, of course; but with Mikoto being who he is... he's kind of made some assumptions and filled in the gaps. ]