You're here. I'm here. Everyone is here.
Who:Tasukireikaku_bandit & Kankurodance_mypuppets
When: ...>>; *ahem* remember wish week? yeeeeaaaah Thursday
Where: Kankuro's room
Summary: Reishun is gone... Kankuro gets the happy task of picking up the pieces of broken bandit.
Rating: PG-13 (default for how much they swear)
Warnings: Sobbing mess of a bandit and mentions of a rather gruesome death scene
[Kankuro is guiding Tasuki back to his room -- not to the room Tasuki shares with Rei, that just really doesn't seem like a good idea right now. Kankuro's own room is just as private and far less likely to grieve Tasuki any more. The bandit is soaking wet and bloodstained, but Kankuro's not letting that bother him; he's a ninja, he's dealt with worse. Right now, Tasuki needs the friendly arm around his shoulders a lot more than he needs Kankuro getting finicky about a little mess.
When they reach the room, Kankuro opens the door and tugs Tasuki in.] Here we go. Nice and private.
[Privacy? Tasuki couldn't have cared less about the privacy. His pride be damned he'd have stayed there in the snow for hours if Kankuro and his brother hadn't forced him up, forced him to move away from all that scarlet snow. He leans heavily against the puppeteer, hardly more lively than Kankuro's favored weapon as the ninja maneuvers him into the room.
When Kankuro speaks Tasuki gives no immediate sign that he even heard him, amber eyes staring listlessly at the white floor even as tears slowly trekked down the already damp paths on his cheeks. After a pause he lifted his head, turning that blank gaze to the other man. If not for the emptiness in his eyes the tilt of his head would almost seem inquisitive.]
Ah, hell. [Kankuro sighs as he sees that blankness. Getting him away from everyone wasn't enough, that much was obvious.] Here, you're soaking wet. Wait a sec. [He heads out of the room for a moment, retrieving a towel from the bathroom and wrapping it around Tasuki.] Let's get you dry... standing around wet ain't gonna do you any good.
[As that towel comes around his shoulders Tasuki lifts one hand to clutch at the edge of the fabric. He was wet and miserably cold but torn between leaving the towel and flinging it away to set it ablaze. He didn't want to be warm. Not if warm and dry still meant he'd have this cold ache, even more pronounced for the contrast, where Nuriko once was. It was an all too familiar pain, one only worsened by the absence of all the others. Suzaku save him, she was all he had in this place.
He stayed that way for a moment, clinging to the towel, breath coming a little bit too fast. When he finally looked back at Kankuro again his expression twisted with pain and anger, those tears coming faster now. He took a deep, shaky breath, obviously trying to calm himself down before he got any worse but the breath caught in his throat, a strangled half-sob that he bit down on. His shoulders hunched as he lowered his head, squeezing his eyes closed and fighting a futile battle against the sobs.]
[Kankuro understands it; he's seen death all around him for almost all his life. He doesn't know anything about the particular bond connecting Tasuki and Reishun, but he knows the pain of losing the people you care about most, and feeling so utterly powerless. He steps close again, a comforting hand on Tasuki's shoulder.] Just let it out. There's no one to keep your face up for here. Let go. [It's the things he wishes someone had told him after Gaara was taken by Akatsuki, but he's prepared to Tasuki to not listen to him much; everyone handles this kind of stuff their own way.]
[The hand that had been clinging to the towel moves up to cover Kankuro's hand on his shoulder, squeezing hard as he still tries to fight down the sobs, holding his breath for a long moment to stave off the inevitable. It was easier before. They had a mission, they had to find the Shinzahao and Nuriko had taken Ashitare with him but this... Rei was gone and there was nothing he could do. Nothing to distract himself with, no one to be strong for.
He finally gasps, the sound ragged and harsh. That one breath wrenches the last of his control from him, shoulders shaking with quiet sobs.]
[Kankuro wavers a moment; it's always hard to deal with grief, he knows this, and even in the Facility's world where death is transient, it doesn't make it any easier to bear. But the time for manly reserve seems pretty well past, and he tugs the bandit in, wrapping a friendly arm around his shoulders and letting him sob.]
Just let it out. [He keeps his voice to a murmur, a soothing background sound that doesn't have to mean anything.] Get it all out of your system, it's all right.
[Tasuki leans against Kankuro, pressing his face into the other man's shoulder. It should've been awkward with the difference in their heights but Tasuki's shoulders are hunched as if he wants nothing more to curl in on himself but Kankuro's shoulder got in the way. He hates himself for being this weak, for crying uselessly over it instead of doing something about it but try as he might he can not stop the flow of tears. He only stays that way for a moment, only allows himself the comfort Kankuro is offering long enough for a few harsh sobs to escape him before he lifts one hand, clenching it in the fabric of the ninja's shirt and pressing lightly against his chest. He should push Kankuro away, should be angry with him for treating him like some damned woman who needs a shoulder to cry on. His pride will never let him admit it but, at this moment, he does need it and so his hand just stays where it is, not quite pushing the other away.]
[Kankuro knows damn well that it isn't just women who sometimes need a shoulder to lean on; in his mind, it's stupid to think that, and he's seen ninja get themselves permanently taken off the active rosters because they let everything they saw fester inside instead of letting the pressure out. It leads to a case of the crazies, to seeing blood and death everywhere you look, and he knows that all too well. He lets Tasuki push against him, but doesn't move away, just keeps that arm anchored around him as he cries. He'd only seen a little of what Tasuki did, a quick glance at the biodome's carnage, but even with his constant exposure to blood and guts, it was a pretty sick sight -- and knowing it was someone Tasuki cared about in the middle of it lets him know how much that sight would have affected the bandit.]
Take as long as you need. You're fine. It's all right. [His voice is low, but not pitying or cloying. Just... saying.]
's not alrigh' [He mutters between his sobs, taking in a few harsh breaths to try and slow the tears.] not fucking alrigh...I shoulda... should've... [Whatever he should have done he can not say, the pathetic attempt to calm himself only making the tears come faster and he sobs harder into Kankuro's shoulder. The hand on his chest more clinging now than any semblance of rejection. He'd sworn to himself as soon as he'd come here and found her that he would protect her. That he wouldn't let anything happen to her. And now this... this is what he'd allowed to happen. At least when Nuriko had died it had been fighting for his country, his priestess, his god but this... this senseless violence just made it so much harder to bear.]
Should've been there, huh? [Now there is empathy in Kankuro's tone, a shared pain -- this is something he knows, an internal condemnation with which he's all too familiar. Should've been there, should've done something, should've stopped it. It still haunts him, and he sees that same self-flagellation in his friend. Words won't make it through the sobbing, so he just brings his other arm around, rubbing long slow strokes up and down Tasuki's spine to try and soothe him a little.] You couldn't have known, Tasuki. You can't see the future. No one can.
[Those words are lost on Tasuki. He is crying too hard to pay any mind to anything Kankuro says. Every time he starts to calm down, that deep shuddering breath only serves to remind him of the void where he can no longer feel Nuriko. The bond he had with the others was something he hadn't even known he had until he'd felt that jolt of pain when Nuriko had died the first time... just before he came here.
It takes a long time before the tears finally slow, his breathing uneven and harsh. By the time he's done crying he is leaning hard against the ninja, the emotional drain combined with his attacks on Nyuu and struggling against Gaara leaving him feeling weak and a little shaky. When he speaks again his voice is thick and rough from tears and the words are mumbled into Kankuro's shoulder, barely audible.] 'd just gotten her back...
[It isn't the first time Kankuro's done this, been there, been a strong arm for someone facing death on a personal level. But Tasuki isn't a junior under his command; he's a friend, not a subordinate. It's a different thing, very different. But in the end, he knows the pain, and he knows there's no shame in it. Death hurts. He lets Tasuki cry it out, stroking his back in long, smooth strokes.
Finally, with Tasuki obviously worn out, he rubs the back of his neck gently with the mumbled words.] Just gotten her back? [Getting him to talk a little... might help, he hopes.]
[He shivers a little when that hand moves to his neck. His clothes are still damp and he's so cold that the warmth of Kankuro's hand finally reminds him that he really should make better use of that towel. Slowly he lifts his head, reluctantly stepping back from the ninja and raising his hands to the towel. When he tugs the material down from his shoulders his eyes catch on the blood on his sleeves, so much blood.]
Kankuro...
[His voice is uncharacteristically quiet and when he looks up his eyes still have that vague look though now the pain is more apparent as well as the exhaustion that only comes from deep emotional wounds. He has every intent of answering that question, and more, but now, with his sanity restored he can not stand to be in these blood and snow soaked clothes for another moment. He motions vaguely down at himself, giving the puppeteer a desperate kind of look.]
Can I... borrow... somethin...? [The words catch as though he'd planned to say more but could not bring himself to. The rest, the "something not saturated in Reishun's blood", should be fairly obvious.]
[Kankuro's gaze traces downward with Tasuki's gesture, and he nods quickly.] Yeah, of course. My stuff should fit you well enough. You wanna shower? [He waves a hand toward the door, then moves over to his closet and pulls out a spare set of clothing. It's the same stuff as he wears, a wrapped tunic, long sash, and loose pants, but the looseness of his attire means that it should fit onto the taller Tasuki well enough.]
[Tasuki gratefully takes the items, dropping them onto the bed near him and shaking his head a little at the offer of a shower. He's tired, exhausted even and if he just crawls into the shower, alone with nothing to distract himself from the pain, he'll just start crying again. So he returns to Kankuro's earlier question as he mechanically goes through the motions of stripping off his bloodied clothes and exchanging them for the welcome warmth of clean fabric.He's so used to the cheap, coarse material of his own clothes and the snug press of his leather coat that all the loose fabric feels strange to him. It fits well enough for the purpose, being both taller and more slender than Kankuro.]
She ain' jus' some li'l kid y'know. She's Suzaku... jus like me.[He lifts his left arm, pulling back the sleeve to display his forearm, not that the mark is showing now. But if Kankuro had actually watched the feed he'd have seen it, the symbol burning flame bright on his arm when that battle aura had flared around him.] She's Nuriko... but not the first. I knew her 'efore. When she weren't Ko Reishun but Chou Ryuuen. She's his reincarnation see...
[Kankuro takes the soaked, bloodied clothes, tossing them into a corner to deal with later. Come reset, he knows they'll be taken care of, and for right now, he doesn't care. The black seems oddly appropriate on Tasuki right now, as he's mourning Reishun; it gives him a sober, funereal look, and Kankuro's inner artist appreciates it. Once Tasuki's dressed, he tugs him to sit down on the bed and settles beside him, listening with obvious sober interest.]
His reincarnation...? [That interests him, obviously so; he's been raised to believe in reincarnation, but he's never actually had something like that happen, recognizing someone who's come back.]
Yeah... I guess... [He leans back, letting his head thump back against the wall, one leg pulled up so he can lean his arm on his knee. He stares at the ceiling for a long moment, trying to sort through what little of his future he knows due to Reishun's wish.]
She's from mah future... Remember me tellin' ya I remembered shit I shouldn'? Yeah, I remember her... Don' know how since 'm twenty when I meet her an sure as hell ain' tha old now. We were lookin' fer the reincarnations, me an 'Chiri. I guess... we're the only ones left in the end... I don' know how the rest of 'em die... jus Nuriko... He... right before I came here he... that idiot. [He trails off, squeezing his eyes shut again with a shaky breath. The similarities in their deaths were uncanny and the image of Rei looking so much like Nuriko in the snow like that dredged up everything he hadn't been able to think of since Nuriko's death. There'd been the mission, there'd been so much else that needed doing, dangers to be fought and a priestess to protect. Now though there was nothing to distract him from it.]
[Damn, that level of pain, it's so obvious, and Kankuro understands it. Understands what it feels like to have something hit you after the fact -- deaths happening when you can't take the time to really feel them, to really process, and then to have it all hit later, the realization that people close to you died. He rests a quiet hand on Tasuki's leg, just a little bit of contact, and in his eyes there's empathy and understanding. He's been there.]
He came back to you... and now you've lost her here. [And so soon after Tasuki remembered... Kankuro winces. That is pretty damn low.] At least she'll be back, being here.
[He starts to nod then pauses, lifting his head to stare at Kankuro. There are so many feelings inspired by that one statement. Half a dozen different emotions chase each other across his face before his expression finally settles on one of doubt, though there is fear in his eyes and a tiny fragile spark of hope that he tries so very hard to crush. He's seen people come back from the dead. Demon possessed spirits, blood-thirsty monsters seeking vengeance on humanity for the crime of living. One of his own companions, forced to slay the woman he loved years after arriving a moment too late to save her life, forced to endure the knowledge that she had fed upon the souls of dozens of innocent girls while he had been unable to summon the strength to kill her.
Only now, the immediate shock of Rei's death having faded, did he recall Gaara saying something similar. His hand shifts to settle over Kankuro's, squeezing perhaps a little harder than might be comfortable in his desperation. Sweet Suzaku if he meant anything near what Tasuki thought he did... The very idea made him ill. Could he really be as strong as Mitsukake? If Reishun came back as one of those creatures... could he really look into that sweet face of hers and... He couldn't even finish the thought, tears welling in his eyes again. His voice is strained, the words forced out through clenched teeth.]
Wha d'ya mean...back?
[Kankuro's seen people come back from the dead, too -- but just once. Gaara, whom he'd failed to save, revived by the sacrifice of Chiyo, the great puppet mistress of Suna. A life for a life. He doesn't think it's the way the Consortium's doing things, though. Not unless they've got a lot of spare people to kill. He looks down at Tasuki's hand on his, the tight grip, and shifts his hand a little, trying to get that grip to loosen. He's protective of his hands.]
It's in the info, didn't we go over that?
[And he pauses, thinking. Oh, right. They were reading the info, but then there'd been the mistletoe, and he'd gotten rather distracted, and...]
I guess not. But anyway... this place, death isn't permanent. Someone gets taken out... they're gone for a while, it varies, and then they come back alive and mostly fixed up. Gods only know how the Consortium does it.
[He looks at Tasuki seriously, laying his other hand on top of the bandit's and squeezing gently.]
You'll get her back, Tasuki. She'll be all right.
[If anything shifting only makes his grip tighten more but at those words he relaxes. He collapses back against the wall, head thumping sharply against the wall but he doesn't seem to notice. He just sits there slumped against the wall for a long moment before his shoulders start to shake a little. There are tears on his face again but it almost sounds as if he were laughing, small choking sobs catching between breathy laughter. He shakes his head, unable to stop himself from laughing harder, a desperate kind of relieved laughter that teeters so close to crying it's all he can do not to break down into sobs again.]
... thank the gods...
[Kankuro listens to him quietly, half-expecting the laughter to turn to sobs; he's alert for it, listening for that subtle shift, and thinking deeply. His first impression of Reishun, weeks ago, really wasn't all that great, but she's obviously so deeply important to Tasuki... Might not hurt to try again.]
Not sure how long it'll be, but... she'll be back, and she'll be just fine. [His voice has a gentle note to it, not enough to be cloying, but just enough to comfort.]
((OOC: Holy crap this took waaaaay too long...>>; excuse the extreme backdated-ness of this wow))
When: ...>>; *ahem* remember wish week? yeeeeaaaah Thursday
Where: Kankuro's room
Summary: Reishun is gone... Kankuro gets the happy task of picking up the pieces of broken bandit.
Rating: PG-13 (default for how much they swear)
Warnings: Sobbing mess of a bandit and mentions of a rather gruesome death scene
[Kankuro is guiding Tasuki back to his room -- not to the room Tasuki shares with Rei, that just really doesn't seem like a good idea right now. Kankuro's own room is just as private and far less likely to grieve Tasuki any more. The bandit is soaking wet and bloodstained, but Kankuro's not letting that bother him; he's a ninja, he's dealt with worse. Right now, Tasuki needs the friendly arm around his shoulders a lot more than he needs Kankuro getting finicky about a little mess.
When they reach the room, Kankuro opens the door and tugs Tasuki in.] Here we go. Nice and private.
[Privacy? Tasuki couldn't have cared less about the privacy. His pride be damned he'd have stayed there in the snow for hours if Kankuro and his brother hadn't forced him up, forced him to move away from all that scarlet snow. He leans heavily against the puppeteer, hardly more lively than Kankuro's favored weapon as the ninja maneuvers him into the room.
When Kankuro speaks Tasuki gives no immediate sign that he even heard him, amber eyes staring listlessly at the white floor even as tears slowly trekked down the already damp paths on his cheeks. After a pause he lifted his head, turning that blank gaze to the other man. If not for the emptiness in his eyes the tilt of his head would almost seem inquisitive.]
Ah, hell. [Kankuro sighs as he sees that blankness. Getting him away from everyone wasn't enough, that much was obvious.] Here, you're soaking wet. Wait a sec. [He heads out of the room for a moment, retrieving a towel from the bathroom and wrapping it around Tasuki.] Let's get you dry... standing around wet ain't gonna do you any good.
[As that towel comes around his shoulders Tasuki lifts one hand to clutch at the edge of the fabric. He was wet and miserably cold but torn between leaving the towel and flinging it away to set it ablaze. He didn't want to be warm. Not if warm and dry still meant he'd have this cold ache, even more pronounced for the contrast, where Nuriko once was. It was an all too familiar pain, one only worsened by the absence of all the others. Suzaku save him, she was all he had in this place.
He stayed that way for a moment, clinging to the towel, breath coming a little bit too fast. When he finally looked back at Kankuro again his expression twisted with pain and anger, those tears coming faster now. He took a deep, shaky breath, obviously trying to calm himself down before he got any worse but the breath caught in his throat, a strangled half-sob that he bit down on. His shoulders hunched as he lowered his head, squeezing his eyes closed and fighting a futile battle against the sobs.]
[Kankuro understands it; he's seen death all around him for almost all his life. He doesn't know anything about the particular bond connecting Tasuki and Reishun, but he knows the pain of losing the people you care about most, and feeling so utterly powerless. He steps close again, a comforting hand on Tasuki's shoulder.] Just let it out. There's no one to keep your face up for here. Let go. [It's the things he wishes someone had told him after Gaara was taken by Akatsuki, but he's prepared to Tasuki to not listen to him much; everyone handles this kind of stuff their own way.]
[The hand that had been clinging to the towel moves up to cover Kankuro's hand on his shoulder, squeezing hard as he still tries to fight down the sobs, holding his breath for a long moment to stave off the inevitable. It was easier before. They had a mission, they had to find the Shinzahao and Nuriko had taken Ashitare with him but this... Rei was gone and there was nothing he could do. Nothing to distract himself with, no one to be strong for.
He finally gasps, the sound ragged and harsh. That one breath wrenches the last of his control from him, shoulders shaking with quiet sobs.]
[Kankuro wavers a moment; it's always hard to deal with grief, he knows this, and even in the Facility's world where death is transient, it doesn't make it any easier to bear. But the time for manly reserve seems pretty well past, and he tugs the bandit in, wrapping a friendly arm around his shoulders and letting him sob.]
Just let it out. [He keeps his voice to a murmur, a soothing background sound that doesn't have to mean anything.] Get it all out of your system, it's all right.
[Tasuki leans against Kankuro, pressing his face into the other man's shoulder. It should've been awkward with the difference in their heights but Tasuki's shoulders are hunched as if he wants nothing more to curl in on himself but Kankuro's shoulder got in the way. He hates himself for being this weak, for crying uselessly over it instead of doing something about it but try as he might he can not stop the flow of tears. He only stays that way for a moment, only allows himself the comfort Kankuro is offering long enough for a few harsh sobs to escape him before he lifts one hand, clenching it in the fabric of the ninja's shirt and pressing lightly against his chest. He should push Kankuro away, should be angry with him for treating him like some damned woman who needs a shoulder to cry on. His pride will never let him admit it but, at this moment, he does need it and so his hand just stays where it is, not quite pushing the other away.]
[Kankuro knows damn well that it isn't just women who sometimes need a shoulder to lean on; in his mind, it's stupid to think that, and he's seen ninja get themselves permanently taken off the active rosters because they let everything they saw fester inside instead of letting the pressure out. It leads to a case of the crazies, to seeing blood and death everywhere you look, and he knows that all too well. He lets Tasuki push against him, but doesn't move away, just keeps that arm anchored around him as he cries. He'd only seen a little of what Tasuki did, a quick glance at the biodome's carnage, but even with his constant exposure to blood and guts, it was a pretty sick sight -- and knowing it was someone Tasuki cared about in the middle of it lets him know how much that sight would have affected the bandit.]
Take as long as you need. You're fine. It's all right. [His voice is low, but not pitying or cloying. Just... saying.]
's not alrigh' [He mutters between his sobs, taking in a few harsh breaths to try and slow the tears.] not fucking alrigh...I shoulda... should've... [Whatever he should have done he can not say, the pathetic attempt to calm himself only making the tears come faster and he sobs harder into Kankuro's shoulder. The hand on his chest more clinging now than any semblance of rejection. He'd sworn to himself as soon as he'd come here and found her that he would protect her. That he wouldn't let anything happen to her. And now this... this is what he'd allowed to happen. At least when Nuriko had died it had been fighting for his country, his priestess, his god but this... this senseless violence just made it so much harder to bear.]
Should've been there, huh? [Now there is empathy in Kankuro's tone, a shared pain -- this is something he knows, an internal condemnation with which he's all too familiar. Should've been there, should've done something, should've stopped it. It still haunts him, and he sees that same self-flagellation in his friend. Words won't make it through the sobbing, so he just brings his other arm around, rubbing long slow strokes up and down Tasuki's spine to try and soothe him a little.] You couldn't have known, Tasuki. You can't see the future. No one can.
[Those words are lost on Tasuki. He is crying too hard to pay any mind to anything Kankuro says. Every time he starts to calm down, that deep shuddering breath only serves to remind him of the void where he can no longer feel Nuriko. The bond he had with the others was something he hadn't even known he had until he'd felt that jolt of pain when Nuriko had died the first time... just before he came here.
It takes a long time before the tears finally slow, his breathing uneven and harsh. By the time he's done crying he is leaning hard against the ninja, the emotional drain combined with his attacks on Nyuu and struggling against Gaara leaving him feeling weak and a little shaky. When he speaks again his voice is thick and rough from tears and the words are mumbled into Kankuro's shoulder, barely audible.] 'd just gotten her back...
[It isn't the first time Kankuro's done this, been there, been a strong arm for someone facing death on a personal level. But Tasuki isn't a junior under his command; he's a friend, not a subordinate. It's a different thing, very different. But in the end, he knows the pain, and he knows there's no shame in it. Death hurts. He lets Tasuki cry it out, stroking his back in long, smooth strokes.
Finally, with Tasuki obviously worn out, he rubs the back of his neck gently with the mumbled words.] Just gotten her back? [Getting him to talk a little... might help, he hopes.]
[He shivers a little when that hand moves to his neck. His clothes are still damp and he's so cold that the warmth of Kankuro's hand finally reminds him that he really should make better use of that towel. Slowly he lifts his head, reluctantly stepping back from the ninja and raising his hands to the towel. When he tugs the material down from his shoulders his eyes catch on the blood on his sleeves, so much blood.]
Kankuro...
[His voice is uncharacteristically quiet and when he looks up his eyes still have that vague look though now the pain is more apparent as well as the exhaustion that only comes from deep emotional wounds. He has every intent of answering that question, and more, but now, with his sanity restored he can not stand to be in these blood and snow soaked clothes for another moment. He motions vaguely down at himself, giving the puppeteer a desperate kind of look.]
Can I... borrow... somethin...? [The words catch as though he'd planned to say more but could not bring himself to. The rest, the "something not saturated in Reishun's blood", should be fairly obvious.]
[Kankuro's gaze traces downward with Tasuki's gesture, and he nods quickly.] Yeah, of course. My stuff should fit you well enough. You wanna shower? [He waves a hand toward the door, then moves over to his closet and pulls out a spare set of clothing. It's the same stuff as he wears, a wrapped tunic, long sash, and loose pants, but the looseness of his attire means that it should fit onto the taller Tasuki well enough.]
[Tasuki gratefully takes the items, dropping them onto the bed near him and shaking his head a little at the offer of a shower. He's tired, exhausted even and if he just crawls into the shower, alone with nothing to distract himself from the pain, he'll just start crying again. So he returns to Kankuro's earlier question as he mechanically goes through the motions of stripping off his bloodied clothes and exchanging them for the welcome warmth of clean fabric.He's so used to the cheap, coarse material of his own clothes and the snug press of his leather coat that all the loose fabric feels strange to him. It fits well enough for the purpose, being both taller and more slender than Kankuro.]
She ain' jus' some li'l kid y'know. She's Suzaku... jus like me.[He lifts his left arm, pulling back the sleeve to display his forearm, not that the mark is showing now. But if Kankuro had actually watched the feed he'd have seen it, the symbol burning flame bright on his arm when that battle aura had flared around him.] She's Nuriko... but not the first. I knew her 'efore. When she weren't Ko Reishun but Chou Ryuuen. She's his reincarnation see...
[Kankuro takes the soaked, bloodied clothes, tossing them into a corner to deal with later. Come reset, he knows they'll be taken care of, and for right now, he doesn't care. The black seems oddly appropriate on Tasuki right now, as he's mourning Reishun; it gives him a sober, funereal look, and Kankuro's inner artist appreciates it. Once Tasuki's dressed, he tugs him to sit down on the bed and settles beside him, listening with obvious sober interest.]
His reincarnation...? [That interests him, obviously so; he's been raised to believe in reincarnation, but he's never actually had something like that happen, recognizing someone who's come back.]
Yeah... I guess... [He leans back, letting his head thump back against the wall, one leg pulled up so he can lean his arm on his knee. He stares at the ceiling for a long moment, trying to sort through what little of his future he knows due to Reishun's wish.]
She's from mah future... Remember me tellin' ya I remembered shit I shouldn'? Yeah, I remember her... Don' know how since 'm twenty when I meet her an sure as hell ain' tha old now. We were lookin' fer the reincarnations, me an 'Chiri. I guess... we're the only ones left in the end... I don' know how the rest of 'em die... jus Nuriko... He... right before I came here he... that idiot. [He trails off, squeezing his eyes shut again with a shaky breath. The similarities in their deaths were uncanny and the image of Rei looking so much like Nuriko in the snow like that dredged up everything he hadn't been able to think of since Nuriko's death. There'd been the mission, there'd been so much else that needed doing, dangers to be fought and a priestess to protect. Now though there was nothing to distract him from it.]
[Damn, that level of pain, it's so obvious, and Kankuro understands it. Understands what it feels like to have something hit you after the fact -- deaths happening when you can't take the time to really feel them, to really process, and then to have it all hit later, the realization that people close to you died. He rests a quiet hand on Tasuki's leg, just a little bit of contact, and in his eyes there's empathy and understanding. He's been there.]
He came back to you... and now you've lost her here. [And so soon after Tasuki remembered... Kankuro winces. That is pretty damn low.] At least she'll be back, being here.
[He starts to nod then pauses, lifting his head to stare at Kankuro. There are so many feelings inspired by that one statement. Half a dozen different emotions chase each other across his face before his expression finally settles on one of doubt, though there is fear in his eyes and a tiny fragile spark of hope that he tries so very hard to crush. He's seen people come back from the dead. Demon possessed spirits, blood-thirsty monsters seeking vengeance on humanity for the crime of living. One of his own companions, forced to slay the woman he loved years after arriving a moment too late to save her life, forced to endure the knowledge that she had fed upon the souls of dozens of innocent girls while he had been unable to summon the strength to kill her.
Only now, the immediate shock of Rei's death having faded, did he recall Gaara saying something similar. His hand shifts to settle over Kankuro's, squeezing perhaps a little harder than might be comfortable in his desperation. Sweet Suzaku if he meant anything near what Tasuki thought he did... The very idea made him ill. Could he really be as strong as Mitsukake? If Reishun came back as one of those creatures... could he really look into that sweet face of hers and... He couldn't even finish the thought, tears welling in his eyes again. His voice is strained, the words forced out through clenched teeth.]
Wha d'ya mean...back?
[Kankuro's seen people come back from the dead, too -- but just once. Gaara, whom he'd failed to save, revived by the sacrifice of Chiyo, the great puppet mistress of Suna. A life for a life. He doesn't think it's the way the Consortium's doing things, though. Not unless they've got a lot of spare people to kill. He looks down at Tasuki's hand on his, the tight grip, and shifts his hand a little, trying to get that grip to loosen. He's protective of his hands.]
It's in the info, didn't we go over that?
[And he pauses, thinking. Oh, right. They were reading the info, but then there'd been the mistletoe, and he'd gotten rather distracted, and...]
I guess not. But anyway... this place, death isn't permanent. Someone gets taken out... they're gone for a while, it varies, and then they come back alive and mostly fixed up. Gods only know how the Consortium does it.
[He looks at Tasuki seriously, laying his other hand on top of the bandit's and squeezing gently.]
You'll get her back, Tasuki. She'll be all right.
[If anything shifting only makes his grip tighten more but at those words he relaxes. He collapses back against the wall, head thumping sharply against the wall but he doesn't seem to notice. He just sits there slumped against the wall for a long moment before his shoulders start to shake a little. There are tears on his face again but it almost sounds as if he were laughing, small choking sobs catching between breathy laughter. He shakes his head, unable to stop himself from laughing harder, a desperate kind of relieved laughter that teeters so close to crying it's all he can do not to break down into sobs again.]
... thank the gods...
[Kankuro listens to him quietly, half-expecting the laughter to turn to sobs; he's alert for it, listening for that subtle shift, and thinking deeply. His first impression of Reishun, weeks ago, really wasn't all that great, but she's obviously so deeply important to Tasuki... Might not hurt to try again.]
Not sure how long it'll be, but... she'll be back, and she'll be just fine. [His voice has a gentle note to it, not enough to be cloying, but just enough to comfort.]
((OOC: Holy crap this took waaaaay too long...>>; excuse the extreme backdated-ness of this wow))