Open Event !! Ball

[absolute_npc]

Who: Open! (so all of you should come right now)
What: Ball Event~!
Where: Ask me later, just pretend you know. It's a really nice hall somewhere.
When: This evening, January 17th :)

Comments

[omoidezukuri]

Ritsuka could not stand having his actions manipulated by another person. And yet here he was, falling prey to Kadaj's influence even as he struggled to resist the fear, and the desperation, and the self-loathing his murderer inspired. Ritsuka was caught between wanting to hide, to avoid the ball entirely, and needing to attend, to protect anyone else from Kadaj's plans, whatever they may have been. He had no control over either option. Ritsuka wanted so desperately to make his mother happy again, to bring the real Ritsuka back to her - maybe in death, there was a higher chance of the real Ritsuka taking control of his body again. But Ritsuka was selfish, horribly selfish, and the terror he felt for his own preservation choked the kindness he felt for his mother. He really was a terrible son.

But the thought of hiding, of letting Kadaj do whatever he wished, of not protecting the people he'd met, the people who made living life as it was now worthwhile... that made him feel sick to his stomach. He couldn't put himself above the needs of his friends, of all the people who helped him and cared for him in this horrible, precious city. They all had homes to return to too. They all had friends and family and people who needed them. Ritsuka's sacrifice would be small in comparison to what their deaths would mean. Besides... what if it were Yuiko in place of Kairi? What would Ritsuka have done? What would he have wanted others to do?

Ritsuka squeezed Soubi's hand tighter and took a few tentative steps into the ballroom.

[revivingruin]

From somewhere else in the place, Kadaj smiled as Ritsuka walked in. There was someone he recognized a little too well. "Idiot. You should have stayed home." Keeping his eyes on him, he began walking toward the couple, trying to stay on the sidelines. He wanted to surprise one of his favorite victims, and it just wouldn't be fun if Ritsuka spotted him and ran away.

He guessed that whoever the other man was, was the same annoying one who thought he could protect the little brat. He didn't look like much. Unless he had some powers hidden away on Brother's scale, Kadaj wasn't even going to bother with being cautious.

Kadaj didn't really hate Ritsuka. No more than any human, anyway. He hadn't gotten over what had happened though, and was going to take it out on one of the easiest targets.

Keep making their lives hell, for as long as he could. It was something to do.

If he got really lucky, if he was careful enough, he could have them all die.

"I see you came after all." His voice no more than a low purr, he stopped, staring right at Ritsuka and pretending the other man didn't exist.

[marredcanvas]

It wasn't his place to have an opinion on matters like these -- when Ritsuka had wanted to come to the ball, Soubi had supported him; when Ritsuka had changed his mind, Soubi had gone along with it; when it was decided that they would go after all, Soubi hadn't asked why.

But a part of him had been happy just the same. Not for himself -- he would have been just as content to stay home once again and have the boy all to himself -- but for Ritsuka. Because these friends that he seemed to make so easily -- Kairi here, Yuiko back home -- made him light up in a way that Soubi couldn't. And even if he didn't like being second rate, he loved seeing that happiness in Ritsuka -- so bashful, so young, so cute beyond anything else.

Feeling Ritsuka's hand tighten around his, Soubi looked down at him and offered an optimistic smile, one that was well-practiced enough not to betray the stony determination he felt inside. That hand was squeezing his out of anxiety; Ritsuka wasn't walking into the ballroom thinking about having a good time with his friends, he was fearing for their safety, for his own.

And why shouldn't he, when Soubi had failed him before?

But he wouldn't fail him again. He would protect him, because he had promised him, and he had promised Seimei again, and it didn't matter if Seimei wasn't here to see now, it never mattered, because an order to Seimei would always be absolute, and to fail it twice would make Soubi a broken tool fully worthy of being discarded -- and that was something he would never be able to live with.

He recognized that quiet voice the moment he heard it -- the same sound had followed Ritsuka's weakened cries for help the day he had died, and that was something that still replayed in Soubi's mind even now. He would never forget it or forgive it.

Now his fingers clenched tighter around Ritsuka's in return, but he wouldn't show any weakness. He stood tall and cool, eyes fixing on his previously unseen enemy with a piercing gaze.

"And you won't touch him."

[revivingruin]

"The last thing I want to do is lay a hand on something as disgusting as him," he retorted, left hand twitching into a fist. Truth was, Kadaj didn't really care whether or not he touched either of them. Sickening it may be, more than anything he wanted to wipe that stupid, fake calm off of Soubi's face and leave Ritsuka's corpse there as a consolation.

The remnant took a few steps back, his face shaded by silver strands of hair, carelessly left down as always. "Still, now that you mention it..." His voice lingered pleasantly. Just like that, his face switched moods, from shamelessly angry to happy about something, friendly almost.

"He is rather cute. For a human, that is." He glanced up at the stupid man, whose face reminded him of stupid Brother's, taunting him. He reached his hand out toward Ritsuka, nearing those ears that made him such a freak. Kadaj didn't mean a word. The boy was too puny in his eyes. He had no idea why humans saw such pathetic things as attractive, or felt the need to protect them. Hurting them made so much more sense. Less obstacles in the way of your own survival. It was obvious he was baiting Soubi. Seeing how much it took to made him snap, so that he would have an excuse and he could get rid of them both right then and there.

[marredcanvas]

No.

The words were nothing, but to touch him, again, for the one person remaining in this city who had no right to get that close -- that wouldn't happen.

Soubi knew he was being intentionally provoked, but it changed nothing; this man was not going to lay a finger on Ritsuka, not on that symbol of his innocence. Without missing a beat, his strong hand instinctively reached out and grasped Kadaj's wrist, long fingers gripping firmly.

"Let's not do this."

[revivingruin]

Just the feeling of some human hand, that asshole's hand made Kadaj's blood run cold, draining the color from his face. How dare he. How dare he. He didn't register one word that was spoken by Soubi. Instead he was focused on his own rage. No human ever touched him.

Ever.

Self-control was currently a foreign, or ignored, concept to the remnant. He wasn't going to bother with playing nice. "Let go of me." Hissed words, he rather quickly used all his strength to try and twist the man's arm around, hoping to yank it out of its stupid socket and see that calm face in pain. What was the worst that could happen? He would be kicked out.

Fine. He never liked parties.

[omoidezukuri]

Ritsuka jerked backwards, one small hand clenched over his heart, his ears flattened against his head. He would not let Kadaj intimidate him, though he wryly admitted to himself that it was only Soubi's presence that gave him any strength. But a quick glance around the room told Ritsuka all he needed to know about the reality of their situation. There was no way they could start a fight here. There were too many people, innocent people, who only wanted to have a good time after so much suffering. If Kadaj chose to threaten his own safety that was one thing, but a fight in such close quarters was bound to create casualties. The only reason Ritsuka had attended was to keep Kadaj from shifting his violence to others.

"Soubi!" Ritsuka gave Soubi an imploring look, desperate to be understood. "We can't. Not here."

[marredcanvas]

It hurt, the violent twisting of his arm, and his muscles tensed; but Soubi had been well-trained in dealing with pain, and he wouldn't give the satisfaction of showing too much of it now, wouldn't draw any more attention to what should have been a private struggle. He closed his eyes for only a second, letting out a steady, careful breath --

And Ritsuka's voice came to him, and he turned his head ever so slightly to look down at him, into the desperately pleading eyes that he couldn't stand to refuse. He gave a small nod in response before turning back.

"Later," he said, each syllable spoken carefully as he echoed Ritsuka's sentiment. "This isn't the appropriate place."