Day 44: Sun Room, Second Shift

[superdynamic]

[from here]He really had beat the rush. Suzaku found a chair as close to the corner and as far from the bulletin as he could, and turned it to face the wall before curling up in it. His nurse frowned at him again, but she was still being cooperative, and frankly he didn't care what she had to say in the slightest. He didn't care even if he got

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[purpletaint]

Murmurs inside and outside his mind. Random tidbits of information in vague form, ceasing any semblance of explanation. Pieces of an unknown puzzle. Albedo didn't even know the box.

"You brought it on yourself!"
"He didn't mean it. Forgive him."
"Nothing. I just pulled something."
"You're not hurt, are you?"
"You don't have to tag along."
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry."
"It was interesting so I listened. Very carefully."
{Let him pass his test.}
"You idiot! I told you to get back!"
"Just don't miss."
"He wouldn't be acting strangely unless something was up."
"Did you guys... hear that?"
"Don't do this to me again!"

Don't.

Albedo blinked sluggishly, knowledge swirling in front of him that he couldn't yet grasp. His own voice played at his ears, and he echoed the words said without knowing the context. "Did you really think, that this would turn out well?" What had went on in that span of time? What forgotten memories were buried in this moment?

Murmurings continued, and then there were outside voices as well as inner. "...What's wrong?" Albedo's head moved, shifted from his position towards the familiar tones, not yet recalling the impressions that accompanied the sound. He stumbled to his feet, a tingling sensation swirling down his legs, and walked the few feet to the other couch nearby. Once there, he all but collapsed into it, startlingly close to the owner of the voice. Albedo didn't seem to realize, eyes dull and glazed, as he continued to work through the bits and pieces of the night before. Now next to something familiar, the process seemed a bit less taxing.

[rocksthecourt]

If Klavier were one to collapse in relief, he probably would have done so right then and there. The only thing he allowed himself was a quiet exhale. It looked like Kristoph hadn't heard anything after all. Thank goodness. But the fact that he was actually so paranoid that he was perceiving his brother's intentions incorrectly spoke volumes of his guilt on the matter. If he were actually thinking things through completely and doing things the way he should have, there wouldn't be a need to be nervous or second guess himself at all.

He quickly jumped on the question, figuring it would be be better to focus on that than what anxiety was still lingering in his system. "Ah. Yes. Of course. He was that famous prosecutor who was executed almost ten years ago, right? The one rumored to build perfect cases."

He only really knew the general details of his last case along with the series of rumors that always followed him, but he certainly knew enough to recognize the name immediately. But that subject was... certainly not something someone just brought up randomly anymore. He had to wonder what kind of point Kristoph had in bringing it up.

He'd barely completely his answer when a shape in his peripheral moved past them both and settled itself on the couch right next to them, nearly brushing against Klavier in the process. He glanced down, momentarily distracted from the conversation, and froze. For a few moments, it was as though Kristoph didn't even exist. Albedo.

Klavier was an idiot. Of course he should have recognized the high likelihood of the boy lurking around the Sun Room. That was an oversight on his part. Although he was willing to deal with the child again when it came down to it, having Albedo in the same room... no, in the same breathing space as his brother was enough to put Klavier on edge. And so, he regarded him with a quiet, wary look immediately.

But he wasn't doing anything. He wasn't saying anything. He wasn't even really looking at them. ...What was this kid playing at now? There was no way Albedo had come over here and sat by them without wanting something. It almost looked like the boy had gone out of his way to come over here to pointedly ignore them. Klavier shifted a glance to Kristoph, moving only his eyes between the child and his brother. He wanted to casually suggest that they move, but he wasn't sure how Albedo would react to that. However, he also had no idea how Albedo would react should they ignore him and continue like he wasn't there. Faced with two unknowns, the option that put the most distance between Albedo and Kristoph seemed better.

Another pointed look at Albedo, then Klavier shifted the look thrown in his brother's direction; a stern look that should have communicated this desire to move without words.

[dasgift]

It proved most difficult to resist a laugh at his brother's expense, but resist Kristoph did. Their conversation was a tad bit more important than poking fun and causing emotional trauma. "Good recall," he murmured, satisfaction crossing his features. "He is apparently here in Landel's, alive and well." Okay. Well-preserved, maybe. "I seem to have spoken to him twice without knowledge, but today, he offered a name."

And Kristoph had no reason to disbelieve him.

"Furthermore, you remember--" There was an abrupt pause as the man caught the target of Klavier's attention, which happened to somewhere other than him. He followed the younger man's line of sight, until finally resting on a small body close by. Aside from the creature's white hair, he didn't appear very interesting, which was why Klavier's reaction became so curious. Kristoph crossed his arms, waiting in silence until attention returned to him.

And immediately ignored the look in favor of pointed comments. "Have you been attracting little boys, Klavier?" He swept his head from side to side, amusement written in the act. "I would think they were beyond your music's demographics."

[purpletaint]

What was the last thing that had happened? That was simple enough, no? Not... quite. At least as much as he'd like. The last actual clear image was a girl he knew well--a doll, more--with a kind of desperation in her eyes. A different flavor, maybe, but he knew the taste well. And after that, he had....

A voice again caught his attention, but the owner wasn't familiar. The name spoken, however, shifted a small piece of missing information into place. Klavier. Albedo tilted his head, attention finally on the man next to him; eying him blankly, and somehow focused. Yes, he remembered Klavier, at least. The man had been amusing, fun, and then Klavier had went mad. What a waste. There should have been an undercurrent of anger at his presence but it was missing, along with everything else. Albedo remembered their game, the surrender, and then over-reaction. Nothing sparked anything other than this out of place familiarity, and he didn't care enough to look into it.

"Not music," he answered the other with a slur on the last syllable, still watching Klavier. "Games." Albedo blinked once, but other than feeling slightly more himself, the glaze was still present in his eyes. "You gave up. I was disappointed."

[rocksthecourt]

...Why was it Kristoph always chose the weirdest times to joke around? Now honestly wasn't the time to poke at 80s glam rock stereotypes. Sigh.

Though this bit about von Karma's presence seemed to have fallen to the wayside with Albedo's presence, Klavier did well to mentally note that. Edgeworth had claimed the same thing, but considering it was, well, Edgeworth, he wasn't quite sure how seriously he should take the accusation. With Kristoph making the same claim, however, it was basically confirmed as fact: Herr von Karma was both alive and here. He would have to consider this fact more thoroughly later when there wasn't a self-mutilating, deranged child sitting nearby.

Albedo answered Kristoph before Klavier had had the chance to, and for a moment, he wasn't sure what to make of the response. Albedo seemed a good deal subdued compared to the wide-eyed, smirking figure he remembered from yesterday. In fact, this seemed like a less melancholy version of the act he'd been putting on when Klavier first spoke to him. He had to wonder why the child would even bother. It could have been he was doing it purposely because there was someone new here, or maybe it wasn't anything he realized he was doing' He'd supposedly gone mad, yes? How was Klavier to know what was an act and what was madness?

But worse yet was the fact that he had mentioned that game, which wouldn't have been a problem had Kristoph not been there. The last thing he wanted was for there to be any revelations regarding how he'd behaved... or what he'd told the boy. Klavier was in a very precarious situation suddenly. Responding to that might have pushed Kristoph's curiosity as to what they were talking about, and ignoring him completely might cause ill feelings and anger (or a repetition).

"...I prefer music to games, actually," he responded as nonchalantly as possible, sidestepping the subject. The way he spoke made it seem he was trying to respond quickly to brush the interruption aside and get back to the main conversation with his brother. "It's probably more therapeutic than the other activities they offer. And it's good to learn an instrument."

[dasgift]

Games? Which his little brother gave up on, if this stranger's words held any weight. Suddenly, the interest in supposedly dead prosecutors and their implications slipped to the back burner as Kristoph turned to regard this new development. Why on earth would Klavier play games with a child, give up on said games, looks so obviously distressed at his presence, and make such an obvious attempt at switching the subject?

Kristoph was, first and foremost, a man of opportunities. And this was an opportunity worth entertaining.

"Why did he do that?" the attorney questioned, completely ignoring any statements uttered by his brother in favor of digging information from the boy.

[purpletaint]

And Klavier had started lying now. No, perhaps not lying, but simply shifting the subject. Why? Was it the person he was with? Albedo dragged his gaze to the man, abstractly noting that they had similar hair. Related? Maybe. Brothers?--

--Oh. Right. Klavier did have a brother. Albedo drew a hand to his face, pressing against his eyes in an attempt to regain some mental acuity. The man spoke and Albedo watched from between his fingers, eyes clearly slightly as he spoke. There was no reason not to answer truthfully. No reason not to state the reasons why. He maintained a pleasant expression as he spoke, hand trailing down to rest at his side. He hadn't seen fit to shift away from the closeness of Klavier. "Because he was scared, I assume. Looking back at least. His anger was unbecoming and he refused to play with me anymore after I heightened our play."

The boy blinked once, something shifting to the forefront in memory. Albedo didn't look to Klavier, but his expression grew unreadable as he took in the man in front of him again. "Are you the brother that Klavier abandoned?" Because if so, oh, they had some things in common.

[rocksthecourt]

Klavier froze completely. For a moment, he was sure his heart actually stopped along with the rest of him. That... didn't just happen. No. None of this was happening. Albedo hadn't just blurted all of that out so carelessly to his brother. Klavier was still sedated and lying in a catatonic state in his room and was imagining all of this. He had to have been.

Exposing that Klavier had actually been frightened and had blown into a burst of anger was bad enough. Men of their calibur have enough self control to keep their emotions in check and to do otherwise was embarrassing. But revealing what he'd said about Kristoph?! Telling him that he was still so completely overridden with guilt even now? Admitting that despite everything... Klavier couldn't and wouldn't do anything to help?

The apprehension he'd felt before was absolutely nothing in comparison to that very moment. Any and all composure fell to the wayside, and Klavier almost looked like a child waiting for some kind of imminent beating. He felt like he was going to be sick. There was no way in hell he could possibly stomach looking at his brother head on, so he simply stared at Albedo, openly flabberghasted. His mouth opened as though to say something, but no words came out. He tried again. "Ah... N-... He..."

[dasgift]

Only a few things could make Kristoph pause. That statement happened to be at the top tier. Not only had his brother potentially discussed a forbidden topic with a child, but he had the audacity to be sentimental over it. With a child. Short, snotty little brats lacking inhibitions as was just delightfully demonstrated. The man pressed a hand to his glasses as if to adjust them, the glint of glass hiding the acidic glare beneath.

Well. He had considered playing nice. Now there was no excuse. "Abandoned?" Kristoph echoed, pleasantries returning in the form of kind eyes and a wide smile. "You cannot abandon the Devil, child."

The title came as a jest as well as a reference, of which neither would get. And that was preferable. After all, inside jokes were the best sort, and Kristoph loved nothing more than the best.

[purpletaint]

At this, Albedo blinked, and his full attentions shifted to the yet unnamed man. The word had been spoken like a name, weighty and full. Of all the remarks he had been expecting, this had not been one of them. Albedo's eyes rolled to Klavier, considering, then returned to the man in front of him. Then Albedo smiled in full, a duplicate of what was given to him, grin wide and eyes almost shining.

After all, Albedo's subconscious was fond of distractions, even ones who--perchance--slid too close to home. "So you're his shadow," Albedo mused, his tones completely shifted from the child's voice he had worn the minute before. "Have you shown him darkness, or simply haunted?"

The words lacked common form, but it fell to Albedo's logic just the same. A Dark Half, dark to the light, something to trail in footsteps and carefully watch over... Something to guide in a way. A small part of him shifted at the knowledge that this man did not consider himself abandoned, but even Albedo did not know what indeed had changed within. His expression stagnated, the smile that seemed out of place slid into a line, eyebrows raised fractionally in a question. It was possible this was just a human having fun, but all the same....

[rocksthecourt]

Klavier had been so terried of Kristoph's response to this for a number of reasons, main of which being that it would reveal how Kristoph really felt about certain things including the younger brother. But again, he was caught off guard by the unexpected.

All apprehension swiftly dropped and Klavier whipped his head to look at his brother in both surprise and slight anger. He did not just refer to himself in that manner. He wasn't pulling this I'm-Just-A-Bad-Person thing out again. They were not discussing this... with someone other than just the two of them, at that.

When Albedo opened his mouth, Klavier turned his attention and irritation toward him. The man who looked like he might just shatter apart only a minute ago was gone. He was stern and resolved, something verging between defensive and angry beneath the surface. "He is not my shadow. Don't jump to stupid conclusions."

[dasgift]

The creepy child motif was charming, in the "sucking of one's soul" sort of way. Of course, Kristoph maintained none of this humanity dribble and thus, had no soul to affect. He continued watching the boy, unnatural amusement dancing in his eyes. The posed question was ignored.

Eventually, Kristoph turned to the previously disregarded brother and, after noting the shift in expression, chuckled. "Lovely thing, this one," he stated. "Do not become so attached. We can't keep him." The words came with a warning. Of what, only Klavier understood for certain.