[Open]

[note_atem]

Who: Atem and Open
What: Getting back in the swing of things\ around the mall all day
When: All day today
Where: Salkia Island Mall/ various stores and places
Warnings: I don't think any, guess it depends on who shows up

Comments

[loving_kitten]

He sighed as he sat at one of the benches outside the food court drinking a slushie. It was his lunch break and as per usual he was only eating soft foods since he had no desire to chew. Yuiko used to tease him about being an old man simply because he didn't want to bother chewing things. But Yuiko wasn't here

[note_atem]

It wasn't exactly hard to pick out the kid. Whether it was because the food court was slightly barren or because Ritsuka was the only one around that had cat ears.. he just sort of stuck out like a sore thumb. But he didn't seem interested in interaction.

He had seemed that way for a while, actually. It wasn't his job to fix it, or so Kaiba might say. It might have been that thought or some other relations to Rituska's withdrawn nature that had him standing still when the other got up.

"Are you alright?" What a poignant question to start with. Not even a hello.

[loving_kitten]

He winced as Atem spoke to him. He didn't want Atem to care. He didn't want any of them to care and he didn't want to care in return. He didn't want to get close to anyone anymore. Getting close only led to raised hopes. What few were remained certainly didn't remain in contact with him. It was better that we he told himself. Usagi didn't need his cynicism bringing her down, Kaiba seemed to do that well enough.

And Atem certainly didn't need him either.

He wondered if this is what Soubi felt like, wanting to be needed.

"I'm fine," he responded. The answer a litany in public and private. It took him a moment before he could construct that fake smile. "I'm fine Atem-san."

He needed to leave. Atem had a very annoying habit of seeing through his lies and he just didn't have the energy to keep lying at the moment.

[note_atem]

"Are you trying to get me to believe that? Or just you?" He wondered aloud, a slight head tilt as he kept his focused gaze on the other. Ritsuka was not fine. And he could keep saying it all he wanted but in the end Atem knew better.

He raised his arms to cross over his chest, his stance not overly defensive, just calm. Still, he couldn't really just force Ritsuka to admit he wasn't okay, or say that he was lying or talk about what was bothering him. They'd have a very few rare talks about what would bother the kid before. Atem remembered them, but it wasn't really okay to just bring them up- especially in public.

[loving_kitten]

He visibly tensed. His tail swished, frizzing lightly and his ears bent back in caution. His fingers started to curl up and he forced them to straighten. Damn. This is what he didn't want. He didn't want to talk to someone who could see past everything like this. Atem was supposed to be like every adult and everyone else that just said "oh alright, have a nice day." His fingers finally curled up and he closed his eyes.

Just keep walking, he told himself. Keep going because Atem will know if you stay. If you so much as speak he will know. You can't...

"I'm not trying to convince anyone, it's simply truth," he lied. He wasn't even sure what the truth was for him anymore. He couldn't even remember speaking it.

"You shouldn't worry so much about me," he needed to think of something and then he remembered something. He slid the fake smile back into place. "You'll worry everyone again."

[note_atem]

A statement like that had him gazing at Ritsuka with a more critical eye. Perhaps a slight arch of his eyebrow. He really couldn't believe the younger was insinuating such a thing. But he smiled lightly nonetheless. A real smile, too.

"I can worry about whomever I please. And if it causes me to take a bit of trouble onto my shoulders it doesn't really bother me. Otherwise I would have stopped by now, don't you think?" People he cared about were first priority. His own sanity and mental or physical health mattered much less.

[loving_kitten]

"Well there's nothing to worry about here," the lie continued. "So you're wasting your time and giving yourself trouble for no reason."

[note_atem]

"It's too bad that you think that." His stance dropped slightly, shoulders relaxing as he worked a few steps in towards approaching the other closer. "I don't necessarily believe that it's true, but I'm willing to bet you'll keep on saying it to make me go away."

He stopped within a good few feet. Enough for that personal bubble of safety to remain intact. He certainly wasn't trying to threaten the other. "But the thing is is that I don't believe you and I'm not going away. I'll worry about it whether you want me to or not. The easiest way to get passed that is to start telling the truth." Didn't Ritsuka want someone to talk to? He could understand putting distance between himself and others, he got that much. But in a place like that it was too much. Especially where there were people that cared around.

[loving_kitten]

Even if Atem was still a few feet away, it was still too close for Ritsuka. He tensed up and winced as he took a step back. Not scared just wary and on-guard. Atem was too perceptive just over the LP, if Ritsuka let him get too close there was no telling what the other would see.

"There is no truth."

[note_atem]

With that step back from Ritsuka he took one of his own. The last thing he needed was for Ritsuka to run off or... for him to somehow make this worse. But he couldn't make the boy do anything. That didn't mean he had to give up, though.

"Well there are lies. So maybe if we get rid of those first we might get somewhere."

[loving_kitten]

He unwound only a little when Atem took a step back. But it was a start.

"And where do you want to go?"

[note_atem]

A more serious look, he was hoping to convey something important here.

"Wherever it is that helps you."

[loving_kitten]

"Why... why do you want to help me? Don't!" he said suddenly shaking his head. "Don't say because we're friends or because you think I need it. Why do you want to help me?"

[note_atem]

Atem was taken slightly back by the sudden outburst. The limiting of his choices really didn't help either. But he realized that those must have been the most common things that Ritsuka had heard.

But without that, what was there? It was good that Ritsuka was suddenly acknowledging these things, getting that far was doing pretty well. He couldn't just let go of it now.

"I don't want to see you like this."

[loving_kitten]

"Why? Why do you care if I'm like this?"

[note_atem]

"Because I care about you. Isn't that much obvious?" Why would he even be there talking to the kid if he hadn't? He'd have marked him off as much as Larxene or Preston if he honestly didn't care. He could have walked away, but no. There he was.