[OPEN]

[alphaspider]

Characters: Kuroro, OPEN
Location: Jailcell
Rating: Gen...?
Time: January 4, Morning to January 10, Evening.
Description: Kuroro's confined in prison for misbehavior. You can visit him, whether he likes it or not.

Comments

[alphaspider]

"It also says a lot of things that don't apply to us," he continued, tossing the notebook lightly back on the cot as he slowly pushed himself to his feet, padding over to the celldoor to pluck the newspapers from the pile. Kuroro wasn't hungry yet, but he'd probably need the food before the next morning. He wasn't looking at the headlines, though, and instead peered at Kurapika with a mild look of curiosity on his face. "Either we've been terrible with self-awareness or we're an oddity out of all these rules. Did you ask Stein if these rules are ironclad? No, that's not right, they wouldn't be -- humanity is practically defined by how different an individual is from another, and in the matter of souls, I find it impossible that a set of rule would apply to the exclusion of others. This must be the general, then, and as expected, we're a cut above the rest."

And then Kuroro looked at the newspapers in his hands, and cocked his head to the side. "All that work for nothing in Liechtenstein," he commented flatly, expression clouding over and closing off. He'd been a little attached to that small country, out of sentimentalism.

[ih8spiders]

The sudden barrage of questions and observations was dizzying, almost difficult to follow because Kuroro had been taciturn for the past week. But the fact that he was feeling more loquacious now surely meant that he was at least starting to think again. Was Kurapika's dogged visiting having an effect, after all?

"We managed to get most of the citizens to evacuate, didn't we? Those who insisted on staying behind knew the risks." He did not like Kuroro's closed off and troubled face, he realized. It made his black eyes even more impenetrable, his posture impossible to read. In this state he couldn't tell if the man was getting ready to retreat or strike. Maybe it was a bad idea to bring these particular newspapers, but he'd been hoping to stir his partner's interest in worldwide affairs, and he'd actually forgotten that Kuroro had admitted to being attached to Liechtenstein--or rather, he hadn't really considered that it might be a genuine, serious attachment.

[alphaspider]

It did mean that he was feeling better, or was moving out of his lethargy slowly -- restricted like this, a mind like Kuroro's couldn't help but be bored of boredom and attempt to function in order to get him out of this place. Kurapika's constant fussing brought up questions and nothing Kuroro could do would make thinking go away. He was still languid, though, but it was starting to look more and more like laziness instead of a sulk.

And then the cloud went away, moved off as Kuroro moved on to another related topic. He made a face at the satement -- perfectly logical but also flawed at the same time -- before turning around. Instead of moving back to the cot, however, he crossed his feet at the ankles and promptly lowered himself to a sitting position with his back to the bars of the cell. "I don't care about the people so much as the place itself, but I suppose what you said is true." Kuroro was rustling and rummaging through the contents of the newspaper in the next second.

[ih8spiders]

Kurapika blinked at the back Kuroro was presenting to him once again. Was this another dismissal? Somehow it didn't feel as clear as all the other times. If Kuroro had moved to his cot there wouldn't have been any question, but like this--was he supposed to leave, or was Kuroro expecting him to stay for a while longer?

Looking at the back of Kuroro's head reminded him of what had happened yesterday, that odd moment, like the memory of being struck by a thunderbolt. He hadn't known how to react then and he didn't know what he was supposed to think of it now. Return the favor, maybe? His hand was slipping through the bars before he could stop himself, fingers raking through dark hair and coming to rest on Kuroro's forehead, so that he would be forced to tilt his head back against the bars.

Kurapika made a face. Kuroro's hair was oily after two days of not showering. "You should take a bath." Even inmates were allowed to use the bathroom, surely?

[alphaspider]

Kuroro looked up at Kurapika upside down, the angle of his head baring his throat -- he'd be uncomfortable with it if there had been anyone else in the room. But he didn't seem to object to the action. If he trusted Kurapika enough to expose his back to the boy, it was reasonable to not mind something like this. Besides, it was kind of nice, after the practiced habit of holding himself away from everyone.

"I was waiting for my clothes," he answered, looking at Kurapika inquisitively, wondering if he was still angry. Couldn't be helped, and even if Kurapika was, Kuroro couldn't and wouldn't do anything about it (yet, until later).

[ih8spiders]

It didn't occur to Kurapika that he might be forcing Kuroro into doing something significantly uncharacteristic, and it was only in retrospect that he'd come to wonder why Kuroro had tolerated it. But in the meantime he had to deal with finding himself in the odd position of standing nearly pressed up against the bars, meeting Kuroro's eyes through them, and he realized that he wasn't so angry anymore. Maybe it would come again later after things have relaxed and he could safely work on his own feelings about China being gone and everything else (and not contributing to the count of depressed people around him), but for the moment he wanted to bask in the normalcy of hearing the older man responding like a not-dead person.

"Now you have your clothes," he said as he withdrew his hand.

[alphaspider]

"I do," he said agreeably, blinking up at the blond. "But you're here. I'll shower later." Kurapika only visited once a day, after all, or that was his observation so far. Besides, it was cold and he didn't feel like being chilled to the bone just yet. There was something about the sparse surroundings in prison that was both charming and irritating at the same time; it was a good thing he didn't make a habit out of it.

"Cloud visited earlier," he added. It was probably best not to tell Kurapika about the underwear and the handcuffs just yet.

[ih8spiders]

"Did he." Kurapika wasn't surprised. Kuroro was just the kind of detainee who tended to attract a steady stream of visitors, and Cloud was Cloud, not easily fazed by an awkward arrest. He had to wonder what Kuroro and Cloud talked about, though--if they really did talk, that is.

[alphaspider]

"He brought me a pair of handcuffs, since he'd been remiss in bringing one when they arrested me. Said I can use it next time I decide to get sent to prison," Kuroro elaborated, turning to look back at the newspaper now spread on his lap and skimming through the article titles.

[ih8spiders]

"... Handcuffs," Kurapika echoed after a bewildered pause. No, he didn't really get it. Cloud's humor was something he could never understand even on a good day. But it may have been quite the significant gift for Kuroro, if he were to suppose that the reason the man was a lot more animated now could be due in part to Cloud's visit earlier in the day.

"I would hope that there wouldn't be a next time."

[alphaspider]

"That's hardly about to happen for the same reason. China's gone, and the only other person I'd probably be upset about disappearing is you," he pointed out casually, changing the page of the newspaper and critically eyeing the obituary. Nothing due to kishin eggs. That was somewhat boring.

[ih8spiders]

This was about the point when the initial rush of recklessness began to ebb away and awkwardness started to creep back in, and Kurapika realized that their conversation was really, really strange and the kind that would have the voices at the back of his head go up in arms if he'd been just a bit more conscious of his position. He shifted in place, claimed the now-empty thermos, took a step back.

"You'd just have to make sure that I'd want to stay here until we're both done with the place, then." Not throw tantrums every so often and making him wish that he could just go home and forget about everything that had happened.

[alphaspider]

"It's not like you get a choice in the matter," Kuroro pointed out, amusement taking the edge off his words. He looked over his shoulder at Kurapika, blinking at him for a moment before going back to his newspaper. "But I suppose I'll have to do better, yes."

[ih8spiders]

"I think I do," was his quiet reply, given after a short pause. Kurapika knew his role here. It was the process of coming to accept it that was a bit harder to deal with. He turned to leave--there was nothing else he needed to say, except maybe one more thing--

"... And no, the rules for resonance aren't ironclad. Stein said that two very confident or driven souls can have a hard time connecting, and flare and break more easily than normal partnerships, but once they've overcome their differences, they usually make for the strongest partnerships possible."

[alphaspider]

"Sounds like us, don't you think?" Kuroro threw back. He had instinctively known that they'd make good partners before, and that feeling was still not gone now. There was something attractive about the kind of partnership that they have. It was certainly not boring.

[ih8spiders]

"Maybe." Yes, it did. It almost sounded like Stein had tailored his reply for them, the first time he heard it. Come to think of it, it could be why he'd resolved to visit Kuroro for every day of his detention instead of just leaving the man to rot. Justice due, justice served shouldn't include him bringing all these comfort foods and reading material, but his concern for his partnership (for his partner) had overwhelmed all notions of legal propriety.

But Kuroro didn't need to know about what he really thought of Stein's explanation. Kurapika slipped out after that last reply, without saying anything else.