[015 - Soubi Agatsuma - video]

[wants_ur_ears]

[For what it's worth, Soubi has managed to find some suitable attire, even if he is still looking a tad winded. His week-long coma has left him looking rather exhausted, lids heavy with dark circles beneath.

And he does not look pleased (like that's anything new).]

So it's down to Ritsuka and myself. [He tugs his glasses off and pinches the

Comments

[no_no_badtouch]

Where are you?

[He's totally not raiding the general store already. And no Soubi, he's NOT getting you cigarettes.]

Re: [action]

[no_no_badtouch]

It's not like you could have stopped it.

[Ritsuka is clearly colder then normal. Emotionally that is. He's not trying to be, it's just his own defenses.]

[action]

[wants_ur_ears]

I don't care. I shouldn't have left you alone. Especially not with Youji...

[Soubi trails off. He can't talk anymore, and he closes his eyes to hide the pain that's all too apparent. Because it does hurt, and he doesn't feel he has to hide that in front of Ritsuka. He felt almost as responsible for Natsuo and Youji as he does for Ritsuka. But now...

Now they're gone. And Soubi can't help the unmistakable fear that Ritsuka is next.]

Forgive me. [He's begging, clearly, in a hushed whisper.]

Re: [action]

[no_no_badtouch]

[The boy looks away and his voice is disturbingly direct about what he's about to say.]

They always kill the quiet ones.

[He'd noticed the trend before. He should have known that Youji would go soon. Natsuo, Aerith, Youji. They were all quiet before they were killed.]

And you didn't do anything wrong.

[action]

[wants_ur_ears]

[Soubi stared up at the boy, frowning deeply. He wanted to hold the boy. Doing so in public was almost certainly out of the question. If nothing else, Ritsuka would positively frown upon it, and Soubi couldn't have him getting angry with him already. Not when he'd only just returned.

Instead, he gently squeezed Ritsuka's hands, then stood again. If the boy needed his time, then he needed his time. Soubi wasn't going to push him to talk.]

...what supplies should I gather?

Re: [action]

[no_no_badtouch]

[The boy didn't even acknowledge that Soubi had taken his hand, but his fingers still curled around it anyway. He didn't want Soubi to be gone like everyone else. He wasn't sure he'd stay sane if he died too.]

Anything that seems helpful.

[action]

[wants_ur_ears]

[Soubi remained beside Ritsuka as the boy trolled the aisles, picking out things here and there, things that he'd been wishing he had over the past few months in the facility. Lighters, cigarettes, a French press, coffee, cigarettes, paint, brushes, cigarettes.

They would be taking back an entire bag solely filled with cigarettes at this rate.]

Dry food. We should take some of that back too, if we can find some grocery stores. It's getting hard to stomach those meal bars.

Re: [action]

[no_no_badtouch]

[The boy nodded as he pulled out another pack of cigarettes and put them back. He really didn't want Soubi keeling over of throat cancer while they were there.]

I have a bag with some in the mine.

[Still, they could always use more.]

[action]

[wants_ur_ears]

We'll have to sleep with these every night. [Soubi noted with a hint of amusement. He didn't notice Ritsuka replacing one of the cartons on the shelf. He'd found a rice cooker, lone and rusting, at the back of a shelf and was contemplating the logistics of trying to fit that into a bag with essentials.]

Otherwise, we can't make sure they'll come back with us.

Re: [action]

[no_no_badtouch]

Yeah.

[He pulled out another pack and put it back on the shelf.]

Yesterday I used the bag as a pillow.

[action]

[wants_ur_ears]

Do you think this is all there is to this place?

[Soubi was trying not to sound ominous. Really, he was trying. But it was difficult when down in the pit of his stomach, he still felt the Facility was trying to kill them at every opportunity. Their last F3 trip had been quite a lot to handle, even without the experiments that started partway through.

This seemed too tame. The adjustment period would have to end soon.]

Re: [action]

[no_no_badtouch]

No.

[Another box out and placed back on the shelf.]

There's probably going to be something bad next week. Or the end of the week.

[action]

[wants_ur_ears]

[Way to sugar-coat it, Ritsuka. Soubi's brow lifts, glancing over at Ritsuka just in time to catch him replacing the cigarette cartons.

...that's not nice. But Soubi isn't going to disobey orders just now, even unspoken ones. Ritsuka seems to be going through enough without adding that on top of it all.]

I'll protect you.

Re: [action]

[no_no_badtouch]

I know.

[He squeezes Soubi's hand tightly.]

Don't get killed doing it though.

[He pauses, looking up at Soubi with a heavy frown.]

Don't you dare die again unless you have to.

[action]

[wants_ur_ears]

[Soubi laces his fingers together with Ritsuka's. The boy seems to have retained something valuable from a few weeks prior, and that's more of a relief than Soubi really has the capacity to express at the moment. Instead, he tugs Ritsuka down one of the darker aisles in the corner of the store, and bends to press a soft kiss to the boy's lips.]

I'll do anything to keep you safe. Please remember that. [He murmurs as he stand straight again, looking for all the world like nothing had even happened.]

Re: [action]

[no_no_badtouch]

[Ritsuka frowned at his comment. Soubi never learned. He never realized that his death was something that would hurt Ritsuka. It was stupid, Soubi was stupid for not thinking about it, but he doesn't say anything. Trying to explain the same thing over and over to Soubi is pointless in the end. The older man is too stubborn to learn from what he's saying.

Instead he just starts down the next aisle and doesn't say anything. Tugging Soubi along as he goes.]