Day 58: Arts & Crafts (Second Shift)

[scintillatingly]

It was impossible for Sora to not be in a good mood when Riku had come back (with his memories intact!). He could only imagine how Kairi was going to react when he found her, and that thought alone put a smile on his face as well. He realized that there were still some things they needed to iron out about their plans, but Riku was already on the

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[purpletaint]

From breakfast, he was nudged towards the room scheduled, and Albedo didn't have the care to properly deny it. His thoughts had settled on Ritsuka, and for that, despite his intentions, he seemed more human in his movements--thought proved over his features, and he frowned, wondering. There was something to consider in his interactions with the other boy, but he'd prefer not to touch on it, question his own methods. For he knew, as much as most, that once things were spoken, there was no way to undo the words. No way to take back a break caused

[she_is_ruin]

[from here. sorry, bro, big sis took some happy drugs that made her unhappy. ;__; you want crazy Yomi or not-crazy?]

Going through the motions of a shower, brushing her hair, putting on her uniform to the right specifications... these little bits of regular activities couldn't chip away at her sense of foreboding.

It was perched on her shoulder and she couldn't shake it. The fear of going back to that day. It was enough to make her want to cover her head and hide, the monster turned into a sniveling girl because of some guy's magic drugs. Except when she was the girl and she was the one running scared of a nebulous darkness in her mind, it wasn't funny enough to laugh at.

"Ne, it feels good, right? Using hatred as power."She felt slow and fatigued despite having done nothing to physically warrant it. But she knew why, somewhere. The wall had cracked a little bit again, like it had a number of times before thanks to the Institute, and knowing what could come spilling out petrified her more effectively than any adverse reaction

[purpletaint]

If he was to consider a presence knew to him, she may have been one that he thought of. She was one of the few that registered as one with any value, and he found himself half-fond of her without trying. There was something comforting in the familiar, and was she anything but familiar in the way he knew nothing of her? As she was prone to point out, he did not exist as humans quaintly did. And in the ways he knew her were the ways he needed to. There was space between them that neither were likely to cross, and still there existed an ease of motion, a simplicity fueled by complexity, and he could appreciate it given the chance. Given the choice, perhaps

[she_is_ruin]

If she imagined the end of her life like a roller coaster, that day had been the top of the rise, the peak she'd paused on before Mei and the plummet, Mitogawa and the thundering crash as he threw her off the rails. How exactly had she fallen in with another devious boy just like him? They both looked at her with appraising eyes, like now, from across the room. The first boy had disassembled her in order to put her back together in the way he wanted, and the second would probably do the same if given the chance

[purpletaint]

She reminded him of an animal, then. Skittish and likely enough to attack as flee, and while she remained still, he tried to consider the reasons for the lapse. Something had happened, to be sure, but it was nothing to do with him, despite the holding on the current situation. Whether that was true or a lie, he would move conversely. He watched her sit, then backed up, eyes tracing her, then pulled out a seat of his own and lowered himself into it.

Only then did his gaze slip, languidly slip over the table and to the other current residents of the room. "And what have you been up to?" he started quietly, without looking her way. "Have you found anything interesting since we've last met?"

[she_is_ruin]

The memories were fleeting problems. Minor symptoms (of a bigger disease) that would in all likelihood pass soon. Yomi thought if she could leash them, numb herself to them, it wouldn't matter if they made a recurrence while she sat there. They didn't own her. Facing Albedo was her own personal act of defiance--he could question her if he wanted but she'd dare anyone to assign signs of weakness to her and not the Institute's meddling. She was an incomplete being, there was no hiding that, but Tsuchimiya-dono had been wrong.

Clearly, since she had been the one to defeat him in the end.

Given that Albedo had already seen her when Yoshiko had taken over--fragility incarnate--what more was there to judge? He was just a child, anyway, more broken than her.

She was fine with the staring contest; she kept it up after he had finished his scrutiny, though this time she didn't let her expression flinch. She was watching, too, for the cracks. Maybe it would make her feel more justified if she found some.

Don't come back. Don't come back

[purpletaint]

He chanced a grin at her. "It has been a day," he gave. "And yesterday was long." She still seemed... quiet. But what was Albedo to judge against? Weeks worth of light companionship did not make of them bosom comrades, knowing each move in advance. To that thought, he shrugged lightly, leaning back in the chair. "I did. They work fine." The smile was clearer to that line. The spiders were not things Albedo would choose to massacre with his tools, but they were enough for that night. Enough and more, with the effects that the one had given to him for it. His eyes flicked to his forearm with a slight frown, though nothing remained but smooth skin

[she_is_ruin]

"Was it? I didn't notice." All days were long, injuries or no injuries. But at his assessment of his spoils, she smiled, showing dimples. "I'm sure they do."

Finding a way out, finding a way to Shishiou and unlocking the sesshouseki? Those were tasks a bit harder to complete, but as for making progress in gathering weapons, that was going a bit easier and their night in Doyleton had helped. Okita had helped improve her collection as well, and so yet might this unknown concoction business. Small favors.

When he looked at his arm, she did, too, before lifting a brow at his theory. So he had tried his luck the same as her.

"How can you be so sure?" she wondered. To be fair, the boy wasn't stupid--quite the opposite, far brighter than his age might suggest. Among many other things. But if there was evidence to support his opinion, Yomi hadn't seen it yet. She wasn't as convinced the drugs would do nothing--that wouldn't be as fun for the military, would it?--but arbitrary effects did sound about right

[purpletaint]

"How can I be so sure?" he echoed, eyes narrowing in something of a pleased expression. "Little to nothing but simple deduction. I traveled with another, and passed a few myself on my travels. As well, the board reeks of those who have tried it--and if one looks closely, it's possible to see differences where there were none

[she_is_ruin]

All fair observations, some of which she had made herself. But Albedo didn't actually know what drugs caused what reactions, or if they adapted to each guinea pig to create a unique effect. Well, of course, how could he or anyone else under the Institute's thumb? No point being disappointed. All of the most important explanations remained outside of the prisoners' reach.

But it was smart, his breaking down of everything into scientific objectification. She wanted... She almost wished she could do the same. Feel less strongly about her own personal "reaction" to the injection and classify it like the game it was. Just... feel... less. As detached as her outward visage could be, it was different on the inside, where she was privy to her own anxiety and--horror?

He only gave you a push."But someone touched you?" Were her lips moving? Yes, they were, and words were coming out, falling out, smooth as ever. "And something unusual happened?" It was a confirmation of what he already knew and what she had guessed. Aguilar's ploy couldn't

[purpletaint]

She remained near to neutral, and if not for what he knew already of her, he'd be bored. Instead, he left the amusement halfway, watching her. There was no need to lie, after all. Not to this one. What was given to her were not things so easily used. And she wasn't mortal, after all. If anything, the manipulations she would hold would be something to look forward to if she used them--lacking the simplicity of humans' daily attempts at the game.

Albedo's head tipped to the side, and he blinked casually, holding up the smallest finger on his hand for an example. "Yes. Just the barest touch." And he would not consider the ramifications of that, no; that was not the game to set and match. "A promise to be given ending in something else altogether."

[she_is_ruin]

"So you want me to be responsible for causing it again," said Yomi

[purpletaint]

Albedo smirked, half-childlike and half-not, shrugging as if caught in something meant to be hidden. It was outright, and yet still, it was interesting how she grated against what could be simple. Why was she hesitant to reach out? It was obvious that there was likely a negative reaction--it was this place, after all--but she had no responsibility for his state. One would think it'd be viewed as a game. He found himself wrong, and was mildly intrigued by that

[she_is_ruin]

Again this was going in unexpected directions, but that was the problem with this kid: he wasn't entirely normal, making him predictable only half the time. Being able to predict the other half would take time, time and closeness, neither of which she had. As self-centered as she'd made herself, the not knowing was a small frustration with every meeting

[purpletaint]

Her words only made him grin more. That was a reaction he could appreciate. If anyone else he would have batted his eyes and spoke further, and nearly did still at any rate. But she was something that existed more clearly than those to play games with. "I don't think I'm getting stranger. I think you've just been around me longer."

Despite there being a chance of shifts. He was not the same individual he had been three weeks ago; five. His head tilted as if to consider, though nothing moved across his face. "And mine likely don't adjust my mental or emotional state. It's just a physical reaction. So there's no fallback of a drugged stupor pressing forth words." He blinked at her, the expression near innocent--ruined only by the sharpness of his gaze. "Why?" he asked suddenly, playing at a pout. "Do you not like me?"

[she_is_ruin]

Was he trying to say they weren't the same thing? They were all getting stranger the longer they remained as zoo animals. Yomi's feelings couldn't have been confused over one little boy who was mystified by origami if that wasn't the case.

There were many things Yomi didn't like. His insinuation, for one. What was there left to alter in her? Was she so changeable that one little push could affect her mind? "They're just words," she reminded Albedo, voice low. But it was true, wasn't it--

She'd rocked back on her heels after every blow this place had dealt her, hadn't she? A flinch. Some tears. Pain.

Just a push. He had said he could save her.

"What do you hate?"She had been holding those eyes, waiting to see if he was looking for other interesting things besides their shared regeneration, when a ripple passed through her. She narrowed her eyes at him, as if he was the source of the discomfort. But he wasn't, not entirely, and the ripple came again, stronger than before, setting everything it touched on fire. With a groan, Yomi