Day 58: Men's Showers (Fourth Shift)

[mustbethesuit]

The place was full of starry eyed heroes with hearts of gold. Perhaps not so much starry-eyed, he guessed. Just eager to please. Eager to help. Peter could count himself among those numbers on good day. At the moment, he had about had his fill from everyone else

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[falseblack]

The auspicious mood that had once been so pronounced was gone, replaced by anxiety and a fading regard of self. He had hoped to resolve the contention between a brother and another and had ultimately succeeded on one end, but Nigredo had not considered the cost of exploring the subject. Of course. Of course. Death would be preferred over harming a sibling. Furthermore, he had no mind to touch the eldest for the span of his lifetime.

But what good was that? Nigredo couldn't control it. Couldn't even begin to speculate how Executioner resided within him. If not for the limitations of this place, it might have activated. Every time he was threatened by a malevolent U.R.T.V., it might have stripped him of will

[purpletaint]

There was little on Albedo's mind as he moved to continue the day. A lack and react, that, and here existed the remains of something still fading. Interacting with Ritsuka, the rhetoric with Yomi, the dealings on the board in a assorted amount of ways. All things had a point, in the end, and even with his game, and his seemingly blatant way of pointing out that he was only bored had been a determent. Albedo's interest extended to a select few. Knowing the weaknesses and priorities of any others existed as nothing to care about, in the end. However, here is how things stood. The boy understood the amount of control in information, and allowing weapons or institute facts for that information was a fair trade

[falseblack]

A greeting offered in warm tones and countenance worked well enough to distract Nigredo from his despondency. He lifted his eyes to the greeter, taking note of features and conditions. Albedo looked healthy, bordering lucid, and the younger wondered if he had an uneventful schedule the night before and the day after. Hopefully without any incident, but this was the middle child. He and his twin had a habit for trouble.

Nigredo smiled at the passing memory and his brother, for once setting aside his issues for reasons other than to hide himself. "Hello," he returned. The expression waned to something soft. "Are you doing well?"

[purpletaint]

His expression slid more amused. "Better than you, it seems," he said with no real heat. He smiled at Nigredo sincerely, then faced the shower, moving through the motions of cleanliness with little attention to it. When he was mostly done, he spoke up quietly. "Listen, Nigredo."

Albedo peered over to his brother, then shifted to face him again. His eyes dropped self-consciously, then he looked up again. "...You're not Rubedo. I know that." Sincere gratitute or apologies were never easily voiced, and here it remained the same. The link vibrated slightly between them, an emotion of apology pressing along it.

[falseblack]

"As always," Nigredo retorted evenly, one good shoulder rolling in a shrug. He meant nothing by the comment, of course. Just a passing jest, remnant of an earlier state of mind. "I'm glad, though." Green eyes returned to the dispenser ahead, before the child took pains to try and get himself clean. Staring dumbly while one's sibling finished his task was both fruitless and callous. And he didn't want to be either.

It was while attempting a lackluster job of cleaning that Nigredo's brother spoke once more. Wondering at the source, the younger turned to the other with a curious glance. "Yes?" he asked, tone expectant.

Another's name and an acknowledgement caused his heart to skip in its palpitations, the memories involved resulting in perfect recall. His face paled, locking in another form of shock. Tolerance playing at love, and then only hate, only apathy from a source that you existed for. And Nigredo was not that, in a way the brothers agreed now

[purpletaint]

Really? Shock, brother mine? Was it so unbelievable for Albedo to be kind--little brother already knew that Albedo could hold regrets for things done and said; actions too close to the opposite of feeling for him to resent their existence and his role in their creation. An eyebrow quirked in amused affection, and he reached a hand out to touch Nigredo's hair--then pulled back halfway with a sigh. "Because I'm so cruel, hmm

[falseblack]

Cruelty wasn't the case here--far from it, if Nigredo was allowed to be truthful. And truth he tried to convey to the best of his ability. He turned to fully face Albedo as the other retracted his hand, both acts a demand for attention. "No, that's not it." Not in the slightest. "You meant what you said. You shouldn't apologize for--"

Nigredo paused abruptly, green eyes drifting to focus on a wall. "For my reaction." To assume the other was drawing comparisons between brothers. He must have been mistaken. "It wasn't wrong," he concluded softly, "so it's fine." He had enough fractures to recognize where interpretations had ceased their objectivity, and he wasn't so terribly sad to hold to those words.

A shudder ran through his spine, and without warning, he was nervous. Rather than stifling the reaction, however, Nigredo went with whim and followed through. "I will always love you." There was effort in the words, an admittance given freely but locked in hesitance for reasons unseen. "Is that hard to believe, Albedo?"

[purpletaint]

Albedo tilted his head only, watching. "It was wrong," he said blatantly, ignoring the attempts. "Why would I want you to feel like that? When I just said, didn't I? You're not Rubedo." He made a wistful expression, but it was hard to determine why. "You've been there for me. You've cared for me. You

[falseblack]

The younger fell silent, comprehension present yet lacking definitive hold. He didn't think Albedo was wrong, and here, the albino would claim exactly that. Why would I want you to feel like that? As a reminder, Nigredo had assumed, of the wrongs brothers had wrought upon the middle child. But it wasn't that at all, apparently.

Despite the threat that Nigredo was to Albedo (to Rubedo), he did not follow in the eldest's footsteps. Albedo acknowledged that here, and though Nigredo wanted to believe the other thought otherwise, he accepted the statement as it stood and wondered all the same. He watched his brother through the spray

[purpletaint]

As he thought, then. They were both caught in the grip of that. And with no way to tell one way or the other. Both would continue to doubt even as they loved, and both would end up rotting even with the best intentions. And he couldn't say that was wanted. No, at this point, he couldn't say that was wholly wanted at all.

His eyes flashed at his twin's name, and then they dropped to the floor. How much he loved Rubedo. How much he hated Rubedo. Wasn't it the same thing? He felt sick, and now Nigredo was the cause. The boy glanced up at his brother. "Love," he said quietly, "is only one half of the equation."

There was a beat, and then Albedo walked away with nothing more. He didn't consider how it might seem--all he understood now is what needed to happen to go forward, and it wasn't something that could take place in a shower. He returned with a cloth, soaked it and mixed soap, then raised his hand to his brother's hair, moving the cloth through it.

Not the same, but close. Enough for a mirror to form, a comparison where it wasn't

[falseblack]

Nigredo wondered how a statement proclaiming 'love' and a twin's name would be taken. Though, he found himself hardly surprised when Albedo's eyes flashed violet. When the other uttered a retort and moved to walk away, he was already resigned to showering alone.

"Right..." Apologies could wait. Albedo likely had no want in continuing a discussion.

Imagine his shock when his brother returned, a cloth in hand. Before a single reaction could be given, the cloth went to his hair and through the strands, ultimately resulting in the oddest and most awkward hair wash of his entire life. Nigredo practically gaped at Albedo, before sputtering on the soap that managed to sneak around his lips.

"Uh, Albedo?" He paused to spit out foam. "What are you doing?"

[purpletaint]

He had no ears for his brother's half-hearted agreement; he was already gone and returned in that time. The cloth thoroughly slid through Nigredo's hair and scalp and moved downward around his neck. "Mm?" he intoned, half-focused on the curve of his brother's neck. His eyes flicked to Nigredo neutrally. "You can't reach, can you?"

He gave a sigh, then continued with his efforts. "The faster you're clean, the faster we can go elsewhere. The cloth is a bit annoying, but...." But bare hands could not be used. Not currently. He gave an idle grin. "You don't mind, do you?"

[falseblack]

The response came as astute observation: Nigredo had found it difficult to stretch a hand beyond his shoulders. Having another clean him, then, was really the fastest way for the boy to finish. He eyed the cloth at the base of his neck, wondering vaguely if Albedo was being helpful, comforting, or both. "No, I can't," he admitted, "but..." But he didn't know what else to say.

Instead, the child turned a shade of red from self-consciousness. Green eyes lowered to the space of Albedo's chest. "I don't mind."

[purpletaint]

The cloth moved down Nigredo's neck to touch shoulders, gently caressing the bare skin it touched. Nigredo was turning a lovely shade of red, seemingly shy from the ministrations. It was charming, really. A bit enticing in all honesty. Soap trailed down in rivets from the cloth, moving slowly against flesh as it worked its way downward. A picture for any other time, other age, and one might imagine lips following hands, tongue following the trail water left down Nigredo's body.

Another time, then.

Albedo tilted his head to survey his work then nodded in satisfaction. "Come on, then. I want to try something," the child said before heading out of the room.

[to here]