[Hmmmm. Interesting. Wataru turns toward him, still eating, and looks him over. He seems... weak? Not totally horrible, anyway, and he's holding that gun like he's scared.]
Ah, they gave you the hard job today? Guarding me?
[He does look a little scared, doesn't he? Or nervous might be the better word. He's young, too, compared to the others. Maybe even close to Wataru's age, actually. Larger in size, muscle and height, but his personality is shining through too obviously. For example, despite his instructions, he responds again.]
"I said be quiet." [Hissed, like he's trying not to be too loud.] "I won't warn you again."
What's your name? I'm Wataru. Oh, you probably knew that...
[Still eating... Analyzing. Yes, he's nervous. Maybe Wataru can befriend him and get better treatment? He's going to try. If he can talk to him kindly, maybe he can even win him over... And get out. God, he has to find Eichi! Eichi! Everything comes back to him in a rush, and he chokes on the food a bit, coughing madly.]
[So he says, still replying. He's stiff and trying not to reply, nervously shifting his weight now and then but trying to appear confident by keeping his head high and his eyes cold.
But then Wataru starts coughing, and the guard looks over to him, wary but concerned.]
"...What's wrong with you?" [A pause, and then he moves, finally, just enough to reach into a pack at his side and pull out a can of tea. Canned tea! He sets it on the ground and then rolls it towards Wataru.] "If the food's too dry, use that."
[Wataru coughs a bit more, waving off the concern congenially, trying to smile through it. And then the guard takes pity on him, rolling the tea over. It hits Wataru's foot, and he looks down gratefully before bowing his head.]
Thank you! I'm just a regular high school student, so this is all very strange for me. I haven't eaten in a few days, right? Because I've been unconscious, I'm sure.
[He jumps up to his feet, summoning his strength, and holds out a hand to the guard. A moment later, there's a rose in his hand. Almost like MAGIC.]
[The guard stares at Wataru some more, baffled, and when Wataru stands up, he grips his gun more seriously, like he's prepared to use it. It's a long rifle, something so serious and over-powered for one high school boy— but thankfully, it's not used.
Magic is performed, and the guard's eyes go wide for a moment before he's shaking his head, freeing one hand from the gun to swipe at the air.]
[Wataru smiles, and the rose vanishes with a flick of his wrist. He bows theatrically, then scoops up the tea and opens it.]
It's magic, of course! Didn't they tell you about me? I'm an internationally known performer. I can't imagine what anyone could want from me, so I'll just show you magic! That's why you're here, surely!
[Snapped out, from the guard who's not supposed to be talking. He's glaring, but there's a noticeable lack of intensity behind it. It's performative.]
"But that..." [A pause, and a sigh.] "Listen. The guy I'm covering for isn't nice, so you should be quiet and drink while you can. I don't want to have to work too hard, but I'll get in trouble if you get up to anything fishy. Don't do magic in here."
[No real name, but an answer, showing he has breaking points for things. At least one part was answered. Now, though, he's staring too cautiously at Wataru.]
"You're just trying to get me to let you out. No. Go in the corner or hold it."
[Sigh. He can work with this, though. He sits back down and eats a little more.]
I've been out for days and you won't let me use the restroom, Z? That's cruel and unusual. Ah, I mean, I'd do it here, but you're just going to watch me, and that's a little... well, scandalous, isn't it?
[Quick temper gets the better of him again, and he cuts himself off, letting out a frustrated sigh. He has to keep his volume down or he'll get in trouble.]
"I won't watch you. But from what I've seen of your performances, people watching you is all you want, anyway."
[Hmm, so he knows him from more than what he's been told here, it seems!]
[The look Z gives Wataru is one that says he's been caught. For which comment, it's not clear, but... It's true that he's supposed to be watching Wataru. It's true that maybe taking his eyes off of him is just as bad. This is a closed room, so he thought...
Well. A rose ended up in here, too. So he should be careful.]
"So you're telling me I should watch you." [Flatly... and a little spaced out, as he dodges that last question.]
"Ugh... I'll take you to the restroom if you answer one question for me. But I won't take my eyes off you if we go out there. How's that work for you?"
[Score. Alright, he thinks he can work with this, and he smiles gently, but tries at the same time to seem innocent, sincere, maybe just a touch frightened. He shifts his eyes to the weapon.]
You're the one with the scary gun. I'm not going to get far even if I do try to run off, and when have you ever heard of me having a death wish, hm? Fufufu... I'll answer anything you ask!
[Z is silent at that for a moment, staring down at his gun and weighing it in his hands before he speaks. And when he speaks, he makes eye contact again, and his eyes are more honest, this time. Open.]
Why did you form a group with Tenshouin? If he's threatening you, we can help. You don't have to defend him. He won't be able to hurt you anymore.
If he's not... then I really don't get it. I didn't think you were like everyone else.
[By everyone else, he of course means the ones Eichi and his family have threatened into cooperating and licking their boots.]
[That's... not what Wataru expects at all. He blinks, eyes owlish, expression open. Then he stands up again and walks toward the guard.]
You really do know about me... No, he's not threatening me. He did that a long time ago, you know. He was really hurting, so he hurt everyone else. I don't know how to explain it... I don't really want to excuse anything he did. He has a very long way to go to make it up to everyone.
[He furrows his brow.]
Eichi and I had a talk, one day. I was sitting on the rooftop, you see, and some of the other students thought I was going to jump. I'd been accused of some terrible things, though rather quietly, and I honestly... [He blinks away tears. They're a bit fake, but not entirely.] ...if Eichi hadn't come to me then, I might've done it. You know, jumped. We found out, through talking, that we had some things in common, and I decided then and there that if someone like Eichi Tenshouin could save me, I could save others.
[He smiles, bittersweet.]
We bargained a little, here and there. It was I who asked him to form the unit, though, not the other way around. I auditioned properly and everything. In doing so, I tamed the beast of Yumenosaki.
[The guard freezes when Wataru steps closer, but he doesn't move his gun. He doesn't even grip at it tighter, making it clear that he's not the type to use it like a reflex. Young, new at this, but not someone violent. Likely someone forced into this position somehow.]
"Stay back..."
[He warns, but his body language doesn't back it up at all. If Wataru comes closer, nothing else will happen.]
"How do you know he's not still tricking you? That he didn't want you to ask? You're going to stick your neck out for him, after all of that?"
[Wataru steps closer, taking a chance, and lays a shaking hand on the gun, lowering it further if he can. His other hand rests on the young man's shoulder, light and kind and gentle and generous.]
How do I know...? Well, I don't. Is this what they call "having faith"? I assure you, I gave him a thorough trial, an audition of his own, so to speak. Eichi knows where he stands with me, and that it is a tenuous, fragile position to be at my side. Who knows how long it may even last? But the fact remains that if I'm going to be without him, I'd rather be dead.
[And like that, the gun lowers, and the guard lets down his defenses. It seems like he has to think about those words for a long moment, but after that, and along with the hand on his shoulder, he relents.]
"They've got him somewhere around here, but I don't know where. I just know his health hasn't been great, and it's making things difficult. I can't help you, but I can take you to the restroom. And maybe I'll take my eyes off you for a moment too long."
[Mr. Magician. It's an invitation to vanish.]
"But if you do this, be careful. Keep living. Even if we don't understand all of your actions, there are still people behind you."
[He breathes out something like a sigh.]
"Hurry up, before the guy I'm covering for comes back. Are you doing this, or not?"
[Wataru leans in and embraces the poor guard, then pats his hands on both shoulders and steps back.]
You have my utmost gratitude. Now, just direct me and I'll act the part as we go down the hall? Believe in me, for I'll live until I get to see him again. Eichi isn't allowed to die before me. It's completely forbidden!
[He waits for the guard to open the door, nudging him to hold the gun properly, then he heads down the hallway in front of him, head down, but eyes alert. He feels better than he did the last time, stronger and more capable.]
[The hug is... nice. And he briefly leans into it before he's left blinking and remembering himself. Ah, this job. Right. Holding the gun properly, he leads Wataru out of the room, guiding him down the hall and to the restroom. They pass a few people who question why Z is taking him out, and Z gives good answers about how Wataru was being too difficult, and it's less of a problem to be focused on him like this than to leave him in the room.
When they get to the restroom itself, it's a single room, with a lockable door. The guard nods inside of it for Wataru to get in.]
Light switch is on the wall. Get in there and don't try anything funny. [Well, but he'll leave it up to Wataru completely if he really goes inside and plays Houdini with breaking out or just takes off now. Whatever he chooses... the guard will look the either way.]
[Wataru will save his Houdini energy for when he needs it, and calmly keeps walking when the guard stops. He waits to be sure there are no footsteps, and--]
Thank you, Z. I'll repay this someday, I promise.
[And off he goes down the hall. His mark ached when Eichi was near last time, and he hopes it will again, to alert him to where his unitmate is being held. Door after door, hallway and stairwell... He's wandering along, slipping into empty rooms and corners when other guards come by, until finally he feels a tug. He doesn't know why, but something just tells him to go into the room on the left.
So he does.
It's dark, pitch black, but he hears breathing. He thinks it's Eichi... Unguarded?]
Fear not! Phantom Thief Wataru Hibiki is here to steal you away!
[The voice that speaks his name is weak, strained, but it's most certainly Eichi. The room is dark, but the light that Wataru lets it from the hallway is enough to cast shadows and draw Eichi's attention. He's lying down, and it looks like he hasn't been trusted with any freedom to move about the room— his wrists are tied to the bed he's at least been granted with rope. The bed is an old, cheap thing, and Eichi has a couple of blankets sloppily covering him.
It's hard to see the rest of his injuries in this light. Physically, they weren't able to do too much, anyway. His first scratch to his cheek is a little more healed now, but there's another crossing it, and his clothes look roughed up beyond belief, once he's out of the covers. More than anything, he seems disoriented.]
Is this a dream again? It can't be... everything feels too real. [He breathes in shakily.]
[He kneels beside the bed, feeling around for the bindings so he can start working them open. Fortunately, he's a damn pro at this, so it shouldn't take long. Still, he keeps his voice low, and murmurs the words, as though he is an apparition in a dream.]
Yes, Eichi... This is all a horrible nightmare. You have them when you're in the hospital, don't you? But I'm here to rescue you, and we'll take off to somewhere safe, where you can happily and warmly wake up with me by your side.
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teaism2019-05-21 10:36 pm
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Ah, they gave you the hard job today? Guarding me?
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"I said be quiet." [Hissed, like he's trying not to be too loud.] "I won't warn you again."
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[Still eating... Analyzing. Yes, he's nervous. Maybe Wataru can befriend him and get better treatment? He's going to try. If he can talk to him kindly, maybe he can even win him over... And get out. God, he has to find Eichi! Eichi! Everything comes back to him in a rush, and he chokes on the food a bit, coughing madly.]
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[So he says, still replying. He's stiff and trying not to reply, nervously shifting his weight now and then but trying to appear confident by keeping his head high and his eyes cold.
But then Wataru starts coughing, and the guard looks over to him, wary but concerned.]
"...What's wrong with you?" [A pause, and then he moves, finally, just enough to reach into a pack at his side and pull out a can of tea. Canned tea! He sets it on the ground and then rolls it towards Wataru.] "If the food's too dry, use that."
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Thank you! I'm just a regular high school student, so this is all very strange for me. I haven't eaten in a few days, right? Because I've been unconscious, I'm sure.
[He jumps up to his feet, summoning his strength, and holds out a hand to the guard. A moment later, there's a rose in his hand. Almost like MAGIC.]
Here! This is for you~! Amazing~
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Magic is performed, and the guard's eyes go wide for a moment before he's shaking his head, freeing one hand from the gun to swipe at the air.]
"Wha— I won't take it! How did you do that?!"
[There weren't any plants in here at all?!]
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It's magic, of course! Didn't they tell you about me? I'm an internationally known performer. I can't imagine what anyone could want from me, so I'll just show you magic! That's why you're here, surely!
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[Snapped out, from the guard who's not supposed to be talking. He's glaring, but there's a noticeable lack of intensity behind it. It's performative.]
"But that..." [A pause, and a sigh.] "Listen. The guy I'm covering for isn't nice, so you should be quiet and drink while you can. I don't want to have to work too hard, but I'll get in trouble if you get up to anything fishy. Don't do magic in here."
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[He smiles, drinking the tea as quickly as he can. Then he gets an idea. One hand on his stomach, he doubles over, though he's still standing.]
Oh.
[A sigh, dramatic, but convincingly real for someone as extra as Wataru.]
Is there... a possibility that I can use the restroom somewhere?
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[No real name, but an answer, showing he has breaking points for things. At least one part was answered. Now, though, he's staring too cautiously at Wataru.]
"You're just trying to get me to let you out. No. Go in the corner or hold it."
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I've been out for days and you won't let me use the restroom, Z? That's cruel and unusual. Ah, I mean, I'd do it here, but you're just going to watch me, and that's a little... well, scandalous, isn't it?
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[Quick temper gets the better of him again, and he cuts himself off, letting out a frustrated sigh. He has to keep his volume down or he'll get in trouble.]
"I won't watch you. But from what I've seen of your performances, people watching you is all you want, anyway."
[Hmm, so he knows him from more than what he's been told here, it seems!]
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[But damn if that comment doesn't sting a little bit. However...]
You've seen me perform? What acts?
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Well. A rose ended up in here, too. So he should be careful.]
"So you're telling me I should watch you." [Flatly... and a little spaced out, as he dodges that last question.]
"Ugh... I'll take you to the restroom if you answer one question for me. But I won't take my eyes off you if we go out there. How's that work for you?"
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You're the one with the scary gun. I'm not going to get far even if I do try to run off, and when have you ever heard of me having a death wish, hm? Fufufu... I'll answer anything you ask!
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Why did you form a group with Tenshouin? If he's threatening you, we can help. You don't have to defend him. He won't be able to hurt you anymore.
If he's not... then I really don't get it. I didn't think you were like everyone else.
[By everyone else, he of course means the ones Eichi and his family have threatened into cooperating and licking their boots.]
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You really do know about me... No, he's not threatening me. He did that a long time ago, you know. He was really hurting, so he hurt everyone else. I don't know how to explain it... I don't really want to excuse anything he did. He has a very long way to go to make it up to everyone.
[He furrows his brow.]
Eichi and I had a talk, one day. I was sitting on the rooftop, you see, and some of the other students thought I was going to jump. I'd been accused of some terrible things, though rather quietly, and I honestly... [He blinks away tears. They're a bit fake, but not entirely.] ...if Eichi hadn't come to me then, I might've done it. You know, jumped. We found out, through talking, that we had some things in common, and I decided then and there that if someone like Eichi Tenshouin could save me, I could save others.
[He smiles, bittersweet.]
We bargained a little, here and there. It was I who asked him to form the unit, though, not the other way around. I auditioned properly and everything. In doing so, I tamed the beast of Yumenosaki.
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"Stay back..."
[He warns, but his body language doesn't back it up at all. If Wataru comes closer, nothing else will happen.]
"How do you know he's not still tricking you? That he didn't want you to ask? You're going to stick your neck out for him, after all of that?"
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How do I know...? Well, I don't. Is this what they call "having faith"? I assure you, I gave him a thorough trial, an audition of his own, so to speak. Eichi knows where he stands with me, and that it is a tenuous, fragile position to be at my side. Who knows how long it may even last? But the fact remains that if I'm going to be without him, I'd rather be dead.
no subject
"They've got him somewhere around here, but I don't know where. I just know his health hasn't been great, and it's making things difficult. I can't help you, but I can take you to the restroom. And maybe I'll take my eyes off you for a moment too long."
[Mr. Magician. It's an invitation to vanish.]
"But if you do this, be careful. Keep living. Even if we don't understand all of your actions, there are still people behind you."
[He breathes out something like a sigh.]
"Hurry up, before the guy I'm covering for comes back. Are you doing this, or not?"
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You have my utmost gratitude. Now, just direct me and I'll act the part as we go down the hall? Believe in me, for I'll live until I get to see him again. Eichi isn't allowed to die before me. It's completely forbidden!
[He waits for the guard to open the door, nudging him to hold the gun properly, then he heads down the hallway in front of him, head down, but eyes alert. He feels better than he did the last time, stronger and more capable.]
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When they get to the restroom itself, it's a single room, with a lockable door. The guard nods inside of it for Wataru to get in.]
Light switch is on the wall. Get in there and don't try anything funny. [Well, but he'll leave it up to Wataru completely if he really goes inside and plays Houdini with breaking out or just takes off now. Whatever he chooses... the guard will look the either way.]
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Thank you, Z. I'll repay this someday, I promise.
[And off he goes down the hall. His mark ached when Eichi was near last time, and he hopes it will again, to alert him to where his unitmate is being held. Door after door, hallway and stairwell... He's wandering along, slipping into empty rooms and corners when other guards come by, until finally he feels a tug. He doesn't know why, but something just tells him to go into the room on the left.
So he does.
It's dark, pitch black, but he hears breathing. He thinks it's Eichi... Unguarded?]
Fear not! Phantom Thief Wataru Hibiki is here to steal you away!
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[The voice that speaks his name is weak, strained, but it's most certainly Eichi. The room is dark, but the light that Wataru lets it from the hallway is enough to cast shadows and draw Eichi's attention. He's lying down, and it looks like he hasn't been trusted with any freedom to move about the room— his wrists are tied to the bed he's at least been granted with rope. The bed is an old, cheap thing, and Eichi has a couple of blankets sloppily covering him.
It's hard to see the rest of his injuries in this light. Physically, they weren't able to do too much, anyway. His first scratch to his cheek is a little more healed now, but there's another crossing it, and his clothes look roughed up beyond belief, once he's out of the covers. More than anything, he seems disoriented.]
Is this a dream again? It can't be... everything feels too real. [He breathes in shakily.]
How did you find me...?
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[He kneels beside the bed, feeling around for the bindings so he can start working them open. Fortunately, he's a damn pro at this, so it shouldn't take long. Still, he keeps his voice low, and murmurs the words, as though he is an apparition in a dream.]
Yes, Eichi... This is all a horrible nightmare. You have them when you're in the hospital, don't you? But I'm here to rescue you, and we'll take off to somewhere safe, where you can happily and warmly wake up with me by your side.
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