Chasma: Yukio

[aono]

Comments

Week 0, Tuesday

[aono]

[It's evening, and while Rin probably should be going to bed, he's actually out in the hall. He walks up to the door to Yukio's room and looks like he's going to knock on it, only to sigh and drop his hand and start walking back to his own. But then he turns back around and starts over again only to stop and turn back.

This happens several times, and if Yukio doesn't catch him in the act then he will eventually find Rin seated with his back against the door, waiting there.]

[reflash]

[It will have to be "eventually", because Yukio's out late, looking around and finding nothing. He can't think clearly. He's been thrown off and he can't find his footing again.

Sleep might help, but it's going to be the floor again and he's not going to get any rest. His arm hurts from that fall he took, and his ribs as well, and he's moving a little slowly, his daemon still limping on her left front paw.

He doesn't want to see Rin, waiting for him.]

Nii-san, is everything all right? [He asks, politely.]

[aono]

[Rin is not asleep, because sleep is not coming to him easily. But he is definitely lost in thought, staring down at the ground in front of his feet like it will make all the answers he needs appear in the floorboards if he looks for long enough.

Then he hears Yukio's voice, and he looks up sharply, startled out of his thoyght.]

Oh, hey! Funny seeing you here, yeah?

[Rin you're in front of his door.

Oh, right, he asked a question.]

I, uh, I'm good. Just wanted to...say hi?

[reflash]

You've said it. [He's tired, he has a headache, he's been polite to endless amounts of strangers today, he doesn't want to have to stand here being polite to Rin too.]

Is there anything I can help you with?

[aono]

[He's just bugging Yukio. He must be tired, Rin shouldn't be bothering him with stupid stuff like 'I can't sleep' or 'I miss sharing a room.' He can't be that selfish, not when Yukio is working so hard already.]

Nah, not really. Just...

["Is it hard for him to have a brother that's a demon?"

"...I never really asked that."

"Do you think you'd ask him?"]

...it's just been a lot lately and i, er. I wanted to see how you're doing.

[reflash]

[It's Miki that decides it, limping over to sit down next to Rin with a little sigh. Not quite close enough for him to touch her furry body, but close enough to be clear about it.

For a moment, there's a flash of anger in Yukio's expression. Not at Rin, but at his own daemon.

He smooths it over, speaks calmly.]

I'm fine. I had the opportunity to talk with one of the Watchers, they seem to be fairly limited in what they can actually tell us.

[aono]

[Rinkou likewise betrays her human's emotions here. She pads on over to lay down right next to Miki. Not close enough to touch, but their bodies are so close that they might as well be touching. Either one stretching out will touch the other now.

Rin is trying his best not to perceive this betrayal of his feelings. He's almost jealous too: why can his daemon reach out when he still can't?]

Yeah, they can't say too much. Though one of 'em- Baraqiel? They told me that one of the others we haven't seen yet was the one who put us in those stupid outfits. Kinda sounds like something Shura would do, yeah?

[Why is he talking about this? He doesn't know.]

[reflash]

[Miki doesn't stretch out but she doesn't pull away, lets Rinkou lie down next to her and glances over at the other daemon.]

They claimed we were supposed to have volunteered for this. I don't recall being asked to come here, do you remember anything?

[aono]

No, the last thing I remember is the wedding.

[And the distance between them, and the way Yukio keeps pulling away, and the fight on their birthday-]

But you're- you're really okay? With everything?

[reflash]

[That's the last thing he remembers as well, nothing between walking through the door to leave, and walking into fog.]

Of course I'm not okay with any of this, nii-san. [And "any of this" includes a lot, really. Where does it start and end?] That doesn't mean I'm going to lose my head about it.

[aono]

...

[Right. Of course he's not okay with anything. It's all just too much to be okay with.

Rin, the fool he is, takes that as an answer to a question he technically hasn't asked. And he deflates a little as the answer settles into his mind.]

Right, yeah. It's good you can keep your cool about it though.

[He'll push himself to his feet now, though Rinkou seems reluctant to get up.]

Sorry for bugging you so late. I'll let you sleep.

[reflash]

Thank you. [He says, prepared to walk into his room.

Miki whines, and turns to rest her head on top of Rinkou before the other daemon can move.]

... get up, Miki.

[Miki doesn't move.]

[aono]

[Well. Rinkou's not going anywhere now. She just stays put under Miki and starts purring.

Rin, however, seems more anxious than mad.]

C'mon Rinkou, they need to sleep. We do too.

[The cat does not move. And Rin isn't stepping in to remove the cat.]

[reflash]

[He takes a step closer, attention fixed on Miki and for a second it looks like he might move forward even more to try and separate the two daemons. But he just settles for glaring down at the two of them.

He can't do anything. Not without hurting Rin, and he-- he can't make himself do that right now.]

Move.

[aono]

[Rinkou stays there, laying under Miki's head and purring loudly. As long as Miki isn't moving, she won't either.]

...

[Rin is quiet for a moment, unsure of what to even say. What eventually comes out is a light almost-joke.]

Maybe they want a sleepover?

[reflash]

I don't think my assigned roommate would appreciate that. [Yukio is considering just kicking his daemon.]

[aono]

...yeah, probably not.

[Rin deflates a little bit here.]

C'mon, Rinkou. Let's leave them alone to sleep.

[Cat makes a disgruntled noise and doesn't move. She looks like she might swipe at anyone who tries to remove her from Miki's presence.]

[reflash]

This is stupid, you're both being childish. [Yukio says, bending down and reaching in with his good arm to try and grab Miki without touching Rinkou.

She gives him a sideeye and a low, warning noise and he pauses.]

We need a new strategy. [Yukio says, and looks back at Rin but doesn't explain his idea. Not yet.]

Week 0, Saturday

[aono]

[Rin is in a mood but he's still going to go looking for Yukio. Because he doesn't know what else to do right now.

...it's probably Rinkou who finds him first though, because good nose for smelling. But Rin isn't far behind.]

[reflash]

Nii-san. [Yukio says, as Rin walks up.]

We have a problem. [somehow, it's suddenly become "we", not "you".]

[aono]

[Somehow it's we now and that means it absolutely is a problem.]

Don't tell me that Qi Rong guy is actually a demon and we gotta fight him. I don't even have my flames right now.

[reflash]

That might make things easier...

But I'm talking about the person you chose to reveal your demonic traits to during the investigation.

[aono]

Oh.

[Yeah. Yeah...]

I didn't really have a choice. We're twins, there's no way they'd accept that we're being completely honest about each other. And he- he seemed reliable?

[But his tone shows that he's questioning that now.]

[reflash]

He did, but I don't know how reliable he'll be in the future. [Especially after that accusation he made.]

[aono]

...yeah. He's gonna use it against me, isn't he?

[Rin is rubbing at his own shoulder while glancing away. The nervousness is very clear.]