damned_institute | Day 36: Waiting Room, Lobby 2

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Day 36: Waiting Room, Lobby 2

Celes had actually relaxed enough, speaking to Naminé during lunch, to allow herself a small smile. It thinned into a line, of course when her nurse materialized from nowhere and swept her off, giggling over her 'surprise.'

"Oh won't it be nice?" she chirped as they walked into the waiting room. "You'll be so happy, I am absolutely sure of it." Celes's small smile thinned itself into a line and she was plunked into a chair to await her visitor. Perhaps I shall be lucky, she thought, looking at some ridiculous motivational poster. It won't be anyone I know, not really. Her nurse wandered away and Celes folded her hands on the table, the picture of impatient waiting.

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"Us?" Ryu raised an eyebrow and then turned a hard stare at Hiro. "Who is this 'us'?"

Whoever it was, he hadn't approved the match. Ryu would never have allowed Hiro get involved with anyone who was housed in a place like this. Whoever it was had to be below Hiro, more than below - mere trash. "Who have you been talking to?"

Ritsu's reaction seemed so genuine. But he was in control of this place. He knew who-

"You're not..." Soubi sat down and held a hand over his throat, thinking. Ritsu wasn't real. Or he was being controlled. Whatever it was...maybe Ritsu wasn't behind this?

"Matsumoto-Senei....what will happen if you take me home?" Would he finally belong somewhere? He wanted to bring Ritsuka, but Ritsu's reaction worried him. He'd have to find a way....

"Until you get better, you're here. And stop fidgeting." Looking away, he opened the file again to start writing notes. Hiro was being obedient again, so he didn't need to pay as much attention anymore. The pen scratched along the surface, pausing every few moments whenever he needed to think a little more on what he was writing. "If I take you home, you resume your training. You're behind, what with being stuck in here."

Ryu paused again, tapping the pen against the paper. "You've liked slipped and your talents have dulled. I trained you better and yet you end up here." Clicking his tongue, he went back to writing. "Honestly."

Soubi's hand immediately fell to his lap. He could feel the wounded beginning to reopen, rubbing against the cloth that bound them. Perhaps he should have listened to Ritsuka. The second mention of medication had been an order, he was sure. But he'd been stubborn.

"You completed my training. I was given to Seimei and become Beloved." He was hoping some of this would wake up the man's Inner Ritsu. And...he was sulking. Even if the man didn't remember, Soubi still blamed him for everything.

He looked at the folder, wanting to read what was written inside but not quite having the nerve to find out.

With a heavy sigh, Ryu dropped the pen against the folder and gave Hiro a sidelong glance that dripped exasperation. Again with this nonsense about 'Seimei' and 'Beloved' and 'Names' or whatever else it was that Hiro had imagined up in his head. It was becoming tiresome to listen to him, repeating over and over like a scratched up record when Ryu had so beautifully etched in a masterpiece upon that empty surface. It had taken time and determination and just when he thought his student was ready - he'd fallen.

"I told you - if you're going to keep up your charade, I'm going to leave you in here."

Once again, Soubi's gaze hit the floor, ashamed with himself for disappointing this fake teacher. But this wasn't fair. Somebody was playing cruel games. Either Ritsu was controlling all of this or he'd somehow, unbelievably, become another of it's pawns.

He lifted his hand and began to unwrap the bandages. This wasn't a lie.

"This is real. Either you know it or they're controlling you somehow...."

Ryu raised his eyes when Hiro insisted on removing the bandages and almost immediately looked away again. Wonderful. Now Hiro was practicing self-mutilation again. When he'd first carved BELOVED into his neck, Ryu had sent him to get examined, but after he started spouting nonsense about Fighters and Sacrifices and how Ryu had taken his "ears" or something equally ridiculous, he'd sent him away. There was just nothing to be done about the crazy ones and Ryu was far too busy with other work to bemoan how magnificently his star student had failed him.

Even if it was a sore spot.

Ryu's hands twitched at the sight of the letters carved into Hiro's neck and he almost felt his temper rise, wishing they were in private so he could strike the man across from him for being so stupid. "Your paranoia and self-mutilation are beyond me, Hiro." Standing up from the table, Ryu gave the blond a sharp and angry look. "Yes, that's real. It's also very real that I'm wasting money by putting you in here when all you do is disappoint me by getting worse. You could have been the best, and instead you turned to these ridiculous fantasy worlds."

Picking up his briefcase, Ryu stuck the folder inside and turned away. If this threat couldn't shake Hiro out of his daydreams, Ryu didn't know what else to do. "Don't expect me to come back until you've shown improvement. I have more important things to do than to listen to your lunacy."

"Self-mu-" he began to argue, but Ritsu stood and, instead, he panicked. He just couldn't bear to be left right now. Ritsuka had made it clear that things wouldn't last forever for them. Maybe he could pretend to be Hiro... If he got Ritsuka to a safe place (or maybe Ritsuka could stay with them...).... he could be this other person. The one who's name didn't matter at all.

"Please," he begged, dropping to his knees before the man. "Please don't leave me..." He reached out, but his hand lingered just an inch or two from the material of the man's trousers.

He wanted to argue how ridiculous it was to believe Soubi had done this to himself. He was an artist, but it took more than that sort of skill to do this to yourself. But he didn't want to make Ritsu angry. If anything he wanted some sort of comfort. Ritsu had never been a master at it, but it was all Soubi had known. Those fingers crawling through his hair while the teacher whispered insults and praise alongside one another.

Ryu looked down at Hiro as he begged at his feet and felt both pride and disgust at the same time. His student was still his, even without his sanity. The man's talent would always belong to Ryu and only him; even when he started to push Hiro into the world and out of his immediate reach. It was clear that the teacher would always be necessary and, indeed, indispensable to the student. Despite the pride, his tone was still harsh when he said, "Get off your knees. It's drawing attention."

Soon, however, he followed that up with. "You've remembered who I am, I see. Good. I'll be back when I can then. Improve while I'm gone, Hiro, and soon you can come back to school."

Soubi stood up immediately, head spinning. He pulled the bandaged up around his neck, wanting to hide the wounds. He could already feel blood trickling down. He'd made a fool of himself and Ritsu was angry...

And yet...Ritsu was coming back. Eventually. Soubi argued with himself for a moment. This wasn't Ritsu exactly. He was being controlled. Or lying. But he was coming back and that was all that mattered.

"Yes, Sensei," he said, quietly. He didn't mind living a lie if it meant being wanted. He'd already acted under false names before.

Ritsu hadn't touched him once. He was too unsure about asking Ritsuka to hold him, even if the boy had promised he would whenever Soubi wanted.... There was nobody else. Nobody to strike him, hold him....or care for him at all.

Was he doing the right thing, keeping Ritsuka at a distance?

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Day 36: Waiting Room, Lobby 2

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