damned_institute | Night 46: M31-40 Hallway

Emmett left his room empty handed again. It was tougher navigating without a flashlight, but it felt more comfortable. Especially with what he was going to have to do.

Outside seemed like his best bet for hunting. The dogs that attacked them last night didn't exactly smell fresh, but their blood was slightly more appetizing-- and much more likely to be digested by his system than the human food that kept being shoved in his face. Unfortunately there was also the chance that he wouldn't be able to find a semi-living, warmblooded animal out there again. Apparently there had been some Night of the Living Dead theme going on recently. So who knew, maybe it was going to be Swampthing or Frankenstein night-- he did hear that nutjob mention some bullshit like that. If that was the case then his natural prey couldn't be ruled out as an option.

He kept to the wall as he walked down the hallway. It was still early and relatively quiet. Feeding on someone he didn't know was definitely way better than attacking a friend, he was sure the others would agree...

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"I'll be fine," Ritsuka muttered as he turned and swung his legs out of bed. He was certain that in the walk upstairs, he'd be able to wake up. He just had to get away from the bed and its warm covers and the temptation to fall asleep again. Pressing the heels of his hands against his eyes, Ritsuka let out a deep sigh. "If I just sit here all night, I'm no better than those people I yelled at before."

Pinpoints of light appeared behind his eyelids as he increased the pressure on them and then he pulled his hands away, running a hand through his hair. "What do you need up there anyway?"

Soubi felt his insides drop down a few millimeters as Ritsuka stood up. He could be so stubborn and he always pushed himself. Soubi held the back of Ritsuka's head and pushed him down, gently, twisting him so he was back in bed.

"That was different," he said, quietly. This was all his fault, getting caught and taken up there. "As I've said before... not everybody wants to be rescued. I don't believe there have been any fatalities involved with the experiments, you don't know the patients, there's no reason to go," he said, before he could stop himself. This conversation wasn't going to go well.

"Nothing important. So we might as well stay here. Please?"

And just when he'd adjusted to being upright, Ritsuka suddenly found himself being laid back down on the bed. It was disorienting and he pushed his hands against Soubi's chest, one hand missing and finding itself planted in the older man's face. Ritsuka was about to apologize when he heard Soubi's words and the last vestiges of his drowsiness fled in the face of his anger.

"Don't give me that! We can't just turn our backs on them because we don't know them! No one knew the others up there and they were left to fend for themselves!" Maybe not everyone wanted to be found, but at the very least, Ritsuka could help those who did. He'd be able to do something after ripping into the clubs here and being brought to the stand for not doing anything himself. And maybe there hadn't been any fatalities, but Seimei had disappeared after his name had been announced and he'd been taken for experimentation. He'd been brainwashed and he left, forgetting Ritsuka and his life before this place.

"You can stay," the boy snapped, pushing harder against Soubi's face. "I'm going with or without you."

Soubi grunted as Ritsuka hit him but didn't move. It had been an accident, he was sure. As Ritsuka shouted at him, he felt his own anger boil, but before it could cause any damage, he thought of Hiro and felt himself go cold. He wasn't like that. He could control himself, right?

Soubi suddenly let go and stood up. He turned away, turned back, looked away and stood beside the bed. He couldn't order Ritsuka about, he couldn't let Ritsuka go... but he could beg.

Soubi lowered himself to his knees, trying to unwind his emotions, and bowed his head. "It's dangerous. You're not well..." They'd only get in the way if Ritsuka started to feel too ill.

"Please..."

Dammit he needed nicotine. One look at his nails and he knew he couldn't chew anymore. He clenched his fists to stop the shaking and it made his head spin. He needed help. He'd never needed help. Not like this.

Soubi moved away and Ritsuka dropped his hands to the side, rolling over so he could push himself back into a sitting position. He hated yelling. It always made his throat feel raw afterward and then when the anger passed, he usually realized he'd said a few things he hadn't meant to in the heat of the moment.

His head was spinning from the sudden movements and he dropped it into one hand, gritting his teeth. If that stupid doctor hadn't attacked him! If he hadn't pushed her, or triggered whatever it was that turned her into a predator then he wouldn't be having this conversation. He wouldn't be afraid of being left alone in this room, or going to sleep again. "I was--"

Ritsuka stopped talking when he looked up and noticed Soubi on his knees. His voice was begging Ritsuka not to go, and his hands were shaking. Something was definitely wrong with him, but Ritsuka didn't know what. Was it that Hiro person again? Was he trying to break through? Was it something else?

Lowering his hands, Ritsuka slipped off the bed and knelt down in front of his friend, trying to get a closer look at his face. "...what's wrong, Soubi? You've never put up this much of a fight about going upstairs before."

Soubi looked away, half scowling and half pouting like a child. Sure they weren't fighting now, but he wasn't sure this was the right way to do things either. It didn't exactly give the impression of a strong Fighter. And Ritsuka was quick to catch the little things and would worry more about something to silly and shameful. He was losing all self control over something so stupid that Ritsuka had always hated.

"You need rest."

And once again he'd been shut out. Ritsuka balked mentally and sat back, barely masking the hurt expression on his face. "Fine."

Be that way.

The boy stood and wavered a bit on his feet, then moved to the side and around the Fighter, heading toward his closet. The rucksack and everything else he needed was in there and if Soubi was going to shut him out, then Ritsuka would go about his routine like he did every night. Admittedly, he was slower at it and he was more worried about the man behind him than the people up above, but he had no idea what to do now.

Dropping the backpack onto his desk, Ritsuka adjusted the bandage around his forearm and started shifting through the bag, checking his supplies. Everything was running low. He'd need to go restock upstairs. "And you need to stop chewing your nails. They're going to start bleeding soon."

Soubi frowned. Ritsuka agreed, but he still got up and moved about. What was a Fighter to do in this situation? Wrestle the kid and tie him to the bed? Soubi stayed whee he was. At least Ritsuka wasn't outside and soon he'd get bored and sit down.

He unclenched his fists and looked at his nails. He wasn't really sure what they'd looked like before. He knew what they looked like a few years ago. He'd had plenty of opportunity to study them as a way of distraction. Now they looked awful and they felt awful.

"Is that an order?" he asked, quietly. He didn't intend to rub Ritsuka the wrong way, it was just, "I might be able to if it's an order."

Is that an order? Why did Ritsuka have to order Soubi to do something so common sense? Biting your nails until they bled was just stupid! He'd get sick easier, be more exposed to viruses and bacteria and--

Ritsuka sighed. He knew why he had to order Soubi to do something most people would do naturally. It was a nervous tick, a habit he'd suddenly picked up for some reason. They needed to deal with the real problem to resolve his biting, but right now, taking care of the immediate issue was important.

Looking up from the bag, Ritsuka nodded and said, "Yes, that's--"

But before he could finish his sentence, the intercom came on and the night came to an abrupt end.

Night 46: M31-40 Hallway

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