day 5 | 7:24am | kureshima household

[lifegivesyou]

[Ryouma had messaged this world's Takatora multiple times the night before. At first, he'd simply been concerned for the manner in which they'd parted ways, because in all of his years of knowing Takatora, something hadn't felt right. No one else knew Takatora like him, so it wouldn't surprise him if no one else would notice. But he did. After having the first casual text message ignored, he'd pushed a little harder. After a little longer, he'd nearly started spamming the other with playful, teasing remarks. Idle threats.

Nothing.

Takatora would never ignore him like this.

Which is exactly why, before the ban on having to stay inside all day is in effect, Ryouma is unlocking the door to the Kureshima household. He has his own key, obviously, given to him by this world's version at some point in their shared history. He locks the door behind him, checks it twice, and then strides through the mansion as though he's the master of the house and not just a visitor.

The path to Takatora's room is familiar enough. Under normal circumstances, he would knock and give the other a few moments to respond, but not today. There's no time for that. Instead, he opens the door and nudges it shut behind him (if only to avoid Mitsuzane's prying).

Takatora is sleeping. That should be enough to comfort him, but it's not. Something still doesn't feel right. Carefully, he crosses the room to the other's bed. After a moment of hesitation, he sits down next to him, placing a hand on Takatora's left shoulder and firmly nudging him.]

Takatora.

[His voice is in a surprisingly firm wake up now tone.]

Comments

[takatorakureshima]

[Something within him goes cold. There's no way that Ryouma doesn't know about his shoulder: if anything, he was always remorseful about the whole testing incident in the lab, and he would usually have started to fret by now. But here...Ryouma doesn't seem to even know he had the old injury. The touch around the area is familiar, though. How many times had Ryouma inspected the wound, hoping to find a definitive way to fix the problem. There was no way he wouldn't know, unless...

It hits him suddenly. Different worlds, Ryouma had said.]

I...This is an injury I've had for quite some time, but it's alright. Ryouma...

[He pauses.]

You and I are from different worlds, aren't we?

[lifegivesyou]

[... oh.

Any emotion Ryouma is showing, for a brief moment, seems to lock up. His expression goes neutral as he draws his hand back to himself, releasing Takatora's arm for the first time since they've entered the room. They're still touching, barely, with how close their legs are to each other, but Ryouma drops his hands into his own lap. It's a struggle to figure out how to react to this, when he'd already prepared himself. Or tried.

He turns his head away and sighs heavily.]

I should have known I wouldn't be able to hide anything from you.

[Ryouma looks back over, setting his jaw in an obvious display of trying to keep himself together and ... distant.]

I suppose that makes things easier for you.

[takatorakureshima]

[So that's why Ryouma's been acting so strange around him. The two of them...they've technically never met. Is there a Takatora in his world, too?

He's briefly upset that this isn't his old friend: he'd had so much he wanted to ask, so many things he wanted to make clear after how they'd parted, but now...

He still reaches out towards Ryouma, offering comfort and contact for if the other wants it.]

Either way, no matter which world.... You're still Ryouma. [A pause.] Then...you're from this world? Is there a Takatora here, as well?

[lifegivesyou]

[Ryouma shifts away, only slightly. He knows he should take the contact. He wants it, desperately, especially since Takatora is the one offering it. His own Takatora ... had offered, often enough, but still not as often as Ryouma would have liked. He'd teased him about it, before, but had understood the reluctance.

One day, he'd hoped, Takatora would have been able to get over his fear of being judged for putting his own needs before anyone else's. ... though Ryouma has a sinking suspicion that his actions the previous night would have been entirely selfish.

Why hadn't Takatora told him anything?

Another deep breath.]

This is my world. Yes. [There's a small hesitation before he can try to answer the next question.] You're the only Takatora here, anymore.

[takatorakureshima]

[Anymore?

His spirits fall.]

So...there was....

[The irony of the situation is overwhelming, and he finds himself laughing. The sound itself holds no mirth and is born of nerves and sorrow rather than actual excitement. Here, this Ryouma's version of himself is dead, and his version of his friend is dead back in his own world.]

I'm sorry.

[And he is, he just doesn't necessarily know what words to use.]

IT's just...I've missed my friend, as you probably have yours, and now... It's all just rather ironic, I suppose.

[lifegivesyou]

[Ryouma doesn't mind the laugh so much, though it's certainly a strange noise to hear coming out of anyone who looks like Takatora. He's never heard him have a reaction like that ... except for ... well, perhaps once. The memory of that time doesn't sit well with Ryouma, either. He'd never told Takatora the whole truth about that time of his life. There had been no reason to.]

I suppose it hasn't sunk in yet. I wasn't sure he was gone until I saw you.

[Might as well get that out of the way now as well.]

[takatorakureshima]

[So his double...would have died recently. When he was pulled though to this world, then. Oh, no...]

I'm sorry.

[His voice is soft again, low and gentle in an attempt to be comforting, though he's not sure how much he can help. He figures Ryouma probably wants no part of him, but leaving no feels wrong, too. He'll just wait until the other wishes to talk about it.]

I....If there's anything that I can do, to help you. I'm so sorry.

[lifegivesyou]

Don't apologize. I don't know what happened, but I can assure you I'm going to find out. Whatever he might have done, he didn't-

[Ryouma pauses. He closes his eyes, takes a moment to steady himself, then opens his eyes once more and continues.]

... he didn't feel it necessary to tell me. He wouldn't answer my messages.

[And there's another moment of hesitation where he watches Takatora, still trying to keep himself as unemotional as possible. ... but there are some obvious cracks.]

None of this is your fault. They wouldn't have brought you here if he wasn't gone.

[... oh. There's another awful weight that hits him, more suddenly than he'd expected, and Ryouma sucks in a breath before turning his head away and bringing one hand up to cover his face. There's a horribly self-defeating attempt at a smile, but it cracks immediately and he looks like he might start crying on the spot.]

... I don't even know where to find his body.

[takatorakureshima]

[He's not entirely sure when he slips into older brother mode, but in moments like this it's a natural state to fall into. Ryouma's own emotions tug at his heartstrings, and before he realizes what exactly he's doing, Takatora has pulled him into a hug.

He doesn't know what to say, or what else there is to be done, but he knows that no one should have to endure this sort of pain alone. If he can take away even an ounce of that loneliness, it'll be enough.]