Sunday 1.6: Escape

[genuinelie.livejournal.com]

Ran had grabbed his katana and stormed up to the exercise room, but the present moment found him hunched over his sword, staring at the hilt and the slim blade glinting beneath.

He should never have threatened Yohji with his sword, even if both men knew he wouldn't use it against him, at least not for that.

He could almost see the blood of the fallen streaming in the sunlight, a river that stretched down from the window and across the floor. Gathering on the blade and making it gleam orange with morning sun.

He had told himself that once his sister was awake, he would no longer be Weiss. He would no longer touch this weapon, or kill again.

But his sister need protection.

But it was more than that.

It was more than the money, too, however needed.

Perhaps it was a sense of obligation towards his team. Perhaps it was that he had transferred his need for a purpose to his team, now that Aya-chan was with them, now that he felt obsolete.

Perhaps somehow, Omi's idealism had spread to him, and he recognized the need for an absolute justice outside of the law.

Something was keeping him here.

He shook off his thoughts.

He was still throbbing with the irritation Yohji was so adept at provoking.

Ran straightened, and fell into a familiar pattern, careful footsteps and swinging blade courting one another in a graceful dance, two parts of one whole.

Comments

[skyrat13.livejournal.com]

Yohji hesitantly took Aya's hand and pulled himself up. He was grateful that Aya was giving him an out without criticism.

"Thanks for humoring me," he mumbled.

It was hard to make eye contact.

[genuinelie.livejournal.com]

Ran glanced at Yohji out of the corner of his eyes. "Hn." He responded. There wasn't much else to say.

[skyrat13.livejournal.com]

Yohji sat back down on the sofa and closed his eyes for a moment. Well, *that* was a brillant idea. He had just managed to further prove to Ran that he was a complete and utter loser.

He wondered if Ran was going to leave now. Yohji felt even less prepared to deal with a solitary existance than he had ten minutes ago. If he wanted to avoid that, he'd better say something.

"Um," he had started talking without actually figuring out what he was going to say "...what kind of books do you read? You seem like a Mishma kind of guy to me."

[genuinelie.livejournal.com]

Ran raised an eyebrow. Currently, what he was reading was not something he wanted to share with Yohji.

Instead of answering, he asked, "Are you doing something else today?"

[skyrat13.livejournal.com]

Ran's obvious avoidance of his question piqued Yohji's interest, but he didn't press the issue.

What was Yohji doing today? Sleep would have been his first answer, but he'd already tried that and failed. Probably before breakfast he would have said "go out" but he didn't really feel like that anymore.

"Nope," he said with a shrug.

[genuinelie.livejournal.com]

He had nothing to say. Ran nodded at Yohji after a moment of silence. "I'm...going to make tea."

It was unnecessary. Yohji did not need to know what he was doing.

Uncomfortable with the situation, he turned on his heel and went upstairs.

[Ran leaves.]