Wednesday 1.45 - Getting Yohji home

[ginnyvos.livejournal.com]

Nagi exited Schuldig's room, holding the door open for Kudou to follow him as he tried to figure out how to get the two of them to the Koneko. A car was out; while Nagi could drive quite well, he'd found that not even the best fake ID would convince a cop he was allowed to drive. He could put Kudou in the drivers seat of course, but than both Crawford and Schuldig would kill him on the spot if he took their - overly expensive - cars and left them at the Koneko.
He could take a taxi, but the chance of the driver being nosy, of him noticing anything he shouldn't be noticing was too large.
He sighed. The subway it was than. He *hated* taking the subway.

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[skyrat13.livejournal.com]

Yohji stumbled after Nagi clumsily, trying to keep his thoughts on neutral questions, such as wondering how far away they were, and how the boy was going to manage to get him inconspicuously home. It was all he could do to stave off the truly troubling concepts which Mastermind and Oracle had tempted him with, and the fear of just how much he’d potentially regret his decision once returned with the desperation and panic worn off.

He awkwardly supported himself against the wall as Prodigy paused and looked thoughtful. Apparently he wasn’t the only one questioning these things.

[ginnyvos.livejournal.com]

Finally, Nagi turned to Kudou. "Are you fit to walk for a little while?" He asked, tones still completely neutral, no show of emotion in any of his language, be it spoken or body.
If Kudou wasn't fit, Nagi would have to figure out something else. Possibly, he could keep Kudou upright with his power, support him. And than there was the question of how he could keep Kudou from knowing where exactly their house was. He did not want to move again... Like he'd told Schuldig; he liked this place and was starting to feel at home.

On the other hand, it would probably only be fair if Weiss knew their place. After all, they knew theirs... Than again, since Weiss was so dead-set on labeling them as the bad-guys, it would only be fair if they didn't play fair. Heh.

After a bit of mental concideration, he floated Schuldig's coat and Crawfords darkest sunglasses over from the coat stand. He knew they wouldn't appreciate the effort but... Well it was their problem, he needed something to cover Kudou with and his own clothes were definitely not going to fit.

[skyrat13.livejournal.com]

Yohji accepted the coat, relieved that he was not going to have to go out in public in his current state.... Even if he'd buttoned his shirt back up the bandages and bloodstains were hard to miss. He looked like he'd been in a car accident. Actually that might be a good alibi if stopped.

He nodded to the boy. He'd make himself be able to walk. He'd crawled home from missions in worse shape than he was now, he'd just... manage. Somehow.

Schuldig's sunglasses were a welcome addition. Comforting almost. He slid them onto his face with much practiced ease, although this time he pushed them securely in place instead of leaving them to precariously balance on the end of his nose as usual. He felt more together now. With a regained degree of presentability, he felt like he had some control back, even if it was just an illusion.

"Alright," he cracked a smile at Nagi, actually half sincere with relief and gratefulness that the kid apparently really wasn't in the same league as his teammates... whatever the hell 'league' that was (he was leaving with probably more questions about his enemies than answers for all the close proximity he'd been granted.)

"Lets do what the asshole said, and get the fuck out of here."

He turned towards the door without waiting for a response.

[ginnyvos.livejournal.com]

Nagi nodded, floated over his own coat and walked after Kudou, not leaving the man from his sight.
"Get into the elevator," it didn't really sound like the order it was.

He just hoped Schuldig wouldn't kill him for what he was about to do, but he had to do something to keep Kudou from finding their location...

[skyrat13.livejournal.com]

Yohji did as told, immediately moving to the back so that he could hold himself up with the railing and lean against the wall again. He was short of breath after barely a few steps.

He watched Nagi carefully. Now wasn't a good time to grow over-confident that he was actually safe.

"Is it...far?" he asked.

[ginnyvos.livejournal.com]

"A five minute walk. Give me the glasses for a moment, please?"

Nagi stood between Kudou and the door, almost in a protective fashion.

[skyrat13.livejournal.com]

Yohji raised an eyebrow at the strange request, but silently handed them over.

[ginnyvos.livejournal.com]

Nagi took the glasses and closed his eyes. It was but a theory but...

He started rubbing with his powers, rapid friction over the darkened glass. If he could be fast enough, rub hard enough, the layer would melt slightly, and that might be able to change the structure just enough that the glasses would be too dark for Kudou to see through.

The elevator rode down in silence, no one disturbing them as the floors flew past. Nagi kept rubbing when finally, at the fourth floor and almost there, he felt the material give a little. Another moment or two saw the layer molten, only to harden again the moment Nagi stopped his powers. He opened his eyes and looked down at his effort.
The glasses were indeed darker. If they were dark enough to keep Kudou from seeing anything, he didn't know, but they would see.

A small bell rang to let them know they had reached the ground floor. Nagi gave a small nod to himself and handed Kudou the glasses without a word, waiting for the man to catch up with him before he exited the elevator.

[skyrat13.livejournal.com]

Yohji continued to watch Nagi intently. It didn’t take him very long to get an inkling of what the boy was up to. He’d found it a little unlikely that he would be so nonchalantly escorted back on foot where he’d almost unquestionably be able to figure out their whereabouts. By car at least, the boy could have taken him on a roundabout disorienting goose chase before finally dropping him off.

He glanced away, not wanting Nagi to think he was too concerned over the matter. He cautiously rubbed his wrists which were crisscrossed with a raw assortment of burns, both rope induced and literal. Luckily nothing was overly deep or severe.

When the glasses were finally handed back, he unflinchingly returned them to his nose. This time however, they were not locked quite as securely in place as before. He was thoroughly practiced in the skill of seeing via his periphery vision around the edges, and Schuldig’s fashion sense was surprising compatible with his own, meaning that very little effort was required to adjust to them.

He tried not to admit to himself that memorizing the location of Schwarz’s headquarters had little to do with team dynamics. He wanted to keep his options open. He might need an escape route.

[ginnyvos.livejournal.com]

They walked out of the building - from the corners of his eyes, Yohji got an impression of a chic, fancy foyer, but than they were outside. Nagi quickly led them down the street and into an alley-way. He didn't think it'd be the best idea to keep to the main streets in this condition. It wasn't as if anyone would be able to hurt them and he hoped it would make it harder for Kudou to remember.
Slowly, they made their way to the second-nearest subway-station that Nagi knew of.

[skyrat13.livejournal.com]

Fumbling, Yohji followed the silent teenager down the street. He counted his steps, doing his best to memorize the pattern of turns. He rather doubted that he’d actually be able to find his way back, but he was determined to put forth his best effort. He could easily see the sidewalk and brief sideways glimpses of storefronts although the path ahead of him he was treading blind. He wondered at the fact that he had failed to walk into anything and if the boy’s powers had had anything to do with that. A few times he’d had to awkwardly reach out and grasp Nagi for support, although he’d immediately let go the second he stabilized.

He was surprised to find himself precariously teetering on what he quickly realized was the entrance to the subway. It seemed a bold move; Yohji was fairly certain that even thoroughly covered the two of them made a suspicious duo. He was limping and had to be noticeably disorientated. He doubted that Nagi looked a very likely chaperone.

And yet, in spite of this, as far as Yohji could tell no one paid them any particular attention. The average person, he mused, didn’t want to be aware of anything out of the ordinary. The swarm of commuters around them rushed by with blinders on, eager to mind their own business and not be bothered in return.

He counted the stops. Schwarz was a mere five stations away; they hadn’t even had to transfer. So close, and Weiss had never even been aware. They’d probably passed each other a multitude of times and never even noticed. Well, Schwarz had probably noticed….

He almost couldn’t believe it when he started recognizing actual cracks in the pavement. The edge of a mailbox he’d walked by more times than he could count…. He dared to slide the glasses off, confident that they were close enough to the Koneko for it to no longer matter. He was rewarded with a very welcome sight.

Yohji collapsed against a door that he hadn’t dared hope he’d actually see again. He had to take a moment to catch his breath, the trip, brief as it had been, had thoroughly sapped his scant energy. Finally he shrugged off Schuldig’s coat, surprised to find a touch of relief as he noticed that unlike Schuldig’s bed, he’d managed not to stain it with blood. Now that he was actually starting to accept that yes, he was actually going to live, the malicious ill will that he’d harbored against the redhead was not quite as quick on the uptake as it had been while he still ranked a hostage.

He handed it back to Nagi along with the ruined sunglasses. His hand, clutching the doorknob like a lifeline, he finally looked the boy dead on and gave him a grateful smile.

He’d had a lot of time to do some serious thinking since his experience as a captive had begun winding down. It caused him to remember things, cracking the foundations of his solid conceptions of the dynamics between their teams.

“Thanks for the water,” he acknowledged with a nod, then decided more ought to be said. “I saw you,” He bluntly added, “with...Tot. You’re okay.”

He started to open the door, hoping that he hadn't just made a horrible mistake.

[ginnyvos.livejournal.com]

Nagi had kept silent through the whole walk, subsequent subway-ride and than the last short walk. He felt something clench inside him every time Schuldig touched him, but didn't let it show. He had a task. He needed to fulfill it.
Schwarz lived in an area that was as densely populated as the rest of inner Tokyo, and Weiss would be searching the area around the subway-station he'd taken Kudou to, not the next one over. It wasn't much but... Well, it was all he could do at the moment.

He took the coat and glasses silently, was about to turn away when Kudou spoke up for the first time since the start of their walk.
Nagi froze at the mention of Tot, his eyes going a little wide. He'd been very effectively avoiding thinking about the girl he'd loved. Been in love with. Crawford had kept him away from her for his own protection. Crawford was always right. That fact had only been proven later, at the tower.
After the tower, he'd had other things to think of. He'd completely exhausted himself in bringing the tower down and keeping his team-mates safe while doing so. In the end, Farf had had to drag him on the shore, and he'd been extremely sick for a good while after. As his energy-reserves and power rebuild themselves, he'd taken up surveillance over the internet and didn't think about Tot either. After that, he'd just fallen into the habit of not thinking of her. It was better this way. Crawford had warned him for her. Crawford kept him safe. Crawford was always right.

The comment about him being 'okay' fell to deaf ears as Nagi screwed his eyes tightly shot, clenched his fist and turned. Slowly, he walked away, keeping his power close to him and fighting to bury the memory, put it where it belonged; tucked away so deep that not even Schuldig would reach there.

[skyrat13.livejournal.com]

Yohji watched uneasily as Nagi iced over. He shouldn’t have said that. He’d been pressing his luck; he should have just silently accepted the fact that Schwarz apparently could show occasional mercy. The boy had truly baffled him though, and he’d remembered how he’d seen something in him once, that had briefly, vaguely reminded him of himself. The problem was, he shouldn’t have been watching then. What he’d intended as a token of gratitude was really more of an admittance of invasiveness. It should have been clear that Nagi wasn’t the sort of person who’d appreciate that.

For a second he almost went after the boy, then stopped himself in horror. What kind of masochistic freak chases down their captor after finally being released? Was he really that….stupid?

Almost.

But he’d had enough experience with Ran to know when someone had effectively shut down their emotions beyond your reach. Yohji rather doubted that further harassing Nagi would accomplish much other than risking further injury.

He reluctantly turned away and went inside.

[Yohji exits to Wed. 1.28]

[ginnyvos.livejournal.com]

(OOC: Sorry for the long wait guys)

Nagi slowly started on the long walk home. He didn't feel like taking the subway, didn't trust himself not to lash out when someone so much as bumped into him.
At first, it took all his concentration just to keep a leash on his turbulent power, but slowly, very slowly, the tension inside him unravelled. He let his mind wander than, as he himself concentrated only on finding his way home.
Around him, Tokyo bustled and flowed, rows upon rows of humans seeking their way through a place so small that it could never have been meant to hold as many people as it did.
As his mind came to rest, he started thinking over all the things that'd happened that day. It had been a turbulent day by any standards, his usual calm no more than a facade now. Kudou's capture, Crawford hitting Schuldig, his unexpected need to take care of Kudou, the information he'd found on Sato and Johnson, Crawford having sex with Schuldig, Farf bringing him a kitten - he still needed a name for the creature - and finally Kudou's parting words. Non of it really made sense to him. It had been quite a rollercoaster ride and to be honest? He never had been fond of rollercoasters. That was more Schu and Farf's sort of enjoyment.

Above him, the sky darkened and around him lights were lit. It was already evening, Nagi noted with a bit of a start. He didn't know quite how long he'd taken to walk home, but he was quite sure it shouldn't have taken this long.
He looked around him and noted that the neighbourhood was familiar, not too far from home. Finally finding some purpose in his step, he pushed his way through the crowds and walked home.

[Nagi exits to Wed 1.46]