010. [Action for Dangan House/Text]

[ardent]

[ACTION]

[His first thought upon waking up is that he doesn't know where he is.

His body tenses immediately on that bed in the basement, jolting sharply awake as though he's been startled by something, as though he's just been sleeping and he's had a hell of a nightmare; his eyes are wide, his gaze shifting around the room as though he's trying to get some idea of his surroundings and what's happening around him, and he might just look disoriented if it weren't for the fact that his gaze is so blatantly unfocused.

He's taking in everything without really seeing it; his breathing is quick to even out, however, and after a moment his body relaxes against that futon he sleeps on, and any fear that may have been present in him is gone entirely, seeming to take any genuine fight he may have had along with it.

After a moment he sits up, and if he isn't hindered immediately by anything or anyone he'll get up and start pacing the length of the basement, the motion aimless and ultimately pointless, just something to do because...well, it's something to do.

He hasn't lost that odd, disconnected look in his eyes; he's not registering anything very well, that much is obvious.]


[TEXT]

[A text will be hitting the network shortly after Ishimaru wakes up and any discussions with people in person have been carried out; it's short and uncharacteristically careless, and he isn't paying much attention to the device after it's out there, though he'll respond eventually to anyone who replies.]

i'm awake

and i'm sorry


[OOC: Canon-updating completed, for good or ill.]

Comments

[ardent]

[...relieving us of any butter remaining in the kitchen is likely a very, very good idea, yes.

That said, however, Ishimaru doesn't respond, not verbally, though he does tense up quite a bit as Naegi enters and he can't seem to look at him; his breathing falls shallow and for some reason he can't explain, a slight flicker of anger is threatening to flare up before it quite simply extinguishes itself back into the nothingness that spawned it.

He casts his gaze downward; the look behind them is dead as hell, though his thoughts are still active, trying to put together exactly how he should react to everything that's happened in comparison to everything he's found out here.

It's entirely too much; he isn't sure what to do with it, and so he quite simply does nothing.

...This might take a while.]

[superordinary]

You don't have to say anything, Ishimaru-kun.

[ There's a long pause and he closes the door shut behind him. He's not sure what to say or what do do, so... he just stands there for the time being, one hand still on the door knob. ]

But I'd appreciate it if you did. Is...there anything I can do?

[ardent]

[He goes back to just kind of pacing a bit, aimlessly, as though Naegi isn't there, as though he hasn't heard him; he hesitates near the wall, though, reaching out a little and just letting the side of his hand graze against it. His breathing is shallow, and he doesn't remember deciding to bite down against his lower lip but he's suddenly aware that he is, and he really wants to tell Naegi to leave but at the same time - ]

...don't...don't go. Please.

[ - at the same time, he can't shake the thought that Naegi shouldn't go anywhere, because he knows what's going to happen as soon as he does; maybe not now, maybe not anytime soon, but eventually. He forces people away and then he dies and that's the end of it and...

He doesn't feel anything in response to it; that should probably scare him more than it does.]

[superordinary]

I won't. I promise.

[ It's almost physically painful to see him like this. Perhaps more so than it was back inside Hope's Peak because Ishimaru's grown and changed for the better in Johto and now some cosmic force dediced to rip everything to shreds and leave him like this. It's not fair. ]

I'll stay here as long as you want me to.

[ardent]

[Ishimaru is quiet in response to that, remaining in his spot by the wall; he nods after a moment, however, the gesture tight and hesitant.]

...I didn't die. Back home.

Not yet.

[superordinary]

[ Naegi's eyes briefly flicker down to the floor, and he swallows hard. He's not sure what to say or what he should do and all of this is just making something inside of him shatter into tiny pieces. ]

You're not going back there.

[ He can't actually promise this, but what else is supposed to say? ]

[ardent]

[Ishimaru just kind of stares at him once that's out there; he knows as well as Naegi does that he can't promise that, and that strange flicker of anger threatens to flare up again.

He'd said that before, hadn't he? That he wouldn't go back there. But he had, and if he'd spent less time here he likely would have turned on him once that statement was out there, he would have yelled at him and told him to stop lying to him -

...but the fact is that he's been here for long enough to know better, but as a result he just doesn't know how to respond.

He considers doing nothing; he's trying not to freeze up again, though.]

...it's not...in my future anymore.

[The words are hard to get out there; he can't make himself focus on them very well.]

...Right...?

[superordinary]

Exactly. I'll... I'll do whatever it takes to change your future.

[ He still can't promise anything but Naegi's patented determination is there, unbreakable as ever. ]

[ardent]

[He doesn't say anything right away, his gaze darting away again and fixating on something elsewhere; he lets his hand scrape against the wall idly, and otherwise it's...again, as though Naegi isn't even there, as far as he's concerned.

Again, he has to force out what words he has to offer, when he does speak.]

...what happened...does it...really even matter, back home?

After my brother and I are...gone...does it matter to anyone...?