Ryusei Sakuta (
asteroidbelt) wrote in
rabbithatch2013-02-22 09:47 pm
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no spy music allowed in rabbi thatch | ryusei sakuta and kengo utahoshi
It was quiet when Ryusei walked into Rabbit Hatch. Good, there wasn't anyone in here. He made his way quickly to the control room and pulled out Meteor Switch; he needed to do this quickly before anyone came in. Tachibana's support was all very well and good, but Meteor's status was always either dictated to him or sent in a box. Nothing like the real-time updates Rabbit Hatch could do, and if Ryusei wanted to get a full picture of Meteor's capabilities, he needed to do a little sneaky diagnostic right now, right here.
Don't look down on me.
Tachibana couldn't ever again insinuate that Ryusei was at fault for weaknesses in battle. He had received Meteor Storm, but he didn't want to have to ask for another upgrade, even if he was confident that Tachibana would give it to him. He was grateful to Tachibana for doing so. But on the other hand, Tachibana had taken advantage of his situation—of Jirou's situation—to manipulate Ryusei. Oh yes, he remembered it, even if he was loathe to mention it to Tachibana. Just in case.
Quickly. He tapped his fingers on the table as Meteor Switch was scanned. After a harrowing moment, the results finally came up on the screen. Ryusei leaned forward.
Don't look down on me.
Tachibana couldn't ever again insinuate that Ryusei was at fault for weaknesses in battle. He had received Meteor Storm, but he didn't want to have to ask for another upgrade, even if he was confident that Tachibana would give it to him. He was grateful to Tachibana for doing so. But on the other hand, Tachibana had taken advantage of his situation—of Jirou's situation—to manipulate Ryusei. Oh yes, he remembered it, even if he was loathe to mention it to Tachibana. Just in case.
Quickly. He tapped his fingers on the table as Meteor Switch was scanned. After a harrowing moment, the results finally came up on the screen. Ryusei leaned forward.
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It wasn't like the time he had been stuck in the Rabbit Hatch without a way back to Earth, though the thought came up in his mind every time he walked through the gate. The uncomfortable sensation in his stomach would never go away until after he was safe at home. Even then, he couldn't help but worry. It almost seemed like paranoia, but he felt it was justified.
Kengo let out a breath as soon as the door to the Hatch opened, his body already feeling as though it wanted to give out on him. Maybe he was pushing himself too hard again... He'd told Gentarou that he wanted to take a day off, but he was sure the other knew as well as he did that there was no such thing with his life as a day off. Kengo could never force himself to relax.
From across the room, Kengo could see Ryusei inside the control room. He tilted his head to the side, a little disappointed that he wouldn't have the space to himself, but the other boy was quiet enough. Aside from that, he was good at what he did and if there was switch development to be done, it would go a lot faster with two people. Deciding not to interrupt the other just yet, Kengo dropped his bag next to the table and sat down, leaning with his back against the edge as he stared at the ceiling.
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He breathed a sigh of relief when he looked over his shoulder and saw that Utahoshi wasn't approaching. He took another minute to wipe any evidence that he'd tampered with the settings on the console, and then poked his head out. "Utahoshi-kun? I thought you were with Kisaragi-kun."
In his pocket, Ryusei's hand tightened around Meteor Switch. He really should have been more careful. Barred the door, maybe, put a bell in front of the locker. It wasn't simply a matter of being discovered; he'd lose everything if he was exposed again.
No, calm down. If Utahoshi had seen anything suspicious, he wouldn't keep it to himself. Ryusei had to rely on that judgement of Utahoshi's character. For now.
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When Ryusei spoke, Kengo lifted his head and pushed himself upright, rubbing his sleeve across his eyes for a moment. "I told him I wasn't feeling well." It was both the truth and a lie, a bit of each one. Now that he was here with the uncomfortable feeling in his stomach, he wondered if the infirmary would have been a better choice. ... no. There was still work he could be doing.
"I guess I shouldn't be surprised that you're working so hard." Saying that much almost made him feel embarrassed. Ryusei really had been working hard ever since joining the club and... despite all of the issues Kengo had initially had with him.
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"You should rest. It's what I'm here for, after all."
It would be best if he could persuade Utahoshi to leave entirely; now Ryusei had to start all over with the Meteor examination. He might never get another chance to have Rabbit Hatch to himself. Hmph. 'Another.' He didn't have the place to himself now.
"You can go home if you want. I can take care of things here."
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"I want to be here in case there are any problems. It's not that I don't trust you..." Kengo tilted his head as if to stretch it, closing his eyes again for a moment. Should he admit how uncomfortable he felt entrusting the tactical side of Fourze to someone else? Sakuta had good ideas and instincts -- as good as his own -- but it felt as though surrendering that role would be giving up everything.
Turning his body a bit, Kengo grabbed for one of the pillows from the table, standing up and starting over to one of the chairs. "I don't trust him to stay out of trouble."
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Even if Utahoshi were to sleep, Ryusei couldn't trust that he wouldn't wake up at any moment. If Ryusei had any sleeping pills on him, this would be easier, but he'd eschewed his mother's offers to get them for him, during the few days of sleepless nights before Ryusei had come to Amanogawa. Not that he knew whether or not dissolving sleeping pills in tea actually worked as intended. It might make Utahoshi's condition worse.
The point was moot; Ryusei didn't have anything that could induce sleep. He had to do something about this using more traditional methods, but if Utahoshi was grabbing a pillow, he probably couldn't be talked into leaving now. "Will you be comfortable there? —Use Miu-sempai's chair, she probably wouldn't mind!"
Unfortunately, the area farthest from the control room was the door. But Ryusei could move Miu's chair around to face the door once Utahoshi fell asleep. He could try it now, in fact— "We can move it so I don't bother you while I work!"
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"You won't bother me." On a stroke of luck for Ryusei, it seemed Kengo was intent on moving the chair around on his own. He grabbed the chair and turned it towards the wall, taking a seat and leaning back in it. Tossing the pillow under his head, he turned his back to Ryusei and made a soft, frustrated noise. It felt weird to trust someone this much. He wasn't even sure if he would actually fall asleep or not, but the stress his body had been under was starting to pile up.
Crossing his arms in front of his chest, Kengo turned his head a bit to look behind him. "If it worries you too much, you can just close the door to the control room. ... I just need a few minutes and then I can help with whatever you're working on." A few minutes was more like fifteen or so, if he would actually fall asleep. Aside from that, he was sure that Gentarou's arrival would certainly wake him up, regardless of how deep his sleep might be.
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Even if he could— According to Utahoshi himself, Ryusei would only have a few minutes, anyway. There's nothing I can do, he thought, annoyed, as he went back into the control room and began work on the Fourze Switches. He had to, now; otherwise Utahoshi would wonder why Ryusei wasn't in fact working on anything. He pulled out No. 38.
Looked like a leg part, he thought a moment later, becoming engrossed despite himself. Meteor system couldn't use the arm or leg parts because Meteor didn't have the modules for it.... He'd noticed when starting his work on Switch development that despite Meteor's and Fourze's differences, the Elek and Fire Switches seemed compatible with Meteor system, which he'd confirmed when he'd tested it live. It had been a risk, but even if it hadn't worked, he'd only needed to buy time. He'd been thoroughly confident that it would, in any case; the similarities had been overwhelming. Not that he wanted to use Fourze's Switches. Fourze was Fourze, Meteor was Meteor. Meteor was the more combat-oriented; Fourze's utility Switches wouldn't be overly helpful to Ryusei even if he could use them.
Which was why he wanted to take a look at Meteor himself, he thought, becoming annoyed again. If there was a way to maximize Meteor's strength, he wanted to take it. He couldn't allow himself to stagnate. Encouraging (for a given value of 'encourage') Zodiarts to become Horoscopes was fine and good, but the non-Aries Horoscopes had to be defeated. After all, he couldn't allow any of the Club members to be killed or hurt.
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For the next hour, Kengo slept, barely moving aside from his quiet, irregular breathing. Rolling onto his back, Kengo gasped in a deep breath and put one hand up to his head, staring up at the ceiling. His head was already spinning, the boy making a soft noise in the back of his throat. Waking up tended to feel like this -- as though his entire body had to work to rearrange itself. The dizzy spell went away only after a few minutes of calm breathing. When he moved to sit up, he rested his arms on his legs and looked around the room, his hair rather ruffled.
It didn't look like anyone had come back yet. He wasn't sure if he should worry about it or not.
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He plastered a fake smile to his face as Utahoshi sat up. "Feeling better?"
Ryusei would feel better once he—
He shoved his fists in his pockets as he worked on uncoiling them; he couldn't let Utahoshi suspect that he was angry, but he was too angry to be able to force himself to release the tension in his body. He'd stay right here to avoid the temptation of clapping Utahoshi on the back harder than he should, for... some reason that he felt sure he could take advantage of once it arose. But if Utahoshi was going to come over here then Ryusei was going to have to invent some reason or another to get out. Quickly, for the sake of being prepared, think of one right now—
He was silent a moment until he was sure he could control his voice. "Utahoshi-kun... are you hungry? I can go out and get something...."
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Brushing off the question of whether he was feeling better or not (he wasn't), Kengo moved to stand up, using one hand to flatten his hair down once more. "You should take a break for awhile. I can take over for you. ... or I can get something for you, if you want." Walking around would probably be better for him at this point, but he didn't want Sakuta to feel as though he was taking advantage of him.
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"That's fine. Take your time." It didn't matter how well Ryusei was trying to hide what he was feeling -- at the very least, Kengo could tell he was upset. He just assumed it was for an entirely different reason. Without saying anything else, Kengo took a seat in the control room and started reviewing what Ryusei had been working on, trying to catch up with the other's progress.
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Ryusei got out of Rabbit Hatch, through the locker, and out the door to the storage room before slamming his fist into the wall. "Utahoshi...."
He exhaled deeply, a moment later, resting both hands on the wall. Nothing he could help now. He had to look to the future now. There may or may not be another chance, but he couldn't linger on this incident. To linger was to decide not to live in the present, and he couldn't afford that. Every faculty of Ryusei's needed to be dedicated to the present and future, for Jirou's sake. Ryusei couldn't fail. He couldn't allow himself to fail. So let it go.
Meteor had been doing well enough. Just a moment ago, Ryusei had been working on a Switch, getting it to the point where it was almost ready. If he couldn't use Rabbit Hatch's equipment for Meteor's sake, at least he was using it for Fourze's. Fourze had been responsible for the birth of a Horoscopes—an annoying one, but he'd done it nonetheless. Ryusei could stop Fourze from defeating brightest-star Zodiarts if it should come down to that. Not being able to look at Meteor's specs wasn't a tragedy.
Calmer, Ryusei went to get the food. He didn't know what flavor Utahoshi liked, so he bought two of the plainer ones and then a variety set. Utahoshi hadn't specified, so he couldn't blame Ryusei for it. Not that Utahoshi blamed Ryusei for much, especially not something like this, and he didn't think Utahoshi would send him out again for another if he didn't like it, and there had never been any indication that Utahoshi couldn't eat certain things as far as Ryusei had observed. Still, Ryusei hesitated.
He didn't know what Utahoshi liked, Ryusei decisively said to himself after a moment of debating in front of a sweets shop. The onigiri would have to do. It wasn't like Ryusei was going to get anything sweet for himself, he thought with a snort as he headed back to Rabbit Hatch.
"Sorry for the wait!" he said as he stepped back in. "Um, I didn't know what you would like...."
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By the time Ryusei returned, Kengo had caught up to Ryusei's progress, running system checks and double-checking everything the other boy had done while he'd been asleep. It was absurdly close to being complete, but Kengo was known to double and triple check everything before even allowing it to be tested. It was part of his concern for not wanting to give Gentarou a switch that could possibly backfire.
He barely raised his head when he heard Ryusei's voice, though when his mind finally processed that the other had returned, he snapped shut a notebook that he'd had open in front of him while waiting for the program to finish running. It wouldn't do any good to show that data to anyone else. Resting his arm on top of it, he went back to focusing his attention on the switch.
"I'm fine with anything." His words were just as dismissive as they always were whenever someone asked him about his preferences for something. It seemed as though Kengo only ever gave his opinion when it came to work.
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"Utahoshi-kun, come here already," he said as he took the food out of the bag. Eat first, work later. Ryusei would bring up Utahoshi's condition, but he didn't want to guilt-trip him into coming over. If Utahoshi didn't want to eat, it really wasn't any of Ryusei's business. Utahoshi just still looked a little ill, was all. "I'll eat all of it if you wait too long," he said instead, opening one of the plainer sets.
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"I already had my break." Not that it should have counted, considering his condition and how little he'd been sleeping with the school work Kengo had been working on. "I'll eat whatever you don't want once I'm done."
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Time for something drastic. He called this his Kisaragi move. A move so idiotic and with so high a percentage of pissing off the one he was using it on that it was bound to work! Ugh, Kisaragi logic. He got up, went to the control room, grabbed Utahoshi's shoulders, and started pushing him out to the main room.
"You can take all the breaks you want," he said, after swallowing the bite he'd taken of onigiri. "We're not on a schedule, you know...."
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"S-Sakuta..." Taking that route of action seemed to be effective, though. When forced into a situation by someone he cared about, Kengo had a harder time talking himself out of it. It didn't even occur to him at the moment that he'd left his notebook in the control room, still open to the notes he'd been taking.
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"W-we get worried. About you." So embarrassing. It wasn't even his place to say; Kisaragi and Yuuki and sometimes the others had that covered. As far as Ryusei knew, Utahoshi wasn't hungry because he'd already eaten. But then, if he had, he would have said so. Everything Utahoshi had said indicated... Ryusei didn't know what it indicated, but what it didn't indicate wasn't that Utahoshi didn't want to eat. "So, I'm sorry," he said with an embarrassed air, letting go. "But... Kisaragi-kun would have wanted me to do it."
Well, he did call it his Kisaragi move.... Convenient an excuse as any, and maybe mentioning Kisaragi would abate Utahoshi's anger. Not that Utahoshi seemed angry.
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With this particular page, however, very little of what was written had to do with the Fourze system. There were notes about the circle module switches and Meteor's system -- Elek, Fire, and lesser things like Rocket and Chain Array. He had theorized that being able to use Elek only left Meteor compatible with that aspect of Fourze's system -- but could Fourze use Meteor, and how similar were the bases? It had to have some tie to his father, that system. He just didn't know how.
"I know..." Now Kengo looked even more embarrassed, tilting his head down and actually managing a smile with how awkward he felt. He still hadn't let go of the other just yet. "I'm sorry... for upsetting you earlier. I don't want you to have to work alone either." Apologizing was certainly not something Kengo did easily and it was obvious from the look on his face how uncomfortable he was. But the fact that he was putting the effort forward to say it meant a lot.
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His Kisaragi move had worked maybe a little too well, Ryusei thought uncomfortably as he pulled away. "I don't mind working alone," he said tentatively. "I-I wasn't upset."
Was that what Utahoshi had thought? Ryusei had left to get food. What indicators had there been that he had been upset? Not stuffing his hands in his pockets, surely.... He needed to be more careful. He didn't have an excuse for that behavior. For now, he'd let Utahoshi believe his mistake.
"Really, I wasn't." He turned away. Protest a little more, make it seem insincere. Was that enough? He couldn't tell. "I— It was just—
"Anyway!" he said after letting the pause sit until it became awkward. He turned around with a fake grin. "Let's eat! Here...." He picked up the variety set and handed it to Utahoshi.
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"You left pretty quickly earlier. I guess I'm just paranoid. ... it's really hard to figure people out. I'm still not used to it yet and I know I'm usually harsh and demanding towards everyone. I was worried I'd crossed a line with you." Kengo absently picked at the plastic, keeping his head down. "I don't really spend time with anyone in the club outside of being with the group as a whole."
Realizing that he was starting to open up a bit too much, Kengo shifted uncomfortably, fighting the urge to mutter an apology. Instead, he brought the food up to his mouth and took a careful bite, still seeming as though he was focusing on his own thoughts more than anything else.
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Even so, Ryusei was surprised at the admission that Utahoshi tried. Ryusei had always been under the impression that Utahoshi Did Things, and everyone followed. Utahoshi being the most competent person in the Club probably accounted for some of that, Ryusei thought with a sardonic smile he didn't show.
"What... line is that?" Ryusei had never made it seem as if he didn't want to be alone, had he? He'd wanted to join the Club, but he wouldn't have done anything about Zodiarts on his own, and anyway, Kisaragi had already befriended him (and had dragged Ryusei over to sit near him), so Ryusei wouldn't have been alone even if he'd wanted to. Was Utahoshi projecting his own feelings onto Ryusei? Impossible. Utahoshi not working alone was the reason he'd gotten angry at Ryusei and Kisaragi in the first place.
And... why did he think not eating would solve anything if Ryusei really had been mad? Wait, Ryusei was pretending that he was. Quickly, repair this. "I-it's not like I have a line or anything...." His nervous smile faded as he shiftily looked away.
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Kengo acknowledged the club and his ties to everyone, but it still felt... off. It was as though there was an invisible wall between him and other people where he couldn't quite understand them. Friendship and ties seemed to come so easily to Yuki and Gentarou... Why couldn't it be that easy for him? What was so hard to understand?
"Making you feel like I'm expecting you to pick up my slack, rather than having an equal standing. My condition shouldn't give me an excuse to do less work." It felt so very uncomfortable to talk about things like this, but every time he tried to stop, he felt as though he had to keep explaining himself. Sakuta had never made it difficult to like him, but with how closely they worked together, Kengo felt he needed to have a stronger relationship with him. It would make sense for them to trust each other as much as Gentarou and Kengo trusted each other.
His reason for wanting to avoid coming into the middle room was purely to avoid further issues. Kengo was aware that his attitude when it came to being hurt by anything was to lash out at others and draw away from them.
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