birdinhand | IC Inbox for neornithes

So you don't mind if I stay a while?

If you want to. [He pulls his knees up against himself while he works on his popsicle.

Of course she would choose to take the risk on whatever that card was on herself. That she would make that choice didn't surprise him in the least. She hadn't changed at all. Well, that wasn't true. She was sadder, because of him. And now she was dead.

And he's just glaring at a point on the bed just beyond his knees. What the fuck had he been wasting all this time for?]

[ He didn't know if sitting down would irritate Ankh or not, so he just stood. He could tell by the way he was acting that he was fighting with himself, even if he wouldn't say it out loud. ]

This isn't your fault, Ankh.

Tche. Sit down before you hurt yourself. Or else we'll both look useless without Hi-- [Okay his voice caught in his throat. Still not really looking at Eiji at all.] And I know that, I'm not an idiot.

[ Eiji nodded, biting his lip as he sat at the edge of Ankh's bed. It really was hard to think about her being gone. She'd be back the next day, but... even if he knew nobody between them was at fault, he still felt guilty himself. Like he'd let her down somehow. But he should probably focus on helping Ankh, not making himself sadder. ]

I know you're not dumb or anything. I just... wanted you to know I'm here to support you, I guess.

She'll be back. [Because considering any other possibility probably meant there would be arson on the itinerary tonight.]

You don't have to pretend you're not upset around me. It's not like I'll tell anyone.

What would freaking out do?

Well, nothing, I --

[ He lowered his head, feeling more defeated by the minute. ]

I'm trying to be a good friend is all.

[He flinched when Eiji said that. No, that's not what he wanted to do. He pushed his fluff of curls back off his face.

When he spoke again the hard edge was gone, in that way that was usually reserved for when he talked to Hina. He's still being stubborn about keeping it even and not letting it shake at all.] Making that decision is just so very like her.

[ He looked up at the change in his voice. He showed his surprise for a second, but was rid of it just as quick. They were talking about Hina, after all. Of course he'd speak differently about her. ]

She's really brave, huh? [ He smiled just slightly. ] I guess she always has been from the sound of things.

[He nodded. He was messing more with his hair as though hanging the way it was suddenly bothered him.] She had to be. It's been just the two of us for ages. Before I left her by herself, anyway...

[ That was kind of strange... but he'd better not say anything about it. ]

But you're here with her now. That's what's important, isn't it?

I don't know if it's really that easy... [Finally he seems to realize there's nothing to be done about it now and leaves it the hell alone.]

Maybe not, but don't people always say the things worth fighting for are the hardest? If anyone is worth your best effort it's Hina-chan, right?

Yeah... it is. [He sighed.]

[On a semi-related note...] By the way... Have you talked to Weiss at all in the last couple of days?

Hm? [ What kind of question was that? ] Uh, I haven't called her or anything for a little while. Why?

So you haven't heard yet. [He scrubs at his face. This is going to suck.]

Did something happen to her?

[ He looked pretty worried then. ]

She's okay, right?

[He understood Eiji's concern, but he needed a moment to actually spit it out. After several seconds..] She's not badly hurt, no. If anything it's superficial. I think I got her hair mostly.

I tried to set her on fire for dumping that acid on me during the fight against Philip. [That angry, vicious part of him he was tamping down right now didn't really regret it. Worse, he hadn't decided if he agreed with that or not yet.]

Ankh! [ He shot up from the bed and looked at him in complete exasperation, but the sudden pressure on his toes hurt more than he'd expected so he fell to the bed again just as quick. He put his hands to his face and groaned, both because of the pain and because of Ankh. ]

You can't do stuff like that! [ Eiji turned to him again, the evident worry back on his face. ]

I know, I know! It's not something I'm proud of. That's just another for the list. It was stupid, impulsive, and way over the line.

I'm just glad I didn't actually pull it off...

[ Ankh really had been a totally different guy back when he was just Shingo... ]

Why did you change your mind? Because of Hina-chan?

[A wry smirk.] No, a guy working in the library got involved. Thanks to that sick doctor, now everyone knows Hina is connected to me. He was probably bluffing, but I can't take the chance.

And even though it's crazy, I still want to do the same thing to that bitch the President or whatever she calls herself. [He takes a deep breath. Keeping his anger under control can be hard sometimes.]

Oh, um, I see. Well, people probably would have found out eventually anyway...

[ He crossed his arms like he was thinking hard about everything An-- Shingo-san? Ankhingo. Everything Ankhingo was saying. ]

Hurting people is what they do though. We wouldn't really be different if we did the same stuff.

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