| [Nov. 14th, 2011|03:04 am] |
Katsuko gave an expansive shrug. “I am my very own night-light,” she announced with mock solemnity.
"You are your very own touched-in-the-head," Asuma told her, in some cross-hatch between fondness and worry. His eyes flicked down again, but this time didn’t linger on the seal. He lifted an eyebrow at her. “Want the blanket back, pretty girl, or are you happy hanging out in the breeze?”
She blinked in confusion before remembering she was naked. “I am fifteen,” she told him, desert-dry. “I can also count all my ribs. There is nothing to hang out. You are ridiculous.” After a moment, she added, “You need it more than I do. I’m not cold.”
“Cold wasn’t my worry,” he said, an edge entering his voice. “I'm seventeen. Technically that makes me your senpai, and as your glorious leader I'm instigating a basic clothes-wearing policy." He leaned over, carefully, picking up the blanket and passing it through the bars.
Katsuko accepted it with a reluctant smile, wrapping it around her shoulders. “As long you don’t expect me to call you ‘senpai’ and flutter my eyelashes.”
Whatever reply Asuma was going to make was cut off by the basement door slamming open. Katsuko froze, eyes going toward the empty gurney an orderly pushed into the hall. The restless muttering of the prisoners faded into silence, drowned out by the squeak of rusty wheels.
The gurney stopped in front of Ichiba’s cell. The boy whimpered, scrambling back as the orderly unlocked the door.
“No!” Katsuko flung herself against the bars of her cell, heedless of the pain in her abdomen roaring back to life. All she could think of was the new depth of madness in Kaminari’s eyes, the careless cruelty that had drowned out even the trained precision of a scientist. “Ichiba!”
“Katsuko!” Ichiba sobbed as the orderly picked him up with one arm, flinging him onto the gurney mattress and buckling his wrists into the leather restraints.
Asuma stumbled to the bars of his own cell. "It'll be okay, kiddo. You're going to come back. You're tough as nails." He looked over at the orderly and snapped, “Gentle, you bastard. He's just a kid!"
The orderly grunted, ignoring them as he finished with the ties at Ichiba’s ankles. Katsuko swore, fury and blind panic blurring her vision. “Take me instead,” she pleaded. “The seal’s acting up again--Kaminari would want to see that. Please, don’t take him.”
The orderly grunted. “Don’t worry, kid. You’re next on the list.” He looked down at Ichiba, snapping, “Stop crying!”
Ichiba craned his head to look at Katsuko, eyes huge and dark in his face. Katsuko sobbed, reaching for him even as the gurney lurched into motion again and the orderly pulled the basement door shut behind them. |
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