Virtue, dear friend, needs no defense, The surest guard is innocence

[hisxsacrifice.livejournal.com]

Characters: Ritsuka, Open
When: Backdated to after this
Where: Garage at 16th and Nevinnost
Rating: PG-13
Summary: The reaction to the Joker's message
Note: Anyone can come, but Ritsuka won't want to leave until he sees Soubi



He hadn't moved much from where they'd left. The cigarette had been let to fall from his lips after a few minutes had passed, and dull eyes watched in for some time, laying prone on the dirty floor. There was blood on in, looking almost like a lipstick print. He wasn't sure how long he stared at it before a wave of nausea had him curling in further on himself.

His fingers came to pry weakly at the collar cutting him off from Soubi, making a small noise in the back of his throat as he tried to keep his emotions plugged up. It wouldn't budge and his head hung, resting on his knees. Tentatively, he brought his hand up to his head, where his ears should have been, and instead is hand feel through nothing and came to his hair. They were really gone.

Comments

[falling-lotus.livejournal.com]

His head instantly jerked in that direction when he heard the whine, the shaking boxes more than enough of a clue as to where the boy was. He did what Ritsuka hadn't managed and pushed the boxes over and out of the way as he crouched down beside him, taking in the full extent of the damage now that he had a better view than the PDA had offered. He was roughed up, but it looked as if the cuts opening up the edges of his lips were the worst of it. No ears, he noted in the back of his mind, Ritsuka's attempts to hide it only drawing more attention. He had told Uchiha Sasuke losing them meant you were an adult. Hitsugaya chose to ignore the implications for the moment.

The cuts on the mouth were bad, but they were no where near fatal. Healing kidou was far from his specialty, but for something like this, he could at least manage to close up the wounds, perhaps even lighten the scars so that they'd be less noticeable. He didn't bother saying anything. He wouldn't know what to say, and if he tried it would be far from comforting. He only held one finger to his lips and moved the other hand to Ritsuka's mouth, muttering under his breath. The hand near Ritsuka's wounds began glowing with cool blue reiatsu, and he set to work, needing complete concentration to get this right.

[hisxsacrifice.livejournal.com]

He sucked in a breath, violet eyes peering nervously at at him, and when he reached for him he started to scoot back away from the hand, but when he saw he wasn't trying to hurt him he stilled. His eyes darted about while Hitsugaya worked, afraid of looking any one place in particular.

His shoulders remained tense...he wanted Soubi. But he didn't want him to see him like this.

[falling-lotus.livejournal.com]

"Calm down," he finally managed, worry lines creasing his brow as he continued the kidou spell. It was hardly what you told someone who'd gone through something so obviously traumatizing, but it was what he needed Ritsuka to do none-the-less. The cuts were slowly coming back together, flesh resealing itself to flesh, but if the other boy remained to tense and jumpy, it would probably start to hurt even worse.

[hisxsacrifice.livejournal.com]

"Mm." He made a small noise, not quite affirmative, but he did seem to be trying, closing his eyes and taking slow, shaky breaths. It felt strange, but the adrenaline pumping through his system had dulled most of his pain into a numbness he couldn't describe.

"...I can't feel Soubi," he choked out, unable to hold it in, even with the silent warning to be quiet.

[falling-lotus.livejournal.com]

The edge of his lip twitched at the choked admission. He could feel the other presence that had entered, but he didn't sense any blood lust or animosity. Whoever it was was staying out of the way, which made them much more cooperative and much easier to ignore than Ritsuka. Ritsuka, who was muttering about not being able to feel his partner, who was opening his mouth and trying to talk even as the edge of his lips were being healed. Then again, if Hitsugaya had ever lost track of Matsumoto's reiatsu... No. That didn't matter because she wasn't here.

He sighed. One side was now reattached, the other side getting close. He wouldn't chance asking questions until the healing was complete, especially when he didn't want to get distracted. But as soon as the glow began to fade, he took a deep breath and released it, his shoulders slumping ever so slightly as he moved his hand away to inspect the outcome. Not bad for an amateur like him.

Alright then. Now he could ask questions. "What does that mean? When you can't feel him."

[hisxsacrifice.livejournal.com]

"...I can't feel him at all," he tried to explain, "Here." He placed his hand over his heart, over the place where his true name was written down his chest. His eyes became glossy again, and he shook his head, not knowing how to explain it. "...It's like he's dead." His voice was small and hoarse, and he glanced warily towards the woman. Was she safe? He hadn't talked to her before. Was anyone safe?

[falling-lotus.livejournal.com]

Well... shit. But no, that didn't mean anything conclusive. If Hitsugaya had known what Soubi's energy signature was like, he could have searched for it, but he didn't. "I doubt he's dead. You're the only one in danger here," he reassured. It was an empty reassurance, certainly, but a reassurance none-the-less. "It's more likely something's happened to you than to him."

[hisxsacrifice.livejournal.com]

Ritsuka swallowed, wanting to protest, but he gave a small nod, and wrapping his arms a little further around himself at the appearance of a third person. So that was Grimmer. He groaned and tried to hide his face in his knees. He didn't want all these people looking at him.