warmwood, evening 2; tsukiyama + banjou

[lasuaspada]

[Tsukiyama doesn't return home immediately after the trial; rather, the first part of his evening is full of the sort of questionable life choices that lead to him getting violently ill immediately after he does. It'd been reckless, and he's aware that it's a bad idea to be spending time anywhere near someone possessed while he's in a less than ideal physical state, but at the same time he can't say that he can be bothered to care, and in its own way it had been entirely worth it.

After a while, however, he'd forced himself up and straightened himself up, and even if he's still looking...slightly disheveled he's more composed than he has been for the better part of the day, and when he finally finds Banjou he doesn't approach him properly. Instead he just leans up against the doorframe and watches him for a moment; when he finally speaks, his voice is perhaps surprisingly calm, even if his expression is a bit unnervingly blank.]

Why did you abstain?

[The question is straightforward; it's all he offers for now. No greeting, but not screaming insults either. Just a question.]

Comments

[irenicly]

[Why is he doing this?

This is going to get himself killed.]

I don't know what it wants, but please... please...

[This isn't really going anywhere and he knows it. Tsukiyama should be the one asking questions right now.]

[lasuaspada]

[Just...just let him think, okay?]

The Lady needs to know about this - surely she can do something if we inform her of this, or at the very least she won't send those we find to their deaths...!

[irenicly]

Shuu-san, I don't know how a demon can be removed. Our Lady may find it easier to kill the demon and host.

If you ask her to do so, she'll say it's blasphemy.

[lasuaspada]

...All right. This...it will remain between us for now.

[Because nothing in their lives is ever easy; welcome to Tokyo Ghoul, where everything's fucked up and your desire to stop suffering doesn't matter.]

Are you aware of everything that's been happening?

[irenicly]

[He nods his head.]

I don't share dreams with the demon, but I'm aware of everything else.

[lasuaspada]

[...oh

well shit]

I suppose you saw how that last trial went, then.

[irenicly]

I can't blame you for what you tried to do.

[lasuaspada]

Well, I should hope not, given everything that's happened.

...We'll figure something out, Kazuichi-san, and I won't let you die. I promise you.

[irenicly]

[He gives a slight, sad smile.]

Thank you.

[And then Banjou straightens up, holding out his hand.]

I'm sorry. That's all the time I can give you.

[lasuaspada]

[...Ah.

Tsukiyama can feel himself tense up a little again when the demon's presence returns, but he...doesn't seem nearly as riled as he did before.]

...You know, that was surprisingly decent of you, monsieur.

[........

...are...you a guy...okay look let's just not worry about that right now]

[irenicly]

[He doesn't smile at that, looking away.]

I'm sorry I couldn't give you more time.

[lasuaspada]

You didn't have to do it at all.

[And something about that seems to relax him a little; not much, but some.]

Answer something for me?

[irenicly]

[Banjou turns back to look at Tsukiyama.]

If I can, I'll answer whatever you ask.

[lasuaspada]

Are you capable of fondness towards us? Those of us that aren't possessed.

[irenicly]

Yes. We are.

[It's the truth, for once. Instead of a half truth or an outright lie for Tsukiyama's sake.]

[lasuaspada]

...I see.

[Hmm.]

Were you being honest with me when you told me that you abstained because you didn't want to kill me, then?

[irenicly]

[There's a short nod.]

What your brother feels, I feel.

[lasuaspada]

[...That actually gets a brief laugh out of him; he settles rather quickly at that, actually.]

So he's acting as my shield even now...? How very like him.

If that's true for all of you, however, that explains why you put us to sleep rather than doing anything else - I'd wondered about that. It would make more sense for you to kill us, if you felt so maliciously toward all of us.

[irenicly]

We'd rather not kill any of you.

[And that, at least, makes him feel a little better. Like this, he isn't really lying to Tsukiyama.

But Banjou is a pacifist, not naive. He knows people are going to stop abstaining and people will actually start dying. Probably as soon as tomorrow.]

I don't want you to die.

[lasuaspada]

Naturellement - no, I think getting to send me to the pyre would give the dove too much satisfaction.

[irenicly]

Doves really are all the same, aren't they?

[Nothing personal, Fulbright.]

I know you won't trust the word of a demon, brother, but I will always be your "shield."

[lasuaspada]

[...You know, about that.]

So if you don't dislike us, and you don't want us to die - what is it that you're...doing, exactly?

[irenicly]

[He looks at his hands at that question.]

...I'm sorry, Shuu-san, but I can't answer that question.

[...]

It's not that I don't want to tell you, but I... I don't know.

[lasuaspada]

...How can you not know, monsieur? You have to be putting us to sleep for a reason.

[irenicly]

We were given a motivation-- something I can't tell you, but I will say it was enough to compel us forward.

All I can say is we must make as many Faithful sleep as possible. We weren't given an option.

[He believes the Gentleman as much as Tsukiyama believes the Lady, but now that Tsukiyama is questioning him, it reminds him of his time as a runner for Aogiri Tree, and how very low on the information chain he really is.]