[That sucks....but it does get him thinking a little.
Maybe doing something a little lighter wouldn't be so bad-and it'd distract them for a while.
...Yes, he has forgotten that he neglected to tell Yosuke about his eyes. Blame his eagerness to maybe do something that isn't tempered with horror or sorrow or guilt.]
...Hey-are you still near northtown?
[He should probably explain, whoops.]
I mean...we could hang out, or something. There's not a lot of supplies around, but...at least we could kind of celebrate it.
[And that he was rationing, but. Yosuke, you don't understand how much that says he likes you. He's willing to share his chocolate. ...Even if he does try to play it off like he just found it because liking chocolate isn't manly.]
[Omg Yosuke it's not like he gave it to you on valentine's day, chill. He's trying to be nice because you've honestly been a pretty good friend so far.
....Or are you secretly worried about white day obligations.
At any rate, at hearing Yosuke's tone...he quickly tries to play it off.]
Yeah, yeah...I know, alright? But I found it, and...It's pretty much the only thing I've got that's remotely birthday like.
[One day, Yosuke. One day we'll get rid of those panties because wow you really don't need them bro.
He tries to keep the relief out of his voice when he talks-because he's not entirely sure he could have made it to wherever Yosuke was. At least, not in a timely fashion.]
At my house-it's near the church. I'll be waiting outside, alright?
[And true to his word, he's out on the porch-sitting down, his eyelids closed like he's either trying to catch a nap or meditating or something. Nothing weird with that, right?]
[Alright, sounds like a date plan. Yosuke confirms and gives him a quick goodbye before heading out onto the main road. The church is a short walk away - it should only take him a few minutes.
As he approaches the general area, Yosuke scans the buildings along the street until he finally sees a fiery orange head of spiky hair. Smiling to himself, his footsteps quicken, and by the time he's jogged over, he's slightly out of breath.]
Hey! Ichigo! Man - man, is it ever good to see you. [Last time he saw Ichigo, he was bloody and mangled and dead. Oh, er, but they haven't brought that up yet, have they.] I mean, because... you know, because it's been a while.
[No, they haven't brought it up yet. Ichigo can't help but smile himself as he hears Yosuke's rapid footsteps towards him, standing to greet his friend.]
Yeah, it's been way too long.
[His eyes are still closed, though. And when they're this close, it's easier to see that his eyelids aren't rounded like they're supposed to be-no, they're flat.]
I don't know why you were kept in there longer than I was, though...But I guess Adachi-san had his reasons.
[.....y...yeah, did I mention Ichigo actually respects Adachi? because he does.]
[As Yosuke stands there, listening to Ichigo speak and watching his face, he notices that he's keeping his eyes closed, for some reason. And... his face looks kind of weird, too. Something is off about it... he can't quite put his finger on it.
[Frowning, Yosuke leans in even closer to him, practically glaring at Ichigo's face, even though his friend won't be able to see it.
And then, realizing it's true -- that his eyelids actually look collapsed in -- because he has no eyes, because what other explanation could there even be for that --]
...Huh?! What the -- what the hell? How did that happen?! They screwed up bringing you back??
[What the fuck. It's stupid to ask how this could be possible when how bringing people back to life, period, should be impossible, but...]
Is that really a thing that can happen here?! [he sounds completely horrified. because he is.]
[At least, that's what he thinks. There's a note of grim certainty in his voice as he speaks, shaking his head.]
I think they did this on purpose.
[His left hand rests on his scarred right arm, trying to draw Yosuke's attention to it.]
I mean, I came back with these before-It's pretty obvious that they can mess with us however they want.
[He's trying to sound like it doesn't effect him-like it's all fine, that he's perfectly okay without his eyes and no one needs to give him any pity because he's got it all figured out.
It's a lie, of course. But Ichigo doesn't want anyone to be worried over him, or worse....pity him.]
[A sickeningly uncomfortable feeling rises in Yosuke's gut when he sees those twisted scars on Ichigo's arm. He has something similar now, too - his body is stained now too, with the remains of a bullet wound on his chest and deep cut on his thigh. His friend is right... the technicians obviously don't have a perfect system for reviving the dead.
But... but that doesn't make any sense.]
Scars... scars are one thing.
You - you didn't lose your eyes though.
[He says it without thinking. Ichigo probably doesn't know Yosuke saw his mangled body. And even if he did, he probably doesn't know what a good look Yosuke got of his death mask - which definitely involve his eyes being frozen wide open. And fully intact.]
You're saying they brought you back blind for the hell of it? Like, no reason?
[Uh, right. Yosuke has his own little traumatic moment that he failed to mention beforehand, too. He shifts his weight on his feet and looks away, brow furrowed. The expression on the face of Ichigo's dead body is something he'll never be able to forget. It takes all the self-control he can muster to push it out of his mind again.]
I saw you. And, you still had your eyes, so... so, it can't be the same as a scar...
[his voice trailed off. he really doesn't want to talk about the details if he doesn't have to, but he's worried about Ichigo. and himself.]
Belated punishment... [is something like that going to happen to Yosuke, too?]
[And that actually makes Ichigo's eyes widen-which has the unfortunate side effect of him lifting his eyelids.
...Sorry for the view, Yosuke.]
You...
[He's at a loss for words for a moment-at least, until he realizes his eyelids are open and quickly shuts them so Yosuke won't have to keep seeing the holes in his head.
Yosuke saw him like that...He's sure that must have been terrible.]
...I'm sorry. That you had to see that, I mean.
[But like his friend, he's more than willing to drop it. He doesn't want the grisly details either, considering that he had a good idea of how he must have looked.
At the very least, he picks up the worry in Yosuke's voice-and hastens to try to soothe it.]
It's alright. I think...I think it'll just be me, if that's what happened.
[Thankfully for them both, Yosuke doesn't see the holes where Ichigo's eyes were. He's staring down at the dirt, the cogs in his head turning - oiled with worry and confusion.
He had no idea the technicians did stuff like that. They generally didn't seem to single individual people out that much, and when they did, it was for the sake of scaring the shit out of everybody else. (See: the very murder they're talking about now.) This, on the other hand... this is an outright handicap, imposed permanently for all they knew. It just seems... different from usual. Is it really a punishment?]
I'm fine. I mean, you're the one who's - who's blind now. [sigh.] I guess... all we can do is just... hope that's it...
[Although...there was another option that had occured to him about his eyes being taken away. He hesitates, unsure if he should really mention it before deciding to just go for it.]
...But if it wasn't a punishment, then this means they did this for no reason.
[And that's a lot scarier to think about-that the bastards that keep them here can just decide to remove organs and body parts whenever they want. Somehow, that's worse than knowing that they purposefully want to make their captives suffer and die, because it's so much more...hands on.]
[Well - yeah. That's true. If it's not a punishment, then why take his eyes away? Other people don't get revived without body parts. Not as far as Yosuke knows. He's pretty sure he'd have heard about it if anyone had.
Yosuke scratches his chin and wonders. The cogs keep turning.]
... hey, how about that chocolate?
[When he speaks again, it's slow and quiet and distant, like he isn't exactly changing the subject. His foot crunches on the ground as he takes a step forward, and carefully, he pats Ichigo's shoulder with the grace of someone uncomfortably trying to help out a disabled person and not really knowing how.
[Truth be told, he'd almost forgotten entirely about the chocolate-even though it was the entire reason he'd invited Yosuke over. Nodding, Ichigo tilts his head in the direction of the house's door-at least, where he thinks it is.]
C'mon, let's go in. I've got it in there-I didn't want it to melt in this heat.
[And while he feels the patting...he actually winces a little. He knows Yosuke is trying to help, but that kind of gesture is exactly what he's been trying so hard to avoid.
He doesn't want anyone's pity-or to feel weird around him just because he doesn't have his sight anymore. It was why he'd been learning so hard to get around, and why he doesn't bother telling people about his lack of eyes.
Ichigo was trying desperately to act like he could handle it alone, so that no one would see him as helpless. Like it didn't really matter, because he could move past it.
So when his shoulder's patted, he just moves away-hand sliding across the wall until he reaches the door, at which point he carefully feels for the door handle, opening it and walking inside.]
It's only a little cooler in here, but...it's better than nothing.
[It's sad. It's fucking sad to watch Ichigo feel along the wall like that, fumble hesitant for the handle, step inside so blindly...
Yosuke can feel the heaviness in his heart as he follows his friend inside, still struggling with what to do or what to say.]
...thanks, y'know... for saying happy birthday, and all. [he shuts the door behind him, saving them both the awkward situation of Ichigo having to feel for it again, despite Yosuke standing right there. he'll help you whether you want it or not, dammit.] Can't say I'd ever think I'd turn eighteen in a place like... this.
[Well, shutting the door isn't so bad. It does save him the trouble of trying to find it, after all. From there, Ichigo starts feeling his way towards the kitchen, motioning for Yosuke to follow.]
Hey, don't mention it. I know this place is a hellhole, but you've got to take time out to celebrate the little things. Otherwise...this place'd grind you down too much.
[The mention of turning older in a place like this one makes him stop for a second, as if he'd suddenly remembered something.]
...Well, it could be worse.
[He gives a small grin, even if it is a little weary.]
[he huffs a subdued little laugh upon hearing that. Yosuke can't imagine that turning nineteen instead of eighteen could be that much worse, in the grand scheme - they're still stuck here - but technically a lot of the people where were in a coma or whatever for an entire year. so... having been here for that long does suck pretty hard.]
...I can't believe a nerd like you is older than me.
[as much as Yosuke can try to muster some of his usual tongue-in-cheek teasing, the tone of his voice reveals how much his heart really isn't in it. but they got together to have some kind of celebration, however small and meaningless, so he'll stick by it, damn it.]
So, what kind of chocolate is it? [he follows him to the kitchen, looking around the house on the way.] Don't tell me it's strawberry-flavored.
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[yeah... lots of fun that was.]
But, I wasn't sure if it was my birthday anyway. After I thought about it, I realized I turned eighteen weeks ago and didn't know it.
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[That sucks....but it does get him thinking a little.
Maybe doing something a little lighter wouldn't be so bad-and it'd distract them for a while.
...Yes, he has forgotten that he neglected to tell Yosuke about his eyes. Blame his eagerness to maybe do something that isn't tempered with horror or sorrow or guilt.]
...Hey-are you still near northtown?
[He should probably explain, whoops.]
I mean...we could hang out, or something. There's not a lot of supplies around, but...at least we could kind of celebrate it.
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Um... sure.
[He sounds just as hesitant about it as Ichigo does, but it's really not a bad idea.
He desperately wants to see his friend again, anyway. Alive this time.]
Is it... is it safe to eat the wildlife yet? I could go for a steak, or the closest thing we can get to it.
[He's trying to make it sound like a joke, but he doesn't come off like he's joking.
If only Chie were here.]
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[Unfortunately, Ichigo thinks he's entirely serious. Whoops.]
But....I do still have some chocolate I found.
[And that he was rationing, but. Yosuke, you don't understand how much that says he likes you. He's willing to share his chocolate. ...Even if he does try to play it off like he just found it because liking chocolate isn't manly.]
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[alright. they're both Japanese kids. and I don't think either of them have an equivalent for "no homo."
but if they did, Yosuke would be screaming it into Ichigo's ear through a megaphone right now.]
Sure, um, I guess. Better than eating that poisonous gloop, right? Hah...
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....Or are you secretly worried about white day obligations.
At any rate, at hearing Yosuke's tone...he quickly tries to play it off.]
Yeah, yeah...I know, alright? But I found it, and...It's pretty much the only thing I've got that's remotely birthday like.
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...well, alright. Yeah, I guess something like that would be pretty rare around here.
Where are you? I'll come meet you.
voice-> action
He tries to keep the relief out of his voice when he talks-because he's not entirely sure he could have made it to wherever Yosuke was. At least, not in a timely fashion.]
At my house-it's near the church. I'll be waiting outside, alright?
[And true to his word, he's out on the porch-sitting down, his eyelids closed like he's either trying to catch a nap or meditating or something. Nothing weird with that, right?]
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dateplan. Yosuke confirms and gives him a quick goodbye before heading out onto the main road. The church is a short walk away - it should only take him a few minutes.As he approaches the general area, Yosuke scans the buildings along the street until he finally sees a fiery orange head of spiky hair. Smiling to himself, his footsteps quicken, and by the time he's jogged over, he's slightly out of breath.]
Hey! Ichigo! Man - man, is it ever good to see you. [Last time he saw Ichigo, he was bloody and mangled and dead. Oh, er, but they haven't brought that up yet, have they.] I mean, because... you know, because it's been a while.
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Yeah, it's been way too long.
[His eyes are still closed, though. And when they're this close, it's easier to see that his eyelids aren't rounded like they're supposed to be-no, they're flat.]
I don't know why you were kept in there longer than I was, though...But I guess Adachi-san had his reasons.
[.....y...yeah, did I mention Ichigo actually respects Adachi? because he does.]
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He takes a step closer and peers at him.]
...um... are you okay?
[pause.]
What's up with your eyes?
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Ichigo pauses, sucking in a little breath.]
I...
[Shit. Okay, he really doesn't want to turn this into something all about him, but...well, he can't just keep Yosuke hanging.]
...I don't have them anymore.
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[Frowning, Yosuke leans in even closer to him, practically glaring at Ichigo's face, even though his friend won't be able to see it.
And then, realizing it's true -- that his eyelids actually look collapsed in -- because he has no eyes, because what other explanation could there even be for that --]
...Huh?! What the -- what the hell? How did that happen?! They screwed up bringing you back??
[What the fuck. It's stupid to ask how this could be possible when how bringing people back to life, period, should be impossible, but...]
Is that really a thing that can happen here?! [he sounds completely horrified. because he is.]
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[At least, that's what he thinks. There's a note of grim certainty in his voice as he speaks, shaking his head.]
I think they did this on purpose.
[His left hand rests on his scarred right arm, trying to draw Yosuke's attention to it.]
I mean, I came back with these before-It's pretty obvious that they can mess with us however they want.
[He's trying to sound like it doesn't effect him-like it's all fine, that he's perfectly okay without his eyes and no one needs to give him any pity because he's got it all figured out.
It's a lie, of course. But Ichigo doesn't want anyone to be worried over him, or worse....pity him.]
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But... but that doesn't make any sense.]
Scars... scars are one thing.
You - you didn't lose your eyes though.
[He says it without thinking. Ichigo probably doesn't know Yosuke saw his mangled body. And even if he did, he probably doesn't know what a good look Yosuke got of his death mask - which definitely involve his eyes being frozen wide open. And fully intact.]
You're saying they brought you back blind for the hell of it? Like, no reason?
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[That's a strange statement, Yosuke. Ichigo can't help but give you a strange look at that.
...Well, as much as a look can be considered strange while your eyelids are shut.]
And yeah, I think so. ...Unless this is a belated punishment for breaking the quarantine.
[Honestly, he wouldn't be surprised if that was also the case.]
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[Uh, right. Yosuke has his own little traumatic moment that he failed to mention beforehand, too. He shifts his weight on his feet and looks away, brow furrowed. The expression on the face of Ichigo's dead body is something he'll never be able to forget. It takes all the self-control he can muster to push it out of his mind again.]
I saw you. And, you still had your eyes, so... so, it can't be the same as a scar...
[his voice trailed off. he really doesn't want to talk about the details if he doesn't have to, but he's worried about Ichigo. and himself.]
Belated punishment... [is something like that going to happen to Yosuke, too?]
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...Sorry for the view, Yosuke.]
You...
[He's at a loss for words for a moment-at least, until he realizes his eyelids are open and quickly shuts them so Yosuke won't have to keep seeing the holes in his head.
Yosuke saw him like that...He's sure that must have been terrible.]
...I'm sorry. That you had to see that, I mean.
[But like his friend, he's more than willing to drop it. He doesn't want the grisly details either, considering that he had a good idea of how he must have looked.
At the very least, he picks up the worry in Yosuke's voice-and hastens to try to soothe it.]
It's alright. I think...I think it'll just be me, if that's what happened.
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He had no idea the technicians did stuff like that. They generally didn't seem to single individual people out that much, and when they did, it was for the sake of scaring the shit out of everybody else. (See: the very murder they're talking about now.) This, on the other hand... this is an outright handicap, imposed permanently for all they knew. It just seems... different from usual. Is it really a punishment?]
I'm fine. I mean, you're the one who's - who's blind now. [sigh.] I guess... all we can do is just... hope that's it...
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[Although...there was another option that had occured to him about his eyes being taken away. He hesitates, unsure if he should really mention it before deciding to just go for it.]
...But if it wasn't a punishment, then this means they did this for no reason.
[And that's a lot scarier to think about-that the bastards that keep them here can just decide to remove organs and body parts whenever they want. Somehow, that's worse than knowing that they purposefully want to make their captives suffer and die, because it's so much more...hands on.]
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Yosuke scratches his chin and wonders. The cogs keep turning.]
... hey, how about that chocolate?
[When he speaks again, it's slow and quiet and distant, like he isn't exactly changing the subject. His foot crunches on the ground as he takes a step forward, and carefully, he pats Ichigo's shoulder with the grace of someone uncomfortably trying to help out a disabled person and not really knowing how.
Which... is... actually pretty accurate.]
Let's, um, sit down.
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[Truth be told, he'd almost forgotten entirely about the chocolate-even though it was the entire reason he'd invited Yosuke over. Nodding, Ichigo tilts his head in the direction of the house's door-at least, where he thinks it is.]
C'mon, let's go in. I've got it in there-I didn't want it to melt in this heat.
[And while he feels the patting...he actually winces a little. He knows Yosuke is trying to help, but that kind of gesture is exactly what he's been trying so hard to avoid.
He doesn't want anyone's pity-or to feel weird around him just because he doesn't have his sight anymore. It was why he'd been learning so hard to get around, and why he doesn't bother telling people about his lack of eyes.
Ichigo was trying desperately to act like he could handle it alone, so that no one would see him as helpless. Like it didn't really matter, because he could move past it.
So when his shoulder's patted, he just moves away-hand sliding across the wall until he reaches the door, at which point he carefully feels for the door handle, opening it and walking inside.]
It's only a little cooler in here, but...it's better than nothing.
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Yosuke can feel the heaviness in his heart as he follows his friend inside, still struggling with what to do or what to say.]
...thanks, y'know... for saying happy birthday, and all. [he shuts the door behind him, saving them both the awkward situation of Ichigo having to feel for it again, despite Yosuke standing right there. he'll help you whether you want it or not, dammit.] Can't say I'd ever think I'd turn eighteen in a place like... this.
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Hey, don't mention it. I know this place is a hellhole, but you've got to take time out to celebrate the little things. Otherwise...this place'd grind you down too much.
[The mention of turning older in a place like this one makes him stop for a second, as if he'd suddenly remembered something.]
...Well, it could be worse.
[He gives a small grin, even if it is a little weary.]
You could be turning 19 like I am.
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...I can't believe a nerd like you is older than me.
[as much as Yosuke can try to muster some of his usual tongue-in-cheek teasing, the tone of his voice reveals how much his heart really isn't in it. but they got together to have some kind of celebration, however small and meaningless, so he'll stick by it, damn it.]
So, what kind of chocolate is it? [he follows him to the kitchen, looking around the house on the way.] Don't tell me it's strawberry-flavored.
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