Harbinger of death from the world of witchcraft

[wavesoakedlegs]

Who: The crew of the Koumyou.
Where: Isla Empieza; maybe out on the ocean later?
When: From the 11th until the 17th.
What: The cursed, the uncursed and the influence of That Voice.
Warnings: Violence and general unpleasantness.
Style: Any!
Status: Mostly closed to the Koumyou; ask if you think you could get involved?


1. Strangeness begins
2. A Special Meal

Comments

[aidreamofsenpai]

"I... umm..."

He hasn't been sure how to approach Rin about his feelings. He knows that his senpai is upset over Clementine, and he is too! But it's not like he can do anything about it, and unlike Rin, Aiichiro doesn't really feel all that much like he should have been able to do something. On the other hand, maybe the voice in his head is just drowning out the guilt that should have been there.

"I made the bread myself, too. Everything. Here, I'll just put your plate together for you..."

He does so without waiting for confirmation, then holds it out. "Do tell me if there's anything I could improve on, but I asked around a lot on the island for recipes..."

[sharkasm]

Accepting the plate, Rin takes a bite straight away, in spite of not being all that hungry, simply because the food smells so good. The taste rivals it, really, but he doesn't pay attention to it.

"It's fine." Technically a compliment, it lacks any enthusiasm; it's born from a desire to get Nitori to shut up, more than anything.

But the food is good, and Rin eats it, quickly but without hurrying. It won't be long before he finishes his plate.

[aidreamofsenpai]

Aiichiro isn't sure he's ever felt so relieved in his life. The sight of that empty plate is the sign that everything will be okay, that his senpai can go home. Of course, Aiichiro himself isn't going, but that doesn't matter. Rin has plenty of other people to support him as he works toward his goal.

"You should have dessert too. I made sure not to make it too sweet, just for you."

He takes the plate from Rin with a smile. "Please? I really want your opinion. I'm trying to learn how to make more different types of things..."

[sharkasm]

How is Rin supposed to care about dessert when -...

He's about to blow up in spite of his general numbness when Nitori says please, and Rin can't seem to hold on to his anger anymore. He doesn't deserve a special meal, and if he suspected that Nitori only made it to make him feel better, he would have thrown the entire contents of the plate in Nitori's face to start with. But that doesn't seem to be why Nitori is doing this, and Rin is honestly a little glad that some things - like Nitori being an idiot - are still the same, even after what happened.

Besides, what if Nitori is next to be swept overboard? Rin needs to do better, then.

"... What'd you make?"

[aidreamofsenpai]

"It's a fruit tart!"

Aiichiro is really excited that Rin is asking, even if he knows that his senpai really isn't excited about it. He's upset over Clementine too, but there's everyone else to worry about too.

And it's almost over. Soon, Rin will be home and it'll be like all of this was nothing but a bad dream. "I'll get you a small slice, okay? Just try it, and I'll be really happy."

[sharkasm]

"Fine..."

Of course, Rin does it to stop Nitori's insisting as much as anything, but he'll eat whatever he's served, provided it isn't seriously terrible. Besides, there are worse things in the world than fruit tarts.

By the time he's served his slice, some of his habitual sullenness has worn off. His mood is still bad (when is it not?), but he starts paying a little more attention to things other than his own misery.

"What'd you put in here? It tastes weird." Not bad, really - not bad at all, and Rin keeps eating at his usual, fairly brisk pace. Just something he can't identify.

[aidreamofsenpai]

Aiichiro giggles.

"It's a chef's secret, senpai! I can't tell you or you won't need me to make it for you again."

He'd be worried that it was a bad weird, except that Rin is still eating. So that's not a problem. He finds himself hovering a little, and finally reaches out to set a hand on Rin's shoulder, very gently.

"I'm glad you're eating. I know things have been hard, but it's important to take care of yourself. I don't know what I'd do without you here."

It's true. He doesn't know what he'll do. But it's more important to make Rin feel appreciated before he goes than to really think about that.

[sharkasm]

"Like I'm ever going to make it myself." Admittedly, he might try to get other people to make it, if he were ever in the mood for tarts. But if Nitori wants to keep his secret, that's fine; Rin was just passingly curious. It's not like he really cares.

That next comment, however, is something else entirely.

"You think I'm sticking around for your sake?" Lashing out in direct proportion to his self-loathing, Rin glares at Nitori. Rin doesn't want to be appreciated, especially not now; he doesn't deserve it. "If I could leave, I'd be out of here in a heartbeat."

Suddenly more depressed than angry again, Rin moves to take another bite of the fruit tart, almost finished, before deciding that he really isn't hungry anymore. In fact, he feels a little off, but with how miserable he's been making himself feel, he doesn't think anything of it just yet.

"I'm done..." And with that, he shoves the plate with the last little piece of tart at Nitori, lips pressing together a little too tightly. No, he really isn't feeling that good.

[aidreamofsenpai]

"N-no of course I don't think-"

He's not going to cry. He's not going to cry. He's not going to cry.

That's right, Aiichiro doesn't need to cry over that, because soon Rin won't be here, and it won't be an issue. It will all be better soon. That's right, there's no need to cry. It doesn't matter if Rin cares about him or not, in the long run, because after today he's never going to see his senpai again. Because his senpai will be free, will be home with his friends, will be swimming and living his dream.

Aiichiro steels himself, reaches out to take the plate, and pushes aside the harsh words.

"Come on, I can help you get to somewhere you can rest..."

[sharkasm]

Rin feels off enough that he doesn't even argue, happy to follow Nitori. He doesn't know why he's feeling so weird (in spite of his near-constant bitching, at least it doesn't occur to him to blame Nitori's cooking?), and resting sounds like a pretty good idea.

Until the nausea becomes more than a faint tickle in his cheeks and throat, suddenly overwhelming, and he runs off full speed to hang over the side of the ship.

As he throws up, his stomach keeps convulsing, trying to force out more longer after it's empty, and Rin shakes like a leaf, his legs and arms both feeling ridiculously weak. Another wave of nausea, and he desperately clings to the railing, choking sounds escaping him as nothing but the slightest trickle of stomach fluids leaves his mouth.

[aidreamofsenpai]

He should have thought more about this part. He'd known that everyone would get sick before they died, of course, but he hadn't thought about how it would feel, what it would be like to watch.

Aiichiro can't do anything to help now, and he wouldn't save Rin's life if he could. Everyone has to die. And once they die, Rin will be at home. If he dies here, if he just gets it over with... it'll be all over.

He reminds himself of that as he moves up beside his senpai, reaching out to anchor him, ostensibly to keep him from falling off the boat. Really all he wants is to be close, even if he can't do anything, but he doesn't say anything at all.