chikaidestroyer | ∞ 101: Quiet disappearance [voice/action]

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∞ 101: Quiet disappearance [voice/action]

[voice]

[It's almost midnight and he hasn't received a response from Raine for almost three hours. Raine could be kept busy after school from time to time, but she had not mentioned anything that would keep her out late today -- especially this late.]

Has anyone seen or spoken to Professor Sage today? She is not answering to messages from her journal.

[action]

[Despite the chill in the air so late at night, Albert stands out on the porch outside of his house. There is fortunately no snow tonight, so he was able to send out Rune to scout around the nearby forests.

Part of him has already concluded that it's likely Raine was abducted by the rogue facilities. She had certainly not been sent back to her world, as her belongings were still intact and the journal system still recognized that she was there. But ... there was the faint concern that something else might have happened. Luceti wasn't safe from its own residents, after all.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

So if someone were to attach a rune to you, would you just lift your hand when you are in danger and hope it activates? [Come on, Caesar, prove you're not stupid.]

[Caesar is not very impressed with this line of questioning. He sounds irritated when he responds.]

I know how they work. I've read about this stuff a million times, and I've seen them used a million more. I think I get it.

Yes, because all of your theoretical work is going to help you when you actually need to put it into practice. [Do you see where he's going with this, Caesar? He hopes so.]

[Of course he does. It's why he hasn't told him about any of the things he was doing in the first place!]

And what do you expect me to do about that?

Get some practice, of course. Or do you expect to wait until you are on the battlefield? [He may not be talking about runes anymore.]

I can't exactly practice if I have nothing to practice with.

[He frowns, drying his hands with a towel and leaning against the counter by the sink.]

Then let me oblige you.

[And with that, Albert steps back towards the stand of kitchen knives. Without a word, he takes one of the knives and slashes across his left wrist. A thick line of blood appears instantly.]

[wow, you are the worst brother ever.

Of course, Caesar doesn't think much about his brother picking up a knife, but when he sees him cut something that isn't food out of the corner of his eye, he looks over and he... isn't sure how to feel.]

I-is this your idea of practice?

[He has half a mind to just walk away.]

[Albert frowns intensely at his little brother, deliberately curling his hand into a fist so the blood runs faster. He manages to set the knife back on the counter before his hand begins to shake.]

Well?

[He manages to keep his voice steady.]

[Caesar watches with a frown, his own hands curled into fists as he watches his brother do something that's... so stupid and yet so distinctly his brother. When Albert prompts him, Caesar huffs.]

You're such an idiot.

[He grabs one of the towels near the sink, one that's dry enough that he's sure it hasn't been used yet today, and walks over to his brother. He isn't too gentle when he takes his brother's arm and places the towel over the fresh cut. He's also not too gentle when he presses down on it to help stop the bleeding. Idiot.]

[Albert doesn't resist, and does his best not to flinch when Caesar begins putting pressure to the wound. He shuts his eyes after a moment, distinctly thinking to himself that he should probably sit down before--

He leans heavily against the counter, and then crashes to the floor when he belatedly remembers that his left hand is the injured one.]

[His fall takes Caesar by surprise, and even if he thinks his brother is being absolutely stupid, he can't hide his concern for him when it happens.

He's still irritated, though. Irritated that it hurt so much that he actually fell. He is so stupid.]

Wh-what are you doing? Keep still, you jerk.

[But being on the floor probably isn't such a bad thing, so he kneels down next to him.]

[Albert has a deep frown on his face as he leans against the counter, waiting for his head to clear. Caesar wasn't acting fast enough. That's all he can think to himself as he sits there.]

What are you doing?

Shut up.

[Needless to say, his concern quickly fades as he puts the towel over his cut again and presses down on it. It's a little less rough than it had been earlier... but probably not by much.]

[He takes deep breaths as he waits on Caesar, lifting his free hand to rub at his forehead tersely.]

There is a medical kit in the closet, you realize.

Good to know. I'll wait until you pass out so I can go get it.

[UGH.]

Very well. Then I'll go get it myself. [And just to show you he can, Caesar, Albert will use his free hand to push himself up onto his knees.]

D-didn't I just tell you to keep still? [When Albert starts getting up, Caesar presses down on the wound a little harder with his finger. This time, it's not because he's irritated. This time, it's just to be annoying.] Stay here. I'll go get it.

[Albert frowns, but does not argue against sitting down again; he really wouldn't have trusted himself to make it that far without stumbling into something and embarrassing himself. ...Leave it to him to think about embarrassment while he's bleeding. He twitches his fingers as Caesar continues applying pressure.]

Hurry up.

[Caesar lifts his brother's arm a little bit before standing up.]

Keep that there. [He turns to walk away, though he glances at his brother again before he goes.] And don't do anything else stupid.

[Albert snorts, keeping his arm elevated. Even as Caesar's leaving the room, he calls after him.]

Too slow.

You're not dying.

[That's all he has to say when he calls back. It might hurt, but he is not going to rush for someone who did something like that on purpose. Fortunately, it doesn't take long to find the medical kit even if he didn't know it was there. He idly looks through it as he makes his way back to the kitchen.]

[The towel that Caesar had pressed against Albert's wrist is a mess. Albert himself looks a bit pale, but not so pale that he can't level a look of distaste at Caesar as he enters the room.]

The soup may be overcooking.

It's soup. [He sets the medical kit aside, leaning down so he can see if his brother has stopped bleeding yet. ...even if he hasn't, this towel probably couldn't soak up much more blood than it already has.] How can you tell if it's overcooked?

The vegetables and noodles would be too soft. [He watches Caesar as he leans over him briefly, frowning upward at him.] At least stir the soup.