Floor 4, Room 2

[dadsandals]

YAMATO

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[dadsandals]

I'm expecting it, too.

[ But more importantly: ]

You're okay, right?

[revengier]

...I'm fine. Just tired.

[ And it's true—he expended a lot of energy on cleansing that rock, and it left him feeling empty and exhausted.

Ah.

But that isn't all, is it? No, it's not. There's something wrong. Something very, very wrong. Kurapika reaches for the chair, hand settling atop the back—

And he hisses in pain, bringing a hand up to his head as he nearly doubles over with the sharp ache in his temples. ]

[dadsandals]

Kura-!

[ Shit. Yamato catches him and holds him by his shoulders. He's not great with healing magic, and he's not quite sure what Kurapika needs right now, so. ]

What's going on? I can take you to someone who can heal you, do you need it?

[revengier]

[ He's thankful for Yamato catching him, and he looks up to thank him, except...

Except he can't exactly look at Yamato. He can't look at anything, his vision dark and his eyes focusing on some point over Yamato's shoulder rather than his face. If Yamato can even tell, that is, given that Kurapika's irises and sclera have turned a bright, brilliant red. ]

I don't think... healing can make a difference, Yamato.

[ He speaks through gritted teeth, reaching for where he thinks Yamato's forearm might be so he can have some kind of purchase. ]

[dadsandals]

[ This is troubling, to say the very least. There's something definitely wrong here and Yamato does NOT like it. He doesn't let go. He won't. Not now. Kura needs it. ]

What do you need me to do?

[revengier]

I don't think... there's anything you can do.

[ He sounds resolute in this fact. ]

[dadsandals]

Then I'll be here. Right here. I won't leave.

[ He's not leaving him to suffer. ]

[revengier]

[ His grip on Yamato's arm tightens for just a moment before relaxing. ]

...You're a good friend, you know.

[dadsandals]

Anyone with good morals wouldn't leave you.

[ TSUN... ]

You can stay here for the night if you need surveillance. I don't mind.

[revengier]

[ That actually makes him smile, despite everything. ]

This will fade. It happened last night too.

[ This is just a thing that happens to him now. ]

[dadsandals]

Do you know what it is, exactly?

[ does he see dead people now ]

cw eye horror

[revengier]

A punishment, probably. It feels like one.

[ It feels like mockery and it hurts. Is this what it felt like for all of his relatives? Is this what it was like having their eyes gouged out?

Is this his punishment for doing anything he could just to get those eyes back? ]

oh.

[dadsandals]

[ Yamato hears "punishment" as and mulls it over. He puts two and two together. ]

You... [ Holy shit. ] Kura - your eyes. They turned red.

[revengier]

What kind of red? Describe it to me.

[ They're a beautiful, almost radiant, scarlet. It's the sort of color that would be coveted if it were a precious stone.

Yet, it's unsettling. The color covers the entire of his eyes, whites and all. ]

[dadsandals]

They're ... scarlet, to be frank. The entirety of your eyes are red.

[ This isn't good. Kurapika explained this to him and now - ]

[revengier]

[ He breathes in, sharp and strained. ]

I see.

[ Is this what he gets for everything he's done? For all of his sins? ]

You know... only the irises are supposed to be red.

[ This is a mockery. ]

[dadsandals]

...

[ Wow. He hates that a lot, actually. Yamato frowns -- he still hasn't let go of Kurapika, either. ]

Spirits, then? They did this to you? Or was it something about the rock?

[revengier]

I think it was the rock. I touched it before we cleansed it.

[ A stupid error. A rookie mistake. ]

You can call me stupid for it now, and now only.

[dadsandals]

That was pretty stupid, yeah, but I can't say I've made the best decisions all the time here, either.

[ ...Yeah. ]

Don't worry about it, though. I'm not here to rub salt on the wound. Whatever you've got is painful enough.

[revengier]

[ He breathes out and just... pitches forward, resting his forehead on Yamato's shoulder. While Kurapika is usually hesitant about physical touch, he doesn't mind initiating it with someone like Yamato. He's goofy and weird and a lot more complex than he seems and honestly? He's a lot like Kurapika's friends back home. ]

...Thank you. I mean it, Yamato.

[dadsandals]

[ The last time someone did this was when he spent time with Malice, but this feels different. This is Kurapika needing a shoulder to lean on, quite literally, and he's here to provide. He cares about him a lot, and after everything Kurapika's been through, this just feels cruel.

Still, Yamato knows he'll power through it. Kurapika is tough as nails. ]

Yeah. I'm just glad you're alive, even if this is painful.

[ He lifts his hand to lightly ruffle the other's hair. ]

Don't hide if you need help, or if it gets worse. People will help you.

[revengier]

[ That hair ruffle feels nice—it relaxes him, his shoulders sinking just a bit with it. God, is this what he's been missing out on by pushing away all of his friends? ]

I'd rather they didn't. This is my mistake to deal with.

[ He'll push and push and push against it, it's in his nature. Old habits die hard, even if he realizes how much he's missed the warmth others can provide.

Besides, what if helping him gets them hurt somehow? He can't allow that. ]

[dadsandals]

That doesn't mean you don't deserve help.

[ likewise, old habits die hard for Yamato, too. He won't force Kurapika to accept it -- he knows better than to do that -- but his concern and want to help his friend is very apparent. ]

[revengier]

...I don't want you to get hurt because of it.

[ That's what lies at the heart of this, after all. He can't afford Yamato to get tangled up into his own messes, not when he has enough to deal with on his own. ]

I don't know if this is the extent of what's happening to me, or if it will get worse, or even if it'll spread.

[dadsandals]

...That's no reason to keep people out, though.

[ Says him, the hypocrite. Says him, the guy who tries to keep people out for this exact same reason. ]

I want to be there for you, Kurapika. You're my friend. It'd hurt a lot if something bad happened to you and I couldn't at least try to do something to help.