[ he lets out another laugh, his face just beaming with joy. he cannot be happier than he is right now, being able to have fun and enjoy christmas eve with someone he loves ]
[And... he hesitates just a little, but eventually moves to touch his forehead to Souji's, eyes closed peacefully for what feels like (and probably is) the first time in a week.]
...Thank you.
[For being here for him, for bringing him out here, for loving and caring for him so much to do any of this in the first place.]
[ souji slows down their dance until they eventually come to a stop. he doesn't part away, however, and he leans into the forehead touch. he knows how much tatsuma has been worrying over the past week and how restless he must have been, so to know that he was able to take tatsuma's mind off things and to have him relax, even if it's only for a few minutes, he's glad for it. ]
[It's a wonderful few minutes, quiet save for the sound of music and their voices, as though the whole world were muffled by the presence of snow. For those few minutes, Tatsuma finally feels at peace again, a little like his usual self, calm and content.]
[And then his phone begins to buzz in his pocket, and he gives a mild start, looking at Souji apologetically before pulling away to answer it. His grandparents call him on occasion; though they'd taken to texting surprisingly well for their ages, phones were still meant for calling in their minds, and whenever they needed anything, they knew he was only a phone call away.
He pauses as he raises the phone. The caller name reads "Mom".]
...Hello?
[And just like that, the moment of peace is shattered. His parents don't call him without reason, and his body goes tense. That silence that seemed to soak up sound just seconds ago seems now to only amplify it - Tatsuma, where are you? There was an accident. Listen, mom and dad are going to the hospital, so go home and stay there, okay?
Tatsuma goes still. His mother's voice repeats his name a few times, clearly unsure if the call is going through.]
[ souji shakes his head, silently telling tatsuma that it's okay to take the call and he reaches into his own pocket to turn off the music. as he does that, he doesn't notice the caller display on tatsuma's phone and by the time he looks up, it seems like a completely different atmosphere has passed through ]
[ while souji can't exactly hear what's being said over the phone, tatsuma's own reaction and the way he speaks, the way he holds himself, it's telling enough to know that something is wrong. souji puts his own phone away back into his pocket and steps closer. he doesn't know what to say right now, there's clearly something very wrong but he doesn't know exactly what so he just places a hand on tatsuma's shoulder with a silent look of concern on his face ]
No, they didn't. The car-- some sort of Toyota. Highlander? Yes, a black one, went screaming out of Freshens up north...
What is she even talking about- just go home and stay there. It's dark out and people aren't watching where they're going, be careful.
Tatsuma listens in silence, grip on his phone tightening until he pulls it away, ending the call with a quick swipe. Almost belatedly, he remembers to breathe, and it comes out choked.
[ when tatsuma hangs up the phone, souji doesn't hesitate to just take him into a tight hug. he says nothing though, opting for silence instead. based on tatsuma's reaction and the one-sided conversation he heard, he has a feeling on what it's about (he truly hopes it's not what he's thinking of but...) and he's not going to force tatsuma to talk. he's here as a crutch, as a support for tatsuma, and he's willing to wait until tatsuma is ready to speak and follow him in whatever he does (even if it means bar fights) ]
[ with souji's head right next to tatsuma's, he catches on to that whisper but if barely. he stays silent for a few more seconds afterwards, thoughts running through his mind. tatsuma doesn't have to specify who was involved in the accident, that's obvious enough. as to whether or not that they made it... although he doesn't want to believe it, he already knows the answer. tatsuma would have been rushing off to the hospital if they were still alive so there's no other answer ]
... I'm sorry. I truly am.
[ and his grip on tatsuma tightens. although he hasn't known tatsuma's grandparents for long, they have always been so kind and welcoming that it fills him with sorrow, making him feel like he also lost someone important ]
[He hardly even feels the grip. It feels in so many ways like he isn't even on solid ground anymore, like he's floating over some nebulous world where everything's wrong and his grandparents no longer exist. It seems so absurd, so impossible. They were right there - he'd seen them not an hour ago. Kind and warm and full of life as they always had been.
How could they be dead? Who could have done such a thing, stolen that light, that warmth away from this world?
Tatsuma has never been inclined to hatred. Perhaps it's simply in his nature - it's hard, holding onto feelings of resentment and negativity. So he simply hadn't, making peace with the world and the way it was, understanding that sometimes things would be sad, sometimes things would be disappointing, but understanding also that these things couldn't always be helped.
This, though. This feels wrong on a level so fundamental he couldn't even begin to describe it, and it feels like something important is now missing from this world, something that shouldn't be. Not only that, but like it's been torn from his very chest, leaving a painful and gaping wound. It hurts, almost physically, and his own grip tightens around the phone still in his hand.
...What had she said? About that car...]
...A black Highlander...
[No license plate number. But he knew the type of car, and the direction it went. Maybe, maybe...]
[ as they stand in silence, souji just continues to hold tatsuma close as he tries to come up with a plan on what he could do. only tatsuma's grandparents live in that home so it'd be empty by the time that tatsuma goes back (or will his parents finally come back?) so would he want to stay there? if so, then souji is more than willing to spend the next few nights there with him but if not, then he should invite tatsuma to stay with him. his house isn't very big and it's most likely that he and tatsuma would have to share a room but he wouldn't mind that either. he wants to be there for him and souji will do everything in his power if he could make it better. ]
[ because he knows what it feels like to leave the only bit of family you had, the family members who have given you everything that you've ever wanted, and then to be suddenly ripped away. he knows that only because of nanako in his past life (still unaware that she has been revived in a future memory) and that's what caused him to nearly get into those many car accidents earlier in the year. he knows how it can just tear into someone and he can't let that happen to tatsuma. ]
[ he's snapped out of his thoughts when he hears tatsuma whisper something ]
[He gives a tiny nod, a thought beginning to form in his head, growing more and more solid by the moment. He pulls up his phone again, attempting to tap out a post with numb fingers before giving in and setting it to voice to text, raising it instead to his mouth as he dictates a message.
He has powers now - he knows he can find them, knows if he does--
Whoever they are, if nothing else, he can ensure they don't get away with it.]
[It's not a full answer. He's already beginning to pull away himself, to turn to move - it happened at Freshens, he can get there pretty quickly if he runs--]
[ something painful strikes in souji’s chest as tatsuma jerks his hand apart and he stands there frozen for a second, walking him walk away. in all the months he’s known tatsuma, he has never seen him in such... anger. it’s terrifying and souji only snaps himself out of his trance when he realizes that tatsuma is going to get himself or someone else really hurt over this. ]
[ he moves quickly and stands in front of tatsuma, trying to block him off ]
You don’t either. You can’t find someone just based on a car.
[If he persists, Tatsuma's going to use his strength to try to break free. Even without dipping into the Dragon Stream however unintentionally, it's considerable.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Just a little.
[ he repeats after tatsuma from that one time ]
Is it working?
no subject
[And... he hesitates just a little, but eventually moves to touch his forehead to Souji's, eyes closed peacefully for what feels like (and probably is) the first time in a week.]
...Thank you.
[For being here for him, for bringing him out here, for loving and caring for him so much to do any of this in the first place.]
no subject
Any time.
1/2
2/2
He pauses as he raises the phone. The caller name reads "Mom".]
...Hello?
[And just like that, the moment of peace is shattered. His parents don't call him without reason, and his body goes tense. That silence that seemed to soak up sound just seconds ago seems now to only amplify it - Tatsuma, where are you? There was an accident. Listen, mom and dad are going to the hospital, so go home and stay there, okay?
Tatsuma goes still. His mother's voice repeats his name a few times, clearly unsure if the call is going through.]
no subject
... Tatsuma?
no subject
What happened?
[There he is. There's a sigh, weary and exasperated, and his mother continues. Mother and father... that is, his grandparents--
There was a car accident. They didn't make it.
It's cold. The iciness of the air seems to bite through to his very bone. But is that entirely the weather's fault, or...?]
...What did the car look like? [His voice shakes more this time.] Did they catch him?
no subject
no subject
No, they didn't. The car-- some sort of Toyota. Highlander? Yes, a black one, went screaming out of Freshens up north...
What is she even talking about- just go home and stay there. It's dark out and people aren't watching where they're going, be careful.
Tatsuma listens in silence, grip on his phone tightening until he pulls it away, ending the call with a quick swipe. Almost belatedly, he remembers to breathe, and it comes out choked.
He knew. He knew. So why-- Why hadn't he...]
no subject
no subject
It was an accident. Near Freshens.
[Just a simple, innocuous grocery trip. What could go wrong, he'd thought? They'd made the trip hundreds of times. Everything should have been fine.]
no subject
... I'm sorry. I truly am.
[ and his grip on tatsuma tightens. although he hasn't known tatsuma's grandparents for long, they have always been so kind and welcoming that it fills him with sorrow, making him feel like he also lost someone important ]
no subject
How could they be dead? Who could have done such a thing, stolen that light, that warmth away from this world?
Tatsuma has never been inclined to hatred. Perhaps it's simply in his nature - it's hard, holding onto feelings of resentment and negativity. So he simply hadn't, making peace with the world and the way it was, understanding that sometimes things would be sad, sometimes things would be disappointing, but understanding also that these things couldn't always be helped.
This, though. This feels wrong on a level so fundamental he couldn't even begin to describe it, and it feels like something important is now missing from this world, something that shouldn't be. Not only that, but like it's been torn from his very chest, leaving a painful and gaping wound. It hurts, almost physically, and his own grip tightens around the phone still in his hand.
...What had she said? About that car...]
...A black Highlander...
[No license plate number. But he knew the type of car, and the direction it went. Maybe, maybe...]
no subject
[ because he knows what it feels like to leave the only bit of family you had, the family members who have given you everything that you've ever wanted, and then to be suddenly ripped away. he knows that only because of nanako in his past life (still unaware that she has been revived in a future memory) and that's what caused him to nearly get into those many car accidents earlier in the year. he knows how it can just tear into someone and he can't let that happen to tatsuma. ]
[ he's snapped out of his thoughts when he hears tatsuma whisper something ]
Is that the car?
no subject
He has powers now - he knows he can find them, knows if he does--
Whoever they are, if nothing else, he can ensure they don't get away with it.]
no subject
—Tatsuma, what are you going to do...?
[ he says cautiously ]
no subject
[It's not a full answer. He's already beginning to pull away himself, to turn to move - it happened at Freshens, he can get there pretty quickly if he runs--]
no subject
The police will be finding him. You don’t have to go out as well.
no subject
They don't even know who they're looking for.
[Not that Tatsuma does, but he does have some advantages the police do not. He turns to move again, hands curling into fists as he goes.]
no subject
[ he moves quickly and stands in front of tatsuma, trying to block him off ]
You don’t either. You can’t find someone just based on a car.
no subject
I have to try!
no subject
But then what? What are you going to do from that point?
[ because from tatsuma's tone and demeanour, it sure doesn't sound like he's just going to bring them to the cops ]
no subject
It doesn't matter.
[Yes it does.]
no subject
It does. What are you going to do after you find them?
no subject
--That, and avoid answering, because the moment Souji's out of the way he's going to begin to sprint.]
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)