onerous | IC Inbox

[It had taken a lot of convincing to get Lee to leave, and just as much to convince the hospital to let her go. She could have stayed until her sight was back, but that might take a day or two and she hadn't been looking forward to spending it cooped up in the hospital when she could've done the same thing at home.

The problem came with how to get home. She hadn't wuite figured that part out yet, which is why she was still hanging around.

Luckily, a night in shining armor appeared. For a given value of "knight in shining armor."

Yuri turns towards the familiar voice before she can think to stop herself. There are bandages around her head--around her eyes-- that are rather telling, and in the same instance she faces him her hand comes up to touch self-consciously at them.] Okita-san. [She defaults to being more polite than she might normally have been with him, but she can't see to gauge his emotions or if he's alone or not (and they ARE in public).

Her brow furrows slightly in concern.] What are you doing here? Are you alright? [...Asks the one clearly here for a reason.

As if considering that, she hurried to assure him before he can ask:] This is temporary.

[ Souji notes the bandages, the corners of his mouth pressing down into a frown that he's suddenly glad Yuri can't see. ]

I'm fine. [ he says, his tone heavy with an implied "but you aren't". He pauses again. It's a good thing Yuri mentioned it first, he'd have probably asked it in a rude-ass way. ] How long is 'temporary' supposed to be?

[ Not that he can't still be rude, but he just naturally sounds rude when he's a little worried okay. ]

[There are bruises too, unfortunately, and Yuri makes a semi-annoyed mental note to invest in long sleeves. Her shoulders ache, but her wrists are an ugly mess of greens and blue that stand out starkly against how normally pale she is. They ache and, unfortunately enough, have the distinct look of hands that had been wrapped too tightly around them.

She's not fine, she knows it. It's a little embarrassing and she clasps her hands behind her back as if somehow that will hide them.]

...I don't know. A couple of days, at the most. My vision should start coming back tomorrow, the day after I should be more or less back to normal. [The corners of her mouth turns down and she takes an unsteady, concerned half-step towards the direction of his voice.]

You can't be that fine if you're at the hospital. What happened?

[ Souji's hand twitches when she moves forward, raising it to.... he doesn't know, grab her shoulder? Grab her wrist? Make it so that she doesn't have to move any closer, since he's right in front of her? ]

[ Then he remembers the bruises and lowers his hand. ]

I came to see if any robots were around. [ If touch won't do, then speaking would, wouldn't it? ] I figured I'd kill the ones looking to finish the job.

[ He tucks his hand inside his sleeve instead. ]

Did yours die?

[ Souji doesn't know if Yuri activated hers, or if she's just been an unfortunate victim of someone else's, but clearly the most important thing is if it's still alive, and if Souji can kill it. ]

[Yuri stops moving, hand dropping to her side, fingers clenching awkwardly. She feels strangely vulnerable now that she's actually talking to someone and can't see them. When she was just carefully making her way down the hall or standing around, the lack of sight wasn't so bad. She could just pretend she was closing her eyes and listening, but trying to hold an actual conversation...

She didn't appreciate not being able to see. At all. Ugh.

Somehow, though, that answer is just so... Souji, that she ends up relaxing a little despite herself.] No, I never turned it on. This was... [She 'looks' down at the bruised hands and shakes her head because what good did trying to look do??] This was someone else's. But he came and killed the robot when he rescued me, so...

[Well not before the robot did some damage, obviously. The corner of her mouth turns up, a little smile] Sorry. [Sorry he doesn't get the chance to kill it himself, or kill her own robot, maybe? And then, a bit softer, she adds:] I'm glad you're alright. Are you heading home soon?

[ He doesn’t respond, not right away. Instead, he lets the silence stretch on as he appraises her, probably making this far more uncomfortable for Yuri than it really has to be. He could just let his true emotions show on his face for once now that there’s no chance of getting caught, but his habitual poker face settles in his place as he finally comes to a inner decision. ]

[ Decision made, he turns the question back to her without answering it himself, rude. ]

Are you?

[Who answers a question with a question like that?? Ugh, why does she put up with him. But again it amuses her more than bothers her and she shrugs]

I was. But... [She trails off and sort of. Gestures to her bandages.] I don't really-- I mean... It's hard enough getting around this city when you can see where you're going, you know? [Which is sort of her lame way of saying 'I was but I have no idea how to go about there or where the fuck to go that wouldn't end up with me accidentally walking into traffic or something.']

[ souji picks up on that perfectly, since it's hard not to because her eyes ARE bandaged. But that also tells him that 1) Yuri's not getting a robot escort or a taxi or anything of that sort prepared for her and 2) none of Yuri's acquaintances or friends have promised to come help her home and

3) so that leaves Souji with that job, doesn't it? ]

Alright. [ Souji says, acknowledging her rhetorical question and resigning himself to the task at hand. It could be worse, he supposed? This could be someone he hated. Then again, he would just leave anyone he hated high and dry at the hospital to fend for themselves, so maybe this is worse. in a way. ]

Let's go. I'm not holding your hand, so we'll have to find some other way to navigate.

[ ???? Souji don't just automatically pretend that Yuri knows that he's offering to take her home if he doesn't even say it out loud ]

Alright? [She echoes him, a tad confused and wary.

Her ears turn red and she shoots him a frustrated look (or she would if she could... see... How is she supposed to passive-aggressively show her exasperation and disapproval if she can't actually throw looks around???)] I wouldn't hold your hand anyhow.

[JEEZ.

But it's true she can't really follow him without holding onto something. His sleeve would probably be fine, even if she'd feel like a child doing so. Yuri purses her lips and moves toward him, then stops when she almost trips over herself attempting it.

SHe holds herself very still, embarrassed and aggravated-- she feels helpless and vulnerable and uggghhh. After a moment she just holds her hand out.] Your sleeve. [Before he gets the wrong idea by the gesture] Or something like that. That would work, wouldn't it?

[ at least he gets to see Yuri frustrated and embarrassed!! This makes things much better for him, because he's a jerk who feeds on the helpless embarrassment of teenage girls apparently.

It practically restores his good mood, even. So instead of feeling annoyed and frustrated at the task of escorting Yuri home (and at the scary idea of caring enough about Yuri to want to see her safely home), Souji relishes the chance to tease her... Anyway, he's going to stick out his arm so that his sleeve brushes Yuri's open hand. ]

Just like a kid, huh? [ He sure sounds amused here. ] That works, as long as you don't let go.

[Her expression twitches slightly in aggravation, but her fingers curl tightly around his sleeve anyhow.]

I could always put a leash on you instead, like a seeing-eye dog. [Yuri no don't fall to his level or something. She huffs out a breath and shakes her head]

I won't let go. I'm putting a lot of trust in you to get me home and not just abandon me in the park or something. [She gave his sleeve a little tug, both as a warning (don't get any ideas) and as a 'let's go.']

[ it's a good thing Souji's not that sensitive about dog jokes, because he just snorts and then starts moving. not too fast, but fast enough so that it doesn't seem that Souji's overly worried about Yuri keeping her balance (nice). ]

A park, huh? That's a good idea.

[ heh. ]

Or maybe I could take you to one of those gardens. You know, the ones with the flesh-eating plants and monster fish.

[ h e h ]

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