Heir

Souji’s eyes follow him around the office warily, not sure what it is that he plans to do here. It’s not like there’s really anything aside from medical supplies, cat food, and a barely in-tact bed pushed up into a nook, surrounded on three sides by crumbling walls. It’s certainly not much at all–which is likely the reason Souji seems so offended when Jack picks up some cat treats and proceeds to eat them.

With a mouthful of the strangely fishy tasting treats, Jack looks down at Souji wearing an expression of curiosity. Don’t eat the stuff for cats? And why the hell not? Does he honestly expect to get by sharing his food with animals? That’ll do nothing but get you killed in this place. Same as housing a dying man with a shortage of food. You’re giving it up for nothing.

That makes his face fall a little, but he guesses it’s too much to hope someone else down here would care for them. It’s why he’d taken the task himself in the first place despite it being, by and large, far more danger than the average person would consider it worth.

His shoulders are hunched as he steps inside, wary of his new found environment. He’d been ambushed before, naturally- but to little victory from the offending parties. Regenerative abilities were a hell of a show stopper when it came to killing whatever freak blend of splicer and adam slug he’d ended up as. 

Is he afraid to do so…? The cats are always very nice–under Souji’s care, at least these ones haven’t gotten the chance to go feral. And he always goes out of his way to make sure they eat before he goes searching for his own, probably the reason his own meal for the evening had been so pitiful. All the same, he carefully hefts the cat a little higher in one arm and reaches down, his free hand hovering over Jack’s.

The breath leaves Souji for a good few seconds when his back hits a wall, but he’s hardly concerned about what happens to himself in a moment like this, as long as the cat ends up okay. Maybe it’s silly… he really should be more careful, but the truth is that the only real reason he bothers to keep on down here is that there’s still animals who don’t deserve to suffer and wither away.

He’s quiet, contemplative. As that cat goes from crawling around his ankles to leaping into Souji’s arms. He’s seen cats lying around before.. But they don’t pay him much mind, so he returns the favor. They’re just animals, right...? He doesn’t like animals very much... But at least it’s not a dog.

He’s on the defensive when he sees him reaching for his person- stepping back with an especially vitriol laced glare fixated on him for it. Is he really that worse off than the rest of the splicers? Anyone with half a brain knows better than making sudden movements around Rapture’s born and bred killing machine. Of course, he’s not about to just let himself come off as fearful either in wake of this- no way in hell. 

             Miles wasn’t sure if he should feel hurt or nothing- it wasn’t like he expected much out of Jack in the first place. The splicer was always like that, even when Miles actually was with him. Now that he thought of it, Miles never could actually think of something positive about the other, aside from the fact that he was living and had the mentality to talk to Miles like a somewhat normal person. 

Was he really going to try and stir up conversation despite that? How can one person be so... clingy. He can feel bile rising in his throat, threatening to make him gag at the sentiment. He’d prefer skewering himself to this, to be honest. It’s just sad and embarrassing to watch now. 

Souji’s admittedly a little concerned about how heavy Jack’s breathing is, but nervousness makes it hard to voice such worries. Besides, he’s sure it’d be taken as another way he’s avoiding showing him, when the truth is that all he has holed up is something he alone treasures.

He supposes that’s one advantage to this, at least. But it’s not nearly enough to make him stop wishing he hadn’t gotten himself into this kind of situation in the first place. Uneasily, he falls into step behind Jack, fingers curled loosely toward his palm in case this isn’t enough.

Souji’s frown deepens. The thought crosses his mind that he might somehow slip away from him, but he doesn’t count on it–and he’s sure it’ll only make it all the worse for himself if he gets caught. At this point, his only option seems to be to lead him back and hope that the wrecked sight of his little hole in the wall will satisfy him.

         Miles stared at Jack for a second before hurrying over to him and crouching next to him. The journalist hesitantly placed a hand on the other’s back, curling his fingers against the dirtied wool fabric. “I’m a journalist, not a detective- besides, I assumed you wanted nothing to do with me after you ran off like that” 

He shrugs his arm off his shoulder, showing no interested in his formalities. Was he really this hung up on his presence...? He’d like to pretend it’s because he’s not as mad as everyone else in this place, but it’s probably something else. Maybe it’s just that he’s alone, and he can’t bear to survive without clinging to something. 

His sudden closeness invades Souji’s senses with a rather unpleasant smell, and further, a sense of fear that causes him to step backward another foot or so. The eyes are intimidating and eerie enough–and they cause realization all at once. This isn’t just some half-mad splicer. It’s him. Souji swallows, all the more sure that he has to play his cards carefully.

“The Medical Pavilion.” He repeats, lifting a brow. Heavily populated by splicers, not an easy place to get around at all. Judging by how poorly he’s managed to get along here, it seems kind of suspicious. But maybe it’s just dumb luck that he’s managed to survive this long. He doesn’t plan to give him the benefit of the doubt.

@heirofrapture | starter 

His concept of time, of days, of years- all warped beyond repair. He walked until he tired, he fought until he collapsed. Miles wasn’t his concern at all- not when he was living on the edge of starvation and emotional collapse without fail. Was he supposed to be touched...? Concerned? Relieved? He felt nothing as he stood, turning his gaze onto Miles.