The moment he slams the lantern against @lobotomeye's head, just as he'd suspected, the man catches fire immediately. Sebastian backs away, watching him burn for all of a moment before that journalist's advice pops up in his head: Whatever you do, don't look into his eyes!
So Sebastian's own eyes squeeze shut. Even when he hears Ruvik rush forward, even when he feels Ruvik's hand wrap around his throat and lift him with a strength his slender frame shouldn't be able to manage, even when his breath starts to thin and his teeth grit together, he doesn't budge. Even as the flames that engulf Ruvik's body feel as if they'll melt Sebastian's own skin off, the mantra in his thoughts doesn't waver.
Don't look into his eyes! Don't look into his eyes! Don't look into his eyes!
As his mind starts to lighten, and his legs begin to tremble with the loss of oxygen, Sebastian's resolve crumbles. His lashes flutter, his heart slows in his chest, and just as he thinks this might be the end of him... Ruvik lets him go.
Sebastian lands on the floor on hands and knees, coughing and wheezing and doing his best not to throw up. Unable to sustain his own weight with the rush of oxygen in his lungs, he collapses onto his side and rolls on his back. His throat is sore, his skin feels hot to the touch, and it's a wonder he didn't just pass out. Then again, perhaps his stubborn determination's finally good for something.
Caught up as he is in his attempts to recover, he almost misses the sound of Ruvik's voice where he's collapsed on the floor. But it comes out so quiet, so soft and shocked, that perhaps he would have missed it even if he didn't feel like absolute shit--
" i. . . i didn't mean to. . . " ( x )
Perhaps it's a foolish move to turn his head and afford Ruvik a glance, but the sight that greets him makes Sebastian's eyes widen. Beside him isn't the same hooded ghost with the scarred torso-- no, all he sees is a young man with bandages wrapped around his head, dressed in a button shirt and equally smart trousers. All he sees is Ruben Victoriano, looking for all the world like the tragic boy genius he could have been if he wasn't so fucking insane.
If not for the bright blue of Ruben's eyes, Sebastian might think he was someone else. He'd recognise that piercing colour anywhere, though.
Despite his own pathetic state, Sebastian can't help the growl. "What?" His voice is still raspy, fresh as he is from a strangulation. "What the fuck did you just say?"
It's a little too late for regrets, isn't it?
