「please, go back」

Halting as the other male did, he peered at the memo, hardly thinking of the fact that he wasn’t speaking directly to him. There was a chance it was a touchy subject, so he didn’t ask.

      “ This is far enough. Sorry for possibly alarming you back there.          And…thank you for not commenting about it. ”

Putting this event behind him would be the best thing to do, but the far away feeling of paranoia that the moth might return still lingered.

The lack of comment on his speech - or rather it's absence - didn't go unnoticed. Perhaps it was in return for his earlier decision not to press on the subject of the moth, but even so, most people in this facility never seemed to question it. He didn't mind at all, since the story was somewhat unbelievable, but it was a noticeable change from his previous life. 

memo:

「Likewise. I'm Suga.」

He never really knew how he should carry on conversations in a place like this. At the museum it was always administrative discussions on well-tread topics, but there were rarely such obvious subjects here. Still, he wrote without too much hesitation.

Andersen was enjoying what passed as his life now; he had no commissions to work on, which made his hands just a bit itchy for something to write, but not enough for him to actually pick up a pen. The games in the rec room were tempting. He had dug into video games on the Moon Cell and found them to be… very. Very bright, very colorful, very distracting.

And as he was distracted by such thoughts, he caught a very familiar, an obnoxiously familiar scent. When he turned, he didn’t see a woman so horrible that she should have only been able to exist in a fairy tale. But he did find a young man who positively reeked of said woman. He sympathized so much that it hurt, though he always hurt.

"You have my condolences. I would recommend that you avoid that woman, but circumstances make it impossible. You’ll lose even than what you’ve already lost if you stray too close to her."

Of the things he had expected on his way, he hadn't suspected that someone with such a strange hair colour would talk to him. Usually, people didn't really talk to him unless they needed to. More than that, he seemed to know something about Suga's situation.

memo:

「Who are you talking about?」

     Yes, even if she were trapped here with the rest of the cattle, Kiara couldn’t say she wouldn’t at least enjoy her stay with a partner like this.

     Look at that, he even has a sizable sword to boot. Kiara sure loves herself some big swords.

     She moves to sit next to him, leaning in just a bit. “…Tee hee, are you feeling nervous?”

     Teasing lightly before she shifts her position — closer to Suga, her own back leaning against the same wall as her arms loop around one of his. "I’m truly grateful from the bottom of my heart. So please, please allow me to comfort you as well…" Head laid against his shoulder, Kiara would forgo any discomfort of their rather stiff position just for the sake of being close to another human being like this. 

Looking down at her, he remembered the fact that he had been described more than once as a black telephone pole and probably wasn't the most comfortable person to sleep on. He could only hope that she wouldn't find it too be so uncomfortable that she couldn't rest well.

Yet, he didn’t seem to sense any malicious intent from the other. Rather, he seemed just as wary as he was in the current situation. The light-haired boy loosened his fists, yet kept an attentive look on his face. Ill-meanings or not, he could still feel a sliver of spiritual power emanating from the other.

If not a youkai, then perhaps a human that’s had an encounter with the spirits? Rare are the chances, but there are others like that. But maybe … | || 

"What do you want?"

memo:

「From you? Nothing.」

As always, statements like that came off a little too blunt, since they sounded so flat without anything to indicate how it should be read. Quickly noticing this, he added to the memo.

「I mean...」

「Since, you know about youkai, I can just tell you. I'm looking for any of them that are in this forest.」

     "…I know I don’t have to. But… I… I want to."

memo:

「Alright.」

     But how could she help herself. Humanity was so kind, this boy being exemplary of that fact. Yet how sullen he looked, how tired… That, too, was lovely.

     "Yes… I think it’s a good idea." Sigh. Her eyes slide off in an unfixed gaze, staring at nothing. She brings her fingers to her chin, then speaks as if she’s making a decision rather than an offer. 

     "So… if you want to sleep in my bed too, that would be okay, I think."

Her next words surprised him, bringing a matching colour to his face. Honestly, he had thought that her suggestion had been a dismissal of his company in order to get some rest. It was possible that she hadn't yet noticed that the two of them and their roommates - the two other beds had to be for someone, surely - all had their own place to sleep, but considering that she had been in the room long before he had, that was unlikely. Concluding that she was probably simply offering out of politeness, he wrote a short reply.

memo:

"Wah—!"

The teen quickly whirled around to face the unexpected intruder—or, rather, tried to. He’d somehow forgotten to stand up from his crouching position on the ground before doing so, so rather than straighten up and back away as he’d wished to…the poor boy simply ended up on his backside, staring, momentarily petrified, at the stranger looming over him.

He was…really tall, wasn’t he? Tall, dressed entirely in black, and—wait. Was that a katana? Why did this person have a katana?! Was he a crazy person? It looked real, oh God—

A memo was suddenly offered to him for inspection, and B-ka paused, studying it half a second before looking quizzically up at the stranger. This was…—?

In all his years as an unfortunately menacing person, he'd never seen a reaction quite like that. The shout wasn't all that unexpected, but his short fall was enough to completely break Suga's stony faced expression. Before he acted to help, however, he listened to the stuttered response. He couldn't sympathize, but apparently some people found nature to be refreshing in times of distress. If that was why this person was here, Suga's appearance had likely undone whatever effects the forest had on his temperament.

Predictably, the same question was asked of him. He added the answer to the previous memo before pocketing his pen and offering the now-empty hand to the boy before him. The other might not take it, but hopefully it was more uncomfortable to be on the ground than to face a frightening stranger.

memo:

「Suga Koutarou. It's my job to be here.」

A self-appointed one, yes, but he took it as seriously as most people took their actual professions. At the moment, it seemed that he wouldn't really be needed to do said job. His unfinished task heavily on his mind, he decided it might be better for the both of them to wrap this up quickly.

What a very, very troublesome boy.

By the looks of it, however, Natsume seemed well, despite the very vague information this person supplied him with. Satisfied with what he know, Madara decided not to be very aggressive with his “interrogation.”

"Ah," he finally said upon reading the other’s note. Suga, huh? How did Natsume go calling other people, anyway? With the -san suffix? With just their name as is? Fuck. "Sorry about forgetting your name, Suga. I guess I’ve been worried about a lot of things lately." His tone, however, sounded as if he lost interest. He really couldn’t help that. "It’s annoying. Not knowing about this place, I mean. I hope I could get to biting the head off that guy who brought us here very soon."

Did he just say bite? He could only hope that Natsume intended that sentence to be interpreted in a figurative way. The difference in behaviour, though, was jarring enough that he was beginning to wonder whether or not this really was the boy he met in the forest. He had seen people who had been possessed before and this didn't quite fit the bill, but that didn't entirely rule out the possibility. Before he could decide how to act on that idea, his final note was read. His growing suspicions were momentarily pushed aside at that last, disconnected question. Hadn't this person needed to use the bathroom? It was possible that wherever they had come from didn't have bathrooms. It wasn't all that likely, but the clear difference in technological knowledge between the residents of the facility was enough that he would believe it.

memo:

「For normal bathroom reasons.」

He wasn't going to spell out the uses of a bathroom, so that would have to suffice. Perhaps it was foolhardy of him, but he was going to be a little bit blatant about his suspicions. There was no way he would discover the truth without being forthright.

It wasn’t Madara that he met.

Coming to that conclusion, Madara’s eyes widened, and he bit his lip to avoid suddenly lashing out at the stranger and bombarding him with questions. He failed looking as if everything was fine, however, and ended up looking constipated, instead. Acting, for one, wasn’t exactly his forte.

He watched as the other write out another response, one that he hoped would disprove what he had thought. He already had enough trouble being stuck in this place with an annoying thing branded on his wrist, but if this was where that troublesome boy ended up being, then it’s just more trouble for Madara.

And really, just how unlucky was he?

There was a weak grumble of complaint from the youkai as he eyed the scabbard the other pointed at. He thought that this guy was a spirit, huh? It was true that this stranger seemed to possess enough spiritual energy, but he was no spirit; he was the same as Natsume.

Madara looked at the boy again, and with a frown still. This day sucked.

"Okay," he finally said after a minute or two, then cue awkward chuckle. "I seem to have forgotten!" Madara was going to cry. "Sorry, what was your name again? Uh…" He forced a smile.

Before he could attempt to write anything on that subject, the other apparently finished trying to remember their meeting. He had thought that the frown that was directed toward his sword was a possible sign that his description had jogged their other's memories. It wasn't an very uncommon reaction to the sight, especially if you were a certain middle schooler who didn't obey museum rules. But, it seemed that he really had forgotten Suga. Withdrawing an old, slightly bent memo, he provided his name to the other for a second time.

memo:

「Suga Koutarou.」

Replacing it with a new card, he added a few more relevant things. Despite his initial answer, he hadn't been actively gathering information. That didn't mean he couldn't try to elaborate for the sake of the conversation.

memo:

「If you're still looking into this facility, there isn't very much to know.」

「It seems everything that voice said is true, though.」

Belatedly, he scribbled a quick addition.

As it turned out, Madara wasn’t entirely satisfied with his response. If anything, he had more questions than answers, like “what the hell does that question mark supposed to mean?” or “what do you mean ‘when we met’?” and even “you made me wait that long for that reply?” So, being the smart youkai he was, Madara went with the most obvious response he had.

For one deeply concerning moment, he wondered if he had accidentally activated the memory-erasing powers of the night glowstone in his sword and taken those memories away, justlikeher. Of course, before his mind could run too far with that idea, rationality quickly reminded him that couldn't possibly be the case. If there had been any memory loss, it was entirely natural. He took a little breath, thinking about how exactly to reply. Thankfully, it took much less time than the previous message.

memo:

「In the forest.」

「You thought I was a spirit.」

「I had a sword.」

     "Oh, that’s right…Suga Koutarou.  Hee hee, Sorry, I can’t believe I forgot already. Ah…"

     "This place has really taken its toll on me, I suppose…" She releases a soft sigh and her hands lower to rest beside her thighs. She was rather tired… Before answering she gives a thoughtful glance towards their designated resting areas. Those beds there were nothing short of mediocre, but Kiara has slept in places much stranger. The only bad side she could come up with was how cold and lonely it looked… Well, perhaps if she could just convince Su—

     "I’m sorry." Her attention snaps back to him, features growing apologetic in a heartbeat. She was quite good at looking and acting like a regular nun, even if reality told a slightly different story. "I don’t know anything more than you do. I do wish I could be of more service, but I’m afraid you’re stuck with a husk as empty of information as the rest…" Oh, how pitiable. 

     "Um… Well. Either way… I will try my best to discover new things, if that’s what will please you, but for the time being… I might take a rest. My head is still spinning, you see…"

Noticing the conspicuous silence, he followed her gaze toward the beds. He hadn't had much of a chance to look around the room yet, but he was surprised by the relative comfort of the place. It didn't really match up with the electrified fence and so-called experiment. He got a faint impression that his partner thought there was something missing, but Suga couldn't think of anything else that was usually in a bed. Unless...?

Before he could follow that train of thought, she spoke up again. It wasn't particularly surprising, so he wasn't very disappointed by the answer. Surely, in time, they would be able to discover more of the truth behind this place.

memo:

「It's fine. We can search together from now on.」

Ah, so she was tired. Again, understandable. In fact, that explained why she had been looking at their accommodations earlier. Personally, he didn't feel too tired, but perhaps his perpetual dark circles gave Kiara that impression. Being alert, however, sounded like a good idea in a potentially dangerous place like this. Suga was a light sleeper, so he was sure he could take a little nap without accidentally oversleeping.

memo:

"…Ah…" Cue a stare at the ceiling, then a menacing look around the hallway he was in. Well, this was outright annoying. How atrocious to be brought in here without his permission.

No more dilly-dallying: he had no idea where he was, or how he got here, for that matter. He had already wandered out of the room he woke up in, not before changing form of course. With a disapproving squint at the nearest glass he had passed by, Madara realised he was in Natsume’s form. Still as perfect as ever, it seems, but without the boy’s permission. He didn’t even realise he turned into him, but whatever, right? As long as he didn’t find Natsume here, there wouldn’t be any problem.

That was the first thing he did, anyway. Find Natsume. Maybe learn a few things about this place, but his priority was still the same. Madara had thought about it the moment he realised he wasn’t home anymore, and some asshole on the speakers started talking to him: maybe the boy was here, too. Would be nice if he wasn’t, but things sort of happened, and then now Madara found himself in this place, utterly lost. It was irritating, and looking at the mark on his wrist seem to amplify his irritation. It was like a reminder that someone else easily overpowered him.

His irritation have grown worse as he thought more about it. With a click of his tongue, Madara turned to a corner and saw someone down the hallway. With his mood right now, no doubt that the turn of events with this stranger would be quite awkward. Madara could easily ignore this guy and trudge on, but this was unfamiliar territory. He didn’t know who he was dealing with, and that left him no choice.

His choice of words wasn’t really bad (at least he thought so), but his tone seeped of anger. Tone it down…

So, he had left his partner to her own devices and made his way through the halls. Having passed a few people, it took a moment to register the somehow familiar head in the distance. The person walking in the opposite direction was... that boy he had met in the forest. It took him a little longer than it should have to recognize them because, although his appearance hadn't changed, he gave off a completely different impression. Then again, it wasn't as though he knew him particularly well. The two had only exchanged a handful of words. Still, there was definitely something odd.

His suspicions were confirmed when the other actually spoke. Certainly, he had never heard the other speak like that. He wondered whether something had happened to make him appear so irritated. The question was strange in itself, since he had seemed to know about the facility when they had met.

With no way to answer any of his questions without asking, Suga began to scribble away. It took a few revisions to produce anything that wasn't simply a series of questions and in the end he simply left one free-standing from sheer confusion.

memo:

「?」

「Not much more than when we met.」

"Uwah… Pretty…"

It probably wasn’t the brightest of ideas to wander into the forest alone, but…simply sitting around in his room had only served to make him restless and anxious; and he’d heard a few times that nature had a soothing effect on the weary mind. He wasn’t entirely sure of the validity of the claim, but…there was no harm in trying, right?

(It was unlikely the place would be especially dangerous, after all. If the Groundskeeper intended to make this a test of survival, B-ka…would have been dead a long time ago.)

It was with that in mind that he’d made his way here—and oh, he was so glad he had! There were so many colorful flowers and plants to look at here, many of which he’d never seen in Japan, or even in books! This was definitely more than enough to take his mind off things…

This particular trip hadn't been very interesting, despite the fact that he had been wound tighter than a spring as he walked through it. Grudgingly, he could admit that the forest did look very nice, especially in contrast to the mostly monochrome facility.

Shaken out of his thoughts by sounds of movement, he stalked through the underbrush with practiced steps. Of course, when he reached his destination it became obvious that he wouldn't need such caution. Doing his best not to intimidate the unsuspecting person despite his height and sword, he extracted himself from the bushes and tapped a shoulder lightly, holding up an old and well-used memo.

memo:

Like most things with Suga, it was a fairly subtle excitement, but it was probably quite a sight, someone so ecstatic over the presence of a writing implement. Finally thankful for the Japanese school system, or at least the fact that most students had pens, he took the pen without hesitation.

memo:

「You just gave it to me.」

Time to correct his earlier agreement as well.

He had assumed that the logical connection between the unfinished message and the need for pens would have been implicit, but perhaps agreeing to the sore throat had opened up a whole new range of possibilities. Unfortunately, he couldn't correct him with only "yes" or "no" at his disposal.