soul_campaign | The 15th Roll: May 2nd, Evening. [Text]

[[It was like being in a fog. Half asleep, but his feet kept moving one in front of the other, the grip on his suitcase so tight that his knuckles were white. Silent, not even seeming to realize that anyone else was passing by, even if they waved or said hello, he just kept walking.

One foot in front of the other. Move forward. Get where you need to go. The key in the lock. The turn of the handle, ignore the stairs, take the elevator. His hand hurt. Both his hands hurt. Even the grip he had on his apartment key was too tight, like everything else.

First floor. Second Floor. Third...

Across the hall, vision so narrow as to only see the nameplate at his door. One name. His name. His last name. He paused for just a moment, fingers trembling as he reached up. In a swift motion, the carefully lettered paper was ripped free, leaving an empty space behind; glaring metal reflecting the light of the hallway above. The paper crumpled easily in his fist before he let it fall.

Unlock the door. Push it open. Let go of the suitcase. Untie sneakers. Not even looking up at the sound from inside the apartment. Not even acknowledging the person inside. Sneakers off. Door locked. Grab the suitcase. Walk to the bedroom. Let the suitcase fall.

For a moment, everything was still. What now?

His breath seemed too loud. Shaking. Echoing. Without any focus, he couldn't see. He needed to know what to do next.

A shower. Take a shower. He could do that.

He turned, emptying his pockets of his keys and wallet and leaving them on his dresser. His fingers paused, however, when they brushed against the mirror in his other pocket before tightening around it painfully.

He should let someone know. He should... should...

His breath caught as his hands trembled. What could he do? He'd done everything he could. Everything he had been expected to do. To what end...?

Slowly, he sank to the floor, vision blurring as something within him broke. Fingers shaking uncontrollably, he fumbled with his communicator. Just a short message. Something to let them know that Ryuzaki was in danger again and didn't care. Something...

Focus. Just this last thing... It took several tries before he got the right screen. It took even more to get the right letters.]]

i cant

[[His finger slips and hits the send button, the words vanishing onto the network, incomplete and useless. No. No, he didn't mean to send that. He had to fix it. He couldn't.... couldn't...

Instead of trying to correct his mistake, he simply stares at the screen as if somehow by doing that, it would fix the words into what he had meant to say. Even if he wasn't even sure what that was any more.]]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Yeah. And I'm going to stay with some friends for a few days too. So you don't have to worry.

You're telling me not to worry about you?

Too late, Ryou.

[You're like her little bro, Ryou. Of course, she's going to worry.]

[[He can't help but smile a little at that.]]

Yeah, I guess it is. Sorry...

[She sighs. He and Colette have to-- Oh yeah.]

Don't apologize for that, okay? It's not necessary.

But I never wanted anyone to worry over me. I worry so much just myself that the last thing I want is to make things for others to worry about.

Yet I went and feel apart...

There's only so much a person can handle by themselves, Ryou. You gotta trust your friends more to help you.

[Pot. Kettle/Kettle. Pot.]

I know... but I don't want to be a burden on everybody.

It's hard for me to trust in people...as much as I want to and know I should.

[[But things always happened and that belief and trust was slowly worn away by loneliness. And especially in this place where someone could vanish with no warning and no trace at any time... How could he start to depend on someone if they would leave him...?]]

Ryou...I will never think of you as a burden. Friends and family aren't burdens. They're family.

[She sighs.]

I know, trusting people means you can be hurt. And if you're hurt too many times, you stop trusting. But you can't be like that, Ryou. Trusting others also means you trust yourself.

[People become a part of you--whether you realize it or not, so even if someone leaves, he can still depend on them being there--thanks to his own actions.]

[[and there's one of the problems...]]

I think I'm even worse at that.

[[a pause. Doing this over text....]]

Did you want to meet up somewhere?

No... You're not.

[But he's right.]

Sure. Where would you like to meet?

Maybe the park? I think a walk might help a little, and the weather isn't bad.

Sure. I think that'll help, too.

[In more ways than one.]

I can be there in a few minutes.

I'll see you there.

[[Bakura was there when she arrived, looking a bit tired and worn, but other wise no worse for the wear despite the past few days weight on him.]]

Okay.

[The first thing Sheena does upon seeing him is to tap him in the head before hugging him.]

Do you honestly think I'd stop worrying about you, Little Brother?

[[It's hard to tell which startles him more, the sudden hug or being called little brother, but the result is the same. His eyes widen and he stares, utterly stunned to the point of not knowing what to do or say for a moment before almost melting into the embrace]]

... I don't like it when people worry... [[admits softly, leaning against her slightly.]]

No one does. No one wants to feel like a burden to others.

[At least she doesn't. She holds him for several moments in silence before continuing.]

But we do it because we care.

[[He nods, relaxing further]] Un... not because we don't trust in people...

Who told you that was a sign of not trusting people? That couldn't be further from the truth! [She holds him tighter.]

You listen to me, Ryou. Not wanting to be a burden on people doesn't mean you don't trust them; it means that you do! You trust them to be concerned about you and care about you when you're hurting. That's what makes them friends.

[[There's that lost look again.]] But... but Jounouchi-kun always said that since I worried... it meant I didn't believe in Yuugi-kun... that I didn't trust in him... and friends trust and believe in each other, no matter what...

That doesn't mean they can't worry about them! [She pauses as she thinks about it.] I think what your friend is referring to is if you worry so much about someone that you prevent them from doing whatever it is that's making you worry.

But, if you let them go ahead, that shows that you do trust them.

He was already doing what he had to... against someone who seemed impossibly to beat..

There would be no way I could even stop him if I wanted to...

So, even though you were worried about him, you never said "stop" or "don't"--is that right? Even knowing the strength of his opponent?

There was no way I could do something like that...! Yuugi-kun had to get his grandfather's soul back!

And you trusted in him to do just that! Do you hear me? You trusted him! Forget what that other person said about trust; they were wrong.

[[he hesitates, leaning against her still. The hug helped sooth some of his worries, but...]]

...but I didn't. I just couldn't stop him... it's not the same at all.

The 15th Roll: May 2nd, Evening. [Text]

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Action.

Action.

Action.

Action.

Action.

Action.

Action.

Action.

Action.

Action.

Action.

Action.

Action. Whoa...how did I miss this?

It happens, no worries.

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