[Week 4, Wednesday: Ichigo]

[purrtagonist]

[with Sinbad's help, Akira drags Ichigo all the way to the bookstore, to prop him up in a recliner on which he can rest until he comes to. when he finally does wake up, he'll see that Akira has brought him wonder water and to-go pancakes from the maid cafe! what a good partner]

[rise and shine, sleeping beauty]

Comments

[bladeisme]

[It takes a while for him to fully wake up - the total exhaustion caused by psych overuse is no joke - but when his eyes flutter open, he gives a weak groan and shakily sits up a little, running his gaze over his surroundings.]

....The bookstore...? ...Akira....?

[He still sounds pretty out of it, but he's slowly coming back to himself with every breath.]

[purrtagonist]

[at the sound of his name, Akira lifts his head, greeting his sleepy partner with the smallest of smiles. it's not a very bright one; it looks more exhausted than anything]

How are your batteries?

[he asks, before handing Ichigo a glass of water]

[bladeisme]

...On empty.

[He takes the water, wearily sipping at it before gulping it down whole.]

Generally feel like...I got hit by a truck. That ran over me multiple times.

[purrtagonist]

[Akira shifts to sit on the arm of the chair, partially into Ichigo's personal space. he's checking the color of his complexion, to make sure he's recovering all right]

You wore yourself out healing four people in a row.

[three humans and one cat tank]

. . . thanks. [a pause; he needs to say this again] And I'm sorry.

[for all that they have been pretending to be angry at each other? he knows that some of that fury from earlier was real]

[bladeisme]

[Ah...

Ichigo can't help the blush that comes to his face when Akira leans in so closely, and he quickly waves his hand in front of Akira's face in a dismissing motion to try and distract him.]

A-Ah, yeah, I remember that. But you don't have to apologize, you know - I just wish you'd stop throwing yourself in dangerous situations like that when you don't have any powers.

[The anger had definitely been real, that much is true - because seeing Akira fall had made him feel like his heart was about to come out of his throat, especially when he saw the wound that he'd sustained. But now, after waking up? He's less angry and just more concerned.

He knows what it feel like to feel like you have to help....even if there's nothing you can do.]

We're not - you can't be a hero here, Akira.

[purrtagonist]

[ah]

I'm not trying.

[to be a hero. he knows he can't be-- not with the role he's been given. so he isn't making the attempt. but. . .?]

[that doesn't mean he can just stand back on the sidelines and watch, does it?]

[bladeisme]

...Being on top of a gigantic noise lizard says otherwise, you know.

[But honestly? He's too tired to really argue. His energy is at an extremely low point, and he wants to just be close to Akira without worrying for once about if he's going to die or not.

With a small grunt, he pushes himself off the recliner, obviously incredibly shaky and weak, to try to make it to the bookstore's couch.]

Hnnn-

[He gets about halfway before his legs give out and he falls to the floor on his knees, wincing.]

Sh...Shit...I've only been this bad before after a fight...How the hell did Inoue do it so easily?

[purrtagonist]

Practice?

[watching Ichigo sit up, concern still knitted in his brows. but he doesn't move to stop him]

I have food and water for you, by the way. Think you can tuck some into that stomach of yours now that you're awake?

[bladeisme]

[Right, let him just...get to the couch...it takes a while, but he manages to get on there, sinking into it with a groan.]

I can try, I guess? No guarantees, though.

[purrtagonist]

I won't make you make any promises. Water first.

[offering him the glass! drink up, partner]

[bladeisme]

[Right...down the hatch it goes, though it's not very quickly or with much gusto.]

...Helps a little, I guess...

[Water doesn't really refil the tank, though.]

[purrtagonist]

[it doesn't, but it at least prepares him for what comes next. which is chicken nuggets, immediately shoved into his lap]

[but anyway, now that that's done?]

We need to talk about something, by the way.

[oh]

[bladeisme]

[Ah yes, the meal he'll hate later on in the week. For now, though? He takes them and starts eating, even if he feels less hungry and more nauseous than anything else.]

....What is it?

[Nomnom]

[purrtagonist]

[and here it is, quick and straight to the point. he's been sitting on this ever since his conversation with Yang]

Shin knows I'm a Reaper.

[bladeisme]

[He stops mid chew, swallowing hard.]

He - what?

[Inwardly, his mind races - because he knows, from previous meetings, that Izaya and Jacopo were using Assassin to try and take out the other reapers targeting the players.

Shit. Had they told him?]

[purrtagonist]

He knows I'm a Reaper.

[Akira doesn't really know too much about what Jacopo and Izaya had planned to do, so he can't quite make that connection yet in his mind. but he does know this]

He told Yang I was one, and then she came and told me. She said that he mentioned the other group of Reapers have him do "dirty jobs."

[. . .]

You can imagine what I took that to mean.