doggone

[repeatedprayer]

[In the time following his departure from Tabito and Manabu's company, the alias "Grey" has wound up sticking.

Not that everyone calls him that, he's used a few other aliases since then, but it's what he's wound up thinking of himself as. If Grey had taken the time to think about it a bit more he might have picked something with a little less connection to Rezo's name, but it's still leagues better than thinking of himself as "Rez- wait, no, just a copy." And maybe that's why he's felt significantly calmer since he left Sairaag.

By his own standards, Grey has been laudably well-behaved; sure, he's been mostly doing under-the-table psychic work, often on behalf of criminals, but! He's been trying to keep a low profile so it's usually things like clairvoyant spying rather than anything violent, and he's been making a point of not doing anything that directly impacts the galaxy railways.

It would be extremely awkward if Manabu Yuuki had to try and arrest him, after all.

He's found himself frequently thinking about Manabu, much to his annoyance. He has no serious expectations of ever seeing Manabu again, so it's simply a waste of mental bandwidth to find himself wondering what Manabu is doing right now or where he is, or to reminisince over their incredibly brief acquaintanceship. Grey can only suppose that because Manabu was the first reasonably normal person he got to know after leaving Sairaag that Manabu is going to stick out in his mind for a while.

And it's probably because of the real estate that Manabu is hogging in Grey's mind that he's been very aware of every mention of the SDF that crosses his path. He hasn't exactly been tracking the SDF's activities deliberately, but he does pay attention to the news and the SDF frequently winds up in there, even if Manabu's name in particular isn't normally dropped.

Until the day it does.

SDF Officer Taken Hostage By Pirates]

* * *

[It's taken several weeks of investigating, but Grey has been able to track down The Huntress's client, a Dr. Parish and associates. It must be a small galaxy, because Dr. Parish is someone Grey knows. Sort of.

Rather, Dr. Parish was a colleague of Rezo's who collaborated with the man on chimera research (and other unsavory things) in the past. Not only that, the man was an ardent admirer of Rezo's superior psychic prowess, and desperate to improve his own meager abilities.

He'd had quite a shock when Grey approached him in town, but after the initial surprise it had been sickeningly easy to convince Dr. Parish that he was the real Rezo. Grey can only surmise that the man wants to believe too badly to let himself be properly suspicious. It had only taken a day for Grey to be invited to tour Parish's laboratory.

The lab's located on the grounds of a former Marquess's estate, a ways out of town and secluded by trees, a high wall, and a long drive. Grey's done a little recon before, but actually being here is different, especially since he has to navigate by cane at the moment. Grey is doing his best to politely nod and smile as Parish guides him from room to room, explaining their work and occasionally handing him things to examine himself.

But evidently Parish realizes that "Rezo" isn't entirely interested, because he stops partway through an explanation of some stem cell experiments he and a few others have been working on to say "Of course, the really interesting specimens are kept in the basement floor."

Grey already knows this. He hopes his expression seems the right sort of eager.]

Interesting?

["Something along the lines of what we did in the past. Would you like to see them?"]

Nothing would please me more.

[Grey can practically hear Parish's delighted grin. To soothe the surge of irritation, Grey reminds himself that he's going to kill this man before the end of the day and allows Parish to guide him out into the hall and to the basement entrance at the back of the building.]

Comments

[siriusly]

[Manabu's frowning down at the remains of his cup, missing that dramatic reaction in his periphery.]

I remember...I remember hearing that name. In there. The lab. Something for a Rezo. Things to show Rezo.

[he looks over.] Maybe that's the benefactor? Behind all of this. Mayb-- [blink.]

...You okay?

[repeatedprayer]

[Grey's face is paler than usual. In the dim morning light, he looks almost like a ghost. He certainly feels as though there's one in the room, tracing an icy finger across his heart...

He stares balefully at Manabu, until the other man's words finally sink in.]

...You heard it. Right. He said you could probably hear...

[Grey shakes his head and turns around, depositing his cup on the counter. He doesn't feel like polishing it off right now.

He forces a stronger voice:]

I can see why you'd think that, but Rezo isn't the benefactor. He's the former colleague of Parish's that I was impersonating.

[siriusly]

[impersonating...Manabu needs a second to recall that bit. it's hazy. that whole event was...hazy. he'd heard the name more than a few times even before that rescue, but he can't be certain of what's remembered and what he's just assuming he knew.

even so:] That's still a lead. A connection to follow. You know this guy? If you were able to pretend to be him so easily.

[is that why he has a false ID? is he a spy on the side?]

[repeatedprayer]

[Grey can't bring himself to turn around.]

Yes. I've met him.

[Should he be discouraging Manabu away from this train of thought? It's true that Rezo- the original Rezo- is connected to things. And if Manabu is to bring the perpetrators to justice, then it's better if he knows and remembers as much as possible.

But there's one thing that Grey never wants Manabu to know-!]

[siriusly]

[Manabu drinks back the remainder of broth in the cup, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. he needed the food more than he realizes, though his stomach isn't appreciating sudden solids in there after weeks of IV nutrition...his stomach audibly makes a noise at that.]

So that might be the way to go...hunting this guy down, finding out what he knows about this whole operation. Stop...other people from getting caught up in it.

[...]

Other people...are caught up in this...

[there's no way this is the first, but it's the first he's heard of any of this.

he feels nauseous quite suddenly.]

[repeatedprayer]

...

[Manabu's not wrong about that last part. Grey himself is a chimera, though less visible than others. Zelgadis is probably still out there somewhere. Grey can remember other experiments as well. And those are just the ones that Rezo was involved in.

However, if Manabu intends to go after Rezo over the lab in Ruvinagald, he'll be barking up the wrong tree.

...Bad choice of idiom there.

Grey forces himself to turn around and look at Manabu.]

You won't be able to find Rezo. He's dead.

[And to stave off the inevitable wondering:]

I didn't kill him.

[siriusly]

[Manabu's eyebrows lift in surprise, then knit in concern.]

How...how tied-up in this are you, Grey? Do these people have something on you? Is that why you had to run? [the secrecy, the fake ID...]

[repeatedprayer]

I...

[Grey expected Manabu to ask how Grey knew that, or how Rezo died, or just what Grey knows about Rezo... The fact that Manabu chose to ask about him instead is unexpected.

He lets out a shaky breath that is almost a laugh.]

Has anyone ever told you how hard you can be to predict?

[siriusly]

[he cocks his head a little.

like...like when a dog cocks its head to listen.

the dog ears help that.

credibility: gone.]

Huh? [blinkblink. squint.] Hey, don't change the subject! I'm being serious! If they've got something on you that's been keeping you from living your life, that's just one more thing they've got to answer for! And I mean to--

[he pops up on his feet.

inner-ears have moved.

vertigo happen.

he wavers, wobbles, and starts to topple in a dizzy swirl.]

[repeatedprayer]

[Honestly. Why is this man always so...]

Manabu?

[He sees Manabu wobble, and- Oh no.

Upshot of the small space they're sharing: Grey is able to instantly dash forward and catch Manabu before he topples in a heap on the floor. It's not the most graceful of catches and it means Manabu's face is smushed against Grey's chest (bare, since Grey hasn't had time to put on a shirt yet) but hey, surely that's better than linoleum?

Grey looks down at the dog in his arms, too concerned to remember to be tsundere about this yet.]

What's wrong? Are the drugs still affecting you?

[siriusly]

Mhrhmh-?

[mumbling into this dude's chest doesn't register right away, but once he gets a semblance of his body around him, his hands blindly pat around to get purchase (sorry to this man) and push away and blink blearily.]

I, I don't know, I got...so dizzy...is it? Drugs? A, er...

[his gaze trails down to where his hands are, what they're on, and starts to get red, tail floofing.]

Uhhh--

[repeatedprayer]

[Maybe he should have waited to ask any questions. Grey resists a shudder at the sensation of Manabu's mouth and breath against his bare skin. It's the sort of thing he thinks should be unpleasant, but instead it's...

Not unpleasant?]

Nn-

[Any attempts to think rationally about what Manabu's dizziness issue might be are thwarted by the fact that Manabu's hands are touching his chest and God, why does he want to press himself up against those hands, what the hell is he thinking?!]

...

[After what seems an eternity of stupefied staring while his skin buzzes from the stimulation of Manabu's touch, Grey manages to blurt out something coherent.]

We should move to the bed.

[Gibberish probably would have been better!]

[siriusly]

A-- [he startles, slapped in the face with the implication.] Suh, s-s-s-sorry, I--! D'AH-!!

[he means to forcefully push himself away. to where? backward.

what's backward?

bed.]

[repeatedprayer]

ManaAa-!

[good job boy, u followed grey's instructions

Alas, Manabu's escape attempt doesn't leave Grey unscathed either. His arms are still around Manabu, intent on not letting the other man fall, and their legs are close together and easily tangled... All of which means that when Manabu tries to shove himself backwards and hits the bed, Grey is pulled forward.

He doesn't exactly fall, more stumble, but the result is still that he's leaning over Manabu and the both of them are, as Grey suggested now at bed. Bewildered, mismatched eyes stare down at Manabu, one hand still under Manabu's waist, the other pressed against the mattress beside Manabu's shoulder.

Really, all the moment needs is some sparkly flowers to frame the two of them.]

You...

[Manabu's face is awfully red... Grey feels like his is probably a similar shade.]

Are you... still dizzy?

[siriusly]

Uh--

[Manabu's staring back, unblinking, mouth opening and closing without a proper response for a bit there; he almost doesn't hear properly, given his heart hammering in his ears. there's an almost-electric feeling running through him, especially where the hand is pressed on his back.

Grey's eyes...they're peculiar already, but being able to see them closer--]

Huh? [wait, what was the question?

he blinks a couple times, gulping.]

Um. I--I'm... Maybe a little. [but he's not sure that's drugs.]

[repeatedprayer]

[Grey can see every little motion of Manabu's face, all the little details of his eyes... When was the last time he was this close to Manabu's face? Maybe back in the Ruvinagald lab, when he was trying to speak to Manabu as privately as possible with the scientists in the room.

That memory sobers him up a little, reminding him that there are things of a bit more importance than Manabu's mouth and hands.

...What the hell is wrong with him?

Grey scowls, which is probably extra unpleasant at this close a range, and shakily gets to his feet, withdrawing his hand out from underneath Manabu. It feels colder away from him, but that's probably a good thing.]

You, ah... It...

[What were they talking about again? Grey takes a few steps back, feeling his brain resume functioning the more distance he puts between them.]

If you're still dizzy... Just keep lying down until you feel better. Then try and get up, but slowly this time. Maybe the issue is that you stood up too quickly.

[siriusly]

...

[even with that connection severed, Manabu's trapped with the static it leaves behind - left to lay there with his breath caught and heart hammering, his body both warm and peppered with goosebumps.

the only thing sobering was the displeased look that clouded Grey's face just before that connection broke; Manabu squeezes his eyes shut and tries to snap out of it.

good thing, too: too long like that, and he'd have admitted he remembers some of that night. or worse, how he's thought about him time to time at night!

Manabu gulps, pushing himself up by his elbows to sit up.]

I don't...remember what they put in me. The drugs, I mean. If they ever said it, I don't know...

[repeatedprayer]

[The drugs... Right...]

Parish told me a little of the treatments they were giving you, but I don't have all the details either.

[Grey folds his arms and idly drums his fingers against his upper arm as he thinks. He swears he can feel the blood coursing through him, fast and heated and everything they don't need right now.]

We both should try to recall everything we can about what he heard and saw, and write it down. No matter how unpleasant the details might be, any of them could be important to later investigation.

[It's particularly going to be hell on Manabu, if the panic attack earlier is of any indication- but Grey suspects Manabu will consider this important enough to want to endure it.]

[siriusly]

[Manabu runs his hand through his hair, halted short when fingers bump against an ear. it gives him a fresh, nauseous wave and prompts his hand to fall away into his lap.]

...Yeah. I know. I'll try.

[repeatedprayer]

[Grey nods, accepting that as good enough. He might not have the trauma that Manabu has, but it's not exactly going to be easy for him either... How much of his investigation will he be able to write down without leaving enough information to put Grey himself at risk of being found after he runs away?

They'll both just have to try their best.

He waits for a few moments, watching a spot on the far wall visible above Manabu's head. Once he feels that Manabu's had a moment to rest, he asks:]

How are you feeling now? Do you think you can stand up?

[siriusly]

Mn.

[even if he wasn't feeling up to it, he means to try anyway. it's a matter of pride, you know? he hates feeling useless and feeble.

so: up again, but more cautiously. Manabu pushes himself up off the bed with a grunt, wavering again but planting his feet, eyes squeezed shut to cut out one of the sources of the dizziness.]

Nnuh...hh... [he cracks an eye open.] It's...not as bad now...? But...but moving...

[repeatedprayer]

Hm.

[Throughout the entire process Grey keeps a careful eye on Manabu, paying close attention to every little motion and noise he makes. Are those the symptoms of someone still on drugs?]

Can you try walking towards me?

[Grey takes a step towards Manabu, so that he's in range if Manabu starts falling over again.]

[siriusly]

[it's an embarrassing request for someone who very much wants to be capable of something so simple, but...

but he has to swallow on his pride and go with it for Grey's sake.

he advances, but hesitates, closing his eyes again.]

Auh...my head...spins each time I try to move forward...why is that...?! [his ears flatten with the displeasure.]

[repeatedprayer]

[Watching as he does, Grey doesn't fail to notice the way Manabu's ears change position either. It helps him put together some pieces that have been in the back of his mind, though he doesn't say anything quite yet.]

Keep going. What else do you feel?

[siriusly]

N-nauseous... [but was that just the quality of the first solid meal after a while? he doesn't know.

even so, he powers through it, stepping forward again and then planting himself in place to brace against the spin. again, his ears move.]

Uaa...Each step is like that! Why...?