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]

What! Just...stand at the bottom of the stairs? [no way. he follows along, needing to close his eyes between steps to curb the nausea.] We're cleaning all this stuff, right? So let's do that.

[repeatedprayer]

Very well.

[Grey's brow arches, and he makes sure to stick close to Manabu as he walks. But he does let Manabu keep moving, and maybe the flat terrain will treat Manabu better than the stairs did.

They turn a corner, walk through an alley between the laundromat and a building with peeling siding, and then they're out on the main street. It's actually a fairly busy part of the morning they've chosen to come out; it's past the peak of morning rush hour, but there's still plenty of people traversing the streets, getting coffee, etc.

Grey gives Manabu a glance to see how he's handling being in public proper before heading for the entrance of the laundromat.]

[siriusly]

[out in the world...

it's different than tromping down some stairs at the back of a building. there's people about, living their lives. people who belong here. the feeling hits harder seeing it at street-level, gives him pause to just...watch.

the breeze of traffic rushing by rustles some of his hair, kicks up nostalgic smells, and makes his stomach knot and throat tighten.

Mom...are you doing okay? Is Shutaro still...

feeling his eyes start to sting prompts him to move, nearly right into Grey if he doesn't get a move on himself.]

[repeatedprayer]

[Grey does get a hasty move on once he sees Manabu starting to move again; if Grey also spots a hint of tears in Manabu's expression, he's kind enough not to say anything about it.

Grey holds the door to The Laundry Quandary open for Manabu and once they're both inside, heads for a free table to dump the various linens. There are a few other customers inside the laundromat, and a middle-aged employee who gives Grey a greeting when he comes in, which he rudely ignores in favor of calling out to Manabu.]

Help me sort these.

[Grey has to speak a little loudly- there's a TV on in the room which is set to a channel playing some TV drama wherein one woman is very angry at a man for kissing some other woman. She's doing a lot of yelling about it while the other woman cries and the man tries fruitlessly to calm both of them down.]

[siriusly]

[for what it's worth, Manabu does make eye contact and give a polite head-bow to the employee before his attention is diverted.]

A--mn, yeah...

[if Manabu were a better friend, he'd recognize the show as one of the dramas that Louis loves to follow! but...he kind of zones out when she starts talking about those sorts of things.

he can't be a better friend, so he may as well be good at digging clothes and bedding out of the bag he brought with him per Grey's instructions. it's such a mundane chore, but there's meaning in being able to even do it again.

man...this is so messed up. i'm so messed up...]

[repeatedprayer]

I believe we'll have to do this in two batches.

[Grey has a fairly haphazard approach to laundry, courtesy of his issues with colors and relative lack of housekeeping knowledge- he basically just sorts things into "lights" and "not lights" and leaves the rest in God's hands. Manabu may be able to offer some additional suggestions, or perhaps he's too busy marinating in the sads.

Regardless, it's not too long before a batch of laundry and detergent is ready to be tossed into one of the washers... leaving both of them with not much to do other than wait while the machine does its thing.

Grey gives Manabu an uncertain glance. The subdued mood is obvious- Manabu's rarely subtle about his emotions- but damned if he has a clue as to what to do about it.]

Shall we sit down?

[There are chairs! And magazines. And the fucking TV, which is currently taking a break from the show to play an ad for life insurance.]

[siriusly]

[Manabu is not that anal about laundry - honestly, he's more lax about it (put clothing into machine, press button, the end, really) - so he follows Grey's sorting process without much question or concern...his thoughts aren't entirely in that room, after all.

i'm doing things people do...but i don't feel like...a person...?]

Hm-? [the suggestion cuts into that weird, existential thought and makes Manabu hesitate to process.] Oh, right. Yeah.

[the moment he sits, his nausea surges and reminds him it's there. he swallows back against it and slumps in the seat, looking around the area, hyper aware of the discomfort his bound tail is causing in all of this.]

How long is it? [he can answer his own question by just...looking at the machine.] Oh. Mn. Okay.

[repeatedprayer]

[Grey, naturally, takes the seat beside Manabu. He quietly observes the way Manabu slumps, and generally looks awful.]

Here now.

[Completely ignoring the fact that other people can see him, Grey sets his hand against Manabu's face and tilts his head in his direction. Grey frowns a little as he examines Manabu's complexion.]

You're looking rather pale. Are you feeling alright?

[siriusly]

Eh-? [Manabu forgets to flinch away (he's getting used to all the face-touching, yanno), blinking back at Grey. at the ask, his face starts to get a bit pink.]

I-I'm fine! [he turns his head, doing a slight double-take in remembering being in public.

he scratches a bit under the hat.] Just sitting around isn't hard... [lies. it's torture!!!!] And even if I wasn't okay, I'd still have to sit around, right?

[repeatedprayer]

[Honestly Grey's already tempted to pull Manabu into his arms and just try to cuddle the sick out of him, but the slight withdrawal is enough to make him put that option on hold.]

If you'd be more comfortable standing or would prefer to go somewhere else- [Whether that's back upstairs to collapse or to the bathroom at the back of the laundromat to puke.] -then we'll do that.

[Gosh, Manabu, you're acting like your well-being isn't the most important thing here!]

[siriusly]

[the restraint is for the best: Manabu already feels too fragile and useless that being coddled would just make it worse. besides, they're in public...he's had to shoo off people for excessive PDA on the job, you know? he'd be a hypocrite!

while that part may not be clear, it is clear that Manabu is not at his best when he feels sick, but who is? he stubbornly crosses his arms and sinks a but into the uncomfortable seat, then blinks, looking over at him.]

...Go where?

[repeatedprayer]

[With the patience of someone who is, despite claims otherwise, used to dealing with sick people:]

Back to the apartment, to the washroom, or just outside the laundromat if you need fresh air.

[Y'know, Manabu, because you're soooo sickly and weak.]

[siriusly]

[he tries to not look too put out, even though he lolls his head back and scowls at the ceiling.]

...Right... [this is hell!!!!!!!!!!

...

...

...]

Outside is fine, though.

[repeatedprayer]

[Grey nods and gets to his feet, before heading to the door at a leisurely pace. This catches the attention of the laundromat employee-

"Hey, your laundry's still in the machine."

-and Grey makes an acknowledging noise in response.]

I know. We're just stepping out for a few minutes.

[Hopefully the employee can be trusted to keep an eye out for laundry thieves on their behalf.

Again, Grey holds the door open for Manabu. Look, fresh air!!!

...Well, as fresh as the air in a slummy part of a city can reasonably be expected to be.]

[siriusly]

[it takes a minute for Manabu to get up and meet him there, because being on his feet makes him nauseous all the more. even so, he makes himself take those careful steps, face red with embarrassment and worry that he just looks...really odd shuffling along like an old man. maybe he ought to have stayed sitting, but he's already decided! outside!

he doesn't wander very far from the door, just enough to feel a breeze and be able to see more than the nearby stopped vehicles so he can take in the architecture of this planet, to try to place it with familiar things. it's not that much different than Destiny, he figures...just...less robust? and modern...

but not as remote as Tabito, either.]

[repeatedprayer]

[They're definitely getting some discreet concerned looks from the other people inside the laundromat, and Grey has to resist the want to snap and bite at them while Manabu heads out.

It's frustrating. Did he let Manabu push himself too far? Just this small trip is already visibly wearing Manabu out, and Grey has trouble reminding himself that this is still progress. They'll definitely have to put buying shoes off until tomorrow, at the very least...

Grey lets Manabu wander a bit while he leans against the wall of the laundromat and watches him. Being outside the laundromat does make Grey feel a bit better- there's no blaring TV and there's a bit of a breeze. But it's hard for him to tell how Manabu is feeling.

So after giving Manabu a few minutes to breathe Grey approaches and asks directly.]

How are you feeling? Truthfully.

[siriusly]

...

[Manabu keeps his eyes ahead of him, though he can feel an ear quirk at the sound of Grey's voice from under the hat. he doesn't answer right away, tempering his impulse to insist he's fine, he'll get over it, but...

quietly:] Not great. Just going down some stairs made me queasy. [and he hates that fact. hates that he can't just brute force his way through recovery, aiming forward and upward.

his hands clench into fists at his sides.]

Nothing will change if I stand still, though. So I just have to endure it, right?

[...right?]

[repeatedprayer]

[Grey huffs. Part of him agrees- or at least, knows that if he were in Manabu's position he'd be doing the same thing. Impatiently pushing himself at every opportunity to get better, do more, to not be stuck staying still.

But there's also a more sensible part of him that has inherited enough medical knowledge to know damn well that's not how it works.]

...Well. You're right and you're wrong.

[Grey tilts his head, looking up at the sky while he tries to find a way to explain it.]

Recovery is similar to crossing a tightrope. You have to keep moving in order to get to the other side, but if you move too fast you'll lose your balance.

[And after saying this, Grey grimaces a bit at how much he sounds like a Great Sage Dispensing His Pearls Of Wisdom. In a more quiet voice, he continues.]

...I have some experience with being sick myself. And with making myself worse by not heeding my limits.

[siriusly]

[Manabu looks over his shoulder, his expression pinched. it'd be nice to just be worried about that information for Grey's sake, but that's not why it was divulged, was it.]

I...I know. But... [he hesitates, looking back ahead, feeling a little funny in a feelings-way, not a guts-way.] I told you, right? That I'm relying on you. So if I do lose my balance, you're going to hold me up, aren't you?

[repeatedprayer]

[Grey casts Manabu a startled glance, but by that time Manabu's already facing away and Grey can't see his expression.]

...Yes. Yes, of course.

[It almost feels as if it doesn't need saying because hasn't he been doing that? He'd carried Manabu out of the lab, held him up during numerous physio sessions, remained poised and primed to grab him whenever he stumbles.

Grey's only concern is if he'll be able to keep his balance himself, because damned if Manabu doesn't have a way of making Grey feel unsteady.]

[siriusly]

[Manabu smiles a little to himself, feeling a lightness in his chest.]

Mn. And...I'll get my balance back. Thanks to your help. So even though I'm...frustrated. And worried... I can know that much is true still.

[he can't imagine going through this by himself. maybe he'd have made himself irreparably sick by now? that reckless streak of his unchecked by someone who cares.]

[repeatedprayer]

[And there's the thing that sets him off balance the most- the earnest faith that Manabu keeps placing in him, the faith that leaves Grey flustered and desperate to be worthy of it.]

Mm. Well then. I'm glad.

[His heart flutters, and Grey smiles in that uncertain way people do, as if he's not sure he's supposed to, but God does he want to.]

[siriusly]

Eheh... [Manabu scratches at the back of his neck bashfully, tickled by the admission. it's strange to feel so light despite the circumstances, or feel so anxious about saying the honest truth to Grey. but then...it's not like Manabu spends a lot of time expressing those kinds of feelings. those are usually the goes-without-saying type...back when the scope of what was said was...a lot different than it is now.

broadened horizons and all that. new connections. new paths to travel, so to speak.

all that said, though...]

I, ah...should probably go sit back down though. Before I spill my guts out on the street or something, huh.

[repeatedprayer]

[And that gets an alarmed look cast upon Manabu's back before Grey hastily heads over to yank the door open for Manabu.]

Ah, right-!

[Dang it, he was hoping some air would help with Manabu's nausea. And he's a bit concerned about the prospect of bringing Manabu upstairs later...]

You'll let me know if you need help getting to the washroom, won't you?

[The laundromat staff might prefer that over Manabu horfing on the linoleum.]

[siriusly]

[Manabu can't help but laugh despite the knot in his gut, making his unsteady way back inside. it's easier to hurry along when he can have his hand on the rows of machines along his way, and he waves off worry from the employee on his way to go use the washroom.]

I-it's nothing! I just ate something bad, eheh... [not to throw granola under the bus or anything, but he just doesn't want anyone to think he's shambling around here giving people the plague!

at least he feels better after throwing up; no more stomach incidents follow after he's returned to sit and wait out the remainder of the time until he's got to help with the chores.]