babermetrics | IC OVERFLOW AND MISC.

[He's in the middle of trying to decide whether to be offended he's being laughed at or be charmed by how cute Kirigiri's laugh is when she suddenly slams him against the wall. The hiccup that startles out of Leon's throat is especially loud; his hand claps over his mouth after it, eyes going wide. Shit, what if he'd given them away? He hadn't even noticed the footsteps until it was too late! His heart is going crazy in his chest. To his embarrassment, he realizes the moment of panic is only half the prospect of being found; the other half is having been grabbed and jerked like that, even by a slight girl like Kirigiri.

He breathes behind his hand, gradually relaxing, and shifts his gaze over to Kirigiri in the dark. The footsteps haven't walked away from the door yet--but no one's opening it, either.]

[ Kyouko watches Leon for a moment, making sure he's quiet before shifting her gaze to the door, listening carefully for the footsteps.

After an agonizing silence, the footsteps go away and Kyouko relaxes for a moment... Only for the footsteps to come right back as someone opens the door. ]

[Dammit! He'd just been beginning to relax himself. This time he manages to stay quiet. He presses his back up hard against the wall, even though it doesn't do a lot of good; he's already as pushed up there as he can manage. And his arm automatically flies out in the dark in front of Kirigiri, as if to shield her from--what, a nurse? Whatever's opening the door. Of course, it's another pointless gesture, but it's an automatic one he doesn't even think about.

He's real busy thinking about please don't hiccup.]

[ She glances down at his arm curiously, but is grateful when the door catches against his arm instead of swinging into her face.

Luckily, whoever walks in doesn't close the door behind them so they're perfectly hidden for now. As long as Leon doesn't make a sound, they should be fine. In the darkness, Kyouko can see what looks like one of the nurses grabbing something... Maybe more needles? She can't tell. ]

[Shit. Of course he needs to hiccup. Of course he does! Leon pulls his hand back to cover his mouth--then the other hand too, for good measure, making sure both of them are firmly clapped there. If this is going to happen, maybe it can happen quietly enough that the nurse doesn't notice.

But for now, he's still managing to fight it off. His expression is a little panicked; it's pretty clear what's going on. No. No!]

[ Unfortunately, the nurse is taking her sweet time digging through the supply closet for whatever it is she needs. Kyouko looks over at Leon, noticing his panicked expression. She meets it with a dark look of her own.

Don't do it, Leon. ]

[Don't do it! Don't do it! Don't do it, for her! Leon can't say anything in response, obviously, but he gives her a pleading look. Of course there's nothing either of them can do about this. Even moving right now would give them away . . .

But he can't hold it back. His hands are so tight over his mouth that it's barely audible, but there it is: hic!]

[ Great. Kyouko definitely heard it, and it looks like the nurse did too, with the way she stills.

Kyouko sends a glare towards Leon through the dark. They're trapped in a small space, there's no way she can maneuver her way out of this one. But she still tries, managing to dodge the nurse the first time as she aims a needle right at Kyouko.

Unfortunately, the second time the nurse lunges at her, she isn't so lucky. ]

Edited 2015-07-31 14:54 (UTC)

Hey!

[Shit! It'd have been one thing if he'd been jabbed again himself, but he'd given them away and gotten Kirigiri punished for it. He'd been genuinely unable to help it, but that's not much comfort right now. Of course it's the nurse's fault in the first place for going around jabbing people with needles! Not just any people, but his friends--

He stumbles back when the nurse goes for them, and by the time he's got his footing, it's too late to do anything about Kirigiri getting injected; he launches himself at the nurse a second too late, shoving her (it?) up against the adjacent wall.]

--Get outta here, Kirigiri!

[Ah, damn. Not exactly the type of girl he would like to have shoved up against a wall in a closet, but what're you gonna do?]

Don't be foolish, Kuwata-kun. Come with me.

[ She takes a deep breath, trying to stabilize herself. Even though it was just a shot, the force with which the nurse jabbed it into Kyouko's leg hurts and it takes a moment to get her bearings. She can feel whatever it is rushing through her blood, as she's sure whatever effect that particular syringe had is going to overcome her fairly soon.

But Kyouko manages to regain her balance, already in the doorway. ]

We can find another place, let's go. [ After all, if Leon stays in there much longer there's no doubt he's gonna get struck with a needle again himself. ]

[No doubt at all. He's already struggling with the nurse; Leon's strong, especially in his arms (comes with the territory), but this thing's not human, and it's really hard to pin someone against a wall and avoid them jabbing a needle at you. He's managing, but every second he manages is a minor miracle.

Of course Kirigiri's right. He risks taking his eyes off the nurse for half a second to look at her in the dark, eyes wide and illuminated by the light spilling in from the hallway.]

Yeah--outta the doorway!

[He lets the nurse go and flings himself towards the door, struggling to slip through it in the confusion of the moment before the nurse catches up to them again. Go go go!]

[ She runs to the nearest room, and for once ViViD seems to work in her favor as there aren't any patients in the room. After waiting for Leon to make it inside, she slams the door shut just before the nurse can come in, locking it. The nurse bangs on the door a few times threateningly, but she gives up when the door doesn't open.

Kyouko leans up against the wall, closing her eyes. Whatever effect is going to come along with that syringe is no doubt going to start soon. ]

[He leans up against the door, just to make extra sure it can't be shoved open from the outside. Not that there aren't other ways to get through a door . . . he knows that as well as anyone. But it feels a little more secure to hold it closed, even if it's not really making any practical difference, and he can hear the nurse wander off when she's not immediately successful getting it open.

Finally he's got a moment to catch his breath, and look Kirigiri over from where he's leaning a few feet away from her. His eyebrows crease with worry; that jab had looked pretty painful, and who the hell knew what would happen to her after being injected?]

. . . Shit. I couldn't help it! You okay? I saw her get you. Didn't she put anything in it? You don't feel like, hic! Like that? That was still brutal!

[But his hiccups are starting to wear off, he's noticing. That's something, at least.]

[ She shakes her head. While it does smart a little, Kyouko can ignore that pain. What she can't ignore, though, is the urge to hug Leon. Without warning, she grabs onto Leon, wrapping her arms around his upper arms awkwardly.

She really hates CERES. ]

Do not move.

[

Hic!

He doesn't move.

It's a struggle, though. He has to actively fight his arms going around her; after his startled hiccup, he makes a low, confused sound in the back of his throat, eyes going wide. What the hell's going on here? Honestly, his first thought is that she's trying to protect him from something. It's the kind of thing you'd say if someone had a wasp in their hair, or maybe if they were being snuck up on from behind by an alien nurse . . .

But there's nothing there, his back is to the door, and this isn't even a little bit how you'd shoo a wasp away! He stands still, as ordered, but after a couple of seconds tick by, this isn't feeling any less. Hug-like.

OH MMMMMAN GETTING HUGGED BY KIRIGIRI GETTING HUGGED BY KIRIGIRI

Finally:]

--Aaaare you sure?!

Yes, I am. [ And if you do anything, Leon, she is not responsible for her actions. ]

It must be that shot the nurse gave me... [ And she still can't bring herself to let go. ]

We just need to wait for it to wear off. [ Which, really, is easier said than done especially for someone who doesn't give out hugs every day. ]

Ooookaaay . . .

[THIS IS TORTURE.

He blinks down at her, trying to get a look at her expression--but true to his word, he doesn't move. It takes a lot of self-control. Sometimes he has that, when it's important! He has a strong feeling it's important right now.

But he can't help but ask, after a few silent, tense moments.]

. . . D'you not like bein' held or what? Is it just me?

[ Kyouko's expression is flat, as she's doing her best to hide just how embarrassing this is for her. She likes to be in control, and having it taken away like this is humiliating. ]

It isn't you.

[That makes him feel a little better . . . but he's not sure what to say to it, either. So she doesn't like being touched. He doesn't pick up on her humiliation, but he does figure she's got to be pretty uncomfortable right now if she's being forced to do something she hates.

It's a good thing he's never followed any of his urges along those lines before, then. And while that's kind of unfortunate and kind of embarrassing, it's also kind of less awkward a topic than asking someone why they don't like hugs, or whatever, plus they're stuck here for a while . . . and Leon's not good at silences.]

That's too bad . . . I mean, not that it ain't just me. It'd be too bad if it was just me too, y'know? It's too bad either way. 'Cuz I've been thinking for a while it'd be nice to hold you. Heh, I don't mean that in a creepy way or anythin', just so you know!

[ Finally the urge is gone, and she can let herself step away. She can't help but feel embarrassed—not because she hugged Leon, but because whatever that nurse gave her made her do it. At least it wasn't someone she'd just met. ]

...Is that so? [ She lets out a small sigh. ] I apologize. Whatever the nurse had in that syringe gave me an uncontrollable urge to hug you.

[By now, Leon's hiccups have also faded; he'd been so caught up in the moment of Kirigiri hugging him that he hadn't even noticed. An isolated, stray hiccup pips out of his mouth after she steps away. If that last one hadn't happened, he might have forgotten the hiccups entirely . . .

He'd assumed as much, though, about the syringe, and nods.]

Yeah, I figured. What kinda messed up medicine do they keep around this place if it's all like this? What're they tryin' to get outta this, huh?

[But his tone isn't nearly as angry as it usually is about CERES's crap, and he's still kind of smiling, too.]

Aaaanyway, it's definitely not like that's somethin' you need to apologize for. I wasn't kiddin' about what I said.

[ She lets out a sigh, glancing at him sideways. While she does wonder what he means by saying it'd be nice to hold her, she's not going to push it unless he does. ]

Still, I appreciate that you listened to me. I'm grateful it was you rather than someone I don't know.

It ain't like I didn't want to!

[Maybe he should have lied about that. Oh well. He keeps leaning against the wall, more relaxed now; it's a relief to not be hiding in that closet or under any weird effects anymore, and he's going to take advantage of the breather while they've got one.

Plus, he just got hugged by Kirigiri. Score.]

Truuust me! But I know you'd punish me if I tried anythin'. Besides, there's no fun in anythin' if the girl doesn't want it. That's getting into creepy territory!

[ She chuckles. He was right about that punishment part. ]

I know, Kuwata-kun. I wasn't afraid. [ Still, she appreciates it. ]

I was simply embarrassed. [ She might as well return his honesty with her own. ]

Hey, there's way worse fates in the world than hugging me.

[But he's not offended, for once, and his tone is light; he's smiling as he pushes away from the wall to check out the door.]

You think we oughta try it? But there's way worse fates than bein' stuck in the closet with you, too. . . . Actually, I can't think of any better ones, 'specially when you're in a hospital. It can only go downhill from this!

Super High School Level REJECTED, AGAIN

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