closed | the things he won't do to me.

[wolfcorgi]

who: koga oogami + ritsu sakuma.
when: late june/early july idek.
where: the coven's infirmary.
what: gay shit and some serious talk ig.
warnings: it's gonna be embarrassing.



[ the past couple of days have been absolutely infuriating; this weird sickness hit him unexpectedly (or so koga likes to believe), and it had been bad enough that he had been sent to the coven, to be watched over closely. the first few days came with some protest, of course, but eventually, he had ran out of energy to say or do much of anything at all. it's a loss that tastes bitter in his mouth, but he accepts it as it comes.

(for now.)

he wraps himself in the blanket he was given, and in the extra blanket he had asked for, body temperature far colder than it should ever be. it isn't as bad, he likes to think at times, because at least there's familiar faces around. there's pipsqueak, who surprisingly works here? and there's— ]

Oi, Ricchi. The hell you doing here? [ that one pause before koga allows himself to be honest. you know the one. ] Ya didn't get hurt or sick, right? You're real damn fragile as it is already, so don't go around gettin' yourself in trouble or something.

Comments

[nemuru]

[ ritsu's days in the coven's infirmary have been difficult. he watches witches and nurses with a wariness that hasn't been in his life since he was still fresh to touching sunlight, the cicada scream-filled summer heat almost too much for him even sitting in the shade as the sound of peers playing drew faintly across the neighborhood. the only one he even loosens up around a little is pinky, and even then, it isn't too much.

koga, though, is a surprise- he thought he caught some fuss early on, ever on alert, but things had quieted then? so he figured, maybe, he'd been imagining things (and how terrible of him to want someone else he knew in here, to suffer with him, but, well- ritsu has never claimed to be a virtuous man)

but no.

koga really is here, and ritsu blinks at him; he tugs his own blanket around him a little tighter, floppy ears settling back, and turns his face away. despite all that?? he's gonna make himself comfortable next to koga. sitting, bunny legs hanging over the edge with a few idle kicks. ]

...I'm fine. Just got into a fight a while ago, and they wanted to keep me in. [ the injuries sustained deserve that, but they're covered, hidden. he didn't want to let tori worry about him - he doubly doesn't want to let koga. ] Check-ups and stuff, too... I'm more surprised you're here, Corgi. Did this place's pollen finally get to you? Maybe they've got some magic to deal with allergies.

[wolfcorgi]

[ koga has never considered himself much of a hypocritical person, and truthfully, he is not. but time and time again, opinions he held towards the monsters of this place (and even towards himself, too) seem to fall flat when it comes to familiar faces from his world. kaoru has been the one to start it all, and koga has never dared to say a word about it. ritsu follows suit, and though his gaze lingers, he ignores it, too.

it's not his place to say something. sometimes, he likes to pretend it's all a prank by the witches, because it's easier to give himself time to think over about what all of this means. ]

Hah! As if a proud wolf like me would let allergies get the better of me. Who the hell ya think I am, huh? [ it's not even spring anyways?? have you seen the weather outside, buddy??? ] Ya got into a fight, though? Didn't think you had it in ya.

[ he can't even come up with something that would actually piss off ritsu enough to want to fight someone. unless it was in self-defense, but even then... ]

Who was it? Pretty damn cowardly of them to fight some kid who can't even defend himself. Heh, maybe next time I'll be the one fightin' them myself.

[nemuru]

Can't remember their faces, so no one important, really.

[ this is a mostly true statement - though maybe rather than he can't remember, he doesn't want to.

it feels a bit cowardly, and maybe it is, but it's how he's chosen to deal with it for the moment. it all feels like some kind of nightmare, and if not for the hurt sustained, he'd just pass it off as one. well- this whole place feels like one long nightmare, and he just wants to wake up again, with mao's ritsu, come on, you can't sleep out here~ in his ear. ]

Don't worry about it, Corgi. [ boldly, ritsu reaches over without looking to pat koga's head. he probably gets his face first (sorry) before he finds his hair.

a beat, and he moves his hand back to koga's face. hm. ] ...Are you here 'cause you're freezing? Mm, this is like, the total opposite of having a fever.

[wolfcorgi]

[ it takes some thinking for koga to wonder if those words lay true, and at the end of the day, he decides not to linger on it too much. it's best not to talk about it, he figures, if ritsu is so dismissive of it. it's not his place, and for all it's worth, koga can relate to the desire of not wanting to think too hard on what happens around them.

one long nightmare. it's a good way to put it. ]

Watch where ya touchin', you idiot. [ koga has some softness, because he allows his classmate (not friend, never friend, not yet) to pat his head just a tiny bit before he swats his hand away— gently, of course. not to hurt him. ritsu likely doesn't need any other new injury. ]

Somethin' like that. Haven't been feelin' too well lately. Can't eat without throwin' up, so my body's been getting real weak. Probably got some weird virus. Really damn annoying, if ya ask me. Hakaze-senpai and that shitty vampire have been makin' a big fuss 'bout it.

[nemuru]

Aaah, so that's why Anija's been so wound up...

[ ritsu slowly shifts closer, turning enough to put his hands on koga's cheeks again and rub them, like that'll get him warmed up. hearing about it sort of reminds him of when he was a kid - too sick to eat, too sick to go out, too weak to do anything but lay in bed in the dark, wondering if that's just how things would be.

he can't be an anija or mao to koga, though. he isn't that kind of person, but koga isn't the kind of person who needs rescuing from his thoughts of his fraught mortality, so maybe that's fine. ]

Too bad they don't have anything intravenous, huh. That'd help with nutrients and stuff... Mmm, I didn't have to have that too much, but Ecchan did. [ bruised wrists and forearms. ] You'd think being a magic hospital or whatever they'd just be able to wave a wand and fix you.

[ he's no witch, but he still lifts his fingers and wiggles them above koga, laughing softly. ]

Bippity-boppity-boo, now you're good as new...♪

[wolfcorgi]

Hah?

[ of course that wouldn't work. of course the witches of this place can't fix him, just like that, because of course this isn't just a sickness, just a virus. it's play-pretend that makes koga not dwell into it too much, a denial of these changes that do not but worsen his condition, day after day, hour after hour.

but there's some silly appreciation, too, that ritsu cares enough to put up some stupid act. somewhere deep in him, he wishes he could do just the same, too. wave his finger and suddenly ritsu is well and healed and hopefully out of this place.

it'd be far too ideal, wouldn't it? ]

You're worryin' too much. [ ... ] Thanks. Probably must suck to ya too, seein' me like this. My bad.

[ it takes the feeling of normalcy away, he figures. nobody would ever imagine the koga oogami would fall victim to an illness that'd have him bedridden. ]

Just make sure ya won't get whatever I have, Ricchi. You're already too damn fragile on your own.

[nemuru]

[ far too ideal. he wonders if they'll ever go home, at this rate, with no solution in sight. who cares if this world is dying or whatever? everyone dies.

...that isn't right, but it's fine. ritsu siiiiiiiighs, giving in and flopping against koga properly; he doesn't really like that he's warmer than koga, but, well. ]

I'm not that fragile... I can do plenty of stuff on my own. You're just like Maakun, thinking I'm so weak. [ then again, who is it that puts up that impression? that lets people think he can't take care of himself, that he really, really needs mao? that he can't do anything? it's ritsu himself, but he can't help it. the surefire way to keep mao close, to make sure he wasn't going to leave him (ever) was something manipulative and sneaky like that. it was necessary. ] I mean, yeah, I get sick when it's too bright and warm, but that's just blood pressure stuff, or something... I've been getting better about being out during the day though, and sleeping at night.

[ he pauses, one bunny leg bouncing slightly. ]

Guess it's 'cause bunnies aren't really nocturnal. Dunno if this is an improvement or not though, y'know? I miss the moon. [ but that's just on him. since there wasn't any- super, super noticeable changes with koga, he'd sort of assumed that he'd been lucky enough to be announced a witch, but

his ears slowly raise up without him thinking about it. maybe that's not right. come to think of it- he's pale, but that's probably due to the fact he can't keep anything down - not really a stellar thing in and of itself - and he's terribly, horribly cold. like death. ritsu's eyes lower to the ground, an arm loosely going around koga's waist while he's flopped against him. ] ...Mmmm, Corgi. You're not a witch, are you.

[ isn't a question. he's working through the monsters he knows, the traits he's seen. at this point, he should have something if it's something truly transformative, but- ]

[wolfcorgi]

[ he doesn't protest against that proximity, the same excuses applying; he's weak, ritsu's hurt, it's not like they haven't been this close, before. it does feel weird, to some extent, that maybe this is going to become a pattern, and somewhere deep, koga wonders if ritsu is choosing him as some sort of replacement for isara. they're nothing alike (maybe only, as ritsu points out, where they both think he's too fragile), but the nature of this place and the changes they're both undergoing again, perhaps it's making koga too soft. he doesn't mind how ricchi sees him right now, with grey or purple-ish hair. if it brings comfort, for only a moment, then he'll swallow his complaints and go along with it.

(it's warm here, either way. he misses this.) ]

Ain't you gettin' too comfy with these changes? Ya ain't a— [ a rabbit, he wants to say, but the word dies in his throat. it sounds like refusal. it sounds like he doesn't approve of what ricchi's becoming, of these clear traits that don't belong to him, but are part of him, now.

so he doesn't say anything. let this topic die, for all he cares. ]

I'm not, [ he knows what is being asked of him. he knows what ritsu is implying, and koga doesn't like that he welcomes the warmth that comes with the arm around his waist, that he inches closer to ritsu. he seeks normalcy through it. ] But I ain't no monster either.

[ he says it, and yet, it doesn't sound convincing. it doesn't weight heavy like it would, stomping on the ground with all his strength to deny it, because deep down, he knows the truth. he does, and doesn't accept it, but when he's like this, weak and bedridden, it feels too real. ]

[nemuru]

[ he's not a rabbit, right? he knows he isn't, but he is. no matter what rei wants to say, that they're human - they've always been human, no matter what their family parades, no matter what they parade - this city makes monsters of the best of them.

not that he ever imagined he'd be a rabbit but, well- you can't choose. ritsu lets koga inch closer, willing to sacrifice, a little, his personal comfort for his classmate's. it makes it easy to rest his head on koga's shoulder, anyway, to take note of his vitals and smell like this. compared to the infirmary, it's achingly familiar, even with the stink of sick and the city - or maybe he can just remember what home smells like better when he's close like this. ]

You gotta be one or the other, Corgi. Anyone who's not a monster's got magic, and that makes 'em closer to witches. [ but they both know that, and the only reason he says it is for emphasis' sake. ] I'm not gonna laugh at you, y'know. Those in glass houses shouldn't throw stones, or whatever... 'sides, it's better if you don't fight.

[ a pause, before he continues on a soft exhale: ] It. Better if you don't fight it. I kinda went a little nuts on the full moon 'cause I didn't... I don't wanna be this, yeah? No more than you do. But it's nothin' I can do anything about, Corgi. I'm just gonna keep changing more and more, and maybe one day I'll be a giant dumb bunny, and I won't be able to go home 'cause I'll just be too different, and-

[ his throat tightens, and ritsu grits his teeth. swallows past it, and buries his face into koga's throat. ]

...Never mind, isn't important. I'm just sayin' I don't have any room to make fun of you, and... We're classmates or friends or whatever, right? Mmm, Maakun'd say we should help each other out in situations like this... That kind of thing.