Nanba Prison (Nanbaka RP Group) discussion

This room is basically a library. You can't see the floor from all the books or clothes, or random papers. The walls are shelves (besides the wall with the window) and there's a garbage can tucked by the door. There is a cot somewhere in the room... and a desk... a chair... maybe a table.

Saiyaku was camped out in his room, his nose stuck in a book and ignoring his rumbling stomach. His food was on the table nearby but he'd completely forgotten about it. He was engrossed with the book and it wasn't that shocking that he didn't even notice when his twin sisters come into his cell. His room was a mess of books as per usual. The fact that you could see his desk was surprising in itself.
Iyuki sighed seeing the mess but her eyes narrowed on her adorable younger brother when she heard his stomach growl. "Saiyaku."

Honoka followed Hana's lead toward their brother's cell, keeping quiet even after her sister spoke. Despite Saiyaku being the cause of her blindness, not to mention the nightmares she often had and her phobia of earthquakes or any floor-shaking whatsoever, she did not have a bad relationship with the boy. In fact, she cared for him and loved him unconditionally. He had been so remorseful and self-loathing after accidentally harming her, but she never associated her injury with him. They were closer than ever after the years Saiyaku had to get used to the prison and rebuild the relationship he had with his siblings. Unfortunately, Tsubasa did not feel the same as Honoka did. In fact, he had told her many times before that he felt the urge to step in-between her and Saiyaku whenever they were in the same room together. This feeling, to this moment, has not faded.

Honoka offered Saiyaku the barest of smiles, but it was still something amazing and beautiful enough for the male guard at her left, the one posted in front of Saiyaku's cell, to blush and stare at her. "Saicchi, do you want to go on a walk?" she asked her brother simply and kindly, the man to her left now having to look away. Her voice was from another world, gentle and kind, soft and light despite her not using it often. It was calm and calming, comforting and loving. Of course, there were always times when she sounded angry, but her captivating voice never really ever was raised. The sound of it now, so rare to those outside of her family, was an unexpected blessing.

Saiyaku didn't react when Hana spoke his name, used to sort of tuning out her scolding tone. She did it often since he was almost always reading something. He loved them all very much but his family was overprotective at the best of times and it only made his fears worse.
However, upon hearing Honoka's voice, his attention was drawn out of his book and he looked up and over to see his sister standing there. His eyes widened slightly, his small frail body tense as if her voice had spooked him. Her voice was beautiful but he always recognized it as her voice, the voice of the person whom he ruined.
He had yet to stop flinching when first seeing her after periods of time. Reminded of what he's done, however, her smile soon calmed the boy. "I... I don't know," he murmured, his voice soft and shy, nervous. He didn't like leaving his room, he was so scared something might happen and he'll only hurt more people. It seemed that his brother had that same fear as well... "I... probably shouldn't..." he admitted, brows furrowed.

Iyuki sighed, she would have stormed in but the place was too messy to even try. "You should," she told her brother, her voice softer now. She was a softy when it came to cute things, especially their brother. "Put the book down and get something in your stomach," she advised the ice in her voice almost absent completely, something that only Honoka and Saiyaku ever really got to hear.

Honoka tilted her head like a sad puppy, though it was strange to compare her to such an animal when she was so catlike. "Saicchi, please walk with us...? Is it not lonely in the cell...? Please?" she begged softly, holding her hand out to him. Despite doing so carefully, using the slight echo of Saiyaku's voice in her ears to guide her hand, she ended up too far to the left, causing her to accidentally knock one of her knuckles against the doorframe. A hint of a blush at the bottom edge of her blindfold, she moved her reach slightly to the right, her smile smaller but still just as welcoming.

Saiyaku could never resist his sisters. He loved them unconditionally. They were his family, the people he'd watched from afar for so long before they allowed him into their lives despite what he symbolized. He looked down at his lap for a bit, biting his lip nervously, feeling his heart beginning to race in his fear. However, he didn't want to disappoint them but he didn't want to risk walking around. He glanced over at his sisters just in time to see her little accident that had his guilt knawing at him even more. Taking a deep breath, he nodded but paused when he realized Honoka wouldn't be able to see it. "Okay," he agreed softly, giving Hana a small smile when she gave him an approving smile.

"We should let him eat first," Iyuki advised her sister and nodded at Saiyaku who put his book down and scrambled to his desk, very carefully. He shoveled the porridge down his throat as quickly as he could before making his way towards the door to hand the dishes shakily to his guard. He liked his guard, they were very nice to him, good. He only got so many books because of him. "Thank you," he murmured softly before he took his sister's hand, smiling a bit. It had been too long before he had been this close to them. They visited but he was often scared to touch them.
He tensed momentarily when Hana suddenly gave him a hug, unable to help herself. She had a weakness for cute things and just had to squeeze him. Once Saiyaku relaxed, he giggled softly and leaned into her hug while keeping his grip on Honoka's hand tight.

Honoka flinched slightly upon feeling Saiyaku's hand touch her own, despite having heard him move. She kept her small smile, despite not exactly understanding what was going on between her brother and sister. As if to reassure Saiyaku, though she had no idea what was happening, she squeezed his hand. "Shall we?" she asked, smiling a bit wider at the sound of her brother's giggle. It was so rare a sound to her ears and yet she loved it so dearly. She wished that he could laugh more often.

Hana pulled back, moving to take Saiyaku's other hand, despite his hesitation. "Yes," she told his sister, Saiyaku cautiously agreeing afterward. He bit his lip, trying to calm his racing pulse but found comfort in his sisters' reassuring touch. Thus, when Iyuki led them out of the room and into the hallway, Saiyaku's grip tightened on both of their hands and kept close to their sides.
Iyuki didn't rush the process of venturing out, not planning to take a quick walk. She nodded sharply at his guard before leading her siblings down the hallway. "Anywhere we wish to visit specifically?" she asked them, glancing at them from the corner of her gaze.

Honoka waited patiently to be led along, her smile disappearing the moment she knew they were turned away from the cell door. She could hear Saiyaku's heart hammering in his chest, causing her to give his hand a gentle squeeze, hoping to calm him. Before she could focus properly, Saiyaku and Hana were pulling her along. Due to the slight surprise her first step fumbled, and though she quickly regained her balance, she couldn't help but blush in embarrassment. Her own heart raced slightly in fear that someone had seen her stumble. Trying to distract herself from her mistake, she thought of a place to visit where Saiyaku would be allowed. "O...outside...," she whispered, almost inaudibly. It was incredibly rare for her to be allowed outside, as they were on an island and it would be easy for her to hurt herself. The yard was also too dangerous for her to be, as she had no walls to guide her, no corners to hold onto to help her should she trip. Gripping her arm with her free hand, she tensed in preparation for Hana's rejection.

Honoka's silent reassurance did little for her little brother, but he did move a bit closer to her. His grip altered to support her when he felt her fumble, heart leaping to his throat. He looked at her in concern but relaxed when it was clearly just a misstep. Hana softly apologized to her sister in a tone she knew only her sister would be able to hear. Hana didn't want to draw any more attention to it, noticing the blush peeking from her mask. There wasn't much that could hide from Hana's eyes.
Saiyaku looked momentarily excited, his heart rate calming from its effort to provide adrenaline to the fearful boy. He looked over at Iyuki then, "could we?" he asked softly. He liked being outside, especially with his sisters, its where he first met them. Being coped inside was something he hated, always have. It was like being trapped by his father in that house, alone.

Iyuki glanced at her siblings, aware of Saiyaku's love for exploring and Honoka's evident desire to go outside. However, it was risky but she did believe there may be somewhere that was an outside area they could visit. "There is a garden," Iyuki voiced, looking away from them. She refused to admit that she was completely giving in to their demands. She rarely could say no to the two of them unless it dealt with their immediate safety. "Outside area within the prison, not many people are allowed access," she listed her reasoning behind it, almost defensively.

Honoka could not hold back her smile, and however small it was, it made her shine. "Thank you," she whispered, but even in her soft voice, there was so much excitement. Her heart began racing in anticipation and she had a hard time pushing down her urge to insist that they walk faster. A garden... Will I be able to feel the sun? Is it hot today, mild? Or is it cold? What season is it...? Honoka's smile slowly disappeared with each question, the hand on her arm tightening until it was almost painful. In her thoughtfulness she only heard the man approaching when it was too late. This resulted in her accidentally bumping into him, her shoulders tensing instantly due to the surprise. She was so shocked by the sudden contact, with a man no less, that she couldn't even mutter an apology and simply stood there waiting for Hana to come to her rescue.

Iyuki replied in a hum but Saiyaku was looking at his big sister and smiled a bit. She was clearly hiding a smile, no matter how small it was. Saiyaku whispered a small thanks as well before he was looking around curiously. He was still afraid but the further he got, the more relaxed he became. The guilt was still in the recesses of his mind and his fear kept his body tight. He was more fascinated with his surroundings, rarely going out meant he didn't venture far. He was always a kid that liked to explore.
He was drawn from his excitement when he flinched, whimpering quietly in pain from Honoka's grip on his hand, snapping to look at her with wide eyes.
When Iyuki felt resistance on the line linking her siblings, she glanced back to see Honoka frozen, Saiyaku looking distressed and a man walking away behind them. She released Saiyaku's hand to go to her sister. "Honoka," she said softly, "I am going to touch your shoulder," she told her sister, her voice soft as she did as she said. She ran her hand down from her shoulder of the side that knocked into the stranger. "I'm going to take your hand now," she said, clasping her sister's hand, "and step forward. We're going to the garden, remember? A small space but has lots of plants that are left to grow wild," she roughly described while she began moving down the hall again.

Honoka, despite Hana's soft warning, flinched when a hand touched her right shoulder, her breath coming faster. The tenseness in her shoulders loosened as Hana's palm slid down her arm, but her hand trembled in the woman's grasp. "N-nn... Outside... Sun... Yes," she mumbled, nodding slowly and taking several deep breaths. "I..'m...sorry." She carefully began walking forward, relaxing her hold on Saiyaku's hand once she realized just how tight she was gripping it. Muttering another soft apology, she pressed herself lightly against Hana's arm, allowing her sister's steady heartbeat calm her own.

Hana didn't waver despite Honoka's flinch, only held fast and held tight to her sister. Sometimes she feared she would slip away from her, to a place where she couldn't even go. It scared her more than any man ever could. "Never apologize," she told her sister, the words sounding sharp to anyone else but they were spoken gently but firmly.

Saiyaku breathed out in relief when she relaxed her grip. He could feel his hand again despite the tingle of pain that remained. He didn't complain though, only continued to watch them carefully. He could do nothing to help his sister, he knew that but it made him sad. He was just a useless kid that could only hurt people.
However, he now knew why she reacted like that to men, the only reason he'd ever regret doing what he did. He saved them from his father, he just wished that it hadn't resulted in such horror.

Iyuki moved to stand by her sister's side, staying close while she guided them down the hall. It would take some time since it was in the more netural territory in the prison.

(Wanna skip to them getting to the garden??? Idk what else to write for this, but I'm down for posting first at the garden XP)

((Yeah that's quite alright!!!))

Tsubasa was lost in thought as he led his little brother back to his cell. Despite having made up with the boy and openly forgiven him for what had happened with his sisters, he couldn't help but keep a tight grip on Saiyaku's hand and steer him clear of anyone and everyone who passed them by. It was almost a reflex after all these years. The desire to keep Saiyaku from activating is ability and harming others had conditioned Tsubasa to either stay away from Saiyaku and shelter his sisters from him, or to have a grip on him when they were together. He couldn't supress it yet, and it would likely be a while before he could. During the moment, his brows were furrowed over his thought-glazed silver eyes. He chewed softly on his bottom lip, humming and muttering to himself. They rounded the corner and entered the hall where Saiyaku's cell was.


The sight of two huge guards, a shadowy man in a suit, and what seemed to be a child inmate made Tsubasa snap to attention. His wings tensed behind him, the right curling protectively around his sibling. That normally gentle, welcoming face froze over in anger. "Excuse me," he called, leading Saiyaku a bit faster toward the cell door and then stopping a ways away when the child inmate looked at him. Those piercing gold eyes, the blatant hatred in them shook him to his core. His wing tightened around his brother. "What is this inmate doing outside of my brother's cell? There are specific orders about Saiyaku Kiyomi being the sole resident of any cell he is placed in, in any block."

The shadowy man looked toward Tsubasa. It was all he could do not to shudder. While this stranger had silver eyes just like him, the man's were like ice. They were dead and cold, with no feeling in them. The shadows under them were dark, making them stand out despite how gray his flesh was. "Kurai Yasha is going to stay in this cell," the man said. Tsubasa growled softly at the serpentine voice that hissed from the shadow. As if Tsubasa's opinion meant nothing, the tall, dark man smirked and looked away. A long, lizard-like tail lashed behind him as he turned and walked away with one of the guards, his hands in his trouser pockets.

"You wait just a second!" Tsubasa snarled, taking a step forward only to remember that he was still holding Saiyaku close to him. "Tsk." He turned swiftly and knelt in front of his brother, large hands placing themselves on the boy's shoulders. "Sai-chan, I'll fix this. I don't know what they were thinking. Just...ugh, just try and get along with him until I can get him out, alright? I don't know how long it'll take... He...looks dangerous, so be very careful. A little kid shouldn't need two huge guards..." He shook his head, half talking to himself, half talking to Saiyaku. Offering a quick, insincere smile, he stood. With a pat on Saiyaku's head, he marched after the shadowy man.


Hate watched the white-haired brothers carefully. There was something off about the pair, aside from the larger of the two having huge wings. He bared his teeth slightly, but seeing the man pulled the child close and shielded him made him press his lips shut. Seba, one of the demon snakes looping around him, slithered up to whisper in his ear. "Don't let your guard down, Hebi-chan. Trust your instincts. They are likely far more powerful than they seem." Hate nudged the snake away with his chin gently. "I know," he mumbled back. He quickly returned his attention to the pair, but now the man's winged back was facing him.

Hate couldn't help but roll his eyes as the man ran past them, down the hall. Were all of the people in the prison this annoying? One glance at the remaining child seemed to answer that, yes, everyone in this damned place would get on his nerves. With a tsk of his tongue, he pushed his way into the cell.

Saiyaku walked with his brother but he wasn't preceptive in how Tsubasa was treating him when others wandered by. He was too concerned with the others walking by and the fact that his brother was holding his hand. It had been a while, too long since he'd held hands with him. They'd never been overly close, not like Sai had been with his sisters but not like this. He was also worried about the people who passed. He wasn't good at telling whether people were good or bad so he had no idea if anyone that passed would be capable of causing him to react. He'd gotten better, no incidents but it didn't make his fear lessen.

However, when they reached his cell, Sai was surprised and nervous when he noticed the two guards but he didn't get to notice anyone else, not really since Tsubasa's wings blocked most of his view before he could truly acknowledge the situation. He stumbled forward a bit when Tsubasa advanced, telling the men off. Sai figured that for some reason he now had a roommate and the panic he felt was enough to block any noise from passing through his ears. A roommate? Didn't they know what he could do? What if he misunderstood something and hurt them? What if it caused him to hurt everyone in this place? His breathing was ragged and he blindly looked at Tsubasa when he spoke to Sai. He nodded, not really understanding but he trusted his brother to do whatever he said he was going to do. However, the smile he got from him didn't convince him in the slightest. All he felt was the panic rising in his throat threatening to consume him. Negative emotions that could trigger his ability and he needed to calm himself down. His hand clasped the side of his shirt, holding it tightly in his small fist.

It was then that Sai's panic filled, whitish-blue eyes turned to fall on Hate and froze. The boy was like Sai's opposite, all dark compared to Sai's colour and complexion. Everything about Sai looked frail, weakly and like he would break at any moment. Ironic when compared to the ability he was gifted with.
The other boy, he looked intimidating, frightening to Sai which did not help his current emotional state. However, unlike the caution Tsubasa spoke, Sai's naive impression wasn't that of labelling him as dangerous. He only looked scary and it was heavily influenced by his distrust of everyone and fear of himself. If he was not plagued by these emotions, he would have been curious about the other boy.

Sai couldn't move, frozen in place and trying to calm his trembling body. He didn't want to end up losing control and hurting anyone that would be affected by the disaster that would occur. However, when Hate headed towards the cell, the personality trait he shared with his sister, their impulsiveness took effect. Seeing how he pushed his way into the cell had Sai momentarily forgetting his fear and panic. He rushed forward before he knew what he was doing and grabbed the other boy's shirt to stop him from advancing any further. "Wait," he cried out softly, a red hue colouring his cheeks as soon as he realized what he was doing. However, he did not release the boy's shirt and instead downcasted his gaze and continued to speak. "You might trip," he murmured. After a moment, his weak grip released and he slid past Hate to bend down and began collecting the books that were stacked on the ground. The room itself was small, intent on a single room but it looked even smaller due to the piles of books all over the room that made the place look a bit like a maze. There were papers nearly covering the rest of floor that the books weren't covering. Sai hastily tried to tidy the room while moving the books delicately. They were his only friends and escape from the fact he was alone and trapped in this room. "I... don't get people... in much," Sai murmured the apologetic excuse.

Hate paid no attention to Saiyaku's clear anxiety and fear. Despite the warnings from his snake companions to not underestimate the boy, his own instincts screaming at him, and the fact that the other boy was quite a bit taller than him, he saw no problem turning his back on the little 'fraidy cat and entering the cell. Besides, he wouldn't be staying in there long. He had been planning his escape from the second he was brought into Nanba. What he was not planning on, however, was being grabbed from behind. He had been momentarily lost in shock at the state of the cell and had not heard Saiyaku rush up behind him. Just as Seba hissed a warning at him, Saiyaku's hand, about half as large as his own, latched onto his shirt.

He turned sharply, baring his teeth at the boy. There was no way he could admit it, not through the fury turning his golden eyes molten. The sudden touch had scared him. One of his snakes, he could not tell who, tightened around his arm as if seeking to provide comfort to his racing heart. Instead of bothering to focus on his slight trembling, he tried to mask his panic with a snarl. It was cut off though, at Saiyaku's words, the concern expressed in them. Hate's eyes narrowed with suspicion and he watched the white-haired boy carefully as he pushed gently past into the cell. His lips set in a pout as he observed the haste with which Saiyaku tidied up the cell. The delicate way the boy moved the books told Hate enough about how much he treasured them. But Hate couldn't read, so he didn't much care.

With a small huff, the dark, oddly cat-like child moved further into the room once there was enough space to do so. The guard behind him said something about a second bunk being moved in soon before slamming and locking the door shut. Hate didn't so much as flinch. Those eerie eyes of his glanced around the cluttered room, picking it apart and searching for any sort of opening. He didn't much mind the fact that it was crowded, as he found the old-book smell enjoyable. But it would cause trouble when it came time to escape. Unless he used the stacks to bury any adversaries under an avalanche of literature. Seba flicked his tongue at Hate's cheek, drawing his attention. The boy followed his companion's gaze toward Saiyaku.

Despite his dark, worn appearance and his cynical tone, the voice that left the small child was high with youth and soft with disuse when he spoke. "You're a hoarder."

Saiyaku's concern overshadowed his fear, especially since he was more fascinated and curious about the snake-like creatures around the boy and that the boy himself reminded him of a cat. It was only those thoughts that kept Sai from panicking further or worse. Sai didn't want the other, smaller boy falling since the room was a mess and it would hurt. That nor did he want the books to be damaged. He'd borrowed many of them and others were gifts so they were definitely important to him. He managed to move a good number of the books to the edges of the room, carefully piling them onto other stacks since he kept them relatively low because he didn't want to risk them tipping over. After shuffling books over, faintly hearing the guard mention another bunk coming in later. He was collecting the papers he had on the floor when the door closed, causing Sai to jump, gaze shoot to the door and his breath to stop. He clutched the papers to his chest tightly, allowing himself a few moments to calm down but it was noticeable that his hands shook when he collected the rest of the papers on the area of the floor he'd cleared.
To be quite honest, the room felt small and cramped but ironically light nicely and calming. The scent of sunlight and books.

Sai was on his knees collecting the papers when the other boy spoke. It caused Sai to stiffen from the suddenness of his voice but then processed his words. His brows furrowed and he looked over at Hate cautiously. "No..." he defended himself but it sounded more questioning than a corrective statement, soft, unsure and shaky. "I just like to learn..." he murmured, sounding almost sad while looking at the papers he held. He wasn't allowed to go off and return all these books so they tended to collect in his room until he was done with them and someone finally bothered to come and take them back. He did hoard their knowledge, in all the papers scattered around the room. Notes about everything he'd read. After that pause, Sai hurried up and finished the small area and put the papers on the desk he had, tucking it between the book stacks.

With that out of the way, Sai was allowed the time to realize he was in the room alone with the boy and his fear shot up a tenfold. Thus, it wasn't surprising that he ended up unconsciously picking up the nearest book and holding it against his chest. Much like a small child would do with their teddy. He stood across the room from Hate, his legs against his bed but Sai didn't sit. He would feel too trapped and feeling trapped would only cause awful things. He didn't know what to do, he was trembling and unable to look at the other boy. However, he didn't want to be rude so he decided to introduce himself. "My name is Saiyaku Kiyomi..." he drifted off for a moment but stammering out, "c-can-can call me Sai."

After Hate's comment, he kept quiet, continuing to observe Saiyaku carefully. A few minutes of the white-haired boy stacking books followed, and Hate found himself growing bored. So instead, he allowed his curiosity to lead him toward a particularly large stack of books near the opposite side of the room. He ran a long, black-nailed finger over the spine of a thick book and pulled away to find the tip of said finger free of dust. His brows narrowed slightly. Saiyaku must have a deep affection for this books if he managed to hoard so many and yet keep them clean at the same time. Naiya, one of his snake demons, the only female, slithered up his shoulder and around his neck to get a better look at the books. She flicked her tongue at the spine Hate had touched. "These look so old. How long has this kid had these in here? Doesn't he have any friends?" she hissed unkindly. Mako, the quietest of the three, let out a soft sigh as if to reprimand her.

Hate gently pet the top of Mako's head, whispering an order for Naiya to be silent. He was the only one she listened to, save for Seba when he got angry. Seba, at the moment, was watching Saiyaku carefully with his glowing yellow eyes. He was the most serious of the three, but also likely the one who cared for Hate the most. There wasn't a moment when he wasn't watching, waiting, anticipating something to happen, plotting against it, planning an escape, a way to protect his contractor and companion. Hate, upon noticing how tense his friend was, pet the top of his head as well.

The boy turned to face Saiyaku as he began speaking, four pairs of eyes now focused on the white-haired boy. Hate mouthed the name he was given carefully before trying it out. "Saiyaku," he mumbled under his breath. He gave a small nod and then turned back to the stack of books, as if putting an immediate end to the conversation that didn't even have a chance to begin. A few minutes later though, he found himself bored with touching the old, irritatingly clean, books. He felt incredibly dirty. Scratching at a bruise on his gray skin from the rough handling of the guards, he again turned toward Saiyaku. Those sharp, cynical eyes of his narrowed on the boy intensely. He leaned forward slightly, as if wanting to say something, but he thought against it and rocked back into his tense self.

Hate, instead of speaking, walked up to Saiyaku slowly, careful to keep his distance. The nearer he drew, the more his snakes writhed, flicking their tongues at the air and hissing softly when they thought Hate got too close. He backed up a step, and then another when Naiya hissed ferociously at Saiyaku. "Hush, Naiya," he whispered. She obeyed. He studied Saiyaku with that intelligent gaze, looking over the boy and then frowning at the height difference. "How old are you?" he demanded, his voice somehow full of power despite how small and young it was.

Sai found the silence uncomfortable, with his anxiety off the charts wasn't helping. It didn't help that the other boy had cut the conversation off shortly and effectively, without returning the name. So all that was left was calling him snake boy or something equally rude and inconsiderate. He clutched the book tightly, looking at the floor, for the first time after initially moving into the cell. He made a mess of the room real quick and only increased it. He knew he had to calm down, so to distract himself, still holding the book against his chest, he tried organizing the papers he'd just collected. Every move was filled with trembling muscles but graceful nonetheless. It didn't stop Sai from being hyper-aware of the other person but he couldn't bring himself to look over. Despite the fact, every instinct was telling him to get out of the room and to find out everything he could about the other boy. Unusual physical traits are something he'd seen commonly but those snakes were what was bringing out his biggest personality flaw. His overwhelming curiosity that led to these numerous books in his room. A bunch of conflicting emotions that was enough to lower his anxiety and fear levels so it wasn't as close to breaking point as before.

It wasn't until he heard the other boy walking closer that his hands dropped the papers, head whipping back to look at Hate and took an unconscious step back. Sai's eyes felt like they were locked with the other boy's narrowed ones. Trapped and unable to look away no matter how much he may want to. He was tense, waiting for him to speak or do something. He wasn't sure and was completely on edge to the point where he was terrified that his ability would fling off.
Sai jumped when one of the snakes in particular really hissed at him, causing his legs to bump against the bed and landed his ass hard on it. Sai's pale cheeks lit up in embarrassment but he didn't calm at all until he only demanded his age from him. Sai didn't even think before replying, immediately responding to the power in his voice. "14," Sai said, and then took the next moment to wonder why he wanted to know. Sai was shorter than most people his age, not even five foot. Not only shorter but just smaller in almost everything but education. Besides that fact, he looked rather gender ambiguous.
With how active the snakes were being, Sai's gaze finally managed to tear away from Hate's gaze to look at them. Still filled with fear but also a lot of curious fascination.

Hate waited in a strangely patient manner for Saiyaku's answer, keeping quiet and watching the boy carefully. He could tell, quite easily, Saiyaku was panicking. That he was scared of him. Everyone he met harbored at least a slight amount of fear toward him. He was dark, shadowed, had three snake demons constantly hissing at those who got too close to him. Their fear was understandable. But no one seemed to understand that he was the one who was constantly afraid. He had lost someone dear to him, had tried to escape the place where he was tortured and tested on for his entire life, and then he was brought to a top-secret prison where the world's most infamous criminals were kept. He was now standing in a cell cluttered with books, facing a frightened boy who could not possibly understand just how terrified he was.

Hate swallowed dryly and moved to take another step backward when he noticed the gaze Saiyaku had focused on his snakes. Biting his lip, he softly cleared his throat. "The...one who hissed is Naiya... She's just protective, is all... This one," he mumbled, looking at Seba and petting his head, "is Seba... He's...kinda the leader of them." Naiya hissed in protest, causing the boy's eyes to light up a little. However, there was no clear emotion shown on his face, not a twitch of his lips or a squint near the edges of his eyes. One could assume that he didn't even know what it meant to smile. "This one," he continued, turning his gaze to the third and final snake, "is Mako... He's the calm one... You're a 'fraidy cat, so you'll probably like him the most."

He was clearly throwing a dig at Saiyaku, but the lack of judgement in his tone seemed to mean that he was trying to tease the boy. Then he realized something. He had told the boy his companions' names, but not his own. His gaze now downcast toward his feet, Hate finally murmured, "My, um...name... It's Hate... The scientists'll use a different name but... Don't call me what they call me. I'll kill you." There was no threat in his voice. He was merely stating fact. The eyes that met Saiyaku's said that clearly enough.

Saiyaku stiffened when Hate suddenly cleared his voice. Sai had been distracted by the snakes, his mind whirling with facts, questions and trying to piece together answers. It was a muddle so anything at the point would startle him. However, when Hate began to speak, introducing his snakes to Sai, the fear and anxiety that had plagued Sai slowly began slipping away. It was being overshadowed by his need to know and fascination with the three snakes that seemed to be almost part of the other boy. His gaze moved snake to snake as they were introduced, looking for any sign for him to be able to tell the difference between them so he wouldn't get mixed up in the future. However, he didn't find anything immediately but had a feeling with those brief personality descriptions, he'd be able to puzzle it out.

As he came to the bit about calling Sai out on his fear, Sai had stopped shaking, his expression open and bright as he was told about Hate's friends. Because that's what those snakes seemed to be to Hate, close companions. The book he had held was in his lap, having moved to sit crossed legged on the edge of the bed. In reference to being called a scaredy cat, Sai could only sit back a bit in embarrassment. He knew he'd been rather obvious about it and regretted it. He was horrible at first impressions. It had been a while since he'd met anyone new. Living in constant fear of yourself had horrible ramifications. His cheeks were once again a pleasant hue of pink but there was a noticeable change in Sai's expression. A small smile on his lips that only grew wider when Hate introduced his name. Sure, he threatened to kill Sai afterwards and Sai knew all too well that he was very serious. If the chill that ran through him was to prove anything. However, Sai knew he had his reasons for hating that name. Scientists being involved was suspicious enough and had Sai wanting to hug the boy. It was an impulsive desire that he didn't act on, he knew Naiya and Seba wouldn't like it. Sai just had a feeling that there was something more similar to them besides sharing a room.
"Nice to meet you, Hate," Sai said, the word feeling strange to say. It made Sai want to shorten it since he didn't have any desire to refer to Hate... as Hate every time. Just due to the emotions linked to that word. However, Sai didn't want to upset or anger them. "And Naiya, Seba and Mako as well," Sai added softly, his smile not letting up. "I... um..." he drifted off a bit, wanting to say something now that he felt calmer than he had before. "I'm sorry," he ended up saying. The smile slipping away and to replace it was a more serious but soft expression, docile. "I don't meet new people a lot anymore... but that's no excuse... I guess... what I'm trying to say..." he stammered shyly, "I don't want to be afraid... but I am. And it's not your fault..." he managed to say, his gaze downcasted while he left that hanging in the air, awkwardly fidgetting where he sat.

Hate watched Saiyaku carefully, his stance defensive until the boy...greeted him. Had anyone ever told him that it was 'nice to meet' him? No. He was not a pleasure to know, so why on earth did Saiyaku say so? The only conclusion that Hate could come up with was that Saiyaku was lying. But the boy's smile... No one had ever looked at him so tenderly, despite obviously being terrified of him. It made him feel special, and even, dare he think, a little warm inside. His gray face contorted into a confused pout for a second, but before he knew it, the sweet smile on Saiyaku's face vanished. As did any warmth in Hate's chest. Lost was his expression, and it was again replaced by that intense, emotionless facade.

His tiny hands curled into fists at his sides upon Saiyaku's confession. "It is my fault. Everyone's scared of me. It's not new," he stated bluntly, his eyes cold and unforgiving. "Whether you want to be or not, whether I am the sole reason or not, you're scared. That's just how it is." He clenched and unclenched his fists as he took a moment to think. Then, as if forcing himself to, he stepped forward. He walked to the far end of Saiyaku's bed, as far away from the boy as he could get in the tight space, and then crawled carefully onto the bed, scooting into the corner. He refused to look at Saiyaku. "You're...fourteen, right...? They say that I'm nine. Is that a lot younger? You're taller than me."

Sai looked at Hate with a bit of urgency, "no," he enforced, "I'm scared... of being scared and misinterpreting something..." Sai drifted off, brows furrowed as his thoughts continued what his voice did not. And hurt more people because of the ability I can't control. He was quiet for a bit while he registered Hate's earlier words. Were people always scared of him? Sure his snakes could be intimidating but they seemed contained and not everyone had a phobia of snakes so it was odd. Thus, Sai turned his light gaze to Hate, looking at him critically. Trying to solve the puzzle that was riddling his mind. He figured it out just before Hate moved to sit on the bed, as far as he could get away from Sai but still in the small contained space. "Your eyes," Sai said softly, fiddling with the book in his grasp, "they're cold. Could be why people are scared..?" he voiced softly, barely audible in fact. He wasn't entirely sure but he felt they were a bit scary.

Sai nodded in confirmation and glanced briefly at Hate in confusion. However, he didn't question why Hate was wondering, instead, Sai slowly moved to reach over and grab a paper from the desk near him and a pencil. He always kept it nearby due to his tendency to suddenly start writing. He wrote out the numbers 1-14, circling nine and writing Hate underneath it and his own name under the fourteen before sliding it halfway between Hate and him. "Five years younger," Sai told him, "it seems long a lot.... but it's only a lot when we're kids," Sai murmured, "kids grow up fast. I'm... most boys my age would be taller," Sai added. Sai put the book he had been holding down to slide off the bed and crawled towards one of the book stacks, looking through the titles till he pulled out a thick book. He sat back on his legs and opened the book on his lap. "Depending on your genetics, you could end up much taller or shorter than me after maturity," he told Hate, his eyes glistening when he glanced back at him. Sai loved to learn, even more, to share the knowledge he held.

Hate ignores the comment about his eyes being frightening, not seeming to have even heard it. He remained silent, simply watching Saiyaku as he grabbed a piece of paper from a nearby desk. Despite having a good speech pattern, unlike some of the other experiments from the facility where he was kept, his development lacked severely in other areas. For example, the lines Saiyaku drew on the blank paper were simply that to him. Meaningless scribbles of a pencil. Not understanding how any of it correlated to what he had asked Saiyaku, he looked up at the older boy for an explanation. As the other spoke, he glanced back down at the paper. He leaned closer, trying to quench his confusion and curiosity without speaking anymore.

Hate found this a bit difficult, as the only lines he found he understood were those that made up his own name. How far those letters were from the others, which he could assume was Saiyaku's name, made his brows twitch together. It wasn't exactly a pout on his face, but it could be seen as the beginnings of one. For some reason, he didn't like how far apart their names were. Those eerie golden eyes of his returned to Saiyaku's face, narrowing slightly. His mind had snagged on a single word in Saiyaku's statement. "Don't. Don't say 'genetics'. I don't like that word," he ordered, his voice dark. While his tone could have come across as angered, the tighter Seba coiled around his upper arm was clearly a gesture meant to comfort him. The word 'genetics' was one that triggered anger for certain, but it also triggered a great amount of fear.

"The numbers closer to that arm," Sai said softly, pointing to Hate's left arm, "are smaller than the ones closer to that one," he finished, moving to gesture briefly to Hate's right arm. He could tell that the boy wasn't educated. Sai could also assume that it wasn't by any fault of his own. He knew that... despite... he had been given a very good education, much better than most kids had received. However, Sai didn't know how to teach people things that had no idea or basics to. He just knew how to learn.

Sai reached out gingerly for the sheet, hoping Hate understood it what he intended. Sai had noticed the change in expression and knew only putting their names on the line wouldn't be a good comparison. However, giving up after a second, Sai simply grabbed another sheet and rewrote the number line, adding more numbers this time. He wrote Hate's name, his own name underneath the respected ages and then he also added his sisters names under their age and his older brother. "This one has my siblings names on them. They're much older than us. My brother was with me earlier and he's the furthest away from your name," Sai said, sliding the sheet across the bed, close to Hate before returning his hand to the book he'd grabbed.

Sai was flipped through the book, one hand having came up so he was chewing a nail but not breaking it. His gaze was purely focused on the pages of text and images until Hate's voice and tone snapped him out of it. He glanced back at him and answered quickly, but not in fear. He was startled and a bit uneasy to be receiving Hate's anger but not fearful. "Okay," he said. Sai knew well that a single word can cause an overload of emotion, a single action or image. He knew all too well and feared it. That and it was hard not to obey Hate's command. He may be younger but he was someone you instinctively wished to follow. Whether out of fear or not. "Is DNA also forbidden?" Sai asked. He didn't want to further talk about it and say additional words that may anger him.

Hate leaned closer to Saiyaku as he watched the boy grab another sheet of paper, his brows furrowed more openly. Despite the questions on his tongue, he remained silent. He didn't understand why Saiyaku felt the need to add more scribbles when the previous page had conveyed his point well enough, but he decided not to question it. There is one word though, just like before, that snagged in his brain. 'Brother'. He flinched at the sound of it coming out of Saiyaku's lips, tears pricking his eyes. Sucking in a sharp breath, he slowly scooted away, pressing himself into the corner of the bed. As far from Saiyaku as he can get while remaining on the mattress.

"No. Not DNA either. And...not brother. Don't say that word either," Hate demanded. But his voice, this time, is weak, sad. It cracks on the word 'brother'. He had had one once. Or someone who had felt like one. His name was Kuzu, a demi-wolf from the crate next to him at the facility. He remembered being amazed that the older boy, so thin and underdeveloped, even comared to him, was still alive. As were the scientists, it seemed. Hate shook his head furiously, trying to clear away the thoughts of the boy he could safely call his family. He wondered where that boy was now. If he was still alive, or if the chemicals, malnourishment, abuse, and torture had finally caught up to him. The tears that had pricked his eyes now swelled and began slipping down his cheeks. He wrapped his thin arms tightly around his knees, hugging them to his chest as the worst scenario roared in his mind. What if Kuzu was dead?

((So... I had a mini heart attack for a moment. I didn't realize which thread this was and read the last sentence and panicked for a good moment >~< All I saw was Kuzu and dead...))

Saiyaku didn't really realize something was amiss, mainly since his eyes continued to divert back to the book in his lap. He was really nervous and knew that anything at this point would cause him to jump out of his skin. Which made him hyper aware of every sound Hate or his snakes made. The sharp inhale of air, his movement as he shifted even further away from him on the bed had his hair on end. Sensory overload due to anxiety. However, what made Sai snap his gaze to visually investigate Hate was tone he used when he said brother. He understood not wanting the use of DNA since it was closely linked to genetics, the same thing. However, he didn't understand wanting to forbid brother. Sure it could be related to the topic that was in current discussion but he didn't sound mad like he had before. He sounded upset which had Sai immediately wanting to help him.

One thing some of the Kiyomi siblings possess, a character... flaw more times than not, was their impulsive behaviour in certain circumstances. Sai had also claimed this trait despite usually being indecisive and skittish. He saw the tears falling down his cheeks and Sai's body moved before he could even contemplate the consequences of his actions. Like that fact the guy clearly didn't want to be touched... and potentially getting bitten by Naiya or Seba. Maybe even Mako despite Hate saying he was the calm one. For better or for worse, it happened.
Sai was up off the floor and had his frail arms wrapped firmly but weakly around Hate's body. Sai's eyes were firmly close, muscles tense and body trembling but this was what his sisters had done to comfort him so he thought maybe it would do the same for Hate. "I'm sorry. I won't say it again. Please don't cry. I'll do whatever I can... I'm sorry."
It was his fault that Hate was crying. He'd caused it. He'd done it, he was at fault. It's always his fault, he's to blame.

Hate was perfectly content to continue crying soundlessly in the corner of the bed. Was fine with being ignored. But then Saiyaku was hugging him. The shock kept him from immediately attacking the boy, even the shadow snakes hesitating. He was frozen, his eyes wide and arms scrunched against his chest. As the hug went on longer, while Saiyaku spoke, Hate's breathing began to grow harsh. It became a gasping rasp from his throat. Saiyaku's touch almost burned his flesh, he was so revolted by the contact. Before he could stop himself, though he likely wouldn't have in any case, he shoved Saiyaku harshly off the bed. "DON'T TOUCH ME," he snarled.

Hate had the urge to tackle Saiyaku and beat him to a bloody pulp. It was the burning sensation on his skin that kept him from moving anywhere near the boy though. Once he managed to calm his breathing, he pinned Saiyaku with his furious gaze, his eyes molten. "Don't you ever touch me again. Do you understand me? Don't ever touch me. Don't say genetics. Don't say DNA. Don't even mention anything that even sounds like the word brother. And don't--don't ever touch me again. The next time you do, I'll pound your freakin' face in, you got that? I'll really make you regret it. Never touch me again."

Sai was prepared for a backlash as he realized his impulsive actions weren't strictly correct. He expected it from the beginning but after he'd spoken he forgot. His mind casting that realization and connecting thoughts away to replace the self- deprecating thoughts buried in his mind. Just like with Honoka and his father. He was to blame, he always messed up and hurt people. He'd been stuck, frozen in his embrace with Hate without a way to snap out of it. Not until Hate had shoved him off the bed with a deafening snarl. Normally a fall like that would hurt but to little consequence. However, due to Sai's delicate constitution and his lack of preparation, he fell unusually off the bed and onto the floor. The human body was a strange thing. You could get into a car accident and sustain minimum injuries or you could trip and fall and die. These were one of those incidents. Sai felt a sharp, pain erupt from his shoulder after he'd fallen, significantly more so from other points of his body that had hit the floor. He couldn't move that arm anymore but his mind wasn't on that.

Sai could faintly hear Hate telling him off for reasons he undoubtedly were warranted for. However, Sai's mind was on something else entirely. From his emotional state being consumed with self-hatred, guilt and then slammed with sudden fear when his body when airborne... his body wasn't the only thing that collided with the ground. Sai felt it, covering up the pain he felt in his shoulder. His good hand came up to his head, legs curling into a fetal position on the floor under Hate's fury filled gaze. Throughout Hate's warning, Sai was mumbling, trembling in fear that could be recognized as fear of Hate. "No... no, no, no, no, no, no... please, no," he constantly whispered, his voice shaky and strained, nearly in tears. He'd gone and done it. The thing he was terrified about. The very thing he wanted to avoid but deliberately caused the circumstances that caused it.

It wasn't until a few moments after Sai had fallen and Hate had finished his command when the floor trembled. It happened low and quickly enough that it could be passed by unnoticed... but a second later, there was a second tremor. The first one, Sai knew what it meant and his breathing became erratic, heart racing and fear seeping out of every pore. Things that surely promoted the next tremor and the next after that. "Please, stop... stop. Just stop. Stop. Don't. Just stop," he rambled desperately. Everything that happened today finally built up and exploded in a single moment. It had been too much for the boy to mentally bare.
It escalated quickly, the tremors causing the stacks of books to shake and items on the desk begin to tumble off it. Unlike the incident with Honoka, the disaster wasn't generated from Sai, instead is originating at the plates just below this island and echoing the effects throughout the prison. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm sorry. Please stop... I don't want to hurt anyone else." Sai begged but his voice was small, terrified and hopeless.

Seba, Naiya, and Mako hissed in unison at the first, barely noticeable tremor in the ground. Hate tensed, distracted from his anger at Saiyaku and now focused on the movement of objects in the room as the compound shook violently. His eyes widened in natural, childish terror. But his instinct to hide under the bed and protect himself was washed away instantaneously as his gaze fixed solely on Saiyaku. The boy was clearly in a panic, leaving the towering stack of books over him to go unnoticed. Before Hate could even think, he dove off the bed and tackled Saiyaku out of the way. Just as the books came crashing down where the boy had lain. "Under the bed," he muttered to himself in the chaos of falling books. He was about ready to drag the hysterical boy under the bed with him when a white-haired figure ripped open the door. For a moment, Hate was concerned that it was the tall winged man that had been with Saiyaku before, but it was a cardigan-wearing teen that stood in the doorway.

Yuki had felt the shaking as he had run from the infirmary. He had collapsed not too far down the hall, coughing up red, his nose bleeding lightly and his limbs shaking too hard for him to move. But his head had shot up at the wriggling of the earth. He knew what those tremors felt like. He'd created those exact ones himself. Clamping his eyes shut and reaching out with his mind, he had zeroed in on the intense fear that had most definitely triggered the earthquake. And then he was running. As fast as he could on those burning legs, led only by the pulsing fear that sent shivers through the ground. He ripped the keys off of the guard who sat trembling in front of the locked cell and then tore the door open. What he found were two little boys, the smaller shielding the larger. The larger... One look and he knew. If the fear alone wasn't enough to tell him. He blocked out the images of stairs, or white-haired twins, of wide, fearful blue eyes, of chandeliers and glass exploding. He blocked out the horrors as he knelt beside his little brother.

Yuki, careful of the oddly-bent arm, gently took his brother's face in his hands. "Saiyaku. Saiyaku, look at me. I need you to breathe. You're in pain, you're frightened, you're...so very sad. But what I want you to do is breathe deeply, in your nose and out your mouth, and focus only on your breathing. Can you hear me, Saiyaku?" Despite the situation, Yuki's voice was...incredibly calm. There was a soft, understanding smile on his face despite the blood that ran down his chin from the corners of his mouth. "Saiyaku, I have the same ability as you. I know just how scary it is. But trust me, you can control it, love. Just breathe with me, okay?" He took the boy's uninjured hand into his own, placing it over his steady heartbeat. "Breathe with me, Saiyaku. In...hold...out. In...hold...out. Just like that, okay? Can you do that for me, Saiyaku?"

Sai reacted unwell to Hate suddenly pulling him away from his previous location. Ignorant to the stack of books that had been ready to fall on him. His eyes were firmly close, pain and panic consuming his every thought. A pain that escalated when he was suddenly moved but what had him freaking out was the sudden touch. After being told not to touch Hate, combined with his fear of getting someone hurt. It had Sai trying to blindly get away. Weak but desperate. "No, stay away, stay away, stay away," he begged. He'd get hurt if he was close to him. He had to get away. Get as far away from him as possible. Everyone needed to stay away. They'd only get hurt. But... being alone terrified him.

Someone new was touching him and a face that seemed familiar but all too new was right in front of him. A face belonging to a pair of hands that shook as they held his face. Someone that knew his name. Another person too close that would get hurt. Someone that seemed already hurt and had Sai thinking he was the cause. He sounded so nice and calm, his touch should have been soothing but all Sai's eyes could focus on was the blood running down his face. He couldn't hear, he knew he was talking, he saw the man's lips moving and a dull noise but he wasn't listening. "Get away. Go away. Need to leave. You'll all only get hurt," he mumbled, trying to shake his head, trying to get out of the man's grip. "It won't stop, people will get hurt. It's my fault, all my fault," Sai sobbed, tears streaming down his cheeks. His anxiety and fear only increased when his hand was placed over Yuki's heart. "Go, go, go, go, go," he repeated, trying to push him away with his good hand as more tremors continued to happen. Each getting stronger than the last, provoking his fear further and escalating the situation more. Hate and this man had to get away. Far away before they got hurt too. It was only going to get worse. He'd hurt so many people. He couldn't stop it. He didn't have control. It was all his fault. He was trapped with a cycle of his mind he couldn't escape from.

From all of Saiyaku's rambling, from the harsher tremors, Yuki could tell that his brother couldn't hear him. Brows narrowed with sadness, the young man took a deep breath and then focused his calm attention on the boy now sitting a couple inches away from his brother. "What's your name, sweetie?" he asked gently, despite the harsh shaking that swayed the large stack of books near them. The golden-eyed boy glanced at said stack, met Yuki's eyes, looked to Saiyaku, and then settled his gaze back on Yuki. "Hate," he said simply. Yuki nodded and gave the boy that relaxed, soothing smile of his. "Hate-kun, please get under the bed. With all the books, it's dangerous to be out in the open, okay? Slide as close as you can to the wall, at the far end of the bed, honey. Can you do that for me?" Despite the words he spoke, how clear it was that he was speaking to a child, his tone did not come off as condescending. Maybe it was this, maybe the blood dripping off his chin, maybe the calmness with which he was handling the situation. But the dark boy, eyes careful but oddly trusting, nodded and followed Yuki's instructions. As soon as the child was out of sight, Yuki returned his attention to his brother.

"Saiyaku. I need you to try and listen to what I'm saying, sweetheart," Yuki said, his voice a bit louder in hopes of Saiyaku hearing him. His thumbs gently rubbed both the boy's cheekbone, and the back of the hand that he had placed under his own on his chest. "Saiyaku, can you hear me? Try and focus on my voice, sweetie. This is gonna get worse and worse and a lot of people are gonna get hurt if you don't try and listen to me. I have the same ability as you, and I know how to make it stop, honey. Please help me help you. Trust me, baby, please." Urgency laced his voice. As did a hint of desperation. The room jolted violently, the large stack of books finally falling toward them. In a split second, Yuki's cardigan flew off his shoulders, large white, black and gray-speckled wings unfurling and shielding him and his younger brother from the avalanche of novels. There wasn't a second that Yuki's eyes left Saiyaku's. As if nothing had happened, the teen returned to his gentle pleading.

It wasn't until Sai heard Yuki mention the word hurt. He was drawn out by the continuation of the sentence, his hand loosening until it fell slack. Sai blinked once but his wide white bore into Yuki's eyes, concentrating solely on their eyes. If he looked anywhere else he would fall back into the abyss that was consuming his mind. This man had the same ability as him? How was that possible? There was someone else that had to suffer from the knowledge that one wrong move and you could kill thousands?
It wasn't until Yuki mentioned the fact that he knew how to control it that Sai really reacted. Sai instinctively moved closer to him, grasping the stranger's shirt in a desperate but weak grip. His eyes were wide and filled with torn desperation. "Please, help me," he begged, his voice trembling from his sobs. "I don't want to hurt anyone anymore. Pleas-" he was cut off when Yuki's wings suddenly whipped out and protected them from the falling books that had gone unnoticed by Sai. He couldn't even acknowledge the fact Yuki had wings, something his older brother also had. He was in no mental state to connect any dots or use his brain to draw any conclusions. His tiny body shook, a new wave of fear rippling through him that sent another tremor tearing through the prison. Sai's eyes slammed closed, holding onto Yuki tightly, his breathing becoming even more rapid and strained. It has to stop. Sai didn't want a repeat of what happened to Honoka, to his father. He couldn't live through another incident. He knew he couldn't. He wasn't sure if that was such a bad thing.

Yuki smiled wider once he recognized that Saiyaku had heard what he'd said. He nodded along with the boy's rambling, but under the weight of the books, his wings trembled. Swallowing hard around the blood welling up in his throat, he pulled Saiyaku to his chest. Trying his best to be careful of the boy's injured arm. "Saiyaku," he began in the boy's ear, "I need you to follow my instructions. Unless you want this to keep going, unless you want to hurt more people, then please follow my instructions. Saiyaku, I need to take deep breaths. Can you do that for me? Take a big deep breath, and think about something that makes you calm, okay?" As he spoke, the weight on his already frail wings forced him forward, a hand shooting out to support him against the bedframe. His breath was a rasp, no longer a good comparison for Saiyaku to use to calm down.

Under the bed, Yuki caught the golden gaze of the dark boy. He clamped his eyes shut, leaned over that outstretched, shaking, right arm to cough violently at the floor. "S-Saiyaku, please. Breathe, okay? Listen to the ocean outside. Listen to it. Hear how violently it's rocking? I want you to focus on it. Gradually, it should start to calm down." At this point, he was picking at straws, desperate in his attempts to calm Saiyaku down. He lost an inch, a pained hiss bringing him and Saiyaku closer to the bed. It was only slight, but his heart raced all the harder. He rasped a harsh exhale, more blood spilling from his lips. His body was not made for this kind of exertion. That much was clear. Despite his efforts to calm Saiyaku though, another violent tremor shook the cell. And the books on his wings. He bit his lip to keep from crying out in pain. "S-Saiyaku... Please..." At this point, is other arm had join the first, on the other side of his brother, against the bedframe. He couldn't handle this for much longer. Tears pricked his eyes.

Tsubasa was running as fast as he could to his little brother's cell, but with the shaking of the earth, he found it difficult to keep a pace. His wings, back, and shoulder muscles screamed with how hard he had pushed them to get him to the cell faster. Pausing in the doorway, he took in the scene. Bleeding speckled wings, tear-filled eyes, both teal and silvery, books upon books pressing down on his brother and the stranger. "Saiyaku!" he shouted, finally remembering his voice. He couldn't see the other boy, the smaller, darker one, but he had no time to care. The unknown teen whimpered, "Little brother, please breathe," and then his arms gave out. Tsubasa flapped his wings furiously, just in time to stop the books from crushing both white-haired boys. His focus on the earthquake, on the books, on his sibling... All of it was gone after those two words clanged through his brain. Those silver eyes were wide down at the fallen, likely unconscious, winged boy beneath him as the words 'little brother' echoed in his mind.

It took all of his strength to forced the books to fall away from the trio. Then, it took all of his focus to force his gaze to his younger brother. "Saiyaku," he demanded, voice trembling slightly. "You go under that bed right now. Take that boy, whatever his name is, with you. Use him as a shield if you have to, got it? I'm gonna go check on Hana and Honoka. Focus on calming down." His eyes were hard as he addressed his brother. How could he have let this happen again? And this bad? He had no control whatsoever and it put so many lives in danger. Tsubasa waited until Saiyaku and the teen were under the bed before racing out of the room in search of his twin sisters. All the while begging any higher power that existed for them to be unharmed.

Sai tried listening to Yuki, focusing purely on his voice. Anything else would be too much, especially visual and the violent shaking of the cell around them. Sai struggled to take deep breaths, inhaling deeply and releasing it shakily. Taking a sharp short breath afterwards but tried to relax his breathing again. However, it wasn't working, feeling closed off, Yuki's shaky voice, coughing, his erratic heartbeat that only escalated Sai's condition. What made him calm? Reading, reading made him calm, but there was too much noise. He wouldn't be able to concentrate. He needed to drown everything out. He had to calm down and then this would stop? He wouldn't hurt anyone if he was able to stop this. "Natural selection can affect levels of DNA variation around genes in several ways: strongly deleterious mutations will be rapidly eliminated by natural selection, weakly deleterious mutations may segregate in populations but rarely become fixed, and selection at nearby sites (both purifying and adaptive) reduces genetic variation through background selection and hitch-hiking effect," he rambled off, recalling an article he'd read recently. His tone was hushed, filled with shaking and hysteria but it was helping. He continued, trying to calm himself but was ruined every time Yuki made a noise of pain. He was getting hurt and Sai was aware enough to know it was his fault. His fear was causing this. He could smell the blood, it felt like he was covered in it. "I-I-I c-can't!" Sai cried out in a sob, nearly a wail. He knew the other man was in pain and it was only getting worse and he couldn't calm down. He was trying so hard, the pressure was only getting harder. Literally, Yuki's weight on the small guy was making things harder to focus and panicking Sai more.

Calm down, people were going to get hurt. He had to stop. Calm down but Tsubasa shouting his name had his heart stopping for a moment and chaos to ensue. He couldn't even tell who called him little brother. The next thing Sai knew, Yuki was off him and all bloody. Hate was under the bed and Tsubasa demanding him to do something. Get under the bed. He just couldn't follow. Sai could only stare at Tsubasa and suffer from memories he had been trying so hard not to let get to him as much as they were now. His tone, Yuki's body, and the memories. It wasn't helping in the least. It only increased the guilt. Tsubasa was gone and Sai was staring at the mess in his room and Yuki's unconscious body. He shakily got up, only to fall back down, both from the shaky ground and his wounded shoulder. Tears fell from the pain but he pushed himself up anyway, pushing Yuki as carefully as he could under the bed. Mumbling apologies the entire time, especially to Hate since he was actually conscious. However, despite how aware he seemed to be, his breathing was unsteady, his body in pain and his heart still racing. The shaking causing him to flinch and wince. He just couldn't stand seeing someone who was trying to help end up getting hurt because Sai was unable to do anything.

Fortunately and equally, unfortunately, a woman suddenly appeared at the doorway. She wore black shorts, black boots and a black hoodie with bunny ears. The appearance was very unusual, except for the distinct lines on the woman's limbs and mechanically looking eyes that bore down on Sai. In hand, she wielded a very large sword with unusual patterning on it. It was also black with white lining. She took a step into the room, lifted the sword and swung it down on Sai. The blade went through him and the floor before she lifted it back up to swing once more. However, the woman... paused because Sai had stilled, eyes wide for a split second. Sai then collapsed onto the floor, eyes closed and completely unconscious. She then continued her swing and then allowed it to rest on the floor. A few moments later, the tremors began to cease until they stopped altogether. Her free hand, the one not holding the sword, lifted to her ear. "Dealt with the occupant. Crisis averted, returning to base," she stated, her voice monotone and devoid of life. She paused then, as if being told something else but still turned and walked out of the room, passing another woman. Despite the different appearance, they were very similar. Unlike the other one, she wore pants, knee high boots and a heavy jacket. All as black as her long braided hair. A long but sleek sword strapped to her side, nine tails behind her and sharp ears tinged with blue. She passed the other one and entered the room. She glanced around before she headed over to Sai and low enough to see under the bed. She picked Sai up, taking him up off the floor and over her shoulder before gently pulling Yuki out. She then peeked under, her gaze landing on Hate. “Are you four okay?” she asked the small boy. Her voice crisp sounding but it was gentle and concerned. Her eyes flicking to Hate and his snake companions. “Any injuries?”

((https://www.nature.com/articles/natur...))

((Are we doing twins and Tsubasa somewhere else? Or here as well?))

Hate watched Saiyaku's fall from under the bed, his eyes darkening as the boy descended into his mind. He moved when the white-haired young man was gently pushed under the bed. Looking him over, the boy could conclude that he was in terrible shape. If being shoved off a bed could dislocate, or even break, Saiyaku's arm, then a pile of books could kill this delicate teen. Hate couldn't be certain, as he was no doctor, but he doubted that the way the man's arms were bent was natural, much less comfortable. Amazingly, said man wasn't unconscious. Though maybe that wasn't good. If he were in as much pain as the teen looked to be, Hate thought, he would want to be asleep. The man's breathing was a harsh rasp, but it was quiet. As if he didn't want anyone, didn't want Saiyaku to hear him.

Just as a harsh tremor jerked the room violently, just as Hate reached a hand toward the half-conscious man, likely to steady him, someone threw open the cell door. While she busied herself with Saiyaku, Hate pulled the winged teen further under the bed, trying his best to be careful with his feathered limbs. They were bleeding and had enough feathers missing, but he was certain that the pain there was excruciating. He grit his teeth at the blood that coated his fingers, but a distant hiss from Seba snapped him to attention again. He looked out from under the bed, a different woman pulling gently on the now unconscious teen. Wordlessly, he helped to again make sure his wings were moved as painlessly as possible. Then, he was being addressed.

Peering out from the darkness, which it almost looked he grew from, Hate narrowed his glowing eyes on the woman. Naiya released a ferocious hiss, Seba flicking his tongue apprehensively, and Mako mimicking him. He glanced at the fallen winged man for a moment, then focusing his gaze on the strange lady. "Saiyaku. The boy. His arm is hurt. Not from the earthquake though. His arm is 'cause of me," he replied swiftly, finishing with a quick, "He deserved it though." Naiya sighing her agreement, the boy slowly crawled out from under the bed. He pressed as close as he could to the wall, keeping well out of the woman's reach. Glancing quickly around the room, he assessed the damage. It was extensive to say the least. Narrowing his gaze once more on the woman, he nodded toward Saiyaku. "He's a hoarder. Can someone take these books out? Just...leave a little of them. Or something to hold all of them so they don't cause an avalanche again."

The woman's... eyes seemed to move when Hate seeped out of the darkness. It wasn't moving out of its position in her sockets, but the iris seemed to spin and dilate but nothing like a normal human's eyes. It was like a camera adjusting its focus. Which is exactly what those dark eyes were doing. When she was informed about Sai's injury, she simply nodded. Dislocated shoulders weren't a rarity and could occur rather easily. It is the most dislocated joint of the body. "I see," she responded before turning her attention to the teen who was incredibly damaged by the incident. Accessing him enough to determine that he was not fit to be moved any more. He needed to be treated and treated immediately. Her tails fanned down against the ground, and the books that Hate went on to mention. The woman glanced back up at him and then around the room to the chaos of books. "I will see what I can do, snake boy," she told him. The little nickname wasn't said in any rude way nor was her tone holding attitude. It was good-natured despite the unusual undertone it held. She moved her hand away from the poor teen, up to just below her car-like ear. "Requesting assistance from the Punisher, send him quickly to Omniform's location, cell 226," she relayed before she stood up to rest Sai's unconscious form onto the bed. For a moment, she straightened, pausing while her ear twitched as if hearing something. Her teeth then bared a bit in irritation. "Relay the information Tence, now," she firmly instructed to the other person she was conversing with over the embedded earpiece.

The woman, omniform, codename Nif, turned her attention back to Hate. She tilted her head for a moment. "You haven't answered me. Are you four okay?" she asked once again, motioning to Hate and his snakes. She didn't see any injuries but she could be mistaken. It was not her expertise. While waiting for an answer, she slinked around a bit, tidying up the mess to allow the person she requested to have more space to treat the injured. That but to also make transferring these books back to the library much easier.

A bit of time passed before an additional person entered the cell. They practically stormed in and unlike Tsubasa, they looked pissed. "Why the fuck was I requested here? I have other shit to handle Nif," they snarled. 5'6, wearing a baggy jacket, thick, black leather gloves and a pair of odd glasses on top of his head. Short, messy pinkish white hair and bright, neon purple eyes. Bandaids could be seen on his face and a sucker being held in his hand before it was plopped back into their mouth. It would take more than one look to try and decide what gender they were nor was it something he cared about. Being called a woman wasn't one of the few things that did piss him off.

Nif stiffened, startled and her ears flattening against her head from how loud their voice was. She simply gestured towards the injured patients before she stalked out. She paused at the door and glanced back at Hate. "I shall get people to come and fix the book issue," she informed the inmate, giving him a smile before leaving the boy with the hot-tempered officer.

Surya glanced down at the injured teen, sucking on the lolli in his mouth before his face contorted in displeasure. His gaze then landed on Hate and his attitude didn't change. Surya felt like the kid was trying to pick a fight with him. It was just the look in his eyes, something he recognized with his past with punks. He did look away, only since he had a job do to. He went over to Sai first, mainly because he just needed his shoulder popped into place. He could get a sling later. Surya could heal it right up but the kid could do with some pain for the consequences.
He did that quickly, the kid not even waking up from the pain. Only due to what the first woman had done to him. He'd be out for a while.
Surya then turned his attention to Yuki, crouching down beside him and popped the lollipop out of his mouth. He huffed out an annoyed breath before glancing at Hate. "Look away kid," he demanded. There was no way he was doing this while he was looking.

Hate watched the strange woman carefully, Seba hissing his own concern. The nickname, "Snake-Boy", made him narrow his eyes, but he luckily didn't comment on it. Instead, he remained silent, leaning against the wall. Hearing the lady snap at someone over her comm made Naiya give a whispered chuckle of approval, but Hate only allowed his intense focus on the woman relax once she addressed him. "We're fine," he muttered in response, those cat-like eyes narrowing a bit further. What exactly did this lady expect from him? For him to be frightened and cower into her like any normal child? She was clearly something other than human. There was a possibility that she knew about him being an experiment. But even if she didn't, why the hell did she care about some kid who got himself landed in the top prison in the world? There clearly had to be something very wrong with him if he was in Nanba. Hate shook his head and sighed softly as the woman busied herself with tidying up the room. He guessed that he never would understand people. At least, not kind people.

Hence why the boy who barged into the room instantly intrigued him. Hate tensed, brows tense over his cautious eyes. Due to how those eyes glowed, the shadows under them seemed darker, his skin grayer. It seemed to highlight just how incredibly fucked up he was. Which is exactly what he wanted. The shadows around him writhed as his snakes coiled closer to him. Hate had actually completely forgotten about Yuki, who lied brokenly on the floor. He had been too focused on the strange woman and the new, clearly hot-headed, boy who had walked into the room. But as he watched the boy converse with the lady, watched him glance down at Yuki, the winged boy again left his mind. His eyes met the new boy's, glared dangerously as he was glared at. If he hadn't had snakes circling his arms and waist, it would have been predictable of him to growl.

Hate's lips twitched in triumph when the boy looked away, but he could tell the stare-down wasn't nearly over. Instead, he watched the boy check on Saiyaku. Stupid kid. He deserved the shoulder. No, no, don't pop it back...! Dammit, he thought, losing the almost nonexistent smirk on his face. He tsked his tongue in a sort of discontented hiss and glanced away, eyes quickly focusing, yet again, on the hot-headed boy. Who had again looked down at Yuki. Hate almost felt bad for Yuki. And it showed in the slight lowering of his shoulders, the miniscule pout on his bottom lip. The teen hadn't been mean to him. In fact, he'd been really nice. He hadn't annoyed Hate like Saiyaku had. For the first time in years, he was so busy feeling sympathy for someone else that he flinched at the sound of Surya's voice.

Hate's gaze flashed to the strange guard instantly, all traces of sympathy gone from his body. The order made him narrow his eyes defiantly. "Why? This is the one guy who hasn't completely irritated me in a long time. What're you gonna do to him? I might actually care," he growled, voice low but oddly sharp. Especially for a boy who looked like a talking shadow.

Surya tsked his tongue, looking both irritated an annoyed. A look that honestly didn't look overly threatening if not for his intense eyes. "I don't give a fuck what you're opinion on him is," Surya snapped, not appreciating this shadow boy. Though he did appreciate the guts the kid had on him but not in this situation. He was already pissed he had to come over here while he also had to deal with other shit. He'd also need to determine Saiyaku's punishment for this incident which was another thing to add to his shit list. God kids were fucking irritating.

The kid giving him the evil eye looked fucked. Some shit was definitely going on with him and his snake things were weird. But Surya could really care less. If he didn't want to look so freaky he should get some beauty sleep. Nonetheless, he didn't have any time to entertain the kid with an argument over doing what Surya told. The teen laying on the ground didn't deserve it... probably... and he wouldn't be in any good condition if he waited longer.
"Do whatever you want," Surya grumbled, annoyed but turned his attention back to Yuki. Being careful of the damages wings, Surya positioned himself so he had access to the guy's face. He hated this part but the easiest thing to do to get to all the wounds was a direct kiss instead of selecting individual wounds. He bent down and kissed the guy, ignoring the little voice in the back of his head that had him embarrassed at being watched. If only he could heal people by smashing them in the face with his fist or something. Thus, after kissing Yuki, Surya pulled back, wiping his mouth off with his jacket and popped his lolli back into his mouth and watched the magic of his ability at work. A moment after the kiss and the wounds scattered on Yuki's body began stitching themselves together leaving only the blood stains as any evidence that he had been injured.

"You said you weren't hurt right?" Surya then snapped at Hate, looking back at him now that Yuki was healed. He didn't even wait for a response before he was heading for the door. "Fucking idiots, told them to get rid of the kid. Fucking lucky it wasn't a tsunami," he was muttering under his breath while cracking his knuckles. He paused just before he was about to exit, glancing back around the room for a moment.

Hate huffed softly, crossing his arms over his chest. He couldn't tell whether or not he was happy with the response he was given. Instead of asking what the strange boy was going to do, he quietly observed. His brows furrowed when he bent down toward Yuki and then— Hate's entire gray face, down to his neck, up his ears, turned red. At the sight of Surya kissing Yuki, he blushed. But he had no time to question the heat flooding his cheeks, as he involuntarily slapped his hands over his flushed face. The boy couldn't exactly understand why he was blushing so hard, but he had seen this display of affection more than once before. Seba and Naiya flicked their tongues confusedly at his hands, but he refused to lower them. Not if he had to look at that embarrassing display again. At Surya's question, despite knowing it meant that the boy was no longer kissing Yuki, Hate shook his head furiously. All he wanted was Surya gone. "T-take Yuki with you!" he hissed from behind his hands.

When Surya caught sight of Hate's expression, well his red face it gave Surya two clear emotions. One was a similar embarrassment causing a bit of his neck to redden. The second was amusement. The dark kid being lit up like a Christmas tree was hella amusing. If only it wasn't because he saw Surya kiss someone. Any street creed with this inmate was to shreds which is why he usually avoided this.
"I don't have time to drag him to the infirmary. Someone will be back to fetch them. Sit tight and be good. You can manage that, can't you? No more chucking other kids off beds," Surya drawled, purposely jabbing at him. A bit of immature payback for making Surya show him that. Surya took two fingers, touching them to his head and out in a goodbye wave before he left to deal with the aftermath along with much of the other staff.

Sometime later, someone eventually returned, a few people actually. They were in and out for a bit, first taking Saiyaku and Yuki to the infirmary then taking out books. Silent and they didn't address Hate until someone brought him food for dinner.
However, after that, no one entered or exited for the rest of the night or that next morning, not until the afternoon when a shelf and the new bunk bed was moved in and exchanged for the cot that was originally in there. But before they took that away, a journal fell from it onto the floor that went unnoticed by the guards moving the shit around. Once done, they left once more.

It was later that evening when Saiyaku was brought back to the cell. Unconscious still and being carried in by Nif. She entered the cell holding the boy and her gaze immediately landed on Hate. She then briefly glanced towards the changes in the room before sticking to the bed. "Are you occupying the top or the bottom?"

Hate slammed his now fisted hands to his sides with a huff at Surya's immature jab at him. While he would have normally ignored the comment, the childishness with which he was treated made him respond in the same way. Once Surya had his back turned, Hate stuck his tongue out at the man. Only then was he satisfied. Cheeks still hot, he crossed his arms over his chest and stood their for a moment to bask in his triumph. He sighed softly a minute later, his cheeks now back to their gray palor as he climbed onto he bed and settled in the corner. As he waited for someone to come and pick up Yuki, he sat there, hugging his knees to his chest. By the time anyone arrived, he was asleep. He was unconscious until the men came in to change out the bed.

Almost immediately, Hate mentally claimed the top bunk. But until Nif returned with Saiyaku, the boy spent his time snooping through Saiyaku's things, including his fallen diary as he didn't know what it was. It looked enough like the notebooks the scientists carried and he had insisted on looking through it. He was still reading what little he could, sounding out words and growling in frustration, when Nif entered. Watching her carefully, he simply muttered, "Top. More airy. I don't like how cramped and...closed in the bottom is."

Nif nodded, eyeing the boy for a moment when she noticed what was in his hands. Fortunately for him, she didn't know Saiyaku very well nor connected what the book could be. She simply laid the unconscious boy onto the bottom bunk and straightened up afterwards. Her ear twitched on top of her head and her many tails swished a bit. "I understand. Enclosed spaces are horrible," she voiced, "I would rather be outside than inside. Too bad it's not my call," she said, her voice light in a clear sign of making a light joke. Whether he got it or not didn't really matter to her. It was more of an inside joke than one would think. Sure she was but a systematic defence protocol, technically speaking. Her task was mainly dealing with tasks within the prison but it went further than that. Since she was not always active. Instead kept in a place that could be seen as something even smaller than this room, dormant until called upon. "If you need me, request for Omniform. A guard stationed outside will call for me," she informed the boy.
She then headed to the exit but paused just before leaving. She glanced over at Hate once more. "Making friends in this place is important. Just keep it in mind," she advised before leaving.

After that, it was quiet in the room, aside from soft breaths from Sai's unconscious form. He didn't awake until late that evening, past the time when supper came and gone. Sai awoke from a nightmare, slamming his body against the wall as soon as he sat up. Pain erupted from his healing shoulder as well as his head. He hadn't expected something to be above him nor did he recognize the room. It took a few long moments for Sai to calm down from his cold sweat, realizing that this must be his room. He didn't say a word as his trembling body stilled and all he could do was stare at the bookshelf lost in thought. Recalling what had happened and what he'd done. His thoughts were a mess, hating on himself for being so pathetic and useless. Wonderings of how they stopped him, what had happened to that teen who tried to help him and if Hate was even okay. The most prominent thing on his mind was an oath to stay away from Hate. Sai feared this would happen again because of how unstable he was emotionally and would rather isolate himself if it saved others. He may not be able to do it effectively stuck in a cell but he'd just have to figure something out. Hopefully.

(Once Hate warms up to Saiyaku, expect major cuddles. Just sayin')

Hate watched Nif carefully, but did not respond to anything she told him. He returned his focus to Saiyaku's diary, and his futile attempts at reading any of the oddly pretty, neat scribble on the lovingly worn pages. After a good half hour of reading over the same paragraph, trying to make sense of it, he released a frustrated huff. He settled for stroking the page, closing his eyes and feeling the bumps and swift curves of the letters. As he did so, he thought back on what Nif had told him. Specifically the bit about him making friends. The thought clanged through him uncomfortably, loud and jarring. He opened his eyes, glaring at the page he had been petting. Again, the word shouted in his mind. He growled and slammed the book shut. Huffing loudly, his snakes clearly startled, he pouted his lips at the cover of the diary before slowly looking up at the bed where Saiyaku slept. Saiyaku.

Hearing the boy's name in his head made Hate blush brightly and uncontrollably, his arms flailing around him before settling around him. He squeezed himself tightly, shoulders hitched high and cheeks still a deep red. Saiyaku... A friend...? Maybe... Tentative, he slowly glanced back over at Saiyaku's sleeping form. He stood, book thumping to the floor carelessly as he walked over to the bed. Stopping right near the ladder, on the end where Saiyaku's head was, he focused on accusing glance down at the boy. He shifted his arms until they were crossed over his chest and then stood there like that for a few minutes, just glaring down at Saiyaku. Blushing all over again, he stuck his tongue out at the sleeping boy, hmphed in a satisfied manner and then climbed up onto the top bunk. Once he had settled himself, he lied on his back, staring blankly up at the ceiling. Where he stayed until the guard arrived with dinner. From the plate, which he received from his bunk after staying stubbornly put and forcing the guard to walk into the room and hand it to him, he took only the sweet bread roll and the juice box. It took a couple tries, but after haphazardly poking holes through the top of the box, he managed to break the tinfoil and insert his straw properly.

That was how Hate fell asleep. Plastic straw in his mouth, teeth marks dotting it and juice box discarded on the bed. Bread roll half-eaten and clumped in his tiny fist, crumbs on his cheeks and mouth slightly open as if he had konked out mid-bite. Shadow snakes seemingly gone, he seemed almost...human. Fragile and human, especially so when he rolled so close to the edge of the top bunk that he pushed his juice box off the bed. Which thunked to the floor just after Saiyaku woke up and slammed himself into the wall. Amazingly, for someone so on edge and alert, Hate was in a dead sleep, a soft snore issuing from his open mouth. To be honest, he looked absolutely adorable.

((love me some cuddles xD))

Saiyaku reacted horribly when his gaze caught something falling from the corner of his gaze. Jumping in fright and managed to bunk his head against the top bunk. Fortunately, it wasn't too hard but enough to have Sai murmuring a small whimper. He stared at the juice box on the ground, body trembling. He could only guess it had to be Hates. How it fell or why it was there was beyond him in his current state of mind. It was quite a few minutes after when Sai finally moved. He was in no state to fall asleep and he had the urge to pick up the mess. He needed to do something, anything to distract himself from his thoughts. He put away the garbage in the small trash can by the door and turned around, feeling he should try organizing the books onto the shelf when he caught a glimpse of Hate sleeping on the bed. Sai knew he'd make a lot of noise if he dealt with the books now, something that had never been a concern for him until now. There was no way he could be careful with just one arm to use. That and frankly Hate looked like he was about to fall out of the bed. However, Sai was terrified to get close. The only reason he decided to was that his snakes had vanished for some reason and he looked dead to the world. Sai had to admit, he looked cute but it was the furthest thing on his mind.

Sai moved over to the bunk beds, only to gently get the boy to roll over, using a pillow since he didn't want a repeat. Then he also moved the mattress on his bunk partly onto the floor. He couldn't pull it fully off in his condition but he managed to tug it enough that it would cushion Hate's fall if he happened to do that. Once that happened, he shakily sat down to catch his breath, staring at the floor in front of him for a long period of time. Eventually, he stood back up, hugging himself with his good arm and glanced around. His gaze landed on his fallen diary and his blood ran cold. Had someone found and read it? He shakily went over and picked it up, cradling it to his chest. He went to the corner of the room that was closest to the shelf, placing his diary there, going back to pick up one of the books they'd left and then a pencil. He holed himself up in the corner and began to read and write. He could feel the panic rising and he needed to distract himself. Control, he needed to control himself. How do you do that with something that you can't physically move? He wrote what happened, how he felt and his fears and regrets. They said it would help his emotional and mental state. Sai wasn't so sure anymore.

Sai did that the entire night. Read the huge textbook, jotting down notes and shut out the world until morning. Despite the ache in his eyes, sleep refused to come again.

Hate woke up with a jolt. His small body jerked into consciousness, his shadowed eyes flashing open. In a sudden bout of terror, he sat up, bonking his head on the ceiling and wincing. The pain didn't distract him from his fear though. It took several minutes of panting and glancing around the room for him to remember where he was. Luckily, once he had, he calmed down. He was now hugging his crumbling, stale piece of sweet bread against his chest, straw having fallen onto the bed. Swallowing nervously, he focused a cautious gaze on Saiyaku. He sucked in his bottom lip, scratching gently at a forgotten injury hidden under his intense bedhead. "S-S...," he murmured, pouting at himself, at his own fear. He'd been the one who hurt Saiyaku and threw him into a dangerous panic attack, and yet he was the one who was afraid. Clutching his breadroll tighter, he sucked in a deep breath and then carefully lowered himself from the top bunk.

Hate yelped and fell back on his butt, unstable on his feet. He hadn't expected the other mattress to be on the floor. Blinking at it for a moment, his cheeks red from embarrassment, he glanced up at Saiyaku, and then quickly back down at his feet. "Th-thank you," he called softly, referring to the mattress. If he had fallen off the bed in his sleep, it would've hurt very badly. Saiyaku was nice enough to sacrifice his own bed to keep Hate from accidentally hurting himself. The boy's shoulders scrunched up guiltily. As he stood, a thought jarred through him. "Wait, where did you sleep...?" he questioned, his voice a bit hesitant as he stepped off the mattress. He hadn't seemed to notice that his snake companions were still nowhere to be seen.

Saiyaku was engrossed in reading the text he had on his lap. Dark circles were shadowed under his eyes, prominent against his pale complexion. His legs were bent close but far enough to keep his book propped up while he maintained the angle by having his back pressed rather roughly in the corner of the walls. He skimmed the massive texts, narrowing down on important sections that he would note down. He didn't even notice Hate had woken up, even though he hadn't been quiet in the least. He was exhausted, could only really manage the slight tasks of writing and flipping a page. His eyes felt heavy and he was tuning out everything because despite how sleepy he was, his mind refused to shut down and he was terrified of what he'd begin thinking about if he stopped.

It wasn't until Hate yelped when he'd fallen back onto the mattress. Saiyaku's heart leapt into his throat and his gaze snapped up to meet Hate's. Sai's eyes conveyed how tired he was, pale appearance even dimmer in colour, however, they were alight with concern. Seeing that Hate was not hurt, the anxiety that had consumed Sai briefly quieted. Sai nodded, the action small and shy before he turned his eyes back to his book. It was a ruse, he wasn't able to concentrate on it anymore. His muscles were tense, his legs and arms stiffened and his attention was focused on Hate. His vision wasn't on the other boy but ever another sense was, he couldn't relax. He had to focus, don't go back, just continue working. Sai jumped a bit when Hate spoke once again, his eyes snapping to Hate, wide as he took in what Hate asked. Sai unconsciously pushed himself further against the wall, trying to keep distance between them. Maybe if they kept distance, it wouldn't happen again. "I didn't," Sai responded, his voice quiet, "breakfast will be here soon," Sai said, a guess at most. He didn't know what time it was but he wanted to divert the topic.