[UAU: the first day under]

[masokaiser]

[Kaiser wakes up far later than usual. He prefers to rise early, normally -- sleep is for the weak and the dead -- but the events of last night were so draining that he slept straight through his alarm.

He doesn't remember them, when he's first waking up. They don't hit him until he glances around his room, still drowsy and blinking sleep out of his eyes, and sees the briefcase -- still missing one cuff -- lying open on the floor.

He sits up and takes inventory.

- Juudai is in the underground as of last night.
- He's a face.
- He passes out at 800 AP.
- Kaiser is responsible for training this out of him.
- He's staying in Kaiser's apartment.

...wait. Right. This means he has...some kind of host duties, doesn't it...?

He slides out of bed, and rubs his eyes as he walks out of the room in last night's clothing to see just what state Juudai's in.]

Comments

[masokaiser]

[He knows Juudai is listening, but he doesn't know what to say. He thinks of telling him more about that first night, that first duel, but he feels like that would just make it worse. He thinks about telling him what to do, what to expect, but he doesn't want to think about what they're going to have to do. He thinks about trying to tell him it's okay, it'll be fine, but he doesn't even know that, can't guarantee that, can't make him safe.

He holds him tighter and shuts his eyes.]

I wanted you to stay at the Academy.

[His voice is carefully even, and keeping it that way is hard enough that he wants to fall silent, but--]

You deserve better.

[That's all he can take. He stops speaking, and something strange happens to him.

He's still, stable, but every so often his grip tightens, his chest shakes, there's a wet, sharp breath.

It might take Juudai a while to realize that this what it's like when Kaiser cries.]