theoryandcalculation | [Inugami] IC Inbox

[Ding-dong. Someone continues to be in trouble.

Rei will find a sheet of notebook paper affixed to his locker today:]

Suspension Notice

Due to reprehensible misconduct, you have been suspended from swim club activities for the next two (2) meetings. Practice will be resumed as scheduled once your time is up.

- Rin Matsuoka

[Oh wtf Rin. He's just woken up realizing he's missed two and a half days and now this.

He doesn't go to find them yet (he's been filled in on some of the situation, and the school seems to be less dangerous as long as the other students are still around), instead pulling out his phone to text Rin.]

Might I ask what my suspension is for?

[A buzz on his phone, a familiar name acting familiar again. By all means, Rin should be glad, should feel relieved that Rei is talking to them again, and yet...

Yet he's still angry. At this school, yes, but also at Rei for trying to mess with something greater than he could handle.]

For skipping practice without prior notice. I had to reshuffle our training regimen last minute because you were absent.

[That's what this is about? Rei narrows his eyes, scowling at his phone. He'd started walking while he waited for a reply, but now he stops in the hallway again, quickly typing his response.]

I had detention, and I only learned about it Friday myself. There wasn't much I could do.

[No, that's not really what this is about. But what is Rin supposed to do, yell at Rei for being stupid and messing with the school on his own?

Nah. That would be too straightforward. Better go through a thousand hoops first.]

If /you/ had told me about it /as soon as/ you heard you were getting detention, I would still have had a few hours to prepare. Instead, I had to learn about it /at/ practice from /someone else./

[Rin has a point. Rei should have told him directly, but he'd known that Rin wouldn't accept any old reason for skipping, and he was embarrassed about the detention.

Knowing what he does now, he knows he should have told them. But he's still defensive.]

I agree that I should have told you. But I don't agree with a suspension. I already missed last Friday and this weekend, and from what Nagisa-kun tells me it could be dangerous at night for awhile. If I keep missing I'll only lose progress!

Edited 2015-08-17 18:17 (UTC)

Too bad. Maybe next time you'll keep /that/ in mind before skipping practice without prior warning, for detention or whatever other idiot stunt you decide to pull off.

[... ah. Maybe his true motives are starting to slip.]

[That actually stops Rei short for a moment. He stares at the text before cautiously replying.]

It wasn't an "idiot stunt." I was only trying to help.

[And he was - he only wanted to know if the dog left, and how big it was if it did. He wasn't expecting the counselor to get caught in the crossfire.]

[Rin's pretty much seeing red by now-- how the hell does Rei have the guts to stand up for his idiocy?]

Then you should start by helping yourself. We all agreed to work in pairs, yet you went out on your own to do whatever it is that got you in trouble with the people running this place. It could've been worse than just detention, too. You could've been hurt, or killed. Or are you an even bigger idiot than I thought and didn't consider any of this?

[Rei scowls again at that. Never mind being cautious, he's ticked off.]

Of course I considered it, that's why I acted alone. But when nothing happened for two weeks I didn't think anything had gone wrong!
I didn't want to wait around until the dog attacked us. I was just trying to give everyone advance warning!

[It didn't work, though.]

[Yeah, well, Rin is more ticked off!]

And look how well that worked out- oh wait, it didn't! We were fine while that thing was confined, but now it's prowling about the school and attacking people, coincidentally right after /you/ got in trouble with the staff! What if /you/ just made /them/ unleash that beast, huh?!

[A whole two minutes pass while Rei stares at the text. The dog is attacking people, the dog started attacking people right after he got detention. What if Rin is right? What if he provoked this?

His hands start to sweat. Holding the phone is suddenly more difficult than it was a moment ago. He slumps against the wall next to him, trying to respond around the way the phone is shaking - no, that's him shaking.]

You think this is my fault?

[It's not even a protest. It's an honest question.]

[Ah, crap, did he say too much? He didn't want to make Rei feel guilty about something they can't even be sure about yet, but... he would be lying if he said the possibility didn't cross his mind.]

It could've been. But there's no way to know for sure, and it doesn't matter, anyway. We can only try to stay safe now.

[Rei doesn't reply for another minute. It sounds like they don't know for sure, but if he did cause this, then that means he has to take responsibility. If there's even a chance he can stop the dog, can convince it to take him instead... it's a gambit he's willing to try.]

You do that, Rin-san.
I don't know if it matters now because I'm suspended, but I'd like to formally apologize in advance for missing practice tonight.

[He turns off his phone, and goes looking.]

[Rei, he caught the implication behind that "you do that" and he doesn't like it, don't think you can just leave it at that, you don't hang up on Rin Matsuoka, Rin Matsuoka hangs up on you!!]

No, /we/ do that. You're off practice for tonight, but we're still gonna meet up at the auditorium later and figure out what to do from there. Got it?

[He waits a while, gets no answer. Time for another text.]

Rei, you better answer me. We're still meeting up at the auditorium after dinner and you'd better be there. Got it?

[Ah. The nerd is rebelling out, huh? Too bad, Rin doesn't give up, so around practice time, here comes another message:]

Where the hell have you been, you idiot? No one has seen you all afternoon. Don't you dare disappear on us again!

[Aaaaand after practice is over, another one:]

Rei. I'm serious. If you're not at the cafeteria in ten minutes, I'm calling.

[Okay, dinner has been had, Rei still hasn't answered or been seen at all, and by now Rin is spewing profanities at this phone. Time for an angry Rinrin rin-ringing on your phone!]

Rei Ryugazaki, if you don't pick up this goddamn phone right now, I swear I'm going to hunt you down and drag you back, myself, do you fucking hear me?!

[He doesn't hear Rin because his phone is still off.

By now he's figured out that the monster only comes out after midnight, so he's lying in wait. Good luck playing hide and seek.]

[Fine!! If this is how he wants to play, then Rin is coming out to find him and forcibly drag this idiot back to the nerd herd so they can all figure out what to do for tonight.

The shark is hunting.]

[He's actually hiding out in an open broom closet not far from the auditorium. He wanted to stay close by where the others sleep, just in case the dog came for them at night.]

[If he were an actual shark, then maybe he could smell the blood in the water, and torpedo right at his prey. Alas, he's no shark, and thankfully there's no real blood to follow, although that means his search takes longer than he would have liked; cafeteria, then courtyard, then study hall, all thoroughly investigated, to no success.

So Rin has half a mind to give up and just head back to the auditorium, but decides to give one final look around, maybe try his luck-- and lo and behold, that's when he spots a familiar turf of blue hair sticking out of a broom closet. Now, a normal person would do the normal thing and call out to Rei, tell him he's been found, or even cut formalities and walk up straight to him, but no, not Rin Matsuoka. That would be too much like common sense.

Instead, he bangs on-- no, punches-- the side of the closet to announce his presence, and only then makes his way around it, stopping right in front of Rei. All red eyed stares and angry huffing, but no words.]

[Rei jumps when the punch bangs through the room, thinking this is it, the thing came for him early, and he knocks over a few brooms and kicks a bucket in his scramble to get on his feet. But it's not a demon dog monster staring him in the face. It's something arguably more dangerous.

He stares back at Rin, stunned, for a moment, then he narrows his eyes, finding his voice again.]

I was hoping none of you would come looking.

[Still without his own voice, Rin reaches forward to grab Rei by the collar and yank him out of the closet, rage emanating from his every pore. A little too much like the first time they talked one-on-one.]

What the hell do you think you're doing?! [He finally snaps, two files of serrated teeth biting the air coming out of Rei's nostrils.] Why haven't you answered your damn phone?!

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the labels here are probably going to change so I'm eschewing them

labels are for the weak

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1/??? who knows ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

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AUDIO AND DONE;

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ACTION!!!

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