streetwalkers | ROLESWAP AU MASTER POST

[ shinji eyes byakuya, casually, several minutes into the ride. good. if he's asleep then there's less chance for him to freak out over something. they rarely interacted outside the house, so shinji doesn't know if he claims to see ghosts all of the time or even if he's actually just a crazy person. he's got plenty of assumptions and ideas, though. shinji is content to read, thoughts only trailing off as he finds himself staring out the window every so often. eventually, he's planning their next route. it'd be a little more expensive this time.

the bus stops.
shinji hesitantly reaches over and shakes byakuya by the shoulder.
once.
twice. ]

C'mon. We gotta go.

[Once is enough. He's too jumpy to sleep past being touched, so he wakes up all at once It takes him a moment to process what Shinji's saying, but once he does he reaches for his bag and nods.]

Are we staying here or going somewhere else?

We've got twenty minutes to catch a train to the capital city. [ he thumbs through the money in his pocket quickly, as if to double check it was still there. ] It'll take all night.

That's fine. If there's anywhere we'd disappear, it's there.

[And of course they have to disappear. They can't afford to be even a blip in the static of the city. They have to stay out of mind, at least until this war is over with.]

Exactly.
Once we get there... we'll figure it out. [ adjusting his bag over his shoulder, they step off the bus and into a new station. it's a bit colder; windier and shinji's breath hangs momentarily in the air. buying the tickets is relatively easy again. "why are you boys traveling so late?" the woman at the counter asks with some level of concern. " we're coming home from school to visit our mother. it's a surprise for her birthday, so we want to be there by the morning. " shinji offers easily without any hesitation. and they take their tickets and head to the corresponding platform. they stand on the opposite side of a lamp post. ]

Hey.
Did you bring a coat?

No. Just a sweatshirt.

[It was warm, at the house. He didn't think to bring anything heavy, and it wouldn't have fit in his bag if he had. With this kind of chill, though, he wishes he'd thought to carry something.]

What about you?

The capital is closer to the ocean, so it'll be colder. [ but they didn't know where they were going when they left. ]

We can share mine for now. [ it was just a precaution, really. thankfully they would be on the train overnight. it would just be a matter of finding shelter before the next nightfall. shinji definitely had enough money for one or two night's stay at a motel or hostel, but after that it'd be gone. ]

I was just thinking out loud. [ he tries to cover, not really wanting to hear it if he accidentally makes byakuya freak out more than he potentially already is. he never knows what will set him off, honestly. and he can't shake the vision of him earlier with an expression so full of fear. ]

It's a big city. I read their newspaper on Sundays. It should be okay there, I think. [ and with that thought, the train starts to pull up. ]

[He goes for the train immediately, still feeling rushed. He has a feeling that he'll always feel rushed, no matter how far they go or how long they're away. Even fifty years from now, he'll definitely always be waiting to hear the bugs in the walls.]

Maybe... I guess it's good I was useless this time.

[ shinji obstinately walks to his own pace, regardless what the atmosphere dictates. even when he's being silently crushed by said atmosphere, even. byakuya, on the other hand... his tension is palpable. always. just being around it stresses shinji out for reasons he doesn't understand.

the train is a lot cozier than the bus, and shinji suspects it will be a nice & uneventful ride. though longer, so he thinks maybe he ought to keep a closer eye on his brother. it he started freaking out, it'd be bad if people started asking questions. so he takes the seat next to him, book already on his lap. he doesn't really respond to that comment right away aside from a short exhale, briefly closing his eyes. ]

It will be. Trust me. [ not that he's ever given you a real reason to or anything. ]

You don't know any better than I do.

[That's just fact. He can say he trusts Shinji, but it won't change anything. Shinji's more clueless than Byakuya, so it would be stupid to calm his nerves because his brother said so.

Still, he finds himself huddling against his side, closer than he generally gets. It's dumb, but he'd really like to believe that someone's going to make everything okay for once.]

But... Thanks.

[ okay, that ruffles his feathers a little. posture straightening, he grumbles. but he doesn't flinch, even with byakuya leaning against him in direct violation of the personal space act. rather than doing that, he forces a wash of calm over himself. he's a collected individual who knows so much more than everyone, but especially more than you, byakuya. ]

Hmph. I'll show you.
When we get there, I'll show you.

ROLESWAP AU MASTER POST

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