Tearing his gaze from Youji's face, Ken glances about himself - at the flames, at the figures looming up through it - and he swallows. They will come no nearer, he knows, but still... Anxiously, he looks back up at his friend. Though even Ken knows that what he is saying makes no sense, he looks almost as grave as he does just plain fearful.
"Youji," he says, "this isn't... I've been here before. It's just how it works. You have to climb and I know it doesn't make sense. But there's no other way out. There just isn't."
He scrambles to his feet and, without waiting for permission, leans heavily against Youji as much to keep his balance as for the reassurance his friend's presence offers. He's still, much to his embarrassment, shaking, and he closes his eyes briefly as he forces himself to calm, concentrating on evening out his breathing. For a moment he does nothing, simply stands and counts his breaths - one, three, six--
He pulls away as Youji makes to move forward, stumbling after the man as he picks his way cautiously through the flames. Youji doesn't know where he's going, that much is obvious but with the stairs - those stairs, anyway - out of the question, there's nothing for it but to look for another way up.
(The figures follow, quiet and patient. They have all the time they need.)
"A warehouse," Ken corrects him. "But you've got to go up. It's... just how this works. I'm sorry."
no subject
Date: 2010-03-30 09:28 am (UTC)Tearing his gaze from Youji's face, Ken glances about himself - at the flames, at the figures looming up through it - and he swallows. They will come no nearer, he knows, but still... Anxiously, he looks back up at his friend. Though even Ken knows that what he is saying makes no sense, he looks almost as grave as he does just plain fearful.
"Youji," he says, "this isn't... I've been here before. It's just how it works. You have to climb and I know it doesn't make sense. But there's no other way out. There just isn't."
He scrambles to his feet and, without waiting for permission, leans heavily against Youji as much to keep his balance as for the reassurance his friend's presence offers. He's still, much to his embarrassment, shaking, and he closes his eyes briefly as he forces himself to calm, concentrating on evening out his breathing. For a moment he does nothing, simply stands and counts his breaths - one, three, six--
He pulls away as Youji makes to move forward, stumbling after the man as he picks his way cautiously through the flames. Youji doesn't know where he's going, that much is obvious but with the stairs - those stairs, anyway - out of the question, there's nothing for it but to look for another way up.
(The figures follow, quiet and patient. They have all the time they need.)
"A warehouse," Ken corrects him. "But you've got to go up. It's... just how this works. I'm sorry."