With the distinct air of someone who'd rather be anywhere else, Ritsu appears at the open door of Spirits and Such. Reigen had been expecting him, but he still acts like it's a pleasant surprise.
"Hey, it's Mob's little brother! Been a while! Come in come in." Reigen hastily swipes some papers off the desk, as if that might make it more inviting to Ritsu. Rather like a bristling cat, Ritsu shuts the door behind him and takes the seat opposite Reigen.
"So Mob was saying you've been having a hard time of it? Like, psychically?" Reigen is sweating, but then again Reigen is always sweating.
Ritsu offers a single curt nod. He studies the wood grain of the desk, likely to avoid studying Reigen.
"...And Mob thinks that I... can help you... you know, as a psychic master and all," Reigen continues, because Ritsu isn't contributing much of anything at all, despite this meeting being a favor from Reigen to Ritsu (okay, from Reigen to Mob, really, since he'd asked) but still.
"So um," Reigen continues to continue, "what's got you down?"
Ritsu shrugs at first. His eyes find the window, and then the desk again. "It's about the ...um, the whole run-in we had with Claw."
Reigen nods. "That was scary," he says, stupidly and patronizingly, which is how Ritsu decides to hear it. This at least earns Ritsu's eye contact, since eye contact is the only way to glare at Reigen.
Ritsu continues. "I'm the only esper there who left without a body-count."
If expressions could make noises, Reigen's would likely be making something like a tea kettle whistle. But expressions don't make noises so Reigen's mentorly smile remains silent.
"...What?" Reigen asks, because his whole intervention was very much about there NOT being a body-count for the esper children. That was definitely why he intervened. To NOT have Mob and his strange little friends kill people.
Ritsu doesn't quite seem to read this from Reigen because when he speaks again, he sounds embarrassed. "Teru got to kill the pyrokinetic guy. Niisan got to kill the hallucination guy. Even that red-head esper kid got to kill the division leader."
"Okay so hang on," Reigen says, playing back Niisan got to kill in his head and feeling all a little bit cold and fucked up about it.
"But I was useless!" Ritsu continues, a bit of emotion finally in his voice, tears pricking the corner of his eyes which WOULD have been emotionally reassuring if they had been tears of regret or sorrow or maybe basic human compassion instead of obvious jealousy. "I didn't kill one single person!"
"And we're all very proud of--"
"So maybe you can help me."
"Niisan said Master Reigen is a great person to talk to if I'm having psychic troubles, and I realized he was right."
"You... what? Want me to help you kill a guy?? Ritsu no--"
"No, I don't want you to help me kill a guy, jesus," Ritsu responds, and Reigen has just a few moments to feel relief before Ritsu speaks again. "I just thought... maybe... you know... while you're here and defenseless..."
Ritsu makes a vague little gesture to Reigen. Reigen is emotionally making the sound of a tea kettle again.
"No, you can't kill me, Ritsu!"
"It's not even like you could stop me!"
"Oh you wouldn't--come on."
"I never get to kill anyone!"
Ritsu snatches up his bag, and with a single parting glare he turns on heel. "I knew this was stupid."
"You don't get to kill me!" Reigen shouts, very much like a tea kettle, as Ritsu slams the door behind him.
baratheonpilled
areudirty
snowghoul
annaxmalina
discoholicmusic
andulkaphoto
