#os; cracked visage

[cowardicemasked]

Closed; Tearing at the Seams

@0ne-eye-king

     “... You’re brave.”

     Kaneki might have said that, but Yuuichi didn’t believe it, not really... And he especially didn’t see what his brother was asking to be as courageous, either. One fist clenched... Even now, after everything, after the Dragon, the golems, the CCG, his brother’s dangerously malfunctioning kagune, losing his parents, and the ‘death’ of Yuuto... After nearly dying himself more times than Yuuichi could even begin to count, the intense nightmares, the paranoia that clawed at his mind every moment of every day...

     “Don’t you think,” Yuuichi asked quietly, “It’s a little late for me to run away now?” Part of him wanted to. To just leave it all behind, try and forge out a new life under a false identity. But he couldn’t, not now. “I made my choice, Ken-san. Every time I took... The easy way, bad things came of it. It wasn’t until I started actually... Trying to be brave that I managed to do anything at all.”

     “I... I-I know you say it’ll be okay... But it won’t be, will it? If I go, something... Something will happen, and there’ll be nobody to help you, Ken-san.” The truth was, Yuuichi knew his brother was one of the strongest, fiercest people he’d ever met... But even the mightiest lions had a pride.

     Lone wolves didn’t make it far, not in this world. Even the One-Eyed King needed someone to watch his back... Especially when the person he needed protecting from most was himself.

[cowardicemasked]

yuuichi:

yuuichi:

yuuichi:

yuuichi: so basically, what I’m getting out of this is that I should have stayed home and played grand theft auto, and everything would’ve been fine

yuuichi: note to self; why do you suck so much

[cowardicemasked]

Closed; Unspoken

@0ne-eye-king continued from [ x ]

     The young man was tense as he was pulled into his brother’s arms, struggling to maintain that same uncaring, amused look he always wore... Like all the world was a joke, and he was the only one who understood. Only it wasn’t, because Yuuichi might have acted like everything was funny... But he was never the one laughing, not really.

     The mask began to crack... He trembled in Kaneki’s embrace, biting back more tears.

     “... S-Sorry...” Even now he was apologizing, this wasn’t who Yuuichi wanted to be. It wasn’t who Yuuichi thought he had to be. His brother needed someone who could help him, someone he could rely on, someone who was able to hold it together even when he couldn’t. Now, more than ever, Yuuichi had to be someone strong. A worthy ally to the One Eyed King.

     But, that just wasn’t who he was, nor who he ever would be.

     He’d gotten this far by dumb luck and circumstance. The teen had never experienced real loss, or seen death in person. He’d come close, many times, but it wasn’t until the Dragon that everything finally hit home. Yuuichi was in so much farther over his head than he could even begin to comprehend. He was scared, and lost, and confused, and powerless, a piece of driftwood flung into the roaring sea. Any moment he could go under, and there was nothing he could do about it. They both could, and just like that it would all be over.

     But, wasn’t it already? What was even left for them now? What kind of life was this..?

     His composure shattered, and the teen abruptly buried his face in Kaneki’s shoulder. How long had it been, days, weeks? All this time, and he hadn’t cried, not once. Not for the death of his parents, the loss of his classmates, strangers, neighbors... Not even for himself. He couldn’t hold it in any longer. Yuuichi shook with every sob, even as he tried to hide the pain, he just couldn’t. Shaking hands gripped the elder brother’s shirt, holding on tightly... He didn’t want to let go, he wasn’t ready. Not just of Kaneki... But of everything.

     The world they had known was gone, and it was never coming back.