[tokonatsu yukari]

DON'T THINK ABOUT THE CONSEQUENCES

Not so much time had passed since Ruto was allowed to return to research that it had become mundane, yet. Every day felt like a new novelty, a breath of fresh air; all of the weight of the years that had passed in their mentor’s presence hovered above Yukari’s shoulders, not yet gone but receding, receding. Showing up at the lab was a gift instead of a burden. The weight of eyes on her back, gauging their allegiance, searching for any hint of betrayal, was barely the tickle of a feather. Today they showed up at the lab, and Ruto was not there. Yukari waited: forty-five minutes, expecting them to come back from an appointment or break or meeting. They did not. Fear clawed at the meat of their throat, breath coming rapid, heart-rate elevating, tick-tick-tick down the checklist of panic attack symptoms, the disconnected logical physician’s mind distantly aware of the facts that the body could not begin to process. Yukari blinked, and they were in the streets. Unclear how much time had passed, only that a splatter of mud had ended up on their pristine lab coat and they were in the impoverished side of town. Sensory was beyond their ken, but they knew Ruto’s habits, and if they were to flee anywhere it would be to those most likely to aid in their escape. Heels clicking briskly against stone, Yukari took the search one dingy alleyway at a time, jaw clenched and head held high.

Mikatakujira Ruto -- 248

LAIKA OF THQ

[Mikatakujira Ruto]

Since Ruto's return to the village and his assignment to work or die, Ruto had been drowning himself in his research. This wasn't something he minded doing, even if he'd prefer it under other circumstances. No matter what others in the village might say, Ruto was a Mikatakujira through-and-through, and was invested in scientific progress above most everything else.

And the time investment in his research had been going well. Ruto was able to produce decent results, and sending reports back to the village with the documents outlining his procedures, as well as the bacterial fruits of his labor, was at least demonstrating to his captors that he was taking this seriously and was not wasting his time. He was rewarded by the return of an old assistant.

Tokonatsu Yukari...

To say that Ruto had any particularly strong feelings about them would be a lie. They had always been a useful colleague, reliable and intelligent, and all too willing to cling to Ruto's coattails. They knew how to keep things quiet, and knew even better how to blind themself to what Ruto was obviously doing. They did a fantastic job of manipulating themself, so Ruto hardly even had to try.

Having them back in the lab had been very helpful in terms of efficiency, though perhaps Ruto found it the slightest bit stifling. The lab Ruto had been allowed was incredibly small and makeshift, which meant close work could at times be claustrophobic, and over the last several years Ruto had become accustomed to working alone. Despite their passingly friendly demeanor, they were a loner at heart and dreaded being near to others.

Maybe that was why the fact they were late didn't even cross their mind.

Ruto had gotten caught up with some little side project. Someone sleeping in an alley in false Takigakure had a miserable cough, rattling and loud enough to draw his attention when he'd walked by. Eternally compelled by curiosity and some strange kindness that had been struggling and half-failing to thrive inside him for decades, he dropped by to offer aid.

Squatting on the stone, Ruto was slowly preparing for an illness extraction technique right here in the alleyway, talking to the man all the while.

"-for months, you say? That must've been making it very hard to sleep. This should help repair your lungs quickly, though I'll leave you with some medicine as well to prevent any reinfection. Now, this technique can be quite painful, so I'll be providing you a pain reliever first..."

[tokonatsu yukari]

DON'T THINK ABOUT THE CONSEQUENCES

Just as their dread was reaching the apex of its height, Yukari heard the familiar quiet tones of Ruto’s voice. They exhaled, low and thin, trying to vent some of the latent stress from their body. Unsuccessfully, mind, but they went through the motions of physical anxiety release, treating textbook symptoms with textbook procedures. The concrete knowledge that Ruto had not fled the village once again did not immediately resolve Yukari’s fear; perversely, their trepidation only grew, the narrative now shifting from Ruto ran away again to Ruto is avoiding me specifically. Yukari’s steps came down harder against stone as they checked down one, two more alleyways, finally catching sight of a head of dark hair and a rich red shirt. They made their approach audibly known, drawing up alongside Ruto with their hands clenched within the pockets of their lab coat and their mouth flattened into a thin slash of red. "Mikatakujira-sama.” Yukari was unerringly polite, but their tension was clear in their voice. They cleared their throat. "I was expecting you at the lab—” they cast their eyes skyward, checking the time, "—an hour ago, at least. All is well, I hope?” They paid no attention whatsoever to the man Ruto was treating; they hardly seemed to notice he was present at all.

Mikatakujira Ruto -- 215

LAIKA OF THQ