tampered | log; ongoing

log; ongoing

when; 21 Oct., past midnight.
rating; PG-13 [tentative, however].
characters; Watari Yutaka [

scienceinacan], Tatsumi Seiichirou [

kageseii.
summary; Truth or Dare gone horribly wrong.
log;

Why had he even looked at that post? Why had he even eavesdropped on it? If it had had anything to do with Watari, it would have been bad - Tatsumi knew this, but still he couldn't help but watch on. And then things turned ugly. Now he found himself, not entirely of his own volition, again heading to that laboratory. And he wasn't going to leave - there had to have been a curse, and he vehemently cursed the gods of this place for it all. He had had to deal with a confession, a kiss, and a dare in just a matter of ten, maybe fifteen, minutes.

It was all Watari's fault.

So he'd have to discuss whatever it was that existed between he and the scheming scientist. And then there was that stipulation Watari himself had tossed out. One hell of a loophole. That just made him even angrier, and he was practically stomping to the door by that time. Finally, he was standing at the door, positively seething and wondering if he had worn his teeth down to mere stubs. He breathed deeply and cleared his throat - he had to remain somewhat calm. Or die trying.

And then finally, he knocked harshly on the door.

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Yutaka Watari had miscalculated... again. He remembered last time this had happened, and while the nature of the curse had been different then, the effects were the same; an oblivious Yutaka walking, or rather, talking himself into another dangerous situation as a direct result of not being completely aware of being affected by said curse. Yutaka would have sighed really, as he sat, cross-armed, on one of his laboratory chairs and waited for his shadow-master colleague. However, he was admittedly tired of being forced into these situations without any proper preparation.

I dare you to lock Tatsumi in your lab and not let either of you leave until you've talked out everything on your minds.

He felt completely unaffected by that command now, but he suspected that the moment Tatsumi reared his ugly head into his laboratory, then he'd have to deal with its direct effect on him. Just what was there to talk about? Tatsumi and him were fine! Perfectly! Absolutely! They hadn't killed each other in several weeks and... that was a good sign, wasn't it?

When Tatsumi began knocking - and those knocks themselves sounded very angry - Yutaka's head shot up. He'd been distracted, thinking. And he realized he wasn't quite ready for this. Any other day than this. He had to have an idea what he should talk about! At least!

"Come in~ " But despite these thoughts, Yutaka still obliged Tatsumi to enter in the same cheerful and unfazed tone.

He didn't like this day.

He managed to open the door without slamming it open, and somehow, he also managed to step inside without stomping heavily. Tatsumi had no idea how he did it, but he had his calm demeanour in place even as he stared to Watari with a dull glare. This was ridiculous - there really was nothing to talk about... right? No, he reassured himself - there was nothing to talk about.

Save, of course, for Watari daring Tsuzuki to kiss him. Well, that was a completely different story.

All he could do at this point was stare at the blond scientist, attempting to remain calm even while face to face with the one responsible for it all. Finally, though, he parted his lips and spoke.

"Watari-san."

"Tatsumi-chan," Watari greeted back, returning Tatsumi's formal address with one that was borderline an insult, considering Tatsumi's age, seniority, and, not to mention, demeanor. He uncrossed his arms and crossed a leg over another instead as he clasped his hands together and grinned smugly at the shadow master. "That curse made you nice and obedient, didn't it? I was expecting a flash of shadows and boom boom boooooms -- then my door lying broken on the floor!"

003, who had taken that moment to peek out of the mass of his hair he'd let fall around his shoulders, made a small squeak before burrowing her tiny head into her master's hair again. "Oh, 003, there's nothing to be afraid of... and--"

And then it kicked in, the curse was in effect, of course.

"So, let's talk about your poor bedside manners, Tatsumi-chan, and how much I think you could use a lot of work in that area if you want to be working in the red light district one day... as part of a mission, that is! "

He hated this - and Tatsumi knew that it was going to be horrible when he walked in the door not entirely of his own volition. The insults were entirely inappropriate, and each one after the next gave rise to more anger. Unfortunately, Watari had already dared him not to murder him - that just made it even worse than it should have been. His glare intensified, but he remained where he was.

"Watari-san, do not speak to me like that," he replied finally, crossing his arms in indignation. "That is not what needs to be discussed." And he was right - it was an entirely inappropriate subject, brought up in a very crude manner.

The blond arched an eyebrow and an expression of pure condescending flashed on his face, before being replaced by that ever cheerful smile.

"I never did get to properly get my point across, y'know? I think that's what I'm going to talk about today ."

He crossed his arms again and tilted his chin upwards; an outward sign of defiance towards the shadow-master's wishes.

"What point could you possibly have?"

Tatsumi snarled a bit at the recognisable defiance he could see. Watari was playing with fire here, and he wasn't going to stand for that. Not when he was being viciously assaulted - and for what? - and not when he was going to hear insults by force. "What point can one make with your crude language?" he continued, sounding more enraged by the second. "What could you possibly have to say that would be constructive?"

Of course, there was nothing to work out. There was nothing to talk about. Yet he still didn't move - he didn't avert his stare from Watari, and he didn't blink at all. "Answer me, Watari-san," he said coldly. "What could you possibly have to say that isn't an insult?"

"I have a very valid point, Tatsumi," Yutaka said confidently, under that icy stare. "Besides, perhaps the reason you're being insulted at all isn't my words or my point at all. After all, I am offering constructive criticism here, no matter how blunt it may be."

"The point is Tatsumi, you--" the briefest of pauses came here. "-- you shouldn't ever surrender yourself wholly to anyone like you did."

There that point was again - hadn't Watari said something about that earlier? It didn't matter; the thought still wasn't at all consoling or even pleasing. It was definitely not what he wanted to hear, not what he needed to hear, and all it did was solidify that anger that rushed through his veins. However, he had to keep a certain dignity.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Tatsumi used all of his might to keep his voice low. It was all the effort he could muster, just to stand there and not even reach to strangle him - but that invisible force-field the dare had made was all that prevented him from it.

"Everything."

Yutaka frowned a little, because there was that feeling that he was saying too much again, but at the same time... he wasn't sorely against this. He was still in control somehow.

"It was disgusting, Tatsumi, seeing you like that. Low and vulnerable. I expected so much more from you."

And it was true, Yutaka realized. That had been one of the things that had bothered him. He'd know Tatsumi had his weaknesses when it came to other emotionally broken people, but at the same time, he'd seen a kindred in the other man. He'd thought Tatsumi had dignity. But to see him bared like that...

It wasn't what he'd expected at all.

Low and vulnerable. Had it really been that...? No, there was no denying, it had happened - brief flashes that replayed in his mind verified that, and there was no doubt about it. That, too, had gotten to him, but really, Tatsumi didn't want to admit that. It wasn't at all what he wanted to remember; he involuntarily shuddered at the thought. Watari was right about that. There had been a show of vulnerability and weakness, and that--

No. That wasn't the issue.

The softened, shocked look he had sneak up on his face dispelled instantly to make way for a fierce and in-charge glare. That wasn't the issue at all. "Watari-san, it had nothing to do with that. After all," he started, taking a step forward in challenge. "It was you who started it all."

That was a true fact, but Yutaka couldn't see a problem with having been the one to have started it at all. If Tatsumi had shown restraint, if the shadow-master hadn't misunderstood--

"I was," Yutaka said confidently. "And you were supposed to play along, not be, sorry for the crude language but this is the best way to describe it, fucked like a whore I understood I was playing a challenge, and my goals were simple. You lost your goals too easily, Tatsumi..."

"And because of that, my balance was ruined too! Don't you see?!"

It didn't really occur to Yutaka then that perhaps he wasn't making too much sense anymore. All he knew was that when he tried to remember that, and the feelings that had crawled all over his body then... he remembered being completely and utterly disgusted. It had been wrong. Something had gone wrong. It had to have been mostly Tatsumi's fault because he knew the beginning of end of himself.

"That's not my problem."

And it really wasn't - Tatsumi, at this point, didn't care if he was being too harsh. If Watari could be, so be it. Besides, he was certain the blond could use a scathingly true remark every now and then, and this situation called for it. He had nothing to do with the foibles that Watari faced, especially when he had been the aggressor in this entire mess. "I'm not supposed to read your mind, Watari-san," he replied with shaking anger.

How could he just put the blame on him? It was getting to a ridiculous point, and even though he tried to move towards the door, his body disobeyed and he could only step forward.

"Your failures as a man is definitely your problem, Tatsumi," Yutaka said with a smiling face, but underneath that mask, he just wanted to reach out and punch the shadow-master somehow. He knew the shadow-master hadn't quite done anything to warrant such an act of violence, but really, his hands just itched to feel that man's hard jaw crunching underneath it somehow.

He paused, and then, that smiled widened; a signal of mischief.

"Truth or dare, Tatsumi."

Failures...? Tatsumi seethed at that, glaring even more intensely to the scientist. And then that ultimatum that he couldn't ignore. Truth or dare. Wasn't this just a juvenile game? It was entirely too immature; it certainly was fitting, considering the person he was dealing with. But what option would be the best one...?

Truth. Well, he'd have to tell the truth to any question. But then he'd have to, conversely, do whatever Watari told him to do. A quick decision had to be made, and finally...

"Dare." What he could do wasn't as powerful as what he could say.

Yutaka rose up from his chair and sneered at Tatsumi. Oh, he had just the perfect dare for the stuck-up shadow-master. Even if Tatsumi never admitted to his weaknesses verbally, his actions would be the perfect testament to it.

"I dare you to act like the woman you really are, Tatsumi; because we both know just how much you really are one by now!"

All he could do was stare wide-eyed at Watari - a horrified sort of look was what met that demand. He had to do it, though, but it was far too frustrating to do. Act like a woman be insulted like that, and have to take it and reinforce it? He was close to just punching Watari in the face, but he was being held back by an invisible force. If only he could move the raised fist he had in the air....

Finally, though, the conflict was a bit too much to bear. His fist trembled in the air, then lowered, and Tatsumi had to bow his head low. No, he didn't want to show that heavily-forced watering of his eyes, much less see the vague reflection in those glasses. "Damnit...!" His hand then reached for the tears that threatened him with embarrassment. All Watari's fault - there was no doubt about it now.

Yutaka stared impassively, finding it terribly amusing and dissatisfying both at the same time to see Tatsumi yield to his whims so easily. Somehow, in seeing Tatsumi crying like a woman, knowing that was bound to be humiliating for the shadow-master, Yutaka knew he should feel more smug... but this was an empty sort of victory.

"Is that all you've got?" he asked impatiently. So, this was what the Secretary from Hell really was?

His eyebrows furrowed a bit, and then his lips curved into a tiny, pitying smile. "It's alright, don't cry, Tatsumi," he said, in an almost mocking tone, as he walked closer. "If that's all you've got, then that's all you've got..."

"You get away from me!"

That shout came out before he could control it, and he stepped back reflexively - he did not want to be near Watari at all, especially when he had to act as emotional as he was being forced to. And then he finally had to look up and shoot Watari a glare laced with tears. Oh, he was definitely going to murder Watari for all of this. "All you want to do is see me humiliated!"

And it seemed especially true, now that he saw that small smile - that mocked him and he wanted to smack it right off that face.

That small smile disappeared again, replaced by a grossly nonchalant expression as Yutaka eyed this new low Tatsumi had gone to. "The question is why you allow yourself to be humiliated, Tatsumi. After all, you know, you could always just conveniently get back at me. It'd take three words, Tatsumi, but you'd rather wallow in your self-pity and brand me the villain when you're the one whose will keeps on lacking at crucial times... like now."

And then, a sneer, followed by a sigh. "I don't understand you, Tatsumi, and the depth of your masochistic tendencies."

He had to admit that Watari was quite good at pushing the envelope. But it wasn't what he needed to deal with, and he certainly didn't want to play this "game" any more. "What do you care, anyway?!" he shouted, his voice becoming steadier through sheer perseverance - he had to get himself under control, and he had to get this situation under control. Finally, he wiped away the tears on his cheeks, breathing deeply as he stepped forward again.

He had to show some control.

"You don't need to know," he said, still approaching until he was close again to Watari. "Why should you care?" And he roughly shoved Watari back and forced him into that chair once more.

Yutaka laughed, but even if he seemed like he'd come into a terrible realization - terrible for Tatsumi, amazing for the scientist - he merely smiled triumphantly at Tatsumi.

"Truth or dare, Tatsumi, again," Yutaka challenged; and despite the fact that he'd just been physically lowered, it was quite clear who still had the upper hand in this game.

Fine. He had Watari cornered in that chair, and he soon enough had some composure back. There was only so much that was required to glare sternly down to the other and hover above him threateningly. Fine. He'd somehow turn the tables.

"Dare."

"I dare you to step back, and remove your pants, Tatsumi, as a sign of humility," Yutaka challenged, mouthing each word off carefully and making sure his eyes never left Tatsumi's.

Oh yes, he would push Tatsumi to the edge tonight and see how far the curse's limits held the shadow-master back. Or how long before Tatsumi picked up on the mechanics of this curse.

He was so close to just letting his shadows do his dirty work - the clause, though, kept him from even trying, and that was something he did not like at all about this curse. But at least it wasn't as humiliating as the last one. So he took that step back, kicking off his shoes and reaching for the belt buckle.

Before too long, his trousers were on the floor next to him, and the shirt he had on covered well enough what he wanted to keep hidden. There was that, at least. "Now, your turn," he started in a quiet hiss. "Truth or dare."

Finally, the shadow-master had caught up with the basic idea of the curse. Yutaka wasn't at all worried by this; he was confident that he'd still have the upper hand in this... game that had somehow initiated between them. He had to admit, he'd forgotten for what purpose they were in his lab again, forced together by a silly dare by Tsuzuki. All that was left now in the blond scientist's mind was the simple drive to push Tatsumi as far as possible, and to get a peek of the real Tatsumi he'd been denied of seeing for a while now.

"Dare," Yutaka said, arching an eyebrow in complete and utter defiance of the shadow-master.

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