[Day 156] | [Closed] And oh, come colder weather

[hellpyre]

Who: Twins, and one half of a set (Kaoru, Hikaru + Rin)
Open: Closed
When: Day 156, afternoon
Where:  Hospital
What: Bon helped Rin work through a lot of her feelings about Hikaru's arrival and the continued lack of Yuki in her life, and things are better for it, but there's still something she has to do...
Format: Action
Warnings: You all know the drill by now.

[Apologies - good ones, anyway - were never Rin's strong suit. She usually had to be muscled in to being sincere by Father Fujimoto because in her mind she hadn't done anything wrong  whenever she got in trouble like that. She was just giving people what they deserved for being assholes, after all. But it was moments when she actually fucked up in a way that hurt people she didn't want to hurt that she found herself at a loss for what to do. Should she apologize? Would it even be accepted if she did? Would she come off sounding insincere? What if the person she hurt didn't want to see her?

These were all the things going through her head as she stared at the closed hospital room door, holding a bag in her hands in front of her, slightly more cleaned up and dressed up than she normally would have been on a typical day. She stared at the door handle, as if willing it to move on its own so she didn't have to make that step forward to grab it herself. If something could have just conveniently shoved her in the room to get things started...

But that wasn't going to happen, and she knew it. Taking a breath in, she went for the door and knocked on it gently.]

Comments

[individuating]

[He gives a sidelong glance to his brother, leaning over his shoulder a little more to add to the feigned sense of privacy.] Sounds like a projected inner thought, ne, Kaoru? Not much we can do about one of those.

[Unless you want to attach a bungee cord to her permanently, which he is totally down for.]

[hellpyre]

[Any sense of that faked smile is gone now, and her tail even begins to lash behind her in irritation.]

... if this is how twins normally are, I think I'm okay with how Yuki and I acted.

[individuates]

Oh, you heard that? We're just concerned for your well-being, aren't we Hikaru?

[individuating]

[Sorry, Kaoru, his eyes are currently following the swishing tip of the tail he can see behind Rin. He's following it back and forth as well as he can - it's kind of fascinating him. Distracted as he is, his response takes half a second longer than it should have. He'll make it up to you later.]

Of course, Kaoru. We don't want a good person like Rin-chan taking any unnecessary risks.

[But they should probably stop pushing now, especially if she is Kaoru's friend. Hikaru himself doesn't particularly care, but he knows they're close to a line and that Kaoru won't be happy if they cross it. With that in mind, he drags his eyes away from the tail to look Rin in the eye.]

...how do you and your sister act, then?

[hellpyre]

[There was a grumble of "that's all I ever do anyway" under her breath, but she wasn't going to speak it any louder than that. She didn't need to get in to another argument like she did with Zulf over her tenancies to act as a living shield to everyone she cared about.

Huffing through her nose, she goes for her pastry, only to find it missing.

... oh. Well. She did bring the food for them.]

... Yuki and I?

["I haven't gotten to talk to you properly since the old man died! If you knew all along, then what did you feel?! What did you think of me?!"

"About you... ? Is that not obvious? You're a demon, nee-san... I consider you a danger to us all."]

Ah... Yuki... is a lot more serious than I am. We bicker a lot... but I know she does it because she worries about me...

[individuates]

[blinking a little bit] …bicker? [he knows some siblings do that, but he kind of thought that for all twins everywhere it was difference. When he and Hikaru have fights, they're staged. Staged pretty well, actually] That's kind of weird. […he couldn't live with himself in a state of madness at Hikaru.]

[There are still uneaten pastries at Hikaru and Kaoru's side of the blankets. Tama-chan has spotted them and flops off Rin's lap, slinking not-so-stealthily over to get them]

[individuating]

[Bicker?] You guys actually do that? [There's no small amount of disbelief in Hikaru's voice. He can't imagine genuinely arguing with Kaoru, no matter how worried either of them are. Even their fake fights leave him feeling terrible.] Why can't she just tell you she's worried instead?

[It kind of makes the sibling complex make more sense. If they're the type of sisters who are arguing constantly, then it would fit that one or both of them would come out feeling inferior. Still, he never expected to see it in twins.

Tama-chan isn't being very discreet, but Kaoru's already given the okay for her to eat whatever she wants, so the only eye Hikaru is keeping on her is to make sure she doesn't try eating their pastry.]

[hellpyre]

[You guys would cringe if you heard some of the arguments the two of them have had. They range from mildly irritating one another to all out screaming matches. Yuki has even punched Rin once, hard across the face for doing something even stupider than her usual stupidity.

Rin lets out a scoff at that.]

That's just the kind of person Yuki is. She's been closed off ever since we were little. You would be, too... if you saw monsters no one else saw, and knew the only way they could get to you is through a weak heart.

[Rin sighed a little, placing her chin on her hand while poking at the crumbs left on her plate with her other hand.]

She used to be such a cry baby... I couldn't see those things back then, not with my powers sealed, but she would come cryin' to me about the monsters she saw. I could only promise to protect her from them, even though I couldn't see what she did.

But she pulled herself outta that. She made herself strong, to fight the monsters in the dark. But she became a different person for it. As much as I hate that we lost what we had... seein' her as an exorcist for the first time, realizin' all the hard work she had to do to get there... I don't mind the fights that much. I can't not be proud of her.

[Did it make the things Yuki said to Rin okay? Well... no. Not really. But Rin didn't hold a grudge over that, knowing deep down that Yuki had to go through a special kind of hell to get where she was.

It didn't make her wish that Yuki would have recognized Rin's power any less, though. That was the one thing she still really wanted, but she was never going to get it. Especially here, where Rin was still convinced that she was never going to see her sister again.]

So I guess what it comes down to is... we had different lives, even though we were twins.

[individuates]

[that is all kinds of nope, and he reflexively holds onto Hikaru just to make sure that he's not going anywhere. Different lives?].

...is that really what other twins are like? [It just doesn't compute. Well, it's not exactly as though they hate each other, but they hardly seem the best of friends, either. Doesn't that make them... just relatives? He's not sure he'd be able to stand it, if his and Hikaru's relationship was like this]

[unsure of what to say, his eyes lower to track Tama-chan - Tama-chan, what are you doing? Is that supposed to be stealthy, you s-l-o-w-l-y dragging Hikaru and Kaoru's plate away, as if to head under the bed with it? Flaw in the plan, though, you have to drag it past Hikaru and Kaoru first. At the speed you're going, they can just pluck the food right off the plate]

[individuating]

[Hikaru tilts his head to the side in confusion.] That sounds so weird.

[Yet, he can understand, a little. If Yuki had been scared that the monsters would go after Rin, instead of her... Yeah, he can see how closing her out could happen. He would still never do it to Kaoru - they're stronger when they're together - but... that sort of fear could make sense for other people.

Still weird. Rin and Yuki have clearly been doing the whole 'twin' thing completely wrong.

He's really not sure what to do about Tama-chan except stare at her in disbelief. Really, Tama-chan? Really?]

Oi, Kaoru, I thought you taught her better than that. [He doesn't mean 'taught her not to steal'; more like 'I thought you would have taught her how to be more discreet than this'.

His arm is currently occupied, so it's going to be up to someone else to save that pastry.]

[hellpyre]

No. That's just us.

[Because Rin knows their situation is unique. Other twins might not be like Hikaru and Kaoru, but she knows most siblings aren't like how she and Yuki were.

Demons really did make a mess of everything, from start to finish...

Rin sighs and leans over, taking the pastry and breaking it in half, giving one side to Tama-chan.]

She's still my little sister, though. She always will be. Even... even here.

[individuates]

[Tama-chan lets Rin put the piece of pastry on her plate - no longer Hikaru and Kaoru's - before giving a little huff and tugging it along to eat it behind Hikaru. Fine. Fine. She will settle for some if she can't have it all.]

…of course she is, she never won't be.

And she can still come, you know. [He knows he sounds like a broken record, saying this over and over, but he doesn't like the idea of Rin giving up on Yuki. Finding statues on the Skyway… it doesn't prove anything. He doesn't want it to prove anything… anyone can make a clever statue, can't they?]

[individuating]

[He was about to let himself get distracted by Tama-chan, but--sorry, is that a hint of doubt in these guys' voices? About Yuki coming in? No way, he must have heard wrong.]

Of course she'll come. If her twin's here, then it's only a matter of time.

[Gee, are you two stupid or something? Don't doubt the power of twins.]

[hellpyre]

[Hey she has reason to doubt.]

... mnn...

[There's a nod, but she's still having trouble being positive about it.

But this conversation isn't about to last much longer, because she gets a glance out the window and makes a face, standing up to go look.]

... they're startin' to get ready to go back to the Observatory.

[individuates]

E-eh? [looks up at her - he would be going along as well, if he wasn't bearing a particularly precious weight] I heard that it might be happening, but I didn't think it actually was. Not that I'd do any good over there. anyway. I didn't go last time, either.

[a slight frown pinches his features a little] …matter of fact I've been wary of going anywhere, since we went to the Bog.

[of course he goes out almost-daily with Tama-chan - she's a tunnelling creature after all, and she needs the space to practice and to hunt - but never ventures further out than is safe. So it doesn't really count]

[individuating]

[That particularly precious weight hasn't heard anything of this Observatory yet, and perks up in curiousity. 'Go back'? So people had gone there previously? And 'the bog'? So many stories he's yet to hear! He presses against Kaoru briefly, indicating he wants to hear about these things when there's more time to talk about them. They sound pretty ominous.]

Are you going to go with them, Rin-chan?

[hellpyre]

... no.

[Which she kind of hates herself for, but she has good reason for it. Mention of the Bog only makes her grimace more. She remembers those stories.

And then there was the Docks...

Honestly recent trips anywhere have become rather hellish.]

Last time I went I... wound up nearly drownin' under fire suppressant. Made me sick for days. I'd rather not repeat that.

... they'll be fine.

[She hopes.]

I should get goin' anyway. Ryuuji and I were gonna move in to the tower apartments today.

[individuates]

[deliberately anchoring onto Rin's last comment, rather than holding on to what she said before. Though he feels pretty much the same way - the trips they've taken out so far have caused far too much grief. Aside from the trip to the farm - that one wasn't so bad]

Oh~? What's this, what's this~? Are you two finally making a little love nest of your own~?

[individuating]

[What? What's that about fire suppressant? Kaoru--Kaoru, Hikaru is starting to get the feeling you've been leaving some stories out, and your little change of topic only cements that belief. He'd like to join in the fun-making, but anything he would say to Rin would also be an accidental jab at his own brother ("aren't you a bit young for that", "shouldn't you be getting married first", "make sure you stay protected"), so he holds his tongue. He'll raise a suggestive eyebrow at Rin, though - just because he doesn't want to say anything, doesn't mean he's going to abstain completely.]

[hellpyre]

[It's not good stories. Do you really want to hear about the time Rin went insane with her own power and rage and scared the crap out of Kaoru and everyone else involved?

It's not a pleasant story, and it really doesn't paint her in a good light.

The fire suppressant story at least is more folly on Ryu's part for pressing the wrong button but it's embarrassing to be taken out by something so simple!

Besides she's focused on what Kaoru just said.]

E-eh?! Love nest?! Don't make it sound so dirty, Kao-chan! W-we just-- ... well we were outside together and-- ... THAT'S NOT IMPORTANT! What I mean is we've been datin' this long, right? And our apartments are crowded--...

Don't say it like that!

[Wow Rin you were all over there]

[individuates]

[he can practically feel that and shifts a bit against Hikaru to let him know that he's not trying to hide anything, and that anything Hikaru wants to know, of course Kaoru will tell. But a lot of what he's left out have been Seimei Stories because, y'know, they did a lot of that stuff together. That's one of his main reasons for skirting around it. He doesn't want to load too much onto Hikaru too soon.]

I wasn't being dirty. A love nest is like… it's a nest for love birds, ne? And love birds are cute. […Bon, cute? All right, perhaps it's a little bit tenuous…] I was just intrigued, that's all.

[individuating]

[He exhales sharply. He knows there are good reasons for not being told everything all at once, but Kaoru, this sounds like Important Dangerous Stuff. He'll be interrogating you on it later, that's for sure.

For now, have a sly grin, Rin.]

Sounds like you're drawing your own conclusions, Rin-chan~ Are these more inner thoughts of yours?

[hellpyre]

[Now you've done it. That's even worse some how, and Rin is all sorts of huffing and puffing and tsun tsun tsun.]

W-we're not like that! "Love birds", geez... who does all that mushy bullshit anyway?!

[You're the one calling him Ryuuji, Rin. Really, honey...]

[individuates]

[blinks at her]

…I was happy for you guys, you know. You've been dancing around each other for ages and now you're finally moving in together. I think it's wonderful that you love each other and Rin-chan gets to have a happy ending.Alas it seems I may have misread the situation.

[the disappointment is entirely feigned, but the words are rooted in how he really feels. He's happy for them… but Rin isn't half silly]

So if it's not mushy and it's not love, what exactly is in then?

[individuating]

Maybe it's something that's just purely physical?

[He doesn't know these guys well enough to help out very well. Sorry, Kaoru.]