thebastion | [192 and 193] Look out below, I know there's no decision [OPEN]

[Zuko looks around the room. The rest of the decoration in here doesn't have much sentimental value to her, but all the same, they must have been made by her countrymen. She motions Ryu to the wall scrolls.]

Can you get those down?

[Same for the vases. They should take them, but she doesn't need them for herself. If Rin has them, that's just as good.]

Yeah. They remind you of something back home?

[What she had seen of Rin's home had been pretty crazy to her, but even so she'd seen similarities.]

[Ryu nods, and scrambles up to carefully tug the wall scrolls down. He's not sure what they are, exactly, but he carefully rolls them up for traveling.]

This place looks more Imperial than anything from the Eastern Kingdoms to me.

A little, yeah.

[Not something she would have ever had around her home back in True Cross, but they still look Japanese enough. Besides, they're really pretty, and Zuko was offering.

Carrying them back isn't going to be easy, but she picks them up anyway.]

It kinda reminds me of some of the really old places in Japan that I'd see in Yuki's history books...

Well, my family was trying to turn the whole world into our empire.

[It's clearly not something she's proud of, but if Ryu's seeing an "imperial" influence, that may be why.

She's less sure what to make of Rin's remark. It's nice to know her world and someone else's share similar roots, but then...]

I guess all of this is history now.

I mean like... the Fou Empire, rather than something from the Eastern Kingdoms. Those are the two main powers in my world.

[Though the Eastern Kingdoms isn't really a single power, it's an alliance. But that doesn't matter now.]

Maybe... we should all work on writing histories of our worlds, as much as we know them. Then people can learn about other worlds, and we can have it written down so we can pass it on, if we have to.

"As if we'd go anywhere near that place without help! And 'eyes above, ears below'... Do you think we're in some sort of drama show or something?!" Hikaru's quick to snap it out, shaking off his shock. God, does Seimei think they're stupid or something? And 'Eyes above and Ears below'! How lame.

Hikaru doesn't actually want to go out onto the Skyway at all, group or no, but...

His eyes flick from the drawing to his twin's face. This isn't actually a choice, or any sort of option - they're going. They can't not. What if... what if the others are there? What if they're waiting for them to go and find them? They have to go, and they have to go right now.

He drops his hold on the paper, giving Kaoru's shoulder a squeeze.

"I'll go get our things." His own shoes, maybe some jackets or something that might protect them even a little against giant blue enemies that try to cut them into pieces. He raises an eyebrow in question - is there anything in particular Kaoru wants from inside? He'll bring it out for him.

Edited 2014-06-05 07:37 (UTC)

"He's got a point." Kaoru considered himself to be pretty fit, but he had run flat-out to get home and he could definitely feel a stitch in his side as he straightened, "If something comes, Yatchan will see it and Tama-chan will probably feel it before we do."

Don't mind him giving Yata-chan a new nickname, Seimei. It's kind of a Hitachiin Thing. He was naturally planning on asking Seimei to come with them - not just as a reassurance on both sides though the backup was more than welcome. There might never be another chance to show Seimei, even in a small way, where he had come from, what his life had been like before the Bastion. And Kaoru could only conjure so much with words and memories.

He shook his head briefly at Hikaru. There was nothing he needed from inside the house, aside from Tama-chan, who would follow when she noticed the three of them preparing to move out anyway. She would be able to handle anything up to Gasfella-size while they were out there. Not to mention they had Seimei backing them up, and Kaoru had absolute faith in his abilities. Not so much in his own 'haphazard' training, but at least he had shields if he really needed them.

Despite Seimei's understanding, he still glanced down apologetically at his feet again, shuffling slightly as his cheeks coloured a little.

"…at least I don't have to put them on again?"

"Drama show?" he murmured quietly, not particularly asking a question so much as repeating what had been said in his confusion. He assumed Hikaru meant a stage production of some sort and didn't comment on it further. Nor did he comment on the nickname for his feathered companion.

"Practical as always," the onmyoji remarked in regards to the shoes, smirking faintly and shaking his robes out lightly, checking himself over.

"Is it very far away? We can gather a few provisions from the kitchen on the way out if it seems relevant. Otherwise I believe Kaoru and myself are prepared to go immediately." It was a common enough thing by this point in most of the live of the inhabitants of the Bastion. There was always some new area to explore or some new crisis to address and people simply adapted to preparing on short notice. Seimei had always been fairly adept at it, even before coming to the strange place.

With the affirmation from Kaoru that he wouldn't need anything in particular, Hikaru breezes off - shooting Seimei a pointed look as he heads inside, and waving a hand at the onmyoji's words flippantly. When he comes back, Kaoru had better have received at least a hug from the guy. (And yes, yes, he'll get something from the kitchen. Geeze, Seimei, do you ever stop eating?)

It's kind of funny, how a few weeks ago he'd had such difficulty coming to grips with the relationship between Kaoru and Seimei. Now that he's had a chance to get to know Seimei himself, he's surprised at how actually likeable he is. Not that he expected Kaoru to have bad taste, exactly, but... well, Hikaru expected to dislike him more. Though, it was most likely all due to the assurance he'd received from Kaoru. If Hikaru's place in his twin's life wasn't being challenged, then what actual reason would he have to base his dislike on?

It's all too much for him to care to think about for a while, especially with the excitement of finding the Third Music Room, so in his usual form Hikaru shrugs off his brief introspection. The fact of the matter is that if Seimei isn't as head-over-heels for Kaoru as Kaoru is for him, Hikaru's anger will take a whole new form. So when he comes back, if Kaoru hasn't received some form of affection, there will be very blunt words.

In the meantime, Operation: Collect Things and Tama-chan From Around the House is a-go. He'll be back once his mission is complete.

"Drama show." Kaoru confirmed with a nod. Yes, that is exactly what Hikaru said. What he meant… since there were no televisions in the Bastion explaining any further would become rather complicated. But he was pretty sure that whatever idea Seimei had in his head was a pretty close approximation to what Hikaru referred to, anyway - though Kaoru didn't find Seimei dramatic in the slightest. Perhaps he had got used to his parlance over time.

He tweaked the map out of Hikaru's hands with a "Hurry back," before he left, not catching the look he threw to Seimei as he carefully folded the paper to fit in his pocket… then promptly changed his mind and unfolded it again, sitting down on the deck by Seimei's feet to wait, dangling his own legs over the edge to rest on the ground.

"I'm not sure how far it is exactly…" There was a small map in addition to the sketch, but he didn't know the Skyway extensively enough to say how near it might be. "I mean, they managed to find a few places today, so it can't be too far out, right?"

But the more he looked at the sketch plan the more it unsettled him. It was their music room, undoubtedly but… the sketch didn't give them any indication of how they would find the place. What state it would be in. He always enjoyed surprises for the most part, but not this kind of surprise.

Blinking in confusion at Hikaru, Seimei shook his head and knelt on the deck in his usual graceful manner, smoothing his robes beneath him and leaning to pour tea for the redhead. He didn't speak at first, considering the situation and their options as he set the cup near to Kaoru's hand.

"Far away or close, it matters little. We know enough abut the Skyway to survive out there if we run out of supplies. We will find this fragment of your home, Kaoru. I promise," the onmyoji stated gently but with firm determination, dark eyes gazing up at the younger man. He wanted to do something to help him, but Hikaru's presence had actually served to diminish a great deal of Seimei's courage when it came to his closeness with Kaoru. He simply didn't want to offend the twin or cause strife when denying himself basic pleasures was far easier.

His affection and love had not changed, merely his willingness to express it. One step forward, two steps back, as the saying went. Yet even if he didn't physically make a move to comfort the boy, his face was filled with more expression than usual, and made clear his intentions; he loved the boy and would do whatever it took to give him this thing.

"It's just… part of me is a little scared," he confessed, snagging Seimei's sleeve and tugging gently, "…and worried. What if it's not how I remember it? Assuming it survived the end of the world, I don't think it will have managed it without losing a few pieces along the way…"

And Hikaru…

At least Kaoru was somewhat prepared for whatever they would find there, but he wasn't convinced his brother had had the time. And without knowing exactly what to expect, there was no way he could try to prepare him now. Kaoru had to simply hope for the best. And brace for the worst. And take his strength from the fact that he would have Hikaru and Seimei by his side.

~~((I believe Elle is okay with us skipping her a couple of turns while Hikaru finds stuff!))~~

"Of course you are scared. Something most of us did not have to face until recently was the full reality of what we have lost or given up. Going here will put in front of your face all of your pain and fears. Everything you have been able to avoid," the onmyoji murmured, resting his hands in his lap with a soft sigh.

"However, you will not be alone. And whatever you have lost, you have also gained. You have many friends here and you have even been blessed with family. Going to this place is important. You will regret it if you do not go far more than you will if you do. I will be with you, Kaoru, as will your brother. Whatever we find there, do not look at it as the ruins of your past. Instead look at it like a faded painting. It is old and not the same as it was before, but you can remember the splendor it held and be grateful that there is still something that remains. With luck, there will be things you can return to the Bastion with that can have a place of honor and memory in your home."

"But what if…" he trailed off, then shook his head and tucked the map back into his pocket. He reached for the tea Seimei had poured instead, taking a sip and listening to Seimei's words. What-iffing wouldn't do him any good. The club room was out there on the Skyway somewhere, waiting. They would find there… whatever they would find. His biggest worry was that they would find something big enough - or terrible enough - to cause them to abandon all hope. It was also partly why Kaoru never tried to venture far on the Skyway - he had seen others return enough times distraught at what they had found, be it statues or trinkets.

But he would have the two most precious people in his world by his side, though., and Seimei was right - for all of his worries about going out there, about what he would find, not-going and letting the chance pass him by would be so much worse.

"Our home," the correction had left his mouth before he even realised it, and he gave a self conscious smile as he reached to put down his cup. Of course that's what Seimei meant, it didn't need saying, really.

"Our home," he said, nodding his agreement with a faint smile and casting his eyes downward as his hands folded in his lap. It was Kaoru's home more than anything. Seimei had wanted a place to be at peace where others like himself could also flourish, but more than anything he had wanted grandeur for his prince. He could have continued on with his tiny home from before, but he wanted Kaoru to have the space and luxury of his former residence. It was a place built to accommodate both their needs and wants, but at the end of the day, Seimei had simply wanted a place Kaoru could be happy that wasn't too far out of reach from Seimei's own comfort zone.

He would always be a guest in Kaoru's life, and the honor was enormous.

"Taisan once offered to create statues of lost love ones for the people of the Bastion. I imagine he is still willing to do that, as it was a kindness of his own design. Perhaps when we return we should ask him. A shikigami exists outside of time - he can see face of those not here with far greater clarity than we can. His statues would be perfect."

That sounds like somethin' Colin would wanna do. Or Seimei. Hell both of them...

[Everything is history now. Not even connected history. Histories of worlds that only exist in fragments now.

Fuck, that's depressing...]

[Zuko's going to ignore the comment about Colin, she's still annoyed with him from their last encounter. She'll have to figure out who Seimei is later.

She hasn't considered writing anything down before. Who would even read it? The writing in Rin's world is the closest she's seen to her own, and even then it was illegible to her. Still...]

Of course we'll pass it down. I don't intend to be the last of my people.

[Somehow. She's only sixteen, she has time to figure that one out.

She stows the banner in her pack, takes one final look around, and nods. They should leave quickly, before the place gets to her again.]

Let's get the turtle ducks and go.

"Maybe for others… yes. But not for me. This place would start to feel like a mausoleum if we filled it with statues…"

Of course Kaoru wanted to remember those they had lost - of course he did. And he hoped perhaps he would be able to find some mementoes, maybe even photos, of their friends or their family while they were on the Skyway.

Seimei was right though, that Kaoru had friends and family in the Bastion. And in truth he would rather be with those who were living than surround himself with mute statues of the dead. Surely the more perfect they were, the more painful they would be.

"I have family with me." He said softly, reaching for Seimei's hand, "…I have family here."

Edited 2014-06-08 03:02 (UTC)

I'd kind of need help, my writing is pretty bad...

[Anyway. He nods at Zuko, starting to head back towards the turtleducks. Come here you adorable things.]

Edited 2014-06-08 03:15 (UTC)

"Goodness no, not in the house," Seimei muttered, lifting his palm and turning it to catch Kaoru's hand before the boy took his. He ran his thumb lightly over the knuckles, looking up at eyes lighter than his own.

"I thought perhaps standing at the edges of the Bastion, looking out as sentinels. Taisan thought they ought to be like 'park statues'? But I do not know what those are. He said they could sit on benches and do other 'natural' things. Whatever people wanted, I suppose. Perhaps paintings would be more sensible, even if stone would last longer."

[Rin is in the same boat as you, Ryu. her handwriting is horrid.

And sorry about mentioning Colin, Zuko. She's gotten used to the man. Not everyone has had that chance yet.]

Yeah... I wanna get back with them, soon.

"…not going to lie, both of those ideas kind of freak me out." He admitted with a slight frown, twining his fingers with Seimei's. "I think it's just the idea of them being people we knew that gets to me, though." Even if they had Tamaki's statue doing something ridiculously, monumentally stupid - something quintessentially Tamaki - he felt he wouldn't be okay with it.

"Photos, though… perhaps we could find photographs…" In fact he was relatively sure there might be some lying around the club room here and there. Maybe not of the photo collections they made for their fans - Kyouya-senpai would never waste money on stock they couldn't shift, and keeping everything on limited runs always kept demand high. But personal photos, they would definitely have some of those around...

I'm sure someone can help you with that, [Zuko says aside to Ryu. She's not going to offer to help herself because haha, how would you like to learn hanzi?

She joins the other two in returning to the pond. Some of the turtle ducks had given up on the prospect of any more bread, but they come swimming right back at the sight of them. Zuko kneels down to gingerly pick the first out of the water.]

Hey, guys. We're going on a little trip.

"I do not know what photographs are, but if they exist, we will find them. I will do whatever I can to bring as much of your home and history back with us, Kaoru. It is important to you both and therefore is important to me."

He sighed, reaching out slowly and touching the boy's cheek lightly with cool fingertips.

"I will be there. Whatever we find. Would it be easier for you if I went in first and made certain there was nothing the two of you would not wish to see? I will do that, if it would."

"You'll see when we find them. They're like paintings, but realistic." He gave a quiet sigh, shifting towards the touch. If nothing else, it would be nice to bring back a photo of their friends. Even just one.

He shook his head lightly, closing his eyes.

"Mmm. I think... Hikaru and I would rather be the first ones in there, actually. What... whatever is inside." Somehow it would feel like a failure - to him, at least - if they didn't. Like he owed it to their friends, to the club that had taken them in, that had raised them, that had opened them up. "But I'll be so glad to have you there with me."

[192 and 193] Look out below, I know there's no decision [OPEN]

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