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

"You need not worry about that part. I will always be there if you need me, Kaoru. I am ever at your disposal, slave to your whims," he smirked, cupping the redhead's cheek before reaching up to caress his hair.

"If you change your mind, I will still do whatever is necessary. At any rate, I shall maintain my belief that your friends are all just as likely to arrive as anyone else."

"And my sovereign, too," he murmured with a small smile, because he couldn't not push back on this point - as nice as it was to know that Seimei was fanatically devoted to him, it was always good to remind him that it went both ways. The hand still holding Seimei's threaded a little tighter. Moments like this made him all the more grateful for these hands and for entrusting himself to them. Somehow Seimei had always managed to keep hope alive for him, even when Kaoru himself wavered.

Padding around the house as slowly as possible had still only taken up so much time, and consequently Hikaru found himself finished with his supply run far sooner than he'd hoped. He'd grabbed some fresh fruits from the kitchen and an extra layer of clothing for each he and Kaoru, and with his shoes already at the ready there... really wasn't anything else to waste time doing. Still, he found himself hesitating at the idea of going back outside - how long would be too long to leave them alone? And how long would be not long enough?

Wanting to delay as long as possible, he set out to find and round up Tama-chan. At least if he managed to find her, he'd be able to send her out ahead of him to disrupt whatever lovefest was going on before he had to see it.

Tama chan was never that difficult to find. In fact wherever food was, Tama-chan was sure to be near. Alas for her that the kitchen had many high surfaces that anklegators could not climb (though not for want of trying).

She was a patient creature, though. And more than happy to wait in the kitchen until an opportunity for dropped crumbs, secret treats, or sneaked morsels appeared.

She slinked out from under the table and quietly followed the food Hikaru on down the halls.

"Ah that, hm. Could you not be contented as my prince and I as your humble servant?" he asked, smiling idly and tilting his head before leaning in and stealing a quick kiss. It was a flight of whim that the onmyoji rarely expressed, but he'd been so careful of late, trying not to do anything that might upset the other twin during their collective transition, that he genuinely wanted to catch the chance.

"I miss you," he said as he leaned away, putting more space between them for the sake of the soon to return yet long missing brother. He meant what he said - he missed sharing their space, falling asleep together, getting gradually closer and discovering their evolving levels of comfort with one another.

"Mmm. I'm sorry to make you wait."He held still as Seimei kissed him, and even as he pulled away - as though it were a butterfly that had landed on him and he had no wish to disturb it. His other hand gently twined around Seimei's, though, so he could hold both, eyes lightly closed.

"…if it's any consolation, I think Hikaru is warming up to you. He might even be starting to like you, despite himself." He pressed his lips to the backs of Seimei's palms, before leaning his cheek against them, "I don't want to make promises. I don't want to say 'soon, love,' and then keep you waiting even longer…"

He wanted just as badly for things to start getting back to normal. Or whatever normal it was that they had had before.

"…can't we negotiate and reach some agreement?" He would probably have settled in Seimei's lap were it not for his shoes. Though he could yet kick them off and do it anyway. "Since we each consider the other to be quite superb, can't we both be princes?"

One of the two of them might notice a fruit rolling out, to come to a stop just behind them. In Hikaru's defence, he didn't have a lot to work with and his only real plan was to get something edible out there, in the hopes that Tama-chan would chase it.

It didn't take him long to clue in to the anklegator's presence once he left the kitchen and, well... even if he couldn't figure out she was following the food he'd picked up, he figured that it would be a safe bet that she would go after something he 'dropped'. This close, he could hear the words being exchanged and holy crap was he glad he didn't have to see what they were doing. Ugh, even hearing the cheesiness was enough to get him to stick his tongue out in disgust. Gross, Kaoru.

Edited 2014-06-13 08:03 (UTC)

"I am afraid not," he remarked adamantly. "I live to serve, and as my home is currently full of princes, I find myself terribly busy of late. Too busy, in fact, to argue this trivial point. You will simply have to endure my dogged affection," the onmyoji drawled, smirking faintly and casting his eyes in the direction of the kitchens, fully aware of Hikaru's lingering presence.

"We should not waste more time than we already have. I can understand your hesitation, but the longer we linger here, the more the uncertainty of the matter will plague you. We would be best served departing in order to treat the wound as quickly as possible, so to speak."

Kaoru wasn't even aware of Hikaru's presence - his attention was already taken up by the random fruit rolling down the deck and past them, and the frantically scrabbling Tama-chan coming in hot pursuit of it. A clumsy jump and a noisy landing later and she finally managed to catch her quarry. Luckily it wasn't anything easily bruised or she would likely have squished it slightly in the process. Not that it mattered to Tama-chan either way. Food was delicious food.

Watching Kaoru and Seimei, she opened her mouth and carefully closed it around the fruit. Sorry for the noise, guys, but at least she got it. Kaoru meanwhile was unable to help but giggle at her antics. Unless he was very much mistaken, there was someone trying to catch their attention, and it wasn't the anklegator curled up around her prize.

He leaned around Seimei to get a better view of the house and call towards Hikaru -

"…was that really the only idea you could come up with…?"

Success! Hikaru's victory fistpump is short-lived, sadly; interrupted by his darn twin having called him out on his pretty poor plan.

Well, there was no point in dwelling on it. Hikaru got the interruption he wanted, and if he wasted it he likely wouldn't get another chance.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Completely straight-faced, without the good grace to be even the tiniest bit abashed, he strolled out to immediately drop a jumper on Kaoru's head and very deliberately keep walking. Seeing his twin practically in some guy's lap was not on his "list of things to see today", dammit Kaoru.

"Whenever you two are done deciding the S and M in your relationship, let me know and we can go."

"S and M?" Seimei asked quietly, looking at Kaoru for some kind of explanation. The term made no sense to him and it sounded innocuous enough. was it something he was supposed to know already? It wasn't any saying he had heard before, at least.

"I do believe we are done conversing, however," the onmyoji added, rising slowly and smoothing his robes before checking that his hair was neatly bound. "Shall I lead?"

Kaoru rolled his eyes lightly. Jeez, Hikaru. They were having a moment for goodness sakes. A huff as he pulled the sweater off his head and deposited in his lap.

"He's right only in so far as we're discussing the dynamics of our relationship." He intoned, "Only the way he phrased it was not as innocently as that. I'll explain later." ...or maybe never? Seimei had lived this far without needing to know this kind of thing, after all.

He smiled up as Seimei as he got to his feet, before hopping off the deck and onto the ground.

"Put some shoes on and meet me around the front?" There was no point in him trailing them both back through the house, after all. He called back to the anklegator chomping greedily on her fruit - "Tama-chan, follow me."

Nodded quietly and simply accepting Kaoru's words as law on the matter the onmyoji rose, taking the tray with him and leaving it in the kitchen before exiting the house from the other side. Adjusting his robes and sliding into a pair of his favored slipper-like boots he was soon outside, hands folded into his sleeves, subtly checking the contents for his tessen and additional effigies for shikigami.

Yata-chan flapped grumpily overhead, irritated at being roused at that hour - or any hour - to go out where people had no business going. why everyone always wanted to leave the comforts of the Bastion he couldn't fathom. If you didn't have to leave the nest, why bother?

Who's that waiting impatiently for them at the edge of the grounds, small bag of fruit slung over his shoulder? That would definitely be Hikaru, making a show of tapping his foot and shaking his head. They weren't that far behind him, but still. What would his life be if he didn't spend it making things difficult for other people? Unfortunately Kaoru just happened to be caught in the fire, this time.

"So where are we going? Other than 'the Skyway'." Despite his casual words, Hikaru's eyes carefully run over his twin's body, checking for anything terribly out-of-place. He looks fine, and Hikaru raises an eyebrow slightly in question; are you okay? It was obvious that he'd been affected by finding that drawing, and Hikaru is ready to halt everything to further comfort his brother if Seimei didn't do a good enough job of it.

Tama-chan came lumbering over meet Hikaru, wandering a circle around him before settling at his feet. Kaoru followed shortly after, having waited for Seimei at the front of the house and snagged his sleeve on the way over.

He tilted his head a little at the raised eyebrows, before closing his eyes and giving a smile back. It's all all right, see? He'd got a little caught up in the moment - when he saw the map he knew he had to get it home right away. But talking with Seimei had helped him calm down over it. Plus he had Hikaru and Seimei going with him, so it was going to be fine. If anything, his worry was more over Hikaru. Are you okay?

"...I don't think it's far. But we should make sure the little ones don't get lost from the group." That meant you two, Yata-chan and Tama-chan. He removed the map from his pocket, offering it to Hikaru. "It's relatively near to here, and I can't imagine it will be that difficult to find." The pink walls were pretty sure to stand out on the Skyway, after all.

"You keep calling him little but I find Yata-chan to be quite corpulent," Seimei muttered, arching a brow and casting a brief look skyward before looking down at the map, hands folding into his sleeves.

"Were there any indications as to how much survived? It is large enough of a landmark to be spotted from a good distance? If so we can allow Yata-chan to fly ahead. Certainly he could use the work out. Tama-chan is far less plump by comparison. I do not know where he gets his food - I stopped giving him extra portions some time ago."

A small lift of his right shoulder is Hikaru's answer to Kaoru, given as he accepts the map. He's perfectly fine, no need to be concerned about him. Finding this piece of their home--it's going to be great, and he's trying not to get excited but he really can't help it. Having to go out onto the Skyway is a massive damper, but... well, they've got Seimei and Tama-chan, right?

"Did you hear that, Yata-chan? He called you fat." Not like Hikaru expects the bird to care, but he's too busy unfolding the map and looking it over to care. He shifts it to be more easily viewable to Seimei, and after a moment of running through it in his mind, he folds it back up and offers it to him.

"It'll be big, and a dusty rose colour on the inside walls. I don't think it really matters if he flies ahead, though, since we should be able to see it from a distance."

Edited 2014-06-21 14:13 (UTC)

The Skyway is fine, Hikaru, so long as you take back-up if you're planning on going far. That was precisely why Seimei and Tama-chan had insisted on coming. As back-up.

Yata-chan though… Kaoru wasn't entirely sure how much use the big bird was.

"Unlike Tama-chan, Yatchan doesn't do nearly enough exercise to actually lose the weight." True, Tama-chan wasn't able to follow on his runs around the Bastion quite as well as she used to, due mostly to her simply growing. "Yatchan needs to enjoy the expedition - it's a nice chance for him to stretch his wings. Ne, Yatchan? Beats sitting on the roof all day~!"

He hummed his agreement, leaning to look over the map before Hikaru folded it.

"It should be big. I mean, assuming it's the whole music room…" They surely wouldn't be able to miss it when they eventually came across it. He hesitated briefly before adding, "Although… weren't the outer walls of the school pink, too?" Or was he misremembering? The roof tiles were an almost purplish slate - that he did remember but the walls… he wasn't entirely sure.

Edited 2014-06-21 14:38 (UTC)

Hear that plop and splatter Hikaru? Enjoy that treat on your shoulder. You're lucky the bird doesn't have better aim.

Seimei's face flat-eyed for a moment, dark gaze flicking up irritably at the Pecker who continued flying on without a care in the world, satisfied with his input to the conversation.

"My apologies," was all the onmyoji could really say on the matter, leaning over with a bit of cloth pulled from inside one of his sleeves and carefully scooping the offending mess away from Hikaru's shoulder.

"We will find it, regardless of the color. If we have to stop at every ruin on the way there we will," he murmured, discarding the messy cloth and gesturing to a well-used path heading in the direction suggested by the map.

"Just beware your footing and stay close together. If you encounter anything before I do, shout an alarm and I will respond immediately."

No, Kaoru, the Skyway is not 'fine'. Giant blue things with sharp weapons are out there trying to take innocent people's heads off, in case you didn't know.

His twin's question about the colour of the school walls is a concern - a major one, since he also had to take a moment to think about that - but Hikaru barely has time to look at Kaoru with surprise before there's a plop and noticeable weight on his shoulder, and his expression sinks into a twitching eye and drawn lips.

The exact level of impressed Hikaru is by Yata-chan's present, on a scale from 1 to 10, would have to register as about a -7. If looks could kill, that bird would be roasted by the fire in Hikaru's eyes.

"How'd I wind up as the butt-monkey, huh? Wasn't Kaoru the one being a jerk?" He grumbles, but gratefully shifts so Seimei can wipe his shoulder as clean as it will get with a muttered 'thanks'. From this point on, Hikaru will be ignoring Yata-chan--but not without flipping him off, first. Childish petulance, Hikaru's speciality.

"The walls are pink," he says firmly, though he's not sure if it's more for himself than anyone else. "Outside should be a bit darker than inside." He's sure of that.

Shaking off the disorientation, he takes the lead - brushing Kaoru's hand along the way for a small comfort to himself - and starts heading in Seimei's suggested direction. He'll fall back shortly, once they're all finally moving. He has officially waited long enough to get going.

"Hikaru…" His hand flew to his mouth as the splattering sound, suppressing a gasp as he turned to look at Hikaru with wide eyes, lips pressing together in an effort to conceal a laugh bubbling up from inside his chest - "Hikaru, I am so. So sorry." He couldn't help the laugh, and was sure Hikaru knew it wasn't deliberate. But that was no reason to forgo the apology in the first place, even if it did take him a few moments to regain his composure and swallow any smart-ass comments about Hikaru being a butt-monkey. "…I don't know if it refers to, ah… Pecker Poo, but it's supposed to be good luck in some countries, no?"

He reflexively reaches out his other hand to return the touch, stroking Hikaru's arm lightly as he moves away, and pulling Seimei along with his other hand. Right, of course the walls were pink, and he nods more to himself than anything. Surely he shouldn't have forgot a little detail like that? Not after nearly ten years studying there.

"I don't think it's far along on that path, actually. Don't take my word for it though - I'm not sure the map is to scale…"

"Alright, pink walls then," the onmyoji sighed, wondering over the comment of butt-monkey but assuming is was one of Hikaru's little foibles as usual. He was probably never going to catch up to the other twin's vocabulary standards; forever hopelessly lost in a sea of slang.

"If your time is unlike my own, I suppose the only creature we may have to face are things that moved in from the Skyway. No...random kappa or tengu?" he asked, just to be sure. It puzzled him that such creatures were apparently completely forgotten and written off as stories only in the Hitachiins' time. How could literally every magical thing cease to exist? He couldn't wrap his head around that crowded word the boys talked about, but he was interested to see a piece of it.

Sorry, Seimei. Countless tutors tried to instill more proper speech mannerisms into him, but, well... in the end the majority of the influence on Hikaru's life came from a nanny who was a wanted criminal, and probably a member of some sort of gang. His choice of words has never been entirely eloquent, and nobody ever managed to rid him of his penchant for slang or cusses.

"Not unless the Black Magic Club actually managed to get some in." Hikaru draws back to the others fairly quickly, not even trying to disguise his distrust of the Skyway. It may not be far, but that doesn't mean it's safe.

He rubbed Seimei's arm lightly. Not to worry, Seimei. Kaoru would there to translate and particularly difficult slang. Or… if not translate, at least word it more delicately.

"Kappa and Tengu were not the Black Magic Club's thing." A sniff and a shrug, leading them on, "I don't think we have anything to fear on that front. Though giant cat-monsters, maybe. That would be more in-keeping with Nekozawa-senpai's whole thing…"

Incidentally Kaoru… may perhaps have skimmed over the story of That Particular Maid a little. It would have come up, probably, during murmured conversations at night, but it was a story where he always skirted around the finer details, sometimes even when remembering it himself - there were few people he was close enough to to share it with, anyway. Of course he too admired her in more than a few respects but the betrayal still stung. Even after twelve years, he still carried a little of his injured four-year-old self with him. It was one of the harsher lessons she had left behind.

"…there." He squinted a little just to be sure he was seeing what he was seeing but… no doubt about it, that's definitely a wall in the distance, a pink one, set with doors whose handles gleam gold. Torn between stopping short and taking off at a run, his footsteps falter slightly, his hand twining a little tighter around Seimei's.

"…that's it, right? I'm not seeing things…?"

"You are not seeing things," Seimei reassured in a low voice, looking over his shoulder before glancing at Hikaru and nodding slightly.

"You are both certain you do not wish me to enter first?" he asked, concern written on his usually placid features. The last thing he wanted was for the boys to go running into the place and find all of their friends as ash statues. Granted the statues meant little, considering people could appear from any point and tie in their existence, but the vision itself could be devastating.

Not to mention they were apparently discussing cat demons, and those were nasty as well. even so, he would stand by the decisions they made and follow after them in their defense, if nothing else.

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

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