十九 (Text/Voice Post, Japanese)

[onikui_tengu]

Celebrating the new year in this city... what an unusual feeling. It feels like there is so much that has fallen out of place from being away from our own world like this.

Old habits, and traditions. ...Hm. My kimono was left behind, wasn't it.

It doesn't even feel like that much time has passed, and I'm still not used to the cold here either.

Though it looks like I have some seeds to plant now... I don't think that I will. I have no reason to trust something that arrived so suspiciously. Better to give them to Kantarou to do with them as he likes.

[...]

Why is that plant still here anyway? It's gotten hard to work like this...

[[ooc If anyone has gone to the bar recently, Haruka has a small white bandage on his right cheek. It's from getting sucker punched by Kantarou in a recent spat. If asked about it, he will say that he tripped and fell. (It's actually not that bad. He's just embarrassed by it.) Italics are spoken Japanese.]]

Comments

[onikui-haruka.livejournal.com]

Shinjiro must have told you about it.

[7th-warrant.livejournal.com]

Brothers rarely keep secrets from one another.

[onikui-haruka.livejournal.com]

Hm. It seems like your family is growing, or else I'm still learning more about you.

It's a nice change.

[7th-warrant.livejournal.com]

In this case, it's the latter.

...hmmm

[onikui-haruka.livejournal.com]

I see.

[He makes a quick glance upward toward the mistletoe hanging from the rafter above, before going to fetch a bottle of wine from the storage and a glass.]

So... what's the occasion, Testament? The new year still hasn't had enough time to arrive yet.

[7th-warrant.livejournal.com]

Well, nothing too much, just...some stress at home, that's all.

Bridget is moving out. I admire his independence, but...hmm...

[onikui-haruka.livejournal.com]

[Carefully uncorking the bottle, he pours out the wine and then slides the glass over to the Gear.]

That hardly seems like a reason for being in a good mood.

[He leans forward on the counter, looking slightly annoyed.]

...And your "hmm hmm" is starting to get to me. Use your words.

[7th-warrant.livejournal.com]

-gives him a roll of the eyes-

The reason I'm in a good mood is because...I'm not letting it get to me like it used to. I'm...well-adjusted, is it? It's remarkable really...

[onikui-haruka.livejournal.com]

[He makes a face, leaning back to stand firmly on his feet again with a sigh.]

...

[Haruka props an arm up on the counter, balling his hand up and resting his head against it.]

You're still learning too.

[7th-warrant.livejournal.com]

-Testament takes a drink from the wine, taking a long moment to appreciate it-

Of course...about many things...

[onikui-haruka.livejournal.com]

[Haruka is quiet for a moment, allowing his eyes to drift closed while he thinks.]

Is there ever anything you you wish you had not learned about?

[7th-warrant.livejournal.com]

...I cannot live like that. With regrets...my new life has no room for them.

[onikui-haruka.livejournal.com]

[He hums in response, before pushing himself up and going to fetch another glass so that he can pour out the wine again. Might as well.]

I wonder if I'm starting out new... Everything becomes so blended together that it becomes hard to tell sometimes.

[7th-warrant.livejournal.com]

Hmmm...seems I've only added to that, I suppose. Though you don't seem to think that a bad thing...

-he takes another sip, if only to hide the slight flush on his cheek-

[onikui-haruka.livejournal.com]

[Haruka takes a sip of his own. He really hates it feels like he's been caught. As for how or what it means, even he doesn't really know.]

Why would I?

[7th-warrant.livejournal.com]

Such things are...troublesome, are they not? And only fools rush in...it's hard to say whether or not anything positive will come of this. And the odds, really, are against us.

[onikui-haruka.livejournal.com]

...Yet I don't think that it is such a bad thing.

[He picks his glass up again, lazily tipping it from side to side, shifting the wine.]

If something is troublesome enough, then I usually don't bother with it. You can ask Kantarou.

Still... In a lot of things, the odds haven't ever been with me. I've never thought about stopping.

[7th-warrant.livejournal.com]

Hmm...

-Testament takes another sip, resting his chin atop the back of his hand. His eyes wandered up to meet Haruka's...the red not seeming so unnatural these days-

Neither have I, really...I think I would have still pursued you in spite of it all.

[onikui-haruka.livejournal.com]

[He shook his head slowly, brushing his hand up through his hair with a chuckle.]

Then maybe we're simply two fools who have decided to take our time, Testament.

[7th-warrant.livejournal.com]

Hmm...do you think we're better for it?

[onikui-haruka.livejournal.com]

I wonder.

Though... I think I'll be much better once that stupid mistletoe is gone. A few of the costumers have been saying that I've been making strange faces lately.

[He sulks, suddenly feeling very embarrassed. Just a hit to his pride, really.]

[7th-warrant.livejournal.com]

-Testament, giving a smile, places a hand gingerly on Haruka's, rubbing the knuckles over...this was a comforting gesture, right? Ah well...-

[onikui-haruka.livejournal.com]

[He sighed, lifting his head up slowly. He kept his eyed down, however, he didn't want to Testament to see how flushed he looked.]

You're not helping.

[7th-warrant.livejournal.com]

Neither are your attempts to retreat into a comfort zone.

[onikui-haruka.livejournal.com]

[He grumbled.] ...

Then do you have any better ideas?