The topic had finally made it into their conversation, and even if he knew it would've one day he still couldn't help but cringe. He was always given the same two options…two options that would basically determine how he spent the majority of his summer. This might've sounded like a rather good thing, seeing as how he seriously had nothing to do when the heat in Osaka reached its peek; however, there was a limit…Did he know the just what he was getting himself into when he first decided to drive into the anime world? No…no he didn't, and his vague knowledge of it did not help at all. Because of this he was introduced to things both wonderful and horrifying…
Two of these things, which just happened to be his options, were cosplay and doujin. Setsuna had had his shared of both good and bad experiences with these two activities, only because he had been unintentionally pushed in their direction. Of course the good memories he would cherish forever, but the bad ones he really wanted to forget about like a horrible dream that hadn't actually occurred in the real world. But no…they had occurred, and he truly wasn't sure if his own ignorance was to blame for the events that had taken place in the past. It probably should've been noted that he had nothing against either of this activities; in fact he respected the people involved in them, only because it truly did seem as if they put a lot of work into the things they produced. Most if not all of the cosplayers he had met had admitted that they had made their own outfits, which truly did impress him since he had zero knowledge about how to sew.
The youngest remembered exactly how he was 'accidentally' tricked into cosplaying, and the only accident was that he didn't watch what he said around one Christina Sierra. It was the year he had turned seventeen, and a summer that was pretty much unbearable by anyone's standards. There was something he needed to do, he was sure of it, but because of the weather he barely had enough energy to sit up. The only form of entertainment he for a good two hours was staring at the condensation on the glass that had been placed in front of him by his husband, who he was sure had spoken to him at some point but he was too out of it to even investigate.
By then he really should've been use to the heat of the summers in Osaka, but for some reason he couldn't bring himself to do anything other just lie on the floor and wonder just what the hell he could've been doing. It was a sad and pitiful that he truly had no motivation, and even sadder that he didn't even move when he felt someone move their hand down his back and then to his rear end. It was obvious that whichever Dylandy twin it was had a death wish, but they were probably just doing it to get some kind of rise out of him…and try to make him do SOMETHING. He really couldn't blame them; he had barely said anything to them that day, so of course they'd be worried about his well-being. Hell, he himself was worried about his well-being! The lone fan in the room was bowing on him, so shouldn't that have made it easier for him to just get up and do something? Apparently not…
He was, however, snapped out of his lazy trance somewhat when his phone was placed in front of his face, the name 'Chirs' lighting up the screen. It would've been rude to just ignore it, so he answered it, missing the phone a few times before actually doing so since his arms were pretty much spent. Since it was a few degrees cooler (only a few) in Tokyo he wasn't surprised in the slightest that she sounded slightly more awake than he did. Clearly she was just as in bad of shape as he was, but at least she sounded as if she was doing something, maybe not productive, but something. Christina quickly admitted that she was pretty damn bored, so much so that he had only managed to get through half of her recent copy of Weekly Shonen Jump. God…she was bored.
The two of them engaged in a pretty long conversation before actually getting to the main point, which was usually how the brunette worked. It was strange how she unintentionally lured people into pointless conversations, usually having something to do about the scenery, the weather, something she read or something she heard. Setsuna really didn't mind though, since if she had some kind of bad news it usually (not always) softened the blow. She kind of had a mind that wandered, which was why it was so easy for her to lose track of what had initially wanted to speak about. However, even if her mind wandered during certain events she was as focused as ever when it came to anime. All of her attention was focused on the screen, and even though she wasn't as quiet as he was (she was rather loud actually) nothing else could draw her attention away from what she was watching.
When she finally asked if he would come over, it did surprise him slightly since she never once offered in the past. Originally he thought she found the idea of having a male over a little uncomfortable, since inviting the opposite sex over did have certain implications. But it wasn't until he was told by Feldt that he learned the true reason; apparently her parents were a little…embarrassing, feeling that in order for them to become closer to their child that they needed to act in a way they 'thought' would appeal to her. So this meant misusing terms, comment that they were completely okay with her liking 'boy porn' since it was a 'completely natural thing a girl her age to be curious', and that they pretty much called everything she did 'ultra kawaii'. That sounded pretty rough…and maybe that made the fact that his own parents never once got themselves involved in his 'hobby' (what they called it) a good thing.
Not wanting to be a rude (and for a sheer fact that he was rather curious about the younger female's living area) he agreed, Christina commenting that she had already contacted Tieria so there was no need for him to do so. Everything was set, and the only thing he needed to do was force himself to move. He needed to get up, because the last thing he wanted was to make an appointment and then completely blow it off. Groggily he sat up, hoping that he had washed his summer clothes so he did not die from overheating. His first thought was to just throw on what he could and just leave, but because he had been basically doing nothing but lying around for most of the day it just didn't seem right. So he got up and retreated to the bathroom, hoping that if he doused himself with enough cold water that he'd be fine. Luckily his hopes had turned out to come true…The moment he stepped out of the bathroom he was finally awake, so much so that he had enough energy to ask his husband and Lyle to accompany him to Shibuya.
At the time he still really couldn't handle large crowds, and to just get by he needed to have the both twins with him. The youngest waited for the two of them, wondering briefly if buying a present of some sort would've been a good gesture. Cake was usually what one brought over for a gathering (or so he had heard), but it was a very common fact that girls were rather careful with what they ate. At school he always overhead the female students talking how eating cake was so 'horrible' for their figure, and that one once month was good enough. That sounded horrible…but then again he also had to factor in the fact that said girls were trying to impress someone. He had never once heard the younger female speak about a love interest, unless it was about fictional characters of course. Seeing as how she was pretty open it did seem a little odd, but then again it wasn't like everyone fell in love when they entered high school.
Then there was the whole 'Christina was an athlete' fact that also needed to be taken into consideration. When not participating in otaku related events, she was always doing something outside. From tracking running to baseball she was a pretty active person, a point proven in a painful way when he decided to help her practice for school baseball tryouts. It was a rather well known fact (at least among the Dylandy twins) that when involved in some kind sport that required any kind of ball, at some point or another he would be hit square in the forehead with it at least once. The younger wasn't sure why he had neglected to remember something so goddamn important, but he did remember upon waking up five minutes later, the brunette nearly in tears, and a bump on his forehead. Needless to say, she could throw pretty damn hard.
Buying a cake really didn't seem like a problem is he really thought it over, so when the Lockon and Lyle were done getting ready he told them that they were going to make a small detour. He remembered that there was a café near the train station in Shibuya, and even if he had only ordered a small drink from there it was rather hard to miss the display case partially filled with cakes. It could easily be deducted that they were not frozen and put on display since the place reeked of fresh cake batter, and since he didn't have the time that was pretty good substitute for his own cooking. Upon leaving the apartment the first thing the twins did was distract him with a conversation, because they knew that it helped ease him into the station without him freaking out too much. His could only be truly focused on one thing at a time, but that did not mean he wasn't aware of his surrounding changing. It was the reason why his anxiety couldn't completely diminish even with the Dylandy twin's best efforts…he was just too aware of what was going on around him.
This was why he always grabbed someone's hand, but just which twin wasn't made known to him until they came to their destination. It wasn't like it mattered really, since it was the two of them speaking to him and trying their best to calm him down. The train ride was never long since he never focused on the time, but what was going on outside the window and the people around him. It was amazing just how much construction had gone on around the town, and the only reason he wasn't complaining was because it had not reached the small village yet. As much as he tolerated change, that was something he really wouldn't stand for; the village never should've been touched by development, and maybe the youngest was being slightly selfish for wanting nothing to happen to it. It was fine just the way it was, its quaintness obviously rubbing off since he felt so passionate about it. He wasn't going to lose his…home.
An hour into his thoughts (which only felt like a few minutes) they had come to a full stop, which made him rather thankful because the smell of sweaty random people did not sit well with him. It was just another reason why he hated the summer so much; along with the unbearable heat that always seemed to drain his energy, there was the horrid stench of perspiration in the air that always seemed to linger. This was exactly why he liked the fall and winter more than any other seasons, because he didn't have to smell another human being while walking outside. Maybe it was because he had been around them for so long, but the strange thing was whenever the twins perspired he didn't smell a thing. In fact he actually enjoyed it when they did, finding the image rather…erotic. Of course he hadn't told them this, but he would eventually since, well, there wasn't any point in hiding it. Truth be told there wasn't much point in hiding much from them anymore, but at seventeen he had still yet to learn something like that.
Instead of leaving the train station and heading to the brunette's place (directions e-mailed to the day after he graduated), the three of them made their way to the small shop near the Hachiko statue. The place always seemed packed, and the moderate prices and nice atmosphere clearly having something to do with it. To make their visit less of a hassle, he decided the let the twins pick out the cake they were going to offer as a gift. He'd come to the realization that he was a bit too meticulous when it came to picking anything out, usually resulting in him spending an hour or two just trying to narrow down his options. It was just in his nature to do so, and even if he had managed to control it slightly it still took him longer than a normal person to make a decision. Not wanting to spend ungodly hours trying to pick out a cake, he stood by the entrance and waited, wanting absolutely nothing to do with the decision making.
He was sure that if he even looked at one of the baked goods he'd be asked if he wanted it, thus starting his mind into a rather long decision making process for something so simple. Hell, he didn't even bother looking over at the display case! It was a sad little fact about himself, he knew, but at least he knew enough about it to deal with it. While standing near the entrance Setsuna couldn't help but gaze outside, watching the people as they walked by the shop. It wasn't until five minutes into his people watching that he saw them…the Trinity siblings…plus one more. He'd heard around the school that there was a third Trinity, but not caring too much about it never once did he investigate. They were the enemy when the younger male was in high school, so why should he bother to learn anything about them? They were cruel and that was enough for him to know. But…as he looked upon them he didn't feel anything, no hate, spite, anything…The youngest had gotten them out of his system.
The third member of their little party looked taller than the other two, which of course told him that he was older. He looked a hell of a lot more composed than his other siblings, but that could've easily been a façade so he wasn't going to judge too quickly. The older male looked nothing like his siblings, and as he thought about it none of them looked related. It was just…strange…but it was also something that should've been left alone since it could've lead to learning something rather privet. He had no intention of bothering them at all, knowing that they probably didn't even want to see his face after what he had done. Did he feel guilty? No…but he knew that speaking to them would overstep his boundaries. Well…in the beginning he had no intentions of going over to them, but upon seeming them leave, dropping something from one of their shopping bags, he just acted.
He left the shop, completely forgetting about the cake and the twins as he picked up the almost lost item, calling over to them as he did so. And obvious silence followed, and he was also not surprised in the slightest when the item was snatched out of his hand by Michael, who had ever right to look as pissed off as he did. The tension finally broke when the oldest of the three finally spoke, apologizing for his younger brother's 'rude behavior'. Michael apparently didn't like this, yelling at the other male as he commented that he was speaking to the person who had beaten him in school. Well…that was a good way of putting it…but it was what happened when someone just let out all of irritation they felt. Setsuna almost expected to be dealt some kind of physical punishment as payback for what he had done, since most people would've loved nothing more than to avenge their sibling.
But apparently the much older Trinity didn't fall under the 'most people' category. He just laughed, patting him on the head as he apologized again, this time for his brother being a complete and utter ass. Strangely enough he couldn't help but think of Allelujah when speaking about his own brother. The younger male just looked at the other male in slight shock, wondering briefly if he was being messed with. After saying something so outrageous he finally introduced himself as Johann Trinity, a name he'd actually heard before the moment. It was only uttered a few times by his husband during study sessions for his collage courses, the person in question usually described as knowledgeable but cold when it came to asking him any kind of question. He didn't sound like that great of a guy, and if the youngest tried hard enough he could probably figure out his personality solely based on numerous fictional characters that sounded just like him.
The youngest of the siblings stepped forward to say something, but before anything could be said her older brother pulled her away along with the middle Trinity, not so much as a goodbye being uttered by the oldest. It was an odd encounter to say the least, but he got over it quickly, returning to the cake shop as if nothing had happened. However…even if wanted to forget about what had just happened, for some reason he couldn't help but fell some kind of dislike towards Johann. It wasn't because he was related to the people who had basically made his high school days a living hell, no, that wasn't the reason at all and he wasn't the kind of person to judge others solely on their connections to others. Since Setsuna had the habit of analyzing every person that decided to talk to him for the first time, he couldn't help but take note of the way he moved, the tone of his voice, ever small gesture he made and so on and so forth.
The younger male came to a conclusion…everything about him, from his smile to the air around him was fake. This unnerved him, only because the feeling that his live involving the siblings had yet to end. But he discarded this feeling as he rejoined the Dylandy twins, burying that awful feeling in the deepest part of his mind. Christina's apartment complex was about twenty minutes away from the station by bus, and the next available time for them to catch one (at not burn up in the sun) was about to come in the next thirty seconds…it was obvious what they did next. Thankfully the sprint wasn't that terrible, and they had about three seconds before the bus came around the corner upon arriving. Luckily for them (and his nose) there weren't that many people around, so he took this time to ask just what the twins had picked up. An assortment of slices. Well that did narrow down the possibility of someone not liking something; he knew most people were picky by nature, a fact he'd grown to learn over the years when his many birthdays would always come up.
No body ever wanted the same thing, so that made buying a cake particularly hard for his mother. But she managed to figure it out…Everyone got what they wanted when individual slices were bought, each neatly place in their own aluminum holder for easily transportation. It was the best way to cater to the needs of others without wasting anything, and the last thing that should've been wasted was cake. Upon boarding the bus he took out his phone, wanting to text the brunette that they were on their way in case she needed to take care of something in the house before they arrived. No matter what the time she always responded with lighting speed, always a second or two after he had pressed the 'send' button. She commented that Tieria would be coming alone, something about 'Alle and Halle were busy with the new apartment'. Ah, that's right…the three of them had finally moved out of the village, but the more he thought about them leaving the more concerned he became.
Tieria's parents were not the types to accept what he did easily…But he was sure they could deal with whatever came, because the three of them had gone through enough to make them strong enough to counter whatever there was to come. He must've been lost in thought because the next thing he knew his cheek was lightly pinched, the phrase 'penny for your thoughts?' (in English) spoken to him by his husband. Sumeragi had spent three days teaching both of the twins that phrase and many others for that matter, though he wasn't quite sure if they had requested to learn 'Setsu's ass is nice' or if she had taught it to them as a joke. The people from his past had not been forgotten, had he did keep in touch them on a regular basis. For instance he always visited Graham every Thursday, usually to have an uninteresting conversation about what was going on in his life, his art, and his otaku world.
His ex-landlord was visited every Monday and if nothing was going on Wednesday. As always she was motherly, treating him more like a child than anything else. The youngest didn't mind it too much since he knew she was only teasing him, so he allowed it to happen. Sumeragi always told him about her childhood in the states, about how she had attended school a well known privet school and had practically hated it. According to her the uniforms were god-awful, the teachers seemingly didn't care about the students, and everyone just seemed to have a stuck-up air about them. That sounded horrible…to be confined in an educational institute for months, unable to leave unless it was break made a cold shiver go down the younger male's spine. He could barely stand the hours he had to attend in the past, so Setsuna was sure actually living there would break him without a doubt. It was, however, nice to hear someone else talk about how horrible their school was, because he wanted to make sure that he wasn't a rare case.
Shaking his head slightly he replied that he was only thinking about the others, and that he was wondering if they could visit them in their new apartment sometime soon. Upon hearing this the older male hugged him tightly, calling him a 'thoughtful person' as he rubbed his cheek against his. Pinching it like always he sighed, knowing that their public displays of affections were alright…just not at that moment. Time really did seem to fly as they bus rolled on, but it probably had something to do with the very short twenty minutes that they were actually there. After actually leaving the vehicle the three of them only needed to walk across the street, the hard part already out of the way. Since Christina lived on the fifth floor all they had to do was take elevator up, which was apparently much more spacious than he thought it would've been.
In their old apartment there really wasn't any need for an elevator, seeing as how the top floor was the third floor. But the brunette's building was much taller, going all the way up to ten stories and just looking up from the outside would make one dizzy. It didn't take long for them to reach the right floor and with a little navigation the managed to find the right door. After thinking about it for a little while he finally realized that he was making quite the big step; it would mark the first time he'd visited someone who had not lived in the village at some point, let alone someone he had known for most of his life. That was slightly nerve-racking…but he was meeting a friend and not someone new so he got over it pretty quickly. He knocked twice before waiting, a pang of excitement hitting him upon hearing a sound from the other side. There were a few more noises, and if he had to guess it was probably of her bumping into things, though as to why she was so surprised he wasn't sure.
Once the door was open everything was made clear, and if the brush still in her hair didn't say anything he wasn't sure what else would. Christina invited them in, laughing in embarrassment as she told them the directions to her room. Apparently she had a little more getting ready to do, so of course they didn't mind waiting. The apartment was nice, and the first thing he noticed was how much space there was compared to their roomless one. In total there were two bedrooms, one belonging to the brunette and the other belonging to her parents. There was a nice kitchen and dinning area, and to even compare them to the one in their old apartment almost seemed unfair. There was only one bathroom, but instead of just the bare minimums it was equipped everything their own bathroom wasn't, namely a shower and sufficient storage area for toiletries.
He couldn't help but marvel at it since it was so, well…different. It was by no means the fanciest apartment in Japan, but it was still so nice.
When the door to Christina's room was opened they found the other Shibuya girl tapping away at a game controller, eyes completely fixated on the screen. She did, however, acknowledge their presence by given him a small 'oi', but never once did she look away from the screen. For the next five minutes she would only give simple responses, Lockon and Lyle doing most of the asking since they had no idea what she was play. The younger male did…it was a tactical role-playing game, and one of the harder ones on the market at the time. The anime-ish 2-D graphics might've been misleading, but if one did not have a good tactical mind they wouldn't get very far in the game. Apparently Feldt had…by just watching her he could see just how calculating she was, how every move she made with he little troops was not wasted and did indeed have a purpose.
It was pretty damn impressive. The younger male was so into it that he had neglected to inspect the brunette's room upon first arriving, but when he actually managed to pry his eyes away from the TV screen for more than a second he finally noticed just how much he had missed. There were books everywhere, on the floor, her desk, and bed. They were pretty much all manga, and a few of them he really couldn't look at, in fear that he would end up getting embarrassed and thus show off a blush that would obviously be noticed by someone. On her walls were posters and what looked like magazine pictures, something she had told him she did, but upon finally witnessing them in person he couldn't help but stare. There were just…so many of them, and from the looks of things she had a wall dedicated to each genre she liked. Then there was the cloth and fabric…
Yes, cloth and fabric…there were rolls of it sticking out of her closet, not to mention some propped up against a few of the corners. He had been told that she did make her own clothes on occasion, but he couldn't help but wonder if that also extended to cosplay…To make things easily he merely asked Feldt, who gave him the rather cryptic answer of 'just wait'. Not sure how to response to such a answer he just sat, wondering if she meant to just wait until Christina came back or until she was done (which looked like it'd take a while). At the time he just found cosplay to be a strange thing, though he wasn't sure why…maybe the idea of dressing up as a characters he'd known for a long time just didn't sit well with him. But then again he did dress up for Halloween, so why was dressing up as an anime character any different?
Maybe it was the fact that so many people expected the person in question to embody the character they were dressed as, not all the time, but it was expected. The younger male wasn't sure if he'd be able to commit to such a task, so instead of attempting he just decided to just ignore it. It took the brunette about fifteen minutes to come back, a small apology given to the three of them upon her return. It was accepted and the cake slices were handed over, it being probably the only thing that had managed to get the smaller female away from the screen for a short amount of time. She had a sweet tooth, everyone knew it, which also made the whole 'buying something sugary' thing completely worth it. When a small table was rolled out from Christina's closet, he finally remembered and asked if she had ever cosplayed (or frequented Harajuku on Sunday).
Setsuna was given a very chipper 'yes!', but the 'you should try it' caught him completely by surprise. There wasn't much time for protest since he was immediately pulled up by the hands, the brunette asking Feldt if she could find the measuring tape. But they were stopped by Lyle of all people…who told them the younger male's EXACT measurements off of the top of his head. Needless to say both the Setsuna and his husband couldn't help but give him a look, a mix of what the fuck-ness and pure shock. How the hell did he even know that? But as much as he wanted to attack him, the fact that he was a guest and the sheer astonishment of it all prevented him from doing so. It did take him some time to get over everything, all the while he heard Lockon sigh heavily and told the two girls his own measurements.
And that was it…
There was no more talk about cosplay while they were there, as if the topic had never existed in the first place. The younger male really didn't mind this, though he did find it a little suspicious since no one asked for measurements for the sheer hell of it. But he let it go, knowing full well that if he did it was going to come back and bite him in the ass. By the time Tieria came the cake had just been distributed, Feldt somehow finding a way to still play her game while sitting at the table (she was sitting the furthest away from screen). The second youngest looked so worn out, and if he had to guess it probably had something to do with all the moving he had done. It was a hard thing, moving that was, not only because of the heavily lifting but because of the adjustment one needed to make to a new surrounding. He could easily sympathize with his slightly older friend, seeing as how he had one hell of a hard time adjusting to something new.
The cake was consumed in no time, and once it was completely gone he was invited to play a few games with the smaller female. They were all fighting games, and he did fair rather well against her (much better than both his husband and Lyle), though of course that didn't mean he'd actually won any of the fights he fought. But he was sure the main reason he was losing so horribly was because he was distracted slightly; from the corner of his eye he could see Christina and the second youngest talking about something as they looked at what looked like pictures. His suspicious from before only grew, but he had no time to investigate since the sound of defeat always brought him back to what he was doing. So he ignored it again, pushing it back to the furthest part of his mind where he knew it wouldn't nag at him so much. Things were switched off, Tieria playing with Feldt while he and the Dylandy twins interacted with the brunette.
Setsuna soon found out just what the second youngest was looking at with Christina, and he was pleasantly surprised that they were all of the same thing. They were photographs of anime conventions. Apparently she had been to quite a few of them over the years, and seeing as how she was cosplaying in every single picture he couldn't help but be impressed. Her craftsmanship was undoubtedly good, since it wasn't hard at all to tell which character she was dressed as.
It was then his foolishness kicked in…He should've noticed the look on the taller girl's face when he said 'I wouldn't mind cosplaying one of these days', and he really should've noticed the small sound Tieria made while playing against the other female. Setsuna was so goddamn oblivious to the things around him, and upon thinking about on it he should've mentally kicked himself the moment he answered the door to his apartment two months later. It was completely unexpected to find Christina standing at the door, a big smile on her face as she carried what looked like garment bags. Three of them…that wasn't good. When he asked just what she had come there for, he was stopped dead in his tracked, the brunette replying that he 'needed to hurry so they could catch the next train'. Where…the hell…were they supposed be going?
Needless to say he was confused. He was given an explanation after he was sure she noticed the 'what are you talking about?' look in his face, and even though it was long he managed to get the important details out of it. Apparently he was going to an anime convention in Tokyo. This was seriously news to him, and he really felt like taking it as a joke and closing the door. But he didn't…Instead he calmly explained that he did not remember making any kind of arrangement to go to a convention, to which he was apparently proven wrong when his own statement came back to bite him in the ass. I wouldn't mind cosplaying one of these days…he remembered it instantly as it rolled off of Christina's tongue, it sounding so god-awful in the process. Of course he meant it…just not that goddamn soon! Seeing as how it was so sudden of course he declined to going, adding that he'd probably go another time (when he was given notice at least a month ahead).
And then she gave him that look…that sad look that he'd seen on stray animals that made his heart feel like it wanted to explode. That wasn't fair dammit! His husband had used that same look on him plenty of time, and even though it wasn't as intense it was still affective. His breaking point was when she gave him a small 'but I spent so much time of them', because he knew it would've been just down right rude to refuse something she worked so hard on. So with a groan he told her to relinquish the garment bags she had brought along with her, still feeling a little uneasy about the whole situation. When they were handed over to him, Setsuna couldn't help but ask just what characters they were going to be cosplaying as…but all he received was a loud 'you'll see!'. That was never a good sign…Pushing the two of the bags into the arms of Lockon and Lyle, and told them to leave the room. The confused looks on their looks said a lot, but that didn't stop him from scaring them out of the room.
There was no way in hell he was changing with them in the room.
Unzipping the bag he instantly knew what character he'd be playing, and he had to wonder briefly just what characters the twins could be going as. Kyoya Hibari was the character and the series he belonged to was called Katekyo Hitman Reborn. The basic premise of the manga was that a boy reluctantly becomes the tenth boss a mafia family called Vongola…and by 'reluctantly' Setsuna meant that the kid just flat out refused, though it wasn't like he had much say in the matter. The whole story revolved around him going from a loser to a badass, the bizarre characters that helped keep the story going and the plot twists that always seemed to be around the corner. All in all…it was a very shonen manga.
The younger male was supposed to be cosplaying as a sixteen-year old middle school student who was the head of the 'Disciplinary Committee', not to mention anti-social. His character was violent without a doubt, his trademark saying being 'I'll bite you to death', which never actually occurred but that did not make it any less threatening. Hibari's (which most people called him) main weapons were a pair of tonfas, which apparently Christina had provided for him…fake of course, probably made of Styrofoam or plastic. Because he would be going as a middle school student his costume was mostly just a school uniform, but what made it different was just how he wore it. The mostly black uniform, except for the white dress shirt underneath, the inside of the blazer and red tie, was slipped on, the younger male finding it rather comfortable. And then the jacket came…because he knew the character he didn't slip it on with the rest of his outfit, oh no, the jet black blazer with the arm band that said 'Disciplinary Committee' on it was simply placed over his shoulders.
Setsuna was now Kyoya Hibari…at least in appearance. He probably should've attempted to straighten his hair, but it wasn't like he had the time or instrument to actually perform the act. Looking at the door the younger knew that there was no way he could weasel his way out of the situation at that point, so he let out a long sigh, picked up his fake tonfas and left the apartment. Upon not seeing anyone waiting in the hallway, he knew they were probably outside…and it felt like the longest walk he'd ever taken to get the front of the apartment. It was nerve-racking, so much so that he felt like running back to the apartment and locking the door…though it wasn't like he could really lock the twins out since they had their own key. There was no turning back…so as he slipped on his shoes at the entrance the younger male tried to fathom just what he was getting himself into.
Once outside he finally saw just who his husband and Lyle were cosplaying as…and he was pretty sure Christina had set everything up. They were cosplaying as the same character, and of course they were from the same series as he was. Dino was the name of the character, another mafia boss who was head of the Cavallone family and started off much like the main character until he was taught how to actually be a boss. Knowing that much information would've been enough…but no, the brunette just happened to take it a little further. Dino had trained Hibari to become a stronger fighter in the actual manga; however, the Hitman fandom had paired them up, thus making them one of the more popular pairings. She did it on purpose…and now he was going to get enough more unwanted attention than he actually wanted.
The Cavallone family head wore nothing more than a down coat, t-shirt and jean…but that wasn't what bothered the younger male. It was the bullwhip…yes, bullwhip, it was Dino's main weapon and if either of them so much as cracked it at him they were dead. The four of them left for the train station, Christina telling them that Feldt was already in Akihabara getting their tickets. All the while he was holding onto the bottom part of his husband's jacket, because the only thing he could do during the hour and half it would take them to reach Tokyo was get himself together. The reason he hadn't attended a convention of any kind was because of the amount of people that he knew were going to be there. He still hated crowds at the time, and the more he thought about what was to come the more his stomach began to churn. There would be so many people…their bodies would be rubbing up against him most of the time, and then there was the thought that he might become separate from the others, lost in a sea of unfamiliar faces.
He had to cover his mouth momentarily as he thought about these scenarios, thought about the worst possible thing that could happen to him once they arrived. But he had truly wanted to go to a convention for a while now, but there were just…too many factors that scared him. Setsuna was scared…so much so that he buried his face in the older male's shoulder, wanting to enjoy himself once they reached their destination but knew he wouldn't. He felt the other male's hand on the back of his head, his voice soft telling him that if he wanted the three of them could get off at the next stop. That sounded like such a wonderful idea, because if the three of them left the train they could've gone home. Home was a safe place…between its four walls nothing could hurt him, and nothing could touch him. But that seemed like he was being a…shut-in. The youngest didn't want to spend all of his time hiding away from the world, didn't want to let his life completely go by without experience the things he wanted to due most.
It really wasn't fair to anyone if he isolated himself, maybe in the past when he was much younger, when he didn't have friends who actually enjoyed his company…maybe than but not now. So he shook his head, telling the older male that he would be fine by the time they arrived. He really hoped he would. For the remainder of the ride he clung to his husband, his free hand being held by Lyle. The were both with him…he was going there alone…the Dylandy twins would be with him, not to mention his friends. Everything would be okay…he wasn't alone. Stop after stop he slowly managed to let go of his husband, his fear still very much there but he was slowly trying to control it. That's all he really needed to do…control himself; his mind was running wild, causing him to think of one too many 'what if-' situation that he knew deep down weren't going to happen.
The unknown scared him, but it didn't have to…the unknown didn't need to exist, not if he got into his mind not what he wanted but what would happen. The younger male knew it was time to focus on the positive, so he mentally made a list of all the things he was going to do and see. 1…2…3…he was getting there…4…5…6…he felt his heart rate begin to slow…7…8…he was getting somewhere. Somewhere between him naming off all of the things wanted- no, the things that would happen, he had managed to lose track of time. According to the overhead announcement they were only two stops away from their destination. He was going to prove to himself that he could do this, that he could walk into a crowed area without feeling ill, scared or wanting to run.
He would muster up enough courage to enjoy himself.
Once the four of them had left the train, Setsuna gripped Lyle's hand momentarily before letting it go slowly. He was going to be alright…Christina lead the way, seeing as how she was the one who knew her way around and knew where the smaller female was going to be. Akihabara was packed, and even if Comiket (Comic Market) wasn't going on he was sure the streets would've been filled with people. Of course he wasn't the only person cosplaying since, well, that's what people just did when a convention came up. Because of this he didn't feel too out of place, and just by knowing that his anxiety died down just a little (but only a little). He still stuck close to the twins as they walked, especially when it seemed as if the crowds began to become a little denser than before. But not did he grab either anyone's hand…Setsuna was no longer a child, and since that time had long since passed it was alright for him to work out his own problems without seeking the comfort of others.
He couldn't rely on the twins forever, because they would not and could not be there for him all the time. When they stopped he found that they were at the entrance of what looked like an electronic store, but before they could even set a foot inside they were stopped by the brunette. Apparently she had told the smaller female to meet them outside around the time of their arrival, figuring that it wouldn't take that long to convince him to come along. They were good…he hadn't known them long but they had somehow figured out just how to make him do what they wanted, which almost caused him to have a mild breakdown, but that could be forgiven.
Almost on cue Feldt walk out, dressed in what looked like a black trench coat, a patch with the name 'Varia' stitched on the right side of her chest. That would've been enough to identify the character, but the long white wig she was wearing sealed the deal. Staying in the same manga universe, the Varia were a group of assassins that worked under the Vongola family, but disliked the fact that the next head would not be their own boss…so they fought. One of the members, Superbi Squalo, was their swordsmen and was currently being cosplayed by Feldt. His character was the exact opposite of the smaller females, being that he was loud and rather prideful. But that was what cosplay was about…taking on the character that didn't necessarily fit one's own character. This was exactly why he wasn't surprised at all when they were greeted with a loud 'VOOOI!' from the Shinjuku girl, it being the character's trademark saying (meaning 'you' in Italian).
It wasn't until Feldt began to pick with the other female, calling her a 'useless swordsmen', that he noticed that she too was cosplaying. It almost looked like she wasn't, but since all of them were going as someone from the same series it took him a little while to register that fact. The brunette was going as another member of the Vongola family, and probably the most obliviously careful character in the entire manga. Takeshi Yamamoto was the easy-going, baseball-nut swordsmen of the Vongola family, but that did not mean he couldn't fair rather well against others. What made it hard to actually tell that Christina was dressed as someone else was the sheer casual-ness of the cloths she was wearing. Her character wore only a red t-shirt, white dress shirt and jeans whenever he was seen in the manga, and if it wasn't for the fake sword that was given to her by Feldt upon arrival than he would've looked like a pretty normal person.
But it was her choice to cosplay as whoever she wanted to, so that was the end of the argument. When the four of them left for the convention center Setsuna felt his chest tighten, but only for second; they were heading to the convention center, and even though his mind was telling him that he was about to be surrounded about a thousand (very sweaty) people, but his body remained calm. Obviously he was still freaking out internally, because like it or not he was not going to get over his phobia that quickly; however…he kept repeating all the things he was going to accomplish that day so that seemed to keep his body at bay. Over and over again he continually repeated the events that would surly take place:
1. Make it though the main entrance.
2. Buy doujin.
3. Take pictures of other cosplayers.
4. Have his own picture taken.
5. Buy a visual novel or two (whether it was yaoi or straight was still very much in the air).
6. Purchase a figure.
7. Purchase a Gundam model (he'd kill somebody if he didn't do this).
8. Go home happy.
The youngest wanted to put aside his fears for just one day and enjoy himself…was that too much to ask for? No, it wasn't. Money wouldn't be a problem since he had been saving for quite some time, the younger male wanted to go out and spend it every year when a convention rolled around but could never actually muster up enough courage to do so. But he had finally made it…he wasn't going to turn back when his destination was right in front of him, not when the very first thing on his list staring him right in the face. The entrance to the Tokyo Big Sight convention center. It was where all of the Comiket events had been held in the past, and it would probably be where they would continue to be. The younger male had only seen it in pictures on the internet of it, but actually being there in personal was a whole other experience all together.
It was massive.
Upon taking a deep breath he walked forward, mind heavy with thoughts that he chose to ignore. This was his time, his day, and he was not going to run away from it. While contemplating the fact that he could not 'give up', Setsuna hardly noticed that he had finally made it inside of the building. His heart raced after noticing; he was inside…he was standing inside the building he had dreamed about (literally). In that moment he felt like crying…but that would've completely ruined the mood so he reframed from doing so. Christina acted as their map and tour guild, since according to her the layout never really changed. Just in case they bought a actual map. The younger male couldn't help but look around, admiring just how lively everything was. The booths run by both fans and companies, the posters that hung from the ceiling decorated with original characters that said 'Comiket' written in bold kanji, the event schedules poster on ever other wall, and the cosplayers who looked as if they were performing skits as their characters.
There was a lot going on, and he wasn't sure he could keep his mind focused on one thing for too long. Their first destination was the dealers' room, which would mean numbers five, six, and seven could be knocked off of his list. Buying doujin would take place elsewhere, since the convention had an entire section dedicated to the amateur artist selling their goods. He had a lot of respect for them; the mere thought of sitting in front of a small booth and sell something that was drawn by hand, something that contained graphic picture (not all of them) of preexisting characters in situation that probably wouldn't have happened in their universe made him tense up. However…none of this mattered to the doujin circles…He seriously didn't have enough confidence at that moment to even fathom doing something like that, little did he knew he'd grow out of his lack of self-belief but take on a entirely different fear about the whole doujin process. But he was getting ahead of himself.
Not even a minute passed before he was pulled in some random direction by Lockon, the look on his face easily comparable to a kid in a candy story. It was his first time as well as Lyle's at a convention, so of course they too would be excited…and the youngest couldn't help but feel happy for them. But because they were so eager Setsuna decided it was alright to hold their hands, because the last thing he wanted was to be separated. They saw any and everything they could ever want, the phrase 'oh, what's that?' becoming more and more common. They could've easily covered the entire floor within a matter of minutes (which would've been a feat in itself), but since there was an actual purpose to them being there that option was out. As soon as he saw the stand that held the computers games he froze; he was going to be buy porn, and the worst part was he had to decide just which one he wanted with a bunch of people staring at him! But…he said he was going to so there was no backing out.
As he walked over another horrible fact made itself known…he was not eighteen. The only 'adults' that were with them were the twins…and as much as he hated it the younger male knew they were the only ones who could actually make the physical purchase were the twins. God, he would never hear the end of it. Viewing the actual titles on the table was a pretty hard challenge to deal with, since a few of the covers didn't leave much to the imagination. Watching the people around him casually pick up the box made him a little nervous, seeing as how he was the only person who looked so incredibly out of place. Setsuna decided to pick at least one up, to deter any foreign eyes that might've been gazing at him. He hardly noticed Christina peering over his shoulder, but did notice when she said that he had picked up a 'good one'.
Well…she did knew a lot more about visual novels than he did, so obviously she was the go-to person when it came to picking out a 'good one'. So in a small voice he asked for help, and without much hesitation the game was snatched out of his hands and replaced with three others. Lamento: Beyond the Void, Togainu no Chi and Zettai Fukujuu Meirei were placed in his hand, and according to the brunette that was all he was going to need for quite some time. He was only expecting to buy one, maybe two, not three…but if she said they were good, they must've been. Sighing a little he called over his husband, hoping he wouldn't say anything that would completely worsen the mood. He would…he so totally and completely would, the younger male knew it. So to make the situation a little better he pushed the boxes against his husband's chest along with the correct amount of money, walking away once done.
However…he was forgetting just who he was dealing with…He didn't even make that far before he heard 'we'll play it together when we get home' to which he just shouted 'SHUT UP!' right back. Needless to say he received a lot of unwanted attention, so much so that he just stormed off without so much as another word. Who the hell said that? Let alone say that in a crowed area! He as so mad, so much so that the moment he felt someone take his wrist he quickly turned around and punched whoever it was in the stomach. Not to greatest of ides…instead of hitting his husband, who he thought had followed him, the youngest ended up hitting Lyle. He didn't even hesitate to apologize, the older male shaking his head as he told him that everything was alright. Now he felt horrible…
The younger male's head was patted, Lyle telling him that everything really was okay and that his brother meant no harm by the comment. Dammit, he knew that! He knew that…but…it was still so embarrassing. It took a little convincing, but the older male had finally managed to get him back to the group, calling his husband a 'pervert' before saying anything else. It took them a little while to find the right stand that sold the right size Gundam model he wanted, because he understood that because he had never put one together it only made sense to find a 'starter kit'…or something like that. If they weren't figurines that came already put together, then mech models needed to be put together piece by piece. He'd heard that there could've been at least a thousand tiny pieces that needed to be extracted from their tray and placed together with glue, and then painted. He'd also heard that one needed to work with a window open, seeing as how the glue that was used could in fact be harmful if inhaled too much.
It was pretty damn hazardous, but that didn't stop him from wanting one. Of course there were a few detours, both Christina and Feldt deciding that they wanted plush toys from some manga called 'Hetalia', something fairly knew, at least for him. It was growing in popularity, so that must've meant something…he'd probably check it out later. Lockon decided to buy a shirt that said 'will yaoi with boyfriend for free', to which he was swiftly kicked in the shin for even picking something like that up. His brother on the other hand decided to buy the second volume of a light novel called Bakemonogatari, the older male borrowing the first from Tieria a while ago. It would've been completely fine if Lyle had said that he liked it for the gripping story or because of its deep plot, but no…he liked it because apparently Senjogahara (one of the main heroines) was a lot like the youngest, not in circumstances but in personality.
Obviously he just stared at him, wondering where in the world he would get such a ridiculous idea from. Once all of the detours were taken care of, him purchasing a figure from the anime Galaxy Express 999, thus crossing off something else from his list, they finally found the right booth. There were so many of them, each ranging in size and difficulty which made it much easier to choose. Well…easier for him in his own little way to choose. The younger male took his time, picking up one box and examining it and putting it back if it wasn't something thing he wanted. This went on for a good twenty minutes before he found something that 'satisfied' him, which just happened to be a XXXG-01D Gundam Deathscythe from Gundam Wing. Along with it he purchased the toxic glue as well as the right colored paint, not wanting to mess up the coloring and thus ruining the entire figure.
The next hour was pretty uneventful, the group having to take a breather before doing anything else. So far he had been having a good time, even though his husband antics were getting to him quite a bit. It could've been that he was just excited, so much so that his mouth was just saying the first thing his mind thought of. That was understandable…but that didn't mean his punishment would stop. He was surrounded by such odd people, but in a place where oddities ruled they seemed to fit right in. Maybe that's what the problem was…he was too 'normal' and tried to rationalize everything he saw and everything that happened to them. What he needed to do was take them as they were, no analyzing, no over thinking, no nothing…he just needed to…what was the phrase the blonde florist liked to use…oh, 'go with the flow'. Yeah…the younger male needed to just…go with it.
Just as the five of them were about to have thirty minutes added to their hour, they were approached by a group of girls…and all he could think of was that small 'incident' that happened during New Years. Setsuna wasn't possessive, oh no, he just didn't like it when random women on the streets began to flirt with people who were already taken. That wasn't wrong, right? He reserved any looked until after the girls had spoken, wanting to give them a chance even if it was an extremely small one. Apparently the only thing they wanted was to take a few pictures of them, which didn't seem that unexpected. Since the lighting in the building wasn't that great, they followed the small group of girls outside so that the natural sunlight would make the pictures come out better. And then he needed to pose…just what pose they wanted he was completely unsure of.
The youngest had never actually struck a pose while taking a picture, Hallelujah completely dismissing him and the picture if he ever did so. He was at a bit of a loss…but the twins weren't. The youngest was completely taken by surprise when both of his cheeks were kissed by both of the twins, a blinding flash preventing him from actually doing anything. It wasn't until he was told to 'just have fun' that he snapped out of it…and jabbed the two of them in the stomach with his tonfas. If just have fun meant 'get into character', then fine…he would. He spent the next ten minutes basically abusing the two, the group of girls loving every minute of it. The younger male was having…fun, the abuse he was delivering the Dylandy twins only being part of it. The usual attention he got from stranger was negative, but the attention he was getting at the convention was different. People were…genuinely happy to have his presence around. That made his chest tighten a little…they weren't looking at him with hate, weren't looking at him as if he was strange or out of place…he was just like everyone else.
Having that feeling really did feel different…as if he was actually accepted into some kind of society, actually wanted by a group of people who had previously shunned him. That made him happy…Once it was time to switch, the group of girls getting their pictures taken, he just snapped whatever he thought seemed like a good pose. They were getting so into it, striking very familiar poses that anyone who knew the character would know. It wasn't until they abruptly stopped, asked for the time and then quickly left that the youngest felt himself get a little confused. It was then he was told by Feldt (who got his attention with a loud 'VOI!') that the doujin section was about to close in the next hour, and seeing as how that was one of the things on his 'to-do' list they needed to hurry. Luckily their currently position was not that far away from where they needed to be, which was luck in itself seeing as how big the convention center was.
Setsuna's nerves instantly began to set in as soon as they reached the designated area, not because of the amount of people that were there (and there were A LOT of people), but because he was, once again, going to buy porn. But not just any porn…porn from the people who had actually made it, people who had spent their precious skills, money and time making something they were so goddamn proud of. He did NOT want to insult them. Walking around didn't help the younger male at all, seeing as how the wanting gazes of everyone sitting behind a booth were practically screaming 'buy something from me!'. But what to buy? He did have a few pairing he wanted in mind, but…could he really just walk up to someone and just buy something like that? He had to…he would. The brunette and the smaller female apparently had their only shopping to attend to there, so they parted ways with them, saying that they would meet back up when it was closing time.
The three of them walked around looking for something interesting, which was hard seeing has how everything was interesting to him. After finding something he stopped, almost hesitantly, but he stopped. As he picked up one of the books from the stand he had stopped at, he couldn't help but notice how nervous the person selling looked, which was completely logical. If someone was standing right in front of him basically judging his work, he'd probably have his nerves on high alert as well. Flipping through a few pages he found that the artwork was rather nice, and since he was sure standing and reading was out of the question he merely paid and left. He continued this for a good while, running into the Shinjuku girls a few times. It wasn't so bad…he even managed to talk to a few of the artist, them commenting that it sometimes wasn't all that hard to draw what they wanted. They were all pretty interesting, a few strange, but still interesting.
By the time closing time had come around he had purchased twenty doujins, five key chains, three bookmarks, two dating-sims and one very nice art book. All in all it was a pretty nice haul. By the time they decided to head back to train station it was pretty late, around ten at night, and because exhaustion had finally set in Setsuna had to hitch a ride on his husband's back. He somehow managed to go in and out of consciousness every so often, knowing that he had at some point said goodbye to the Shinjuku duo, but could not for the life of him remember getting off the train, the walk back to the apartment or him falling asleep on his futon. But he did remember one thing…he remember the feeling he had upon leaving, the warm, oh-so welcome feeling that made itself known throughout his entire body.
He was…happy.
"Please, Setsu! We always cosplay, so we might as well try something different!"
Goddamn, were they ever going to drop it? Currently he was in his apartment, Christina, Feldt and Tieria trying their best to convince him just why writing a doujin was better than cosplaying for what seemed like the hundredth time. Truth be told he really didn't object to the idea, finding it a good way to make some kind of income other than with the job he had. What he did, however, object to was the whole 'him drawing it' thing…both the small female and the brunette had a very nice style of their own, so why did they constantly want him to draw yaoi? Was it because he was one of the assistants to a not-so-famous manga author? Or maybe it was because they just wanted everyone they knew in their little 'otaku clique' to participate…but Setsuna was sure it was the first option.
"You sound like a dog begging, it's very unbecoming." The younger male said in a rather blunt tone as he rubbed the back of his head, yawning. It was supposed to be his day off from school and work, which was probably why they decided to come barging over and once again ask him to make a decision.
He had gotten use to it though, the sometimes unannounced visits from his friends, the otaku ramblings, and the constant begging. It was the norm for him, and he was sure if someone else had his life they'd probably end up losing their minds. But because his life had been filled with so many oddities his perception of what was 'normal' had been slightly skewed, one side-effect being his calm and collective attitude in the face of something that others deemed 'strange'.
"Nya, nya, beg like a cat then…" Feldt said as she held her hands up to the top of her head, moving them like cat ears. To someone else that would've been beyond out there, but to him it was just everyday life.
The three of them continued on, giving him all of the pros of the situation without mentioning any of the cons. The younger male knew very well what the cons were…and one just happened to stick out the most to him. It was one that only he knew of, and it was so goddamn embarrassing that he knew it would've been best to keep it to himself. For some reason every time he decided to draw something deemed 'erotic' he would have extremely dirty thoughts that dealt with the Dylandy twins, usually resulting in him spending a good while in the bathroom just trying to rid himself of the images. There was no way in hell he was telling his friends or either of the twins for that matter that his own pictures were horribly turning him on, so to deal with the problem he decided to refuse the request of doing anything doujin related.
It was unfair, yes, but it was the only logical thing his completely hormone driven mind could think up. Sighing a little he interrupted them in mid sentence, saying that it was about time to replenish their supply of snacks. Once in the kitchen he found Amy drawing pictures with Lockon, something that was a common occurrence in the apartment every Sunday around the afternoon. She was dropped off in the morning around eight, her mother usually giving them the same instructions each time and of course the three of them just nodded and smiled. The youngest Dylandy was picked up around eight, usually half-cocked or completely knocked out, either her mother or father usually taking her home.
The younger male got along well with Amy, and without a doubt she was the spitting image of her older brothers. Well…if they were girls that was. She had an extremely sweet disposition, and even if she did get mad sometimes (for instance not getting the sweets she wanted), she quickly got over it and moved on to something else. She did, however, share one trait with her brothers…Amy was clingy. Whenever she got the chance she'd cling onto him, and even if it was welcome it was a bit odd when she decided to latch onto his leg when he decided to walk. To him it was like monkey holding onto a tree, arms and legs completely wrapped around his leg, but she did seem to enjoy it so there wasn't much he could do about it.
"Tsuna Onii-chan! Look! Look! I drew a dog!" Amy said, holding up a sheet of paper that held her scribbles on it.
"It looks really nice, you did a good job." He said with a slight smile, patter her in the head as he did so. Of course because of his praise she was happy, so 'happy Amy' decided to hug him around the neck. The youngest Dylandy wasn't going to let go any time soon, Setsuna knew this, so he merely picked her up and took her with him.
It wasn't like he was going far, just to refill the tray of homemade cookies he had made prior to his friends visiting. Like always he had made one too many, meaning quite a few of them would be sent home with the others. As he handed one to Amy he was quickly told by his husband he wasn't supposed to give her too many, to which he was given an 'I know, Mommy'. Lockon really did act like an overprotective mother whenever his little sister came over, which was reasonable seeing as how she was rather young. The younger male and Lyle did spoil her on occasion, the biggest offender probably being him. Setsuna didn't mean to, in fact most of it he was completely unaware of until told, which usually came as a shock to him. How was he supposed to know that buying something that a kid wanted was spoiling? He thought that was him just being nice…of course maybe it was a little overkill going to several different stores.
"Oi, Amy…" The younger male started, getting the younger Dylandy sibling's attention, "Should I draw pictures this summer, or dress up?"
"Hm…I like it when everyone dressed up! But…I like it Onii-chan draws, so…"
"Should I do both…?"
"Yes!"
That didn't take long, like many of the other decisions he asked her to make. She was his main good-to person when it came to making decisions like that because, well, the youngest Dylandy had no idea what his otaku world was like. Amy was an objective viewer; she didn't know him as an 'otaku' she only knew him for dressing up in 'cute outfits' or drawing 'cute pictures'. But if she said she wanted him to, then…he really had no choice. Placing her down he took the tray back into the living room, the young girl holding onto his pant leg as she followed.
"Amy said we should do both…" Setsuna said as he placed the tray down on the small table, stopping whatever it was the others had wanted to say.
"Both?" The three of them said in unison, either completely shocked that he had finally come to a final verdict, or that he had actually suggested both options.
"Well…if we split into teams of two, it can be done." Tieria muttered as he began to count on his fingers, probably the cost of everything which would obviously be more than they actually wanted to spend…but sometimes one needed to sacrifice for one's fandom.
They spent the next hour and a half trying to figure out just what anime they would be doing, how much the printing and fabric would cost, and the likelihood of them getting in. It was a lot to think about all at once, but they managed to get the foundation down. They would make something from the series Axis Powers Hetalia (something he finally checked out and decided he liked), which basically used anthropomorphic characters (a good portion of them male) based off of countries that explored certain historical events around the world…which usually ended up being rather humorous. The pairing would be Greece and Japan, mainly because it was implied that the two had 'done it' and the fact that Feldt thought it was 'cute'. The page count would be around thirty, which was pretty normal for a doujin, and there would be at least two color pages because it would make the book 'eye-catching'.
Just who would be going as who had not been decided, and maybe that could've been saved for another get together. By the time they had finished the sun had began to set, meaning that his visitors had to head home. The second youngest in particular since he had gotten into the habit of 'helping' Allelujah with dinner, and even though he had gotten better over the years he still needed a lot of work. It was a bit strange, his cooking that was, and even though the youngest had only tried it a few times the taste did not always reflect what was actually on the plate. The 'elder' Haptism said that if one held their nose it really didn't taste like much, though of course that was if there actually was any flavor at all to the dish.
Once gone Setsuna practically collapsed on the couch, feeling so out of it that he just wanted to sleep…which he obviously couldn't seeing has how he still had so much to do. Dinner needed to be cooked, and even if he allowed both Lyle and Lockon to cook he was always in the kitchen and never took his eyes off of them. Amy found it rather amusing when they messed something up…not finding it so amusing when she actually had to eat what they cooked. It was also important make dinner before it became too late because Lyle had to work every night, and so that he did not go to work on an empty stomach cooking was the obvious option. His work hours were a lot to deal with, seeing as how he didn't have to leave until eleven and didn't come back until six in the morning. It did work out sometimes since the younger male only had to work two days out of the week, meaning he could spend practically all day with the older male.
The youngest was paid to draw whatever the manga artist he worked for wanted, and because it was a usually a monthly magazine they were writing for certain expectations were supposed to be kept. Since it was pretty much a whole month between releases the quality of work was apparently supposed to be better than chapter released on a weekly basis, so of course not only did he have to keep the quality of his own but make sure the other assistance did the same. For some reason he was appointed the 'head assistant' of the group he was currently working with, and it probably had something to do with the fact that he was the first person to arrive more than the fact that he was talented. It was a bit strange since the other people he had worked for had never done that before, but like always he adapted fairly quickly. Meeting new assistants was an interesting thing, but there was one he tried his best to stay away from. Johann Trinity was apparently in the same business as him…and the youngest tried his hardest to avoid him.
He had only worked with him once, and even that was too much. The other must've thought Setsuna was single or had neglected whatever his siblings had told him in the past, because he swore every time the two of them were together it felt as if he was flirting with him. During their work hours he was only verbally flirtatious, asking about his interests, if he was doing anything that evening or if he hand any plans for the rest of the week. The younger male merely answered with 'classified', clearly not wanting to talk about anything other than work. It only became physical when they left, the oldest Trinity usually rubbing his back or neck or touching his arm in a way that was just not normal. But the youngest always dealt with it, his usual method being to bend one of the other male's fingers back and tell him to 'back off if he wanted to keep all of his limbs'.
Apparently he was a masochist as well, since the much older male would laugh whenever he was given any sort of pain. He thought he was joking…Setsuna never joked with him and had no reason to. It became a bit more extreme on the last day when he decided to follow him to the train station; the younger male wasn't stupid, he knew when someone was following him and because of this he deliberately missed his stop to throw the oldest Trinity off. He made sure that his outward appearance didn't change, not wanting to tip the other male off that he had missed his correct destination. It was quite a while before he felt his presence disappear, and by that time it had become rather late. Luckily for the younger male there was one last train running, and the only thing he had to deal with was explaining just why he was so late to the twins.
Since he had control over the situation there was no point in him telling the truth to them.
Getting up, he made his way into the kitchen, making a mental note that he needed to go shopping sometimes within the next few days. When he felt an arm snake itself around his wait, the younger male sighed heavily, wanting to at least start cooking before any part of his body was assaulted. The hand that was attached to it moved up, underneath his shirt as it began to caress his chest. Turning his head to the side slightly he was kissed, a kiss that told him that the older male really wanted to do something right at that moment.
"It sounds like you're going to be pretty busy from now on…" His husband said upon parting, lips now barely touching the skin on his neck, "But you looked excited."
"Really…" The younger male inquired, noticing that hand was now making its way downward. He'd been holding it in all day, Setsuna knew this for a fact, because the older male did not like being too affectionate when his sister was around. At least he had finally learned that not everything was appropriate for others to see…too bad it had taken him so long to learn.
"Where's-"
"Amy's playing with Lyle in his room, so we're alone."
"Ah…no."
"But- !"
"When she leaves."
And that was that. Pushing the older male away, he immediately switched back over into 'housework mode', completely ignoring whatever his husband had to say. Seriously, he could wait a few more hours to get laid…if not there was a reason locks were invented for doors.
"You're so mean, Setsu…"
"I know."