After everything that had happened in the Capital over the last few months, the past few summer days were a blessing in their peacefulness. No better place did this peace exist than within the courtyard of Abe no Seimei, who was preparing to go into town to pick up a few small things.
As the onmyoji stepped outside and into his sandals, he took in the view around him: several spirits milling about through the summer flowers in full bloom, a very frustrated Hiromasa was restringing his bow beneath one massive tree, Kagura looked as content as ever as she sat by the water wheel with Zashiki and Kusa-the three discussing something in town, Oguna was trying to take a nap while Doujo was attempting to bury him in flowers, Kohaku was sunning himself on his back near the small lily pond-clearly asleep and kicking his legs in his dreams, Inugami and Hakuro were sitting on the ground near the porch to better keep a wary watch on Yao Bikuni as she sat in seeming meditation on said-porch, and Aobozu was meditating under a tree with Yasha trying to engage him in yet another fight as the sea spirit was bored-the monk, however, was refusing to acknowledge the other male's running mouth and occasional light kick to the monk's shoulder.
The Son of Kuzu-no-ha did hope that the last one did not end in a fight-regardless of his one rule being for peace in his courtyard, even he knew that some things just couldn't be helped-as, soon, it would be far too cold to replant his flowers.
Seimei glanced around a second time-there was no sign of Momiji or Kamikui around, and the onmyoji decided that he should accept that small blessing for what it was. While he had no quarrels with the two spirits, their nigh-constant competition over which of them was more beautiful and deserving of him had grown tiring within the first week, and he had yet to figure out exactly how to make it clearer to the two spirits, without having to resort to behaving like Hiromasa, that he was not interested in anything of that nature with either one of them.
Enenra had been no real help either in regards to her brother-she'd just wished the onmyoji luck and asked for him to try to not break her brother's heart when he finally managed to get the spirit to understand that he was not interested. Seimei had been left wondering if all sets of siblings behaved like that or if the sets he knew were merely special cases.
"Going somewhere, Seimei?" Hiromasa asked, glancing up from working on his bow when the white-haired man came near to him-raising a dark brow, seemingly in appraisal, at the far more simple, yet still elegant kimono and hakama that the onmyoji was wearing. Seimei raised a brow in question-was he imagining things or was Hiromasa...no. No. That would be silly.
"Only to town to pick up a few things. Do you require anything, Hiromasa?" Seimei asked, delicately tapping his fan against his palm as he regarded the archer; the Minamoto waved a hand, looking back down at his unstrung bow and returning to his work. "Nothing I can't get myself."
"Very well then."
"Try to not get abducted."
"Hiromasa-" Was all that the onmyoji got out before both men stopped and stared at one another when they sensed an immense power quickly approaching the courtyard-Kagura and the shikigami immediately rising and going on their guard, Yao Bikuni sliding off of the porch so that she was standing at the ready with her staff in her hand. Hiromasa rose to stand, his gaze focused just behind the white-haired man's shoulder and Seimei turned around to see whom exactly had come to visit.
A hush fell over the courtyard as Ibaraki Doji merely strode through the gates, not unlike a samurai on a mission, and over to where the two men stood.
"Greetings, Abe no Seimei...and everyone else."
"Greetings, Ibaraki Doji. To what do we owe the honor of your visit?" Seimei asked, regarding the chaotic spirit in front of him warily-every instinct in his body warned that something was very much amiss with this little visit, with only the spirit's lack of armor as the tip of that proverbial spear.
"Shuten Doji and I would like for you to come with me to Mt. Oe tonight."
Seimei processed this, tapping his fan against his palm-was it his imagination or was the spirit staring at him? He did not look that strange out of his ceremonial robes, did he? "I see. Well, give us a moment and we can-"
"No. You are fine as you are...and we only require you." Was all that Ibaraki said with an almost predatory smile on his face...before he grabbed the onmyoji and swiftly put him over his shoulder not unlike a sack of rice-the suddenness of the movements causing the white-haired man to drop his fan in surprise. "No worries. I shall return you to this very spot soon enough. Tomorrow afternoon by the latest."
Before anyone else could do anything, the white-maned spirit and his captive were gone.
Finally, Yasha's voice broke the confused silence that had overtaken the courtyard. "That...did that just happen? Monk, you saw that, right?"
"I have functioning eyes, Yasha."
'Well...this is undignified.' Was the main thought in Seimei's head as he was being carried up Mt. Oe on Ibaraki Doji's shoulder like a fresh carcass. The onmyoji had tried-several times in fact-since their arrival and the beginning of their ascent from halfway up the mountain, to find out exactly why his presence was being demanded so badly that it required him being abducted from his home...but the other male had been infuriatingly evasive in giving only a vague "we shall tell you when we arrive" and continuing their ascent as if this were perfectly normal.
'If this is some mischief of Tamamo-no-mae's, I am going to be furious with him.' Seimei muttered in his head, resting his chin on a fist-his elbow supported against Ibaraki's shoulder blade-as he took to admiring the view of the forest of the mountain from a new perspective, in order to keep his thoughts firmly away from the large hand resting comfortably on the back of his thighs to keep him secure on the spirit's shoulder. "I can walk, Ibaraki Doji."
"I am aware. However, this is much faster."
The onmyoji closed his eyes a moment-he felt anger bleeding into his confusion and embarrassment, and it would not be a good idea to give in to that particular emotion at the moment. When he opened his eyes, the white-haired man could only stare as they passed by Onikiri who was staring after them in utter confusion-the sword spirit seemingly struggling to process the sight that he was witnessing before seemingly giving up and wandering off into the woods with a hand pressed to his forehead, muttering something beneath his breath.
"I...do believe that seeing this has greatly disturbed Onikiri."
"Possible." Ibaraki said, having stopped a moment to watch the sword spirit wander off. He shifted the onmyoji on his shoulder, trying to keep the rather awkward position comfortable for both of them, and began their ascent once more. "Hopefully he avoids going to the small tavern that we have. The last thing anyone needs is Onikiri drinking again."
Seimei blinked slowly at that statement, then... "What happened the last time that he was drinking?"
"Trust me when I say that you do not want me to answer that question."
= = =
'Won't be too much longer now.' Thought the Demon King of Mt. Oe as he stood on the porch of his half-finished home, a smirk on his face at the thoughts of what tonight could be like for him, his lover, and their 'special guest'. Leaning on a support beam for the ceiling above the porch, the spirit went over his mental itinerary for the evening, ticking off each thing on his fingers.
Step 1. Send Ibaraki to get the onmyoji: check.
Step 2. Make sure that their bedroom was somewhat presentable: check.
Step 3. Have a sitting room ready with sake, tea, and finger foods for the discussion-slash-seduction portion of the evening: check.
Step 4. Get his lover and said-onmyoji back to the bedroom and have both of them naked in bed with him: not quite check, but it would be soon enough. He was sure of it. After all...how could the onmyoji possibly resist the pair of them together?
Shuten smirked wider when Ibaraki finally arrived through the gate to the yard of the manor, onmyoji still laid over his shoulder-the man shifting just enough to prove that, thankfully, Ibaraki hadn't been forced to knock the onmyoji out or anything of that sort. He pushed off of the support beam and stepped from the porch, striding forward to meet the pair halfway and reaching out to press a hand firmly to the small of the onmyoji's back.
'Showtime.'