"Nuriko... are you ok?" Miaka called sleepily to Nuriko, who was sleeping
sitting up against the door. Miaka pushed herself out of the covers and
went over to the
violet-haired seishi. "Nuriko, I can't get out with you blocking the door
like that..."
"Nuriko are you ok? When did you and Tasuki come back last night?" She shook the voilet haired boy.
"Nuriko, we need to get going..." Nuriko groaned.
Nuriko opened his tired eyes as he got up very stiffly, walking over to put his unused bedding supplies back in the closet, trying to decide to himself whether last night had been a good thing or a bad thing. All he know for sure was that he would be completely content to not have to show his face around Hotohori or Tasuki. Nuriko whipped around, facing the back wall as Tasuki slowly opened the door.
Miaka beamed. "Tasuki! How did you sleep? Aren't you excited about today? We might find the other seishi today!"
Tasuki hesitated, taking a breath before slowly, too steadily than was normal saying, "All of us are ready to go. Whenever you're ready." Without even so much a glance at Nuriko, he stepped out of the room.
He really hadn't expected Nuriko to react like that last night. It was one of the few times in his life where he actually felt genuinely depressed. He was able to brush most things off as not important... But Nuriko was definitely important. He strolled down the stairs, slowly, as if in some kind of funeral procession. But really... What point was there to love? And how did he even know that this was actually love? According to everything Tasuki had heard, love was supposed to be the greatest thing ever. It was unarguable that what he felt right now was horribly painful, whatever it was. So how could it be love?
Even if it were love, everything that Tasuki had ever heard about love told him that love fades. He folded his arms, stepping outside into the brisk, dewy morning air. People would claim true love, promising their love forever, wanting to live with their love forever... Then love would fade, dry up, and be gone forever. So what if he loved Nuriko? For one thing, Nuriko didn't love him back... and even if he did, what was the point if they were just going to drift apart or hate each other after a heated argument? Tasuki kicked the ground, looking up as the door opened.
"Tasuki," Hotohori acknowledged his presence as he closed the inn door behind him.
Tasuki nodded slightly in return. Hotohori came up beside Tasuki, although still a few feet away from him, joining the bandit in leaning against the building, arms crossed. (if only they had sunglasses... then they would be cool.. x.x;;)
The next to arrive downstairs was Miaka, closely followed by Mitsukake, who just waved to everyone before going to sit down a little ways away. Miaka bounced eagerly, stupidly, "Good morning Tasuki! Good morning Hotohori!"
"Morning..." was all Hotohori had to offer.
This pissed Tasuki off for some reason. "What? Aren't you gonna go try to get it on with her? Don't worry. Nuriko's not fuckin' around to see you."
Hotohori did nothing but cast him a very, very mean glare.
Miaka blinked, "Gee! I wish I weren't so stupid!"
"Do you have any idea how damned long Nuriko was crying over you?? Over a bastard like you... How the hell can you do that to someone?" Tasuki shouted at Hotohori, his hands in fists at his sides. Tasuki became more enraged as Hotohori did nothing.
Nuriko walked down the stairs, not looking forward to seeing anyone. What was he thinking last night when he ignored Tasuki like that? He bit his lip hard. He heard shout from outside, recognizable as Tasuki's. Nuriko slowed his already sluggish (nuriko's not a slug! :() walk, as, the more he thought about it, the more he really didn't want to see Tasuki or Hotohori. Well... he wanted to see Tasuki, he just didn't know whether or not Tasuki wanted to see him. He reached for the door leading outside, hesitantly pushing it open. He squinted as the bright morning light beamed down on him suddenly. Obviously, Miaka was the only one who noticed his arrival, as Hotohori and Tasuki were a good ways off, Tasuki screaming at Hotohori, who was just standing there looking rather peeved.
"Nuriko! Good morning!"
Nuriko looked over as he thought he heard Tasuki shout his name in the midst of what he was yelling at Hotohori about. "Good morning, Miaka..." Nuriko gave her a quick smile before watching Hotohori and Tasuki.
Soon after he turned his attention to them, the spectacle was over. Tasuki reached over and shoved Hotohori completely over before turning around, his hands in his pockets. His original plan was to go back over to Miaka, but when he saw Nuriko standing there next to her... Nuriko probably wouldn't want to talk to him, so he just walked around in circles as Hotohori pulled himself up off the ground, brushed the dirt off, and ran his hands through his long hair, looking, for a moment, as though he might tackle Tasuki from behind.
"Tasuki! Hotohori! Come on!" Miaka waved them to come over to where her and Nuriko were standing. Nuriko really wished she hadn't done that. His heart was almost ready to crash as Hotohori tossed his thick hair, sending the sun flying off of it in all directions. The seishi tried to calm his eyes, which were making threats never to work again if they couldn't count the visage of the angelically beautiful emperor theirs. Nuriko's heart reasoned back that, yes, he was beautiful, but at the same time, his ways were the most horribly ugly disfigured thing ever. Nuriko was caught amidst a battle in which he was not entirely sure what side he was on. Suddenly, he was ripped from the battlefield, where most were dead, but those who lived on fought with conviction for his love, as he caught sight of Tasuki. Nuriko sighed. All at once he was positively sure that he had no idea what he wanted.
There was Hotohori, who was quite undisputedly the loveliest creature ever to grace the earth with his heavenly presence. He was, in short, perfect. Money? All anyone could ever spend! Power? He was the EMPEROR! Looks? There was no better to be found. Brave? He was one of the bravest people Nuriko had ever met! Sweet? He was as sweet as he was powerful. Filthy cheating liar? Why yes! Obsessed with himself? Well at least you don't have to worry about finding love when you are your own true love... Well maybe he wasn't perfect... But Nuriko had been in love with him for years before he even met him! Sure, it had never really been anything more than a crush up until lately... but the love was still there. And if he couldn't get the emperor for his sister, then who? There wasn't anyone else that would do. His sister deserved the best of the best, and who's better than the emperor?
Tasuki. Nuriko had known him little more than a week. A week. It seemed like a lot longer than that... Definitely a lot longer... He knew Tasuki too well to have only known him a week. They had become such good friends. It seemed like they had known eachother since they were born. Tasuki was far from perfect, though. He swore, he drank, he stole, he had probably killed people... Nuriko cast him a brave glance as the group walked down the small road leading away from the town. Tasuki was definitely good-looking. Not in the same way as Hotohori, though. Hotohori was beautiful... there was really no other word for it. Tasuki was just... unexplainable. The way his hair fell onto his face carelessly. The way his smile was slightly lopsided. The way he always stood, barely slouching, as if he was so cool that the world bored him. The way he laughed. Nuriko could never tell whether it sounded like he was nervous or if that was something else in his laugh... he couldn't put his finger on it... So many things about Tasuki were like that. The way he always whipped out that stupid fan every few minutes. The way he spoke. His voice was so animated. Nuriko furrowed his brow as he tried to remember the name of the dialect Tasuki spoke with... Well, whatever it was, it sounded incredibly sexy when it came from the bandit's mouth... Nuriko went on in his mind, seemingly being able to go on forever. The way he always acted like such a child. The way he wasn't like a child at all. The way he could always find a way to make Nuriko laugh. The way Nuriko felt when Tasuki looked at him. The way he thought Nuriko to be a girl. The way Nuriko knew that he would hate him if he knew the truth. The way Tasuki was looking at him right now. What? Nuriko quickly removed his eyes from Tasuki's, not realizing that they had been so thoroughly plastered there.
Nuriko pulled himself against his will back into reality. They were a few miles away from the town now. The sun was blazing heat down on them as it rose higher into the sky. This was the hottest it had been yet all year, as the spring was slowly growing into summer. Nuriko wiped his forehead, wishing there was something he could do so that he wouldn't be so hot. He looked around to the other members of the uneasy group.
Miaka had on her short brown skirt, which came down to a little above her knees, and her matching brown jacket over it. Maybe that was why Hotohori liked her... she was always wearing such a short skirt! He had heard many other members of the harem back at the palace gossiping about how slutty she dressed, especially considering she was the priestess of Suzaku. But anyway, she must have been feeling the heat more than Nuriko was because of her jacket.
Hotohori was wearing his 'commoner' clothes. He didn't look common in them at all. His outer layer was mostly red. He was dressed about the same as Nuriko was, with two long thin layers and thin ankle length pants.
Tasuki must have been burning up in his stiff, thick black jacket. Probably stolen from a very wealthy man. His pants looked like they were made of heavy material, too. Nuriko wondered to himself how Tasuki could stand to wear such hot clothing in such weather.
Mitsukake, who had been keeping to himself a lot since they met up with him (cuz he's boring!!), seemed to be doing alright with his thin, loosely bound yellow overshirt and thin white shirt underneath. Nuriko blinked as he noticed for the first time that Mitsukake had a cat in his shirt. Nuriko's thoughts were somewhere along the line of 'hmm weird... yet... incredibly boring.'
Nuriko himself was wearing a long-sleeved red over-thing. He wished that it weren't quite so tight around his neck, as it was quite uncomfortable in the heat. He reached up to unfasten the top of his shirt- thing, nonchalantly glancing around.
Just as his eyes darted to Tasuki for a split second, he realized that Tasuki was looking at him. Nuriko undid the closure on the neck of his shirt. Tasuki's eyes went wide in confusion. Was Nuriko stripping for him?? Nuriko blushed a little as he noticed that Tasuki was staring at him quite interestedly. God, what? Did he think he was going to strip or something?
Nuriko gave Tasuki a 'what is it?' look.
Tasuki mouthed to him, 'What?' making his lack of comprehension clear.
'What is it?' Nuriko mouthed back.
'What?' Tasuki scrunched his face a little in confusion.
'What?' Nuriko tilted his head to the side slightly.
'What?'
Nuriko rolled his eyes, turning to look straight ahead of him rather than to the side at Tasuki.
Tasuki sighed. Great. Now not only did Nuriko hate him, but he thought that he was stupid as well. He put his hands in his pockets, slouching a little as he shuffled along. He didn't get it. He told Nuriko that he loved her and now she hated him. Granted, it wasn't exactly a good time considering she had just found out about Hotohori and all... but still... Maybe if he tried telling Nuriko again. He decided that he'd do it when they stopped to rest.
"Nuriko are you ok? When did you and Tasuki come back last night?" She shook the voilet haired boy.
"Nuriko, we need to get going..." Nuriko groaned.
Nuriko opened his tired eyes as he got up very stiffly, walking over to put his unused bedding supplies back in the closet, trying to decide to himself whether last night had been a good thing or a bad thing. All he know for sure was that he would be completely content to not have to show his face around Hotohori or Tasuki. Nuriko whipped around, facing the back wall as Tasuki slowly opened the door.
Miaka beamed. "Tasuki! How did you sleep? Aren't you excited about today? We might find the other seishi today!"
Tasuki hesitated, taking a breath before slowly, too steadily than was normal saying, "All of us are ready to go. Whenever you're ready." Without even so much a glance at Nuriko, he stepped out of the room.
He really hadn't expected Nuriko to react like that last night. It was one of the few times in his life where he actually felt genuinely depressed. He was able to brush most things off as not important... But Nuriko was definitely important. He strolled down the stairs, slowly, as if in some kind of funeral procession. But really... What point was there to love? And how did he even know that this was actually love? According to everything Tasuki had heard, love was supposed to be the greatest thing ever. It was unarguable that what he felt right now was horribly painful, whatever it was. So how could it be love?
Even if it were love, everything that Tasuki had ever heard about love told him that love fades. He folded his arms, stepping outside into the brisk, dewy morning air. People would claim true love, promising their love forever, wanting to live with their love forever... Then love would fade, dry up, and be gone forever. So what if he loved Nuriko? For one thing, Nuriko didn't love him back... and even if he did, what was the point if they were just going to drift apart or hate each other after a heated argument? Tasuki kicked the ground, looking up as the door opened.
"Tasuki," Hotohori acknowledged his presence as he closed the inn door behind him.
Tasuki nodded slightly in return. Hotohori came up beside Tasuki, although still a few feet away from him, joining the bandit in leaning against the building, arms crossed. (if only they had sunglasses... then they would be cool.. x.x;;)
The next to arrive downstairs was Miaka, closely followed by Mitsukake, who just waved to everyone before going to sit down a little ways away. Miaka bounced eagerly, stupidly, "Good morning Tasuki! Good morning Hotohori!"
"Morning..." was all Hotohori had to offer.
This pissed Tasuki off for some reason. "What? Aren't you gonna go try to get it on with her? Don't worry. Nuriko's not fuckin' around to see you."
Hotohori did nothing but cast him a very, very mean glare.
Miaka blinked, "Gee! I wish I weren't so stupid!"
"Do you have any idea how damned long Nuriko was crying over you?? Over a bastard like you... How the hell can you do that to someone?" Tasuki shouted at Hotohori, his hands in fists at his sides. Tasuki became more enraged as Hotohori did nothing.
Nuriko walked down the stairs, not looking forward to seeing anyone. What was he thinking last night when he ignored Tasuki like that? He bit his lip hard. He heard shout from outside, recognizable as Tasuki's. Nuriko slowed his already sluggish (nuriko's not a slug! :() walk, as, the more he thought about it, the more he really didn't want to see Tasuki or Hotohori. Well... he wanted to see Tasuki, he just didn't know whether or not Tasuki wanted to see him. He reached for the door leading outside, hesitantly pushing it open. He squinted as the bright morning light beamed down on him suddenly. Obviously, Miaka was the only one who noticed his arrival, as Hotohori and Tasuki were a good ways off, Tasuki screaming at Hotohori, who was just standing there looking rather peeved.
"Nuriko! Good morning!"
Nuriko looked over as he thought he heard Tasuki shout his name in the midst of what he was yelling at Hotohori about. "Good morning, Miaka..." Nuriko gave her a quick smile before watching Hotohori and Tasuki.
Soon after he turned his attention to them, the spectacle was over. Tasuki reached over and shoved Hotohori completely over before turning around, his hands in his pockets. His original plan was to go back over to Miaka, but when he saw Nuriko standing there next to her... Nuriko probably wouldn't want to talk to him, so he just walked around in circles as Hotohori pulled himself up off the ground, brushed the dirt off, and ran his hands through his long hair, looking, for a moment, as though he might tackle Tasuki from behind.
"Tasuki! Hotohori! Come on!" Miaka waved them to come over to where her and Nuriko were standing. Nuriko really wished she hadn't done that. His heart was almost ready to crash as Hotohori tossed his thick hair, sending the sun flying off of it in all directions. The seishi tried to calm his eyes, which were making threats never to work again if they couldn't count the visage of the angelically beautiful emperor theirs. Nuriko's heart reasoned back that, yes, he was beautiful, but at the same time, his ways were the most horribly ugly disfigured thing ever. Nuriko was caught amidst a battle in which he was not entirely sure what side he was on. Suddenly, he was ripped from the battlefield, where most were dead, but those who lived on fought with conviction for his love, as he caught sight of Tasuki. Nuriko sighed. All at once he was positively sure that he had no idea what he wanted.
There was Hotohori, who was quite undisputedly the loveliest creature ever to grace the earth with his heavenly presence. He was, in short, perfect. Money? All anyone could ever spend! Power? He was the EMPEROR! Looks? There was no better to be found. Brave? He was one of the bravest people Nuriko had ever met! Sweet? He was as sweet as he was powerful. Filthy cheating liar? Why yes! Obsessed with himself? Well at least you don't have to worry about finding love when you are your own true love... Well maybe he wasn't perfect... But Nuriko had been in love with him for years before he even met him! Sure, it had never really been anything more than a crush up until lately... but the love was still there. And if he couldn't get the emperor for his sister, then who? There wasn't anyone else that would do. His sister deserved the best of the best, and who's better than the emperor?
Tasuki. Nuriko had known him little more than a week. A week. It seemed like a lot longer than that... Definitely a lot longer... He knew Tasuki too well to have only known him a week. They had become such good friends. It seemed like they had known eachother since they were born. Tasuki was far from perfect, though. He swore, he drank, he stole, he had probably killed people... Nuriko cast him a brave glance as the group walked down the small road leading away from the town. Tasuki was definitely good-looking. Not in the same way as Hotohori, though. Hotohori was beautiful... there was really no other word for it. Tasuki was just... unexplainable. The way his hair fell onto his face carelessly. The way his smile was slightly lopsided. The way he always stood, barely slouching, as if he was so cool that the world bored him. The way he laughed. Nuriko could never tell whether it sounded like he was nervous or if that was something else in his laugh... he couldn't put his finger on it... So many things about Tasuki were like that. The way he always whipped out that stupid fan every few minutes. The way he spoke. His voice was so animated. Nuriko furrowed his brow as he tried to remember the name of the dialect Tasuki spoke with... Well, whatever it was, it sounded incredibly sexy when it came from the bandit's mouth... Nuriko went on in his mind, seemingly being able to go on forever. The way he always acted like such a child. The way he wasn't like a child at all. The way he could always find a way to make Nuriko laugh. The way Nuriko felt when Tasuki looked at him. The way he thought Nuriko to be a girl. The way Nuriko knew that he would hate him if he knew the truth. The way Tasuki was looking at him right now. What? Nuriko quickly removed his eyes from Tasuki's, not realizing that they had been so thoroughly plastered there.
Nuriko pulled himself against his will back into reality. They were a few miles away from the town now. The sun was blazing heat down on them as it rose higher into the sky. This was the hottest it had been yet all year, as the spring was slowly growing into summer. Nuriko wiped his forehead, wishing there was something he could do so that he wouldn't be so hot. He looked around to the other members of the uneasy group.
Miaka had on her short brown skirt, which came down to a little above her knees, and her matching brown jacket over it. Maybe that was why Hotohori liked her... she was always wearing such a short skirt! He had heard many other members of the harem back at the palace gossiping about how slutty she dressed, especially considering she was the priestess of Suzaku. But anyway, she must have been feeling the heat more than Nuriko was because of her jacket.
Hotohori was wearing his 'commoner' clothes. He didn't look common in them at all. His outer layer was mostly red. He was dressed about the same as Nuriko was, with two long thin layers and thin ankle length pants.
Tasuki must have been burning up in his stiff, thick black jacket. Probably stolen from a very wealthy man. His pants looked like they were made of heavy material, too. Nuriko wondered to himself how Tasuki could stand to wear such hot clothing in such weather.
Mitsukake, who had been keeping to himself a lot since they met up with him (cuz he's boring!!), seemed to be doing alright with his thin, loosely bound yellow overshirt and thin white shirt underneath. Nuriko blinked as he noticed for the first time that Mitsukake had a cat in his shirt. Nuriko's thoughts were somewhere along the line of 'hmm weird... yet... incredibly boring.'
Nuriko himself was wearing a long-sleeved red over-thing. He wished that it weren't quite so tight around his neck, as it was quite uncomfortable in the heat. He reached up to unfasten the top of his shirt- thing, nonchalantly glancing around.
Just as his eyes darted to Tasuki for a split second, he realized that Tasuki was looking at him. Nuriko undid the closure on the neck of his shirt. Tasuki's eyes went wide in confusion. Was Nuriko stripping for him?? Nuriko blushed a little as he noticed that Tasuki was staring at him quite interestedly. God, what? Did he think he was going to strip or something?
Nuriko gave Tasuki a 'what is it?' look.
Tasuki mouthed to him, 'What?' making his lack of comprehension clear.
'What is it?' Nuriko mouthed back.
'What?' Tasuki scrunched his face a little in confusion.
'What?' Nuriko tilted his head to the side slightly.
'What?'
Nuriko rolled his eyes, turning to look straight ahead of him rather than to the side at Tasuki.
Tasuki sighed. Great. Now not only did Nuriko hate him, but he thought that he was stupid as well. He put his hands in his pockets, slouching a little as he shuffled along. He didn't get it. He told Nuriko that he loved her and now she hated him. Granted, it wasn't exactly a good time considering she had just found out about Hotohori and all... but still... Maybe if he tried telling Nuriko again. He decided that he'd do it when they stopped to rest.
