Okay, this is random but
I just experienced "pork skins" for the first time. o.o Oh. my. gosh. I've given these the hairy eyeball and the insulting "I think I'll pull slightly away from where you are located" thing in the store's potato chip aisle for years now, but why, why haven't I ever TRIED them before? They are AWESOME. XD
The taste is kind of boring, like unflavorful, underseasoned, overcooked chicken skin, and the mild scent is gross (reminds me of smoky rawhide treats, yuck) but the rehydrated mouthfeel of them in the back of my throat is just, yes *droool* I didn't expect them to actually /be/, like, the texture of crispy, airy skin that melts softly and delightfully against my tongue with the moisture from inside of my mouth.
I don't know, I thought they would just be gross, not collagen-y, soft, slightly sticky and SOOO yummy in my mouth. xD *hugs the bag to my chest lovingly* Get in my mouth, get in my mouth, I want to eat ALL of you.
Kaito: *pipes up in a weird fake voice* Get in mah belleh!
... R-really, Kaito? I don't know whether to laugh or sweatdrop.
Kaito: *smiles* ;)
My bgm for this chapter was "See You Again" by Wiz Khalifa.
...
"Taito," Mikuo called out groggily through the dark-purple haired Vocaloid's door. "Have you seen my towel?"
Mikuo knocked again, resting his head against Taito's door. He felt like crap. The nightmares last night had all been about Rin, crying out for him from a dark, cold place that he couldn't quite reach, no matter how much he strained. He felt like he hadn't slept at all. "Taito," Mikuo called out again, groaning to himself.
The teal-haired Vocaloid male gave up, turning the knob and letting himself into his friend's room without Taito's permission. Mikuo frowned as he took in the empty room. His eyes caught on his blue-and-green striped bath towel folded neatly on Taito's bed, next to Master's solid aqua-blue towel, and Taito's own yellow-and-white towel, both also neatly folded. A piece of paper was on top of Mikuo's towel.
Mikuo stepped into the room, picked up the scrap of paper, and bent his head to read it.
'I took the car keys. Tell the samurai to pick you up. I will meet you there, if I'm not back yet.' Mikuo frowned deeper. What the hell was this about?
Mikuo put the paper back down on the bed, grabbing the three towels, to return them to their places in the bathroom, then made his way down the hallway to pick up the phone. It rang a few times, before Gakupo's familiar voice sounded on the other end of the line.
"Hey, Gakupo. Let me talk to Taito," Mikuo said, still rubbing the sleep from his eyes, and feeling more than a little annoyed. There was a brief silence on the other end of the line.
"He's not here. Isn't he with you at your Master's house? It's still early. You woke us," Gakupo answered, and Mikuo could hear the slight frown in the violette's own voice.
"He left me a note, saying 'get you to pick me up,' I figured that meant he went to visit you," Mikuo felt a growing misgiving at the situation. "If he's not there, where is he?"
"I haven't heard anything from him," Gakupo replied. Mikuo took a breath and sighed.
"Right. Listen, sorry to bother you, but..." Mikuo trailed off, pinching the bridge of his nose as the feeling of stress started to build up there.
"...Sure. Give us a few minutes to get ready, and we'll swing by to pick you up," Gakupo replied, knowing exactly what Mikuo was intending to say. "I'll call you back if he shows up, before that."
"Thanks, man," Mikuo said briefly, hanging up the phone.
...
Taito pulled up into the driveway, turning off his Master's vehicle, and getting out of the driver's side door. He picked up the package that was resting on the seat beside him, and walked with quick steps up the drive, knocked on the door, and let himself inside without waiting for a reply from anyone inside.
Mikuo was standing up, on his way to the door, as he caught sight of Taito. There were bandages over one of his eyes and over a portion of his face, keeping the eye bandage in place. There were fresh bruises all over Taito's face, and a cut on his lip. The... bluenette? What the hell? caught Mikuo's eyes with his own purple eye, and gave his quirky little half-smile.
"What the hell happened?" Mikuo demanded, anger and worry in his voice as he grabbed Taito's arm and pulled him forward, to look closer at his friend's face. Taito pulled away, looking past Mikuo to see Kaito sitting at the table, and Gakupo standing next to him.
"Talk to me," Mikuo demanded. "What the hell are those bandages? And why is your hair blue?"
"Used dye," Taito answered in his light tone, leaving Mikuo as he walked to the table, and carelessly flung the package with a soft smacking sound onto the table in front of Kaito. "I brought you a present," Taito finished, his emotionless face giving nothing away.
Kaito looked worriedly up at him, and glanced at Gakupo. The violette glanced back, looked at Taito, and pulled open the package. A pair of dismembered hands with meaty ends appeared. Gakupo covered the body parts back up immediately, his eyes full of fury, as he grabbed Kaito to him, expecting the bluenette to react terribly to the grisly sight.
"What the HELL are you thinking? Where the hell did you get those?" The samurai raised his voice, beyond furious. "Are you fucking INSANE?" The violette took a threatening step towards Taito.
"Those... are those... Master's hands?" A soft, soft whisper came from Kaito's mouth. Gakupo froze in his tracks, looking back at the bluenette in disbelief.
"Yeah," Taito replied easily, then turned his eyes from Kaito to glance back at Mikuo. "I brought you a present too. It's still in the car."
Mikuo's eyes widened, and he broke instantly into a run towards the door, slamming it open and not bothering to close it as he sprinted towards the car that was parked in the driveway.
He stopped suddenly as golden hair and blue eyes came into his sight. Rin slowly opened the door and got out, dressed only in hospital pajamas. She met Mikuo's eyes, flinching a little.
"Oh, my god," Mikuo breathed, taking in the cuts to Rin's face, the evidence of bruises going down her neck, her damaged hair. Tears rose up in his throat as he stared into her crystal clear blue eyes. Her face was clenched in a mask of carefully controlled emotion as Mikuo regarded her.
Mikuo grabbed her shoulders to him, shocking her as he suddenly propelled her small body into his arms, hugging her to his chest. "Thank you. Thank you," He whispered in a heartfelt, choked voice. "Oh god, thank you."
Rin's eyes went wide and she didn't resist as she was hugged tightly, even though the pressure against her injuries hurt badly. She trepidly raised her arms after a moment, and wrapped them around Mikuo's body.
Rin looked up as her peripheral vision took in movement, refocusing on Taito who had rejoined them, along with Gakupo and Kaito, in the driveway. She tried an uncomfortable smile, which felt foreign on her face. Rin swallowed.
"Hey, guys." Rin said.
Kaito opened his mouth to speak, but Mikuo had Rin's face in his hands, tilting her head to look back up at him. He leaned forward and lightly pressed his lips against Rin's, feeling her warm, living skin against his mouth. He pulled away after a moment, smiling a heartbreaking smile.
Rin gaped up at the teal-haired male. He just closed his eyes from the strength of his smile for a moment, then opened them back up and explained, "I promised myself, that when I found you, it was the first thing I would do. Well, I guess I wasn't really the one who found you, though."
Mikuo looked over at Taito with shining eyes, and the now-bluenette walked quietly over to him, standing right next to Rin. Mikuo let one of his hands drop from Rin's body to place his hand on Taito's shoulder, and gave Taito the full force of his joyful expression.
Taito stared back at Mikuo for a moment, then reached up his hand to grab Mikuo's cheek, tilting it in a sheer instant, and pulling the teal-haired male down into a kiss with himself. Mikuo's eyes flew open wide in utter shock. Taito let go, and smirked.
"You're welcome," The now-bluenette said, glancing at Rin, and smiling an unexpected, full smile at the petite blonde before wandered back away from them, back towards the house.
"W-what the hell, was that?" Mikuo called out after Taito, a full blush on his face.
"I have a thing for stubborn idiots, I guess," The light-toned voice called back quietly from the doorway as Taito closed the house door behind him.
Rin stared after Taito, a strange expression that bloomed into a helpless smile on her face. Mikuo continued to gape after Taito, then lifted his hand and held his hair in disbelief.
Rin met Kaito's eyes, and her smile faded a little. The bluenette didn't approach her any further, and his eyes were quiet. He took in her face. Rin couldn't do it; she looked away, feeling a growing flush of shame.
"I'm sorry," Kaito said softly. Gakupo put his warm arm around Kaito's shoulders, giving silent support with his proximity. Rin continued to look down at the ground. "It's my fault that you were hurt," The bluenette continued, a quiet edge of pain in his voice.
Rin looked back up, surprised. "No... it isn't, what are you saying, Kaito?" Rin flushed, and looked back down, feeling badly. "It was Master. It was never you. When... when Taito came to get me... I thought it was you, at first. I thought... Master had gotten you back. I don't think I've ever been so scared. I'm glad you are alright, Kaito."
Rin's soft, high voice was the sweetest sound as she finished speaking. Mikuo hugged the blonde Vocaloid female back to himself, and she allowed it, feeling comforted by the presence of her friends.
"I see that there's one more guest," Gakupo's voice broke into the quiet void in the conversation, his eyes picking out a small, white-haired head in the backseat of the car. Rin nodded, and pulled away from Mikuo again. She walked to the car side door and opened it.
"Piko, come out. These are our friends," Rin said softly to the young male Vocaloid. Piko's eyes locked on Gakupo, recognizing him. The violette silently took in the bruises on his face, but nodded in acknowledgement.
"Let's all go inside," Gakupo suggested, and turned his purple eyes to Kaito, who looked back up at him. "Okay, Kaito?"
The bluenette nodded, and leaned into Gakupo as the violette walked with him, arm still around Kaito's shoulder, back towards the house. Rin took Piko's hand, and Mikuo took Rin's hand. They smiled at one another with small smiles, and followed Kaito and Gakupo in to the house, closing the door behind them.