005. those countryside roads to somewhere

[takasugi]

( weeks spent gathering non-perishables and their personal items into boxes couldn't have prepared them for what was about to happen.

it occurs in a flash, like a plant's tendril reaching out to seed a new life in something.

the sea vanishes, their epic on the high seas punctuated by a change in pressure. like when a whale breeches or dives with something inside it's mouth, it's an almost unimaginably long pause. their watery landscape transforms into an empty void, pieces of a plane that simply don't exist in the mind, and if one were to stay here, it could easily drive them mad. humans were never made to shift between realities and witness such emptiness, after all, and before takasugi can even think to figure out how shouin's soul might be contributing to this, everything tilts. the world about them flips to a new chapter filled with light, darkness, and stars, and if one blinks, it all becomes clear that everything is floating, floating without a sky to touch the pitch-black remnants of the rippling universe below, and—

a blink of the eyes next reveals that everything they've known has come to change.

the arahabaki mk. ii on the water is gone, and only rolling hills remain.

in the distance, a couple women tend to a small, cultivated field off a well-worn path, meticulously monitoring the water that'll birth life into their crop. the town is green and vulnerable under the piercing blue of the bright spring sky, with a quieter vibe compared to the larger towns that boast all the hustle and bustle of city life. a few open tea houses welcome visitors, inviting them to pause on their journey as they seek bigger opportunities in this new era of industrialization, but most importantly, as the members of 3kon might notice: some of the citizens here are sporting animal ears of various types, and no one acts like each other is worser than wear for it. )

Comments

[hanikamu]

[Moving between worlds, it always took Rinne some time to get his foot in the door. Yet the moment he sets foot in this strange new land, it gives him a chance to shine with no question. Is this okay? No way, right? Being an idol in Karteria was tiring. But now... Takasugi is watching. Smiling, as if expecting him to shine as brightly as he did in that theater.

Rinne would burn even more brilliantly here. Fueling him, after all, is the dreaming soul that Takasugi gave him.

His stomach twists. He encouraged Takasugi to follow his own path, knowing in his heart that it was right and true, but if that path meant hurting a man for his own gain, he's not sure how to live with it.

Rinne can't let these emotions show now. The mood is light, so he should keep it that way.

Where Rinne would usually forget his own strength and pull Niki close, he simply rests an elbow on his shoulder.]

You heard the guy, Niki. If it's entertainment they want, 3kon's gotta deliver! We just gotta do the usual. Right, Prez?

[takasugi]

Unless you're willing to slap powder all over your faces and do something a deal more traditional.

( takasugi gives the old man a gentle pat on the shoulder as he strolls by, his usual swagger marked by the familiar clack of sandals amidst the sounds of ordinary places, one hand resting on the hilt of a sword strapped to his back. his sway, without an ounce of hesitation, just a breeze upon the hill.

the extra set of swords from earlier, though... are missing. but surely that has nothing to do with anything. takasugi comes to stop before them, smirk deepening. )

Can you pull that off? Kabuki, I mean. It'd be a blast to see either of you giving it a try. That aside, I introduced the two of you as my performing proteges, even though I’m long over the whole hierarchy thing by now. It just makes things simpler. Especially since no one out here seems to have a device, and they keep asking for notes that I don’t carry. I'm sure you haven't had reason to check yet, but. We're broke.

[hanabee]

[Rinne says it's okay, but Niki can tell he doesn't have all his energy back yet, so... He really hopes it is. The next time he pushes himself, his body might not be so kind to stop where it did... But that's what Niki's here for. If he falls sick, he'll just have to make him something delicious and nurse him back to health.

At Takasugi's words, Niki shakes his head.]

Nuh-uh. I barely know how to be an idol. There's no way I'll ever learn how to do all that. [He frowns.] I really don't wanna have to sell my body, though...

[He says, like this is just the next obvious option for making money, the only other course of action.

He does feel like he recalls Takasugi was supposed to be holding something else, but he's not thinking too hard about it. Instead, he's looking at his device and poking the screen. He hopes Shinsaku-chan's doing okay.]

That guy said something about rooms, right? Is he gonna feed us, too?

[hanikamu]

Kyaha! Not unless you start shakin' that thang, Niki. [ He gives his butt a squeeze before walking the fuck away. ] Don't listen him, Prez. We both know Niki's a natural.

[ And that talent will be able to make up for the mental energy Rinne might not have by the evening. ]

As for me, what kind of idol would I be if I said no? Knowing you, you've probably got another job just for Rinne-kun. [ He makes a big sweeping gesture with his arm, urging Takasugi to say it. Come on! He saw those swords! ] Well, don't be shy! Let's hear it!

[takasugi]

Hmm?

( takasugi tilts his chin slightly to the side, and if one pays attention, they might catch a hint of weariness in his brow before he quickly resets his expression. )

I only mentioned you'd perform for a night of room and board. I didn’t guarantee anything more than that.

( there's a pause, and then, tail sweeping ineffectually out behind him as he looks off in another direction: )

Look. I figured I could just hypnotize our way into a couple heirlooms, but it seems like my ability to charm people isn't working like it used to. Pretty unfortunate, all things considered. This isn’t your Japan or my Japan, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have some ways to keep yourself safe, depending on our destination. What do you both have on you?

[hanikamu]

...

[ Rinne smiles, places himself behind Niki, and gently pushes him forward. ]

[hanabee]

[When Rinne grabs his ass, Niki jumps, and he's just barely recovered from that little surprise when suddenly, Rinne's pushing him forward. He stumbles and turns back around, bewildered. Hello??]

Wh-wh-what do you want me to do?! I'm totally useless here! There are probably animals in this field who are more useful than me!

[Ahhh! He didn't really understand what they were talking about to begin with, but...]

If our money's no good, then I don't know what else to offer.

[His jewelry might be valuable, but he wouldn't trade it for the world. He still has the taser Takasugi made him, but it might not be safe enough to give that up. The locals would have no use for their devices or anything, probably, and giving away Shinsaku-chan would be cruel...]

You don't think they'd wanna try my cooking, do you?

[takasugi]

I do. Everyone would, in fact.

( takasugi slaps a hand on niki's shoulder, shorter claws curling against it.

can he drag him over the dirt and start pulling him forward... he's making an attempt, at least. )

But Attack Shiina-kun is such a choice. Not a bad one, given how willing he was to jump in and take me on on your behalf that one time. Maybe I'll teach you a bit on how to wield a blade for real this time. Just for fun.

[hanikamu]

You sayin' we could be sellswords? Niki always had that dog in him, so I guess I could see it, but...

[ He gets why Takasugi is offering to teach Niki. He truly does. Rinne certainly doesn't need the extra help. He doesn't need to show Takasugi how capable of self-defense he truly is, either. Whatever pang of jealousy he feels now, he chooses to ignore it.

Go on, Niki. Let the nice man teach you some tricks. ]

[hanabee]

[For a second, Niki lets Takasugi urge him away, but then he realizes what they're talking about and he starts to dig his heels into the ground.]

W-wait, wait, wait, why me again?! [Well, no, he understands this. Rinne can probably already use a sword (or any weapon) just fine. Niki's the one who's a clueless city kid. But...] You don't think I could really do that, do you? I'd totally chicken out! No, actually, that isn't fair to the chicken at all. A chicken would be braver than me!

[It feels like the other two are speaking a completely different language! But maybe that's exactly why he's so nervous.]

[takasugi]

( hmm. he was really just trying to bait a certain someone...

and it didn't work out. that's fine. it's not as if he doesn't want niki to learn how to defend himself better. )

Well. I won't dismiss this hypothetical bird, because even a chicken knows to pluck the eyes out of its assailants, but. What I'm talking about is strictly teaching you how to use something for personal protection. Amagi-kun cheerily offered you up to be the sacrifice, so he clearly believes you're more than capable. I mean, do you really think people won't try to take advantage of three exceedingly handsome young men on the road without anything to call their name?

( a pause, takasugi's eyebrows upturning slightly. )

Maybe without the part where we have to sell our bodies, though. Why is that the first thing that came to mind?

1/2

[hanikamu]

[Rinne knows when he's being baited! He won't fall for it! He's also extremely simple. Maybe if he were cornered...]

I wanna know that, too. The only guys you should be selling your body to is us! For free!

[He seizes the back of Niki's shirt and twists it in his fist. Don't go with the bad guys, please.]

Don't mind him, Prez. This guy just likes to yap. We dunno what the people of this world are like, but if a puppy like Niki can take 'em on, that's better for all of us.

[So he says. In the nearby woods, Rinne senses a few pairs of eyes lurking in the shadows. They don't strike just yet. The second Rinne throws them a glare, the presence is gone.]

[hanikamu]

[Back to business.]

Well, doesn't look like a buncha wyverns'll attack us outta nowhere, so I got a good feeling!

Kyaha, I bet wyvern steak sounds real good to Niki right now, though!

[hanabee]

Nuh-uh! I know what you're doing! [Speaking of bait!!] I'm not agreeing to anything until the steaks are right in front of me!

[Nobody said anything about there being real steaks. But isn't he already admitting that the possibility of him accepting is there?

Despite his complaints, he doesn't pull away from Rinne. But still...]

I don't wanna cause trouble for you guys or anything, but I really don't know if I can do it.

[He's already a liability... He knows that. But won't giving him something he won't be able to use just make it even worse?]

[takasugi]

Start by showing me you can perform tonight, at least. Then we'll round back to this topic of gently pounding your mettle to the surface.

( he does his best, but takasugi's already two seconds from tapping a foot impatiently.

what's the harm in at least trying? but he won't push the matter until the actual prize is at hand and niki has no choice but to fashion one to his hip for more than just show—especially not now, when he, too, feels the cool gaze of a group watching them from afar skitter away.

he releases his grip, reaching up to flick a silver earring with a finger as he turns. )

It's just going to be the two of you, after all. I'll be sitting this one out.

[hanikamu]

[ Rinne was nearly about to kill Takasugi for that, but...

Looks like Takasugi sensed to, too. Well, it's nothing Rinne should be bringing up in public. Whatever Takasugi has in mind, they can talk about it later. For now, Rinne lets go of Niki to step forward, his offered hand upturned and his smile as playful as ever. ]

Oh? You feelin' a lil' seasick too, Prez?

[ Because if Takasugi is feeling ill, he's here to catch him. ]

That's fine. Me and Niki were a duo for a while, so it's no biggie. We'll get ourselves some fans in no time! And if we don't, a buncha haters is fine, too! The only bad press is no press. Am I right?

Don't sweat it, Niki. Just imagine the everyone oiled up and buck naked!

[ why are they oiled up ]

[hanabee]

I don't wanna imagine that! [He shakes his head vehemently.] Keep your weird fantasies to yourself!

[Jeez!! But after he rejects that idea, Niki relaxes a bit. He knows the topic of him learning to wield a sword isn't gone for good (Takasugi never forgets stuff like this), but since he doesn't have to worry about it for now...]

Yeah, we'll be okay. We can handle that just fine. [It's a little nostalgic, really... It hasn't been just the two of them in years. As long as he isn't alone, though, Niki is passably confident.] But let us know if there's anything we can do for you, too, Prez. Just because you won't be performing with us, it doesn't mean we can just forget about you.

[Maybe he just has other things to deal with... But Niki also knows he has a lot of things to be stressed over, so he wants to be sure.]

[takasugi]

Not to worry. I'll be right there in the audience, poised to hype the both of you up if no one's paying attention. ... Well. Without the being oiled up and vulnerable bit. Without it. After all, our audience is most likely about to be in their thirties on up, maybe. I doubt the younger crowd will be hanging around a place that strange warriors frequent unless they’re looking to spread rumors or find a ride out of here.

( he glances over his shoulder, a hand waving casually as if to dismiss rinne's open one. )

I'm doing fine, ( a lie, of course. it's easier now, knowing that the one person who could detect them so flawlessly isn't here anymore, ) so have a little more faith in your reliable President, would you?

[hanikamu]

[If Rinne has a bad feeling, he keeps it to himself. Nothing is wrong. That's what Takasugi wants them to believe, so Rinne will put his trust in it. It's a leader's duty, too, to tell everyone that everything will be alright — even when the odds say otherwise.

When he takes his hand back, he curls it into a solid fist.]

You're the boss.

[His smile is tight. Rinne's so stalking him later.]

Hmm... After we play 'em a couple rounds of mahjong old tunes, maybe it won't be such a tough crowd. Don't make us miss ya too much, Prez. Juicy or not, if your ass goes poof, you're gonna make Rinne-kun and Niki-kyun cry!

[He even mimes it with a hand. Boo hoo hoo.

Seriously, please don't die.]

[hanabee]

Ohh, I get it. [Niki nods in understanding.] Prez is gonna be our Number One Fan, huh? We're actually pretty used to tough crowds, but it'll be nice to know at least one person out there likes us.

[He doesn't believe Takasugi, either, but... well, it's not like he doesn't understand it. If they're going to make it in this new world, they can't let their guards down yet, no matter what they've just been through. When they know so little about what to expect, they can't afford to show too much weakness.

So, without hesitation, Niki joins in on the encouragement.]

I'll miss having you on stage with us, though. So please try to join us next time, okay, Prez? Or else you'll make us cry~.

[He mimics Rinne's gesture with his hands, too. Boo hoo hoo!]

It's too bad, actually. I bet Prez's music would be a real hit here.

[takasugi]

( number one fan... that's right.

that's exactly why he needs to determine very quickly where the real dangers are, for the forests living inside each villager might hide more than meets the eye. they've just barely gotten their bearings after landing in a familiar landscape, and he won't let them be uprooted out of it just as quickly: amagi rinne's mischievous smile that belies a tempered gaze and shiina niki's deceivingly clueless demeanor are what help build the bridge to this dream of theirs.

and if they realize he's lying about something, he'll handle it later. it's true he's gotten closer to both of them, trusting them with his life and even more with the other, but this. this, he hates to put on anyone at any time, and so he doesn't. as niki's mention of his sound, takasugi runs the tip of his fingers along the length of the shamisen strapped to his back, picking at a string between two claws to create one single impressionable twang. )

No doubt they would. There's always time, though. It's not as if I'll ever stop when I'm so good at it. Plus, I owe you a performance, don't I? How about I play for the both of you during dinner tonight, hmm? Sound good? I still need to discuss what the room arrangements will be like after they've seen you bring the house down.

( it's an easy path down, this dirt road oft traveled on foot and horse-carriage alike. as they stroll past the fields in the late afternoon, takasugi notices a couple of the hardworking women glance over at them, intrigued at the group of outsiders wearing attire they've never seen before. he responds with a sly, quick wave, the kind he might have offered anyone before, ducking beneath the overarching branch of a pine that's primed to scuff their ears with tiny needles. )

1/2

[hanikamu]

[The women stop working to giggle in turn, chatting amongst themselves now with mirth. Takasugi's charming presence never fails to capture its audience. It fills Rinne with hope — maybe they can be idols here, and for the better. He'll talk to Takasugi about othee things later. Right now, he only wishes everyone from his village were here to see him. Maybe then, they would remember who he was, or what he set out to do...]

Kyaha, I'm looking forward to that! Whatever we get, dibs on the center futon! Niki, I bet we could ask for more rice from these ladies after we—

2/2

[hanikamu]

[They're gone.

Huh? They were here just a second ago. There's nowhere to hide in the paddy fields but the water. He can't imagine why they would.]

Niki, you smell anything funny?

1/2

[hanabee]

[Dinner and a performance, just for them... That sounds nice. Even with all their faith placed in Takasugi, the past few weeks had still been busy and a little nerve-wracking (though Niki had worked hard to hide it). He'd never been opposed to trying to escape that place, but that didn't mean it wasn't also a little scary to do so. It wasn't the same as hopping into a plane or onto a boat and going to some unfamiliar but still known destination. There was no telling where they'd end up or if they'd even end up there at all... Takasugi had even said so himself! So having an opportunity to really, truly relax, even if it's only brief, would be more than welcome. Niki thought the other two particularly needed it. Maybe the music would help to soothe the soul of the one who'd willingly given up something he admitted he couldn't live without, and maybe the food would help to ease the heart of the one who could only dream of the possibility of seeing a certain someone again.

Well, that assumes that all goes well tonight, of course. But Niki's already cheerfully humming to himself while they walk and talk, imagining dinner and fresh rice and maybe they can convince the ladies to give them some eggs, too, and...]

[hanabee]

Nii?

[But then Rinne asks that question and Niki suddenly stops. Admittedly, he wasn't paying a ton of attention to their surroundings, so he doesn't even know why he asks, but he still sniffs the air to try and figure out what he's talking about.

Sniff, sniff.

Hmm...]

Yeah, I think so, actually. Something smells a little weird. Um... [He glances around for a moment, making sure there isn't anyone nearby to offend.] And by "weird," I mean bad. It smells really bad.

[Like something rotting... Like garbage.]