005. those countryside roads to somewhere
Apr. 8th, 2026 07:07 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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3kon
( 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. )
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Date: 2026-04-15 06:18 am (UTC)I still can't believe you did that. He's totally gonna think I was in on it, you know?
[Jeez... But Niki sighs in defeat, the touch helping to ease his anxious heart as he leans into it. He holds Takasugi up as best as he can while he places his other hand on Rinne's arm.]
Please don't do anything stupid. [He gives his arm a squeeze.] I know how you are. But if something happens to you, there's no point.
[In anything. Not in them coming here, or Takasugi's sacrifice, or anything at all.]
So, you want us to run. But where are we supposed to go? And how will you know where to find us?
[He's not trying to hold them up, but he's going to make him think about this before they go.]
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Date: 2026-04-15 04:55 pm (UTC)It's with this favor that Rinne can put on a little more bravado. ]
Hah! You act like you don't know the first thing about me. Wherever there's idols, you can bet your ass I'll come running! I wouldn't miss a show of yours for the world.
Tell Shinsaku he can kill me later. I got some foxes to hunt!
[ Before Niki can get another word in, Rinne quietly ascends the stairs, winds around a corner, and peers into the building. Even spirits need their entertainment — even if it isn't in the shape they want.
It sure is dark inside... And he'd rather not look down at the stench below. ]
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Date: 2026-04-15 10:15 pm (UTC)[Rinne puts on his usual bravado and quickly disappears. When you know Rinne as well as Niki does, it only inspires so much confidence... or, rather, it only does so much to ease his heart. Still... Niki trusts this person with his life and so much more, so he'll continue to believe in him no matter what.
And, when he thinks about it... Well, maybe what Rinne says isn't so unbelievable, anyway. If their bond still exists and isn't just a matter of being in Karteria, then they'll surely be drawn to each other eventually.
...no, even without that, it'll definitely work out. It's fate, after all.
So, Niki starts to haul Takasugi away, sniffing the air as he goes. Horses, horses... There's gotta be something like that nearby.
Eventually, he picks up their scent and makes a beeline toward them. But as he goes...]
Jeez. He does know I don't even know how to ride a horse, right?
[He's just complaining to himself. He wonders how long it will take Takasugi to wake up, though. And, actually...]
...just how exactly am I supposed to get you up here?
[Hm, hm... Well, don't mind him. He'll figure it out!]
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Date: 2026-04-15 10:27 pm (UTC)( crackles a familiar voice from below. )
Make sure you saddle Shinsaku in front of you so he doesn't roll off and get a concussion.
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Date: 2026-04-15 11:36 pm (UTC)[Goodness! But actually, it's pretty nice to hear Shinsaku-chan's voice again. It's yet another reason that he can't lose his cool.]
Don't worry, Shinsaku-chan. I won't let anything happen to our Prez. Once I get him up there, the rest should be a piece of cake.
[...he hopes!]
How are you doing, by the way?
[Shinsaku-chan is just a little guy in a computer, technically, but Niki knows he has feelings, too.
...well, it's not like he expects honesty or anything. But a little conversation while he figures this out will do him some good, he thinks. Maybe if he uses the horse as leverage, he can push Takasugi the rest of the way onto it...?]
( 1 / 2 )
Date: 2026-04-16 01:11 am (UTC)( he breaks up slightly, static noise that amounts to little more than a lot of yapping. )
No matter how strong he may be, Shinsaku's the one known for always slipping out of tough situations. It'd be hard to count how many times I... he's had to avoid capture in life. ... Hey. You're paying attention, right? I hope you are. This won't even be the worst of it, after all. If anything, Shinsaku will be--
( 2 / 3 ) nm
Date: 2026-04-16 01:26 am (UTC)the heavy breathing of an animal is the first thing takasugi becomes cognizant of, in and out and vibrating loud enough in his ears to make his chest tremble. it's so terrifically close. closer than his brain thinks it ought to be as it slowly revs back to life, all the exhaustion in him like ropes tugging taut on a body that doesn't know how to move. he needs to move, though. there's an urgent reason for it that he can't quite remember just yet, a piercing throb against the inside of his skull.
which doesn't explain why his neck feels so...
.......
takasugi blinks, then blinks again. words and noises ease. as his claws rap lightly against the hide of an animal trained to endure the strike of its master, takasugi fixes his confused stare directly on the one who's trying to shove him up it. )
Shiina-kun... ?
( 3 / 3 )
Date: 2026-04-16 01:31 am (UTC)Shiina-kun.
( squeeze. )
You've got five seconds to tell me where he is, and if you were involved in that cute little jab at my neck.
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Date: 2026-04-16 02:44 am (UTC)I'm innocent, I'm innocent! [He's so dead! Rinne is the worst for this!! He lifts an arm to shield himself. It's all instinct, really.] I had no idea what he was gonna do, I swear!
[He would never do something like that to him! ...unless Rinne asked. But he didn't do that this time!! Maybe he just won't say that part...
Niki lets out a sigh.]
He stayed back to figure out what was going on. I think he's probably planning to catch up with us with, you know... the imprint.
[Maybe. Probably. He keeps to himself the fact that Rinne was worried about him. That probably wouldn't sit well with Takasugi at all. Instead...]
For now, I think we should probably find some place for him to come back to. He said you can kill him later.
[...somehow, he thinks Takasugi's still gonna kill him!]
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Date: 2026-04-16 03:19 am (UTC)still, takasugi doesn't do much more than maintain his icy smile. he could dig his claws into niki to further punctuate his point, but there's no time for that, and most importantly, he doesn't think the pain will make a difference. his grip releases, the hand retracting back to hang uselessly in the air. )
You want to sit around until the imprint tells us something? Tell me you're joking.
( it almost hisses out his mouth, the obvious distaste. )
No doing. I'll just find him and kill him now.
( he punches out a laugh at the end, but the usual amusement is hardly there.
the beat of his heart is so agonizing quick right now, that if niki weren't here, he'd probably take a fist and start slamming it against his chest. stop it. everything's fine. it won't turn out like that, with his fingers reaching for what's left of something be can't hold on to anymore, and... )
And you're coming with me, so don't just stand there looking stupid.
( the following motion comes so quick, one might miss it if they blink.
takasugi pivots on a heel to angle himself at niki's side, hoisting him up and onto the back of the horse with a throw. there's a nervous whinny from the animal at the sudden weight, followed by an understanding snort as the former commander of the kiheitai leaps on up to sit in front. he nudges his feet into its sides, stirring it forward. )
Hold on tight, Shiina-kun!
( because takasugi leans into its neck, eager to steer it back towards the inn. )
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Date: 2026-04-16 05:05 am (UTC)Yet, even realizing that... Ack. Maybe he was worried about the wrong thing, he thinks. He mumbles, though it isn't too subtle:]
Rinne-kun's gonna kill me.
[But if HiMERU and Kohaku were here... This is probably what they would want, too. They would never leave Rinne alone, and together, the three of them would—
...but he still feels a little guilty about it. Even if no one else in the entire world believed in Rinne, Niki always would. But it's also true that he's worried. But also...
He does as Takasugi demands and wraps his arms around his waist. The horse starts to move and it's a little dizzying to him, but Niki's sure Takasugi won't fall, so he holds onto him tight. He's probably ridden a horse plenty, right? That seems like an old-time-y thing. It's always like that in the movies.]
Um... I know he kinda deserves it, but when we find him, will you go easy on him? [He feels a little silly asking. Especially when...] Or... It's kinda my fault, too. It's just so hard to argue with him when he's like that...
[But this is just the kind of person Rinne is. He's just following his heart. He doesn't think he should be punished for that.]
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Date: 2026-04-16 08:31 am (UTC)but as niki begs for mercy, takasugi doesn't look back. his ears remain upright, poised to listen this way and that.
the country steed trots along paths put to memory with little resistance, the sound of hooves clopping in the silence just enough to give life to the nightmares in his imagination. they're so familiar that you'd think he'd get used to them, but he never does. in his mind, they're always there: confident men just waiting for something to gnaw on their rotting bones since they have nothing left. so it doesn't matter if he meets rinne's wishes in this instance or if he's as compliant as niki in letting things slide. after all, he wasn't brought back to life to listen to someone's orders.
very gradually now, though, they'll be back outside stone steps that lead up to a sliding door, the familiar stench of deadened desire laying down off the path. when takasugi makes to slide off their ride, he's careful to help niki down as well, leg over and down and feet to the ground. as the pulse of a bond they have with their third tickles the thin skin of his ears like a whisper on the wind, takasugi perks his head up towards the unknown.
whatever's truly behind this sliding door, ... they'll discover it together now. )
1/4 this got away from me
Date: 2026-04-18 04:57 pm (UTC)A monarch wasn't trained in espionage the way a soldier was. Diversion, infiltration — these were tactics he only read from books. Stratagems he never had the natural opportunity to apply himself. So, he created it. In his mind, he didn't have a choice. It was more humane to kill game swiftly, more just to smuggle knowledge he would have never learned, and even wiser to prevent the enemy from ever reaching your camp. He never liked the burden that came with responsibility, but if there's a need to have a sword in hand, he's more than willing to carry the weight behind it. All Niki and Takasugi want to do is party, right? Rinne, too. That's why...
From the darkness, a powdered hand reaches out him. A hand so elegant and delicate in appearance that, when it grabs him by the front of his shirt, he is shocked and stripped of all his defenses. No text nor tutor prepared him for this. The hand pulls him in.
Suddenly, the world is nothing but the cloying scent of camellia and warm orange lights.
"My, my! Look at him, dear," says the woman with a singsong lilt and fox-like smile. She twirls Rinne around and pushes him with a strength she shouldn't have. "What a fine specimen he is. You rarely see this kind around these parts now."
Her long-lashed friend catches him. "Oh, he's so much better than the last one! He looks like the ones from up north." She gives his muscular arm a squeeze — before tearing his shirt in two. "Those are so much meatier—"
"Patience." The bespectacled fox woman yanks him out of their grasp. Her stern gaze regards his face once. Her manicured hand regards his chest twice. ]
Hngh...!
[ The sound is enough to lift her brow. She hums. Her fangs shine in the dim light as her pink tongue licks the spot of milk off her palm. "He tastes like a vixen, but appears like a man..." She shoves him back at the powdered hands and long lashes. "Keep him alive. Dress him. I'll report this to Her Majesty."
"Understood."
"Got it!"
The bespectacled fox woman leaves the dressing room, and the two start dressing him up. Every effort to throw them off is met with a grip that could draw blood. ]
What the fuck is going on? Who the hell are you?
2/4
Date: 2026-04-18 05:00 pm (UTC)Heh! Depends on the kind of performing I'll be doing, ma'am. And by the looks of it, this show ain't for the kiddies...
[ "What a smart boy you are!" she says, nails digging into his cheeks as her sweet praise drips with condescension. "Her Majesty will be very pleased with you." She starts tying him up. At this point, Rinne knows better than to fight it.
"Or kill you," the long-lashed fox woman offers as she pulls on the ropes until the dig into the cleavage of his broad chest. "It's not up to us. But usually, she wants us to kill you." ]
...
'Cause I'm from the north?
3/5 i can count
Date: 2026-04-18 05:02 pm (UTC)How is he supposed to perform like this?
"Is that... a male fox? No way... I thought they went extinct!"
"Gyahaha, bet he's tighter than a catgirl, that one!"
Rinne grips the hem of his silk sleeves. Before anything else, he's grateful for Niki and Takasugi. If he had lived the city alone, surely, he could have known a life like this. He once begged his neighbors for food, but here, he would have learned how low one could make another grovel until one kissed the ground and their own feet. It fills him with anger. As he stands there and takes their jeers, he could almost breathe fire. Back home, they would beat him black and blue, but at least they'd never dare subject a monarch to such indignity.
... At least?
No. For someone born a mistake, all roads lead to death. If that's the case, then his mission hasn't changed. As always, there's only one path for Rinne to take. ]
4/5 cw: rinne
Date: 2026-04-18 05:04 pm (UTC)[ Then, he steps back. His blue gaze burns like foxfire. Some members in the crowd flinch.
Only Niki knows this, but Hiiro likes to brag about how many men he can take in a fight. Has he ever wondered how many men Rinne can?
It's okay. Takasugi shouldn't worry. Rinne's scared to death, but when he grins, it's because he knows in his heart that he will have done exactly what he set out to do. ]
Hey, hey... What's with that look on your faces? Don't be shy. Be a man.
First one to knock me out gets to knock me up! You want a piece of me? Then come and get it!
5/5 you can control any and all of the npcs idc
Date: 2026-04-18 05:26 pm (UTC)Tables, upturned. Snack dishes and sake bottles, spilt and broken. In the blur of the chaos, a fox man with crimson hair ducks down to make room for two sex-crazed idiots to crash into each other. ]
Gyahaha☆ Come and catch me~!
[ His hands — no, even his arms are tied as he steps over a table and traipses away. Of course!
Before that, though—
"HE'S MINE!"
A big, bearded man charges at Niki, reeking of booze and red in the face. ]
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Date: 2026-04-19 06:13 am (UTC)But Takasugi isn't wrong. Maybe he should worry more. He's always struggled with that, his responses not always "typical" or appropriate for any given situation. His feelings have always been all messed up. But Niki knows that, for all that Rinne's been good at surmounting the unreasonable odds stacked against him, he isn't infallible. He whines, he cries, he bleeds... He's just as human as anyone else.
(But a certain memory comes to mind—or, rather, maybe not a specific memory but a particular sensation, a certain scent. And when he recalls it, the stench of blood so thick it almost made him sick, he starts to think he's made a huge mistake. Maybe faith and trust and luck aren't enough for anyone, not even for Rinne.)
Yet when the door slides open, the immediate and apparent signs of commotion actually completely take him off-guard, if only for just a second. And he'd be more worried about the smell of alcohol and sweat and maybe other, messier things, too, but Rinne laughs in that notoriously noisy way of his and Niki actually just feels relief. Maybe things aren't going well, but they're certainly not as bad as he was starting to believe. Thank goodness!
But the mix of surprise and relief doesn't leave much room for him to react to the sudden attack. The only thing he can think to do in that instant is hide behind Takasugi.]
P-Prez!
[Sorry? Save him!]
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Date: 2026-04-19 07:40 am (UTC)and when he scrambles behind him, takasugi doesn't have time to think about much else.
not the worst he was expecting, not for their fault but more his own, everyone always rushing off to their own doom without him. if they needed him at their side, he would've rushed there in an instant. so what made their lives so much more expendable than his own, and where was a man truly meant to spill his blood for another? death is a matter that's always on takasugi's mind, the specter of his own not as fragile as the vanished snow as it clings to his bones, because for all the faith he has put into others, it had never seemed to stop them from leaving him. for all the plans he put into motion, it never seemed to do their legacy any good, either.
which is why he slams into the man that charges them the moment he also scents something familiar, and hears something that can only make his ears perk, his heart thumping so much harder for it:
the fact that amagi rinne is still alive. )
Whoa, now. I thought this was a hall for a musical performance, not a sumo match. Talk about an interesting turn!
( and while this really isn't his forte, the strength he puts behind his grip is staggering. as fleshy hands soaked in sweat make for his side, takasugi digs his feet in to reach for the man's own. the leftover strength of their transformations is nothing to sniff at, of course, which is exactly why he hardly uses it. but drawing his blade in this small space just to traumatize niki would hardly be worth it, and so...
as his claws find purchase in fabric, takasugi twists. their weight classes, totally different. he pushes with his lithe upper half, wrangling the man to send him sailing headfirst into the wall just next to them with a firm thud. )
Dosukoi! Or, wait. Maybe you're supposed to say something else at the end. Oh, well.
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Date: 2026-04-19 08:17 am (UTC)Rinne had long accepted his fate. Truly, he'd planned on carrying out his duty to the end. But meeting them this soon—and even better, knowing exactly why they came—brings a smile to Rinne's face unlike any other.
From the other end of the room, he bounds towards them, weaving between the fights he started. It goes without saying that he doesn't intend to finish them.]
Kyaha! What happened to making a run for it, ya morons? Niki, I oughta have ya punished for insubordination!
[Why just Niki...
He lifts his chin, beaming with pride, and holds his tied up hands out for Takasugi. The rope is only sturdy enough for the things people tend to do in places like this.]
Free me, pwease.
[pwease 😄]
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Date: 2026-04-19 09:31 am (UTC)[Niki's frown is more of a pout. It's always like this!!]
I had a feeling you'd be fine, but aren't you having a little too much fun here?
[He says that, but it's only a tease, no judgement at all. He's glad for it. It's sort of nostalgic, even—Niki hasn't seen Rinne like this since before they woke up in Karteria. Maybe the new scenery... Maybe the fact that it finally feels like they've made even just a little progress toward going home has rejuvenated his waning spirit. That, truthfully, might be even more of a relief than just seeing he's okay.
(But without saying anything, Niki does note the damage and stains on his clothes. He'll have to make sure Rinne is really fine later, once things have quieted down.)]
Thanks for the save, Prez. [While Takasugi works on freeing Rinne (or not!), Niki starts to wander toward the nearest table. It looks like this food has survived... 🤤] My short life flashed before my eyes for a second there!
[He makes it sound like they're already safe now?? Yet, despite Takasugi's blatant display of force, the uproar caused by Rinne doesn't seem to be cooling off at all. No amount of intimidation, it seems, can overtake the allurement of the sight of not one, but three handsome fox men.]
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Date: 2026-04-19 12:06 pm (UTC)Morons?
( there wouldn't typically be a twang of irritation in takasugi's voice, but it's hard not to see the exact same things niki is seeing this close: the torn front beneath layers of silk, slightly damp. red lines drawing against skin, a sight that makes him itch uncomfortable to recall the last time rinne was captive. but takasugi pushes everything down, makes his voice stay even. the smile on his face, big.
so this place is really about luring in men with animalistic traits to use them as playthings? maybe even selling them, with hands shoved down robes and against thighs to get them ready? his imagination thrums against the inside of his skull. )
Not a one of these farmers looks like they've got any training, and yet we, the ones completely unbound, are the morons. Don't wiggle, Amagi-kun. And don't walk off while we're in the thick of danger, Shiina-kun, unless you want me to drag you by the collar.
( okay. he sucks at this trying-not-to-sound-bothered-thing right now.
there's the cold shing of metal, where it only takes one carefully angled swipe to cut into the thick bondage holding rinne's hands in place. while he's doing this, something comes sailing at their heads from the side. a thick glass bottle, emptied. )
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Date: 2026-04-19 01:02 pm (UTC)Hey, hey, hey. You could seriously kill someone with this!
[ He shoves the man away with a kick. The longer Niki can be oblivious to the danger of this all, the better. As for Takasugi, well... ]
Niki, is he mad? Aww, Prez! Don't be mad. You looked so cool just now, protecting our Niki-kyun and everything. [ While they're chatting, Rinne grabs a guy's face and violently shoves him away before he can touch Niki, who is probably snacking on some pickled foods right now. ]
You said we needed a decoy and intel, right? Rinne-kun spent all his life tryna sneak outta his village, you know? I knew you two would have each other's backs, so I went ahead and made a diversion for ya.
When some foxy ladies grabbed me by the balls and told me to come up with a program, I went ahead and gave these guys a show. Ain't that what being an idol's all about?
[ The taller Rinne tugs on Takasugi's sleeve and sways it from side to side. Look at his adorable smile! Please forget that he used a notoriously difficult and dangerous move to incapacitate you. ]
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Date: 2026-04-19 04:25 pm (UTC)in the midst of smashing plates and grown men meeting the floor to no avail, takasugi can hardly hide the inappropriate delight at his sleeve being played with. quit it. this isn't the time for all that, he wants to say. but instead, his brow simply furrows like a child who's about to ask to be tossed into the air once more for entertainment. )
... What. So I can't be worried on your behalf? Because I was, actually. A whole lot. No doubt Shiina-kun felt the same way. If being an idol means you always have to carry our burdens alone to flip them on their head for us, then I'm going to redefine it from the ground up.
( his anger is diffusing in real-time... and so easily. and while it's true that takasugi likes to have a good time and be surprised, this is too close to the open wound that always pulses whenever someone's after their neck. his tail sweeps across the floor, thwacking straight into an on-comer's face as he glances away in embarrassment. )
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Date: 2026-04-20 02:35 am (UTC)[But Niki says this casually, more concerned with savoring the flavors than whatever violence is going on around him. It is a little scary, but with the other two around, he's basically never felt safer.]
I wasn't really worried until Prez started getting worried, but Rinne-kun's over here looking as tasty as a horse. [Niki licks his finger and thumb as he speaks. He's not trying to throw Takasugi under the bus, though. In fact...] But what happened? I thought we were gonna kill him, Prez.
[Obviously, he doesn't want Rinne to get in trouble or anything, but he thinks Takasugi does have a good point. For as much as Niki trusts him, he still wishes Rinne wouldn't run off on his own all the time, using himself as bait as if it doesn't matter to anyone else what happens to him. Niki believed he would be okay... but that doesn't mean he doesn't still worry.]
Man, these pickled veggies are heaven! I missed authentic Japanese flavors like you wouldn't believe!
[Not to distract from the killing or worrying or anything. He's just in a really good mood!]
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