001. one year later

[hanikamu]

[The trees are clouds of pink and purple in the spring, wisps of petals whisked into the air by gentle winds as three of Karteria's foxes look for a spot in the park. Niki said today would be a good day for a picnic, and the other two were more than eager to have a nice picnic under the city's blossoming canopy. After Rinne lays down the mat and Niki lays out their meal, Takasugi plays a nostalgic song or two before Rinne applauds him with a loud,]

Gyahaha! Woooo! [The white wine in his cup sloshes around, spilling off the paper rim.] That's our Prez for ya! You sure know how to set the mood under the cherry blossoms, huh?

[The mood that Rinne ruined with his drunken cheering, probably.]

S'too bad Niki can't join in on our fun... I bet he'll like my super Rinne-kun surprise, though!

[He hooks an arm around Niki and gives him a tight hug! Or chokes him, if we're being honest about it.]

Comments

[hanabee]

[This is definitely more like being choked! Of course, Niki's more than used to Rinne's sudden roughness, but he still tries to fight back, pulling at the arm angled around his neck. Maybe he doesn't fight too hard, though—he's always careful to make sure his claws don't dig into fabric or skin.]

Stop! I don't wanna be surprised! [He shakes his head.] You can put your surprise away right now!

[He just assumes the physical assault is the surprise. It usually is!

But despite his protests, Niki wouldn't have this any other way. It's finally warming up outside, little by little, and after all of the things they've been through lately, a picnic on a nice afternoon with people he cares about is truly the dream. Between Rinne's drunken cheers and Takasugi's energetic performance, Niki couldn't be more content. The louder the meal, the better—that's how he's felt for years now.]

I think Prez is already gone. He's making up tables now.

[hanikamu]

[The sound of Takasugi's shamisen, Niki fighting him because there's nothing else to fight... Yeah, this is what Rinne's rare moment of peace sounds like. There's no telling what tomorrow will bring. Maybe a batch of new arrivals, maybe an army of new enemies. Whatever the case, Rinne isn't one to wait for misfortune. He can't put off his surprise a second longer.]

Kyaha! Sounds like he's having the right amount of fun to me. [He lets go of Niki and settles back down. It's okay, he can breathe now. Rinne moves on to the basket, rummaging for something he snuck in while Niki wasn't looking.] I'd love to stand up and shake my ass for ya, Prez, but there's something I gotta do while we're on a high note. Today's a pretty special day for us, y'know?

[From the picnic basket, he pulls out a red velvet box small enough to fit in his palm.]

[takasugi]

( a pretty special day, ... huh. he follows rinne's movements even as the sweet thrum of wine pulses for every pull of string. but when he sees the box, the music stops. his gaze flits from that red to rinne's face. )

Wait. I've seen this on the network. You're not going to... You're going to propose to Shiina-kun again right out here in public, is that it?

( no. unless... ? )

[hanikamu]

[ sputters, falters, then quietly, ] Why would I propose twice? That's embarrassing...

[hanabee]

You watch too much TV, Prez.

[But technically, Rinne does this in public all the time... And technically, they're more like demands than proposals. And technically...

Well, there are a lot of semantics he could argue, but he decides it better not to. Takasugi probably doesn't want or need to know all those details, anyway.

So instead, after rubbing his neck, Niki grabs a container of food from their basket.]

But I'm totally lost here, too. What's the special occasion?

[hanikamu]

[Niki's question helps Rinne recover.]

Hehe. Don't tell me you guys forgot! Then again, we've been so busy chasing our dreams, we stopped thinking about where we came from.

[He looks back at the box, and his gaze softens.]

I'll always remember it, though.

It's been a year since Patho-Gen took us from our worlds. A year since fate brought us three together. Maybe we'll always be outsiders wherever we go, but at least Lady Luck was kind enough to let me meet you. [He smirks and glances at Niki.] Again. [Then, back at Takasugi:] I wanna make sure it keeps happening.

[He opens the box towards them, and in it are three earrings, each one a shining, silver band small enough for their fox ears to carry.]

[takasugi]

( it's true that there's always so much on takasugi's mind, whether it's from the songs about serenading an unrequited love through the night and into one's bed-sheets or the extravagant promises he's made to both of them overtime. but when rinne speaks of the fondness in meeting them and their memories, his heart thumps a little louder to think of that instead, to feel his insides stir a little all at once with heat and alcohol.

takasugi tries to be careful when he sets down his shamisen, slinging the strap over his shoulder with a bit less grace than usual.

but he's too excited. or maybe it's something else entirely, this feeling. he almost reaches a hand out immediately, claws curled. )

I remember joking that you two should visit my grave at some point, and honestly, I still think it would be a bit funny. But...

( no, no. it's a kind of excitement. the overwhelming kind, where the fuzzy feeling in his head is surely what's making the tips of his ears redden further. inwardly, he thanks niki for being here, because if he weren't, takasugi's response might be completely different. he may have just leapt off the mat straight into rinne's personal space. )

So this isn’t for White Day? It’s for something completely different. I was honestly looking forward to a return gift for that unusual custom given I never had a chance to experience it in my lifetime. But this is actually way better. I’ve never received a gift from you, Amagi-kun, ... uhm. Especially one that means so much.

[hanabee]

[Oh... That's so like Rinne.

Usually, Niki was pretty good about things like this. Birthdays, holidays, the night they met, their first performance... Niki remembered these things as easily as he recalled any recipe. But the day they arrived here... That wasn't something he thought to commit to memory. It wasn't something he'd ever really thought of as worth celebrating. Even now, he still feels that way.

He is glad he met Takasugi, though. Nobody else would have looked out for them like he has. And he's also glad that Rinne has found something to celebrate here, too, despite everything. So Niki's smile is a little sheepish as he leans in to get a closer look at their gift.

If Rinne is happy, then he is, too. If Rinne thinks it's something they should celebrate, then Niki will, too.]

These are looking really fancy, Rinne-kun. You didn't buy them with my money, did you?

[He teases to stave off his own embarrassment, but they really are gorgeous, and Niki had always liked matching with him, so he's really happy, too. It's another treasure to add to his collection.]

I don't really wanna swap any of these out, though~. [Niki touches one of the earrings he's already wearing.] I guess you'll just have to help me out again.

1/2

[hanikamu]

You bet your ass I will. Everything that's yours is mine, remember? [Rinne punctuates that very thought with a lift of his chin and a satisfied smirk. He doesn't hold it for long; his smugness turns into fondness, and he claps a hand on Niki's shoulder to reassure him.] And everything that's mine is yours... I paid it off myself, so don't even worry about it.

[Niki's not surprised. Rinne figured. It's not food that's hard to come by, but Niki looks pretty happy all the same, and in this moment, that's all that matters to him. If his luck ever ran dry and Niki never came with him to this world, he wouldn't know who else to share his happiness with.

He ruffles Niki's hair.

As for Takasugi... He looks more than happy. Shocked, too. That means Rinne's the only thing on his mind now, right? Not dying or the people who left him behind.]

Shinsaku needs help with his, too. He had a lotta piercings on when we first met. He wanted to change himself — just like me.

2/2

[hanikamu]

...But Prez, doncha got a few gifts from me already? You sayin' you hated Rinne-kun's presents? And I gave you so many. Hmph! You meanie.

[Since his hand is still on Niki's shoulder, he starts shaking Niki in front of him like a whining child.]

Niiikiii, Prez is being mean to meee.

[takasugi]

Hah? Those weren't gifts. Those were keepsakes I took for myself, right?

( truthfully. the longer takasugi gazes at the gorgeous little bands, the more a desperate part of him wishes there were only two in the box. but the thought of them all bearing the same brand is still appealing. it's a sign of companionship more than anything, that they'll gaze at in a mirror to think of each other.

a hand reaches up to rub one of his naked ears at the mention of marking it, though. the thin lining of skin is as smooth and sensitive as ever, takasugi's mouth creasing into a line at the thought of something jabbing straight through it. it's not that he doesn't want it. of course he wants it. he wants it bad, but.

... hold on. there's something more important to assess here. )

Shiina-kun, don't listen to him. Clearly I'm the poor one here, given I can't even get a good morning k... ( he starts, then stops. starts again, ) get a hug in the morning unprompted.

( he's leaning in to try and shake niki's other shoulder with a hand. )

[hanabee]

[Hello? Both of them?! Niki sighs in feigned exasperation as the two shake him in opposite directions. These two...]

Sorry, Prez. There's nothing I could do about that even if I wanted to. I mean, I've tried, actually.

[Niki's been trying for good morning kisses since they got here! Long before that, too! But Rinne's gesture is so sweet, he can't help the warm feeling in his cheeks when he ruffles his hair, and it lasts even after when he starts his dramatics. If Niki wasn't shy, he'd probably also be a bit more embarrassing right now... But he has a certain facade he wants to maintain in front of Takasugi, too.

"He wanted to change himself," huh... He wonders why. But then again, honestly, he thinks he already has a few ideas about that.

Either way...]

If Prez wants to be spoiled so much, I think us piercing his ears for him would be a good start. We've done this plenty of times, so I think we're not too bad at it at this point.

It didn't hurt so much this time around. [The imprints probably helped a lot to alleviate the pain.] You can hold my hand if it bothers you, though~.

[hanikamu]

He doesn't have to trust us with it when he can afford to get it done safely now. Then again, it'll be tough asking someone to pierce an Augmented...

[No comment on the good morning kisses. They're also embarrassing.

... Okay. Well. There is one thing he could do. Rinne turns away, cheeks reddening as he suggests,]

When we pierce him, I could kiss the wound better, I guess.

[takasugi]

......

( freeze-frame on the shaking. )

In that case, what're we waiting for? We should do it. We should pierce me right now. Slam me to the mat and ram it right through

( a sharp exhale of breath punctuates his drunken declaration, takasugi releasing his grip on niki to start patting the mat out to flatten it on the grass.

is that the sort of thing you do in public? it's takasugi, so he wouldn't care even if it weren't, but still. )

[hanabee]

Whoa, whoa, whoa, keep it together, Prez!

[Now it's Niki with hands on Takasugi's shoulders, but he doesn't shake him. He already knows that's not the kindest thing to do to someone who's had a few... or a little to drink. He shakes his head.]

Normally, I wouldn't mind, but we're not exactly prepared for all of that. Even if we can heal faster, I'd still rather do it safely. It's not just something you can do on a whim. What if you get infected?

[It's not like he doesn't get it, though. It's rare for Rinne to put kissing on the table first. Plus, he's being super cute right now! This would get Niki, too!]

Don't worry. I don't think the offer will disappear even if we have to do it later. Rinne-kun's totally weak.

[hanikamu]

Shut up. It's for White Day, that's all...

[Definitely not because he thinks Niki and Takasugi are being cute or anything. He folds his arms and turns away, ears flat against his head, but he's not guarded enough to curl his tail up. It lays still on the mat, red, bushy, and neatly brushed for the occasion.]

Don't go thinkin' you two can push me around. Less kissing, more partying!

["Slam me to the mat and..." What does Takasugi take him for?]

[takasugi]

( maybe he'd be more susceptible to the idea with more partying, true.

but takasugi is successfully placated with the hands holding him firmly and the promise of later. his eager energy turns to a satisfied hum at niki's earnest alarm and rinne's obvious deflection, and as he relaxes in posture to assure niki that he's totally not going to do anything drastic, those eyes the color of the occasional petal that whips by search for his drink. )

Either way, ... I'm fine with you two doing it later. I was just going to do it myself, but maybe it'll be more of a memorable experience if we were all there participating. You know. Respecting the wishes of Amagi-kun and his generous gift.

( time to carefully pluck niki off so he can get back to drinking. his lips rest against the rim of a cup after tilting his head back for a generous sip. )

This is about when someone would take an umbrella and unfold it to catch as many petals as he can, I think. Or else we play a game and the loser has to down an entire cup and then some. Back in the Kiheitai, we would often get the youngest member to tell a story and if no one laughed, we made him drink, but... surely you both have more something more interesting.

( he rests the arm holding his cup over his knee. )

Or maybe you can just share some of the few joys you've experienced as an idol since we've met. That also works.

[hanabee]

[So this is also for White Day... That definitely explains a few things. Rinne always cared about his appearance, but it did seem like he'd gone the extra mile, and... Hehe. That's cute. Cute!

As Takasugi starts to settle down, Niki does as well. His thinking was much the same—while he and Rinne had done it on their own out of necessity, both back then and now, it was still a fond memory, and he figured if they did that for Takasugi, it would be more meaningful for him, too. It was for Niki, anyway. It won't even be a traumatizing experience... Probably!

Niki picks back up the container of food and opens it to reveal fluffy white rice.]

Hey, Prez, I want a White Day gift, too~.

[He prepared some cookies the other day, so he's already paid up, as far as he's concerned! Not that he really expects anything, though.

As for Takasugi's request... Niki tilts his head for a moment, but not too long. His answer is pretty easy.]

I guess for me, I'll always remember how you two were after our first show. I never expected Prez to have so much fun with this idol stuff, so seeing him so excited made me really happy.

[He hands Rinne a container, too. There's fish inside this one, seasoned lightly.]

Rinne-kun, too. That was probably the first time in forever that he could perform without worrying about everything else. It made me glad that we decided to keep being idols here.

[Or, more specifically—it made him happy that Rinne didn't want to give up. Niki had already made that decision long before.]

[hanikamu]

Yeah. I'm happy that we got this far without stepping on anybody.

[With no one's destiny in his hands, Rinne's finally free of the duty that's burdened him for so long. He takes the container graciously and uses his chopsticks to take a piece, not once ever being clumsy.]

But it wouldn't have happened if I didn't know someone could still love me.

Before coming here, with the way things were the last time I was on stage, I didn't think that could ever happen again. But Shinsaku listened to my song, and Niki was with me all the way. It's tough, being an idol and an Augmented. I've been feeling lucky, though.

[He rests his chopsticks against the container's rim, still holding them, still thinking about the days they spent promoting and practicing.]

If nothing else, I'm just glad I got someone to watch the cherry blossoms with. Heh, not that flowers are anything special!

[He's said too much. He'll turn around to face this cherry blossom tree and go back to eating now.]

[takasugi]

( good. the sweet, heartfelt declarations of life shouting out of them is what he wants to hear.

their suffering hasn't all been noble, just like anyone else's experiences in life. but as long as they believe that this partnership between young men from the future and a man soaring in from beyond the grave has benefited them, takasugi feels content. the gentle buzz of alcohol fills his head as his chopsticks glide past bits of fish, hovering in the air until he finally locates the container again. as a muttering of wind lifts his bangs, stray petals clinging to red ears that fan out atop his head, takasugi smirks. )

I've made so many memories here, the good and the bad.

But I can say without a shadow of a doubt, deciding to be an idol with the two of you is something I'd never take back.

( he clacks the sticks together, waving them about dramatically. no, he hasn't managed to stick that fish yet... )

"In human affairs, there are partings, and you have been kind; That we could chat for half a day shows a karmic bond." ... A little something from my diary long ago. Some fan-service. It's wild to realize that initially, I wanted to use both of you to rise above this city, where now I could pretty much care less unless we're having fun. But I suppose there's no way everything wouldn't have turned out all right so far, especially with someone as noteworthy as me around. Mmm. Definitely.

[hanabee]

["Without stepping on anybody" is definitely a key phrase here. Niki had only ever done what he was told, but he'd never liked how they had to cause trouble for other people back then. Deep down, despite everything Rinne had been through, Niki was sure he didn't like doing it, either, so it's nice to be able to see him on a stage where he can be free of all of that.

Still, while Niki's glad that Rinne's found things to be happy about here, it's still a little sad to think that he has no idea just how much everyone... Mmm. But maybe there's no point in dwelling on that right now. This is a moment to celebrate, after all, and all Niki can do is hope that one day, Rinne will see all those beautiful things he has yet to experience.

So Niki shelves that thought for now and keeps smiling, although...]

Prez is saying some really cool and thoughtful things here, but I feel like he slipped something seriously suspicious in there just now...

[Despite what he says, though, he puts down his food for just a moment as he takes it upon himself to reach for the bottle of alcohol and refill Takasugi's cup while he attempts to locate some food.]

I don't really care if someone is famous or not, but it's pretty cool that we get to hang out with someone like this. We'll have to find even more fun stuff to drag Prez into. ♪

[Because Rinne and Niki had always lived like that, always looking for new fun things to try.]

1/2

[hanikamu]

[Rinne truly hasn't grasped just how much people have come to love him, and Takasugi is seriously being suspicious, but neither of these things matter right now, because...]

Mm, I got an idea♪

[Takasugi enjoyed being an idol, after all. Like with Niki, it's nothing he had to do in return, but Rinne appreciates that he humored him at all. Rinne needs to thank him.]

2/2

[hanikamu]

[Two hours later, they're back at home, full from their picnic. The basket's been emptied. The dishes, cleaned. Cool water from the faucet runs as Niki washes their implements in the bathroom. The silver earrings are in the same red box, waiting on a nightstand. On his bed, Takasugi does the same.

The swing of his door cracks the silence. It's Rinne with an armful of towels.]

Kyaha! Kept ya waiting, didn't I? This sounded fun to you, so I talked it over with Niki and figured we could make it fun for us, too.

[He closes the distance between them a few strides, tail swaying happily as he places the towels next to where Takasugi sits.]

Well, we wanna do this anyway, so don't sweat it.

[He doesn't move to sit. He isn't starting anything without Niki.]

To be honest, I thought you'd get your ears pierced sooner. [A jet-black claw reaches out to trace the soft rim of Takasugi's fox ear.] Those piercings were a big part of your look, you know? I've only seen 'em a few times, but even I knew that.

[takasugi]

The government used to prohibit men from wearing cool accessories like that, so naturally, I went all out as soon as I got the chance. Like I would let them tell me who and what I could do as soon as we got the ball rolling on the resistance front. But here, I didn't bother fitting my band or my silver dangles back on. These ears are too... it feels...

( he swallows, casually tilting his ear just out of reach.

it's only been two hours, and yet the drink still whispers about in his head. niki kept obliging in filling his cup, and takasugi never denied him, and so... and so... how many cups had it been? honestly, he hadn't been counting. that's just a given when you're living it up beneath the beautiful spring scenery with your trusted companions. anyway, this is going to hurt. it's totally going to hurt more than usual, and even if takasugi isn't squeamish or anything, he'd rather take a cut from a blade than stab straight through these super cute ears of his.

... but he's the one who said they should all do it together? okay. ... okay.

maybe he should just act cute while they're waiting. uhmmm. )

You'll both be gentle with me, right? Right, ... Amagi-kun?

[hanikamu]

[Rinne snorts.] Didn't ya tell me to slam ya down and ram ya through? You'll be fine. The coolest guy from Choshu can take anything, right?

[The cute act earns a ruffle of his hair, though.]

Me too. I didn't want anybody telling me what to do. [The same hand drifts from Takasugi's hair to the left earring closer to his head, the second from the top. His fingers trace the silver ring.] When I had Niki help me pierce my ear a second time, I told him I wanted to keep that feeling a part of me...

For that feeling, I said I'd do anything.