aerialassault | Appointments

["I know too much now." The words reverberated with Souji in a deeper way than Cliff likely meant as he recalled his weekly book burnings. Even with none of the other Shinsengumi here, and none of them likely to ever come again, Souji still continued burning the books. Whether it was habit or something else, he wasn't sure anymore. He just knew he couldn't leave those things lying around for anyone to find.]

I suppose you're right.

[He noticed Cliff's gaze and looked up at the stars above them - none of them familiar, none of them real. It had to be hard for someone used to space travel to look up and see an unfamiliar sky. It was hard enough for Souji and he hadn't even known space travel was a thing.]

What is your home like? Mine is rather boring - it's just Fayt's world, but old. But yours - I've never really asked what it was like.

[More than just the knowledge of how people were like across the galaxy was also the true nature of his galaxy itself. Beyond chilling, beyond unnerving, it was a rock that stuck in his craw and he knew that he wouldn't be able to continue about his days as if nothing happened once he returned back to his home.]

...I'd say it's pretty normal, [Cliff replied, on the subject of the world he called his home.] The climate's more stable, the gravity's rougher, but people are always the same. [He glanced down, with a lazy smile.]

We just were always told that it's best to think for ourselves and be independent, and I think that's a big part of why we never joined up with the Federation. They're too big, and they want too much control.

Is your planet far from the Federation's base camp? We had similar problems with the outlying provinces away from Edo, the capital of my country. It was difficult to get them to understand and accept Edo's rule.

That's part of what I was fighting against - ronin from the outlying provinces like Satsuma and Tosa were causing problems after the Westerners came.

[He laughed a bit, reaching up to smooth a fallen piece of hair behind his ear. He dropped his head as he did so, setting his cup down in the wooden bucket still floating atop the water.]

I guess we would have been on opposite sides of the war, had we been in the same one.

The distance isn't so bad when your ship's packing a gravitic warp engine. It takes ya faster than the speed of light, so a trip that would have taken years can be made in a few days. Something like that really changes the landscape of these wars.

[Contemplatively, he took a sip of his sake and enjoyed it's warmth.]

...We probably would have ended up on opposite sides if we were in the same one, and I'd probably have been killed years ago because I just don't like watching things go down that I don't like. It really sticks in my craw, that's all.

Mmm, a lot can still happen in a few days. [It had taken them over two weeks to arrive in Kyoto from Edo on foot - the idea of making the trip in days was fascinating. Could it even be done with that engine thing Cliff talked about? How could something be faster than light? He wasn't even aware that light travelled. Souji tilted his head back and let his neck rest against a cool rock, dissipating some of the heat from the bath. He closed his eyes as he brought back the memories of the war he'd been fighting four years ago - so distant now that it almost seemed imaginary.]

No, I think you would have survived. The leaders of the rebellion are smart - they'd have wanted to keep men like you alive and well even if you went after a fight where you didn't need to. So long as you never came up against the captains directly, I'm sure you would have survived.

[He would at least have out-lived Souji, that was for certain.]

We never tried to pick fights with the ronin who came to the capital. It wasn't our job. We just watched and managed, kept tabs on them and eliminated the ones who posed immediate threats.

Oh, trust me. I know.

[While he insisted on face-to-face meetings like an old fashioned fool, it still took time to get the people together in the right place. Anything could go down in the interrim, but the possibility of future agreement was worth the risk. There was no way that anyone could trust another in war if they didn't expose themselves first; an act of faith was necessary to stop anymore lives from being ruined.

He glanced down at Souji, studying that peaceful, relaxed expression he wore in that moment, and wondered what sort of battles he was imagining.]

Not picking fights is a good policy to have, but not everyone follows that. Someone tried doing that with me, once...

[He remembered that trap, and a certain young woman's refusal to cave, and smiled a little.]

Let's just say it's a miracle I cam out of it alive. Annoy the wrong person enough, and anything's liable to happen.

No, not everyone does - but I'm glad you lived through it. [He opened one eye and smiled.]

And by the wrong person - are you referring to the grumpy bears in skirts and spiky hair I was teasing the other day? Or to someone else?

Albel and Vegeta? [He chuckled at this.]

Yeah, those two have sensitive egos. You might wanna be a little careful with how badly you tease them!

Vegeta-san seems reeeally sensitive about the wrinkles in his forehead. [The mischievous smile stayed on his lips as he closed his eye again, relaxing back into the water. He could feel the ripples from the wooden bucket as it floated lazily on the surface, as well as the ones bouncing back from Cliff at his side. It was relaxing, more relaxing than anything he'd done in a long time.]

Maybe he should come here - it could help him stop being so angry. Both of them, actually, but probably not at the same time. They'd probably fight.

Definitely not at the same time. And not like this-- they're both really sensitive about their personal space.

[He had encountered the both of the during that Shift at the end of December, and was completely unsurprised by their respective reactions to it. He didn't want to know how they would react to being as open and exposed as they would be in an onsen.

Sighing, he downed the rest of his sake and leaned back as well. The duration of his stay in Luceti had been something of a vacation for him thus far, but he hadn't tried enjoying it quite like this.]

[The water moved and Souji opened his eyes, automatically reaching forward for the heated serving bottle to refill Cliff's cup.]

Yes, somehow I don't think they'd enjoy the baths quite like this.

[He smiled, squeezing Cliff's hand under the water.]

Would you like more?

Nah, it's fine.

[Shaking his head a little, Cliff squeezed his hand in reply.]

I'm happy just being in here with you.

[He shifted, studying Souji fully for the first time since they shed their clothes.]

...Have I ever told you how gorgeous you are?

Edited 2014-01-29 03:14 (UTC)

[He leaned forward to put the bottle back and paused when Cliff suddenly complimented him. Souji had been getting the feeling that the Klausian had been trying to look anywhere but him during the baths, but apparently he'd been wrong. The words made him laugh a little, his cheeks reddening as he leaned back against the rocks.]

I don't think you have. But isn't it more conventional to tell someone they're handsome? You are, after all. [He laughed again and reached up, ruffling Cliff's long hair and fingering the ends of one long strand.] Handsome, I mean.

[The opposite had been Cliff's intention the entire time; he simply didn't want to seem to obvious in his wish to admire his partner's manner and appearance. As much as he liked to joke about it, such things were never a high priority for him...

He glanced off when Souji spoke up, feeling a little sheepish about the compliment.]

Yeah, I guess you're right on that one. But, I wasn't lying when I said you could pass for a badass babe-- you really are as gorgeous as you can be dangerous, a lot like a very good friend of mine.

Not your boss, I hope. [It would be weird to be compared to someone he'd kissed, even if it was a Shift and a Malnosso created effect. Souji laughed and let Cliff's hair go, the strands trailing from his fingers. He reached up behind his head, pulling the jeweled hairpin out slowly to let his hair down. He didn't want it to touch the water, but he wanted to make a point and toyed with the pin, rolling the sharp point around his hair again into a tighter hold.]

My friends used to tease me that I was too feminine, but I never minded. No one expects someone who looks like me to be able to disarm and kill them in under three seconds. It's an advantage.

[He gave Cliff a smirk and pinned his hair back in place.]

Is that what you mean by dangerous?

[Cliff cracked a grin at the commentary, even as he kept a careful eye on where that pretty pin was going.]

Her name's Mirage, [He said, clearly fond of this person.] She's another Klausian, and she's my teacher's daughter. She's beautiful, but...[He chuckled.] It's like you said-- no one expects someone that pretty to wipe the floor with them.

That's exactly what I mean by 'dangerous'.

[Mirage - Souji wasn't sure if he'd heard the name before, but he had heard that description. Bit by bit, he was finding out more about the people in Cliff's life. Fayt, Maria, Albel, Nel, and now Mirage. An entire group of people he was also missing, possibly fearing for, just like Souji did. Cliff, however, didn't seem like the sort to worry, but that likely just meant he did it below the surface, where others couldn't see. As straightforward as the Klausian could be, he also had his secrets and parts of himself that he couldn't or wouldn't explain. At least, not yet.

Souji smiled back as he relaxed against the side of the hot spring.]

So I take it she wiped the floor with you and taught you a lesson about underestimating the pretty ones then. [Souji tried not to laugh as he leaned in toward Cliff.] That explains a lot about your tastes in people, you know.

What-- that I like knowing my friends can take care of themselves?

[He laughed, brushing off that idle little comment. While he had a feeling that Fayt had a few suspicions about his track record with Mirage, he didn't want too many other people around knowing about how regularly Mirage threw him-- nor did he want Souji getting any more ideas than he already had.]

Edited 2014-01-30 21:40 (UTC)

That's one way to put it.

[Lifting his arms out of the water, Souji stretched them out in front of him, watching droplets slide off. He was lucky to be as clear of scars as he was. In the right light, he could still see where that shadow creature Pride had stabbed him through the hand - small light lines to mark the puncture wounds all up his arms.

He tilted his head, wondering if he could really handle himself against creatures like that. He certainly hadn't run from it, a mark of pride, but if Pride hadn't stopped, he would have died there that night. He had almost died so many times in battle, and yet the only thing to have killed him here or anywhere was the cough. His head tilted the other way of its own volition as he silently considered that he'd never have a warrior's death. How strange.

His arms slipped back under the water and Souji checked his fingertips.] Or that you have a thing for dangerous people. [He smiled a little.] I wouldn't judge you for it - I like them, too. They're more interesting.

Like attracts like, [Cliff said, relaxing against the cool stones that surrounded the pool,] I like to think I'm a little dangerous too.

[A dangerous man living a dangerous life. After spending years attracting all of the wrong kinds of attention, being tortured, nearly being killed, Cliff counted himself lucky that he didn't have any lasting marks. The wonders of space-age technolgy truly were astounding in a few respects...]

What sort of interesting and dangerous peope have you met? They can't all be old and grumpy.

[He smiled, not saying yes or no to Cliff's self-evaluation. He was dangerous, of course - a formidable fighter and a leader of a rebellion in his own way. To say he was anything but dangerous was a lie, but that was why Souji didn't feel like he had to hide anything around him. Only dangerous people weren't afraid of him, people who were like him in some way or another.

He leaned his head back and looked up at the stars.]

....It's been so long now, I don't think I could tell you about them all before we turned into prunes in this water.

[He chuckled softly at the joke, but recognized the words for what they were.]

I don't mind turning into a prune today. It's been way too long...

[He stretched his arms as he spoke and shifted so that he sank deeper into the water, not caring at all if his hair got wet in his determination to just enjoy the outing.]

... We can talk about something else if you'd like. It's just nice being here.

Edited 2014-01-31 02:10 (UTC)

[He laughed a little and ran his hands over his arms under the water, feeling the slide of the minerals under his fingertips.]

You rarely give yourself a chance to relax, do you? Tinkering with this or that - giving lessons to all the children in the village.

[Souji smirked at the last remark and leaned in toward Cliff again.]

I wonder how I'll ever win your attention with how busy you keep yourself.

[He chuckled softly at the jest and leaned closer himself, resting his head on top of Souji's.]

You've already won it, [he said, without any hint of teasing.] You're one of the more interesting things around here, yanno.

[Souji is surprised by the feel of Cliff resting up against him, but he doesn't stiffen or flinch like he thought he might. Maybe the water was doing more to relax him than he thought. He reached up, fingering a strand of blond hair that had fallen in front of his face.]

Is it because I'm a mystery? Or because I tend to explode into glitter every so often?

Jan. 10th | 3pm | Hot Springs

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