005 [Audio/Action]

[aerialassault]

[Audio]
Yo. Everyone.

[It was midday that he addressed the village as a whole, without any lead-in or hint of apology in his tone for being so goddamn casual.]

I'm lookin' for a friend of mine. He's got long hair and has a pet pig-- lemme know if you see him.

[Action]

[It was training, Souji had been insisting for the last few weeks when he set an enraged, squealing Saizou upon him without any warning. Speed training for a little game between the two of them that they both had a stake in. And, finally-- after many days of running from the grumpy little pig-- the game was on.

Cliff had 24 hours to catch Souji. Truth be told, he had no idea what the little prankster was up to.

He'll be anywhere and everywhere around town that day, searching every corner and under every table for any hint of that teasing smile...all the while remaining on high alert for anything that would attempt to dive-bomb him.]

Comments

[etherealblast]

Right..... [If Souji asked, Fayt would have probably told him he wasn't angry. His dad and his team had only done what they'd felt was necessary. If it hadn't been for that..... who knows if they'd have had a way to stop everything? They might not have been able to stop Luther, let alone reach him.

Even if he had to hide for the rest of his life, having an existence at all was more than preferable.]

Yeah, he probably is. But don't worry too much, alright? Even if he somehow manages to find you before his time runs out, I have a feeling he'll be willing to tell you regardless.

[ahappylie]

[He didn't respond right away, focusing on finishing Fayt's bangs and keeping the hair from falling into the boy's eyes. They'd all been very honest with him up to now and suddenly, strangely, Souji felt a pang of guilt. Cliff knew about his death and the fact that there was no stopping it, but did Fayt? It didn't seem like something Cliff would think to mention, and after all that Fayt had shared, Souji thought maybe he should return the favor.

But at the same time, it was the one thing he hated talking about more than anything else in the world. People's eyes changed when they knew his fate, and the idea of having Fayt stop looking at him with such innocence was unbearable. Cliff had found out by accident on the draft all those months ago - but was it worth telling Fayt the same?]

We all have stories and shadows, Fayt-kun. Some we want to talk about and some we don't.

Anyway, I think if he finds me before time runs out, he'll have a different plan for his prize and we might not be able to talk as much.

[He snipped a rogue long hair and sat back a little, looking at his handiwork.]

Does that look alright?

[etherealblast]

Yeah. It really depends on the person... and the story, I guess. Some things are better left unsaid, sometimes. [Fayt glances down at the mirror, peering at his hair before turning his head this way and that to check the sides and what he can see of the back. It looked like it was back to the proper length again. Man, Souji was good at this...] And yeah. It looks great, actually. You're pretty good at this.

[He chuckles a little though, a small grin reflected in the mirror before he sets it down on the table.] Though I guess if there's that possibility I should probably relocate for the night, huh?

[ahappylie]

[Fayt's answer sealed his lips and he instead decided to focus on the better parts of the conversation. Souji swung the scissors on his finger and smiled, pretending to holster them like a gun as he'd seen people here do before.] Practice makes perfect.

[He couldn't help but laugh at Fayt's jab at Cliff's supposed plans and shook his head.]

It would be rude of me to allow Cliff to force you out of your own apartment. If he does win, I'll be sure to jump out the window and make him chase me elsewhere.

[etherealblast]

Nah, it's no big deal. It's his place too, you know? I've got some places I can go and Aleos could probably use some company, anyway.

[The kid seemed like he could use a roommate sometimes, really. His grin turns downright cheeky though, as he remembers something.]

Besides, this way he can get some use out of those socks I gave him forever ago.

[ahappylie]

....Why would you give him socks? [Because this is a reference completely lost on Souji.]

....He's not into anything strange I should know about, is he?

[etherealblast]

It's a modern thing. When you're rooming with someone, you hang a sock or something outside the door to let your roommate know you're.. uh, busy with someone, so they don't come in. [He leans back on the couch, crossing his arms behind his head.]

I might have given him a pair of socks after that one mission you guys went on together.

[ahappylie]

...Why would you ever advertise such a thing? Or are people in the future just...more open about it? [Or just louder? Because seriously, you could do that and be quiet. At least, he thought people could. It wasn't like he ever heard anything going on at the compound and he knew people had to be doing something with so many men packed together. At the very least in his time people left to do it elsewhere if they were loud.

AND WOW, FAYT.]

And wow...that is long before anything even happened. Just how long have you been teasing him about this?

[etherealblast]

Well when you're sharing a dorm with someone there isn't usually a lot of room, so it can get a little awkward. At least that's what I've heard. [A shrug. Not like he'd ever needed to do anything like that, himself. It had mostly been a joke.] But you could say people are a bit more open about things, yeah.

As for how long, you guys were dancing around something for a while, you know? Cliff takes bricks to get the picture though, so I made a few jokes. Not that any of them worked.

[ahappylie]

I would think the one with the partner would leave for awhile. At least, that's what the men used to do. Yamanami-san spent a lot of time away from the compound since he had Akesato-san. [Souji is so confused by this turnaround in culture, Fayt. What what what.] I suppose it's good that I lived so long ago.

[He laughed at Fayt's description of Cliff, setting the scissors down so he didn't accidentally stab himself in the process.] That is one way to describe him, yes. And he's the sort to only see and notice what he needs to, I think. I didn't mind.

[etherealblast]

Times change. I don't really think it's a bad or good thing, just... different. [People just got a lot more casual about things as time went by and values changed.]

Exactly my point. Rei and I wanted to see if you guys could figure it out with some help, but it looks like you didn't exactly need it in the end.

[ahappylie]

Oh so that is why the two of you were spying on us. [Souji folded the hair clippings up into a paper ball and considered throwing them away, but instead saved them and set them on the table for now. He leaned back against the couch, taking up a second piece of paper, and started to fold it into shapes.]

Such conspiracies all around me and I wasn't even aware. [He sounded more amused than anything else and kept creasing lines into the paper using his leg as a table.] You two aren't going to sneak in and spy on us again, are you? If you do, I'd like a little warning.

[etherealblast]

[Another small grin alights on his face.] Nah, our spying is over, promise. You guys are on your own now.

[He watches Souji fold paper lazily, still feeling a bit tired. Maybe he could beg some dinner off Aleos....]

[ahappylie]

Good, because it's a little weird to think my not-really-real son was spying on his not-really-his-real parents.

[etherealblast]

[Souji just gets a snort at that.] No way. No reason to go spying now anyway.

[ahappylie]

[He smiles, amused and pokes Fayt lightly in the side.]

And why is that? Is there another not-yet couple who needs your intervention?

[etherealblast]

[That draws another laugh and a squirm from Fayt as he tries to wiggle away from the poking finger.] No, no more matchmaking. That's really not my kind of thing, usually.

[ahappylie]

So you say and yet you took a keen interest in Cliff-san for some reason. Is it just because I teased him so often or was it something else?

[etherealblast]

You two were a special, one time case. Gotta look out for my friends, you know? Besides, seeing you guys dance around each other was downright painful sometimes.

[ahappylie]

Painful, was it? I didn't realize it was so obvious or pain-inducing. [Except for him, of course, but that's in the past now.]

[etherealblast]

Really obvious. Trust me on this.

[ahappylie]

I guess I'll have to work more on my air of mystery~ or else I won't be much good at stealth anymore.

[etherealblast]

Does that really have anything to do with stealth?

[ahappylie]

If you could guess what we were thinking? Yes. I prefer not to be such an open book.

[etherealblast]

Oh.

[Guess it made sense...]

At least it worked out in the end, didn't it?