"I'm not sure," Hakkai admitted. "I'd just gotten back from class, and, well."

He cast Gojyo a dry glance. He would sound normal. He was not going to let that little slip turn into a real hint that Gojyo -- and Gojyo's disappearance -- meant much more to him than a few days' awkward acquaintance would explain. "I know how it sounds, but: the nooses needed cutting down again. Yuri is the goddess of suicides, and the landscaping seems to come with the territory."

The door didn't creak when he pushed it open (at least, anymore: he'd oiled the hinges) to reveal a nicely appointed, warm, comfortable front hallway complete with a rug for the hardwood floor. Inside, Yuri's temple smelled of coffee with a hint of woodsmoke from the sitting-room fireplace.

"Hello!" he called. "I'm home, and we have a guest!"

Silence answered, and after a moment, he glanced back at Gojyo with a faint smile. "I suppose they're out."