thenearshore | I don’t know half of you half as well as I should like; [closed]

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I don’t know half of you half as well as I should like; [closed]

Who: Yukine and some people he sees frequently (Shun, Ren; Hakkai)
What: A very fond farewell
When: September 5
Where: Far Shore
Warning: none

"...and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."
(But 'less than half' is not 'all'! There's some good ones.)

Starter for Hakkai. Early morning.
It just makes sense. If you're going to be absent from school, you tell the teacher.
So of course, beyond the fact that he'd not disappear without a word if he could help it (unlike some people, Yato), he needed to be responsible for his impending absence from class.

He doesn't expect to take long to talk to the people he needs to, but he wants to do it as quickly as possible. Yato's waiting. On the totally unrelated plus side, he'll be cutting out of English today!

Seeing as Hakkai-san doesn't have a class, Yukine finds him relatively easily in his office.

"Hakkai-san, sorry if you're busy. Do you have a minute?"

Starter for Ren and Shun. Late morning.
Out of the handful of people that came to mind for Yukine to tell about his leaving for a bit, Suzugamori sprang to mind fairly quickly. He was often over there to visit the animals. ...He'd miss them a lot. And the god's light-hearted conversations were fun, too.

With a cat snug in his lap as he told Suzugamori-sama that he'd be away for a while he nodded sadly in agreement that the cats would miss him (he'd miss them too!), and nodded again automatically when told to be careful. (Yep, and then some with Yato around.)

Then when Suzugamori asked who else Yukine would be talking to, he found himself hesitating a beat. Thinking about it now, he'd have to tell Kurosaki-sama, wouldn't he. He has the feeling he'd for sure be in for an ass-kicking if he didn't. Suzugamori-sama instantly volunteered himself to come along, especially since Yukine doesn't know the way to Kurosaki's new place, let alone the fact that the guy had moved.

Which is how he finds himself trying to not stare at Kurosaki-sama's new place as Suzugamori cheerfully takes the lead to knock on the door. Well, not that the 'in the side of a hill' is all that different, but damn, this neighbourhood is swank. There's no way this temple isn't bigger, even if he can't see much beyond the garden.

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"Of course, Yukine," Hakkai says, glancing up from a stack of workbooks he's checking. Concern furrows his brow, and Jeep lifts his head from the blanket-padded basket Hakkai's left on the corner of the desk for him, cheeping at Yukine.

Is something wrong? Yukine doesn't usually come to find him at school like this unless there is a problem, and asking if he has a minute first -- well.

It's ominous.

He tries not to frown too deeply as he asks, "How can I help?"

Yukine winces slightly at Hakkai's expression, somehow feeling like he's in trouble before he's done anything, but moves into the room and gives Jeep a quick stroke on his head.

"Hi, Jeep. Ah, it's not that I need help. I just need to let you know that I'll be away from school for a while. Yato finally got it through his thick head that he needs me around, so I'll be with him." While on the outside he looks put off by that, he's actually pleased and very relieved.

"I just didn't want to take off without letting you know is all. Thanks for all the lessons up to now. Especially the driving." He gives Jeep another stroke on his head in appreciation too.

"Oh," Hakkai says, sitting back and blinking. His frown dissolves at the explanation. There's nothing wrong with it, of course -- in fact, he's happy to hear that Yato is in fact taking his shinki with him for once -- but it raises a certain question.

Namely: "What are the two of you going to do? If you don't mind telling me, of course."

"Mm." He was kind of expecting that, to be honest. "I don't mind, but just don't tell the world, okay? A mask used for curses showed up a little while ago. We're gonna look into it and take care of it. So don't worry 'bout it. You guys got enough going on here."

Especially Hakkai-san, being one of the most experienced newbies here. 'Don't let anyone burn the place down while I'm gone' feels like a tasteless quip given what's happened in the past months, so he conveys the sentiment more directly: "I'll leave it to you."

"I'll keep it quiet... but let me know if you find anything that's worrying."

His smile is a little lopsided, and he reaches for a workbook that's sitting to the side of the desk, rather than in the pile he's checking. He slides it over to Yukine.

"And I'll do my best to keep things quiet around here until you get back," he adds, deliberately cheerful. Yukine and Yato can, he suspects, handle themselves. Still, he's going to worry. "I picked this up a few days ago: I think it's about at your level, Yukine, so if you'd like to keep up with your work...."

He nods- if something comes up that he thinks someone like Hakkai-san could help with, then sure. But he doubts it'll come to that.

Yukine eyes the workbook that Hakkai slides over suspiciously, then grimaces.
No, actually, he wanted a bit of a break from school-! But he quickly smooths his expression.

"Ahh... Thanks for thinking of me, Hakkai-san. I'll give it a try." For him, that is equally as genuine a sentiment as wishing for a break, and so he does take the workbook.

"I hope you won't mind if I have to ask for an extension on doing it though."

"Take all the time you need," Hakkai assures him. "Your duties are more important than your schoolwork, but if you do have some free time...!"

And, of course, he can't expect Yukine to get the workbook back to him for checking before he's free enough to return to the Far Shore. Depending on how much work he and Yato plan to do tracking down that mask, it could be a while.

"And, please, don't forget that if you need it, I am reasonably good in a fight."

He glances up to meet Yukine's gaze. "If you need backup, I would help."

"Thanks, Hakkai-san. It's good to know you're at my back, really."

Although Yukine would be much more inclined to first reach out to a 'old' god or shinki for backup, it is genuinely good to know that people like Hakkai-san are there for him too. And who knows. Depending on the situation, maybe it would be better to go with backup from someone like him.

Either way, he won't worry too much about that now. Yato and him should be enough.

"I'd better get going. I was tempted to tie Yato to a tree so he wouldn't take off without me again... He promised he wouldn't, but I don't want to push my luck."

He grins ruefully, then bows slightly to Hakkai.

"Thanks again. I'll see you again soon."

"You're welcome, Yukine. Take care." Hakkai returns the bow, smiling, and adds, "I won't keep you any longer! Go, catch up."

He hopes Yukine will call if he needs anything. While Yato might have better connections with the older gods, and know which of them are reliable in a pinch, Hakkai can't help distrusting most of them himself. It's not so much what they've done, but --

-- Well, he still doesn't have the grasp of their motivations that he would prefer to.

He certainly doesn't want to leave Yukine's safety up to them, he thinks, but keeps smiling as the young shinki leaves.

[It takes a few seconds for anyone to answer the door, so it's probably not too surprising when it's not actually Shun who does so. Instead, the glimpse of a heavily bandaged arm because it's withdrawn back under her yukata sleeve likely gives away Kotori before the door is even fully opened. While she smiles at the both of them, the one she gives Yukine is tinged with a faint hint of amusement, and she addresses him first.]

Oh, are you visiting now, senpai? [There's a somewhat sardonic undercurrent to that form of address, though it clears up when she instead turns her attention to Ren.] He's in the garden, right near the back. I think he's practicing, you know what he gets like.

[A slight shrug, as if it can't really be helped.]

[Ren had definitely volunteered to come because, well, why wouldn't he want to come visit Shun, but mostly because he wasn't sure if Yukine knew where Shun's house was now. Really. That was definitely all there was to it. So if he looks particularly pleased for a second when Kotori tells them where Shun is, that's probably just an illusion, because then he's right back to his usual cutesy self.]

Yep! And I know exactly where to find him. Thanks, Kotori-san! [He turns away with a small wave, and then waves for Yukine to follow.] This way, Yukine-senpai~

[And off he goes into the garden, for once looking like he knows exactly where he's going and the easiest way to get there.]

[Seeing how differently she speaks to Suzugamori-sama, and with the way he says 'senpai~', Yukine frowns at Kotori over his shoulder as he quickly follows him.]

I think she's makin' fun of me. [He grumbles under his breath. Geez, he was nothin' but nice to her when they'd first met. He doesn't get what her problem is. But although it pricks at him, there's also no point in worrying about it too hard. He knows his own place.
And then he rounds on Suzugamori.]

And I don't know what you're making fun of. I am a senpai to all you new guys.

Anyway, it looks like you actually know where you're going. [He remembers you not remembering how to get back to your own temple as a kid.] You come here very often?

[Ren just blinks innocently at him, which is definitely not innocent at all but he's making a very good try at it.]

Hmm, was I making fun of something? [He has no idea what you could possibly mean~

Also, isn't that kind of making fun of him for something (even if he does have a point)? So he's pretty sure they're even.]

Yep! I come here to train with Shun three times a week, unless there's something else going on. And I spend a lot of time out here too. It's a nice garden, isn't it? [You know, if you ignore the fact that all the flowers are funerary or death-related flowers. Which he doesn't have much problem with doing.]

Edited 2017-10-14 07:35 (UTC)

[Flattest. Look. Ever.

But yes, more or less even now.]

Really? That's a lot. Kurosaki-sama doesn't seem the type to hold back, either. Do you actually like getting beat on three times a week? Or maybe you hold your own against him pretty well? [He'd kinda like to see that.

He pauses a beat to take in his surroundings a bit more at the question. He's not exactly a 'trained eye', but he nods. From his studies about gardening, he can appreciate this. Although...]

Yeah, it's nice. But there's a bit of a trend with the flowers, huh. [Like, death. Which while it makes sense, it's still a little off-putting.]

[It's definitely a little of both, though more the first thing, but he's not sure he should actually say so out right. He can see a lot of ways that could go south very quickly. Saying so indirectly, though, that's always on the table.]

Something like that. [He's just not going say say which one he's agreeing with there.] He doesn't hold back at all, but I don't think I'd learn as much if he did.

[Ren brushes the tips of his fingers over a stand of white lilies as they pass by them, and then his gaze darts up to where they can now see movement through the trees and flowers where Shun is training in the rose arches up ahead.]

Well, he did take the place of a funerary god. But i think it's nice that he got all this life instead.

[Yukine takes it as confirming the latter- he hadn't been all that serious suggesting the former, after all.]

Huh, I guess that's a good point. My teacher didn't hold back on me, either. [Kazuma-san, you jerk.

Yukine's expression lightens at Suzugamori's rather thoughtful statement.]

Life, huh. You're right. Despite the meaning people give them, they're all alive.

[He then follows Suzugamori's gaze up to the trees, and catches a glimpse of Kurosaki-sama... doing his thing. Of course, darting around like a ninja is no big deal to him, huh.]

[Unsurprisingly, as soon as Shun's very much expanded garden gained some extremely large and intricate plant climbing frames, he started finding ways to use them for definitely not their intended purpose. The faint sound of impact against wood is likely audible just before Shun actually comes into sight, leaping between a pair of wooden posts several metres high, kicking off at each side to gain height until he very quickly passes the top of the frame and lands neatly in a gap between vines.

In the time it takes them to get closer, he's effectively using the top beam he landed on as a balance beam, dipping backwards gracefully to catch himself on his hands, then bringing his feet over to land on them again, then repeating the motion. He's just about to do it for a third time when he spots the two of them approaching and lowers his arms, frowning slightly in confusion.]

You pair don't usually visit together. [His tone is somewhat cautious, considering his first assumption is that there's something wrong prompting the visit.]

[As is usual when Shun is practicing being a circus performer, it isn't long before Ren's full attention is on him and he's not paying a whole lot of it to anything else. Yukine's last comment only gets a small hum of agreement that sounds like he might not even know what he's agreeing with (although he'd still be able to repeat what Yukine said if he had to). Luckily, Shun notices them and stops fairly quickly, which helps a lot.

Ren comes to a stop where they won't have to strain their necks too much to talk to him while still being close enough to talk without having to yelling, and he waves hello for a moment before clasping his hands cutely behind his back.]

Yukine-kun wanted to visit. I'm just tagging along.

More like I just have something I wanted to let you know. Suzugamori-sama showed me where your new place is here. And is tagging along.

[He'll wait for Kurosaki-sama to come down from there before saying what he came here to say though.]

Edited (formatting) 2017-10-14 10:27 (UTC)

[Shun raises a brow a bit at Yukine's remark (while giving a slightly hesitant wave back to Ren, as if he's not really used to returning the gesture), but if it's really that important, he supposes they should have the conversation eye-to-eye. Letting out a faint huff, he drops from the beam, executing a quick flip in mid-air before landing on his feet as exactly as a cat.]

Say it, then. He's not the one who needs a reason to be here. [His tone is blunt, but not unpleasant - it's merely an observation that Yukine typically doesn't visit unless it's necessary, while Ren is here just about every other day.]

[Yep, getting that little wave out of Shun made coming here absolutely worth it--as if it wasn't already worth it anyway. Ren beams back at him, and then looks back over at Yukine with a somewhat neutral but attentive expression. Of course, he already knows what Yukine's bit of news is, but it's Yukine's news to share, and he doesn't mind listing to it again either.]

[Shooooww offfff. (Has he thought that every time he's run into Kurosaki-sama? Probably.)

He bristles a little at that comment, taking it to mean that he's not welcome unless he has some purpose to be there. While it's true that he wouldn't usually come here without reason, it's harsh to think he's unwelcome otherwise.

With a glance at Suzugomori-sama, who doesn't seem bothered to hear these few sentences again, Yukine gives his news stiffly.]

I'm going to be away for a while. Yato finally got it through his thick skull that he needs me around, so I'm going to be with him. And before you ask what we'll be doing [he knows that the guy will for sure ask], we'll be taking care of the thing about the mask that showed up. So don't worry about it.

Edited (missed a whole section of reaction... /o\) 2017-10-14 11:14 (UTC)

[It's probably a good thing Yukine's news is of interest, because it means Shun is distracted from that beaming from Ren before he has to spend several seconds deciding exactly how much the word "cute" might apply to it. He's still not very good at dealing with that sort of thing.

In particular, as soon as Yukine mentions what the trip is about, Shun's attention sharpens, and his eyes narrow.] I'm still going to worry about it if any leads come up again, but I'll hope you and your god can get to the bottom of it without needing that. [So he's not outright stepping back, but he is at least trusting that Yukine and Yato know what they're doing in this particular instance.] I destroyed the one I had - just kept the photos Munakata took when we found it. The person I asked to look into its magic couldn't get much out of it, and I didn't want to risk the Heavens coming down on anyone for me having it at all.

[Not coming down on him, notably - if Shun was the only one in danger of heavenly retribution in that kind of instance, he'd be a lot more willing to run the risk of keeping it.]

[Ren looks between them while they're talking with an increasingly clueless look. He hadn't actually asked for any details about why Yukine suddenly had to leave, because Yato needing him around more was good enough for him, so he didn't hear this part nor does it mean anything to him anyway. If both of them know about it, though, it definitely something important.]

What mask? [He might have waited to ask until it was just him and Shun, except he probably would have forgotten until it was just them two weeks from now, and also if Yukine doesn't want them to worry about it, that makes it much too interesting not to ask about now.]

[Catching that 'anyone' his eyebrows lift and he nods in appreciation. He's right- anyone caught in relationship to that mask would have some explaining to do to heaven.

Yukine looks from Kurosaki to Suzugamori, surprised.]

You didn't tell him?

[Not that he expects Kurosaki to share everything that comes up with his friend, but he's still surprised. And a bit relieved, actually, that the news about the mask hadn't spread.

Which means that one more person knowing is kinda his own fault. He sighs slightly.]

There was a mask used for curses that showed up a while ago. Yato and I have seen them before, so you can leave it to us.

[Up to Kurosaki-sama if he wants to elaborate more than that.]

[Shun shakes his head at the question.] The first person who told me about those masks was Bishamon, and she didn't want the information to spread unchecked. I agreed, so I only mentioned them if I needed to.

[Nonetheless, considering Ren is in the middle of the conversation now, Shun fishes his phone out of his pocket and starts looking for the pictures.] Around the middle of August, Fubuki, Munakata and I were tracking a masked ayakashi. I heard a couple of the advisors' shinki asking if they'd really seen it. It was being controlled by the mask's power, and it left it behind when we rended it.

[He turns the phone screen to show Ren the image - Shun's hand holding a plain white mask with a simple eye design drawn on it in black ink.] All the guy I asked could tell was that there was spell magic and negative energy all over the thing, but that's just the same as knowing it's cursed.

[Ren leans in close with a finger pressed thoughtfully against his lips to get a good look at the picture and hums softly to make it clear he's listening and not just being silly.]

I see. That's a shame that he couldn't tell any more than that. Like a direction it might be pulling to or something like a fingerprint...although I guess even if that was there, you'd need something to compare it to...

[He shrugs and straightens back up with a bright smile over at Yukine.] Sounds like you two are going to have your hands full with that. Good luck!

[He sighs again but nods slightly at his explanation. Makes sense. He's glad that Bishamonten-sama was on top of that, and that Kurosaki-sama stuck to it.

He raises an eyebrow at Kurosaki again avoiding saying the name of the person that he showed the mask to, but he supposes it's for the best. Another measure against this story getting far, and to protect people.

He grins a little in return to Suzugamori-sama.]

Thanks. It'll be no problem.

[Casually putting his hands in his pockets he looks back at Kurosaki.] Anyway, that's all I wanted to tell you. I'm not the type to go off without telling anyone, after all. But I don't want the world to know exactly what I'm doing, either.

[Seeing as it has to do with masks, they should both know why.]

[Shun puts his phone away for the moment, figuring he probably won't need it again. While he is still a little leery of what's always seemed like overconfidence from Yukine, there also probably aren't a great deal of options for gods to deal with matters involving those masks.

There's a faint huff at Yukine's last remark.] I'm the last person you'd need to worry about if you're concerned about the information spreading. Just try to come back in one piece, and don't forget you have allies here if you need them.

[It's a subtle warning not to get too caught up in the glory of getting it done just between himself and Yato, but also a reminder not to forget the newcomers. He's sure Yukine has more comrades among them than just himself and Ren, and it's not a nice feeling to completely detach yourself from those kinds of relationships in favour of a mission.]

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I don’t know half of you half as well as I should like; [closed]

Early morning

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insert knock knock joke of some kind here

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I'm sorry...

oh yukine no you know not what you ask...

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