Terrible Idea Theater proudly presents...

[erogappa]

Who: Gojyo and Hakkai
What: Drinking. Telling secrets. Fighting?
When: the 5th of November
Where: Kinyobi Bar
Warnings: Almost certainly there will be self-harm talk, xenophobic slurs, and discussion of murder.



Sharak's gone. Sharak's gone, and Tsuzuki and Ayumu are probably not speaking to him anymore (probably: he doesn't want to call them to confirm it), and Hakkai's not who he thought he was.

He may have been wrong about everything. But without Sharak here, and still on the fence about Dokugakuji, that just leaves Hakkai to answer his questions.

Hakkai might lie to him again, but Gojyo's pretty sure he's found a solution to that problem.

Ring ring, Hakkai.

Comments

[kokuyoyo]

If nothing else, Chikusa reflects, at least dinner will be delicious even if the company could use a lot to be desired. Not like he had any doubt. The smell of good food from his and Hakkai's efforts is probably baked into the wood and everything else now. If he was a little more romantic or nostalgic, he'd say Ayumu's work is just as stuck, too.

...Then again, with all the baking they'd done, maybe that's a realistic view, too.

After a second of taking it all in, Chikusa says, "He knocked himself unconscious."

A pause.

"On my borderline."

[reformedsinner]

"He knocked himself out on your borderline," Hakkai repeats, digging the trivet out from where it's burrowed into the back of a drawer, and muffling his hands with a dishtowel as he pulls the pan out of the oven.

Sometimes, he wishes that his life included a little less farce.

With a sigh, he rummages for the pan lid, and slides it on top, letting the meat continue softening, and hopefully stay warm until everyone's ready to eat; he can hear the banging of pipes upstairs, still, while Gojyo showers. He must have been in there for nearly three-quarters of an hour by now; surely he'll be ready soon?

"Well," he says at last, "I suppose that was the end of him being troublesome for a while."

[kokuyoyo]

And there goes that delicious smell... Now all that's left is this awkward conversation, and Gojyo apparently still showering. By this point, the hot water must all be gone. Chikusa thinks he might slam his foot into Gojyo's kneecaps for that alone.

It's not that he can't bathe with cold water, because he's lived on the fringes of society for so long before he died... but hot water is the thing he really likes and values, especially with his appreciation for cleanliness.

So this counts as provocation, right?

"We used up some supplies at the school," Chikusa confirms. "So. You'll be out of those. It was that, or breaking into a hospital..."

[reformedsinner]

"That's fine," Hakkai says, "I'll replace them for Sakura. A hospital would have been more troublesome."

The school's little clinic is useful, especially for shinki who have no other choice but theft, and especially for -- say -- wanted men being dragged around unconscious by teenagers. Being caught in a hospital could have ended with all three of them in jail somewhere, or with mortals dead while they fought their way out.

He sighs, and looks back over the salads.

Unfortunately, he doesn't have any more food to make. He glances over at Chikusa instead.

"Let Ken know that dinner will be in..." Enough time for Gojyo to finish showering, dress, and be ready to eat. Hakkai's gaze goes distant as he calculates. "About half an hour?"

[kokuyoyo]

"Tell me about it..." Yet even as Hakkai is thinking about jail and dead mortals, Chikusa's mind is elsewhere. He figures they could have bluffed their way in, assuming they were mostly ignored by virtue of what they were.... but hospitals are so crowded and troublesome, especially for when he'd have to search down all the necessary equipment in such a large place.

The nurse's office at the school, at least, is a lot smaller. That's beneficial in a case like this.

At being used as a messenger boy, Chikusa thins his lips a little bit and turns his head to look out into the hallway. "...I guess." It's a reluctant agreement. "You're just going to stay in here...?"

[reformedsinner]

"Unless Gojyo's still in the bathroom when it's time to eat," Hakkai agrees, "in which case, I'll go fetch him. I'll set the table."

It's a bit of a bribe, since he usually asks Ken and Chikusa to do that: the subtext is, please behave.

This is all, really, such a terrible idea. It's just that he has no idea what else to do.

[kokuyoyo]

That has Chikusa pause, staring at Hakkai thoughtfully. This is, if he's being honest, more a bribe towards himself than one that Ken would buy. Honestly, a part of him even suspects that Ken might like setting up the table. It's a nice bit of routine for them, when they've never really had that sort of thing before, and it probably makes him feel useful. Chikusa, on the other hand....

....Listen. Even a little work is too much.

"So all we have to do," he says slowly, "is come when you say dinner is ready... and not shove Gojyo out of his chair."

[reformedsinner]

"And not start any fights with him," Hakkai agrees. "Verbal or otherwise, please."

He raises his eyebrows, waiting to see whether Chikusa will take the deal, or whether he'll have to come up with a better bribe.

[kokuyoyo]

Some more careful thinking is required, and Chikusa stays still for a moment as he goes through everything in my head.

"But we can finish them," he finally offers, "and I don't have to set the table for as long as he's here." If Ken wants to get out of table setting duty, he can haggle all on his own.

[reformedsinner]

"You still have to stop fighting if I tell you to. Otherwise, I agree."

Ken, he suspects, will be just as happy to set the table and tease Chikusa for his laziness; it's not really any loss to trade that away. Even if he doesn't know, yet, how long Gojyo is going to be staying.

He holds out his hand to shake on the agreement. "Deal?"

[kokuyoyo]

Oh, right, that. Well, that's good enough, he guesses, since he imagines Hakkai won't like Gojyo being riddled with poison needles due to an argument. So, after only a second, he gives a slow nod and lazily extends his own hand.

"Yeah, sure."

Such a convincing agreement.

[reformedsinner]

Hakkai plans to keep an eye on him regardless... but he'll accept the unconvincing 'sure' for now. He takes Chikusa's hand and gives it a firm shake.

"All right. I'll be here if you need me."

He turns back to the cabinets, already pulling one open to find the plates. Yes, he has plenty of time before dinner will actually start. On the other hand, he's also still desperately looking for distractions.