thenearshore | Take a look, it's in a book

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Take a look, it's in a book

Who: Gojyo and Chikusa
What: Fighting. What else do they do?
When: January 9th
Where: the Far Shore library
Warnings: See individual post headers

[ He needs to learn about shrines. What they're made of, what they do, where they need to go, and with what pieces. What not to do when making one. Their range. How to make them work stronger, feed their god more.

Because that's what it is. It's a god feeder, streaming magic life into the folks attached to them. As much as he hates being a shinki and every. fucking. piece. of being a shinki, at least he's not a god. At least he won't vanish if everyone forgets him.

So he's looking for books on shrines. But he's also looking for books on really really graphic ancient sex -- something inside him crawls up and died a little at the centerfold -- and coffee table books building boats and increasing his paleo index and music, popular artists of the last ten years, in heaven and in the mortal world, a cookbook snagged entirely at random, and volume six of the History of Discorporeal Places -- not incorporeal, the introduction hastened to add. Discorporeal. (It's kind of a fun word to say.)

And he thinks he's got what he needs. He thinks the books he's skimmed so far will have the information that he needs to set up Votelli's shrine, and he's got an idea where a goddess of trees's shrine would be best located (suburban garden centers, it's big box garden centers in the lawn-having parts of town, away from the evening noise)... now he just needs to get out of here before Chikusa shows up. What odds do you give him? ]

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[Shit odds. But then, this is nothing new for Gojyo.]

[Chikusa has research of his own to do at the library, on a variety of topics, as usual. There's always his quest for knowledge, his efforts to organize the library... and now, ideas on the latest thing he's figuring out with Minako of all people. Sometimes, it feels like he's seen more of the library than he has of Hakkai's own temple.]

[The temple he should be looking into construction for, now that he's thinking about it... Needless to say, this has Chikusa wandering as usual. When you want something from the library, you almost have to wander. What's the alternative?]

[So that makes it only a matter of time until he's silent browsing between the stacks... and coming across a familiar figure making his way through. Chikusa is good at being quiet and not particularly noticeable. It's not a bias, either, although he doesn't seen any point in anyone paying attention to him. Rather, it's something he's worked on... and something he puts into practice as he tries to fade into the background once he spots Gojyo's unfortunately familiar figure.]

[This guy... The one who so shamelessly throws his own boyfriend under the bus. The one who has never, as far as Chikusa has ever seen, actually made that boyfriend happy. The one responsible for the foul mood Hakkai returned to the temple with, as much as he's always trying to hide such feelings from the rest of them. Chikusa can't help it. Raising one hand, he whispers under his breath the word for Memai...]

[....And nothing happens.]

[Chikusa narrows his eyes. Now that is new. It can't be him, so has Gojyo...]

[The voice that Gojyo has probably been loathing to hear the entire time he's been in the building speaks up.]

What did you do?

[ He's wearing a third name now, asshole. Those tricks won't cut it anymore. ]

Fuck off.

[ The dismissal is automatic, the words barely thought before they're spoken. His expression catches up a second later, disdain swapped for a wary kind of... no, mostly he's just tired. He's really goddamn tired, and his arm hurts, and his head hurts, and he's been blighting Goku and Hakkai for days now with his stupid broken heart, and Chikusa here is just the icing on the shit cake.

He clutches his pile of books a little closer to his chest, and just keeps walking. Maybe Chikusa won't follow him. ]

[Clearly they won't work anymore. It's unfortunate that Gojyo has elevated himself from 'idiot' to 'threat', or Chikusa could almost be pleased.]

[But he's not pleased right now. So, to Gojyo's detriment as usual, Chikusa follows- shifting past the bookshelves in a roundabout way of cutting Gojyo off. Long legs can get you a lot of places, quick, even if one is generally inclined to shuffling.]

Answer me.

[ At least he hasn't put up a borderline yet. Gojyo really fucking hates Chikusa's borderlines. ]

No.

[ It would be great if he could cast a spell on Chikusa, but he knows that the second the first syllable is out of his mouth, Chikusa will have that borderline back up, and then they'll have a standoff forever. He doesn't have the patience right now for that kind of bullshit. ]

[It's not an atypical answer, but that doesn't mean Chikusa has to like it or accept it. Fortunately, neither will require too much effort, just patience. So he slips through the stacks until, like the resident ghost, he can appear out of them before Gojyo, barring his way. A skinny teenager might not seem like much... but Chikusa is assured of his ability to be an impassable pain in the ass.]

[He doesn't say anything. He just looks to Gojyo, eyes steely and dark. After all this time, he's pretty sure his own patience is running out as well... and he can't deal with Gojyo as he'd want to. A pity, honestly, and not only for his own petty reasons.]

[ Fuck, he's not getting out of here with his books, is he?

Fine.

He drops them all onto the tabletop just to his right (his left arm is still in its cast and is currently little more than decorative)... but he keeps his grip on one. One book, that he points at Chikusa. ]

Get the fuck out of my way, kid.

[ Of course it's the porn. Of course it is. ]

I'm not in the mood for your teenage fucking bullshit.

[Chikusa's eye only barely flickers to the cast, keeping it in mind. At least someone had the good sense to finally break one of Gojyo's limbs. If only it were his legs, instead. Then it would be harder for him to go around doing stupid things. Maybe if it were his jaw, he could stop saying stupid things.]

[A pipe dream, maybe, but it's the one Chikusa has so far.]

Why? [His gaze flicks down to the book, and he doesn't even bother to waste the energy to raise his eyebrows in judgment.] ...That is to say... why is it teenage bullshit?

[ The more he talks with Chikusa, the more Chikusa's going to want to talk with him. But he can't fight him, he can't go around him, he can't call anybody to come move the fucker... ]

You're a teenager, aren't you? [ The book is nice and heavy, the spine just the right thickness to grip. He could really hurt somebody if he hit them with it. ] Just a dumb kid, who can't be held responsible for his bullshit actions?

[Frankly, he was expecting more violence. Another attempt at casting a spell against him. Maybe just the same arguments as before, even though all he wants to know is how Gojyo has fucked everything up this time.]

[He's not expecting this particular accusation, however. Chikusa's slow blink hides some buzzing confusion in his head.]

...What are you talking about...

[ Just a quick twist of his shoulder is all it would take. He could catch Chikusa on the side of the head -- it wouldn't hurt him, not really, but it might stun him long enough that Gojyo could get past him.

He can't attack the kid, though. Even if he was sure that he'd succeed, he can't do it. Hakkai already thinks that he's been the violent one, while poor little Chikusa is just, what, defending himself or something.

How badly would Chikusa have to hurt him, he wonders, for Hakkai to recognize that he's the problem here, and not Gojyo?

Slowly, he sets the book down, and tucks his hand into his pocket. ]

You're supposed to be some kind of genius. [ Chikusa's blocking the path, but he can turn around, cut through the stacks, and leave that way. Unless Chikusa stops him. Unless Chikusa imprisons him for the crime of attempting to leave a library.

Spin that one in his favor, Hakkai. ] You figure it out.

[Genius. Gojyo really is stupid, as usual. He works hard for his poisons, for his spells, but people are impossible even on a normal day. Gojyo? Gojyo is impossible for anyone. Chikusa is pretty sure about that.]

[So all he does is huff lightly underneath his breath at the challenge.]

Figure out... why it's like a teenager... to ask why some idiot keeps hurting someone who he apparently loves.

[Because that's what he wants to know. It's not even just Gojyo clearly tossing Hakkai under the bus for someone else, someone who's already hurt the guy he should care about... But it's been like that for a while now, Chikusa thinks. Too long.]

[ Or maybe Chikusa won't have to lay a hand on him to hurt him. Gojyo pauses, just before the end of the shelf, but he doesn't turn back around. ]

Figure out why you think it's any of your business.

[He had thought- or maybe hoped- that would make Gojyo stop right where he is. It's a dumb question with an obvious answer; Chikusa shouldn't have to say it. He sort of doesn't want to, with how hard the words are to get out of his throat.]

[Still.]

...Why shouldn't it? Even if you won't care for him....

[Him and Ken might not be the best suited for it, but they'll still try.]

[ He shouldn't answer. He shouldn't answer, he should just walk away, answering just encourages him, just walk away Gojyo... ]

I'm the only one in this fucking relationship who does care!

[ He regrets the words instantly, swearing under his breath. But what's done is done. ]

He doesn't need me anyway. He's got you two. Congrats, you won.

[ This? This is storming off. ]

[What.

[Sometimes, he thinks Gojyo is so mind-bogglingly stupid that he can't be surprised anymore... and then Gojyo seems to subconsciously take that as a challenge, going to even stupider depths. He stares as Gojyo goes to storm off, leaving behind his books save for the porn. Pushing himself away from the book shelf, he glances over the books that he's going to have to inevitably put away expecting to see more porn.]

[But no. Boat building? A cookbook... Popular artists? And... His eyes narrow. A book on building shrines. That one, Chikusa takes and heads in the direction of the exit. If he stops shuffling, and casts Umbra on himself, can he catch up with Gojyo's stomping...?]

[ Depends how fast he walks! Gojyo's not running or anything -- in fact, he's not even walking as fast as he could. Any second now there's going to be a borderline cast in front of him, because that's Chikusa's MO. Any second now he's going to walk right into it.

He's so sure of this that he's got his right hand held up a few inches in front of him as he storms for the front door. His back is straight, his stride even. But if Chikusa invisibly sneaks up in front of him, he'll see that Gojyo's expression doesn't match the rest of the package. 'Grief-stricken' is probably the best way to describe it: his gaze is down, his jaw tight, face pale.

When the inevitable borderline appears, or when Chikusa calls out some additional jab about his love life, he'll be able to shake it off and turn around, dry-eyed and angry again. But for just this moment, with the privacy of a turned back, his feelings are just to much to keep off his face. ]

Edited 2018-08-23 17:38 (UTC)

[To the surprise of many, Chikusa can indeed approach proper walking speeds. Or, at least, his shuffle can almost hilariously go faster, when he doesn't want to bother with a full run.]

[Just catching up with Gojyo won't be enough. He'll have to cut him off, which means leaving the building before he does. As he passes by the older man, however, he spares a glance at him and takes note of that odd expression. What right does he have to be miserable, when it's him who's ruining things with Hakkai?]

[Whatever. Shaking his head silently, Chikusa hurries to the front door. He won't do anything extravagant. Just wait for him outside, back against the wall, and let his spell fall. When he hears those doors open...]

You forgot something.

[The book, held up in one hand, and Chikusa's eyes focused on Gojyo's over it.]

[ It's really not his fault. He thought he'd left Chikusa behind -- he wasn't expecting anyone to be waiting for him outside.

As soon as Chikusa opens his mouth, Gojyo's moving on instinct, twisting around to smash Chikusa in the face with that big orange SAM splint. ]

[Well, it's a good thing he's already holding up a book in front of him.]

[His bones shake of the impact of cast hitting book, causing it to tumblr out of his hands. Hopefully that's all Gojyo plans to do, but- just in case. Chikusa steps away, staring at Gojyo dully.]

[He won't say anything.]

Edited 2018-08-23 18:11 (UTC)

[ That's definitely all Gojyo plans to do! Hitting somebody with a broken arm is rarely a good idea -- hitting somebody with a broken arm when the arm is in a soft cast and not a hard one? That's never going to end well.

He spins about, crumpling over his poor abused arm, swearing in fits and starts. It was finally healing, too! Two weeks, and it was finally not hurting when he got dressed in the morning, finally not screaming at him when he bumped it into something. Fuck.

His arm clutched tight to his chest, he snarls at Chikusa. ]

What part of fuck off don't you get?!

[He's not going to call Gojyo an idiot, because he's pretty sure the state of his arm should call him that enough. Instead, Chikusa leans down, fishing the book up to his hands again.]

I said you forgot something... Also, is that why you keep hurting him...? [Flashing the cover of the book at Gojyo, he raises an eyebrow.] Because you think he doesn't care enough to hurt...?

[ Fuck. Of course Chikusa would pick the right book. Of course he fucking would.

Thankfully, his reactions are all messed up from the pain in his arm, which makes it easy to just snort at the book and focus on Chikusa's other (invasive, unnecessary, meddling) questions. ]

What kind of stupid logic is that? Come on, you can do better.

[He's not sure he can, actually, but like hell is he telling Gojyo that. Ken, and no one else, will get to know his insecurities... especially not the man in front of him.]

What kind of stupid logic is is to assume Hakkai doesn't care? [His eyes narrow minutely.] We've had to deal with his for months now... And I clearly can't rely on either of you.

[A rattled out sigh.]

Just make this easy...

[ And that earns Chikusa a laugh, loud and mocking. ]

Why the hell would I try to make your life easier, asshole?

[ The ache isn't fading at all, but he can't stay here forward. Cautiously, he straightens up, but he keeps his arm tight to his chest. ]

Are you gonna keep chasin' me if I walk off again?

Yes.

[...He might not, actually, but that's what he means by 'easier'. Clearly he has to put some effort into this.... because, if he doesn't, Gojyo just keeps running free, hurting people that matter.]

[Goku has said that he's usually good.. but, looking at him now, Chikusa can't see it.]

As long as you keep hurting Hakkai... and he keeps letting you.

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