Ｆｒｕｉｔｓ Ｂａｓｋｅｔ // Lit. // O

[Amaralysa]

Sometimes you can be your own worst enemy.



Where: The banquet hall.

◎

Who: Shin and Ai (Masahiro, Hitoshi, & Rin)

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What: Making a fool of himself

◎

OutOfCandy: Thank you Rush for editing my post.





I definitely am!




“Fine”

A genuine smile was the treat Ai received when she let go of his arm. Faked smiles were a common occurrence for the tiger which made real ones a true treasure due to their rarity. “Thank you Ai-san.” He offered her another even brighter smile, even though the movement agitated the hidden injuries on his face. She hadn’t been callous or even demanded to know why he wanted to be able to run from their resident doctor, a honest smile was the least he could do to show his gratitude. The pain it caused was well worth it, he was used to pain.

His lips fell back into the fake smile they were used to after he was sure Ai had seen the true one, it had only been for her, after all. Without her arm to keep him close, he drifted away from her side, from her touch, subconsciously. Silently he sat himself in the closest chair, wincing ever so slightly as he did so, his body was really hating him for this. His good eye slid over in Hitoshi’s direction, it seemed that the man had not visibly acknowledged their arrival.

Hitoshi’s lack of acknowledgement did nothing to ease his nerves, in fact it only served to heightened them. Call him paranoid, but the less Hitoshi seemed to pay attention, the more he seemed to know or suspect. The doctor was a sneaky man. Noburo had nothing against the man himself, just his profession. He could handle his own ailments without intervention just fine. Then as if his body was listening to his thoughts, the throbbing in his side once again intensified to white pain. [********, got it delayed reaction. Jarring body is bad. You can stop now!’ He gripped the edge of his seat until his knuckled were white, despite his attempts to ignore it his vision greyed slightly at the edge due to the intensity of the pain. ‘Please!’

Normal. That is what he needed to give an illusion of. So Noburo gritted his teeth to keep himself from crying out or panting, plastered on a faker than fake smile, and hoped to kami-sama no one within the lavish hall noticed as he rode out the agony. Thankfully it only lasted a few moment before tapering back to a level he could easily manage.

He let out of a sigh of relief then turned his attention to Ai. Her beautiful eyes seemed to be distant. Perhaps she was thinking to hard about something? ‘Not that I can say much, but she doesn’t need to know or be bothered by it.’ “Are you ok Ai-san? You seem to be deep in thought.”

"Wait here and pour me some tea,"

It was ironic, for as cruel as Ai could be to him, and as much as he denied it, she was his closest bond within the family other than Hitoshi. The immense feeling of reluctance that panged through him when it was announced that she was leaving briefly, still shocked him. It was even more of a shock than the soft almost motherly tone Ai used. He wanted to reach out and grab the sleeve of her kimono to stop her from leaving him. His hand raised itself acting on the fleeting impulse to obey that desperate childish want, but before his finger could make contact he caught himself and let his arm fall limply at his side. ”Please don’t go”, a vulnerable whisper left his lips too late for it to ever heard.

Teeth bit once again into the soft flesh of his bottom lip as he watched the snake walk away with an innate grace toward Hitoshi and their beloved god. It was becoming a habit, the flesh biting thing. Maybe it had something to do with his zodiac form, tigers were supposed to be maneaters. ‘Okay, focus! Since when do I compare a nervous tick to basically being a cannibal. Maybe, the pain is making me loopy!’ A shake of his head dispelled the odd thoughts, while conjuring a brief floaty feeling within his head. With his head a little clearer, he cautiously reached over to the ornate tea pot. It wouldn’t do to have a repeat of earlier .

Since his head a little clearer and the possibility of burning himself had decreased, he cautiously reached over to the ornate tea pot. Mechanically he poured Ai a cup of the aromatic steaming liquid. It was a soothing routine he was well used too. Tea was after all the drink of the gods, at least in his opinion. “Speaking of tea, I haven’t had my third cup of the day yet,” Noburo mumbled at he set down Ai’s cup and carefully slid it to the right of him along the table. Her cup taken care of, he immediately reached for the pot again and poured himself one. To which he added sugar because unlike Ai, the tiger could not simply drink the tea straight. Wrapping his arms around the prepared cup of tea in a protective manner, Noburo turned his head back in the direction of the other Zodiac members.

He was curious as to what was going on with the dog, snake, and their god. But it seemed he had missed whatever had happened because Ai was already stalking her way back to him. 'Oh dear, that can’t be good.' The snake was wandering back, but she in his own opinion looked like a satisfied predator. Concern flooded through him. Who had been the prey? Had it been Hitoshi? A discreet look told him the dog was fine or at least seemed to be .Or had it been Masahiro? Another glance and he was pretty sure something had happened to the tense looking god, although he had no idea what or why.

A few moments later Ai appeared back beside him, her gaze fixed on Masahiro. Nobu nibbled none to gently on his lip once again, his worry was confirmed she definitely done something. No matter their relationship, he hoped the man was alright and that was all he could do. It would do no one any good for him to interfere and maybe Ai had good reason to do whatever she had done. After all the snake was not a bad person, not really!

“Is everything alright Ai-san?” It was an innocent question and as far as he dared to inquire into what had happened. “Oh, and I poured your tea. Nothing in it just like you like it,” he mused and motioned toward said cup. His nose scrunching up up at the mention of her prefered way to drink it. Sugar it was a must and he would never understand, how anyone could forgo it. Noburo was a bit bothered by her closeness when sat down, but was relieved that despite being close she was not touching him. He could handle that. Quietly he gripped his own cup intent on sipping the liquid inside.

Before the tea even got within range of his lips, Rin decided to make their appearance . They waved as they basically sprinted through the hall making a beeline toward Masahiro. Noburo waved back at the dragon, relieved that the dragon had not decided to use him as a hug pillow. Rin was an odd cookie, not that any of the rest of the Zodiac were any different. But with as lively as Rin usually was maybe they could help Masahiro with whatever had happened. At least that is what he hoped.

Again the tiger raised the treasured liquid and again before he could take a sip there was was an interruption. It took all of his deplorable self control to not whine in annoyance when Shin took a seat directly across from both Ai himself. He snuck a sip before setting down the cup. Noburo opened his mouth to greet the sheep, it would be impolite not to but, the words got stuck when his eye connected with the other male. Shin was looking very... Not beautiful, Ai was beautiful. No he was very handsome, yes that worked.

Then the young tiger squeaked in in horror, he had said it outloud. With bit of a panicked flair his eye flitted through hall before settling on Hitoshi. Which was good because at least he wasn’t Shin or Ai. But he couldn’t help but notice the dog was quite attractive as well. ‘WHAT! Shin and Hitoshi attractive. I.. I am so confused. And can't believe I said that about Shin and Ai outloud.’ His cheeks felt as if they were and he had no doubt if not for the makeup and the bruises underneath, he was have been as red as a tomato. His neck certainly resembled that shade though. Unfortunately when the teen blushed, it extended far past his face. As it was he was very, very relieved when Shin decided to apologize to everyone for being late.

The throbbing in his side was the only thing that kept him from squirming when Shin turned his attention to them again and looked back and forth in between Ai and himself. That secluded corner was really starting to become more and more appealing.

" Well? " " I presume you have something you're dying to say. "

The sheep’s gaze made him shiver and he could help but glance over at Ai. Who he was sure was the subject of that shiver inducing gaze. There seem to be a tension growing and it made Noburo nervous on top of embarrassed. “H- hello Shin-san.” He blurted out unable to keep the greeting from spilling out in an attempt to break the perceived tension. The damage already done, he picked up his tea and practically hid his face in the cup as he sipped the the tea. Invisibility would have been nice but at least he was only embarrassed again.

[Doctor DNR]

tab where - Banquet Hall tab with - Masahiro, Ai. Noburo, Shin, Rin tab



Hitoshi paused for a bit, looking over at Masahiro when the other said he should take a look at Noburo. Was that what Ai had wanted? To give Masahiro s**t over the fact that Noburo constantly was getting injured either through his own mistakes or physical fights with kids from his previous school? “I had already planned to,” He responded, “That is, if I can manage to catch him.” Despite the fact that Hitoshi was by no means a slug and was relatively physically active Noburo could sprint significantly faster than he could. Somehow it also felt embarrassing to be running through the halls of the house like he had as a child at his age. It was bad enough that many of the members of the Iwase family avoided him for one reason or another until they absolutely had to come see him. It was worse that he had to capture some of them to manage to even help them with injuries or for yearly exams. The rare times that he needed to send someone to the local hospital for a further exam was even worse. If he wasn’t busy he tended to simply go along with them these days.

He took a quick sip from his sake to attempt to clear him mind.

Rin appeared in their normal whirlwind style. A quick wave to Ai and Nobu then quickly over to him and Masahiro. They weren’t as formally dressed as the rest of them, but it suited Rin better than the formal clothing. Hitoshi could only assume it was something that had been custom made by Izumi for Rin for the banquet. He shook his head slightly as Rin planted themselves down on Masahiro. Rin generally seemed to decide to attach themselves to one person or another at events like these. When Rin stayed at the house it was no different, often cuddling up with someone for at least a few hours if not for an entire night. To Hitoshi the way the curse affected Rin was much worse than how it affected any of the rest of them; Rin could embrace no one but the Zodiac.

He was drawn back out of his thoughts when Rin asked about his sake. Hitoshi nodded and rose to grab another cup of Nigori sake and to re-fill his own. “Just don’t spill it all over Masahiro, he already had an incident of his own,” Hitoshi said as he handed the small cup to Rin, a small smirk was sent in Masahiro’s direction after the comment.

Shin entered, significantly done up more than usual. He tightened his lips a bit to prevent himself from snickering at the outfit. The sheep always did have a nack for over doing things. He glanced around the room a bit, there was only a few more that were waiting for including their honoured guest before anything could formally begin.

[Slenderchan]

xxxxxLOCATION: Inside Banquet Hall tab COMPANY: Izumi and Yuu, and everyone else. tab DRESS:Lavish Kimono tab ACTION: Prayer.


Hoshi had this permanent knot in the back of her head. She couldn’t it comb out. It's grip was always with her, on her. They lived in a mean world, a very, very mean world - a world that was filled with hypocrisy. Nothing would be a synonym of naivety. Everything, thus a symbol of pessimism; alternatively, a representation of disappointment. But was it wrong? Was it injurious to stop or to stop trying? Just what in the world was the matter with this family?

'Why are you being so mean to him? And - so out in the open about it, too? I mean, I know he's a bit of a jerk, but he's still family. And you're doing this in front of me. What am I supposed to say?! Is it because he dyed his hair? There's no way that's natural. Would they get mad over someone's hair? ... Is my hair okay? It's so - so - short - not traditional at all! I have to grow it out right now! Oh no - say something, they're staring at you. Girl. Girl? GIRL?!'

"But, it's a party for the family, right? Why wouldn't you be invited? I mean, you're an Iwase, too, aren't you?" There were so many, too many, questions.

And, why did everyone have to keep insisting she didn't look well when she obviously knew it herself? Sure, she only had vague rememberings kept of social etiquette, but wasn't there some kind of faux pas being committed? Wasn't there some unspoken rule related to feeling like utter s**t that kept people from commenting about it when their comments weren't wanted? Hoshi's brow furrowed for an instant, regarding the definition of sickness she had learned while under the care of the Iwase family. When you are sick you are a bundle of a monster, hidden under the covers, underneath your skin, a kaleidoscopic mitochondria-bending machine with the ability to press out perfect insomniacs. All you can do is pray someone will let a little light in to check on you. At two in the morning, hope is a strange thing. There was no way she wanted to return to that room to be by herself again, even if it meant vomiting table side for everyone to see.

However, before that scene could complete it's self, the tension was diffused by a late arrival to their winter affair.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

Simply put, Hoshi saw the girl's hair, before her face. It was so preciously adorned with miniature jewels and pins, she could have sworn that the up-do it's self cost more than Hoshi's entire ensemble did. Though her face was soft and round with the natural curl of Asian descent, her skin was dark and supple. Hoshi felt the urge to reach out and touch her visage, anticipating the feeling of velour or velvet. She was so dazzled she barely noticed any further conversation and forgot to offer a polite bow in the place of staring wide eyed, as a child would on any splendid gift giving holiday. Just how many beautiful people were in this family? Was the doctor who tended her also a plastic surgeon? Then, her delicately strung fantasy was snatched away by the click of Shou's tongue against the roof of his mouth.

"Okay, happy little outdoor meeting is over now, boys and girls. Thank you for attending but it's time for you guys to get back to your fantastic New Years party."

"But, I... !" Hoshi wanted to know more, because obviously, there was a whole lot more! She also wanted to fight for Shou to attend, so there would be at least one truly familiar face. The small girl was still unaware of just how futile such a thing was. But, Shou was already on the move, pushing them back with aggressive waving and shooing. Hoshi was careful not to fall out of her shoes, eyes glued to them like industrial strength adhesive. Yuu seemed to pay him little attention, save for the slight droop at the corner of his mouth which seemed to indicate that he was annoyed. After the blond was satisfied with the ground covered, he turned around and left them to complete the rest of their journey alone. But, Hoshi was surprised when she continued and the others didn't follow.

She felt distance, like a disgust - a need for space so powerful it had a taste like copper at the back of her throat. Space is a name people give to nothingness to make it seem like there’s something out there. The truth is, we’re all very alone and afraid. And, she tried to respect it by continuing on alone. It only furthered Hoshi's suspicions that something was not only terribly wrong with the family dynamic, but that Shou wasn't exactly welcome, and nether was she. She looked over her shoulder at them as she retreated, unable to remove the undeniable layer of sadness that washed it's self over her doll-like features. However, she had little time to contemplate on her discoveries as she was faced with a much more daunting proposition.

"Oh...!" Hoshi's lungs just barely collapsed and she looked at the ceiling, breathing out quietly. Have you ever seen a person and sort of wilt - but not in a bad way? Has it ever happened to you seven times in a row? The Iwase family wasn't just large, it was also composed of the most gorgeous people. As if Yuu and Izumi hadn't been an indication. It wasn't the kind of beautiful that one saw when looking at a single flower. It was the kind of enormous beauty that one sees when looking at an entire field of them complete with a sunset backdrop and cotton ball clouds. Then, that feeling in her belly awakened; the truth that the strangers would be even more beautiful when time passed, when known intimately. When her head slipped below the tide, she felt her lungs get hungry. They begged Hoshi to pop back topside and let sweet air assault her.

Even though she was covered with possibly thousands of dollars worth of fabrics and silk, Hoshi felt terribly inadequate. Sweating under her collar, the stranger waited for a quiet moment to introduce herself or to be introduced by someone. The small girl was stuck between the notions of 'if you want something, go get it' and 'good things come to those who wait'. So, she couldn't decide if she wanted to reach out and clutch clumsy fingers to it, or stick it out in social limbo. No one seemed to regard her yet, as they were all immersed in what she imagined were private conversations of the utmost importance and maturity. Hoshi wasn't sure how formal the affair was, perhaps she had underestimated something? The anxiety quietly returned to her features, reminding the dizziness in her legs and feet that it had a job to do. Slightly, she wobbled from side to side without anyone she knew to hold on to and waited for the opportunity to sit down before her body decided to collapse where she stood. God, how she wanted to disappear beneath a layer of frost, hair fanned out, slick like seaweed. But, bubbling breaths emerging for the last time gave her away and soon too many eyes were upon her.

'Go away, go away, go away,' she thought gently, in a secret prayer.

[Slenderchan]

“Is everything alright, Ai-san? Oh, and I poured your tea. Nothing in it just like you like it," Nobu said to her as she sat down and resumed her place, far less distracted now. Ah, attacking Masahiro was therapeutic in so many ways. She could always count on an encounter like that to reassure her that she still had some semblance of control over their situation. Later that night, as Masahiro went to bed, he would nurse that throbbing lobe and remember her. He would think of her as he fell asleep, or, at least as he tried to. They would be the same. She smiled and picked up her tea cup in thanks to Noburo with a little nod.

"Oh, thank you. Yes, everything is perfect," she said, taking a sip of the bitter liquid. Ai held down the response to such nastiness stuck on the back of her tongue. Truth be told, tea had never been something she enjoyed. It was just another function one had to preform in the pursuit of looking like a proper lady. It was an easy lie, easier than the ones she told the little Tiger. "I was just reminding our God of something important, that's all. You know how forgetful he is," she laughed, sincerely and covered her mouth with a practiced hand. Ai seriously doubted Masahiro could forget any of their choice interactions. That's the way she liked it. "But, I forgave him."

When Rin walked passed, she gave a small acknowledging nod. They tended to communicate better non-verbally and over clothing. That suited her just fine. It was too much trouble to be nice merely for the sake of being nice.

"So, have you decided on what to wish for this year?" Ai inquired, raising an eyebrow delicately. This was a good chance to tease him a little. It was all harmless fun - for her at least. "Good grades? A girlfriend? A kiss, maybe? Or, are you too old for that now?" He looked like he was still twelve to her, in any case.

'My wish has already been granted,' she thought, looking in Masahiro's direction for a split second.

She was quite proud of her actions, and let the self appreciation rise to her face. She would never and could never tell Noburo what she had done. He probably would have cried over it. She could stand to do with less crying in her ear. And, she didn't want him to get the wrong impression. Ai was not his saviour, she was not one to be relied on or hung upon. She wasn't his mother, she couldn't be even when she wanted to be. All she could do was use her personal brand of violence to make his life better, instead of using it on herself like she normally did, whether it meant starving herself, beating herself, selling herself out, or doing that thing again where she didn't sleep at night because her brain wouldn’t stop working around the shape of Masahiro's mouth in her head. Ai knew it couldn't be healthy. She knew it couldn't be okay. But, the Snake was so tender when Masahiro loved her, so new, such a sapling; now look at all this obsession, all this pain, all this something he didn’t know how to want. The grass must have been greener somewhere, because with each step there was just more dirt. Every fascination was ruined with time. Ai convinced herself the next shattering reality would surely be the last one. And, only then she could stop waiting, because the expectation weighed on the human part of her mind like a gathering of stones.

Maybe it was the fourteen year-old part of her reasoning this way, but sometimes she thought that missing someone without having to physically lose them was the most complex form of loss. Maybe she was just saying it because she'd never lost a loved one in death, only to their own frivolous destinies; not to cancer or a heart attack or anything else that seemed to leave only empty hospital beds. But, the severity of losing someone who was still there was like comparing the Snake to the grey tones of the walls and forcing her to examine the stupid miracle of her own existence. Until Masahiro, she didn’t know loss came in different forms. And maybe that’s why she was there, running away from the idea of him by preoccupying herself with Noburo. She was hoping that the metaphorical train of grief could travel fast enough for her to outrun the memories, the feeling of home he gave her, the feeling of belonging to someone that she had been wrapped up in for all the years she counted herself in youth.

Ai thought she could live a life of unhappy endings. She realized that love hid in the most peculiar places, probably meant to never be found. Happy endings were overrated anyways. Her mother and father loved with hearts so full they toppled over into their respective emotional sudden deaths. Father left first and mother second, and she couldn’t bear any time without him. As all the best lover’s stories go, she maximized on mortality and followed him into unlove. Which was just fine, they were better off. Unhappy endings were far better, she tried to tell herself. It was better to be unhappy looking at Masahiro than to not have him at all. To watch people like Masahiro kill clocks because seconds hung long with grieving she didn't want to disappear.

And then, by so rudely interrupting her private thoughts, the party of two suddenly became three, much to Ai's disliking. The Snake gave a sighing howl of annoyance as the Sheep settled down in front of them. The only time she wanted to see Shin was when she needed something from him, namely his reproductive organ. He wasn't much good for anything else. Especially conversation.

" Well? I presume you have something you're dying to say. " She could do without his company, and surely his snide, sarcastic attitude, too. He wasn't special enough to parade himself around like that. But, he did it anyways, and Ai gave away her true thoughts on the subject. Ai raised a brow and crossed her arms, preparing for a battle of wits Shin had no chance of winning.

“H- hello Shin-san," Little Noburo interjected, more timid than usual. Noburo was supposed to be a Tiger, but he was more like an overgrown rodent. 'Please, hurry up and grow a pair before this old vulture decides to make you his next meal,' she thought in distaste. 'If you look at him like that he'll end up writing some sappy poem about you and then there'll be no living with you at all.'

Shin seemed to be rolling from Iwase to Iwase in the late years. Sadly, she had to count herself amongst this collection of partners. Shin was an overemotional, tired fool. He wrote stupid sad stories and sold them off to lonesome housewives and homosexuals for ten times what they were worth. Those people might have counted themselves blessed to have such a talented man in their lives, even beds. Not Ai. It wasn't a romance - no way in hell - all they did was ******** and move on. More often than not Ai just did it for the satisfaction, for someone to attack with words and teeth once in a while, and definitely not for anyone's pleasure or purpose. He didn't mean anything to her. Ai rolled her eyes over his face and landed on the wilting patience of Shin's eyes.

"No, not dying," she spat at him before bringing the edge of the teacup to her mouth for a sip. "I try not to trouble myself so much over talentless idiots like you," she reassured, cutting the conversation with an additional sip of her tea before she placed it on the table.

"But, if you're talking about my dance you've been screwing up for the last three weeks, then yes. I'd like you to know that if - no, when - you mess it up, I'm not going to be surprised. Also, you look like an idiot in all that," Ai added, with a little smile before she pulled a fan from the inner breast of her kimono and fanned herself, peeking out over the top of it's ridge. "Did Yuu lay it out for you? It reeks of his sensibility," she asked, sensing the traditionalism of the Rat's fashion sense. Yet another grossly unattractive relative was found in him. Ai didn't have time to veil her insults for everyone. "You had better get up there and dance now. Make a fool of yourself while it's still early so people have something to forget once they get drunk."

To make herself understood further, she grabbed for a bottle of sake between them and began pouring the three of them a round to toast Shin's inevitable failure. Drinking could not start early enough in this family anyways. "Nobu, have some, too. You're too young to be scarred for life over what you're about to see," she explained, pushing a cup towards him with a wicked smirk.

Shin seemed like he was about to return a verbal lashing, as was their custom, but before he could make any sudden move to respond to Ai's assortment of insults, the room became still with anxiety. Struck suddenly by his expression she managed to hiss a "What?" at him. Without an adequate response, Ai's turned her head in an attempt to see whatever everyone else had begun to focus on, and was instantly caught off guard by the small, lonely figure who stood at the entrance of the hall. They were short in stature, wearing a kimono that looked far too heavy. Her face was flush with fever, and frozen with a mixture of emotions. It wasn't family, it wasn't staff. It surely wasn't a friend. It wasn't anything. Ai didn't understand it at all until their eyes met in a frenzy of unspoken but very loud realization.

Ai saw galaxies in Hoshi's eyes sparkling, distant, complex with hidden secrets naked to the human eye. She saw dying stars - destructive, massive, dangerous. The Snake saw so much complexity that reminded her of the cosmos. Inside there were waves of stars and planets that lapped over each other, and there were two black holes right in the center of it all from which the outsider stared out. The Stranger represented all the pleasant and unknown beauty of the outside world. It terrified her. This girl, this thing, could never be allowed to have Masahiro. She could never be allowed to show Masahiro anything better than the life they had now.

Because Masahiro had never seen anyone with eyes as dead as Ai.

♚ ◞ʟᴏᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ╎Banquet Hall xxx ♚ ◞ᴄᴏᴍᴘᴀɴʏ╎ Noburo | Shin | Everyone xxx ♚ ◞ᴏᴜᴛғɪᴛ╎ A Masterpiece

[Miss Swifteh]

▉▉▉▉▉ ♕ THE GOD ▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉

x x xAND WHEN YOU'RE CRYING OUT
x x xWHEN YOU FALL AND YOU CAN'T PICK YOUR HAPPY OFF THE GROUND
x x xALL THE FRIENDS YOU THINK YOU HAD HAVEN'T STUCK AROUND
x x xTHAT'S WHEN YOU FEEL MY KIND OF LOVE
x x x x x x x x x x x╰ IWASE MASAHIRO • • • ☂


He became enveloped in his thoughts. The chatter of the room dulled and seemed distant to him, the subtle lighting and pretty colours seeming grey and ethereal. The throbbing of his ear subsided and seemed as alien to him as though it belonged to someone else, as though the appendage was not his. His side felt cold and empty as though Hitoshi were not there at all. Surrounded by a sensory feast of sound and sights Masahiro slipped away and sank into the depths of memory. A small smile played across his lips as his eyes focused on a point in the past, his thoughts drifting to a memory of childhood and lonliness. Four clinical walls, a doctor and his mother. The words that spelled out his fate. The light playing on hospital blinds and the far off sound of birdsong.
His fingers twitched towards Hitoshi and brushed lightly over the sleeve of his kimono. He reached out because the Dog was there; it could have been anyone. A stranger would have done, just someone to keep him grounded. Which was the daydream and which was real? His visits to nostalgia were so often these days that he could spend all his waking hours in that hospital room. It was so vivid, so significant.
So lonely, he thought, the words reverberating in his mind. He cast a glass gaze over the banquet. Would this be the last that he attended? He couldn't shake the nagging feeling that there would not be another. Rather than ushering in the new year it felt as though something was ending.
He reached a little further along Hitoshi's sleeve, his fingers seeking flesh. Something warm. They felt so...numb. He could see the smiles around him. He could smell the food. Why was it he felt so removed?

Hands reached down into the depths of his mind and hauled him back into reality. His heart jumped and Masahiro turned his head in shock to see that Rin had leapt into his lap. The sights and sounds of the banquet returned in the space of a moment. He gazed at Hitoshi with a confused expression, his previous accident with the sake forgotten.
" ...Oh? Ah. Yes. " He said in a whisper, recalling the incident. Had that only just happened? It felt like it had occurred weeks ago. Masahiro's brow furrowed for a moment before he cleared his expression and settled for a vacant smile. It didn't matter, anyway. None of it mattered, so long as the guests at his banquet enjoyed themselves. Even Rin's weight was trivial. Masahiro played the role of 'chair' well, raising no complaint to the Dragon's perching. He kept a hand on Rin's side to keep them steady, the other still resting on Hitoshi's sleeve. Already he had started to slip back into his memories, the birdsong of that fated afternoon calling him back...

There was a silence so stark that it stole his attention. Masahiro peered around Rin at the figure in the doorway, unfamiliar and new. 'Hoshi', their 'star' and his guest. Unusually for Masahiro at these kinds of events, his black eyes were focused on reality. He took in the sight of the girl in her beautiful robes and his smile took a more genuine curve than before. He felt a warmth in his chest akin to a parent watching their child dress up for the first time. When she arrived she had been covered in mud and leaves, her skin almost blue from the cold. Look at her now. Practically a princess.

" Miss Hoshi, " He spoke up, raising his voice above his usual level. His tones were cracked with lack of use but authoritative. His tone gave the impression that what followed was no suggestion, but a politely worded order. " Please, take this seat beside me. Oh-- and welcome to our banquet."

COMPANY || More or less everyone
LOCATION || Banquet Hall
ACTION || Daydreaming and welcoming Hoshi

[Miss Swifteh]

▉▉▉▉▉ ❖ THE SHEEP ▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉

x x xYOUR BODY LIES UPON THE SHEETS
x x xOF PAPER AND WORDS SO SWEET
x x xI CAN'T SAY THE WORDS SO I WROTE YOU INTO MY VERSE
x x xNOW YOU'LL LIVE THROUGH THE AGES
x x xI CAN FEEL YOUR PULSE IN THE PAGES
x x x x x x x x x x x╰ IWASE SHIN • • • ✐


The Tiger spoke up with the voice of a mouse yet his words were not so subtle. Noburo's compliment hit Shin like a brick, temporarily stunning him. His head reeled with the words: handsome...? Had the boy really said that? He looked as though he regretted the words that had tumbled from his lips but nonetheless they had been spoken.
The Sheep's foul mood melted away. For the first time in a while he took a good look at Noburo. He looked like any clumsy teen struggling with puberty the world over, uncomfortable in his growing body and struggling with confidence. Shin tried to meet his gaze but to do so he would have had to dive to the floor or pin himself to the ceiling - the boy was embarrassed.
Handsome. It had a nice ring to it, that word. It formed nicely on the tongue. Shin had expected ridicule for his appearance. Yet there was no hint of a smirk to accompany the boy's words nor any other sign that he was insincere it was...what was that phrase? It must have been a freudian slip of sorts, something that he had meant to keep to himself.

He'd almost forgotten about Ai. Had she not been present, Shin might have tried to coax more kind words out of Noburo but unfortunately for the Sheep that was not to be. True to her name, Ai could be soft and gentle or bitter and stark. Shin mostly had experience of the latter, especially over...what was it now? A decade? He couldn't remember when their relationship took a dive into the murky waters of give and take - or was that 'take and take some more'? To say that they were friends implied far too much compassion and consideration. 'Lovers' was an even more extreme term, and equally as laughable. However, he didn't dislike Ai. He wasn't entirely sure he liked her, but he was certain that he didn't dislike her company.
...Although there were times he wished he could pick and choose when they shared it. As usual Ai's words were like the lash of a whip. She struck fast and without pause, leaving no time between insults and jibes. The Sheep's expression hardened like a stone, his green eyes narrowing irritably. This was what he had been expecting. He could almost guess what she was going to say before she said it.

Why was he sleeping with this woman again? Oh, right. Because I don't really have any other options, he reminded himself.

He eyed up the sake Ai poured for him as though it might be laced with poison. He began to form the beginnings of a snide comment and opened his mouth to deliver it when a figure entered the doorway. Lazily he glanced over, expecting to see one of his relations - and paused, mouth agape.
He had heard that a girl had been found on the mountainside in the most dreadful of condition. when she came round she had forgotten almost everything. Amnesia...it reminded him of something he had read, long ago. A young maiden with no memory who turned out to be a sprite of sorts. He supposed there were some parallels between the story and their unusual guest. There was the obvious, of course: the memory loss. The sprite in the story had been hauntingly beautiful, too. Hoshi wasn't exactly breathtaking, however. Someone like Ai could stop a man in his tracks with just a smile, whereas Hoshi was easy to look at but also just as easy to overlook. But there was something about her, a quality that wasn't so physical as mere appearance. He couldn't put his finger on it, but it piqued his interest.

Masahiro spoke. Shin looked around in surprise; he had almost forgotten what their God's voice sounded like. His gaze soon returned to Hoshi, his hands subconsciously forming fists beneath the table. Masahiro requested that she sit beside him. Of course, everyone knew that a 'request' from God was really a forecast for the future. Masahiro never 'asked' for anything. He said something and everyone fell over themselves to obey, Shin included. Everyone knew that you didn't question the will of God.
He watched Hoshi move, forlorn. Shin wanted her to sit beside him so that he could get to know her a little. No-one had told him that she was so intriguing! Besides, wasn't it the Year of the Sheep? He was the guest of honour, not Masahiro. Why, this whole banquet was practically for him--

He stopped himself, pinching the bridge of his nose to banish such thoughts. It was the drink talking, he convinced himself. It was the pressure of dancing, Ai's insults, the weight of his heavy and uncomfortable clothing. It was the heat, or the cold, or the lack of fresh air. It was the long space between the present time and when he last had a cigarette. It was any number of reasons that made him so contentious. Shin would never admit that it was in his nature.
He snuck another glance at Hoshi. Masahiro didn't deserve her. He sat like a king in his throne, his faithful dog at his side and a beauty in his lap. Intolerant envy stirred within him, urging on his thoughts: was he ******** them both or just the one? If so, which? Add Yuu to the mix and there you had it, Masahiro with his trio of obedient attendants. So special. So regal! So...divine.

He ignored the sake poured for him and reached for a glass tumbler. With a disregard for etiquette Shin poured sake up to halfway and knocked it back as though it were water, cringing slightly at the burn in his throat. He rose up onto his feet and drained the glass as he moved, replacing it on the table with vehemence. He nearly tripped over his robes before he reached the Snake and her young companion.
He grabbed Ai's wrist and pulled hard.
" Get up. " He snapped. " You said yourself that I'm s**t at your piss-awful attempt at choreography so get up and help me look good. It looks better with two people, anyway. "
His gaze turned to Noburo, his chest aching slightly. It hurt to think that the boy was witnessing his temper. What was he to think of him? He let his grip loosen on Ai's wrist, his voice softening from the hiss of before.
" Unless you'd like to accompany me, Noburo." His invitation was spoken almost sweetly, a far cry from the way he addressed Ai. He even used the boy's name instead of the impersonal 'you' he reserved for the Snake.

COMPANY || More or less everyone
LOCATION || Banquet Hall
ACTION || Getting 'pissed' in more than one sense of the word

[Doctor DNR]

tab where: Banquet hall tab with: People @-@ tab


“Incident?” Rin mumbled, trying to process what Hitoshi had meant. They settled on that Masahiro must have spilled his own drink earlier or something of the like, though it seemed that Hitoshi had cleaned it up and gotten the other a new drink already. It wasn’t exactly as though their god was exactly the most graceful person. When he’d been learning to walk it had been even worse. Saying that Masahiro had a lack of grace would have been a nice way of putting it back then. Hitoshi was offered a polite nod and a very casual 'thanks' before Rin took the sake they had requested from him. Rin watched Shin arrive, then watched him head straight into a small fight with Ai then move onto intimidating Noburo.

When Shiori finally entered the room Rin gulped down their remaining sake and shoved the cup back into Hitoshi’s hands. They quickly moved to scoop up Shiori, which was becoming more and more of a struggled as time went on, and returned to a seat near Hitoshi and Masahiro. They chatted away with Shiori about different things, especially about the two anime series they had both been watching lately. In a way Rin had always felt sorry for Shiori, it was part of why Rin had taken to her so quickly. The young girl’s parents had chosen to forget their own daughter as they were unable to handle her simply being a part of the zodiac. It made Rin all the more thankful for their own parents, willing to not only deal with them being part of the zodiac curse but to deal with their other ‘matters’ as well.

Shiori was going to be Rin’s way of tolerating this banquet. It already seemed that Ai and Shin had decided to hate one another for the day. Rin was well aware of their other set of actions, or perhaps feelings, towards one another however it seemed that today was not going to be one of those days, today was going to be a day of exchanging creative snippy words at one another

Once Hoshi entered the banquet hall Rin gave her a small wave and took a chance to glance at the other zodiac still near the door. Rin’s only hope in terms of Hoshi was that nothing went wrong so that her memory didn’t have to be re-wiped. In theory Rin could just removed whatever had occurred, likely the woman seeing one of their animal forms, but why make the effort to target a certain memory when the woman had so few at the moment. Then again Hitoshi would likely say something about how it was bad for his patient… and who knew with Masahiro really. For the most part he seemed to agree with Hitoshi or Yuu more than he agreed with Rin. The Dragon’s ability was a tool, that’s all there was to it.

Rin moved across the room again, bringing Shiori with them. “Oi, Sukebe-san*,” Rin said, looking directly at Shin, “If you so badly need someone to make your dance look good why not have Shiori dance with you. I bet she can dance better than you and she’s a better choice than Nobu. I bet he’d just stumble over himself and Ai will only make you embarrass yourself more than that awful outfit already has.” Shin, like Rin, also loved Shiori. At times Rin had even put aside their dislike of dealing with Shin for Shiori’s sake.

*Lecher

[Amaralysa]

Sometimes you can be your own worst enemy.
Where: The banquet hall.

◎

Who: Shin and Ai (Everyone)

◎

What: Making a fool of himself

◎

OutOfCandy: Thank you Rush for editing my post.





I definitely am!



"I was just reminding our God of something important, that's all. You know how forgetful he is," “But, I forgave him."

Noburo was young and naive, but he wasn’t stupid. He knew she was lying or at least twisting the truth. Something had happened, something not innocent like she attempted to imply. The snake seemed too pleased with herself and god too tense. Even so, the tiger however couldn’t, no, wouldn’t judge. Instead he smiled at her. It was a little less fake, less plastic than usual. “Yes, that was kind of you Ai-san”

"So, have you decided on what to wish for this year?"

A wish, Noburo hadn’t even decided on one. Honestly he had forgotten about the wish. Twiddle with the tips of his raven locks, the boy thought about it. “I …. I’m not sure. I didn’t think about one this year.” He had finally settled with being truthful.

"Good grades? A girlfriend? A kiss, maybe? Or, are you too old for that now?"

A blush formed at the mentioned of girlfriends or kisses. He was a healthy teenage boy, so of course things like kisses were on his mind. But girlfriends, now that topic was confusing. Girls were pretty, but he just didn’t see what the big deal was. He wasn’t like the other young boys within the Iwase family or even the staff members’ families. He wasn’t entranced by the female chest or having wet dreams involving a girl he knew, like the other boys were. He wasn’t sure why. “N-no nothing like that Ai-san… My grades are fine now that I am homeschooled and um… I haven’t ever had a kiss. I can’t be too old for it. I… I’m going to stop now. W-what about your wish Ai-san?” Noburo stuttered and babbled obviously embarrassed about the topic. Why did she have to mention kissing and girls?

Words truly could be wielded as weapons, the snake proved that time and time again. Even knowing that such vicious verbal attack were normal from Ai, Noburu couldn’t help but wince each time she insulted the sheep. He truly didn’t understand why she was doing it. The sheep’s clothing wasn’t that bad, he looked nice in them. He was sure the sheep wouldn’t dance that badly, not after lessons from Ai. He remembered his own dancing lessons before his dance when he was a young child. They had rather intense, but he was able to move without tripping over his own feet afterwards. He didn’t get it. He did however know better than to interrupt or intervene when it came to Ai-san. Currently he was more vulnerable than he normally was and would break if she decided to target him. So he stayed silent, focusing instead on drinking his tea, however he did shoot Shin an apologetic look when he was sure Ai wasn’t looking. Ai wasn’t a bad person, he just didn’t agreed with how she treated everyone.

A grimace came to his face when Ai thrust a sake cup at him, forcing him to put aside his tea for the new cup. “Ai-san I have never had saki before”, Noburo mumbled hesitantly. He eyed the cup like it was a viper waiting to strike. Despite his hesitance Noburo did finally sip the sake if only to make Ai happy. Like most kids trying alcohol for the first time, he coughed after the first taste. Pain flared in his side but it was still ignorable, How did they drink the stuff?

Noburo froze when the room became tense and anxiety ridden after the arrival of their god’s guest. Unable to not peek, he turned carefully and watched as the woman entered the room. The first thing he noticed was that she was pretty and the second was that she looked like she was ready to fall over. She shouldn’t have been at the banquet, but in bed resting. Noburo tilted his head in curiosity when Masahiro requested that the woman sit next to him. it was unheard of, but then again so was having a non-family and non-zodiac member at the banquet. He wasn’t quite sure how to feel, but Masahiro looked happy and that was a relief.

Noburo brought his attention back to his companions when Shin poured himself sake, refusing to drink what Ai had poured. He watched in awe as the man drank as if it were tea. How was that even possible? The tiger decided it was better not to know. Instead he sipped his own sake coughing every once and a while. The taste was hard to get used to but the numbing buzz that was beginning to form was welcomed.

" Unless you'd like to accompany me, Noburo."

The young tiger’s heart fluttered in his chest and in a moment of insanity, he actually considered it. He hated touching. No, hated wasn’t the right word, he feared it. Yet there he was thinking about accepting the offer to dance with Shin. ’He opened his mouth to accept but the dragon was faster with their words.

“Oi, Sukebe-san,” “If you so badly need someone to make your dance look good why not have Shiori dance with you. I bet she can dance better than you and she’s a better choice than Nobu. I bet he’d just stumble over himself and Ai will only make you embarrass yourself more than that awful outfit already has.”

With the dragon’s words all the confidence, insanity induced or not, that had almost lead Noburo to answer in the affirmative died a painful death. Biting this lip once again, he visibly recoiled as if struck. Normally he would have thrown back defensive comment or two before falling into himself, but the day had already been too long. Rin’s comment on his klutziness hurt but they were right after all. He would just ruin the sheep’s dance.

“Hello Shiori-chan you look very pretty, ” Noburo said putting on a fake smile and using a fake happy tone as not to upset the little girl. Like most of the Zodiac, Noburo had a little soft spot for the youngest members. They had treated him with nothing but kindness and in return Noburo did his best to make sure they stayed happy. Smile still in place, he turned and bowed his head to Shin in apology.

“Shin-kun I would love too but Rin-san is right. Shiori-chan would be a much better partner and it would make her night. Plus, I fell earlier and hurt my side a little bit and it was make me even klutzier. Please don’t tell Hitoshi-kun,” Noburo responded quietly so that only Shin and Ai would hear. The young tiger wasn’t sure why he had admitted to his injury, even if had downplayed it a tiny bit and fibbed on the way it had happened. Maybe he hadn’t wanted to upset the sheep, by not giving a reason. Noburo just didn’t know.

[Doctor DNR]

tab where - Banquet Hall tab with - Masahiro, Ai. Noburo, Shin, Rin tab



Just as quickly as they had come Rin headed off the moment Shiori appeared, then went to bother Shin. He couldn’t help but snicker at overhearing their comment. It had been a long time since he’d heard Rin address Shin by anything but some kind of insult followed but an honorific – it continued to amuse him. Rin also spit out what, at least he suspected, the rest of them were thinking about Shin’s outfit. From there the verbal lashing only continued and the dog couldn’t help himself but grin as a result. Even if it was his policy, generally, to not say such honest or direct things watching Rin do so always amused him. Only once had he received such a lashing from Rin and it had been over poor fashion choices. Apparently his clothing that wasn’t either a kimono or suit wasn’t acceptable. Really… who in the world disliked sweat pants and T-shirts?

Then there she was.

Hoshi.

Finally. Finally the girl had made her way here. She hadn’t fainted somewhere outside or run into any other troubles. Hitoshi was quick to rise to his feet so he could offer her a hand to guide her across the room to the seat on the other side of Masahiro. If she’d been another fifteen minutes he likely would have excused himself to search for her, concerned she’d fallen, gotten lost or fainted somewhere. She was still in a fairly delicate condition. He was surprised she was even as dressed up as she was. Then again, Masahiro had likely requested it. That or the house staff had thought it was only proper if she went fully done up. Even a Yukata would have been fine considering her condition. Hell he might have been happier if she had been dressed in a lighter fashion.

Once she had seated herself he moved to get her some tea and offered it to her. Sake wasn’t advisable in her condition. He somehow would rather she not have any, not even a small sip. Her injury, the shoes, the outfit, the event. The chance was already high enough that she’d stumble or take a significant fall. The last thing he needed was for her to be any more injured that she was. Between Ai and how Noburo was acting he strongly suspected he had another patient that would take some time on his hands. All he could hope was that it was something he could actually help with, not a cracked rib where he’d simply have to order Noburo to be light on himself. All he’d be able to offer to Noburo in that case were strong pain killers and possibly even some he could inject directly to the area. Although those would take him a day or two to procure. Possibly longer considering that many businesses closed for the weeks surrounding the new year. “Are you still feeling alright Hoshi?” He asked shortly after re-taking his seat on the other side of Masahiro.