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 Posted: Wed Jun 02, 2010 6:13 pm
Jianyu could not move his eyes away from Bataar's back. His heart felt like it was slamming against his chest hard enough for everyone else to hear, and he was quite sure that he most likely had a stupefied expression on his face.
But there it was. His name. Tattooed clearly on Bataar's lower back in a curling script, a small red heart with an arrow through it tucked neatly beneath it. It was there.
"Bataar." Jianyu said, a horrifying realization starting to dawn in his mind. He studiously ignored the mumbled whining of Yuudai and focused on the man sitting in front of him. "Bataar. Last night, you...last night, after we..."
He stopped. Swallowed hard.
This is a nightmare. What the hell happened last night?
Jianyu leaned over Bataar, running his fingers lightly over the slightly reddened tattoo. It was definitely real, and definitely permanent.
Jianyu swore. Loudly. And quite foully.
"What the hell did we do last night?!" he demanded, twisting his head to look at his own back. "And please tell me that I do not have such a...a...thing... on my back as well!"
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Posted: Wed Jun 02, 2010 6:31 pm
He had the strange feeling that he was in way, way over his head all of a sudden. Yuudai's words were more than a little confusing, but he could only find reason to believe them. He had a tattoo, on his back, with Jianyu's name on it. And apparently his so-called friend was not at all pleased. "I--I didn't think it was that important!" he confessed, turning to face the other man with a look of confusion. He'd hardly been aware that he was expected to tell all of his friends about who he was dating, and when, and how. It had simply seemed wildly irrelevant at the time, and so he'd failed to mention it. Apparently he'd made a massive mistake.
"Yuudai!" he pleaded, looking fearful; his main supplier of food was absolutely livid. "I trust you! I like you! I like your food! I even let you bathe me!" His reassurances were probably failing, judging by the state that the other Noble was in, but it was always nice to try. After all, he did sincerely like Yuudai; they were good friends, he'd assumed. With Bataar's ability to find friends and keep them(or lack thereof), Yuudai might actually be one of his best friends.
He directed his attention to Jianyu, frowning at the horrified expression flitting over the archer's face. "Last night what, Jianyu?" he asked a little breathlessly, not quite understanding why the other two Lunarians were making such a show out of finding a tattoo at the small of his back. Why, they should have been proud! Tattoos were quite manly, after all, and Bataar considered himself to be the absolute epitome of manliness. But apparently Jianyu had to touch the tattoo, too.
Another howl, this time. "Tengri! Stop touching that thing! Are you both trying to kill me?" he asked in a measured tone, biting down hard on his lip. When Jianyu next spoke, Bat's eyes strayed to the other man's back. Sure enough, a tattoo of a heart with an arrow through it along with Bataar's name was right there. He stared at it, trying to make sense of it for a moment, before rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
"I like it!"
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Posted: Wed Jun 02, 2010 6:54 pm
Yuudai paled, which was probably a stark contrast to the angry red that his face had been for the past few moments. If it wasn't bad enough that Bataar had a tattoo, it appeared that Jianyu had a matching one. Eyes straying to where the towel dipped, he read it silently, lips pursed tightly together as he did so. Well.
Well, that was just wonderful. He felt like he'd been completely blindsided, and he hated that sensation. He was a man who liked to know everything about everyone, so that he could micromanage them -- not out of malicious intent, but just because all around him, he saw people making poor decisions. Case in point: matching tattoos. Had he known about this, he surely could have prevented such a travesty. Jianyu certainly didn't look happy about it!
Bataar did, but Bataar was -- well he was just infuriating, now wasn't he.
Looking between the two of them, he said irritably, "Would you stop touching that, Jianyu?" He had only touched it once. "I don't need Bataar disturbing the peace of the entire inn."
Then, jerking his chin up, he asked, "Should I leave you two alone?"
He looked like the last thing he wanted to do was leave the two of them alone.
Then again, he also wanted to go seethe for a while in private, and regardless, Bataar was just going to go spend his entire day with his boyfriend anyway.
Nevermind he had plans to do something else entirely that day. Nevermind he wouldn't have changed them had Bataar asked.
Just nevermind all that.
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Posted: Wed Jun 02, 2010 7:15 pm
He could not believe the words that came out of Bataar's mouth. Jianyu stared at the man stupidly, opening his own mouth to say something. Then he closed it rather abruptly when nothing came out.
Oh great Goddess...what have we done?
Jianyu swore again, this time much more obscenely than before.
"You like it?" he repeated icily, staring incredulously at Bataar. "Are you...insane?"
Dumb question. Of course he was.
Jianyu's dark gaze cut towards Yuudai as the young man spoke.
"Forgive me for 'disturbing your inn.'" he replied, rather sarcastically as he glared daggers at the two men in front of him. "I am afraid my mind is focused on more important matters at the current moment. Like the basic fact that my idiot boyfriend here has no problems with the fact that we have now branded ourselves with matching tattoos!
"And no," he growled as Yuudai turned to leave. "Do not think you can just leave me alone here! Get back here and try and help me knock some sense into this thick skull of his!"
Under normal circumstances, getting a tattoo was not generally a big deal to Jianyu. He had several himself, but this one was more...intrusive...than all the rest had been.
And definitely done under less-than-reputable circumstances. Drunk, delirious, and idiotic. Though he had to admit there was a certain small (and mean-spirited) satisfaction at seeing the angry look on Yuudai's face.
Jianyu ran a hand through his hair in frustration.
"This is not happening..." he muttered.
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Posted: Thu Jun 03, 2010 12:44 pm
Bataar watched Yuudai’s face whiten with a look of evident curiosity, noting his suddenly pale complexion with curiosity. ”I am not disturbing the peace.” he objected, looking rather haughty as he addressed the student. He was growing increasingly upset that his friend was acting so… odd. It must have been pronounced, too, for the oaf himself to take note of it. He didn’t understand Yuudai’s jealousy at all, if he even managed to comprehend it.
Why did the other man want to leave he and Jianyu alone? Bat frowned, shaking his head. ”You didn’t even finish scrubbing me.” he muttered, his expression darkening. Was this because Jianyu was a legionnaire? That must be it! He couldn’t figure out any practical reason above that one. ”You don’t like me anymore?” he suddenly demanded, his cheeks flushing red. If Yuudai didn’t like him, then it meant that he wouldn’t feed him anymore! What would he do if he nearly starved to death again? He needed the other man!
His green eyes flitted to Jianyu and he nodded eagerly. ”I do like it!” he replied, grinning. He believed that he definitely wasn’t insane, too. Bat didn’t honestly understand why the other man even had a problem with another little tattoo; he thought it was cool. Plus, although he couldn’t see it, he was proud of his own tattoo. It clearly revealed his manly edge with all the pain he’d obviously suffered last night. What he didn’t know was that he’d screamed like a little girl while getting the heart and arrow inked on his lower back; of course, neither he nor Jianyu would ever know the exact circumstances surrounding the situation that had led to their getting the matching tattoos.
The Mongol somehow missed the fact that he’d been referred to as an “idiot boyfriend” as he began tromping through the bathing area again, with spontaneity complimenting every step. Despite the confusing behavior of the other men, he was suddenly exuberant; he had a girlfriend and a tattoo! Surely his manliness had increased just a little since the occurrences of the day before. Indeed, the events of the morning thus far had even made him forget the pounding headache he’d been dealing with as a direct result of his alcohol consumption the night before.
Life was good.
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Posted: Thu Jun 03, 2010 4:55 pm
Absolutely fed up with the entire scenario, and past the point of even caring to wonder why he was so upset in the first place, Yuudai threw his hands in the air. It was an old gesture, one that had often been accompanied by the stomping of his left foot when he was a child. He might have outgrown that particular aspect of it, but otherwise, he was very much the same in temper as he had been as a young boy.
"He is not disturbing the peace, he says. This is not a ryokan that has been successful and respected for generations, I suppose." Clenching his hands over his head, he brought them down, resting them at the base of his ponytail. Though he was still not yelling, as he knew better than most not to raise his voice indoors, his words shook. "We are not standing in the bath, ridiculously arguing at one another and talking circles over nothing, I suppose."
Turning furious blue eyes on Jianyu, he began to work his fingers under the tie to his ponytail, releasing a bit of the pressure there in hopes to alleviate a headache. "And you! I would have expected more of you. Junko spoke so highly of you, and you.. you seemed respectable enough at your shop. But no, I see I was clearly mistaken."
A muscle in his jaw jumped, and he ground his teeth, dropping his hands to his sides again. He didn't like being angry. Being angry was tiring, and he had his entire day ahead of him still -- a day that should have been free of stress and arguments, as he had intended to spend it with Shizuka. Shizuka, who was still in the kitchen, probably waiting for him anxiously by now.
Shoulders falling, he flicked his gaze to Bataar, expression surly. After a few long beats, he said haltingly, "Of course I still like you, Bataar, but I cannot condone this sort of behavior in the inn." He tugged his lower lip in, chewed on it a moment.
"And so, please." He took a deep breath, stepped back again, this time with his hands up and out. "Enjoy the rest of your stay."
He looked like he did not want them to enjoy it very much at all.
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Posted: Thu Jun 03, 2010 7:22 pm
Jianyu wondered briefly if he would get arrested for possibly committing two murders. One for the "boyfriend" who was standing across from him, looking as if he handn't a care in the world, and the other for the younger man who was looking with a great amount of undisguised animosity at all of them.
"Bataar," Jianyu said, attempting to keep the anger from making his voice tremble. As it was, his shoulders were already tensed, and he folded his arms across his chest, glaring daggers towards the man in question. "Bataar, I...you..."
The words died in his throat. He couldn't even think of what to say.
Perhaps throttling them would be best. Yes. Quick and painless. Especially hearing the angry hurt in Yuudai's voice as he turned a highly irritated face in Jianyu's direction. Jianyu did not like the accusations in that voice of his.
"I am a highly respectable individual!" he retorted hotly. "Although I cannot say the same for a lowly innkeeper such as yourself!"
Yuudai had turned to leave. Jianyu's head whipped around.
"Oh, no you dont!" he snarled, reaching out, his fingers closing around the hem of Yuudai's apron. "Do not leave me alone in this! Get your a** back here! We are not finished!"
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Posted: Fri Jun 04, 2010 1:04 pm
Things were beginning to get hopelessly tangled. Bataar stared at Yuudai, his jaw dropping a little as he listened to the other man begin to rant. He had still failed to understand the reason for the two other Lunarians' frustrations, but he was fairly certain that he didn't deserve the anger of either of them, no matter if it was directed right at him or not. He simply did not feel willing to deal with this today, especially with his pounding headache, which had become a lot more noticeable since Jianyu and Yuudai had decided to start bickering nonstop.
"Both of you are disturbing the peace!" he replied hotly, the color rising in his cheeks as he faced the two men. He considered himself to be a calm person, too, unless you happened to punch him in the face, so this situation was quite unprecedented for the Mongol. He simply didn't want to hear the arguments, let alone be involved in them. All he'd wanted was for Yuudai to bathe him, and for Jianyu to stay with him, and apparently neither could be achieved through natural means.
He was not misbehaving! "What sort of behavior is that?" he asked Yuudai coldly, biting his lip as he paled with anger. His behavior had been perfectly natural, as far as he was concerned, and only now could it be considered bad, simply because he was slowly starting to lose his temper. Listening to Jianyu's trying to keep the inn-keeper's son around made his mood deteriorate further, and before he knew it, impulse had taken over.
"Shut UP!"
s**t happened when Bat lost his temper.
It didn't seem so odd to hurl each of the men into the bath in turn, listening in satisfaction to the great splashes they made as they landed. In fact, it made perfect sense to the Mongol; that would certainly end the petty arguments. He himself made the executive decision of cannon-balling into the bath, although he hit the bottom rather hard only because it was now half-empty from the great splashes the three of them had made(thanks to Bataar).
"Yuudai, will you scrub me now?"
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Posted: Fri Jun 04, 2010 2:07 pm
Being a physically affectionate person, Yuudai did not mind especially being touched. If it was a passing gesture, it rarely even crossed his mind, and even if it was from a stranger, he was generally all right with it. However, being yanked back by his apron, sworn at, and told what to do in his family's own establishment was enough to raise his hackles again.
Unfortunately, he didn't have much time to be annoyed. Body twisting, he raised his arms to fend Jianyu away from him, only to be grabbed around the waist by a dark, muscular arm. Breath leaving him in a startled woosh, he tensed all over, barely having time to consider exactly what this meant -- and how much it was going to hurt -- before he went flying.
Flying, then falling, straight into the bath. The very hot bath that he normally eased himself into, slowly, after scrubbing the day's accumulation of dirt and grime from himself. He didn't even have time to scream before he was under the water, skin burning and eyes closed tight while he flailed.
He punched and kicked something, wasn't sure if it was the base of the bath or another body, and didn't care. Breaking the surface of the water, coughing and thumping his chest heavily, he inhaled deeply, intending to actually raise his voice to scold the both of them.
Except, at just that moment, Bataar did a cannonball into the bath, and he only succeeded in taking in another lungful of hot, dirty water.
Coughing again, hands coming up to his throat, he turned around, curling over himself as he attempted to clear his airway. His eyes watered, both from the sting of the abrupt change in temperature as well as the force of his coughing, and he waded to the side of the bath, slapping his hand down hard enough that it stung once he reached it.
The water sloshed around him drunkenly, dragging at his clothes and making the ties of his apron wind around one another in a trail behind him. Once he had his breath back, he turned slowly, hair falling in his face in sloppy, unattractive layers, his headband askew and covering one eye.
Slowly, he reached up to fix his headband, fingers trembling as he did, and opened his mouth. Words seemed to fail him, however, and he simply sighed, dragging the hand down his face, and lifting the other to crook his finger.
He seemed to be beckoning Bataar over.
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Posted: Fri Jun 04, 2010 2:19 pm
Jianyu should really have not been surprised by the turn events. After knowing Bataar for as long as he had, nothing the Mongol said or did should have caused him any sort of shock. Bataar was quite capable of a great deal of things.
However, this was not quite what Jianyu had expected in the slightest.
Just as his fingers had closed around the hem of Yuudai's apron, Jianyu felt a heavy, warm arm slide around his midsection and drag him back. With a shout of surprise, Jianyu was, quite suddenly, thrown into the hot, steam-emitting baths behind him.
Water instantly filled his lungs and Jianyu's body twisted underneath the water as his feet hit the bottom. With a quick push, his head broke the surface and Jianyu let out a gasp of air, his wet hair sticking in long, damp streaks to his face. He turned towards the offending man and was starting to wade back over to the edge of the baths when the absolute moron decided to throw himself into it as well. A wave of hot water propelled Jianyu backwards, water stinging his eyes and getting into his lungs. He let out a hacking cough, blinking rapidly and tried to get his breathing under control. The beads and ribbons in his hair had slipped out now, floating around him, and Jianyu ducked his head briefly, then flipped his hair back so that it was no longer dragging over his face.
He felt as if he had inhaled a gallon of smoke. Jianyu turned back towards the innocent-faced Bataar as he made his way through the water towards him.
"Bataar," he said as he stepped up next to him (studiously ignoring the rather bedraggled looking Yuudai) and smiling pleasantly at the Mongol. "I only have one thing to say to you."
Jianyu had to admit one thing, though not aloud. He liked Bataar a great deal. He did not wish him any bodily harm.
He leaped onto Bataar's back, his arms around the Mongol's neck in an attempt to strangle him.
"DIE!"
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Posted: Fri Jun 04, 2010 3:00 pm
Bataar watched with quite a bit of delight as Yuudai beckoned for him to approach, rather pleased at the fact that he suspected it was finally time for the other man to bathe him. He himself hadn’t actually minded the scalding water, but then again he’d actually been ready when he’d impacted the surface, causing the massive splash that had so distressed the other two Lunarians he’d thrown in. His anger had subsided as quickly as it had begun, and he grinned dumbly as he began to splish right on over to the inn-keeper’s son.
Everyone would be fine. Everything would be absolutely fine! He could easily get rid of this headache once he forced Yuudai to fetch him medicine, and then he’d have a full stomach when the other man agreed to feed him—which he would. He had to! Bataar had seemingly taken a bath of his own will, after all, although the food had certainly been quite the ulterior motive behind everything he’d done with the bath today.
But before he could reach Yuudai, it seemed that Jianyu desired to speak with him. ”Yes, my honey?” he asked, feeling that he sounded quite gracious as he started turning in the direction of the legionnaire. He hardly expected to be told to die, along with an attempt at strangulation. He gasped, feeling his airways cut off rather abruptly as he attempted to struggle against the other man who’d tackled him.
The Mongol didn’t last long before the edges of blackness crept into his line of vision; he promptly passed out, falling over right on Jianyu as he collapsed. His tolerance for loss of air had been minimal in the first place, but the hangover had already halfway done him in before the legionnaire had interfered by nearly murdering him.
Chances were he’d try to kick Jianyu’s a** when he woke up again.
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Posted: Fri Jun 04, 2010 3:12 pm
For a man who struggled so much to have things fall perfectly into place the way he wanted them to, the universe seemed to positively thrive on disappointing him. Because his face was covered, he didn't see Jianyu leap like a wild, naked monkey onto his boyfriend, a fact which he would later be grateful for upon reflection. Of course, that also meant he hadn't been able to warn him, and by the time he registered the word DIE! it was too late. Horror on his face, he watched the two men struggle for a few moments before Bataar evidently succumbed to the darkness, enormous body swaying and falling backward with an impressive splash.
Yuudai knew from personal experience just how heavy that dead weight was. For just a moment, a wild moment, he felt immensely satisfied that Jianyu was being crushed underneath the Mongol's substantial frame. Then, horror set it when he realized exactly what that meant -- he would surely either be crushed to death or drown if he didn't get the brute off him -- he earnestly lunged over, grasping the first part of Bataar that he could.
Shoving his arms up under his shoulders, he heaved, trusting that Jianyu would be fighting just as furiously for his life from beneath him. It was impossible to create a balance between their two weights by just tugging, however, so as he pulled upward he also pulled inward, dragging the naked man into an awkward full-body embrace.
The things he did to save someone's life.
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Posted: Fri Jun 04, 2010 3:20 pm
Jianyu had only half expected Bataar to faint. After all, it had happened once previously (with the underlying result that he was now in a relationship with this man who he was attempting to kill), so when Bataar collapsed backwards abruptly, Jianyu barely had time to register the fact that he had, in fact, accidentally caused the Mongol to black out. And then there was the little problem that he was now stuck underneath quite a lot of weight of pure muscle. Bataar was heavy.
However, the weight lifted unexpectedly and Jianyu's head broke the surface of the water once more. He shook it to clear it, spraying drops skittering across the surface of the water and was swiping a hand across his face when he noticed why exactly the weight had disappeared. Jianyu stared.
"What the hell are you doing?" He finally snapped, after a few moments of gawking stupidly. Yuudai was standing a few feet away, his arms wrapped around Bataar's back, the full weight of the Mongol against him. Jianyu sloshed through the warm water, glaring daggers at the young man in question. "Give him here!"
With a great deal of pushing, shoving, and a string of rather foul obscenities, Jianyu (with a small bit of help from Yuudai, though he preferred not to admit this fact) managed to drag the unconcious Bataar onto the floor of the baths. He bent over him, making sure that he was still breathing, then sat back on his knees, letting out a frustrated sigh as he looked over at Yuudai. His hair was sticking to his face again, water dripping down into his eyes.
"This is...not how I planned things to go." Jianyu muttered, his face flushed. "But...I am sorry to have disturbed your inn. I will not come here again."
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Posted: Fri Jun 04, 2010 9:32 pm
It was ridiculous to fight over who got to haul a naked, unconscious man out of a bath and onto the floor.
They were both ridiculous.
By the time they managed to get Bataar safely out of the water (he had accepted some small amount of help from Jianyu) he was exhausted. Exhausted, and his day had barely begun. Dropping heavily onto his butt, he draped a hand over his lap, scowling over Bataar's prone form at Jianyu. All of this, he was sure, was Jianyu's fault somehow. He was the one who dealt with tattoos as a trade, after all. It must have been his wild idea to have their bodies marred, and God knew what else, considering neither of them could remember what had happened. How they ended up at his family's inn he would never know, but the simple fact that Jianyu had created such a stir all but proved to him that it was his fault.
It made Yuudai feel better to have it be someone's fault. Jianyu was convenient, being awake and all, as well as having given him a nasty look moments before when he had only been trying to help. Later, if he decided to speak to Bataar, he would be good and angry with him as well.
It was not acceptable to throw him into the bath! What had he been thinking? Assuming he had been thinking at all.
Shoving his sopping bangs out of his eyes, Yuudai expelled a long breath, expression highly frustrated. This entire scenario would be something to laugh at some day, perhaps, when he was old and senile and couldn't remember exactly what sort of behavior was expected of him, but for now, it was simply mortifying and irritating.
"I should certainly hope this was not how you intended this morning to progress," he said finally, sounding very high and mighty for a short, soaking wet young man. "Regardless, as no other customers have been inconvenienced... I will not demand that you never darken our doorway again."
His lip curled, and he glanced down at Bataar. Completely out of it. "However, I will request that should the two of you... choose to enjoy our facilities, you do so in a more respectful and mature manner."
Rising, water squelching in his shoes, he attempted to muster what dignity he had left. "Let's wrap him in a yukata and get him back to your room so that I might attempt to enjoy the rest of my day."
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Posted: Fri Jun 04, 2010 9:48 pm
This whole situation was obviously the fault of the person sitting soaking wet across from him. Yuudai, the mysteriously appearing innkeeper who somehow had ties to the person that Jianyu was in a romantic relationship with and who had somehow convinced Bataar to bathe. That last fact irritated him to no end, mostly because even Jianyu had difficulties convincing the Mongol to clean himself. It made Jianyu feel slightly more pleased with himself to place all of the problems that had happened on the young man glaring at him rather than the one lying unconscious in front of him.
"You do not have to worry." he said, reaching up and squeezing out some of the excess water in his soaking wet hair. "The next time...we decide to 'darken your doorway,' I will make sure that Bataar behaves himself in a more 'mature' manner."
It was not necessary to add himself in that promise. Jianyu let out a sigh, closing his eyes briefly.
"Perhaps we should get some clothes for myself as well." he said, glancing down at himself. He had somehow managed to maintain the towel about his waist after being flung in the pool, but it was dripping wet, clinging to his skin. "I will help you to get Bataar back up to his room."
With a significant amount of effort, and a great deal of attempting to sneak up the stairs without attracting too much attention, Jianyu and Yuudai dragged the prone form of Bataar back up to their room. Once there, Jianyu tossed a blanket over Bataar's naked body, bending over to brush a brief kiss to his lips before straightening again to look at Yuudai.
"So." he said, arching one dark eyebrow. "Breakfast?"
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