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Finding Ilmeite, after he’d been deposited back for ‘pick up’ in the Dark Kingdom hadn’t been intended. It was easy, but it had not in the least been intended. Fact was he was so intent on what he’d been reading that he’d very nearly tripped over him. He suspected it was the smell of smoke that made him lower the papers at the last moment. Another step and he’d have been planting a boot on Ilmenite’s shin. Needless to say he looked the worse for wear.

Despite the agreement of sorts they had come to, he wasn’t of a mood to just leave him there, not when things were still tumultuous with the war against the Zodiacs. A soft sigh and he stooped to lift the taller man, draping an arm over his shoulders without waiting for, or really allowing an argument or protest. “I take it that it could have ultimately gone better then.”

“With all due ‘respect’ Captain, blow it out your ear.” He said with at least some good humor in regards to ‘I thought we talked about this. “You’re hardly reporting to me when you can’t keep your feet, besides, if someone trips over you and hurts themselves just think how inconvenient that will be.”

It was perhaps a little higher than his normal level of teasing. Sending his personal youma was dangerous, but Ilmenite had done it anyhow. “Be glad that it wasn’t a Prince that took your Youma down.” He said the concern becoming more evident in his voice before.
It might not have been the best choice, but it wasn’t back to the little room over the Italian restaurant that Zink took them, likely betting on his own rooms being quieter. He powered down the second they re-appeared after the stomach jerking teleportation, staggering slightly as the strength that Chaos granted him was reduced to being nothing more than his own. Still, as ambiguous as his energy signal was it was just safer not to walk around like that unless he was looking for trouble.

“I’ll make a note about Uniforms for Halloween…” He teased though gritted teeth as he angled towards the bed. Like it or not Ever was probably about to land on a panda-plush, or three.

The realization that he hadn’t actually admitted just how many pandas had been shipped out the door with him, and were currently on display gave him a moment’s pause but he wasn’t about to teleport again now. It just seemed pointless.

“Pow…” He started to tell him to power down when he did and he took a breath to calm his nerves. How many of them were going to end up like this, what about the other plans, would they be more effective? Damn the senshi all to hell…

He bucketed the thoughts before contemplating the question. “I don’t think so, but he’ll need time to… recuperate much like you. You WOULD feel a great deal worse if it had been Castor or one of the other royals, I realize that’s no comfort though.” He sighed and found a chair to sit on.

“Is there anyone else I should go back to scrape off the floor today? And would you prefer a pillow to a panda?” He pondered if it would be crossing the professional line right now to rub sore shoulders and back. Probably, no real logic behind the assessment just, things were ‘complicated’ between uniform and not right now.

“I can make you some tea, might settle your stomach some.” He offered a moment later as he rubbed the back of his thumb against the side of the chair, an absent minded gesture, something to do.

An embarrassed pause, too many pandas, way too many pandas, too much black and white all-together, even the sheets were black and grey. He cleared his throat quietly pondering what answer if any would get him the least heckling in the long run.
“Because they were there first.” He said and stood abruptly to go make tea.

“I’ve had them a long time, they were tossed out of the house with me, so I just put them where they used to be.” He said falling into far too much chatter as he fished the tea strainer and cups. He stuffed two into the microwave before returning to lean in the doorframe and tug fingers through his hair.

“I brought you back here, rather than your place because I didn’t feel like checking where Obsidian was, or what or who I’d be interrupting. The microwave beeped after a moment and was ignored. He’d heated the cups just long enough to steep the tea but that would take a moment, and the drink was likely to be ignored anyhow.

He considered a preemptive threat about mocking the pandas and decided against it.

Zac moved closer and picked up the ‘staring’ panda, opened a closet and tossed it in, he may or may not have given it a silent apology as he did so before moving to gather up the others. Only a handful were –really- important to him, many were gifts that he’d just felt bad about getting rid of for one ridiculous reason or another.

“Go ahead and laugh, I –will leave you tied up for Obsidian in a maid costume if you tell anyone about them though.” He said with a bristling at best half serious tone in his voice. The serious part only came from ‘do not tell’; he probably wasn’t serious about the costume. He was using it at least in part to distract while he tried to remember where they ‘re-spawned’

“I’m not sure, I don’t have a personal Youma.” He admitted. “The rift I believe, I can ask Tanzanite.”

The description got an interested face. “Really…” he murmured pausing in his ‘panda disposal’. “Interesting.” He said but didn’t press any further than that, not yet.
“Aspirin, aspirin coming right up…” He nodded and headed for the bathroom to pull supplies out of his meager medicine cupboard.

He returned and offered a pair of pills to Ever and the tea to drink it with, now with added straw. It looked ridiculous but if it helped then why not.

“I think I have a microwave-hot pack, would you like that too?” He offered. Never mind that it was designed like a lap dog and it was more than a little disturbing to stuff it in the microwave even if it was distinctly ‘plush’.

“I’ll admit I’m not sure…” He said with a small shrug. “Other people do seem to have an easier time of it, and I’ve never had too much trouble with the smaller one’s I’ve used briefly for ah… disposal.” He mused. “Though It could be the degree to which it’s… HE is tied to you?” It was a perhaps not so subtle hint that Ever only listened sometimes too, or at the least that he could be just as frustrating.

“One of these days I should probably look into a youma of my own, then you can laugh if it picks up my more ‘charming’ personality traits as well.”

A soft laugh, familiar and perhaps a little tired as he fetched a blanket and draped it over Ever so that he could relax and sleep.
He cleaned up the tea with minimal cursing, he didn’t care if it stained the already stained floor, and there wasn’t enough room in his budget for carpets right now.

He turned to the ‘living room’, which had gained a chair that wasn’t wooden at least. An over stuffed armchair that had cost a good chunk out of two paychecks. He kicked off his own shoes and sat down with a handful of notes, tucking his feet under him because the chair was also made to accommodate a greater width. It took relatively little time at all for him to slump over one of the added cushions and fall asleep too, notes scattering over the floor, thankfully numbered.

When Ever woke, it was likely where he would find him, sleeping and almost guaranteed of a tremendously stiff neck and back. His own tea long since grown cold.