寿命星 @equesstellula-old-blog - Tumblr Blog

#dragxnpower #submission #HOLDS MY FACE

"Alcor-san…! Over the past several days, I have been informed of Valentine’s Day tradition and what it entails…and I have been led to believe a gift such as this is befitting of what I wish to convey.”

She holds out the gift-wrapped box, a warm smile on her face. "You are an important person to me, and I am glad that I was able to meet you again. Happy Valentine’s Day, Alcor-san."

"These are..."

Chocolates, lovely looking ones at that. He holds the box delicately in his hands and smiles. He is no stranger to the occasion now certainly, but receiving such a gift warms his heart regardless.

"Thank you, Miyako Hotsuin. I will savour them."

reunion (reminiscence)

‘There was no shame in retreat,’ hm…? Well, she couldn’t say that temporary withdrawal from an overwhelming environment was entirely without merit. Miyako had practically been groomed to handle high-stress situations and to excel in improvisation, but in a place so jarringly different from what she had known, even she had her limits…

She blinked, though, when Alcor spoke up again, head tilting slightly as she watched him reach into his pocket. A procedure…? Admittedly, she wasn’t especially well-versed in social etiquette outside of business—

“If we exchange numbers, it may be easier to keep in contact. Would it be permissible for you to do this?”

—… oh. An exchange of contact information, was it?

"…"

If she were being supervised, Miyako was certain she’d be told not to accept such a thing, but…she wasn’t being supervised. If she wished to reconnect with a friend she’d never expected to see again, she absolutely could. There was nothing forcing her to include a note of Alcor’s presence in the city within her reports…and the more she thought on it, the more she wished to just—

Without wasting another moment, Miyako withdrew her own phone, a smile once more returning to her lips.

"I’m certain it’s fine. Besides…it is yet unclear whether I am needed by the Toshi branch of JP’s. I will not know for a few weeks’ time…"

#dragxnpower #replies after 300 years im SORRY

He took note of the hesitation in Miyako's eyes; he would understand if she refused, or deemed it improper. Hotsuin children had been raised to be place duty above all else...

Though Alcor would have been a little sad.

But when she ultimately agreed, the serene smile widened, curving up at the corners just a millimeter. Once the deed was done, he pocketed his phone once more.

"Thank you."

"Ah, I see... So you've a few weeks of grace to do as you please, then?"

Or indulge in as much freedom as a Hotsuin could hope to have, anyway. "Regardless, I am also employed in Toshi City's JP's branch. So if you are indeed given a permanent post here, perhaps we will be able to see one another."

"Of course, if you would like to indulge in any leisure activities, I am open to contact as well."

Peace Treaty

"Listen to me, Fluffy. If there’s anything you’re going to learn, it’s that keeping things bottled up is only going to tear you apart. It’ll lead to trouble.

You’ve been taking too many lessons from a certain pal, huh?

But I’m going to listen, even if you don’t want to say yet. I’ll just keep you locked up here until you spill”.

Heavy-handed maybe, but he really meant well. If Alcor was anything as stubborn as he believed, it would take drastic measures to get him to speak before it would be too late.

"You think I’m not already in trouble? Look what happened with Ibuki. What’s one more mess? I’m plenty fine sticking my neck on the line if it means helping out a friend.

So you’ve got nothing to be afraid of, I’m an extra pair of hands at your disposal. Because I take it no-one else knows, or not many. And you don’t want anyone else getting roped into this trouble, do you? How long do you think you can hold all this up by yourself before someone gets hurt?”

"..."

Not for the first time, he found himself at a loss for words. Miwa was really willing to go so far? Despite having caught a glimpse of who Alcor really was that night? What he was?

"The word for you is..."pushy", no? ...But I suppose I cannot fault you for it."

Especially because that pushiness just meant that Miwa cared, and it was so obvious that even Alcor could see it.

"I do not want to endanger you needlessly a second time... You are but an innocent victim in all of this."

"...But perhaps there is some truth in what you say."

Sooner or later, people were going to start questioning. People, like Aichi, were going to start looking for him, to start sticking their noses into this business, and wind up getting themselves hurt as well.

Either way, the will to protest had all but vanished now. Miwa's argument was solid and grounded...

"...If you insist... I will accept your offer, then..."

...He was used to bottling it up, but...it would be nice to talk to someone about this. He had never had anyone. Alcor looked up again.

"...But Kai Toshiki will be cross with me if I let any harm befall you."

It was his own roundabout way of telling Miwa to be extra wary.

#letsrideeveryday

reunion (reminiscence)

Miyako was quiet when the subject of Alcor’s father came up, expression tightening just slightly. That man…Alcor’s father…was Polaris, was he not? Admittedly, she did not know all there was to know about the group known as ‘Septentrione,’ but she had knowledge enough on the subject to know who he was, and what he was capable of.

His father… It was strange to think that Alcor (always kind, always gentle Alcor) was of blood relation to such a merciless individual, and strange to think that her dear old friend was capable of carrying out deeds as heinous as his parent’s, but…he had said ‘until recently’…so maybe…?

…

It warranted investigation. For the time being, though—

"I don’t doubt it. Mingling with the general public has taught me many things I couldn’t possibly have learned from books…even if it does feel overwhelming every so often.

"When we have more time, though, as you said, I’d very much like to exchange experiences. I imagine there is still much that this city can educate me on."

It might serve as an opportunity to catch a glimpse into Alcor’s life prior to Toshi as well. A subtle, natural way to sate her curiosity about the fate of the boy she’d known before the—

Alcor spoke again, and Miyako blinked, lips slightly parted in silent question…before she smiled.

"… Kind and patient, as always…and as always, I appreciate it."

To try and allay her feelings of guilt, and to even go so far as to offer his companionship again, despite the many years that had passed…she did appreciate it. She was happy.

"I may take you up on your offer. It has been long since I last indulged in such pleasant company."

"Haha... Indeed, there are many things that can only be gleaned from personal experience... But if you are overwhelmed, there is no shame in retreat for the time being."

How close to heart she would take Alcor's advice, it was hard to say. Miyako, like her brother, was quite dutiful. Very dutiful, and very intimately involved with her job.

"I am very happy that you would consider me as such. I, too, enjoy your company greatly. It has been far too long... Ah. I believe there is a procedure for this?"

He reached into his pocket, pulling out his phone. "If we exchange numbers, it may be easier to keep in contact. Would it be permissible for you to do this?"

He knew how stringent the Hotsuins could be. She had free reign of things here, yet there was no telling whether her family would allow such contact, especially if they had been the ones to cut them off in the first place.

They were very much like his own family, Alcor found himself musing.

"If not, I suppose it would be easy to find you. I assume you are going to continue your work for JP's in Toshi City's branch?"

reunion (reminiscence)

In alignment with Alcor’s expectations, Miyako did follow—all too willingly, and without even a moment’s hesitation. It had been many years since they’d last met, and given his background, she had no doubt that her attendants would advise against accompanying him in a heartbeat were they here, but…it was incredibly difficult for her to believe that Alcor would lead her astray.

It was naive thinking—dangerous thinking—on her part, but the person she had at one point considered her dearest friend and closest ally…she felt strongly that he’d never do that.

"All the same, I am interested in hearing them." Her words were earnest, her tone and expression adopting a genuine enthusiasm she had not felt since…since she’d last seen Alcor, she imagined. That had been…

Miyako pressed her lips together in a thin line as she recalled that day. It had been like any other, but when she and her brother had returned to the Hotsuin estate, they’d been told that, from that point on…—

"… I must apologize for that." She lowered her head. "Neither me nor my brother were made aware that we would not be able to meet with you again until we returned home that day…and no one would tell us why. We weren’t allowed to try and contact you, or even to go to that park from then on…

"I thought…that I would never see you again. Even so, I often wondered where you were and what you were doing, and thought of things to tell you about in the event that we were able to speak again.

"It’s funny, though… I’m sure I thought of many things, but now…I don’t know where to start."

"Haha... Very few are as interested in my tales as yourself. Although, as I said, there is not much. Until recently, I had been carrying out the will of my father... There has been little else."

"Ah... But I have also spent much of that time observing civilian life as well. It has been a rather interesting journey thus far... Perhaps I will tell you more when we've more time."

He fell silent as Miyako told him her part of the tale, though...hearing what she had to tell him wasn't all too surprising, given the Hotsuins' circumstances.

"I see... Then perhaps it was..."

...his own family. As always... And it wouldn't be hard to believe that the Hotsuins would have been able to infer as much either.

Alcor shook his head.

"There is nothing you need apologize for. You and Yamato Hotsuin had little choice in the matter. Perhaps it was inevitable..."

Because even if Miyako and Yamato had continued permission to meet with him, it might have been Alcor who would have disappeared one day instead.

He chuckled softly.

"You will find the words in due time. But until then, I will be here. I do not intend on leaving this city for a long time... When you are ready, I will listen."

"Or...if you simply wish to emulate the days of our past and seek companionship, I would be more than willing to offer it as well."

reunion (reminiscence)

Had she…stepped out of line with her question? It had been genuine and reasonable enough, she thought, but for a split-second as she asked it, Miyako could swear she’d seen Alcor’s face fall. Why was that…? Had his motivations been unpleasant? He said he’d come here of his own volition after taking interest in the city, but perhaps…

… perhaps it had something to do with—?

…

She hadn’t come here to investigate that. Regardless of any concern or curiosity she might have felt, her arrival in Toshi had a purpose; and though a long-forgotten piece of her heart desired to scrutinize her old friend’s circumstances, it was not her place to do so…nor the concern of the Hotsuin family at present.

Miyako understood these things very well, but seeing the smile she had once been so familiar with once more was slightly…—

"Is it…?" She pressed gloved fingers to her lips, expression mildly troubled. She’d realized that she must have taken a wrong turn at some point, but to think she would veer so horrifically off-course… How embarrassing.

"I hate to trouble you, but if you could show me the way…I’d appreciate it very much." Miyako finally answered, pausing briefly before adding, "I would really like to know what you’ve been up to these past several years as well, if it’s not too untoward of me to ask."

That look in her eyes--Alcor knew it too well. She was curious. She wanted to ask. She was on the verge of questioning him. It was the look she had always worn when he and her brother kept their secrets (not that he hadn't had his fair share with Miyako as well), and vowed to uncover them.

She always did, in the end. And who was to say that she didn't already know? JP's' information network was one to be feared.

"It is no trouble, Miyako Hotsuin. It is this way."

He began walking, not checking to see if Miyako was following--though he knew she would be.

"...? I fear my stories may not be as compelling as you think..." Of course, that was after he filtered out all the things he would rather remain unsaid. "But if you are interested, then I will tell you as we walk."

A casual conversation... That was nice in itself. Alcor wasn't graced with such a thing so often.

"Of course... I am curious about your circumstances as well. You and Yamato Hotsuin simply vanished one day... I had feared the worst."

reunion (reminiscence)

She let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding, all apprehension and trepidation draining from her face, her posture, as it was confirmed that, yes, this was indeed the boy—now a man—she had held so dear in her childhood. The person whose encouragement had sometimes served as her only support at that time…

Alcor… Against all odds, she’d found him again.

He wasn’t the person she had sought upon her arrival in Toshi, but even so—

"I am happy to see you again as well. It…truly has been too long since our last meeting, Alcor-san."

So much about him (about her) seemed to have changed, and yet…he still felt the same as he had all those years ago. The same gentle demeanor he’d employed then remained, as did the quiet and soothing tone of voice he’d always used with her.

—… less fortunately, that same curiosity was still there, too.

Nevertheless—

"I…am here to find my brother. There are matters I may need to discuss with him in the near future." Miyako answered honestly, the delight fading from her expression some. The circumstances of her being here were not details she should divulge, but surely if it was Alcor, then…

She shook her head, and attempted a lighter smile.

"What of you? I would never have expected to stumble upon you here…"

Perhaps it was a question he shouldn't have asked, he mused as he watched some of the light fade from Miyako's face. But alas, he wasn't well-versed with these things (neither of them were), and there was no taking it back now...

"I see... I should have suspected as much."

Miyako was probably here on her family's orders, then... In truth, they were quite similar, weren't they?

But now it was his turn from the smile to fade, just barely managing to mask the sheer weight of his own family, bearing down so heavily on his shoulders. He glanced to the side for a moment, before looking back at Miyako.

"I took interest in this city," he said. It wasn't a complete lie. "And I sought to move here. It has been more than a year now, in fact..."

"Nevertheless, it has granted us the opportunity to see one another again... For that, I am grateful."

And that was the complete truth. He found the smile returning to his face.

"But alas, I forget my place. I cannot distract you from your task. This park is quite a ways away from your destination, however... Did you require assistance in finding it, perhaps?"

MONSTER: GORGONIC GHOUL

Rei stopped his frenzied movements and allowed himself to be reassured for the moment. The longer he listened to Alcor’s words, however, the more his frown deepened, and his brow creased beneath the bandages.

“Th-that’s fine! I’m not afraid of them, Alcor-nii!” he said hurriedly, pointedly ignoring Alcor’s offer to escort him back upstairs. No weird specter was going to keep him away from Alcor-nii! “Those thugs are no problem! Just let them try to catch me!”

Please. Comparing the “specter” to those pawns who couldn’t have come up with plans of action if the blueprints were shoved into their gaping, drooling mouths. It would be advantageous to the “specter,” of course, but it was still funny. His head was throbbing again, and he had to internally calm himself a little.

“We don’t HAVE to resort to splitting up, do we?” he asked, a pleading note in his tone, knowing full well that the final word was up to Alcor. He was prepared to work with however the situation developed, but he was still going to pull on this string as far as it would agree to go. After all, there was a meaning to it.

One last possibility occurred to him, and he presented it slowly, hopefully, his eyes never leaving Alcor’s expression. “Maybe…maybe you could…teach me how to fight…!”

"...It seems there are a great many things that you do not fear, Shingetsu Rei, but courage alone will do little to ensure your safety. In fact, such a thing may detract from it..."

Alcor didn't like to mince words. And with Rei's knack for getting into trouble? Definitely.

"You escaped with a relatively mild injury today, but whether that will be the case in the event that this happens again is uncertain. With this in mind, do you still wish to associate with me?"

...Because as almost uncharacteristically stern as he had to be to get his point across, Rei still seemed insistent. And it was his choice in the long run.

"...Hm? Teach you how to fight...?"

"...I suppose it is true that it is within my ability to present you with the tools necessary defend yourself..."

But... Rei? Fighting? The thought didn't really jive... Then again, who was Alcor to quash any potential in the child? The boy could've had a hidden talent for it for all he knew.

"If you must insist on remaining, then I suppose there is little other choice available. However, I do not believe I am the most qualified of instructors... And I will not hold back because you are a child. Are we in agreement with these terms?"

reunion (reminiscence)

This city certainly had a very different feel from what she had known in Sapporo.

It was…quieter, for one. Not eerily so, but the buzz of conversation and life that filled the streets here paled in comparison to that which she had grown used to in that place. She could actually hear beyond the noise of people and transportation—could hear and see the great expanse of nature and natural scenery that Toshi offered, and appreciate it accordingly. There seemed to be far less rush here, far less need to move to avoid being trampled underfoot.

Truthfully, it felt strange and foreign, but…it did possess a certain comfort and charm. Yes, that was precisely why she had come to this park: to appreciate that which had become a novelty to her.

It absolutely had nothing to do with the possibility of Miyako having lost her way.

"—…"

She stood near the outskirts of the small park, thoughtful—uncertain. She wished to ask a civilian to point her in the direction of the Clover apartments, and had decided that there was no better place to find a civilian than in such a natural gathering place; and she had been right. However, the idea of approaching a stranger in such an unfamiliar environment was—embarrassed though she was to admit it—slightly…unnerving.

It was something she had to do, and would do, but she only wished that—…hm?

Her eyes’ wandering came to a sudden halt, gaze settling on a person standing not so far from where she stood—a person she might not have even noticed was there, if not for his stark coloring.

Stark…familiar coloring. Gentle features she had not seen for years…

Without thinking, Miyako approached the man, the single word that she uttered leaving her lips just as instinctively.

"… Alcor-san."

#dragxnpower #i already feel so happy writing this wTF #thank u based domestic au

A familiar voice--no, perhaps not so familiar, for it had sounded much younger, much higher pitched when he had heard it last. Rather, it was the tone of the voice that gave the speaker away, the subtle inflections and the familiarity of the way she had spoken his name that Alcor knew, before he even set eyes on its owner.

"Miyako Hotsuin..."

Shock faded into elation, and perhaps a twinge of nostalgia. The last time he had seen Miyako was when they were young. When all three of them, as children, had flocked to the park whenever they could to engage in whatever play they knew of, little as that may have been.

"...It has been quite some time. When we saw each other last, you were still smaller than I..."

And now, she stood tall, taller than him, tall just like her twin brother. But Alcor knew--knew just how different of a person she was. Knew that she was her own person.

"It is the greatest pleasure seeing you again, Miyako Hotsuin. It has been far too long... Tell me, what brings you to Toshi City?"

reunion (reminiscence)

It had been a while since he'd been to this park.

It had been a while since he had been able to devote any time at all to leisure activity in general. So many things had been happening lately that it was simply difficult to take a breath...

"..."

He stood in a secluded corner under the shade of the tree, watching as people passed by. The observation of other individuals was something that he had often done when he was younger, and it was how he had come to begin to learn of society as it was. Perhaps it was because it had been a frequent leisure activity in the past, or because he was a simple man of simple desires, but it was incredibly calming.

There wasn't nearly enough time to visit Marigold, so this would have to do...

#dragxnpower #hEEERE WE GOOOO

MONSTER: GORGONIC GHOUL

“Hm?” Rei asked in reaction to Alcor’s muffled statement, though he had heard well enough. He winced a bit when the bandage was wound tightly around his head, but remained still without flinching.

“Uh….” The boy screwed up his eyes and thought, concentrating on parsing his thoughts, and began to describe slowly. “A dark and purple cloak…with a hood…I think? That might have been why I thought they were so big, the cloak was flying everywhere….” He made a flapping motion with his arms for emphasis. ”And…” he frowned. “Weird…I don’t remember a face…. For some reason, I got the impression that they didn’t have a face?” He considered this sentence. “But that can’t be possible, huh…. Unless…?!”

He looked straight at Alcor in alarm, then cried out. “Uwaah, Alcor-nii, what if it was a ghost?! What if there’s a ghost in Toshi City?!”

Listening carefully to the description, Alcor found he could easily form the image in his mind--perhaps because this individual that Rei was describing matched up with the one he had met only a week or so ago. That with his large, billowing cloak, and a strange mask on his face, he could easily have been mistaken for some sort of phantasm..

But Alcor knew it was not so.

"Please calm yourself, Shingetsu Rei, lest you worsen your condition. Even if such a thing were to exist, it would not be within so dense of a place as Toshi City."

"Do you recall the men we have encountered on several occasions? I fear that this "specter" may have been in league with them. So long as you continue to associate with me, such attacks may become normality for you."

Patting the last of the bindings down, he withdrew his hands, though his look was grave. "You have lost blood, but you will be able to survive this wound without medical care so long as you are careful. But perhaps this is the last time we ought to meet..."

At least, until Alcor could get to the bottom of this strange, cloaked attacker.

"Do you trust yourself to be able to make the journey back to your quarters, or must I escort you?"

MONSTER: GORGONIC GHOUL

He had expected to hit the ground. Instead, what caught him was a set of slender arms and a voice that he recognized immediately.

The parts of Rei’s mind that could still function whirred at top speed. Now, he had been seen…. Well, there was no struggling against it now. What mattered was what to do next.

“Alcor-nii…”he murmured vaguely, before closing his eyes and letting his body go limp. When he next opened his eyes, it was to the ceiling of Alcor’s room. Though he had passed by or stood at the entrance on plenty of other occasions, he’d never entered quite this far in before. Moving his head slightly, mouth slightly open, he took in every detail of the room while his eyes shifted and sharpened, now that he was no longer one towel away from splattering half of his body weight on the stairs.

He took a moment to process Alcor’s question. “Umm…well….” Rei furrowed his brow into an expression of deep thought. “Today, I…fell down the stairs…ran into a railing…got hit by a cyclist…hit my knee on the bottom of a desk,” he listed off, pointing to the locations of various bruises as he did so, “…and…. Ahh!” He sat bolt upright, immediately went dizzy again, and had to lower himself back down.

“I…there was this big person who ran past me!” he said, raising his arms weakly to emphasize the size in relation to himself. “I think…. Well, I wasn’t paying attention to them at first, but then they bumped into me…and I felt this sharp pain, like, shingg! – and I didn’t know what was going on, and I panicked, and I ran back here, and I was bleeding…! I…I guess they had a knife!”

Fighting the urge to sigh at the long list of accidents (this was just so typical of Rei), he nodded slowly in understanding. He could at least relate to the cyclist part. Alcor himself had gotten run over not too long ago by a high school student on a pure white road racer...

"I see."

That last part, though... It sounded out of place, and abnormal. Rei was accident-prone as it was, but surely even he wouldn't do anything to invite something like that. ...Right?

Then that only meant...

"Perhaps it was my fault...?"

A question mumbled more to his hand than the wounded boy lying beside him. Rei had dragged Alcor into several situations with other groups, and Alcor had had to fight to defend them both. He wasn't nearly as prolific as his brothers were, but he still had his own fair share of enemies, and the possibility remained that Rei could have been targeted because of him...

He returned to tending to the wound, carefully winding bandages around the boy's head, his eyes pensive all the while.

"Do you remember anything about this individual's appearance?"

#noble stranger///////#hanakotobatsumi

[to the noble stranger, he gives the spiderwort flower.]

…? I've not done anything to warrant such a kind gift, but thank you.

Peace Treaty

"Your family?”

The usual family squabbles were what initially came to mind, but that wasn’t the reality of Alcor’s predicament. Something was… wrong.

"What’re you saying? Wasn’t it just some place that Void took over? I got knocked out cold, so I can’t be sure what it was like outside, but… a place that an ordinary human can’t find?”

The tale spun sounded like something out of some work of fiction, but with that grim tone and expression, there was no denying this was far from something Alcor had made up. Miwa’s hold on his arm relaxed, even if momentarily; he was ready to seize it again if there were any moves.

If Alcor had this much going on… wouldn’t it be right to do whatever he could to assure him he wasn’t alone, at least?

"Hey… you want to talk about this some more? Come with me, we’ll get inside so you can let it out without fretting that someone might be watching you. I’ve got the feeling it isn’t something to put past these people".

Not that he had any indication as to what Alcor’s family was truly like. But above all, Alcor was his friend, so what was he supposed to do other than look out for him and support him, if it were possible.

It’s not like it would be a first. And he wasn’t one to back out.

#letsrideeveryday #I'M SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG #MIWA TAISHI IS AN ANGEL!! AN ANGEL

"You would not be incorrect in assuming such a thing. It is indeed a stronghold that Void was able to seize and use as a base of operations... But one that was hidden, and well at that. It is the reason I relied on my family's power to do it."

Furthermore, he had disobeyed direct orders and marred the good relations Septentrione had been attempting to build with Void. It wouldn't have made any difference in the long run, one of them would have eventually backstabbed the other or dropped them once they were no longer of use, but even Alcor knew it was important to maintain such things.

He didn't particularly care for the affairs of his family--he never had--but word traveled fast underground. And he was paying the price.

"...?"

The blond's next offer came as a surprise.

"Let it out...? Are you suggesting that I speak to you of all of this?"

"I do not wish to burden you with such a thing, Miwa Taishi. It is a matter of your personal safety as well, and I cannot risk it more than I already have by conversing with you any more than this."

MONSTER: GORGONIC GHOUL

Rei, standing on the stairs, managed a couple of steps before slumping against the wall, breathing heavily. The towel pressed to his head was rapidly turning scarlet from blood, and he couldn’t see the bottom-most steps clearly at this point.

The first thing Vector had done was run back to the apartment and stow away his cloak and mask, but an injury was not to be placed aside so easily. Adrenaline and the frantic dash back to Marigold had not exactly helped to stem the flow of blood, and his arteries seemed to be pounding in his head. He had lost more than expected, considering the bullet had only grazed his head! He cursed it again, watching the stairs refocus beneath him as he rested.

He didn’t have any first aid in his room, but he couldn’t just waltz into a store with his head bleeding and ask for some bandages. It would be far too suspicious, even for Rei, who had already built up a reputation for clumsiness. Perhaps one of the other occupants of the apartment wouldn’t notice if he stole in and borrowed some of their bandages. He knew that one of the adults living on the bottom floor often went out drinking around this time…. If Rei could just make it there….

He tried to continue forwards, and stumbled – and then fell headlong down the stairs, once again, but this time for real.

With no towering bag of groceries in hand this time, Alcor was very aware of his surroundings.

He heard a slipping of feet, a misstep--and once more, a flash of orange tumbled down the stairs, hurtling right towards him.

"...!"

Managing to catch the boy before he hit the ground without getting knocked over, no amount of preparation could ever prepare him for what he saw next.

"...Shingetsu Rei...?"

Rei was bleeding from a gash that was relatively small, but had cut into a rather large artery. And by the look in his eyes, it seemed that he had lost quite a lot of blood already.

"What happened...?" No, he couldn't just stand there. Rei's life was bleeding out as they spoke. "Come. I will treat your wound."

Without waiting for a response and regardless of any protest he may have had, he gently lifted the boy into his arms and carried him back to his own suite.

Medical procedures were not unknown to him, especially given his rather hazardous line of work, and within moments of returning to Room 2, he had laid Rei's head down on a cushion, finding several others on which to rest his legs. As he dabbed away at the blood, he spoke again.

"I will ask again. What sort of mischief afflicted you with such a wound?"

Peace Treaty

"Hey— There’s no malice in it, if that’s what you’re thinking. It’s just a few harmless pranks; there’s no harm meant".

Maybe they’d gone too far? It hadn’t crossed his mind; there were plenty of people who could get spooked by geese, but he’d never encountered anyone with the same level of fear that Alcor harboured towards the fowl.

He could only speculate; maybe that had been why he’d avoided coming back to retrieve the phone; he’d lost all trust in the mischievous duo.

Though curiosity got the better of Miwa in hearing Alcor’s admission, glancing over his shoulder to the unfortunate party being dragged alongside him by that hold under his arm.

"Come on, I know Aichi can be a little overprotective sometimes, but he can’t be that bad. Punish? No way.

I’ll give him a call if it’ll put you at ease, if you guys have some sort of curfew, then I’ll explain everything and take responsibility so that gets you off the hook. Yeah?”