im ripped af

[greendragondeity-blog]

hi, welcome to chili’s

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“Ahaha, you really joke too much.” Mikazuki laughs regardless, though in truth, he didn’t have a plan set for their little detour. Just as he didn’t plan for the distraction at the park. Most parks through out Iunctum are rather lovely with their own unique scenery to enjoy, picnic areas and the like, but most don’t have a playground as this one does. That’s perhaps what most catches Mikazuki’s eyes as he tugs the dragon along on his whimsical endeavors. 

“Of course, of course.” His voice chimes in response, hurrying to the playground area of the park with his utmost curiosity. There were things like this that Mikazuki had seldom seen in his ages of existence, but to be so close to one himself, he never dreamed it possible. He tells Jae Ha so as he seats himself on the first swing seat he can find, though he’s unsure of what to do next. “I don’t suppose we’ll run into trouble in the dark, would we? I’d like to stay here for awhile.”

“I was resigned to my fate before coming here, but now that I can do things as simple as this and experience them, I almost don’t want to let go of anything.”

He wonders if that makes sense though he doesn’t dwell too much on it, taking a cue from a child not too far down the line that he’s supposed to push himself by using his legs. The tachi blinks then slowly begins to rock himself back and forth, if only a little and completely all smiles as he does so. He eventually slows, smiling softly at Jae Ha and thinking to ask for his opinion, Jae Ha has never steered him wrong before about these kinds of things. “Do you find that strange, I wonder? Some part of me realizes that I need to handle myself with care, that so many people would want me as a prized possession, to keep me locked away but all I want to do is everything the exact opposite of that." 

[greendragondeity-blog]

It must be odd to see two grown men enter the premises of a playground as one even sits on a swing and occupies himself with the activity, although it's not as if there's anyone else around save for a young child and what appears to be his older sister (they leave soon enough as the sun begins to go down). Jae-ha, rather than joining Mikazuki on a swing himself, leans against a pole of the set right by where his husband rests, listening to the things he says while looking up at the sunset.

"What brought this on?" He asks when he gets the chance, although not in any uninterested way or otherwise, rather, the dragon's tone is more amused and thoughtful of the sword's words. "But I do understand. Enjoying the simple things in life is one of the better things about being your own person." Jae-ha laughs, folding his arms across his chest as he shifts his gaze towards Mikazuki. He then idly comments that perhaps Mikazuki wouldn't have these same sentiments if they never met--maybe the tachi would be carrying out his duties elsewhere with another to call his master. For a moment, however, Jae-ha does think to himself that if this were the case, Mikazuki would still be living in a blissful peace and there's no way he could object to such a thing.

Before he can dampen his own mood, Jae-ha is brought back to the moment when his husband speaks up once more after a second or so or silence. Whatever it was about Mikazuki's words, they seemed to have sparked something within the dragon that makes him step forward and grab onto the chain of the swing to bring Mikazuki to a complete halt. He looks down at his husband with the other's bright eyes staring right back and leans down just enough that he's closer, but still hovering over the tachi.

"That's not strange at all, but if you don't want to be kept clean and proper all the time,"

"How about I mess you up?"

[greendragondeity-blog]

hi, welcome to chili’s

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It all seems like a far off dream whenever Mikazuki recollects the memories of that island vacation. It’s something he finds, that he can’t stop thinking about as much as he tries. He supposes it’s fine as long as he keeps everything to himself, not wanting to needlessly burden Jae Ha. Mikazuki thinks that he’s already done more than a lifetime’s worth of burdening on the green dragon anyway, if he can avoid making any more mistakes in their relationship, friendship, then he will not hesitate. “That’s much too morbid to think about now, isn’t it?” He tells himself just before allowing himself to enter the quaint flowers hop, smiling instantaneously when his eyes fall on his working husband.

“I thought I’d come find you today.”

“I don’t often get to see you at work, it’s quite the treat.” Mikazuki answers effortlessly, distracted only momentarily by the gathering of arranged flowers on display. The Sanjo clan tachi idles by the store front, occasionally waving at those that pass by and happen to meet his eyes, perhaps even managing to draw in some business for the next day. He smiles again at Jae Ha as he’s led out this time, sighing at the spring air once it winds over them on exit.

When Jae Ha catches his attention a second later however, Mikazuki’s face lightly flushes at the gesture. He’s almost hesitant to take it, unsure if he should continue indulging Jae Ha’s teasing but – one look at his husband’s face and Mikazuki could practically melt. He takes the rose into his hand, thankful for the present before he begins to twirl the freshly cut rose between fingertips whilst walking ahead. The two have walked for all of a few minutes before Mikazuki chimes in with a rather spontaneous idea, “Jae Ha, would you terribly mind if we were to take the long way home today?”

[greendragondeity-blog]

The two walk down their usual path but this time not for long when Mikazuki requests a change of routine right out of the blue. Jae-ha stops walking as he looks around the busy intersection they're on, wondering what Mikazuki has planned for them, especially at this time. He does, of course, find the idea to be refreshing and interesting, so without much hesitation the dragon asks which way his husband would like to go and follows closely behind as the sword takes the lead.

"What made you want to go the long way home?" After a short moment of silence does Jae-ha finally bother to ask Mikazuki of his plans. "Shall we run some errands? Enjoy the scenery?" He mentions a few more possibilities aloud and stops all together with a quick pause as an amused smile turns the corners of his lips and he wraps his arm around his husband's shoulder, pulling him closer with a final inquiry. "Perhaps this is some sort of date--you sly dog, you." Jae-ha lets out a light laugh, though he doesn't release his old on Mikazuki even as they continue to walk through the streets illuminated by the setting sun and bright lights of the buildings around them.

"Ju~uuust kidding. But no matter your reasons, changing up a mundane routine is actually rather fun." Jae-ha hums as they find their way to a lesser populated area, mostly filled with quainter homes and more vegetation than in the denser parts of the city. When they barely pass a large park to the side, the dragon finds Mikazuki tugging on his clothes, causing him to come to a stop while Mikazuki explains his interest in the aforementioned area. "Oh? Do you want to go look at it?" He glances off towards the park and shrugs, not particularly minding it at all. "Be careful, it's going to get dark soon."

[greendragondeity-blog]

hi, welcome to chili’s

Luckily for Jae-ha and Mikazuki, assimilating back into the city-life wasn't as difficult as they thought--especially after all they went through on the island all those weeks ago. As the former stands around near the display of flowers in the middle of his work, he thinks back to parts of the labyrinth as he's done so for the past few days, but quickly returns to the present upon hearing an apparent customer walk into the store. Jae-ha finishes managing the display before turning around with a smile on his face to greet the person.

"Welcome! We'll be closing soon but feel free to look around--Huh?"

"Oh, Mikazuki; what a pleasant surprise, I was just about to come and get you!" Jae-ha claps his hands together before bringing his arms back to untie his apron, placing it on a hanger behind the counter as he cleans up the front. With his final task done, he looks to the clock to check the time--only a few minutes before actual closing but it shouldn't be too big of a deal if he were to leave now. Before he ushers Mikazuki out to exit, the dragon plucks a single rose from the recently completed stand in the middle of the room and presents it to his husband with a bow.

"A beautiful flower for a beautiful man; fitting, isn't it?" He so charmingly smiles at the sword with a wink, standing right up when Mikazuki takes it and walks out the front with him into the cool breeze.

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*shakes magic 8 ball* did he lie to me on january 8th 2013 at 8:05 pm?

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Admittedly, there was the immediate struggle against Jae Ha’s hand, he didn’t know why he shouldn’t be able to see whatever was waiting for them. Knowing this twisting and turning labyrinth, the two could encounter just about anything. That’s why he was all the more apprehensive and anxious when Jae Ha tried to face this trial alone. As much as Mikazuki wanted to protect his husband as well, struggling like this and going against his wishes can only strain their relationship and their survival. He’s reluctant but abides by his husband’s will and stands silent, his entirety tensing.

What he can’t see, can’t hurt him – he supposes that’s Jae Ha’s logic in the situation though if he listens intently, he can make something out coming from only a few feet away. It sounds like their voices but there’s something underlying beneath what Mikazuki hears. He wants to call out to him but decides against it, biting his lower lip in anxiety of whatever Jae Ha chose to face alone. He thinks, maybe, that he should have said something almost immediately when he hears an impact and glass shattering. Mikazuki flinches when he feels Jae Ha shifting beside him and a final, hard impact echoes and rings in his ears.

It’s only then that he’s allowed to see the mayhem scattered all around them.

“Jae Ha –” Frowning, he hurries to his husband’s nearest side but finds the other pulling away from him just as quickly. He’s left in shock, slowly but surely registering the more he’s able to assess the damage around them. His crescent embedded eyes widen at the sight of blood strewn about, glancing those same eyes towards his waiting, protective, and undoubtedly injured spouse. “Ah, my apologies.” He would have tried to smile to ease the air cast over them but can’t bring himself to express anything less than worry.

“Jae Ha, are you… –”

Following dutifully and stepping in besides his wounded husband, Mikazuki gently moves to touch a palm to Jae Ha’s own bleeding hand. When his head tilts back up, hoping to meet the dragon’s eyes, he finds a tender touch instead. Mikazuki thinks that perhaps, that’s all that needed to be said for now. He chooses not to press it, merely makes a silent promise to continue to watch over his beloved one for as long as he still breathes.

If he felt any relief, it would be at this site at the very least. It’s an oasis of sorts, a peculiar but moderately sized lake stands in the center of lush and tended to green grass. He finds it odd, of course, but there are no indications (yet) that it is dangerous. “We can rest here for awhile.” Mikazuki urges Jae Ha to allow himself a break, the wounds can be hopefully better cleaned with clear water than dry cloth, after all.

He’s careful as he leads his husband to the water, helping him to take his seat before the Munechika sword kneels besides. He stifles back the wince of pain he feels burning from his left side, focused more on the fresher wounds of the dragon’s. Though if Jae Ha is just as worried as the tachi is then Mikazuki tries to appease him with a soft smile, mirroring his actions from earlier and pressing his palm to his beloved’s cheek. “I’m sure, we’ll be alright. Let’s focus on what we can achieve in the moment, instead of worrying about the past or the future for now.” He hopes his sentiments reach his thoughtful husband, Mikazuki sighing softly once they get a moment’s reprieve.

However it’s strange, he’s so focused on Jae Ha that he failed to notice that they are in fact, not alone. Even now, Mikazuki can vaguely sense the presence of something else but thinks nothing too much of it. At least, he doesn’t until he reaches towards the water to see several somethings swimming about underneath. In confusion, he leans back and turns towards Jae Ha with a single  question on his lips. “Do you hear singing?”

[greendragondeity-blog]

At the very least they can find a moment to spare for rest in this strangely placed yet relaxing area. Still, it's not as though Jae-ha has his guard completely lowered; the lack of any immediate threat only provides a small, temporary solace but other than that, he's just as attentive as ever. Although, as he begins to focus more and more on Mikazuki, he finds it harder to place his attention elsewhere. At his husband's smile, the dragon smiles back. "We should continue to treat your wounds too." He seems most concerned with Mikazuki and his injury, seeing that it's the most serious in comparison.

He sits still as he waits and watches Mikazuki hover over the clean water until he's suddenly aware of the voices that the sword points out. Jae-ha shifts, looking out to find figures pop out from the water with some others sitting on the rocks. He wonders what they are considering they appear to be exceptionally beautiful creatures but aren't... entirely human. Before he can turn back to Mikazuki and ask what's happening, the creatures from the other end seem to be fully aware of the two's presences as they dive back into the water and swim towards the bank. Their melodious tune continues while they inch closer and closer to land, resurfacing soon after.

Jae-ha and Mikazuki both are entranced by the singing and the dragon leans in slightly if only to admire the women further, however he doesn't immediately move towards the edge. Mikazuki, on the other hand, is right near the group and becomes the main focus of attention. It's not long before he finds himself leaning towards the creatures so much that all they have to do is reach up and pull him forward a bit more before he's swimming with them--which they do, but Mikazuki is not swimming.

The abrupt motions and the splash all surprise Jae-ha back to consciousness, suddenly becoming hyper aware of his surroundings when he sees his dear husband missing from his spot. In a panic, the dragon stands from his spot and looks into the ever so clear lake to find the sword being dragged down into the depths by the unfamiliar beings. He has no time to spare, he thinks himself before jumping right into the water to begin swimming for Mikazuki. It's no surprise to Jae-ha that the ones who dragged his husband down are much swifter in the water, but it doesn't deter him in the least as he tries to swim faster to rescue the other.

It takes him much longer than anticipated to catch up, and when he does they're all near the bottom--Jae-ha wonders if Mikazuki is still okay at this point but he shakes off the thoughts in favor of fighting off the creatures. Multiple deep scratches and other injuries later, Jae-ha manages to grab the sword from the clutches of the women and swim back up to the surface with a trail of blood tainting the lake they're in. As he pulls Mikazuki back onto land, his own old wounds reopen in addition to the new ones but he tries not to mind the pain so much before he carries his husband to a safer patch of grass further away from the water on the opposite side from where they started.

Lying the tachi on his back, Jae-ha checks to find a faint pulse (luckily) and he immediately tilts the other's head back to blow air into him, proceeding to pump his chest to get the water out of his lungs. He continues this until Mikazuki twitches and coughs, causing Jae-ha to lean back to give him some room until his husband finally catches his breath. The dragon quickly pulls the sword into an embrace that lasts for a while before he leans back, although he doesn't completely bring contact, so that he could cup Mikazuki's cheeks and look into his eyes.

"You... are you okay?" He asks gently and quietly, not taking his attention off of his husband for a minute until he notices the group from earlier beginning to to pop up out of the water in a way that makes Jae-ha concerned about staying here for any longer. "It looks like your fanclub is coming back for you." With that snide remark, he picks Mikazuki up from the ground, wincing as he does so from the pressure put on his fresh wounds; of course, ignoring the pain, Jae-ha shuffles out of the so-called oasis into the next area and collapses almost immediately after, feeling completely burnt out.

[greendragondeity-blog]

“so is it donuts or doughnuts tho” “it’s deez nuts”

It's about break time for the florist as he walks down the streets of Iunctum to a certain (final) destination that isn't too far from his actual workplace. Jae-ha plans to pay the ever-so famous tea shop a visit under the guise of simply wanting a taste, but in reality he knows his husband works there and would like to see him doing his own thing. On his way, however, Jae-ha finds himself drawn to a small costume store as though it was still in celebration of some party (the owner says it's almost 'Halloween' but passerbyers state "It's only April!", but he continues to insist it's almost Halloween).

Through the windows, he can see an array of clothing but a pair that particularly catches his eyes are formal, charming, and definitely Jae-ha's aesthetic. He wonders if he can see his husband in such clothing, but thinking about how to approach him with the idea is rough--until he thinks up a good way to make it happen.

When the dragon makes it to the tea shop, he asks around for the owner, noticing that his spouse must luckily be out. Eventually he's directed to a young man behind the counter and though he thinks it's odd that someone so young has such a high position, he has to get straight to the point.

"Excuse me, are you the owner of this establishment? Would you be so kind as to listen to my idea for a nice little event for this place?"

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*shakes magic 8 ball* did he lie to me on january 8th 2013 at 8:05 pm?

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Unable to help feeling apprehensive, Mikazuki does as he’s instructed none the less — if only for his husband’s peace of mind. Ever careful as he removes his hand, he can’t help the wince of hissing pain when Jae Ha inspects the damage done. He’s suffered worse, far worse, he thinks, but most wounds aren’t usually caused by a steel spiked edge meant to pierce clean through him. None the less, Mikazuki braves through what he can as Jae Ha cares for him, the tachi sighing in relief when the worst of it seems to pass after the initial binding. "Yes, thank you and —" There was more that he wanted to say but he wasn’t intent on making the air between them heavy with tension again, so for the moment, he chooses to keep silent and listen to the soothing sound of his husband’s voice.

It seems Jae Ha, in his entirety is both a source of pain and comfort for Mikazuki though in so many different ways. For now it’s easiest for him to think of him as comfort, smiling faintly as the dragon even goes as far as to wipe the blood from the tachi’s hand clean. He answers as he sits up, “I am glad as well.” Mikazuki goes on to explain that in the split second after the trap had been activated, he hadn’t been sure what to do. So many options at the time had run through his head, and even now he wonders if he had taken a different route, would things had turned out better or worse? "But I suppose there’s no real sense in dwelling on the what if’s, is there?"

"When we started, I wondered that too. If I had taken a different path, or maybe if we had split up — would that have been better for us?"

A hush falls over the two afterward, Mikazuki’s words raining heavy even if that’s what he had hoped to avoid. He didn’t realize it as he said it but upon reflection does he realize the gravity of his words. Mikazuki quickly clears his throat, glancing once at the dragon besides him and reading the peripheral expression. Jae Ha appears to be deep in his thoughts, and the tachi wonders if he realizes the dark expression he wears for a passing moment. His eyes avert instead, pressing hand to chest to find his heart still beating rapidly — he wonders if it’s the adrenaline still or something else, but would rather not decipher it now.

Instead, Mikazuki devises plans for whatever future this labyrinth may hold for them, it never hurts to be prepared. Though by the time he’s finished running a theoretical scenario through his head, he finds Jae Ha’s helping hands, snapping him back to the present. He thanks him for his help and stands carefully, echoing the sentiment. “You too, if your leg still feels unwell then I would not hesitate for your well being, Jae Ha.” He offers a reassuring smile and accompanying squeeze to their shared grip, beginning to move on ahead and leading the way to the next section. 

He wonders for how much longer they’ll be in here, frowning as he looks over the drawings this time.  ”It appears as if the left path has some sort of animals…while the right,” Mikazuki moves over there next. "Hm, I can’t quite tell what this path has but it looks like it has some sort of door with a reflective surface on the other end." He has no idea why a mirror would be near the end but it looks like it’s meant to toy with the mind instead of physically harm them, he says as much to Jae Ha but wonders would be their best choice. "What do you think?"

[greendragondeity-blog]

At the crossroads, Jae-ha mulls over their presented options carefully. In their current state, they can't possibly handle any sort of traps let alone animals; with that in mind, the dragon opts out for the path with the door instead. He wonders what they could come across in that mirror-like surface but he knows that he and Mikazuki are both strong-minded individuals so it shouldn't be too difficult for them to pass through. After thinking it through, he tells Mikazuki his plan, commenting that to pass through they'll also need to break that wall before joking about how it may cause seven years of bad luck if they do. "If you're ready for that, let's move on."

Walking towards that direction, Jae-ha still keeps Mikazuki close by, keeping his hold on his husband's hand with a strong grip as if he might lose him otherwise. The dragon specifically looks ahead at their reflection, not seeing anything terribly wrong aside from how worn out they appear to be as of yet while Mikazuki looks around the general area in case there are secret traps set up anywhere. As they get closer to the barrier, having to look at how badly they look--battered, tired, weak--makes Jae-ha think about what they could have done to prevent this. Well, they could have never entered the maze in the first place, but it seems almost inevitable for people like Jae-ha and Mikazuki who would help others in need. He focuses most on his husband's injuries. Perhaps if he had been more careful, more attentive, then the tachi wouldn't be in that sort of condition. He regrets not being able to save his husband at that time and as he looks back at his own reflection, he wonders if this is supposed to be the effects of the mirror.

Except it's not that simple.

Approaching the mirror up to a certain distance, it activates, making Jae-ha stop in his tracks while making Mikazuki stop with him. With some sort of premonition he covers the sword's eyes with his hand, not allowing for him to look at all no matter how hard he tries to struggle. Although he tries not to look either, he's become captivated when their reflections begin to move on their own and act out an almost surreal scene. What starts as a dispute among the two figures quickly escalates into a fight--a rather violent one too--that continues to go back and forth between the reflections until the one that appears to be Jae-ha gains the upper hand. He can't help but watch in horror as his copy retrieves the beautifully crafted sword of his husband's and pierces it through Mikazuki's chest as he writhes in pain until he ultimately stops moving. In one final act the faux dragon turns to look directly at the real one and smiles, as though he's taunting Jae-ha after witnessing his beloved husband cut down before him.

It's the final straw that causes Jae-ha to unfreeze from his stupor and act aggressively--not to Mikazuki, no--but to the reflection he sees in the mirror. Not wanting to see anymore of it, with a hand still covering the eyes of his husband, he uses his free hand to form a fist and ultimately punch the glass and causing it to crack. He continues this until his knuckles start to bleed from the cuts of the sharp material and so he resorts to using his injured foot to deliver the final blow that shatters the rest of the mirror and reveals the door at the end of the hall. Finally he releases Mikazuki and allows him to see and assess the situation while he catches his breath. Wiping the sweat off of his forehead he continues on without another word, stopping right by the door as he looks back at his husband.

"Mikazuki." He calls for the sword, motioning for him to ignore the rubble and hurry back to his side. As Mikazuki (reluctantly) complies, Jae-ha replays the scene one last time in his mind, closing his eyes for a moment with a sigh. There can't possibly be anything more stressful than that, he thinks; but even so, if there's anything that witnessing such a sight has done for him, it's strengthening his resolve to protect Mikazuki so that nothing like that ever happens. He doesn't say another word, unsure of what to say really, as he reaches over to brush the other's hair back behind his ear, absentmindedly cupping his cheek afterwards in one fluid motion for a second before opening the door that leads into the next area.

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*shakes magic 8 ball* did he lie to me on january 8th 2013 at 8:05 pm?

[greendragondeity-blog]

 crescentframe:

"Ah, yes." Mikazuki nods and looks down each path with curiosity, like before, these paths give no indication of what lies ahead so there’s always the 50/50 chance that something can and will go wrong, or not. He’s contemplative in the lull that follows between them, gloved palm setting flat against the nearby surface of the steel walls that the maze is seemingly made up of — he wonders just how long they’ll be in here and if their original objective will remain the same the longer that they linger. Though it’s not as if they linger by choice, he reasons with a slight hum, smiling faintly at his husband though still neglectful of meeting his eyes. "I have faith in you, Jae Ha."

Mikazuki nods and follows once Jae Ha’s made his decision, trailing a few steps behind and occasionally glancing around in caution to what may come their way. It’s surprisingly tame however, the tachi thankful for this much as they walk along. Mikazuki has expected that the traps come from the side or above so much that it slips his mind that anything can surprise them from beneath. Though, he’s become distracted from his cautious surveying by Jae Ha’s consistent glances at him — naturally, he noticed them. Maybe he hadn’t taken note of the first or the second, but afterwards he couldn’t help but notice the repeated pair of eyes on him.

He couldn’t return any of the glances, as fleeting as they were — he was still too apprehensively anxious to meet Jae Ha’s eyes directly. His eyes only snap towards the dragon when he heard something so faint sound below them. Mikazuki looks down at first, unable to see the thin trigger that set the trap off so he opts to look around and then ahead, his heart stopping when he sees spikes spearing right towards the dragon. As fast and as high as Jae Ha can jump to save himself, he knows that the dragon won’t move — not because he can’t but he’s probably already thought of the consequences of doing so. If Jae Ha chose to save himself, he’d leave Mikazuki wide open.

He can already tell that Jae Ha, based on earlier, would turn and try to grab Mikazuki or protect him and take the danger instead. But, arrows were one thing and something like this, is another thing entirely. Jae Ha can’t laugh off an injury from this so simply and the tachi realizes quickly and gravely that the dragon could very well be pierced painfully and so much that he could die. Mikazuki doesn’t want to think about such a possibility, so he quickly acts with what he’s given. He holds his breath before he then hurries to grab a hold of Jae Ha’s hand, forcibly pulling him back and behind the tachi. Mikazuki tries to reassure the dragon, turning to face him and beginning to push him, explaining briefly that he doesn’t intend to sacrifice himself, "I don’t want to make you sad." He manages to say, meeting his eyes for the first time in the last while.

Mikazuki then urges Jae Ha to run and run and take the other path and keep his head down while they do so, explaining through panting breaths as they begin to escape, that second path has what he can only be described to have spinning saws that are designed to cut you clean through but they should be fine as long as they keep low. He manages to keep up in the frenzied panic that follows after he’s pushed Jae Ha ahead of him, however it doesn’t last long and the other flinches and stifles an exclamation of pain when he feels a stinging heat graze his left. Mikazuki would have fumbled there if not for the hand that suddenly found his and supported him, the tachi’s breathless as he’s pulled back up and further ahead, out of the immediate danger zone.

Mikazuki is more than grateful when the two manage to finally pull out into the next safe area, the Sanjo sword collapsing onto his knees as he tries to catch his breath, pulling his hand free of Jae Ha’s and wincing when he tries to assess just how bad his own injury is. It’s none too deep, but the graze against his side is definitely bleeding into his clothes, and though it just brushed him, he finds the wound larger than he would have liked, sighing as he tries to put pressure to avoid any further blood loss. “I apologize, if it’s not too much trouble,”

He tries to appear as well as he can. "Could we rest for a bit here before moving on?"

Jae-ha should have been much more careful, he realizes that now when he sees the injured state Mikazuki is in when he catches his breath. Even though his wound began to open very slightly again when he put too much pressure upon it, his priority lies in his husband. The dragon can't help but think that Mikazuki is in much more pain than he lets on as he kneels down beside him to examine the cut on the sword's side. Noticing the blood pooling up, Jae-ha requests Mikazuki to remove his hand covering the wound. He reassures his husband before proceeding that he doesn't plan on doing anything weird, slowly but surely peeling away the layers of clothes the tachi wears--only on the top--to reveal the source of the pain.

He doesn't like how it looks and makes a displeased expression at the sight. However, he has no time to waste on such a thing; Jae-ha tears two large parts of his own clothing like Mikazuki did before, one for cleaning up the wound and the other to bandage. The dragon presses one piece of cloth onto his husband's side, holding it there for some time as he gently allows for Mikazuki to rest on his back whether he likes it or not. They're both lucky it wasn't any deeper or they'd be in trouble--even so, the amount of blood seeping out appears to be endless and all Jae-ha can do is wait for it to stop. By the time it settles down enough, he ends up going through a few extra strips of his clothing to help suppress the blood and clean up afterwards.

It would be much easier if he had actual sterilization tools and perhaps even a sewing kit, Jae-ha thinks, but there's nothing he can do about it for now. He and Mikazuki both will have to live with just wrapping the cut with the sleeve of Jae-ha's robes until they get out--even more of a reason to find an exit.

"That's better, right?" Trying to keep the air light between them, Jae-ha smiles and begins small talk. He figures it'll be the best option to keep Mikazuki occupied so he doesn't think about anything else. As he wipes the other's hands clean of the crimson liquid, the dragon urges Mikazuki to keep still for a little longer. "I'm glad nothing worse happened back there." He speaks softly, brushing the other's hair to the side, sitting right beside him. That's not to say he wishes it happened at all; in fact, he's actually quite bitter about the fact Mikazuki put himself in such a dangerous situation. If Jae-ha had not been there, who knows what could have happened to him? Though he supposes the exact same thing could be said for someone like him, so he doesn't share his thoughts aloud (but perhaps Mikazuki can guess what he's thinking about).

In truth, he's far more angry than he appears to be, but he counts his blessings and Mikazuki is still alive, so he manages to keep a cool face through it all. After a substantial amount of time, Jae-ha stands and gently helps his husband pick himself up. "Sorry if this isn't enough time to rest up." He doesn't let go of the other's hand, holding it firmly in his own. "If we stay here any longer, we'll never find our way out. It's best to keep going at this rate--but tell me if you need to sit down okay?" Maybe Jae-ha is just blowing this out of proportion considering that the wouldn't wasn't even that deep; even so, it still worries the dragon to no end and they'll both have to be extra careful--now paying attention to minute details--in order to make it out in one piece. With that, he leads them onto the next path. This time, Jae-ha walks with a much more visible limp than before, finding it to be a chore to walk with an injury such as this (it seems to have gotten worse when they continued on), but he doesn't want to waste any time in getting out of this labyrinth either so he hides it as best as he can.

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*shakes magic 8 ball* did he lie to me on january 8th 2013 at 8:05 pm?

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Mikazuki flinches at Jae Ha’s harsh words — he’s sure he doesn’t mean it, but Mikazuki can’t help but take note of the tones when the dragon speaks. He knows at the very least, that Jae Ha doesn’t and never wanted Mikazuki to think of himself as just a sword, especially since he had his own body, his own thoughts and feelings. He didn’t understand it all at first but he tried to over time, and he can certainly say that he wants to protect Jae Ha because he does genuinely and deeply care for him. As easy as it would have been for him to say that, he can’t bring himself to do so — something inside of him holds him back from saying what he truly feels out of apprehension at first, but later he realizes it’s because of a fear of rejection.

Jae Ha doesn’t and won’t ever think of Mikazuki the way the tachi sword thinks of him. He’s already realized that the dragon only wants to be friends, not wanting to obligate Mikazuki is how he put it - but of course, he doesn’t want to be obligated either. His heart feels heavier and heavier in his chest, falling to the pit of his stomach the longer that Jae Ha talks. Mikazuki tenses when a hand is set heavily on his shoulder, but he isn’t forced to turn and neither does he dare to. The expression that he’s making right now, he’s sure it’d only drive Jae Ha further away from him.

Ultimately, Mikazuki never answers.

"…Of course."

Quietly does Mikazuki agree that there’s really no need to talk of hypothetical extremities, such a thing, he mutters to himself mostly, won’t probably happen. Stepping ahead of the dragon, Mikazuki flinches again when Jae Ha denies the tachi’s desires to protect him. Avoiding being seen and likewise, looking at Jae Ha, Mikazuki can only bite his lower lip and keep silent still. This is harder than he thought — he doesn’t know how normal people can do this for the sake of others. He’s heard of people hiding and harboring their deep feelings of love and affection for the sake of others, but he never imagined it would be this hard. He’s only broken from his thoughtful stupor when he hears Jae Ha’s final words, blinking and managing to relax his disposition at those heartfelt words.

Realizing that he’s over thinking this, the tachi repeats a hopeful mantra in the back of his mind, finally turning to face Jae Ha with his usual expressions. “Thank you.” He begins, taking measures to move closer to his husband as he then returns the touch from earlier, setting both hands on the taller man’s shoulders. He’s tentative about meeting his eyes but does so through sheer force of will, remaining as steady as he’s able to while he finishes his sincere thoughts aloud. "It means a lot to me that you want to protect me too, it’s not an unfamiliar feeling but what is unfamiliar to me is —" He pulls his hands back and drops his gaze, unsure of how to put this. He certainly doesn’t want to divulge his deepest feelings, he’s still too anxious for that. 

But, Mikazuki doesn’t want to hide or lie to Jae Ha either, he owes him so much more than that.

Softly, he sighs and manages a small smile and a quiet laugh, shaking his head and apologizing for hesitating. Mikazuki tells Jae Ha that he wants to protect him earnestly, from the bottom of his heart. Jae Ha can take that for what it’s worth, the tachi smiles again and then turns on his heel, taking a few steps forward again to being their trek further into the twisting and turning maze. Once they reach the next diverging roads, he stops and turns to look at his husband just a few paces behind him. For both their sakes then, he wants to leave these kind of decisions up to Jae Ha instead, hopefully this way they can avoid mishaps like earlier.

“So, which way would you like us to go?”

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Perhaps Jae-ha was much harsher in his words and connotations than he meant to be--he can see that now. As a result, the dragon slowly backs down from his stance towards Mikazuki, noticing the stress and worrisome traits the sword displays even as slight as they are. He doesn't want to keep accidentally backing Mikazuki into a corner, so he'll have to leave it at this for the time being. Even so, as his husband (seemingly) forces himself to confront Jae-ha, he wonders what Mikazuki meant to say before he cut himself off. Could it be the same sort of unfamiliar feeling that the sword first experienced on the ship? He can't help but think so and regrets having toyed around with someone who inexperienced in such to the extent the dragon did. Maybe if he hadn't done so and ultimately made him drop those deep feelings of his, neither of them would be in the same situation now. However, Jae-ha realizes that it's too late to take it back and what's done is done; he just hopes he doesn't make it worse from now on.

Without a response, Jae-ha watches as Mikazuki continues on and maintains a few steps behind when he follows shortly. As they walk on, the dragon looks around the interior of the maze as though he's looking for any difference or similarities between where they're going and where they've been. It would be much easier if he were able to see over the maze, but the walls are built too high up for him to manage. Not being able to see anything out of the ordinary, he turns his head forward just in time to see Mikazuki stopping right in front of him.

"Huh? Do you really want to leave that kind of decision to me?"

He questions just how wise of a choice that is--Mikazuki seems to know how to navigate their way around the labyrinth much better than Jae-ha does, so it's a little concerning having to take charge now. "I'm not sure if I'm really up to the task." Muttering to himself, he lets out a small, nervous laugh as he inspects the possible routes for them to take. Thinking about his options, he tells himself that he better choose wisely unless he'd like for them to come across something dangerous. Although, if something were to happen to him like earlier, then Jae-ha doesn't find it so hard to accept that it's his own fault; perhaps he'll laugh off more injuries so long as if they're not too serious like he did earlier. But, he glances towards Mikazuki who doesn't seem to be looking his way, if something were to happen to this person all because of him... Jae-ha wonders what he'll do then.

Eventually, he shakes off these thoughts and decides he better pick a direction soon; they've been stuck here for long enough without making much progress, so he turns to get the tachi's attention once more when he's decided. "Let's go this way." He points to the right, making his way down the corridor first. Entering this area doesn't seem to immediately trigger anything, so Jae-ha assumes the path is as safe as any, letting out a sigh of relief with the thought of having kept them both safe for a little longer in mind. Although he still maintains a small distance between him and Mikazuki, the dragon occasionally looks back behind him to see how his husband is doing. As he looks back for one more time, however, Jae-ha doesn't manage to notice a thin, barely visible string stretching from one wall to another just barely off the ground. Unknowingly, he steps right through it and activates a trap then and there. Only when he faces forward again does he notice a multitude of spikes heading right for him.

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*shakes magic 8 ball* did he lie to me on january 8th 2013 at 8:05 pm?

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Mikazuki wanted to scold Jae Ha, wanted to question if he had even listened when the tachi reasoned that it should have been him to take any dangers that would come their way. But looking at the dragon as he is now, Mikazuki can’t bring himself to say a word, merely nod in reply and take a seat in the grass beneath them. He waits for Jae Ha to situate himself after, gently coaxing his husband to stretch his injured leg out so that he can look at it — it takes a bit of doing but eventually the tachi is allowed a look, flinching when he notices the punctured wound that seeps blood.

"It is more than unfortunate." He answers with a mumble, careful as he sits back and begins to rip at the blue sleeve of his kimono. Jae Ha’s well being is much more important than any of Mikazuki’s expensive wear. He rips more cloth, using the larger torn fabric to clean the wound as much as he’s able, apologizing for any discomfort Jae Ha might feel whilst Mikazuki begins to wrap the wound. It’s nothing much, he tells his spouse as much, but he hopes none the less that it will help ease some of the pain. 

He’s able to give a small smile, relieved that it wasn’t something more serious, commenting that Jae Ha needs to care for himself more as he moves around and takes care of the smaller, less significant wounds littering the dragon’s body. "Truthfully," Mikazuki finally moves to just sit besides his husband, hands folded in his lap with knees tucked beneath. His eyes close in thought and a sigh follows, an effort to calm from the adrenaline of moments ago. Slowly do his eyes flutter back open and cast his injured husband a long gaze, Mikazuki kneels up and leans towards Jae Ha rather suddenly, closer than he probably needs to be but he wants to drive his point home as his gloved hands cup either side of his husband’s face.

"I understand if you have a wish or a desire to protect me, but realize that I too, have that same desire for you. — When I spoke of being reforged, I meant it. If things were to get too dangerous where you might die, allow me to protect you."

He is firm in his words but his hands begin to shake, not because he’s scared for himself but he’s scared for Jae Ha. Mikazuki never has had someone he so fervently wanted to keep alive, to protect. He quickly pulls his hands back and moves away from his spouse, avoiding his gaze whilst his words settle in. He waits for several more beats before he stands and bears a glance at the frame of his crescent sword. He knows that while Jae Ha may see him as a person and not a tool, not something to be wielded at the whims of others, Mikazuki can’t help but think that a sword such as himself, so prized and famed, should be able to protect those important to him.

After a moment, he trails ahead - not too far, glancing down the path at the next fork in their road. With the way the labyrinth closes off the paths behind them as they advance, he can’t separate himself from the green dragon in the slightest. Moving back, Mikazuki hesitates to divulge more information but he can’t keep such a thing to himself, especially if he is so willing and ready to sacrifice his life for the other. Mikazuki takes an anxious breath, "I know I’ve been speaking of such things but, you should be aware that if or when I do break, when I’m reforged… —" It shouldn’t be this daunting to explain, his eyes fearfully avoiding Jae Ha’s observing, attentive gaze. "Swords such as myself and others have suffered memory loss. It’s hard to say to what extent..Honebami who was with me for a time in our past forgot me completely, while Mitsutada…well, in any case, I wish for you to be aware of that too."

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Needless to say, Jae-ha is more than grateful to Mikazuki for helping bandage the wound despite the stinging discomfort that came from dressing the puncture. "Having a beauty like you taking care of me really helps to alleviate the pain, haha." He smiles and thanks his husband, telling him that he'll be more than happy to replace his torn garments with new ones when they get back--if they get back (but he doesn't add that last part, instead keeping it to himself). When Mikazuki moves away from the healing wound, Jae-ha leans forward to inspect it, not paying much mind to the tachi who sits beside him until he begins to speak once more. He sits up as Mikazuki comes forward--an unintentional action--and is almost surprised when the other cups his cheeks, peering back into those wonderful, crescent-shaped eyes of his.

Noticing his hands shake, Jae-ha unconsciously brings a hand up to a wavering arm, gently touching it as some sort of comfort before Mikazuki pulls back and away from the dragon. They rest in silence and he uses this time to mull over what his husband said. Jae-ha hadn't realized that he's always been the one to sweep Mikazuki off his feet and save him from any impending danger so far; the thought makes him want to laugh, but he doesn't just in case it would make Mikazuki feel as though the dragon was laughing at him for whatever reason. In the meantime, his attention is also brought to the sword held by the other's side, remembering that the tachi was never originally human and it brings him to wonder if his wishes to protect Jae-ha come from an obligation, a duty placed onto him as a sword. He refrains from asking, however, not wanting to ask a possibly intrusive question just yet.

When Mikazuki speaks about the concept of reforging again, however, the dragon finds himself to be particularly horrified when he realizes that the other may be subjected to such a thing. For a long time he's wondered if such a thing would keep Mikazuki the same person or not, but now knowing that there's a chance he may forget everything, Jae-ha doesn't seem keen on taking that risk. It prompts him to stand up, his wound on the dragon's leg having healed quickly enough that he can at least stand and walk without too much trouble, as well as blurt out the inquiry he's kept to himself for the last few minutes.

"The reason why you wish to protect me to the point of your breaking--tell me..."

"Is it because you genuinely care for me?" He places a hand on Mikazuki's shoulder, not necessarily forcing him to look at him so long as he doesn't want to, but silently requesting that he does. "Or because you feel as if it's your destiny as a sword to protect his master until the very end?" Without getting much an answer from the tachi, Jae-ha pauses and lets out a soft sigh, taking note of the anxiety that appears to envelop the smaller male. "You seem nervous." He simply points out and he shortly reassures him that everything's okay and will remain fine. There won't be any need to go so far as they'll never reach that point, he thinks aloud. "However, I don't want you to try and throw yourself away for me just because you think it's what you should do as a sword." On second thought... "Well, I'd prefer you not do that at all." He laughs, commenting that he doesn't really like the idea of watching Mikazuki break right in front of him. Although he'd like to keep things light hearted like this for much longer, Jae-ha looks seriously at his husband, readdressing the concern from earlier. "You're free to do as you'd like, but so am I. Truly, you're someone I want to protect."

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*shakes magic 8 ball* did he lie to me on january 8th 2013 at 8:05 pm?

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Part of him, near the end, had realized this wasn’t going to last. He thinks that he was so caught up in all the affection he had been pining for that he didn’t want to realize the truth right away, but as soon as Jae Ha had begun to treat him rather coldly, Mikazuki too, had to break himself from whatever spell had been cast. It’s painful, he thinks, free hand to his chest as the two walk into the labyrinth, the tachi glad that he’s the one trailing behind so as to not give the dragon any indication that there’s something wrong.

A sigh parts his lip and he pulls his held hand back to his side, looking down each direction but there’s no visible sign that there’s anything waiting for them on either path. He walks around for a bit on the path that led them here, running gloved hand against the wall until he feels distinct grooves near the fork in the road. Pausing, Mikazuki tries to read what he can only surmise to be hieroglyphics depicting what exactly lies before them. They’re hard to make out even so, but he doesn’t need to read into them very much to know that it’s dangerous. He slowly finds his way back to Jae ha’s side, but is more thoughtful of keeping his distance as he does so, hand to chin as he agrees that splitting up isn’t the best option even if things look relatively safe.

"Whichever path we do end up taking," He almost reiterates what they exchanged earlier but decides against it, smiling faintly as he then draws his sword. "I hope you have no qualms about me taking the lead."

"You see," Mikazuki looks down both pathways again, deciding to go with his first and best instinct as he slowly takes a step down the right road. Nothing as of yet, but he remembers the etched in carvings and wonders just what kind of traps are waiting. He didn’t see any monsters, not like the left path had displayed — so this should be the lesser of two evils. He steels himself, taking further steps while still explaining why he should be the one taking point. “If something should happen to me and my body or my sword became damaged enough to break, I can always be reforged with the right materials and patience. Though, it’s bit frustrating if you don’t know what you’re doing!” Mikazuki laughs it off, he’s not too particularly concerned with it, perhaps because he’s lived for so long?

It’s unfortunate however, that as soon as he finishes his explanation, Mikazuki took a wrong step and the floor fell out right beneath him. He reacts fast enough to grab a hold of the edge, of course, embedding his sword into the wall for a more stable hold. He blinks, glancing down to see a pit of nothing but sharpened spikes. He would have surely been done for had he not reacted as he did — but just as soon as he starts to pull himself up does he feel the entire labyrinth begin to shift, as if the walls were beginning to close in on him and the dragon still standing on solid ground above him.

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"I trust you and your decisions so there's no questioning your leadership here." He smiles and begins to follow Mikazuki without any objections; it seems like he knows more of what he's doing than Jae-ha does, so of course the dragon will happily oblige. As they walk, he listens carefully to watch Mikazuki has to say and becomes particularly interested (or worried) when his husband mentions being broken. Truthfully, Jae-ha doesn't really like the sound of that--having to reforge him after his breaking; does it mean he dies? There's a lot of questions circling around his mind at the moment and he waits for his husband to finish his explanation before trying to ask anything but just as he tries, he watches the sword suddenly vanish right before his eyes!

In reality, Mikazuki had fallen (almost) into a pit. Worried, Jae-ha immediately goes to hover over the hole in the ground, finding his husband just barely hanging on to the edge with his sword in the wall. He begins to help the other pull himself back up onto the solid surface but loses his grip as the area around them starts shaking, even losing balance himself as he tumbles backwards onto the floor but luckily not into the hole with Mikazuki. Noticing that the walls close in on them, he realizes he has no time to waste as he abruptly picks himself back up and grabs onto the tachi's hand, pulling him out of the hole with his sword and wastes no time in running straight out of the path--just not the same direction they came from.

With the adrenaline rush he got after that predicament, Jae-ha suddenly and desperately grabs onto Mikazuki's shoulders, having been scared out of his mind in that split moment.

"Are you okay?!" He asks, out of breath for the most part until he finds himself calming down and eventually releasing his hold on Mikazuki. Letting out a sigh, he attempts to recompose himself so that he doesn't freak the other out so much and he does find calmness, he speaks again. "Sorry, let's try that again." He laughs, albeit a little awkwardly. "Are you hurt anywhere? I grabbed you so fast, I couldn't tell."

"It also looks like we won't be able to go back the same way we came from anymore." Looking back at the now closed off corridor, Jae-ha appears to feel a bit defeated now that they have to take detours just to leave. "I really don't want to keep going, just in case one of us gets put into serious danger, but it looks like we have no choice." He shrugs; if the following traps are just like the last one then he can't imagine it'll be too hard to get through this. Waiting for a few more minutes for rest so they can catch their breath, Jae-ha looks over the next options--although it's a futile effort as he can't seem to figure out what Mikazuki can--before he lets his husband take over once again. Rather than branching off, they continue forward without any trouble, luckily for them. As they continue on, they're only met with few challenges along the way; most are as tame as the very first trap they came across and others have no tricks in store for them. It doesn't stop them from being as attentive as they could, however, sticking as closely together as they could just in case things took a turn for a the worse and perhaps they did, eventually.

One specific pathway, it seems, triggers an array of arrows, bolts, and darts to shoot from openings in the walls. They stop at a certain height, which Jae-ha can easily jump across as he carries Mikazuki in his arms yet again, but towards the end the dragon descends and ends up having an arrow pierce his green leg, thus shooting him down just as the projectiles let up. He falls immediately, still holding his husband close to him as he attempts to turn as much as he can so that the tachi receives minimum damage from the fall. With a groan of pain, Jae-ha pulls out the arrow from his skin; fortunately for him, it hadn't penetrated deep into the durable scales of his leg and so he isn't too worried about it in terms of its condition, but still...

"This is unfortunate, isn't it?" He laughs to himself, trying to brighten the situation a little bit. "Sorry to ask, but do you think we could take a rest here for a minute?"

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*shakes magic 8 ball* did he lie to me on january 8th 2013 at 8:05 pm?

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There was a multitude of thoughts and feelings that were swelling in his chest, so much that he felt he was going to burst. Mikazuki barely uttered Jae Ha’s name as he set the palms of his hands on either side of his husband’s charming face, smiles abound while he tip toed and leaned in for another sweet, heart pounding kiss — only to have it end before it began by way of a sharp cry that cut through the atmosphere. As soon as it resounded, Mikazuki was on edge. If Jae Ha hadn’t been holding him steadfast, then the tachi would have surely gone charging. Panic begin to surge through every part of him as he was well aware about his fellow kin on the island — he knew they were more than capable, but he always oversaw them, all of his kin was like precious family to him. Not only that, if the danger was close, he feared for Jae Ha as well, worried that if they were to walk into the mouth of this danger, just what would they be facing?

He frowns and presses a hand to the sword that hangs on his hip, glancing at his husband in the hopes that he may vainly, selfishly, warn him to go back but before he can so much as take a breath - he’s swept off his feet and back into the air. Mikazuki holds his breath and likewise, holds onto the dragon while they’re airborne, taking the brief moments to scout the area as he would any battle. He takes notice of the massive structure just before they land in front of it, the tachi being set down well away from the entrance whilst the dragon inspects the entrance. Mikazuki is more than a little worried and hurries forward to his spouse, “Most likely.”

He’s trying hard to hold his tongue because he knows Jae Ha well enough that even if the tachi did caution him against this, he would want to go in and save any poor soul that was in there, wouldn’t he? It’s something Mikazuki loves about Jae Ha, though he can’t say such things and entertain such thoughts. So, Mikazuki steps in besides Jae Ha and presses a hand to his spouse’s own hand, gripping it tightly in his apprehension and accompanied adrenaline. He holds his hand for a long moment, bravely and boldly meeting his eyes, he’s not sure what he should say or do, so Mikazuki speaks from his heart. “I don’t know what lies ahead in this place, but if you wish to go then…”

"I will go with you. I thought about asking you to stay behind but I realized, I don’t believe I could talk you out of it.” 

A beat passes and he slowly releases the dragon’s hand, turning fully to face him instead, standing in between the entrance of the labyrinth and his beloved dragon. He holds onto both of his hands, bringing them to the tachi’s own chest and holds them as if it would be the last time he ever could hold them. A small smile emerges and he squeezes his betrothed’s hands, lacing their fingers together with a soft sigh just prior to finishing his thought aloud. “Whatever is in store for the two of us in there, let us face it together.”

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At Mikazuki's words, an amused laughter sounds from Jae-ha as he tightens his hold on his husband's hands. The warmth that comes from them is comforting and allows for the dragon's mind to clear of any worries he may have had from before. "You make it sound like something bad's going to happen in there. So long as if we stay together and have each others' backs, it shouldn't be too bad, right?" He mentions they had just been talking about this sort of thing when they were in solitude before removing one hand from Mikazuki's and bringing it up to cup the sword's cheek. "Besides, we'll just take a look around and leave as soon as something dangerous presents himself." Jae-ha doesn't plan on letting anything harm Mikazuki in any way. If it were to happen, he doesn't think he'll be able to forgive himself especially if it's particularly life threatening; but it's not something that the dragon really wants to think about right now--or ever, really.

When he decides it's about time for them to check this labyrinth out, he leans forward again to plant another kiss on his husband's lips. He's barely a distance apart from Mikazuki when he abruptly stops in his movements; a surge of energy and emotion is seemingly drained from him in no time at all but it still takes a few moments before he becomes fully aware of what kind of situation he's in now. Well, this is quite the predicament. Slowly does Jae-ha draw himself back away from Mikazuki, perhaps leaving the tachi wondering and questioning. He lets go of Mikazuki's remaining hand and turns his back to the shorter, bringing his hands to touch his own lips in bewilderment.

"Aah..." Letting out a soft sigh, he stands still for just a little big longer until he finally allows himself to turn back to Mikazuki with a newly formed smile on his features. "Sorry about that." Jae-ha leaves the apology as ambiguous as he can, whether it's for having stopped before the kiss or because his sudden feelings of love have disappeared, he lets Mikazuki figure it out on his own. Wanting to prevent any further questioning however, the dragon holds Mikazuki's hand once again but this time it's devoid of any sort of romantic subtext that was there earlier. Jae-ha then tugs Mikazuki along towards the entrance, keeping him close for the sake of protecting him rather than anything else.

As they make their way down the first, long corridor, they come across a fork in the road. Splitting off into different paths--left and right--Jae-ha looks to see if there's any indication of where they should be going. "Hm, I don't want us going different directions." He mutters quietly to himself. After all, who knows what lies beyond the wrong path? Jae-ha just isn't willing to take that kind of chance and unfortunately, these walls are still far too tall for the dragon to be able to see over with his jumps. Finally, he addresses Mikazuki again, pointing to either direction. "Do you have any ideas for where to go?"

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*shakes magic 8 ball* did he lie to me on january 8th 2013 at 8:05 pm?

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His face only reddens worse when he hears Jae Ha laugh though he knows that his spouse isn’t cruel enough to laugh at him, but the heat that rises to his cheeks can’t be helped. He’s just about to get up himself when instead he feels strong arms lift him from the ground and he’s so breath taken that he doesn’t hold onto Jae Ha at first, only doing so when the dragon effectively leaps into the air like the mythical beast of the same name. Mikazuki’s eyes were closed at first from shock, only peeking open when he feels the cool night air breezing past the two of them the longer they’re airborne. His eyes take a moment to register but eventually focus on all the rapidly moving scenery, and again does he feel his breath taken away.

He’s considerably calmed since a few moments ago, even able to laugh at his spouse’s comment before the two land. Briefly thanking his husband before he’s set down, the tachi presses a hand to his chest and although he still feels its rapid beats, it’s not so daunting anymore. This lasts for all of two seconds as he finds his face so suddenly held by the taller man that he can’t help but fluster and just as boldly meet his eyes. "My eyes?"

"You believe so?" Mikazuki can’t say he’s ever particularly found them interesting, let alone beautiful. By no means does he dislike them but he’s always found that while he is proud of the crescent blade of his, the crescent yellow in his deep blue eyes always left him wanting. He almost wanted to refute the compliment by comparing a crescent to a full moon but chose not to, smiling instead and thanking him for such sweet words.

Mikazuki laughs once when his affectionate husband sets a single kiss on the tachi’s forehead. Though neither his laughs nor the kiss seem to end there as Mikazuki proceeds to utter laughter from each and every tickling kiss on seemingly every inch of his face. He manages to softly mutter his betrothed’s name just before they end everything with a meeting kiss, and while it’s long, Mikazuki doesn’t feel as frantic as he did earlier — not to say he’s completely on par with all of what’s going on just yet but he seems to be getting used to it, at least a little.

When they next break apart, he exhales and slowly but surely wraps both arms around Jae Ha when he’s held so delicately close and listens intently to everything the man embracing him says. He agrees that it was unexpected and he isn’t sure why all of this is being done, but it’s not as if he dislikes it either. He knows that Jae Ha likes to tease but he’s never quite teased like this, it seems to affectionate, too romantic for him to just be playing around. His train of thought is only interrupted when their distance increases only to be pulled closer again, though this time he’s able to look at his husband as he delivers sweet words. “Oh!”

He’s touched that the other man is still trying to protect him even against himself it seems. "Well, you can if you like but I think..I’m doing better at handling this now. Being alone with you like this…it…" In embarrassment, Mikazuki drops his gaze and tries to find the right words. Simple is best, he thinks, so he slowly meets Jae Ha’s eyes again and with a soft smile does he finish his thought. "It makes me happy."

However, when he hears what is said next, he blinks in surprise and his grip tightens for a fraction before he manages to regain his composure. Mikazuki moves a gloved hand to Jae Ha’s chest, pressing his palm over where the dragon’s heart rests and he braves meeting his gaze, an apologetic smile barely curving the corners of his lips. "I promised I would protect your heart, and you, from such pains. I do hope I’m not causing anything like that but I heard recently that broken hearts can be mended with this." And he demonstrates by leaning in and pressing his lips against the dragon’s chest in a kiss, he wonders if such a simple action will really protect Jae Ha’s heart, but Mikazuki would do anything for him, from small to big, so long as he’s happy.

[greendragondeity-blog]

"You..." After Mikazuki moves away from his chest, Jae-ha brings a hand to his chest cover the area where he was kissed--almost as if he's protecting a precious treasure. He looks content, smiling gently at his husband as he plays his kind words back in his head for a second time. "It's not a bad pain." Letting out a soft laugh, Jae-ha brings Mikazuki close yet again for a tighter embrace, taking the time to rest his head on the top of Mikazuki's own. "It's no broken heart either. I hope you can understand this feeling of mine. I still expect you to be responsible for this." It seems to him that at this point he's so enraptured with the beautiful male before him that Jae-ha no longer concerns himself with the matter of the love potion anymore; after all, continuously thinking about what happens later in terms of this liquid is not apart of his aesthetic at all.

"Furthermore, if you wish to protect me then I'll do the same--I've said that to you before haven't I?" It hasn't even been very long since then, he thinks. Despite how the circumstances may have changed, Jae-ha's sentiments toward this kind of thing to Mikazuki haven't at all. Jae-ha pulls back again, getting a good look at his husband under the moonlight before he leans back down to give Mikazuki yet another kiss. The dragon is only stopped just centimeters from the other's lips when a blood curdling scream suddenly rings throughout the forest. He flinches, immediately turning back around to where he assumes the noise came from without breaking physical contact with Mikazuki--in fact, he pulls him as close as he can to his side, now being conscious of their surroundings.

"Perhaps it's best to go back into the city now; but at the same time..." The dragon continues to look into the darkness of the forest, his grip on his husband's shoulder tightening slightly in tension. There may be more instances like that later and it's not something Jae-ha can ignore especially if he knows his comrades are here on this island as well. He looks down at Mikazuki and wonders what would happen if he were to get caught up in something like that as well but soon shakes his head, not wanting to think about something like that before picking the sword back up in his arms. Truthfully, he only wants a look so he finds a clearing in the trees and jumps right through it as he looks around for anything out of the ordinary.

His gaze then falls upon a tall, maze-like structure not too far off. Jae-ha wonders just how he managed to miss something as protruding as that--its even far too tall for someone like him to jump over (considering his attention was mostly focused on Mikazuki, it's not really that much of a surprise anyway)! They land right in front of the entrance of the large labyrinth and the dragon stares in awe at the sight. Setting Mikazuki down yet again and makes sure he stays a distance away from it. Jae-ha walks closer to the exterior and places a hand on the surface, looking back at his husband after inspecting it for a minute or so. "Do you think this could be where that scream came from?"

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*shakes magic 8 ball* did he lie to me on january 8th 2013 at 8:05 pm?

[crescentframe-blog-deactivated2]

"You…?" Wanting to ask what it is that he’s referring to, Mikazuki doesn’t get the chance nor does he realize that it is him that Jae Ha likes. He didn’t immediately step back, not seeing a reason to up until Jae Ha and himself almost bump into each other and it’s only out of courtesy that he steps back for every step forward that his husband takes. His voice calls his name in soft curiosity but any inquiry he has are soon silenced when his back finally hits the nearby surface and he’s left trapped by the dragon on every side.

His breath catches in his throat the moment that Jae Ha’s forehead rests so delicately on the tachi’s shoulder, he’s not sure at all what’s going on and his first instinct is to fret, reaching a single hand up to take his husband’s temperature but freezes and flinches in mid-movement when that tone reaches his ears. His own heart picks up in pace at the confession and he tries so desperately to find the right words but can’t think of a thing to say. It’s so unlike him to be this flustered but the man before him seems to have a knack for doing this to the Sanjo sword. In the short waiting beat between them, Mikazuki utters the dragon’s name, "Jae Ha…" He had wanted to say something else but the only other sound that came out was a sharp intake of air.

"Are you…are you feeling alright?" He wouldn’t tease the tachi like this, would he?

He’s well aware that his spouse has his flirtatious and mischievous side, but he had promised not to truthfully confuse Mikazuki’s feelings anymore since last time. So this is unlike him, he thinks and rationalizes, but all of it is for naught. The butterflies in his stomach and the pounding of his heart, all up to his flushed cheeks cannot be so simply rationalized like his thoughts. All that he can do is wind his arms around Jae Ha’s shoulders, certain that if he wasn’t holding onto his spouse, his weak knees would have surely given out the instant that kisses were lined from his shoulder to neck. It was in vain he soon finds as the moment that Jae Ha whispers so feather soft into his ear is the moment that Mikazuki’s hands slip and his knees buckle, sending him towards the ground in a not so graceful display.

[greendragondeity-blog]

Watching as Mikazuki falls to the ground, Jae-ha looks in surprise at his flustered husband before lightly laughing at the display. It's not meant to be an insulting gesture in the slightest, making a comment about how cute Mikazuki is before bending down, wrapping an arm around his back and under his knees, and picking him up in a bridal fashion. Jae-ha looks around, taking note of the others that stare at them as the seconds pass and he glances back at Mikazuki with some sort of idea in mind. Not minding any of the others the dragon begins to move away from the crowd, getting a running start before he leaps high into the air with their shadowy figures highlighted by the moon. It must be a new experience for Mikazuki, Jae-ha thinks; after all, it's not very often that one gets swept away in such a manner, even soaring across many buildings in the night sky.

"Nice breeze, isn't it?"

When he takes a good look at his husband's face, Jae-ha notices something intriguing. As they descend down into a forested area, the dragon allows for Mikazuki to stand up although not much else after that as he so boldly cups the other's cheeks in his hands, staring intently into his eyes. "I never noticed that you have the most beautiful eyes." He smiles as he runs his thumb along Mikazuki's lower lid. "The crescents in them make even the real moon appear to be dim..." Speaking under his breath, Jae-ha soon leans down to kiss his husband's forehead, but it isn't enough for him as he lifts Mikazuki's head up to make it easier for him to plant small kisses all around his face, ultimately ending with one long-lasting kiss on the tachi's lips. Rather than moving way immediately after, however, Jae-ha remains and lingers only a short distance away from Mikazuki.

"This is odd, don't you think?" He runs his hands though Mikazuki's smooth locks while also holding him close. "For me to do this so suddenly, after what I told you before, is unlike me right? But I just can't help it..." At this turn of events, Jae-ha laughs quietly before finally pulling away, moving a hand down to wrap around the other's waist as well as taking the remaining one to caress his cheek. "Maybe I should hold back some. I can't have someone as beautiful as you passing out on me, but for some reason I want to be intimate with you forever."

Of course, he knows very well what it is that's making him act in such a manner; Jae-ha just can't bring himself to tell Mikazuki. For a moment he pauses and continues to gaze at the other. Although the shade of the trees above them should make it harder to see, the light from the moon shines down and illuminates Mikazuki perfectly. But even as he basks in his husband's good looks, a part of him tries to reason with the rest of him and tell him that he shouldn't be doing anything like this. Unfortunately, the effects of the potion are far too strong for him to even care about any of that. "I hate that you're able to make me feel like this now--my heart is crying out because of you, you know. I wonder... just how long will this last?"

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*shakes magic 8 ball* did he lie to me on january 8th 2013 at 8:05 pm?

Mikazuki is rapidly becoming accustomed to the ins and outs of living in Iunctum, not that he’s had much time to get acquainted with the city itself, having been taken on a yacht cruise and now taken to a tropical island since arriving. It’s not as if he’s ungrateful, he’s actually familiar with such luxuries (though not modern ones) and finds everything to be comfortable. The only thing that is so starkly different and not quite as comfortable is Jae Ha’s constant presence. Mikazuki doesn’t hate Jae Ha or doesn’t want him around, in fact — he’s always happy when he is here, if not a bit confused from time to time. Though, there in lies the very problem — the tachi finds himself so enamored, so flustered, that he doesn’t always know what to do or say anymore.

Even now, as the two are exploring the downtown of the island, he has no idea what to say. He’s thought of several different topics but every time he turns to look at Jae Ha, he has to likewise turn away and avoid his gaze. He’s like a love struck teenage girl out on a first date with the love of their life, but no, he can’t really think like that. Instead, the tachi quickly maneuvers to distract both himself and Jae Ha by stopping and pulling his spouse along to the nearest vendor. They’ve already passed quite a few but something about this merchant seems different, he can’t quite put his finger on it but doesn’t delve too deep into it.

"How about it?" He manages to turn towards Jae Ha this time, smiling at his husband in the way he always does. After a beat, Mikazuki turns back around and begins to peruse the options, curiously picking up a bottle that doesn’t even appear labeled. He finds it curious and asks about it, only to be met with an enigmatic answer.

He’s not one to shy away, so Mikazuki buys this “mysterious, miraculous potion” without a second thought.

"Do you see anything you like, Jae Ha?" He asks while he waits, looking over the small vial and wondering just what it does, hoping to find out soon. Mikazuki pauses as he uncorks the bottle and just as he goes to take a sip, someone bumps into him from behind and he trips forward instead. The warning isn’t quick enough and the entire thing ends up splashing onto Jae Ha instead, Mikazuki apologizes quickly, trying to dry him off after with reddening cheeks, something about being around his spouse seems to make him clumsier than usual — he can only hope that Jae Ha doesn’t mind.

[greendragondeity-blog]

As he and Mikazuki approach this mysterious vendor, Jae-ha can't help but notice that there's something rather off about the presence of this merchant. He wants to tell Mikazuki not to buy anything from this creature and take him away from it, but it seems as though he's too late as his husband already purchased some sort of bottle containing a strange liquid inside. A bit concerned, the dragon warns the sword not to do anything with it just yet before turning back to the seller as he begins to interrogate him further on the merchandise here, looking them all over as he does so. Admittedly enough, there are some things that are actually pretty interesting that catch Jae-ha's eyes, but he doesn't allow himself to buy anything even at Mikazuki's urging.

In the midst of his conversation with the merchant, however, Jae-ha turns to find the vial of liquid flying right at him. Unfortunately enough, his reaction is a second too slow and he soon finds himself now wet as the 'water' drips onto the ground. He tries to wipe himself off with his sleeves just as Mikazuki comes to assist him; at that point, his glance falls on his husband and almost immediately does he find that the other male is so much more... captivating. The dragon can't help but stop moving and stare at Mikazuki, thinking to himself that this feeling--his heart pounding in his chest furiously, his throat drying up, face reddening--it's all familiar to him, but he doesn't dwell on it for too long as he stands up straight once more, thanking Mikazuki for his assistance before addressing his previous inquiry.

"Yeah... I see something I really like." He smiles, stepping forward while causing the tachi to back up until he's up against a wall. Jae-ha places his hands on either side of his husband on the cold surface, leaning his head down to rest his forehead on Mikazuki's shoulder. He remains like that for a moment, taking in the other's scent and general presence, not caring about who passes by or who stops to stare. When Jae-ha does manages to speak up again, his voice is brought down to a whisper to speak for Mikazuki and Mikazuki only. "What's this..? For some reason, looking at you stirs up my heart. I have a feeling I know why, but there's nothing I can do about it, especially since I don't want this feeling to go away." With a pause, he leaves a trail of kisses on the other's shoulder and up his neck, only stopping for a moment near his ear. "You... smell delicious. Take responsibility for this."

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my love for you is pure, as pure as the fountain of gay itself.

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Once again, Mikazuki finds himself grateful. — He thanks Jae Ha for the new addition, cradling it the bird and fox stuffed animals in each arm as if they were precious jewels. To him, they might as well be for several reasons of which he doesn’t dwell, his attention caught by his husband’s observation. His attention shifts into the distance and he follows dutifully with a smile behind Jae Ha, though neither make it very far. While Mikazuki’s reflexes urged him to avoid the blast, he didn’t have to make a single move, finding both his heart and himself jumping with a start when he was protected from the splashing water, not that he can fortunately say the same of others, one of those others being Jae Ha.

He hurries back over when the area has cleared, trying to dry Jae Ha off as best he can with the long blue sleeves of his kimono. "Eh? Oh! Yes, I believe I know what you’re referring to." It must be uncomfortable he reasons as he recalls that brief time on the yacht in which he suffered the same fate. Mikazuki smiles reassuringly, lightly touching the dampened cheek of his husband as he explains that they can certainly go now, but he wouldn’t want Jae Ha to catch a cold.

So while it’s a bit unorthodox, the Sanjo sword removes the first, outer layer of his outfit with some trouble given that he’s not yet used to undressing and redressing himself just yet. But he manages, wrapping the garment over the taller man’s shoulders. He has to tip toe to do so, but Mikazuki laughs under his breath as he dries off his soaked husband.

"I hope this will help for now."

It’ll suffice, he thinks with a tap to his chin before turning on his heel and heading in the direction of the vendor mentioned before. When the two arrive, they find that the entire stall are (as expected) merchandise for the amusement park. Mikazuki blinks his crescent filled eyes with equal amusement, paying for two shirts — naturally, one for him and for his husband. "Ah, then…this way!"

He grabs a hold of his spouse’s hand and guides him to the nearest bathroom and to both of their luck, it’s empty. Mikazuki sighs with a soft breath before he shifts to Jae Ha’s side, handing him the shirt in his size. His hand flinches as the realization slowly dawns on him that his well toned, charismatic spouse is about to undress. The tachi suddenly swallows hard and clears his throat, quickly turning around and covering both his eyes. It’s strange, he’s already seen his bare skin, felt it with his own bare hand — but for some reason, he feels so much more nervous and flustered now than before.

"Perhaps, I should go and guard the door! Just in case, someone else attempts to come in and sees your — I mean, I could wait outside! Ahaha, do forgive me, I seem to be not quite myself at this moment." 

He’s so unused to this, he can’t even brave the thought of turning around now.

[greendragondeity-blog]

He can tell that Mikazuki's attitude has shifted some in a way that distances himself from Jae-ha. At the time, the latter picks out paper towels to help dry himself off and finds himself lightly laughing at the way Mikazuki ends up turning around and bashfully covering his eyes. Though, he can probably imagine why; the dragon's mind goes back to their time on the yacht with all that stress and confusion, it's no wonder he feels so weird about this. As he wipes his face with a paper towel, Jae-ha can't help but think that Mikazuki is adorable regardless... but shakes his head shortly afterwards, not wanting to get any weird thoughts now. Still, he does smile towards his husband even if it is more to his back before placing a hand on the sword's shoulder, turning him around so that he faces the dragon once again, getting an idea to play around a little bit with his spouse. Just a little.

"Now, now, you've already seen as much as you can. Don't get all shy now!" Jae-ha has never been one for worrying too much about who sees his bare chest or not and Mikazuki is most certainly no exception. The taller removes the other's hands from his eyes, holding them in his for just a moment longer than he needs to before releasing his grip and bringing his own hands back to gently fold his Mikazuki's outer layer  and place it on the sink. Afterwards, he begins to unfasten the top of his dampened robes. "Don't worry about not feeling like yourself. After all, who wouldn't be dazzled by..." Jae-ha easily removes the top half of his clothing, holding the sleeves by his waist as he displays his fine, incredible body to Mikazuki.

“...This!”

He lets the sight sink in for a moment or so, gauging his husband's reaction before picking out a few more paper towels and wiping his torso and arms dry. With his new shirt in his hands, Jae-ha inspects it closely. It's a bit tacky--totally not beautiful at all!--but considering that Mikazuki picked it out for him, he doesn't want to be too picky about it. Besides, it doesn't seem like an amusement park is a place for new fashion trends to be discovered, so he'll have to take what he can get. Putting the shirt on, he finds that it's a perfect fit, luckily enough. However, his problem doesn't end there just yet. Turning back to Mikazuki, Jae-ha smiles and leans against the sinks before speaking again.

"It’s not... bad, I suppose! But you know, this time I'll have to remove my lower half as well." To emphasize this, the dragon pulls back the wet fabric sticking to his legs, letting go so that it hits his skin again with a messy noise. Next, with an amused expression, he pushes himself away from the surface and much closer to Mikazuki, bringing his voice down a notch for only his husband to hear with a wink. "If you'd like, you can stay and watch this too."

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my love for you is pure, as pure as the fountain of gay itself.

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He’s touched really by Jae-Ha’s kindness, obviously joyful in his countenance as he takes the small fox plush into his possession. It’s a smaller version of the one he had been observing, and taken with, earlier but somehow, he finds that he is more fond of this one. Perhaps because Jae-Ha chose to win this just for him and that alone makes something as simple, as small as this, all the more special. Mikazuki might be reading too much into it however, a small laugh uttered under his breath as he then lightly pats the plush’s head with a fingertip, his attention soon diverting back to his husband with a thankful smile and following, slightly more formal bow of his head. "You didn’t have to in the first place, but I am…happy, thank you."

At his husband’s mention, Mikazuki turns his attention skyward to find the towering rides that await them still. His head tilts and he tries to envision what it must be like but he’s quickly snapped out of any daydreams by a proposal. "Eh? Oh! —" He looks around this attraction’s prizes, there’s nothing too different than before but a large white bird doll does catch his eyes. It seems he’s drawn to things that remind him of his kin! But, he clears his throat behind a sleeve and assures Jae-Ha that he needn’t try to win him anything.

"I’m happy that we can spend time together like this, after all!"

In any case, Mikazuki propositions that they should take turns with the three tries like the last game. He goes first this time around, one hand to his chin thoughtfully as he sizes up the objective of this game. When he does throw the baseball, it knocks about two bottles down which isn’t TOO bad, he thinks. When Jae-Ha takes his turn however, Mikazuki claps in response to the dragon’s rather miraculous throw. He knocked just about all the bottles down save a few on the bottom of the pyramid. It’s almost like they’re heavier?

He can’t be sure but given that the third turn is the tachi’s, he takes the ball and offers it to Jae-Ha instead, given his better skill at this game. Though, he has another thought if his husband wants to take up the almost nostalgic offer. Mikazuki’s smiling as he explains, that while it is technically his turn, he would like Jae-Ha to throw or there’s the alternative that the dragon could likewise teach Mikazuki how to throw with more precision. He adds that it’s almost reminiscent of when they first met on the yacht and back then too, Jae-Ha taught him how billiards was played. "It is up to you, however, please do what you like."

[greendragondeity-blog]

It seems as though dishonesty is rampant even around here, not that Jae-ha isn't used to it, but he figured that these attractions would maintain some sort of dignity especially if they're marketed towards a wide audience of young children to little old men and women. Still, he supposes that they're not awful tricks and make the game a little bit more interesting. Mikazuki doesn't necessarily seem to mind the disadvantage they happen to have (whether he notices it or not), so Jae-ha lets it slide for the most part. Besides they haven't even come across anything absolutely terrible just yet.

The dragon goes for the third shot but stops when Mikazuki suggests teaching him how to throw. With a smile, he places the ball in his husband's hand and positions him right in front of the pyramid of bottles. With his hands on the tachi's shoulders does Jae-ha lean in closer from behind, getting down to near-Mikazuki height before whispering into his ear instructions for what to do. "This time, let's try aiming for the middle okay?" Sliding a hand down the other's arm to hold the hand that holds the ball, Jae-ha winds their arms back and helps him throw, watching as it miraculously knocks down all the bottles in one fell swoop. The dragon laughs and pulls back, pointing to the bird doll Mikazuki liked when asked to pick a prize before handing that to him as well.

"Your collection is growing nicely, isn't it? Haha, we're good at this aren't we?" Maybe they should have come here for the prizes since they're all significantly bigger than the last (but not too much that it'd be hard to carry, luckily enough). He wants to ask Mikazuki if there's some other game he finds to be interesting but stops himself when he spots something on the higher ground. With another smile he points it out to his husband and leads him towards there, crossing some sort of bridge over a water attraction, however they're not even halfway past before some sort of artificial log holding a bunch of people comes rushing down and a whole wave of water covers the bridge. Fortunately for Mikazuki, Jae-ha was able to notice just in time to push him out of the splash zone, but UNfortunately for Jae-ha... well, he among a group of others that seemed to be there for fun ended up soaked to the bone.

Needless to say he's kind of annoyed by that but seeing that Mikazuki didn't get wet is enough to bring some relief. Still, he can't get over the awful feeling of his drenched clothes sticking to his skin like this. He rings out his hair of however much water wants to get out, looking around for a bathroom or something to dry himself in. "Er, Mikazuki, I hope this isn't an odd question to ask but... Do you think you could possibly get me some new clothes from somewhere? I saw a vendor who happened to be selling shirts and the like near here..."

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my love for you is pure, as pure as the fountain of gay itself.

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"Ah, yes!" His breath escapes him at the awe inspired sight, Mikazuki doesn’t entirely know where they should begin and turns to Jae-Ha for his input, only to find that he’s the one being asked. The query is phrased curiously and Mikazuki almost wants to answer in a romantic way but clears his throat and coughs once into his blue sleeve instead, averting his attention from his betrothed and to the nearest attraction that catches his eye. There are several nearby stalls, target games, throwing games, tests of strength — Mikazuki leans back on his heels in contemplation, eventually picking one at random.

He brings his hand towards Jae-Ha’s and leads him towards the nearest stall, a basketball game. Mikazuki understands the concept easily enough though he wants his husband to try first! So, after paying, does he hand the taller man one of three basketballs. They’ll alternate like this, he explains with a following laugh and lightly bounces a ball off to the side while he waits for Jae-Ha to take the first shot. It’s not long after that the tachi takes notice of the prizes for this game. He looks over the large bears, the bunnies, the tigers, and his eyes are drawn to a large white fox.

He ends up laughing and lightly patting the head of the white fox plushie, commenting to Jae-Ha that it reminded him of another sword from his family. He holds the basketball against his chest, shuffling back to stand to the immediate right of his husband. "So the object is to get this," He motions to the ball and then the hoop. “Into there, and you win a prize?”

It seems easy enough.

Mikazuki gives a nod and smile, he then encourages Jae-Ha, cheering for him, before he prepares to take the first shot. He doesn’t particularly mind if they win or lose, in fact, he’s just happy that the two of them could spend time like this! It reminds him of their first meeting on the yacht and that’s enough to send his heart fluttering. A natural blush rises to his cheeks and he tries to stop thinking about their yacht shenanigans, blinking back to attention when he realizes it’s his turn. When he lines up to take his shot, well, Mikazuki is naturally dexterous but it’s almost like this is RIGGED or something as he completely misses the shot. He looks a bit disappointed but doesn’t remain down, smiling at his betrothed instead. "You’re the last turn, Jae-Ha."

[greendragondeity-blog]

Interesting how they haven't been able to make a single shot yet, despite how easy it appears to get a simple ball in a hoop. Perhaps they're just bad at this, but looking around at all the other people who have failed, it doesn't seem to be the case. Jae-ha would like to ask if there's something wrong with the game itself since it shouldn't be too difficult (it's not like they're playing against giant cartoon monsters in SPACE or anything!), but he highly doubts he'll get the truth and it's simply not worth getting worked up over. Besides, while this game may or may not be rigged, there's still a chance for him to get a point. If he doesn't, then oh well, however he really wants to get Mikazuki that prize he had his eyes on earlier. So, he braces himself and lines up the shot, perhaps seeing what's wrong would be much easier with Shin-ah around, but alas... Jae-ha has the strange feeling that if his friend were here, Mikazuki would suddenly disappear as well. But in any case, he takes the shot and watches it rebound off the backboard enough for it to land in the hoop.

"Oho! Did you see that?" He turns to face Mikazuki points towards the hoops with an excited smile before being told he can pick out a small prize. Maybe Jae-ha wasn't able to obtain the bigger one Mikazuki wanted, but his eyes fall to a smaller version of the fox doll he mentioned before, picks it out, and gives it to his husband. "Sorry I couldn't get a bigger one, but it's better than nothing, right?"

"I'll get you something better next time, then!" Jae-ha can actually see his wallet depleting as he imagines himself going overboard with winning prizes for Mikazuki. It's actually no trouble, in all honesty. In fact, the dragon doesn't seem to care much at all for spending some amount of money on getting gifts for his husband so long as if he can see him happy and enjoying himself. Besides, who knows when they'll be able to come here next or what sorts of things may be taken out while they're gone? So, he might as well so as much as he can for now. If Mikazuki finds something that he likes, Jae-ha will surely try his best to get it for him.

"Er, so what now? There's so much to do here! Do you want to try and play more games or look at those giant things? Maybe we can come across some smaller attractions along the way." He looks around first, perhaps there's something that looks easy enough for him nearby, and luckily enough, there is. "Over there--" Guiding Mikazuki along, Jae-ha brings him to a small stand in which milk bottles are stacked upon each other like a pyramid. Apparently the goal is to knock them all down in one go using the three balls provided; seems easy enough, especially for someone who's had quite the practice with throwing daggers as well. "Uhm, do you see a prize you like?"