Hey I was reading wiki about your story memory and i saw new characters. Yokubo and hinan... What's their personalities? Yokubo looks scary
Yokubo: He seem innocent and funny guy, but his true personality is not so innocent and good. He’s abusive. He’s abusing his partners, he never believe his partners, he likes to controling his lovers and he’s manipulative. There was even moments where he was blackmailing his partners he’s gonna kill or cut himself, he’s very aggressive
Hinan: They seem like an innocent and a victim who everyone hate, but that’s a lie. Nothing much to say about Hinan, if you know how borderline works, then that’s how their personality look like
The day of the wedding was a flurry of activity. Kaito had an entire list of recipes to teach Hinan and to prepare for the reception afterwards. If he trusted anyone else to do it right, he would have just hired caterers; although after the meal C'arliani prepared the other night, his faith in the capability of others in the company to make a delicious meal was growing. On the other hand, he hadn't eaten much of it, and he didn't give it a proper analysis out of concern that it might seem rude. He'd just have to make a mental note to get together with her sometime and share meals.
Kaito had chosen a slow-roasted dodo recipe for the main course, since it would be easy just to leave it to cook while they worked on other things, along with mashed popotoes, gravy, and savory dressing. It was more of a traditional holiday meal, but the fact that it was easy to prepare and most likely something that everyone would enjoy made it an easy choice.
The majority of the morning and a good chunk of the afternoon was taken up by the two brothers preparing desserts once they'd gotten dinner started. That was a very necessary distraction from Kaito's anxiety. Having his brother there to banter and joke with while they decorated cookies and cupcakes to look like moogles was incredibly relaxing and fun. It also gave them something to bond over when before, they'd had little in common other than perhaps a crude sense of humor and a serious case of Cat Scratch Fever.
After all the desserts were prepared, the two of them packed everything away so that they could be easily set out without any additional preparation. Both were pleased with how everything turned out, even if some of the earlier attempts at stained glass moogle cookies and peeking moogle cupcakes looked a little funky. That was fine though - Hinan was brand new to baking, and the flaws gave the treats character.
"Nee, aniki," the Raen began, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly as he turned to the Xaela. "I actually have something for you, to thank you for helping me out, and--..." And to give your life purpose now that the Garleans have taken that from you like they did to me for so long... "And to, ya know, help you get better at your new hobby." Close enough.
Hinan raised a brow slightly, but gave his brother a sinister-looking smile. It wasn't intentionally sinister, of course; his face was just like that. "Oh, you didn't need to get me anything, otouto," he responded after a moment.
Even if that was the reaction he expected, Kaito was still slightly annoyed. This again. Thankfully, his expression didn't reflect it, and he simply grinned at his older sibling. "Yeah, I know, but I wanted to," he explained. The younger ducked under the bar counter where he'd hidden the gift, which he'd wrapped in shiny paper and ribbon, then handed it to Hinan.
Of course, Hinan's expression always looked annoyed-bordering-on-murdery, even as he opened his gift. Inside the paper was a handmade book with the words "Hinan's First Cookbook" written in Hingan, and the pages contained a number of different recipes that were sorted together as "Beginner," "Intermediate," and "Advanced" for a wide variety of dishes.
"I thought, ya know, if you wanted to try cooking more, this'd help," Kaito explained. "And I made sure to list out all the instructions in case I can't be right there with ya. Maru-chan and Ningyou-chan* can probably lend a hand too, I'm sure." [*Doll]
Hinan looked up from the book at Kaito and blinked a couple of times. "Ningyou-chan?" He paused, then snorted in amusement. "You mean Chakha?"
A wide grin spread across the Raen's face, and he nodded eagerly. "That's her!" he exclaimed brightly. "And, ya know, I'm happy to cook more with ya anytime I'm over here."
The Xaela looked back down at the book for a moment, then turned to his brother and enveloped the smaller Au Ra in a firm hug. Whatever Hinan thought of his gift, Kaito couldn't say, but he at least seemed gracious - if that hug told him anything - and not insulted by it.
There was still a lot that Kaito wanted his older brother to talk to him about, and a lot that he wanted to say, but fear, in whatever form that took, seemed to cripple them both when it came to discussing their traumatic experiences being in captivity. The younger sibling almost wanted to just blurt everything out, but a part of him knew that if he told Hinan outright what he'd been through, the elder would only take it as more reason not to complain about his own horrific encounter with the Garleans. Even saying something as benign as "I still have dizzy spells frequently" seemed like it wasn't likely to help Hinan feel any more solidarity with his baby brother. Walls had been built and fortified; there were probably only two people in existence who would be able to break them down, and neither of them were him.
"Well... guess I better go get myself all fancied up," Kaito said, giving his brother a lopsided grin once the hug ended.
Once again, a warm smile crossed Hinan's lips, and once again, it looked much darker and more menacing than the Xaela probably intended. "Just make sure to wear something over your speedo," he teased.
A boisterous guffaw escaped from the Raen. "Yeah yeah, wouldn't wanna do something so indecent when we're finally makin' honest men of each other!" he joked, giving Hinan's good arm a firm pat. "Thanks again for all your help, aniki... and wish me luck!"
"I would, but S'aeil's the one who's going to need it," Hinan quipped, clapping his brother on the back rather hard in return. "See you tonight, otouto!"
With that, Kaito took his leave, heading up to his room in the company house (well, Mhalv’a’s room) to grab his outfit - he'd kept it there so S'aeil wouldn't know what he'd be wearing. It wasn't anything spectacular, but they'd both wanted to surprise each other in a number of small ways.
The anxiety of what was about to happen was slowly creeping up on him, but more out of excitement than fear. He'd already decided moons ago that, in spite of his fears, he was never going to leave S'aeil's side. Getting married wouldn't have even been necessary, as far as he was concerned. They'd already made their promises to each other. The wedding was nothing more than a formality, a way for them to prove to the rest of the world that when they said they would be together forever, they meant it. Maybe we'll finally be taken seriously, he thought, snorting quietly to himself. Unlikely...
Before leaving, Kaito stood in the doorway, letting the memories of his first encounters with S'aeil flood back into his mind. Even though some of them were painful or frustrating - all due to outside sources or his own lack of foresight - they were wonderful, because all of that time brought them to this day. With a warm smile, the Raen pulled the door shut behind himself and made his way to the Black Shroud, eagerly awaiting the moment that he and S'aeil would be officially declared beloved husbands.
Chakha had never paid much attention to Valentione’s Day. She rarely, if ever, had someone to spend it with. And that was okay with her, being she was a rather independent person and never felt that she needed a relationship to be fulfilled.
However, as she had been out shopping that day for other things, the festive hearts and flowers all around made her think of the cute couple she’d met the evening before. She didn’t know much of their story yet but she’d certainly enjoyed their company.
Later that day, they’d have a delivery of a gift basket filled with chocolates and heart shaped candies, even some rose shaped chocolates and chocolate covered strawberries, along with a little note:
“I hope the two of you are enjoying Valentione’s Day together! Please enjoy some treats! I enjoyed meeting you two and look forward to our dance lessons.
A heavy sigh escaped the Au Ra's lips as he read the note; it was incredibly terse, especially for someone as verbose as Mhalv'a. I better go check on him... he thought, taking the pouch of gil and shoving it into his pocket. He decided he would simply hold onto it for the time being. Inevitably, Mhalv'a was going to get it back at some point once he was feeling up to giving lessons again.
Before going to Mhalv'a's room - or, more accurately, the room that Kaito had built for him after taking over the one that did belong to Mhalv'a - the Raen grabbed a bottle of rum from the bar, then made a couple of sandwiches. The poor guy probably needed it, he figured. He wasn't sure how much the bard had been eating or drinking recently, but then again, he'd spent less and less time at the company house. Still, it didn't hurt to show him that he wasn't alone.
With his arms full, the Au Ra turned and thumped his tail on Mhalv'a's door. "Nee, Maru-chan. Koko ni iru ka? You there?" he asked.
For a measure or two, there was silence, followed by what sounded like something being skewered. The fuck?? Eventually, a faint and muffled, "Come in," came through the door.
Kaito was fairly worried about what he might find on the other side; Mhalv'a was typically a very rational person, but rationality tended to fly out the window when love and trauma were involved, at least in his experience. Thankfully, it wasn't as bad as what his mind had conjured up - the bard had set up a target dummy in the middle of the room and was practicing his archery. Everything else he had in there was pushed off to the sides rather haphazardly.
"Is this why you canceled my piano lesson?" Kaito asked as he set the food and drinks down on the table.
Without bothering to look over at Kaito, Mhalv'a nocked an arrow, pulled back the bowstring, then released. The arrow zipped toward the dummy, hitting it in the dead center of the target. "Yes," he answered simply.
As he watched the display, the Raen let out an appreciative whistle, then poured some rum for both of them and held out a glass for the Miqo'te. "You're pretty damn good... is this all you've been doing lately?"
Another arrow nocked, a moment of concentration, and the bard released it. The second arrow struck directly next to the previous one. "Yes," Mhalv'a repeated.
Frowning slightly, Kaito realized that he was probably going to need to carry the conversation - not that this would be too difficult, considering what a big mouth he had. "Come over here and eat something," he requested, pulling out a seat for the Miqo'te before sitting down himself. "I know you're hurting right now... I am too. I don't know if my brother's alive or dead, I don't know exactly where they've got him, and I'm terrified at having to go back to Garlean territory..."
The bard side-eyed Kaito, then shot one last arrow that nestled between the other two before setting his bow aside. "At least everyone recognizes your capability," he stated in a quiet, seething tone as he took a seat.
"I'm not denying your capability, Maru-chan, but you can't go running off there on your own," Kaito sighed.
"I wasn't attempting to," came the response, with an implied "again" at the end of the statement. Mhalv'a stared at the food and drinks, as if trying to remember how such things worked.
Lowering his eyes, the Au Ra sighed again, then took a large gulp of his rum. "What you did was crazy and stupid, but... it was helpful too," he murmured, slowly turning the glass in his hand and staring at the way the light reflected off of it. After a moment, he turned to look at the target dummy, and a grin spread across his face as he got an idea. "Had any practice with a moving target?"
Mhalv'a had just been about to take a bite of his sandwich, but he paused at the question and turned his eyes to meet the Au Ra's. "What are you suggesting?"
"I'm saying finish that sandwich, chug down your rum, and then let's play kakurenbo," Kaito responded with a wide, mischievous grin.
***
"Are you certain about this?" Mhalv'a asked, looking vaguely worried as he stared at Kaito, who was standing about twenty yalms away.
"Trust me. Just shoot!" the Au Ra called out. Just to be safe, he'd donned his full armor and mask - the last thing he needed was to get seriously injured before they all went out to save Hinan.
With a sigh of resignation, the bard nocked an arrow, pulled back his bowstring, then released it directly toward Kaito. Luckily, his trust wasn't misplaced - the Shinobi plucked the arrow out of the air as if catching a feather drifting toward him, then spun it around in his hand before setting it aside.
"So now try to hit me while I'm moving," Kaito called out, then danced around, back and forth over the spot where he'd been standing. "C'mon, Maru-chan! Penetrate me!"
The Miqo'te made a face briefly at Kaito's request to "penetrate" him; it just made him all the more determined to shoot the little bastard. Focusing was difficult though. Every other time he'd put his archery skills to use, his target had been relatively still - usually deer or rabbits he was hunting for food and skins. This was far more of a challenge than he expected, and every arrow he shot either flew past the shinobi or just stuck in the ground near him. "Damn it..." the Keeper sighed.
"Focus! I'm not even moving that much compared to what you're gonna deal with in a real battle!" Kaito called out, still dancing around. He was relatively slow, but Mhalv'a was very out of practice when it came to shooting anything that wasn't stationary. "Just take deep breaths and aim where you think I'm going to be."
Closing his eyes, the Miqo'te inhaled deeply as instructed, then let out a long, drawn-out breath as he nocked his next arrow. He took aim and sang quietly to himself. "Hunt your prey and act, draw your arrow back, never let them get away. Set your arrow free on the enemy, never let them get away." After taking a moment to predict Kaito's movements, he loosed the arrow, and it zipped right toward Kaito's chest.
The Shinobi's eyes crinkled - the only indication that he was grinning behind his mask, and he clapped his hands onto the shaft of the arrow as it flew towards him. "Direct hit!" he exclaimed, letting out an excited cheer afterwards.
Eyes wide, the Miqo'te watched in awe as his arrow nearly pierced his companion, only to be stopped just in time. For a moment, he was quiet, pursing his lips and trying to convince himself that it wasn't just a fluke. Well, even if it was, he just needed more practice, right?
"Mou ichido!" the bard called out as he nocked another arrow. Kaito blinked a couple of times in surprise, then grinned as he started dancing around again, faster and in broader, sweeping motions this time.
"Pull the bowstring back, just before it snaps, feel the tension in your fingers," Mhalv'a sang along with his motions, narrowing his eyes as he watched the Shinobi closely. Just like before, he aimed right where he predicted the Raen would be, singing louder as he loosed his arrow, "As they're frozen still, go in for the kill, making sure no life will linger!"
Surprisingly, the Raen was caught off-guard by the next arrow zipping towards him. He let out a yelp, then quickly dodged out of the way - it would have gotten him directly through the gut if he hadn't been quick enough. "Holy shit! Maru-chan!" he shouted as he sprinted up to the Miqo'te excitedly.
Mhalv'a's eyes were still wide, but he gave the Au Ra a little smile; clearly, he was doing something right. "I guess... I should keep doing this?" he asked, looking up at Kaito a bit anxiously. It was weird having their student-teacher dynamic flipped on its head, but there was something kind of nice about it too. Besides, he'd already learned enough about archery in his youth that really, Kaito was just helping him transfer that knowledge.
"Now we play kakurenbo," the Au Ra said with a grin. He stepped aside and reached into the satchel he'd brought along, then pulled out a new quiver full of arrows tipped in suction cups. "I'm gonna run off and hide. Once you find me, I'm gonna start running, and when you shoot me, you win," he explained.
This didn't sound like any game of "hide-and-seek" that Mhalv'a had ever played, but the idea of having an excuse to riddle the adorable asshole with arrows - however harmless they may have been - was rather enticing. After removing his own quiver, the bard slipped the one from Kaito over his shoulder, then smirked. "Kakugo shinasai yo!" he snapped, immediately drawing an "arrow" and nocking it on his bow.
Laughing brightly, Kaito darted off to find a place to hide.
***
The two played "hide-and-seek" for several bells; Mhalv'a found it easier over time to predict where to shoot, even as Kaito's movements became more erratic. After exhausting the quiver several times over, the two of them headed back to the company house, sore and out of breath, then flopped down amongst the flowers in the lawn.
"Hinan's gonna be super impressed," Kaito panted as he tugged his mask off. With a little grin, he turned to look at Mhalv'a, but his smile quickly faded when he saw the Miqo'te's expression. Granted, Mhalv'a didn't look terribly different from normal, but his wilted ears and the look in his eyes told the Au Ra everything he needed to know.
"He was going to teach me..." Mhalv'a whispered, biting his lower lip as he stared up at the stars. "I keep thinking maybe we'll hear something... anything..."
"I know... it's driving me nuts too, but all we can do is just... focus on keeping it together," Kaito responded in a gentler tone than usual as he turned on his side to look at the Keeper. "For his sake, and for everyone else."
Mhalv'a closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, then exhaled slowly to compose himself. "I know..." he whispered.
After finally gathering the strength to push himself up into a sitting position, Kaito gave Mhalv'a a firm clap on the shoulder. "Come have dinner with me and S'aeil some night," he offered. "Maybe it'll help ya feel better, ya know, not feeling like you're stuck here. Just... don't tell Takumi I let you eat my cooking. It's already bad enough I let S'aeil and Ralei in on the secret. If she finds out more people are getting to experience my culinary prowess, she's gonna flip the fuck out."
The bard couldn't help the quiet laugh that bubbled up in response to Kaito's request - it was absurd, but just the kind of absurd he'd come to expect of the "twins." "So long as it wouldn't be an imposition..." he sighed quietly. "Thank you, Kaito..."
Mhalv'a's reaction to Kaito's remark was what he was looking for, and the Au Ra grinned once again. "Thank you... for everything you've done to help get my brother back," he responded, giving his companion's shoulder a squeeze. "I'm gonna head back home for now, but... just page my linkpearl whenever you'd like to come over. Dropping in on us unexpectedly is dangerous, otherwise I'd just say come over whenever."
It was clear what Kaito meant by "dangerous," and the Miqo'te wrinkled his nose slightly. "... of course," he agreed after a moment, then finally pushed himself up to his feet. "I suppose I could stand to make use of the new bathing facilities downstairs..."
Kaito stood as well, and they hugged briefly before parting ways. If nothing else, Mhalv'a was at least feeling more confident in his abilities, and, hopefully, he would be able to convince everyone to let him accompany them whenever the time came to rescue Hinan.
