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[kaliedoscopes]

Hikage

C A L L 🦋 T E X T 🦋 ? ? ?

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TEXT

[kaliedoscopes]

[ And to his continued mastery of stickers and tech. ]

For Marona

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[ Intoxication was probably involved, but one way or another Hikage got Marona's number from Saphir. He will be smart though and wait until he's actually sober to hit her up. The first thing he sends is a single sticker, because what is identifying yourself technology is hard. ]

[oxidegreen]

Marona is typing...

...

...

How did you get this number?

[She is slow at this.]

1/2

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I didn't mean to send it just like that, it just went.

It's Hikage.

Gil Redux

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[ Somewhere in the post tea party timeline, Gil gets a text. ]

Do you ever feel like a conquest yourself?

[sageking]

A King does not allow himself to become a conquest. 👌

[ Someone has discovered a form of emojis that seems to have proven acceptable, however sparingly he'll use them. ]

However, as I understand it, you're not a King.

What has happened that has caused you to ask such a question, hm? Has someone dared to boldly show interest in you besides your Subete? Have you allowed them to take you as well, Hikage?

Saturday Minneapolis Meander 1/2

[noneforall]

[Given the general likelihood of how disastrously things would go, and the actual state of how disastrously things went (there's a part of him that's still sort of impressed, and a larger part that's a lot more distracted by how the morning went, and everything else that trailed out of the tea party itself into the night) -- of course Subete made provisions to explore Minneapolis a little on his lonesome, on top of the hotel provisions.

It's never a bad idea to get the lay of the land, for various reasons, but especially if you're planning on dragging a country grandpa through his paces in the midst of a bustling metropolis. He'd gotten a relatively early start and a good workout despite falling right out of bed before heading out for the day, too.

So it takes a little while before Hikage gets the first text, just a little sprinkle in the midst of wandering afield:]

They should really be calling this the Land of Lakes, instead of the Twin Cities. I feel like I saw that somewhere...



[Little does he know it really is called the Land of 10,000 Lakes. (Did you know Land O' Lakes literally comes from Minnesota this is hilarious.)]

2/2

[noneforall]

[It takes another few moments for an actual picture, but it is indeed a whole-ass lake with cute architectural features! ☆]

Colorado Cats 1/2

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[ Y'know he was happy with the stickers he has, but there's always room for upgrades. And as soon as Saphir shows Hikage these cat stickers, Hikage knows what he has to do. Texting each other while they're in the same house is nerdy, but this place is big and exercise regimens are a thing so maybe it can be forgiven. Either way- ]

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[ Aside from appearing in the chat and getting into verbal fisticuffs with 90% of the remaining Foundation crew that one time, Hikage has been pretty quiet. There's a couple of reasons for that, but one night in PST Gil gets a text unprompted. ]

1/2

[sageking]

[ It was quiet on Gilgamesh's end as well. Though the chat debacle happened, Gilgamesh had not been present, though rare it was, due to the simple fact that he was likely busy bothering Solomon about taking a break/going on a vacay.

Or taking some more 'time' himself. Regardless, it was around this time that he was reading through the nonsense in that chat with a little frown as he was rather late to The Nonsense, shaking his head. Really...

There was one part of him that thought such fisticuffs on both sides was simply childish. Then there was another that took enjoyment in the strife it created, but in the end he simply shook his head.

...He may have been having a drink himself when he saw this text from Hikage. He'll chuckle.

That's an offer if he ever knew of it. ]

2/2

[sageking]

Fortunately, I have accepted your invitation.

[ And as he was sending this, the blond-haired man was right outside of Hikage's door. Knocking wasn't something a King did, so he just spirited (for lack of a better word) right through the door. Hikage should know he's here already from just his presence, so...

Naturally he'd be simply waiting for Hikage to reveal himself now, dressed in a red shirt and black pants; simple but fancy looking. ]

CALL

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[ If for some reason you want to go easy on him. ]

[lightreaching]

[ dialing 1-800-Face-Stealer, what's up

She's got a politely-worded bone to pick with grandpa ]

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[ ???? is that his phone wringing? No one calls him and he's in Japan right now but his hours are still a bit wacky so it's prob fine. ]

Moshi moshi? Hello?

? ? ? (In Person)

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[ Mostly around in Vegas, but sometimes in Minnesota and Japan. ]

what happens in vegas

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[ It's been a wild few weeks since they left the house as literal dust in their wake. Hikage's been...well he's been decently busy actually, but coming to Vegas is something like work to him because it's how he's going about making his money. Through completely illegal means mind, but who cares.

After texting Gil so they could meet up, Hikage finds himself in a sleek lounge framed by the bright skyline. Finding Gil isn't hard either, but it helps that Hikage stands out in white himself.

He walks over to the King with an amused shake of his head. ]

Flashy, even among the upper class.

[sageking]

[ Illegal or legal means hardly mattered much to Gilgamesh as long as he judged them to hardly be of any bother to himself, among other things. His time as the Wise King was, for all intents and purposes, over...in a sense, anyway.

In a way, that made things easier, though in another way it made matters harder...for most of the people he spoke to. Hikage didn't seem to be counted in that for the moment.

That said, Gilgamesh sure did an excellent job of the whole 'standing out crew' himself, being dressed in a fine red suit and black shirt that'd make people envious. ]

Of course. I wouldn't deign to enter an establishment that was anything less than that. If you manage to find anything lacking, you're obliged to tell me immediately.

[ Without even asking, there's someone to bring them drinks—they're of the highest quality available. Nothing in that shit house could even compare, even with the good selection—there was always something better, after all. These drinks are well suited to their tastes as well. ]

It's been awhile since we've spoke in person. Have you busied yourself with any noteworthy exploits?

#hashbrowns

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[ Being blanketed by warmth and sake is a good way to quickly slip off into dreams (placid ones for once), but it's all right as good nights really were optional by that point in the night. Hikage never did manage to find a proper blanket either, but with a bed this size the runner is practically a comforter in itself. And it helps that he's fully clothed and has the heat of someone else to curl up against. (Who knows about the pillows because he wound up using Subete as one.)

Eventually, very eventually, the morning does come. The sun is an invader into their bubble when it rises but it's one Hikage stubbornly refuses to yield to, tucking himself further into their messy bundle. So when he does wake it's at a time that's well into morning, almost 10am says the snazzy digital clock located on the nightstand. He's not near the point of reading the time though or anything at all, because the very first thoughts he has involve his splitting headache. He's content for the moment to bask in the silence as he gathers the willpower to open his eyes, a nice contrast to a blaring announcement and wrenched sobs the last time happened. Idly the thought flits through his mind that he's actually really comfortable like this, wherever this is.

Might as well open his eyes, albeit with some customary grumbling. ]

Why am I...ahh. [ The events of last night come back to him in pieces, vibrant and almost cutting. ] Why is-why is this room so big?

[noneforall]

[There's a soft grumble from the other party in this mess of a bundle -- truly impressive is the bed that can actually hold two long-limbed guys (albeit all wrapped up together) and still have room to spare, even when they're spread out across it like diagonally or however the hell they managed to wind up.

Subete isn't a heavy sleeper, usually, and he's not much more used to sharing a bed (or even a room, at that) than he is to drinking; but somehow the two have conspired together to the point where he's just burrowed further into the bed and using his companion as a convenient sunshade over the course of the early hours. Also, he's definitely passed out in stranger places (these things happen when you've been a mecha pilot, a dimensional traveler of various flavors and also a vengeful ghost on top of everything else), so he spends most of his time pretending there isn't a matching headache hovering at the edges of his consciousness.

Can't catch him if he ain't awake. #galaxybrainthoughts

By the time he finally gets pulled properly towards wakefulness by Hikage moving and then speaking (the speaking is a big one, he startles a little because bed and other people talking that close don't go together?), he's pretty lethargic from way more sleep than he usually gets.]

Mm... Why wouldn't the room be big? [said as though it's an obvious conclusion..... there's one bright violet eye staring at Hikage through the ridiculous tumble of pale hair over his face for a second before he closes it again] Too bright.

[From the emphatic way he says it, enunciating and everything instead of the initial mumble, he's definitely treating it as the more important thing here. There's a pause and then a long sigh and then, muffled:]

Too much sake.

blanket comforts

[kaliedoscopes]

[ ...this evening sure happened, didn't it? At least the rest of the night after tea was relatively uneventful (even with the parade of vegetarian dishes) if you ignored the lingering awkwardness of essentially pushing Saphir out of house and home, literally. It really didn't bother Hikage at all to be honest, and the movie as bizarre as it was (that sure was one take on Abraham Lincoln) proved a relatively pleasant backdrop for the low hum that had settled into his mind. A mix of jetlag, kicked up nostalgia, and turbulent emotions were one hell of a mix.

By the time they get back to the hotel and their room though, it's pretty much all coalesced into a haze of sleepiness. This suite is massive just like all their accommodations tend to be, and it's just a story of Hikage's life that he's getting used to it. The staircase was kind of novel, though. Maybe he'll check out the view tomorrow because right now all he wants to do is curl up in the blankets now that he's changed into sleepwear (top button undone of course because some things never change even past miasma and murder).

He wastes no time climbing into bed, half stifling a yawn. This has gotten somewhat normal too, though it usually takes the sweet taste of sake for them to have a repeat of that first night they spent together. ]

Shoes, bed...you? [ A repeat of that list with a sensible rearrangement, but it's really quite fitting given the state of his mind right now. It's also an invitation that he's willing to get close without explicitly stating it, because the past few hours of having to muffle his affection were enough. ]

[noneforall]

[Oh, it sure was an evening: more intense and demanding than, perhaps oddly, most of the ones they've spent in each other's or anyone else's company lately -- who would have thought that together they'd spend so much time in peaceful and leisurely pursuits like a couple of retired old men even with all the things crowding for their attention? (Of course, this doesn't account for all of their numerous shady side hustles, but shhhh.)

In fact, it's probably the most memorable evening since that first attempt at gyuudon, and they'd both spent this one almost as impaired -- if not with sake then with the lack of sleep, the somewhat intrusive company and far too much food for jetlag despite Subete's attempt at ordering something lighter on the stomach. (He. He tried.)

Maybe that's part of the nostalgia of it all and although Subete is about as exhausted (despite honestly not doing very much) -- he does remember the lights when they get in this time, and also remembers to dim them after, softly into the glitter of city lights once they both find the bed. Between the comforting darkness and the swish of his ridiculously swishy pajamas it's a little easier to miss the soft flush that spreads all the way to the tips of his ears as always, and even easier to overlook the flash of sleepy indulgence in his eyes as he regards their bedtime predicament. Not that there's a hesitation at this point: he's already shuffling his slippers off and slipping under the covers to curl close and warm.]

... Me, yeah. [it's harder to throw him off these days even if they're still settling into this brave and bizarre new pas de deux, but today has been, as established, a whole lot and his defenses are scattered everywhere at this point] Am I a pillow again? Hmm?

[The teasing is brief because he's taking advantage of the closeness to drop a kiss, two, the lightest flutters of contact. Hikage was certainly not the only one holding back today.]

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[ There had been a reply of course for there almost always is one with them, but it's captured between their lips with little resistance. Sometimes it's easy to forget that new elements have been added to their dance, even as seamlessly as they fit. It's still bright and new after all, a different kaleidoscope of colors than he's ever seen before. Some rainbow halos are to be expected, but they're worth it. ]

Cheater. [ A long soft sigh as he shifts closer, to fill in the space between them in absence of a worded reply; or rather in search of one, as his thoughts were fluttered about just like the kisses. He's too tired to open his eyes again, but navigating this all in darkness and warmth is its own kind of fun. When he does settle in much the same position as their last memorable evening (with the welcome addition of actual pillows, blankets and appropriate attire), he does finally have something to add. He's pretty much nestled in the crook of Subete's neck at this point so his words are particularly breathy. ]

But you might not be the only pillow. You could just use me like the one you did that morning...

[ Is he trailing off because he's just like this, or in sleep? Both are fair, really. ]

dinner, dancin' and disasters

[kaliedoscopes]

[ Churro's still don't start with a d, but this deserved a rename.

Life in Minneapolis continues to be eventful, for better or for worse. After a morning which likely ended in a tumble on the floor (it's fortunate that the blankets in the suite are as plush as the pricetag), Hikage got to endure a second verbal tumble with Saphir. Which was honestly in a way, second fiddle to the text and sticker tumble he spent most of the day engaged in. And then there was their hotel reunion tumble which they had earned in some measure of the word, so if they're running just a little late now it was a worthwhile sacrifice.

A continuation of their night is still in the cards, a date night to be more specific, but he doesn't need to say it when they both know. (He might have any way, a whisper somewhere in their morning bundle or more directly in the colorful stickers exchange today). Plentiful distractions aside it doesn't take Hikage too long to grab a quick shower and change into more fitting clothes; red is very much the theme today to accent his watch, though the rest of his outfit is relatively bold yet simple (He did say he could dress simpler.) Heels always included, of course.

And rather than dine at something more typical (Hikage really is getting a michelin star tour at this point), a place like Graze is nice for a change in ambiance and well suited given their collective adventurous day. There's a lot of stalls to look at and an equal array of snacking foods to proper meals (no onigiri in sight either but the homemade one Hikage brought back probably satisfied that urge), but that may be for the best considering the dregs of jet lag. Liquor too, which is becoming more frequent than not, but that's what happens when you embrace an increasingly avaricious lifestyle.

A different item grabs Hikage's attention first however, from an eatery named The Moral Omnivore; his mouth twists in displeasure at the existence of portabella mushroom fries, because it's honestly close to a personal offense somehow. ]

They'll be adding mushrooms to everything at this rate...even if you fry it the inside will still be a mushy mess. [ He may actually be willing to engage in fisticuffs when mushrooms are involved, but it doesn't help that he's hungry either. ]