Doshigatai 💢

Sure, Eichi has nerves of steel not only from having a childhood friend like Keito, but also from just generally existing. Constantly being told you were going to die and then being told to die by other people left to at one advantage: gaining an iron heart. He supposes that much has melted away given recent events, but all in all, he’s barely phased by insults of any kind anymore - especially not from the man heading inside his home.

(His home. It feels weird to think.)

But as being with his beloved right hand has left him in emotional tip top shape, to an uh, extent, it has also made Keito extremely predictable. He could have gone without mentioning the reason for the dish, but naturally, he has to say something that implies he’s treating him like a child again. The Emperor casts him a flat stare, closes the door, locks it, and then leads him into the kitchen. 

“I’m glad you remembered how much I like meat.” Eichi responds with a hint of slyness, stopping in the middle of the room. “Very high in protein.”

It’s a way to make the atmosphere around them more familiar, at least for him: he needs something to hold on, while he tries to get accostumed to that place - Eichi’s home is already such a change, even if the forniture still makes it similar to his beach house, in a way. Well, with a bit of imagination...

He follows his childhood friend down the hallway, stopping with him, and tilting his head a tad, shoulders dropping as he slowly start to relax; apparently, even though most the time Eichi is source of stress, more than of calm, at the moment he is the best thing he could have around. (liar, he would be in any case, but there’s no need for him to tell this outloud).

Awww, and here he thought he’d given him such crucial information. It’s not Eichi’s fault that every single beach house looks practically uniform in the area, so the picture he’d send might have been a little useless, but overall, Keito saying it out loud hurts his feelings.

Not really. But he plays on it.

“How mean…” He feigns curiosity, tilting his head like a child who has no idea that they’ve done anything wrong. When the bag rises to his face, he’s taken aback and snapped out of that, instead frowning ever so slightly, but he can’t smell much of what’s in there given it’s likely frozen, and takes a step back to open the door further. “What are you going to make?”

As if Eichi could be really feel hurt by something like that - it’s the truth, after all, and if Eichi has survived this whole time having him by his side, he is pretty sure he can endure this as well. He enters the house and the first thing he does is taking his shoes off, leaving them at the entrance (as if they still were in Japan - old habits are so hard to die). 

akatskee: 

In terms of how luxurious it looked, it came rather close to whatever kinds of beach houses his parents owned back home. The thing was that Eichi barely visited them unless they only looked like a beach house, and were not all that close to the shore. This kind of settlement, however, was practically on the very edge of the sea, and on a good morning, he was able to practically step outside onto a small dock and sit with his feet in the water. On bad days, AKA 3/7 days of the week, he pretty much had to leave the house just to avoid the sea breeze drowning him with too much air. Much more than his weak lungs. Sigh.

But today was alright, so he invited Keito over for a good time - to make him food, yes, but a good time nonetheless. When he opens the door, he’s cheerful in his approach, smiling merrily. “Was it hard to find?”

There’s a hint of mischief in his tone.

He wants to groan, yes, but he just shakes his head, wrinkling his nose when he meets his eyes. Oh, he liked the litte detour he had to take to come there, but he would have prefered better if he decided to do that on his own, rather than because of the difficulty to find his house among a... lot of other houses that barely looks different for Eichi’s. He gives a fast look at his friend, and his feature soften a bit, meeting a fresh smile - he looks quite well, today, so he guesses he can leave any retort for another time. 

He looks at the piece of paper a thousand time, as he waits for the ferry to dock, the pier approaching faster than he thought. He sighs, reading the address again, as if he was afraid to forget it - at least, if he got lost he wouldn’t have lost too much time asking here and there where his destination was. Another sigh follows, as he folds the paper and puts it on the pocked of his jacket, throwing a look outside the ferry and losing himself for a moment in the colours of a sky that’s turning darker each second, the first stars shining in a canvas of pink and purples that fades into dark blue as he lifts his head to the center of the sky. Mh. The ferry shakes for a moment, someone complaining about the scarce delicacy of the sailors - assuming that someone is actually holding the wheel - but it’s not his problem now, not when he finally steps on safe grounds again and he can see the slight nausea fading off as he starts to walk. “You should find it easily,” Eichi texted him not long before he left his home, providing a picture of his accomodation, but it takes a bunch of minutes and some information provided by complete strangers, before he finally finds himself in front of it. Looks quite fitting for his friend, huh.

“You can ask me any questions you have. If I don’t know, I’ll ask someone else. You should have my number in your phone already too, since… for some reason everyone on the island has everyone else’s number in their contacts. Haha! It’s pretty useful, isn’t it?” And creepy, but that isn’t the optimistic thing to say.

“Stranded on a desert island? It’s not really anything like that, since there’s a society and it’s not anything like a desert, even on Makana, but we’re definitely stuck.” For a moment, brief as it was, he was quiet in order to think. “How much have you been told about this place?”

“At the moment, my biggest worry is to put some food in my stomach, but there is still time for that. I noticed that, yesterday. There’s a whole list of numbers I’ve never seen in my whole life. And I’m still wondering how did they end on my phone, but I guess it’s just one of the question that can’t be answered.” He sighs, and he wishes he could be relieved by Chiaki’s positive mood, but...

“That really would be a problem…” The medical bills for his family would probably be non-existent on his own end, at least, so that’s a good thing, but it’s not as though they had much of an issue with that given their wealth in the first place. It suddenly dawns upon him that he did not ask about health costs here, and considering their riches seemed not to carry over, that might pose an issue. However, that’s besides the point Keito is bringing up, which he rolls back to. “My father would be without a heir, after all… I can hear him complaining already.”

The blond spares a glance back to his childhood friend after listening to the pace of his steps, a hesitancy in them that he never expected much from Keito. Truth be told, he’s only much bolder now because of his general personality - most of his life has been spent dealing with emergency after emergency, so a lot of shock factor goes over his head.

“That’s what Chiaki said.” Eichi smiles, looking ahead again now that they’ve reached a pavement instead of sand. “I don’t think it’s like that. There’s a civilization here, and all, so I doubt we’re in a dystopia.”

“Your father loves to complain about too many things, I’m afraid nobody would note the difference if his list of things he’s not happy about would increase by one,” he shrugs, looking at his baby blue eyes when Eichi turns towards him; he would be way too anxious was he alone, but after all, a familiar face soothes his worries at least a bit. 

Just a bit, though. Neither Eichi can perform miracles. Surely, he can’t bring him back home, or he wouldn’t be here in the first place. 

“I doubt that giving us notice would really do much? Perhaps we’d be able to say goodbye to our friends and family, but that’s not really any different from dying, is it?” Saying that really intensifies the situation, where being back home concerns, but perhaps that’s fine with him because he’s already thought about the whole farewell speech ahead of time. When he was younger, he’d even written it down on days where he felt particularly bad. Now, he could pick from a selection and neither would really summarize his feelings.

A quick, painless cut is much easier. It may be the reason why he isn’t too torn about being dragged off the face of the earth onto another.

“Not particularly.” Eichi sighs, peering ahead to track down the building they were supposed to head to. As it was, the large sign was a good help, so it didn’t take long for him to set the pointer on their destination. “I’ve been told it’s all for the sake of entertainment, but the information I’ve had relayed to me so far as been pitifully nonsensical. I’m having a hard time believing it myself, which is why I’m sparing you the pain until it’s confirmed where we’re going.”

It’s a loud groan, what leaves his mouth - perhaps he really isn’t taking this thing that well, and now that he’s starting to find at least the strength to balance himself on his own two feet his mind races to his family, when Eichi speaks those words. It would be great, if he could at least let someone know that he is fine.

Well, fine. Still alive, at the moment. Eichi’s words aren’t giving him much hope about what it might happen now that they are in that unknown place. 

“It’s just groceries and office supplies. We can have lunch once we get there, if you want.” Chiaki had noticed the curious look Keito gave the bags they were carrying. It wouldn’t be surprising if he was wondering why Chiaki was running errands for a hospital, but, well, he’d find out soon that they would all need jobs here. “I’m not an expert, but if you need help finding anything, let me know. I’ll help out.”

“I’ve tried to figure that out too, but…Hmm. The only answer that’s come up is ‘we’re here for entertainment’, and that’s not very satisfying.”

“Uh, that sounds great. I’m starting to get hungry,” and he really notices it just now, that his stomach is softly growling. What time is it, anyway? Did he really got lost in his thoughts for so long? “And thank you. I think I will need your help very soon, after all. Everything looks way too new for me, I can’t really put myself at ease...”

“Hahaha. Don’t blame yourself. I was walking around with these things stacked so high I couldn’t see, so it’s really my fault.” He laughed it off, and together they were able to collect everything once again. Nodding his head towards the hospital, he motioned for Keito to follow him. “It’s this way. If you haven’t already been, it’s good to memorize where it’s at, just in case.”

“I don’t know when you got here, but I’ve been here for, um… two weeks now? It’s been a pretty long time, hahaha!“

He shakes his head, taking some of Chiaki’s weight to hold it himself, trying to figure out what it is, that he’s bringing at the hospital. Well, it’s none of his business after all. He follows him, walking beside him. “Mh, it’s not the first time walking around these surroundings, but I still have to memorise everything useful.” And then he sighs, because uh, he feels tired already.

“Of course they know we’re here,” he reminds him, tugging on his sleeve for a moment to indicate they should go, and walking ahead on his own. “They’re the reason that we’re stuck. It’s only polite of them to provide some information on how to go about living like this.” Or so he should hope that goats have manners, if he was really going to go with Chiaki’s story on what had caused all of this. Anyone else he had asked on the way here seemed to worship the farm animals, so…

Very little to doubt at this point.

“Mhm, I stayed at the hospital for the night, don’t worry.” An assuring smile accompanies his phrase, glancing over his shoulder at Keito to grant him that relief. “I wasn’t doing so good when I first arrived here, so that was naturally the first place I had to go. That’s just like me, isn’t it? I’d do horribly in one of those ‘stranded on a deserted island” challenges after all.“

“It would have been polite not to drag us here without any notice. It isn’t giving me any good vibes... not at all...” Hugging his arms is a natural move, hands trying to warm himself a bit as the breeze keeps blowing incessantly.

And oh, it does concern him, at least a bit, that the first place Eichi had to go once arrived on that island was the hospital, but after all it’s not something so strange - why nowhere to go, it probably would have been the first choice for him as well.

Oh well, it kind of is. 

“You’re here too? I had no idea– Ah! The groceries!?”

In his shock, Chiaki had almost forgotten that everything he had just bought had hit the ground a moment prior. He moved quickly to recollect things into their appropriate bag, but thankfully, everything was individually packaged and nothing seemed to break or bust. Well, as relieving as that was, it wouldn’t make him feel too much at ease. The greater concern he had at the moment was that, apparently, yet another person from his world had arrived. It was troubling, but… He shouldn’t frighten Keito right away, should he?

“I hate to ask it right away, but Hasumi, would you help me carry these things to the hospital? Since you probably just arrived, you might be able to learn something at the same time.”

“I...” and oh, he bends to help Chiaki recollecting all the things he lost - it was his fault, after all, to be so absorbed by all the new things around him, all the worries piling one over another and making him distracted. “I’m sorry, I really haven’t seen you, let me help.” He raises his head to look at him, and it probably is the first time he is so happy to meet another familiar face - happy or concerned, he actually isn’t sure, but well.

“I think you’re making an enemy of the cold when the sea is the real issue, here.” Eichi reminds him, looking down to the canister of bubbles and popping the lid back on it again. Pushing himself to his feet when he’s just a plastic bag on the windy beach really isn’t that easy, but once he’s up, he’s up, and he’s yet again hit by that dreadful breeze that makes him regret moving at all.

“I asked around the hospital.” He starts, patting down his lower half to get the sand off it, before walking towards his childhood friend and nudging his head to the side. In truth, he knows he’s lucky that he was picked up before confusion truly set in, and figures that he has to be the one to do that for Keito now. “We’re supposed to go to the Community Center first, which is the building facing the sea, so I’ve heard. There, we’ll be supplied with all sorts of things to accommodate our stay, or so they say…”

“Let’s go together, alright?”

“It’s not one or another, the problem, neither or them are good for your health, after all,” and he says it throwing a look at the sea again, his sight losing where the water almost mingle with the sky, and he can’t really tell when one finishes and the other starts. He turns his head on the opposite side then, when Eichi mentiones the building, pure instinct moving his eyes as he tries to find something particular between the ones he sees behind the beach. 

@akatskee

There was surprisingly a lot that Chiaki needed to pick up for the hospital. Some office supplies for record keeping and plenty of food for both patients and employees that worked long hours there- One in particular needed to be reminded to take a break to eat. He had managed to stack things efficiently, or somewhat efficiently. He could easily carry all of this in one trip without baskets. Nice! He couldn’t see well in front of himself. Not nice!

Considering that situation, Chiaki was being careful…by his own standard of ‘careful’. He had gotten fairly close to his destination without incident. That would not last, however. He soon found himself colliding with some poor passerby, and everything in his arms tumbled to the ground.

“Ack! Sorry, I– Wait!”

“Hasumi!? You’re here too!?”

He’s still trying to get used to this new enviroment, trying to figure out where to go, who to talk to to understand what is the meaning of his presence in that place; that’s why he has started to wander around, memorizing places and streets - also, walking helps him distract himself, pushing away thoughts that, otherwise, would make him feel only anxious. At least he is not alone - Eichi’s presence is quite comforting, somehow, Maybe that’s why his feet have brought him somewhere next to the hospital of the main island (you never know if you might need it, after all). 

Maybe that’s why he’s so lost in his thought not to notice someone bumping on you with the same grace of an elephant. 

“Ah- Sorry, I wasn’t paying att-”

“Sorry. If I figure anything else out in the next few minutes, I’ll be sure to tell you.” He laughs, turning back to the sea, eyes melding with the ocean reflecting in them. The bubble he’d blown has long disappeared, so he creates another, and another, filling up his own silence while Keito talks, and watching them float through the air, careless and free. There is probably some significance in this, but he can’t really push himself to think too much about it when it only puts him in a solemn mood.

“You’re insistent over my health as always. Do you really think I’ll freeze to death out here? It’s March.” Eichi pauses. “I assume.” The weather pertains to the season, at the very least, but he hadn’t really asked what day, time, or month it was yet. His destination was supposed to inform him of such things, hopefully, but he’d avoided even that, which really wasn’t like him – accepting reality was a lesson he’d been taught at a young age, but he still entertained ignorance, sometimes.

“Well, I won’t deny that it’s bad for me. I’ll go inside soon.”

“Precisely because it’s March you should be more careful. Spring isn’t that warm, at least, it doesn’t look like at the moment,” and that’s his body talking, the gentle breeze coming from their back brushing against his arms like a mischievous ghost. He shakes his head, his eyes again caught by the bubbles in the sky, 

“Mmn, I don’t really get it myself either, you know…?” Composure is the key to calmy understanding things, after all, and while he’s confused, he reckons that panicking about the situation won’t exactly shine any light on the matter. Safe to say, if everything was a dream, he would understand quite well. After all, your childhood friends just don’t show up out of nowhere and meet you on the beach each time, do they? While unreasonable, it seems to be the reality, so he has no choice but to accept it for what it is right now.

“That’s more or less the situation, Vice President.” Eichi reports playfully, lifting a hand to salute, even though he’s in the higher position, technically. Used to be. “I’ve been stalling myself, and all, but I can’t put it off any longer, and if this is a dream, then Keito showing up accompany me is probably more ridiculous than ever. It makes me believe that this isn’t real.”

But of course, his best friend is pulling off his blazer, and the scion knows what’s coming net. “… On the other hand, you’re most definitely the real Keito.”

“Thanks for the report. Even if it’s not helpful at all, but I guess there is time to get what’s happening, huh?” His head shaking should give the other one an vague idea of how much he’s holding back not to be stressed about this sudden, drastic change of things in their life - a dream is a dream, after all, and if this is not the case, panicking over nothing surely won’t help him to understand what’s happening. Little steps brings the furthest, or so someone said to him once, so he decides to start with the basic ones.