Libertine Lush Life

Hirato paused, carefully weighing their options before deciding upon a course of action. “To my understanding, the upperclassmen are not subject to the same curfew. This gathering is more or less an unofficial, but largely tolerated, Kuronomei tradition. Yes?”

Thinking aloud, he crossed his arms and leaned against the railing of the stairwell. “It’s below my dignity to crawl on the ground like some worm. Likewise, any tampering with the security system will raise suspicion. Frankly, these measures are in place to guard against outside anti-government attacks and potential varuga activity that may threaten the staff and student body. Other transgressions, like student misbehavior, are a secondary concern. Therefore, tampering with any part of the system could send the entire school into a state of high-alert. That would be highly undesirable…”

“There is only one way, then. Come now.” He said, taking Tsukitachi by the hand and practically dragging him up the four flights of stairs. When they reached the top, he turned to the other boy to address him. He wasn’t entirely pleased with this plan, but it would provide him with some degree of amusement and a small measure of revenge for having been manhandled by the other so thoughtlessly earlier. 

“It’s safe to say that some ill-behavior is expected of the upperclassman tonight, so it wouldn’t be out of place for two of them to abscond from the party to go for a little stroll. Perhaps out of the need for some privacy?” Standing at the entrance to the skybridge, Hirato’s staid expression melted into a faint but menacing smirk. “The most effective disguise when infiltrating any environment is to behave as if one truly belongs there, so it only follows that we simply have to act the part. I do hope that your acting skills are on par with my own, TSU-KI-TA-CHI.”

Fisting his hands in the lapels of the other boy’s jacket, he pulled him close. ”Here is the scene to be enacted. Right now we are upperclassmen; two lovers, intoxicated from a night of revelry, stealing a moment together away from the crowd. Security or anyone else won’t bother to give a second thought to such a petty, juvenile matter. For tonight, they’ll turn a blind eye and let it be.”

Bringing his hands up to Tsukitachi’s shoulders, he circled his arms around his neck before lightly pressing their foreheads together. “This has to be reasonably convincing in order to work. Now, don’t turn away. Keep your eyes trained on my own so that our faces are not seen by the cameras or any other passerby. Now, start walking backwards to the other side until we have crossed the bridge and are in the clear. Do you understand?”

Hirato chuckled, deep and low. “If you must, just close your eyes and imagine that I am one of the hot girls you so desperately wish to take back to your dorm room tonight.”

I hope this makes you squirm with discomfort, you devil. You deserve far more than this level of humiliation for causing me so much trouble in a single night.

“Right, I was told that this party happens every year and that upperclassmen don’t ha--” And then Tsukitachi abruptly stopped talking, assaulted as he was by his roommate’s new, bold behavior. But here he was, Hirato’s electric eyes glowing a bright purple with mischief and challenge. It was enough to make him swallow his words... and his high-handed attitude too. He’d never expected this of the sullen, condescending boy he’d met only a few hours ago.

Honestly, there were a dozen things he wished to say but couldn’t. ‘You’re hotter than any of the girls I’ve met so far,“ in particular danced on the tip of his tongue, but he bit it down. There was also, “Bet none of those hot girls would sneak across the grounds with me like this,” but that too was discarded. This was nothing more than an act, after all, and there was nothing to indicate that Hirato liked boys, or especially him for that matter.

So, Tsukitachi accepted the challenge. He kept his eyes trained on his roommate’s face, those striking features clear and sharp underneath Kuronomei’s nighttime floodlights. One arm banded about the brunet’s back, forcing him even closer as he feigned a laugh and leaned towards the other boy’s ear. He’d resolved not to say anything to his roommate that might repulse or appall him, but still, he couldn’t help a soft, “You smell really nice.”

“Pretty quick thinking,” he compensated quickly, lips split in a cheeky grin while his heart pounded in his chest -- whether from the fact that they were breaking school rules or from his proximity to Hirato he had no idea. “You’re a lot smarter than you look too, huh?”

Shrugging the redhead’s arm off his shoulder he regarded him with a renewed sense of disdain.

Two beds? Is he insane? Just my luck to be roomed together with an over-sexed, ego-centric, would-be womanizer. How disgusting.

After listening to the proposed escape plan, Hirato made to reply that, yes, Tsukitachi indeed did not appear to be very smart. Still, the last thing he wanted to do at present was to draw unneeded attention to them while out in the open. It was now well past curfew for their floor, and even being out in the hallway at this hour was a punishable offense. As new students, they could easily feign ignorance, but it was best to err on the side of caution.

“Since our entire academic careers are at stake, I’m somewhat disinclined to trust your memory, so I will offer you a more sound alternative.” Retrieving his cellphone from his back pocket, Hirato flipped through several files before pulling up the schematics for the entire security network of Kuronomei - a file he had secretly stolen from Tokitatsu’s travel laptop prior to his departure. 

“Here.” He said, handing the phone over to Tsukitachi with a haughty, self-satisfied smirk. “As you said, I’m the studious type. I always do my homework.”

Amber eyes went wide as Tsukitachi studied the schematics that the other boy had produced on this phone. “Wow!” he exclaimed, duly impressed. “How’d you get your hands on this?” he asked, now narrowing his gaze at his interlocutor as though he might learn something simply by staring.

You’re not just a pampered prince, are you? A normal student would never have the academy’s security schematics on their phone. Hell, a normal student wouldn’t even think about needing something like this.

And then his smirk lengthened. Maybe you’re more fun than you seem, HI-RA-TO.

Realizing that he was holding a conversation in the hallway, where they might be seen or overheard, he resolved to table the issue. “Eh, we can talk about why you’re the next James Bond later, okay? Right now, we gotta move.”

With that, Tsukitachi motioned Hirato to follow, walking on the left side of the deserted hallway. From his earlier reconnaissance, he knew the cameras wouldn’t pick them up if they did their best to stick close to the walls. He kept one eye trained on the security schema on the screen in front of him, directing his companion with easily-interpreted hand signals.

Finally, they ducked into a stairwell. Knowing they were temporarily out of reach of any type of surveillance, the redhead turned to his companion once more. “Okay, almost there. Gotta go up four flights here,” he pointed to the stairs behind them. “And then walk through the skybridge to the upperclassmen dorms. We gotta be careful there, though -- that skybridge is almost all glass.”

Maybe we should sprint across it? Or crouch low? Wonder what would be best...

Hirato continued to straighten his appearance in the mirror, running a hand through his unruly black hair. “Yes, well if your plan is to return to this dorm and expect me to wait out in the hall while you drunkenly fornicate with…” His mind shut down abruptly as he caught the reflection of Tsukitachi stripping down to his boxers in the mirror. He mentally chastised himself for staring at his roommate far longer than what was reasonable before quickly averting his eyes. 

Not very shy now, are we?

Having pulled together his attire for the evening, the redhead strutted in front of the mirror openly admiring himself. 

Rather conceited as well, but not without reason. It appears that what the gods failed to gift him in the way of manners and tact was compensated with uncommonly devilish good looks. I imagine he’ll garner the attention he desires tonight quite easily. 

How annoying…

Hirato took his cue to collect his keys as instructed, heaving a heavy sigh of resignation as the two of them stepped outside of their room. Still feeling foolish and if he was wearing a costume of some nature, he continued to fret with his clothes until Tsukitachi informed him that they were breaking the rules by even attempting to attend this event.

“Oh, what a convenient caveat to omit from our previous discussion.” At this juncture, it would be fair game for him to turn around and retreat to the peace and safety of their room. However, the manner in which the other boy addressed him struck him as a challenge and Hirato was never one to back down from a challenge. “Yes, TSU-KI-TA-CHI, I can manage rather well. However, your ability to move with stealth and discretion appears to be questionable at best.” 

I swear if we get expelled on our first night due to his idiocy I will destroy him.

“Eh? Fornicate?” Tsukitachi startled at the implications. He’d not expected to bring anyone back to the dorms, but then again, he wasn’t exactly opposed to the thought. He just wasn’t very experienced at these sorts of endeavors. Guess that’ll change now that I’m not sleeping in a room with three little brothers, huh? New life, new experiences and all...

“Relax,” he assured Hirato with a sly wink. He threw a casual arm about the brunet’s shoulders and continued talking with the air of someone far more practiced, “No one would expect you to stand outside of your own room. I mean, there are two beds. You can have company over too.”

With that, he ushered the other boy out into the hallway and locked the door behind them. Amber eyes glowed a bright, burnished gold as he explained their plan to slip beyond Kuronomei’s infamous camera system. Oh sure, the internal surveillance wasn’t as airtight as the All-Seeing Eye that sat atop the academy’s gates, but still, their plans would require some modicum of stealth.

Won’t be a problem for me, since I’m used to sneaking out of a full house. Wonder about this prince, though... I bet he’s never broken a rule in his life.

“Oh, I’m good,” Tsukitachi said, voice brimming with confidence as he answered the issued challenge. “Earlier, when I was carrying in my bags, I remembered where the hallway cameras were and figured out all the blind spots.” Here he pointed to his head, smirking like the devil in a convent. “May not look it, but I’m actually pretty smart.” He then shrugged. “And I’m used to sneaking around. You try to tell my mom that you want to go to an all-night party at girl’s house! It’s much easier just to creep out when everyone’s asleep.”

Hirato startled slightly at Tsukitachi whistling at his appearance before quickly marshaling his features back into a well-practiced expression of bored neutrality. Beyond the hushed whispers of some of the younger household servants, no one had openly complimented him on his appearance in such a manner previously. It wasn’t entirely unpleasant, especially coming from the rather striking redhead, but he wasn’t intent on letting that be known, either. 

Those warm golden eyes combined with that vibrant red hair. He would be far more attractive if he would just cease talking…and moving…and breathing…

“Empty flattery.” Hirato sighed heavily with a dismissive wave of his hand. “You’re simply intent on convincing me that attending this gathering will be anything short of annoying and potentially disastrous.” 

Clearly not one to be easily discouraged, Tsukitachi arrived at the solution of presenting him with a jacket. Before he could protest, his new roommate began to manhandle him rather boldly, stuffing him into the garment and fussing with it until he was satisfied. 

Hirato went to open his mouth to complain but stopped abruptly when Tsukitachi referred to him as ‘sexy’ of all things. Choking on his unspoken words, he raised his hand to his mouth, feigning a cough in an attempt to conceal his reaction. 

“Yes, yes, it’s fine.” He spat out, swatting the other boy away in a bid to regain his dignity and some modicum of personal space - a concept that was obviously entirely foreign to the chatty redhead. “Let’s just get on with this, then. Leave the rest of your mess for now. It’s been an exhausting day and my patience is already waning.”

Tsukitachi smirked at Hirato’s assertion that he’d only complimented the boy to ensure that he didn’t renege on his word to attend the party. “Not really,” he said with a shrug. “If all the girls are on you instead of me, that would be pretty annoying and potentially disastrous for me, wouldn’t it?” He canted his head and appraised his companion. “Not every compliment has some underhanded purpose, you know. Could be you just look nice.”

Wonder what made him so cynical. Doesn’t he realize he’s hot? Or is it that he doesn’t think people can be honest? What a moody, unfriendly kid…

Still, he had no desire to further agitate his very uptight roommate. Letting the conversation drop, the redhead began sifting through his clothes again. “Okay, okay, we can go. Just hang on. I have to change too. Can’t let you get all the attention,” he said while assessing his clothing options for the evening.

Golden eyes landed on another form-fitting shirt – deep forest green this one. Mom always liked this color on me; said it brought out the green flecks in my eyes. Nodding in assent, he quickly shed his shirt and trousers, completely unabashed in his state of underdress. He’d never had much privacy growing up, after all. Changing in front of a new roommate was simply par for the course. Deciding to dress opposite to Hirato’s black velvet and jewel-toned shirt, Tsukitachi chose a cream linen jacket to pair with his t-shirt and distressed jeans.

He strolled over to the mirror and appraised his outfit. “Nice,” he said. “I look hot too.” Turning to the brunet, he offered a winning smile.

Tsukitachi dug through his belongs to find his keys and wallet, gesturing to Hirato to do the same. “Best take your key too. Don’t want either of us to get locked out if we’re separated.” He paused, adding, “Or if you decide it’s too much fun for you and you come back early.”

“A prince?” Hirato scoffed to himself. 

I can hardly tell if that is a flippant, offhanded remark, a backhanded insult, or some attempt at a genuine observation regarding my upbringing and character. What a vexing creature. I wonder if all of the other students at this school will be equally boorish and ill-bred.

He was pulled from his thoughts as he caught the shirt that was tossed at him from across the room. A quick examination revealed that it was clearly homemade but well-made, nevertheless. The tailoring was not professional, but the stitching had been done with great care and the cut appeared flattering for what it was. It was also impossibly soft and carried with it a warm scent, something akin to ginger and spice, that was not entirely unwelcome. Glancing at some of the other boy’s more garish clothes scattered around the floor - bold striped patterns and other graphic prints - he concluded that it could be far worse.

Turning an eye toward Tsukitachi it was clear that the redhead was now fully preoccupied with his task, completely lost in his own world as he hummed and danced about as if no one else was present or watching. Hirato took this as a fine opportunity to get changed without drawing attention to himself.

Moving to the wardrobe, he carefully removed his dress shirt and jacket, hanging them with great care. Not accustomed to shared living quarters, he felt his naked back flush with a tinge of embarrassment as he quickly glanced behind him to reassure himself that his new roommate wasn’t observing him in his present state of undress. 

Reluctantly, he pulled the borrowed t-shirt on and straightened his appearance in the full-length mirror. A striking vivid shade of blue, the garment sported an incredibly low-cut V-neck collar that exposed an alarming amount of his pale skin all the way down to his well-defined collarbones. Slim-cut, the shirt clung to his lean form leaving little to nothing to the imagination. “Are you sure this doesn’t look, well, somewhat indecent on me?”

Tsukitachi went about his task, humming and dancing as though the music were flowing through the headphones still hanging uselessly around his neck. He’d already arranged most of his clothing when his roommate interrupted. Sheesh. Does he want me to clean up or not? 

He turned to address the surly brunet he’d been saddled with, to say something reassuring so that Hirato wouldn’t change his mind about coming to tonight’s party. But as he took in the form of his roommate, he could only offer a wolf whistle in response. The vibrant blue of his shirt made the other’s purple eyes look downright electric. It skimmed his frame, throwing into sharp relief the pale of his skin and the lean physique. Even his dark hair seemed glossier next to so bright a hue.

Tsukitachi laughed. “Indecent? You look pretty damn decent to me. I’m sure all the girls will think the same too.” 

Still, that Hirato was clearly self-conscious didn’t escape his notice. He wanted the other boy to accompany him, and if Hirato felt too embarrassed to do anything but stand against the wall and glare at all the ‘neanderthals’ in attendance, that wouldn’t suit his purposes at all. 

He looked at his clothes again, hips still canting to the beat in his mind. Speaking to the brunet, he considered his options. “You look great, but you won’t have fun if you don’t feel great, you know?” His fingers danced across the hangers, searching for something to layer over the clingy blue affair he’d just talked Hirato into wearing. “Yep, this!” he announced, pulling out the jacket in question. 

Tsukitachi marched over to Hirato. He rolled up the sleeves of his black jacket, exposing the grey and black pinstripe of the lining. The jacket itself was a deep, black velveteen material. He ushered his new roommate into the jacket, tugging along the sleeves and collar, scrunching the material at the elbows and popping the lapels to give the whole ensemble a chic, casual look. 

The golden-eyed boy’s witty retort and fleeting leer made Hirato reconsider him for a moment. It was unheard of for others to openly challenge him, let alone to try and match wits with him. Hmm, this is novel, indeed. Perhaps you may prove to be mildly amusing, after all.

Hirato returned from the bathroom where he had hung Tsukitachi’s uniform to be steamed only to find the redhead dutifully cleaning up as promised. Leaning against the doorframe, he was slightly taken aback when the other boy offered up his thanks for straightening out his uniform. 

No one had ever really thanked Hirato for anything in his life. He calmly and proficiently carried out his duties as required of him. Nothing more, nothing less. As such, words of gratitude, no matter how insignificant, were entirely alien to him. “You’re…quite welcome.” He replied, casting his eyes to the floor once more. “It’s something Tokita-…a distant relative taught me on one occasion while we were traveling without the aid of our domestics.”

Hirato peered down at his own attire in response to Tsukitachi’s question. “And what is wrong with this? I dress quite well, thank you very much.” A thoughtful pause as he considered what their evening would entail. “That said, it would be a shame for some drunken neanderthal to accidentally spill their drink on such a finely tailored suit. Still, I’m afraid I don’t own much in the way of casual clothing.”

“Domestics, eh?” Tsukitachi asked, now dutifully hanging up his clothing as promised. He made sure to place the seams of his shirts just right – along the edges of the hangers. So too with his pants. He folded them along the creases as he’d been taught by his father. Oh sure, he hadn’t bothered to properly pack his suitcase, but then again, there hadn’t been a party on the line. “Had you pegged as a rich prince the minute I saw you.”

He looked up, appraising gaze roving over the other’s form. “Not only do you dress like you’re made of money, you stand like it too. All stiff and formal, even when you’re leaning.” He laughed, but it wasn’t mocking or smug. Rather, he was charmed with how Hirato leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed over his chest and eyes narrowed like he was some admonishing librarian. “You’ll have to teach me how to do that for our Opening Gala.”

“Oh?” Hirato crossed his arms, violet eyes narrowing dangerously as he tapped his foot against the floor. “So, now you’re blackmailing me into having to endure your company and attend some juvenile social gathering? How charming.”

Although he had no interest in attending this so-called ‘welcome party’, Hirato was never was one to pass up an opportunity to take advantage of what someone else wanted, leveraging it in his favor in order to satisfy his own needs and goals.

Surveying the chaos that was their room, his lips curved into a faint smile. “On second thought, I’m willing to negotiate. If you clean-up this dumpster fire of a room, I may consider attending this gathering with you if it is done to my satisfaction.”

Skulking over to their shared closet, Hirato removed the other boy’s mangled uniform, holding it in front of him as if it were some tainted object unworthy of his touch. “If you concede to do that, I’ll also be so kind as to fix this uniform for you while you clean-up. If we hang it in the bathroom and run a steaming hot shower the wrinkles will naturally work themselves out.”

“So what say you, TSU-KI-TA-CHI?”  He smirked, violet eyes subtly flashing as he regarded his new roommate. “Do we have a deal?”

Tsukitachi laughed, amber eyes glowing in pure mirth. He definitely preferred this arrogant, challenging Hirato to the one who refused even to share his name. He shrugged in a noncommittal manner. “Sure,” he said. “I was gonna clean up anyway. Can’t sleep in here like this. What if I had to go pee in the middle of the night and tripped over my own clothes?” He leered at the other boy in a self-satisfied manner, but only for a moment.

The redhead bent down and began gathering the various items, organizing them by their function -- formal clothes over here, casual over there, a pile of electronics to be sorted later, books and supplies stacked atop his desk. “And thanks for helping me with the uniform.” His companion had levied a series of insults at him while offering his assistance, naturally, but that didn’t change the fact that he wasn’t obligated to help. If anything, letting Tsukitachi walk into class looking like he’d just wrestled a bear would only provide fodder for Hirato’s condescending attitude. So, really, the brunet was doing him a kindness. “I’ll remember that... about the wrinkles, I mean.” 

But then he paused, considering something. His roommate didn’t seem like the type who attended to his own clothes. In fact, he appeared every inch a pampered, precious prince who’d have no need to learn household trivia. Not wanting to antagonize him when they’d just come to speaking terms, Tsukitachi filed away that bit of information to ask after later. 

Hirato snapped his head around to glare at the smug, devilish creature that had the gall to laugh at him. An act he found especially infuriating considering that he’d only tripped and fallen due to the treacherous minefield created by this hapless imbecile’s own ungodly mess. 

How highly undignified. And here I thought Tokitatsu’s company was insufferable.

Hesitantly, Hirato took the hand offered to him and allowed this Tsukitachi fellow to help him back up. Upon standing, he was greeted with curious golden eyes glowing with unconcealed amusement, causing him to quickly avert his gaze to the floor as his cheeks burned hot with embarrassment. 

“Winston? How utterly absurd.” He huffed as he brushed off his uniform and attempted to right his appearance. “If you must know, my name is Hirato. HI-RA-TO. Remember it for I shall not endeavor to repeat it again.”  

Noting that the redhead’s hand was still holding his own, he snatched it away and quickly stuffed it in his pocket. “And as for your missing uniform, the jacket is underneath your bed. I spotted it while I was on the floor.” He muttered begrudgingly under his breath.

Tsukitachi nodded his acknowledgement, keen eyes briefly taking in the embarrassment now clouding his roommate’s features. It was cute, really, how the other boy could flush with so little provocation. “I guess that’s not too uppity.” He offered a smile – they’d reached a truce it seemed. Or at least managed to exchange names. That was enough for now. “Good to meet you.”

Then he dropped to the floor to find the jacket that had somehow materialized under the bed. “Thanks for the head’s up about this,” he called out, head wedged underneath the bed frame. “I’d never have looked for it here.” The redhead pulled the fabric from underneath the bed and tried, with poor results, to shake out some of the wrinkles. Walking over to their shared closet, he arranged it on a hanger alongside his pants. Tsukitachi tipped his head, considering the disheveled, disorderly state of his uniform. “That’ll straighten out by morning,” he announced, more to himself than the other boy. “Probably.”

Now that he’d addressed that small crisis, he turned to face his roommate again. “Say, HI-RA-TO,” he intoned, teasing out each syllable. “There’s a welcome party in the upperclassmen dorms tonight. Some guy on the bus over told me about it. Gin and girls!” Here his lips lengthened into a devilish smirk, mind already working towards his goal.

What fresh hell is this…

What was supposed to be Hirato’s assigned dorm room was an unholy wreck. Random personal items and clutter were carelessly tossed about covering the floor and every conceivable surface in complete disarray. 

Although he could clearly see his bed and the luggage that had been ported to his room previously, the path to his belongings was obstructed by a veritable disaster area and a smiling red-haired simpleton obviously lacking in the most basic of manners and etiquette. 

Hirato looked down upon the proffered hand with a mild disdain, opting to ignore the gesture in favor of sighing and adjusting his glasses. “Introductions are pointless. If you can’t even keep track of your uniform, it’s clear that you won’t  last here more than a single day.”

Making an attempt to step around the other young man, he tripped over one of the items covering the floor, cursing under his breath.

Tsukitachi started at his roommate’s rudeness. But after a moment, he merely shrugged and recommenced his search. If the uppity jerk he shared a dormitory with didn’t feel like he needed to be friendly, then the redhead didn’t much care. Not like I need you, anyway, whatever your name is. Probably something really froofy like Bradford or Anderson. 

More important than his companion’s attitude was finding his uniform, after all. Appearing in casual clothes would probably get him expelled. And then the other boy would be right; he wouldn’t last a day. Tsukitachi had just unearthed the slate grey of his pants leg when he heard the other boy trip and fall. The soft cursing was a bit surprising given that formal bearing, but it was amusing nonetheless. 

A smug round of laughter bubbled up from his chest when he twisted around to assay the scene. He walked over and held out his hand once more, this time in hopes of helping the brunet up. “Don’t think you’re going to last very long if you can’t even stay on your feet.” 

Hirato had finally escaped Tokitatsu’s grasps after an extensive and painful tour of his alma mater, Kuronomei - the government training school that, among other things, was responsible for the training of potential Circus combatants.

You would think that he was dropping me off at kindergarten and not an elite academy where I am to be trained to kill and destroy man-eating monsters. Honestly, how incredibly disgusting.

Now that his pest of an older half-brother had been summoned back to his duties at the Executive Tower, Hirato was free to settle-in to his new living situation. Having been raised in relative isolation, wealth, and privilege, the idea of a shared dormitory hardly appealed to him, but he supposed he would have to make due.

Tsukitachi froze as the door creaked open, his hips cocked at an awkward angle from where he’d been dancing to the pounding bassline in his headphones. 

He’d been trying to unpack. But between stuffing all his clothes into an old, tattered suitcase sometime yesterday and pulling them out now, he’d lost his brand new Kuronomei-issued uniform. Classes started early, so he wanted to make sure he found it and put it on a hanger. All those wrinkles would surely stretch out overnight. In his hurry, he managed to swamp the entire floor of their dormitory with his possessions -- clothes, office supplies, and electronics tossed about in wild, unruly fashion.  

Shit, he thought. Not the best first impression. 

But still, he had a gift for getting people to like him, so he wasn’t much concerned. He’d just explain, right? And his roommate would understand and probably help him clean up. That’d be great, actually. 

List of favourite characters in no particular order: 18/??