Returning

[longforgottenpromise]

Who: Taiki and Open
Where: Luggage, sleeper carriage 4 corridor, greenhouse.
When: Egret, Day 22
What: Taiki returns and has feelings.
Warnings:

Luggage Carriage

The mission had been terrible. Terrifying, heartbreaking. As battles went there had not been too much blood, but considering he had still been weak it was enough to keep him slightly feverish, uncomfortable and unable to rest. Lord Gyousou had kept him out of the way of the fighting but he had known it was happening. People he had met on the train, people he liked. They were fighting, being hurt, hurting and even killing others. He wasn't a child anymore, but that didn't make it easier.

But now. Now he had no idea where he was. It was dark and when he moved his arms and legs he was contained. Trapped. Had they been captured? He can't remember. He closes his eyes, letting despair wash over him. It takes him a moment to realise the cause of that hopelessness. He can't feel Gyousou. The ouki is gone.

He panics, legs and arms lashing out against whatever he is in. He kicks upwards and feels only relief when the lid moves. He pushes and feels a little sheepish when he realises he was not trapped at all.

He sits up and looks around, confused. But he remembers, the welcome leaflet had said about disappearing and reappearing in a suitcase. This is the luggage carriage and he is back on the train.

He still can't feel the ouki. Had he somehow been brought to the train, leaving Lord Gyousou on the space station. Was he too far away?

He is still weak, it might be that he is too far away to feel him. He sits silently for a moment, gathering his thoughts.

Sleeper Carriage Four~ Corridor

He made his way back to his room, warily. Anyone he passed got a wary nod, though he worried about the amount of people. It quickly negated his theory about people being still on the mission...

Outside his room he paused as he searched for his ticket. He looked up at the screen and paused. His name, as well as Yuffie and Wen Qing's were there in red, orange and blue. But Lord Gyousou's was gold.

"What does that mean..."

Greenhouse

After a shower and a change of clothes he made his way to the greenhouse. It was one of his favourite places on the train, even if there weren't all that many plants yet. It was a hopeful place, full of life ready to bloom.

And in the far corner, out of the way was where he headed to. That was where he and Lord Gyousou had planted the kouji. The kaihaku could grow in even the least fertile of scrub land and so they had planted it out of the way, to leave the flower beds and good soil for the other plants. There had been soil in the pot it had been in, so that would be enough.

It wasn't fully grown yet, it had no flowers but still he sat next to it, knees drawn up to his chest, reaching out to run his fingers through the soil. It was silly. It didn't bring him any closer to Tai, didn't change the fact that he was on this train, that his king was missing. Somewhere unknownable. Didn't change the aching loneliness in him or the bleakness that came with being parted. But it still made him feel a little better, to be here.

Comments

4-D

[radishlobbyist]

Wen Qing was sitting on her bed with one of the new books she had gotten when the train had stopped and looked up only briefly when the door opened.

"Taiki!" she gasped, eyes wide. The book was forgotten as she rushed to his side. "How are you? Where were you?" Do you know where Lord Gyousou is she wanted to add, but if he didn't know of his absence yet she would have to break the news gently.

[longforgottenpromise]

"Lady Wen..." He stared up at her as she rushed to his side. She looked so worried. How long had he been gone?

"I... don't know. Sorry. I..." He doesn't know where he was, how he had gotten there or how he had returned. He looked past her into the room.

"Lord Gyousou?"

He knows the answer. Lord Gyousou is not in the room. He is not anywhere that Taiki can sense. But there is part of him that always wants to hope.

[radishlobbyist]

Her face falls. Of course he would ask. She should have known that would be his first question, no escaping it.

She reaches for Taiki's shoulders. "He isn't here," she admits quietly, careful to avoid speaking of him being gone though she doesn't fully comprehend the difference yet, "but his name hasn't vanished, and I have been told that means he will return. Like you did."

She still wants to know where he had been and what the hell happened but one thing after the other...

[longforgottenpromise]

He goes almost limp in her arms as the small tiny spark of hope goes out. He's not here. He had known it. He can't feel him, he isn't anywhere. But his name was still there and he would return.

New hope, something to clasp to. He's spent almost all his life without him, that light had only returned properly to his life when they had arrived on the train. So losing it again shouldn't hurt as much as it does.

But it does, he's a kirin. He will never not be sad when parted from his king. To not feel him at all, it is like being surrounded by a cloud too thick to break through.

He says nothing, just squeezes his eyes shut as he tries to stop the tears from falling, he doesn't want to make Wen Qing deal with his tears.

[radishlobbyist]

Oh no.

Oh no. Wen Qing's heart feels like it's being squeezed by a fierce corpse's powerful fist as she watches Taiki go through the stages of his grief.

Back home, she's never been able to stand seeing her little brother in pain and here, she has so quickly come to feel protective of Taiki in the same way.

When he squeezes his eyes shut and tries so hard not to cry, she can't help herself anymore. Making a pained noise herself, she steps forward and briskly wraps him in her arms. Her embrace is firm, maybe a little too firm in her determination to squeeze comfort into him if that's the last thing she does.

"Come here," she murmurs gently. No it's okay because it isn't. It will only be okay when Gyousou comes back. But what she can offer, "You're not alone. And it will get better."

It better. If the train keeps tormenting Taiki and doesn't send Gyousou back soon there will be hell to pay.

[longforgottenpromise]

The hug was welcome, it was more than welcome and for a moment he just leaned on her, letting him squeeze him, like she was the only thing stopping him falling forever into his own despair.

He believes her, when she says he's not alone. He's not. She is so kind to him. He has such a friend as Inigo. Despite this moment being a painful one, despite the separation from his king, so cruelly after only a month of being reunited. He is less alone than he has been in a long time.

He nods, holding back his tears through his own will. It doesn't feel like it will be better, but he can hold onto hope. He himself had returned, Lord Gyousou was bound to follow.

[radishlobbyist]

"Taiki..."

Her voice is as gentle as she can make it but there's nothing she can really say to make it better. All she can do is be here for him and offer comfort.

So she holds him tightly in her arms and rocks him slightly back and forth while she makes little soothing noises at the back of her throat.

"He will return." She can only hope she won't be made a liar.

[longforgottenpromise]

He nods into her shoulder, he would return. He had to return. That was perhaps a very naive thought. He might not return. Things didn't always work out the way you hoped, more often than not worst case scenarios became reality.

He can only hope. He had not thought he had much hope left inside him. But still he finds more. He can take strength from Wen Qing's arms and believe her words.

"He will." It is only hope. He doesn't know for certain. He doesn't know where he is. He doesn't know where he himself was. He cannot remember anything.

At least that is some small comfort, Lord Gyousou is not being hurt, wherever he is.

"Sorry..." He reaches up to scrub at his eyes.

[radishlobbyist]

"Don't apologize when you have done nothing wrong," she says curtly, her voice maybe a little bit sharper than intended from the sheer frustration of having to watch a loved one suffer and being unable to do anything about it. She's really getting mightily sick of that. "If anything, whoever is running this train should be apologizing to you."

But that's not going to happen, so she nudges him over to sit down on the bottom bunk.

"Are you hungry? Thirsty? Is there anything you need right now?" And then, after a moment, "I heard when people return they wake up in a trunk. Is that true?"

[longforgottenpromise]

He startles and opens his mouth to apologise again, for angering her. But then curbs his tongue as that is the reason she is annoyed at him at the first place. He moves where she tells him to and sits down on the bed, pushing his shoes off with his feet before bringing his knees up to his chest.

He shook his head, Inigo had gotten him food. "It is. I wasn't sure where I was at first, but I was inside a trunk. It was closed, but not locked." Luckily.

[radishlobbyist]

"How terrible! That's no way to treat people, does the train not have any consideration for people getting panic attacks? The damage they could do to themselves before they manage to open the trunk...!"

It's very inconsiderate, indeed, and something to be addressed, though she isn't sure how. A worry for another day, today there is Taiki to concern herself with.

"If you would like to rest, I'll be here in case you wake up. Or we could go and take a look at these board games." She just figures he shouldn't be left alone to dwell on Gyousou not being around.

[longforgottenpromise]

"It was quite worrying." He can imagine people panicking, it is not nice to be trapped, even if for a small amount of time.

He was tired, but he knows a lot of that is the bleakness that comes from being parted from his king. Wen Qing is trying to be kind and he nods. "Games would be nice."

He knows nothing about board games, but he is happy to accompany her.

[radishlobbyist]

She doesn't know anything about the board games they may have here either so...

"Maybe we can find dice," she suggests. "Playing with dice should be easy enough, and the same all over. I talked to a young man on the network who mentioned teaching others the game from his home country but I haven't had time to seek him out yet."

Honestly, she actually just wants to keep him distracted so she figures even them just rummaging around the games without playing one will get the job done.

"Why don't you sit in the games car and I'll get us a nice hot cup of tea from the kitchen."

luggage carriage

[flatteries]

Inigo has been trying to not check the luggage car too often. Because it makes him feel kind of dumb, and kind of desperate.. and kind of miserable when he goes there only to find no one there. Even if he ends up waiting for a little while, no one seems to pop up out of one of the suitcases like people say might happen.

But he still has to look every now and then. Bucky may have already returned a little while ago now, but Inigo is definitely still missing someone he's really fond of. And not even checking the luggage car for Taiki almost feels like he'd be giving up on seeing the other again.

So today Inigo goes to check the car again, not expecting too much.

Except this time Taiki is actually there. Just sitting there as if he's never been gone to begin with. Inigo's jaw drops, and before the full surprise is even able to set in, he's already running over and practically diving towards the other to wrap his arms around Taiki's shoulders and squeeze him. Usually he'd probably remember to be a bit more gentle with the other, but he can't help it this time around. He's just too overwhelmed.

"By Naga.. You're back! You're really back! I can't believe it!"

[longforgottenpromise]

Inigo takes Taiki completely by surprise and he makes a soft sound of surprise as Inigo dives at him and puts his arms around him. His eyes filled with tears, which he quickly blinked away.

Slowly, warily, as if he was afraid of being pushed away he lifted his own arms up to put around Inigo in return. He held him tightly, even if Taiki's strength was not much to speak of.

"I am... I'm sorry. I've cause you trouble and worry."

[flatteries]

There is absolutely no pushing away going on here. Quite the opposite. Inigo is clinging onto the other just as tightly - maybe even moreso, since Inigo at least does have some muscle mass for a guy his age. Not enough to be painful, but sure enough for his emotions to be conveyed in his the way he's holding Taiki alone.

But if that wouldn't be enough to convey his relief at seeing the other again, then the way his voice shakes when he speaks up might do the trick. "N.. No, don't apologize."

That's the last thing he wants to hear right now.

"I'm just.." He sniffs, and before he too has the chance to blink any tears away, they're already rolling down his cheeks while still clinging to Taiki. Thankfully it's not like it'd be the first time the other has seen him cry. "I'm just so glad to see you again..!"

[longforgottenpromise]

Taiki has only known Inigo a little while, a few weeks, a month at most and yet Inigo is holding him like losing him had caused him pain. It makes him feel guilty but there is something else. A feeling he isn't even sure of. It is so strange to be missed. He knows he was missed when he was missing from Tai. But this is different. Inigo is not a citizen of Tai. Taiki doesn't represent his hope, doesn't bring him the possibility of salvation. Yet Inigo is hugging him and being glad to see him.

"Inigo..." He reached up to stoke a tear from Inigo's face. Tears springing into his own eyes, as if Inigo's tears brought him pain. He feels guilt at having caused this and all he can do is hold his friend, to show him that he is here now. "I'm glad to see you as well. I am so happy that you are here."

And he is, even if he doesn't sound happy, even as tears are rolling down his own cheeks.

[flatteries]

Honestly, maybe Inigo didn't even fully realise he was crying. It just comes so instinctively for him at moments like these - being a huge crybaby and all. It's Taiki's gesture of wiping away one of his tears that makes him realise that he's being a crybaby pretty openly here.

Which isn't too embarrassing, especially since they're both crying (and thankfully under much better circumstances than the last time that happened), but Inigo would much rather give the gentle-hearted boy he's holding smiles than tears. So despite the tears still rolling down his cheeks, he suddenly starts laughing as he looks at the other.

"If we're both so happy, then why are we crying? We must look like a right set of idiots!"

At least it doesn't sound too self-depreciating. The laughter seems genuine, if not just because he really is that happy to have his friend returned to him.

[longforgottenpromise]

Taiki doesn't laugh, the cloud of despair is too thick for laughter to be found but he sighs and tries to wipe his own tears away. "I'm sorry Inigo..." He had made Inigo worry and made him cry and though Inigo kept telling him not to apologise, it was hard to break the habit of a life time.

"It's a good job no one can see us."

[flatteries]

"Right."

Because it sure is going to look pretty dumb, seeing them sitting on the floor together, hugging and crying.. At least most people should be able to figure out what's going on pretty quickly, since the whole thing about people disappearing and returning in suitcases is at least common knowledge.

And for once Inigo actually isn't too concerned about appearances. Relief over seeing Taiki again takes priority over anything else. His arms stop being wrapped around the other for a moment, but it's just so he can put his hands elsewhere - on Taiki's shoulders, his head, then even cupping his cheeks for a moment. As if Inigo is trying to reassure himself that the other is really back with him and not just some desperate hallucination.

He smiles as he does so though. It's a dumb, teary smile, but a smile all the same.

"You don't look hurt. Are you alright?"

[longforgottenpromise]

Taiki doesn't wriggle away from the hands, but sits still, letting Inigo reassure himself, though he turned his head away if those hands went anywhere near his forehead.

"I'm not hurt, you don't have to worry." He'd been kept far enough away from any fighting that there isn't any lingering blood sickness. He actually feels better, physically at least, than he has done in a long while.

"Are you alright? You were unharmed from the mission?"

[flatteries]

That sounds exactly like what a hurt person might say, Taiki! Or maybe Inigo is just assuming that since he's totally the type to hide any and all injuries himself.. but it'd be hard to do so with how close to the two of them are to each other right now, so he's assuming Taiki must have disappeared on the mission before anything seriously bad could happen to him. That's one good thing, at least.

"Of course. I told you I'd come back safely, after all." It's not a lie, at least. He was physically pretty much alright. The worst part was the mental freakout that came from noticing some of the people he's closest to here suddenly being gone at the end of it. "I was kind of excited to show you that while coming back, but.."

His voice trails off, ending in a very airy laugh.

"Things went differently. But it's okay though! I know you were probably about to apologize again, but it's not your fault. It's just odd how this train randomly decides to make people disappear. Maybe it just really wanted to spook me."

[longforgottenpromise]

Inigo had, but Taiki was not so naive to think that such promises could mean anything. After all it would not have been Inigo's desire to be hurt, but it might happen anyways. People never chose to be harmed and killed, the decision was always on the one who murdered and harmed.

He opened his mouth to apologise, he really hadn't meant to bring anyone worry, though he was still surprised Inigo had been so worried, after all. He still didn't know Taiki all that well.

"I'm sorry... That it did that." He pulled back a little, but only to reach into his pocket, hoping to find what he wanted.

"Um... Here. I apologise for the lateness." He held out Inigo's ring, glad it had come back with him and hadn't got lost in his disappearance.

[flatteries]

Well, at least he was spot on about Taiki being about to apologize again.. Maybe Inigo is slowly starting to accept that he just can't stop the flood of apologies coming from the other. Maybe one day he'll manage to convince Taiki he has nothing to apologize for. But today is not that day.

Thankfully he's easily distracted by the ring appearing. His gaze falls on it immediately, and although he only just got done crying, new tears spring forth in his eyes at the sight of it. He had been genuinely worried about Taiki, of course, but he really had been worried about that ring as well.

He sniffs, managing to keep the tears from falling from his eyes just yet, and raises his gaze back to Taiki's face as he takes the ring.

"Thank you so much for bringing it back to me."

The lateness doesn't matter. What matters is that it's back. Inigo couldn't look happier as he puts it on his finger.

"I wouldn't have known what to do without it."

[longforgottenpromise]

Taiki watches as Inigo almost cries again at the sight of the ring. He had known it was important to him, but he had not expected it to bring him such joy just seeing it. He felt guilty that he had caused Inigo such pain by keeping it so long.

Inigo had never been anything but kind to him, yet Taiki had caused him such trouble.

"I apologise for keeping it so long, I'm glad I was able to give it back to you."