[open]

[suddenlybees]

Who: Kano & OTA
What: magic practice, pettiness, finals
Where: Lumière, greenhouse, library
When: mid-month, before finals
Warnings: self-harm for prompt i., none expected for the rest
Notes: details of Kano's new Fey Contract can be found on his app

i. Lumière dormitory rooftop
[ Fey magic is a really... terrible, horrible, no good, very bad idea. But Kano is determined to make it work, this new Contract that he'd forged a couple of days ago, but it's just so different from his usual illusion magic that he'd worked ten whole years to get to the point where he is now, illusions seamless and effortless compared to him staring at his arm right now wondering what he's doing wrong?

Because his arm is bleeding, a bloody knife on his lap while he pokes at the wound with his other hand and it just comes back bloody, him wincing because it hurts and why isn't the magic working? There's nothing intuitive about this at all, and he has no idea how he's supposed to make it work, with the magic supposed to be healing and dulling pain but it's just doing the opposite for him, the pain making it hard to keep a smile on his face, and making him feel like crying a little.

With a sigh, he waves hand over the bleeding cut instead of touching it, and it disappears— simply masked underneath an illusion, but it's still there while he tries to figure out how to do this, preferably before he bleeds out.

It won't come to it, though. He has three years worth of band-aids stocked up, and he knew they would be useful someday. ]

ii. campus, on the way to the greenhouse or inside
[ But you know what always makes up for terrible days? Even more terrible ideas to get your mind off previous ones. This one isn't that bad, though, because it's something that'll have positive long-term consequences. Probably.

Anyways, it's Kano with long sleeves and pants and winter gloves and the hood of his jacket pulled over his head and eyes and also a bandanna over the rest of his face so he can have as little skin showing as possible. It isn't all because of botched healing practice, though, it's because he's lugging around a three gallon plastic jug in his arms— you know, one of those large plastic containers twice the size of your head that you can buy cheese balls in, but instead of cheese balls, it's bees.

It's a jar full of bees.

He had to ship them to a PO in town and then lug them all the way back to campus; this insect purchasing restriction is really an awful pain. ]

iii. library
[ But also, anyways, it's almost finals and while Kano did surprisingly okay on his midterms, he's got to do slightly more okay on his finals too, because exam scored are literally all that's carrying his grades without the homework to pad it.

So the library it is... Books, his arch nemesis... Him, sitting at one of the open study areas with a stack of brand new text books in front of him that barely look touched, a mug of something on the table that's a dark dark red to the point that it's almost black and also has four tea bags sitting inside it that's steeped so long the tea is no longer steaming, and also hands clamped over his ears like he's trying to block out ambient noise, or massage away a headache, or give himself a headache so he can go hang out in the infirmary for the next two weeks and not do finals.

Why does Daybreak have to be a school??? Schools suck. ]

Comments

[suddenlybees]

[ !!! ]

With the green person! And the kickass dragon!

[ And the donkey, but the donkey is the best part and he's not going to ruin it for her. ]

We'll marathon it! Today!! The movies, and the musical and everything too! You'd probably like the musical!!

[suddenlybees]

[ It's disappointingly anti-climatic, but better than being stung several dozen times and being all puffed up with welts for their troubles, so Kano sets the jar down sideways so the bees can just... crawl around inside, they really like the jar for whatever reason. ]

Will they be okay... Hey, let's see if there's any flowers around, if there's any that've fallen on the ground, they should be okay still, right?

[ Do fallen flowers have any nectar in them? Probably not. Does Kano know anything about beekeeping? Absolutely not. ]

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya lets the door hang open, crouching down and looking closer at the jar. What chill bees.]

Let's move some pots closer so they can smell them.

[What a little rearrangement of the greenhouse? Yuya glances around before he spots some bright yellow flowers and goes to carry the it over.] Are you going to harvest their honey?

[deuteranope]

[He pauses for a moment, not wanting to turn his back on Kano and give him the chance to bolt, but...it wasn't like the other would be able to dodge him forever, and he'd like to think there's enough there that other...wouldn't. Having his trust would be nice, but he knows how big of an ask that can be. Maybe it's for the best that he show some trust of his own, first.

It makes him want to throw up just considering it, and uncertainty flashes across his face in the moment before he starts to head off...but he still slips his hands into his hoodie pockets and carefully slides his folded knife out so that it clatters to the ground behind him.]

[playitagain]

[Excitement is infectious. Nana starts to look all the more excited, eyes bright and her smile going from tired and forced to the usual, animated expression. Marathoning a movie series!

With Kano!

And it's a musical!

And the main character is green, KIND OF LIKE A FROG.....]

I love musicals! I bet I would love it! Where should we go? Do you have it on DVD? Should we find it online? I can't make snacks but maybe I could manage popcorn...

[suddenlybees]

[ He was doing so good, telling himself that everything will be okay if he just listens to Maverick and not make a fuss, but then that knife comes out and before he can help himself, Kano takes two large steps to the side, because that could not have been not on purpose. ]

Hey, Mav! You dropped something!

[eudaimonikos]

[The way the channel works, it's difficult to tell if Michael's tuned out or if he's just pausing for dramatic effect, until he speaks again.]

Oh, no, it's dark. I've now completely forgotten what I saw.

[Please, Kano.]

Summon me.

[suddenlybees]

[ I've never seen the musical but a brief look at Google Images makes me want to cry, and that is exactly the reaction from Nana that Kano's excited for, even if he also has to suffer through it. ]

I got that covered, so leave them to me~! [ Illegally downloaded!!! ] We can watch it over at Aube dorms, in the first floor lounge~ A movie night with popcorn would be fun!

[suddenlybees]

[ It'd be nice if Michael could just forget what he saw after being blinded, if only it works like that. Kano also wants to forget all about it- about everything, including making the contract with the fey in the first place- and he's a fool to think that Michael would never find out about him two-timing.

With a direct a command like that, if Kano doesn't summon him, he'd probably get killed on the spot or something, he thinks as he pulls his hand away from his bloody arm and draws Michael's symbol right onto the roof tiles at his feet with his blood, and then awaits judgement. ]

[deuteranope]

[Ugh. His insides twist together even harder, but he forces a slow breath so his voice can remain even. Not worried about not having his knife on him as a safety net, not worried about why Kano was bleeding and what it could mean, not worried about the immediate reaction the other boy had had. He glances behind himself, making it clear that he sees the knife before he shrugs it off.]

You've already got some of my stuff. Uh... Carry it for me, will you?

omg the donkey in the musical

[playitagain]

[She visibly wants to clap her hands, the way she does when she's really excited or happy. Instead, Nana's good hand awkwardly pats the air once, twice -- and then slides down to her side.

She smiles, sheepishly, at him.] Aube... I can do that. Want me to prepare the popcorn while you get the movies?

[suddenlybees]

[ Ugh... It has to be on purpose, but he refuses to push it; if he just does what he's told, he won't have to explain anything, so he settles his face back to neutrality and picks the knife up in his hand, careful not to show any signs of shaking hands or hesitancy in touching the knife. Fuck knives, honestly.

He straightens up and sticks it in his pocket and Maverick is never getting this back either. ]

[suddenlybees]

[ He's going to make her fall in love with the movie and then be horrified by the musical if it's the last thing he does.

First though, he laughs and extends his good hand— ] Here, I'll help you clap~ [ High five, Nana! ]

And yeah, popcorn would be great! The plain kind, with no butter or salt? While I'll go ahead over there and kick everybody out of the lounge~

[deuteranope]

[Everything is awful in so many ways...but at least by the time they're back at the dorm, Mav has his breathing under control and is busy kicking himself wondering what the heck he's even going to say.

Instead of saying anything, once he's in his room and ensuring that Akechi isn't hanging around, he kicks off his shoes, slips off the hoodie, and wanders off to a cardboard box he still has next to his desk while giving a careless wave to his bed.]

Sit. Uh, the bees can chill with this asshole's ant farm, if you want.

[Where...is it... Okay. Out from the box comes the same first aid kit Kano had given to him on the daemon mission, though it's a little bit lighter, as well as some of his other supplies. Lastly, he grabs a packet of hot chocolate and offers it out. Have at it, cricket.]

[playitagain]

[High five!! She cheers a little when she does it.

Nana turns, eyes on him for a second, as she considers it. Should she complain that he'll kick everyone out?

Nope. Nope, that means they're alone. She's fine with this.]

I like plain popcorn, no salt or butter. [It's healthier!] I'll get it set up, then meet you there.

[suddenlybees]

[ The entire way here, Kano's not really sure what to expect, feet trudging more and more by the time they reach the dormitory— he could so easily slip inside his own room that they pass by and bar the door and refuse to come out, but the opportunity passes and they're inside Maverick's room and... Maverick's not immediately locking the door and yelling at him and Kano just stands there a little confused.

Maverick just looks like he's coming home and means to stay home, and Kano warily sits down at the corner of the bed and hugs the bees to his chest like it can protect him in some way, the buzzing in the jar matching the buzzing in his head and skin and existence.

He takes the packet of hot chocolate, but instead of asking for a cup of hot water to reconstitute it properly, or tearing it open and sprinkling it dry in his mouth, it goes into his pocket, not to come out again. ]

[deuteranope]

[Well. At least he'd taken it. Better than nothing. With a sigh, Mav plops himself down towards the head of the bed, giving Kano ample space but keeping him within reach, if he tries. Ideally the gap will close naturally...but there's nothing natural about any of this, is there? He pops the kit open, flicking through various supplies without giving Kano another look.]

Let's see it. Whatever's open. [Nothing else, for now. He can give him that.]

[gaiarage]

[Naoki allows himself a small eyeroll, because wow you're scared of the janitor, huh? What a little baby. He shrugs, letting go of the railing and turning to lean against it, arms crossed.]

I don't really care, so sure. [He cares a little bit, but god forbid he ever tell Kano.] Just getting some air. Building's starting to get stuffy.

[eudaimonikos]

Why are you like this?

[Michael's already removed his suit coat by the time he's called, and he's midway through unbuttoning his cuffs to roll up his sleeves.]

Every single one of you - is this the roof? [Yeah, it's the roof. Well, that's not a rule Michael cares about, as long as nobody's falling off it again. He holds out his hand towards Kano's injured arm.] Okay, give it here.

[suddenlybees]

[ He doesn't have a good idea for the first question, and the second is apparent by just a quick glance around, so Kano keeps his mouth shut, biting down at his bottom lip as he extends his arm and lets the illusion hiding it melt away to show the cut— not a particularly deep one, but one that's cut through enough layers of skin and muscle and has been bleeding for a couple minutes now with a flow too heavy to clot. ]

...Would you believe me if I said it isn't what it looks like?

[ It's exactly what it looks like, but the intention! The intention is not what Michael thinks, probably!! ]

[eudaimonikos]

[Michael grumbles to himself a little when he sees the cut. It's deeper than he'd like. Why can't he just get the hang of healing magic already? Trying to do things the mundane human way just seems so inadequate sometimes.

At least he's picked up one trick. He puts a hand over the wound, and for a moment it's wreathed in his particular brand of glitchy-looking shadow, the same ones he generally uses to commit murders. Of course he doesn't think to give any warning before he does that. It shouldn't hurt or anything.]

Depends what you say afterwards.

[suddenlybees]

[ Maybe they're just cold being walked from the town all the way back to campus, but he's hoping they warm up again and be happy buzzy bees soon. ]

Oh, good idea, if we surround them with flowers and stuff, nobody's going to bother them and it'll keep them safe~

[ If Kano has his way, the entire greenhouse is going to be rearranged, everything eventually surrounding the beehive, drawn to it like it's a strong magnet. ]

As for the honey... I don't really care? Do you want it? For helping me today~

[suddenlybees]

Roger that~!

[ He'll walk her downstairs until they part at their respective doors, Kano slipping into his room so he can clean himself off and do a somewhat okay bandaging job and then exit out the "fire escape" next to his bedroom window instead of taking the stairs.

The lounge at Aube is cleared out, and there's a wide screen monitor set up with the first Shrek movie on the title screen ready for their marathon. ]

[suddenlybees]

[ Has Naoki ever crossed paths with the janitor? He would be scared too.

But he's glad that Naoki promises to keep this to himself, Kano doubting that he's the sort to tattle, anyways, and wouldn't really have anybody to tattle to that would care much about what Kano's doing up on the roof in his free time. So he sticks his bad hand into his pocket so the arm doesn't get jostled around too much, and sidles up next to Naoki. ]

It's quiet down there, isn't it? 'cause it's finals, so the dorm always gets like that! But if you're looking for someplace fun to play... the forest, probably? Have you played much in the forest?

[ Hiking, he mostly means, not murdering jellyfish spirits, but each to their own brand of fun. ]

[suddenlybees]

[ There's absolutely nothing natural about it, and Kano shifts a little away from Maverick when he's got that med kit open, dread creeping up from the base of his skull that tells him that he shouldn't hide his arm —but also that he can't count on Maverick to be like Minako and Ellie were to him, somebody who would help patch him up and maybe tell him off for getting himself hurt, but not ask too much about whys and what happeneds.

Even now, he just really wants to hide it, rolling up the sleeve of his shirt (and bleeding a little on Maverick's bed, sorry, restricting his upper arm might not have been the smartest idea) and, at the last minute, changes the shape of the wound so that it looks smaller and more like an accidental stab than what's very clearly the long, neat line of somebody dragging a blade over their own arm. ]

Here, I'll trade you the bees. I can do it myself.

[ At least the whole bandaging thing, so long as he has the proper materials for it— it's a little harder to get these, though, more than asking Ekkehardt for something innocuous as bandaids— is something he's learned how to do and is accustomed to. ]