[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]

Then, let's think of a strategy to beat him together~

[ Not that he'd be as much help to a seasoned card fighter, but maybe a new perspective on things will be useful, with the way he's quick to pick things up, gives no particular indication of understanding versus confusion in that his expression doesn't change at all from the light smile on his face, and lets Yuya talk for over an hour without interruption. ]

[hippocarnival]

[Two heads are better than one, and Kano's natural talent for strategy probably gives Yuya some ideas how to approach his next duel. He's talking so animated, eating and offering the snacks just as often that the food's probably finished in that hour.

At the end he stretches, arching his back to fend of the soreness of sitting in place for so long.] Ha, you're getting the hang of it quickly, Kano. I bet you could even play Gongenzaka on your own and win.

[suddenlybees]

Haha, it's because I have a good teacher, right? I wonder if I challenge him to a duel with terms, if he'd accept~

[ One that points out all of Gongenzaka's supposed weak points, so even without the experience the other two have, he's still got some leverage. He also hops off the desk and onto his feet, sweeping all the snack wrappers and whatever into the nearest wastebasket. ]

Next time you guys play together, invite me too, alright?

[hippocarnival]

It probably depends on the terms... [Yuya scratches his cheek, but he smiles.] But we'll find a time to play together for sure!

[He starts to gather his cards in a pile.] Maybe then we can make you a d--ah!

[Yuya flinches, fumbling with his cards before he presses his hand to his face. It's a couple seconds before he looks back up, according scrunched up with frustration before he re-gathers his cards and puts them in the box.] We can make you a deck, too.

[suddenlybees]

Uh—

[ Um??? He jolts, seeing that, because it reminds him so starkly of when he'd first seen Toki get hit by a vision, clutching his face and screaming out and that was the night he'd fallen off the roof and things went to shit— Toki had done that exact same thing too, just continuing on with the conversation like nothing was wrong, and Kano had rolled with it, and he'd always regretted that.

He won't make that mistake again now. ]

What happened? Did you see something??

[ Is this a vision migraine?? he can only assume it is ]

[hippocarnival]

Huh? [Yuya blinks slowly, pinching his brows together. See what--oh.

He shakes his head.] No, I don't get visions. [That hasn't changed. He rubs his forehead as he closes the box, then rests his cheek on his hand as he looks at Kano.]

I summoned another familiar like Odd-Eyes when we went after the daemons who attacked the ball. I'm still adjusting to it.

[And he can tell the two of them aren't getting along. He's mostly just relieved that seems to have been a spike of irritation and not an actual fight just now.] You don't have to worry, though, I'm not hurt.

[suddenlybees]

[ If Kano and Toki can be irresponsible and pick up new powers, it's reasonable enough to think that Yuya can too—- it seems that his guess was off track, but a new familiar is sort of in that realm. ]

A new one... Looks like it hurts, though, you don't have to lie about that.

[ He raises a hand to point at his forehead, where Yuya keeps reaching up to touch every time he gets another spike of a headache. ]

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya ducks his head sheepishly when he's called out.] Sorry, I just--don't want to make everyone worry so much.

[He's already caused Nana and Gongenzaka a lot. It was a bad choice that's caused more problems, he thinks, than it helped any.] But I'm not physically hurt besides the headaches. They should stop when everything settles down.

[suddenlybees]

[ "When everything settles down" is so vague, both in terms of how and when, but that's not really something he can help much with, right? So he parks himself in front of Yuya and waves his hands towards the bed. ]

Hey, sit down for a sec! Right there~ There's something I want to try! Like pressure points? They're supposed to make headaches and stuff go away?

[ Of course, he has no idea where the pressure points are and the proper technique to use them. But this'll give him the chance to poke and prod and work his magic- or not. ]

[hippocarnival]

I don't know. [Yuya sits back in the chair under the loft bed, spinning it to face Kano as he leans back.] But if you want to help, I won't tell you no.

[He'd kind of welcome some more relief, anyway. He knows he's suffering the consequences for his own actions, but it's not like his intentions were bad.]

[suddenlybees]

Alright, just close your eyes and relax~

[ For real close your eyes, because Kano's poke at Yuya's temples, or the inside edges of Yuya's eyebrows, the top of his head?? Just sort of massaging a finger here or there until Yuya says something happens. ]

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya closes his eyes, settling his hands in his lap as Kano... basically just pokes his face. He's almost certain, based on peripheral information he's picked up from Gongenzaka, that these are not pressure points.

But healing magic works, like before, to ease the physical symptoms of having two creature's banging around in his skull.]

... Whatever you're doing is helping.

[suddenlybees]

[ If Yuya doesn't voice those doubts, then Kano won't say anything about it either.

But he's encouraged when Yuya says that it's helping, hand flat on the top of Yuya's head like he's in the middle of patting his head or ruffling his hair— that gesture he would do sometimes that's something he'd imagine a big brother would do to their younger sibling, like saying "It's okay" or "I'll take care of it." The intention is there. He wants this to work and he wants Yuya to feel better. So why doesn't it work when he tries it on himself? Doesn't he want himself to feel better too?

...

He ruffles Yuya's hair so he doesn't break contact with him. ]

Just like that, huh? I told you I'd find the right spot~

[ And now... He can't ever move his hand ever again. ]

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya smiles, opening his eyes halfway so he can peer up at Kano when he ruffles his hair.] Are you going to tell me what's really going on?

[Not that he has a problem with it, but this means the first time wasn't a coincidence either, was it?]

[suddenlybees]

Mmm, nope!

[ He's not going to say anything at all, just keeps ruffling Yuya's hair, like he's making a game of how messy he can make it without lifting his hand. ]

[suddenlybees]

Because I don't want to?

[ Static's the worst for hair... He rubs his other hand on his pants briefly, and then hovers it over Yuya's head to watch the flyaways stick straight up. Really, just playing, at this point. ]

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya could ask why again, but he'd probably get the same answer. So he just sighs and resigns himself to Kano playing with his hair.] Fine. But it helped, so... thanks.

[Hopefully his healing magic doesn't come with side effects.]

[suddenlybees]

[ He'd absolutely get the same answer again, doubly so because he doesn't push and just lets Kano do his thing— which is short lived, because he pulls his hands back at the "thanks" and shoves them into his pockets. ]

No problem, no problem~ If you're ever feeling down, I'll come over and pat your head, okay?

[hippocarnival]

I'm not a little kid. [But he is... doing nothing to stop this.

Instead, he shifts up and reaches to try and ruffle Kano's hair in return.]

[suddenlybees]

[ Ugh—- Nobody ever does this to him back, so he isn't prepared at all. There's a flinch when Yuya's hand passes over his eyes and blocks his vision, the same panic that shoots up the back of his skull that he'd never been able to outgrow, and he has to force himself to relax again instead of freezing in place the entire time Yuya messes up his hair. ]

...I'm not the one feeling down, you don't have to do that...

[hippocarnival]

No? [Yuya smiles, mussing up his hair before drawing his hand back.] But if you ever are... you know, I'm always happy to help.

[suddenlybees]

[ If he's ever feeling down... which is nearly all the time, but he's been managing it just fine and hearing that offer, Kano pulls the smile back up onto his face. ]

Hm, yep~ I'll make sure to call for you then!

[ They can do stupid things like lick toilets and not think ugly thoughts, Yuya's always been good for that, and the entire time he'd showed Kano how to play cards, it got his mind off things too. ]