(no subject)
He wasn't nervous. He calmly left a note telling Gojyo that he was out running errands and would be back in a few hours at most. It was true, mostly. His errand just didn't happen to be in the Nexus.
It was only the work of a moment to step through the portal into the woods outside Chang'an. He wasn't sure how long it had been since he'd last been here, since... But that wasn't why he was here now. He doubted he would find his things, but he had to know.
The limiters almost called to him. They were close. Could they possibly still be where he'd dropped them? He headed into the woods, following the call.
And stopped dead, staring down the barrel of a familiar handgun. Sanzo stood across the clearing, now free of blood and bodies, Hakuryu on one shoulder, gun aimed steadily at Hakkai.
Neither one of them said anything for a long moment. In fact, it was Hakuryu who eventually broke the stand-off, launching himself suddenly from Sanzo's shoulder and gliding to Hakkai, noisily scolding him. Hakkai reached up to pet him as Sanzo's gun disappeared back into wherever he usually kept it. Hakuryu meeped once more and dropped three silver earcuffs into his hand. His limiters. He had to quickly close his hand to avoid dropping them. Now that it was actually time to put them back on, he hesitated.
Did he really want to pay this price again? He could control himself in the Nexus, had been doing so for months. It took a long minute before he was able to force his hand to move, to put the first limiter to his ear. The sharp pinch made the second and third easier. He shuddered through the change, feeling ears and claws and fangs unnaturally shortened, powers locked, senses dampened. It was wrongrightwrong...
He swayed on his feet, unsure of how long he'd stood there, trying to adjust. He'd never gone that long without them before. He pulled his attention away from himself in time to see Sanzo lighting up a cigarette, using a tree root as an impromptu throne.
"Took your damn time coming back for them."
He really had, hadn't he? "Ah. I apologize, Sanzo. I was... occupied elsewhere. You've been alright, then?"
Sanzo wouldn't look at him, but that was familiar. "Goku's been taking care of the dragon. He was sure you'd come back for it."
"I'm not back for good. Please, don't tell Goku-"
"You think I'm an idiot like the rest of you? I'll tell the monkey the damn thing just flew off. He's been spending most of his time out of the temple lately, so he didn't see me leave. It wouldn't shut up till I followed it back here this morning. It's like it knew you were coming."
Sanzo's expression plainly asked if Hakuryu had known that Hakkai was coming back. Hakkai could only laugh softly. How was he supposed to know? A bag thudded at his feet. He crouched, reaching for it. His things, the bag he'd left behind. Sanzo had kept it?
"Don't look so shocked. I don't have any use for any of the shit in there. Don't know where you got half of it, and I don't want to know. Take it and leave."
Hakkai blinked at the obvious dismissal. Sanzo had already put out his cigarette and turned to go by the time Hakkai managed to process everything. "Sanzo!"
The priest stopped, but didn't turn. Not that Hakkai had expected him to. He stood, smiling slightly at Sanzo's back. "Thank you."
Sanzo snorted in dismissal, obviously even more convinced than usual that he was surrounded by idiots. He left, threading through the trees on his way back to the temple. Hakkai scratched Hakuryu under the chin once, then opened a portal to go home.
((Yep, Hakkai is finally back to 'normal,' after three months of being stuck as a youkai. Feel free to stop by and poke him about it. Might even get a free dinner out of it.))
It was only the work of a moment to step through the portal into the woods outside Chang'an. He wasn't sure how long it had been since he'd last been here, since... But that wasn't why he was here now. He doubted he would find his things, but he had to know.
The limiters almost called to him. They were close. Could they possibly still be where he'd dropped them? He headed into the woods, following the call.
And stopped dead, staring down the barrel of a familiar handgun. Sanzo stood across the clearing, now free of blood and bodies, Hakuryu on one shoulder, gun aimed steadily at Hakkai.
Neither one of them said anything for a long moment. In fact, it was Hakuryu who eventually broke the stand-off, launching himself suddenly from Sanzo's shoulder and gliding to Hakkai, noisily scolding him. Hakkai reached up to pet him as Sanzo's gun disappeared back into wherever he usually kept it. Hakuryu meeped once more and dropped three silver earcuffs into his hand. His limiters. He had to quickly close his hand to avoid dropping them. Now that it was actually time to put them back on, he hesitated.
Did he really want to pay this price again? He could control himself in the Nexus, had been doing so for months. It took a long minute before he was able to force his hand to move, to put the first limiter to his ear. The sharp pinch made the second and third easier. He shuddered through the change, feeling ears and claws and fangs unnaturally shortened, powers locked, senses dampened. It was wrongrightwrong...
He swayed on his feet, unsure of how long he'd stood there, trying to adjust. He'd never gone that long without them before. He pulled his attention away from himself in time to see Sanzo lighting up a cigarette, using a tree root as an impromptu throne.
"Took your damn time coming back for them."
He really had, hadn't he? "Ah. I apologize, Sanzo. I was... occupied elsewhere. You've been alright, then?"
Sanzo wouldn't look at him, but that was familiar. "Goku's been taking care of the dragon. He was sure you'd come back for it."
"I'm not back for good. Please, don't tell Goku-"
"You think I'm an idiot like the rest of you? I'll tell the monkey the damn thing just flew off. He's been spending most of his time out of the temple lately, so he didn't see me leave. It wouldn't shut up till I followed it back here this morning. It's like it knew you were coming."
Sanzo's expression plainly asked if Hakuryu had known that Hakkai was coming back. Hakkai could only laugh softly. How was he supposed to know? A bag thudded at his feet. He crouched, reaching for it. His things, the bag he'd left behind. Sanzo had kept it?
"Don't look so shocked. I don't have any use for any of the shit in there. Don't know where you got half of it, and I don't want to know. Take it and leave."
Hakkai blinked at the obvious dismissal. Sanzo had already put out his cigarette and turned to go by the time Hakkai managed to process everything. "Sanzo!"
The priest stopped, but didn't turn. Not that Hakkai had expected him to. He stood, smiling slightly at Sanzo's back. "Thank you."
Sanzo snorted in dismissal, obviously even more convinced than usual that he was surrounded by idiots. He left, threading through the trees on his way back to the temple. Hakkai scratched Hakuryu under the chin once, then opened a portal to go home.
((Yep, Hakkai is finally back to 'normal,' after three months of being stuck as a youkai. Feel free to stop by and poke him about it. Might even get a free dinner out of it.))