Hakkai chuckled softly, not looking up from the book in front of him. "It does put a bit of a strain on the eyes, doesn't it?" Finishing the page, he sighed a little and readjusted his glasses. He gave Sanzo an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, I don't think I'm having much luck. How are you faring? Aside from getting a headache, that is."
Sanzo sighed in frustration. "Getting nowhere. Most of these spells don't make any sense. Maybe I just don't have the magical vocabulary to understand them." He frowned at the book, as if he could intimidate it into giving him a better explanation. "And the ones that do seem to make sense usually require some rare spell ingredients, like a powdered unicorn horn or a dragon's egg shell. I don't remember seeing anything like that for sale in Hogsmeade, and it doesn't sound like something you can just request from the Potions professor."
"Ah, I assume it would be worth it to note those, anyway." He turned a page in his book, though at this point he was only really skimming its contents. "Maybe we ought to ask one of the professors for help," he suggested, but his tone was almost carefully light and neutral -- mostly because he was well aware of Sanzo's reluctance to receive help from anyone, current events aside; and it seemed that the monk was on the verge of a bad mood without any inadvertent jabs at his pride as it was. "Well, at least for translating purposes, perhaps, or to provide some information on how to obtain the more difficult to find ingredients?"
Sanzo pushed back from the table and leaned back in his chair. "You're probably right. Make a note of the spells that look promising, and if we can't figure it out, see if we can get some help. Assuming we can find anyone around here willing to pay attention to teaching." It wasn't really a fair comment, since there had been a few classes held recently. "I think there was a Potions class last week. Maybe I should have signed up for it. I didn't think Potions would be helpful, but after reading some of these books today, maybe I was wrong."
"Well, next time there's a class, we should make it a point to enroll for it." He smiled brightly and added, "Maybe we could persuade Gojyo to get involved, as well, if we promise that he would get the opportunity to meet some attractive young ladies." Hakkai closed the book in front of him, pushing it aside. He stretched a little and let out a soft breath, before clasping his hands together and resting them on the table. "Well! I think we could both use a break now, don't you? I'd rather do without a crick in my neck, if you don't mind."
"Letting Gojyo learn magic seems like a really bad idea," Sanzo scoffed. "He'd probably just want to know spells for making people's clothing disappear, or something like that."
Sanzo glanced over at Hakkai, wondering, not for the first time, if he could read minds. "Yeah, I'm done with this one, so this is probably a good place to stop." He'd been thinking about suggesting they take a break so he could go have a smoke, but he wasn't in the mood to get a lecture. Normally he'd just tell Hakkai to mind his own business, but he was still feeling a little guilty about his behavior the night of Hakkai's birthday, so he didn't want to start an argument.
He started to gather up his books and notes. Thinking about Hakkai's birthday reminded him of something else. "So did Gojyo screw up yet on that dare for him to clean up after himself?"
"That's very true," Hakkai replied, clearly amused by the thought. "Either that or he'd try to devise some sort of charm that would allow him to be able to see people's cards in poker, or he'd attempt to create some sort of anti-hangover elixir." He shrugged lightly. "Still, it would be best to allow Gojyo to get involved, or else he'll feel we're leaving him out."
While nothing he said was particularly emphasized, Sanzo might have noticed a vaguely pointed look that was gone as soon as it appeared. Hakkai arranged his own notes and books into a neat stack, but paused when Sanzo asked about Gojyo's dare. He smiled suddenly, a conspirational glint in his eyes. "I'm afraid he has, actually. There's a pile of empty cans underneath his bed, though I'm not sure if he knows I'm aware of it. To his credit, however, he's been a little better about hiding the dirty laundry." He tilted his head to the side, arching an eyebrow. "Should we confront him, do you think?"
"Hn." Gojyo feeling left out wasn't something Sanzo really wanted to discuss. He'd been avoiding spending too much time with Gojyo recently, for reasons he didn't plan to examine too closely. "On second thought, if he can come up with an anti-hangover elixir, maybe we should let him try."
Sanzo smiled a little in response to Hakkai's question. During the drunken, and probably ill-advised, game of Truth or Dare on Hakkai's birthday, Hakkai had dared Gojyo to clean-up after himself for one week. Hakkai had left it to Sanzo to come up with the penalty if Gojyo didn't complete the dare. Since Gojyo wasn't known for his housekeeping skills, Sanzo had enjoyed coming up with possible punishments. He and Hakkai had eventually decided on a suitable one, but they had also agreed not to let Gojyo know what it was until Gojyo failed to complete the dare. Neither of them had even considered for a moment that the penalty might not be needed
( ... )
"One could venture to say that the best way to prevent a hangover is to refrain from drinking." He shrugged again, in a way that showed that it was unlikely that Hakkai was able to fully commiserate; the worst thing he probably suffered after a long night of drinking was a light headache -- and even that could have been attributed to lack of sleep, rather than an over consumption of alcohol.
He laughed cheerfully as he stood up, not seeimg to be in much of a rush. "You're rather eager to see this, aren't you?" He picked up his own books and nodded to the monk to lead the way. "Did you charge the things to the Aspects' gold card? My, I hope they don't assume we're doing anything untoward." And there was an implied, even though we are at the end of that sentence.
"Easy for you to say. You could probably drink the whole bar and never get drunk, much less get a hangover," Sanzo commented. He wondered why that was. It wasn't a normal youkai trait.
Sanzo gave Hakkai a sharp look as they left the library and walked into the halls. "And you're not going to enjoy this?" he asked. "You're the one that suggested adding pink." He shrugged. "I think the Aspects have learned not to ask questions if they don't want to know the answers. But in this case, since I had to change the money into Galleons first, they won't see what I spent it on. Although they probably know anyway." He didn't really care what they thought. If they were going to send him off with vague hints instead of clear instructions, then they shouldn't complain about how he spent his time.
It's because Hakkai is a canon Mary-Sue, complete with an angsty backstory. His only answer to that was a bright, "Indeed," coupled with a soft chuckle.
"Well," he conceded, after a short pause, "it will certainly be amusing -- and, well, the pink was an inevitable addition, wasn't it? I just happened to be the one to bring it up first." Hakkai paused midstep, maybe a little surprised at how thorough the monk had been in gathering the needed "props" for their current scheme. "That was very, ah, thoughtful of you, then." He wondered for a brief moment if he should be concerned about how much Sanzo was looking forward to this but brushed it off.
Another second passed, and he said absently, "Ah, I do hope Gojyo doesn't try to escape. I'd rather not resort to force."
Actually Sanzo never would have thought of pink, but he had to admit that it was a good idea. "Tch, If he runs we let him go, then never let him live it down that he chickened out. Any idea where he is right now?"
"I imagine it's rather like raising a child, though," Hakkai replied thoughtfully. "If you allow him to get away with one thing, he'll only get into the habit of attempting to avoid his other responsibilities. We'll probably catch him at the bar, or, failing that, in our room. Either way, shall we drop these books off first?"
"So if he tries to get out of it, you want me to hold him at gunpoint?" Sanzo asked, mostly joking. Hakkai wouldn't really want to force Gojyo into this, would he? "Sure, we can drop the books off in my room, and pick up the rest of the stuff while we're there." He gave a short laugh as he thought of something else. "Maybe we should mess up our rooms a little, so he'll have something to actually clean? You and I don't usually leave things in a mess."
"No, no, certainly nothing so drastic! . . . But you still have that coil of rope, don't you?" He laughed, but he was probably only teasing. Probably. "Ah, I'm sure he'll comply, however. He knows when he has to face the music."
Hakkai might have hesitated at the thought of willingly making a mess, but it was more likely that he was wondering if his own personal definition of "a mess" was particularly drastic enough; after all, a few crumpled pieces of paper on the ground didn't usually constitute a dirty room for most people. "Ah," he said sheepishly, "in that case, I'll probably be a need a bit of help, then."
"Hmm. Yeah, the rope is still there. We can grab it when we get the rest of the stuff, just in case. Although it might be hard for him to get any cleaning done after he's tied to a chair." Sanzo smiled, amused at the mental image and at Hakkai's obvious reluctance to mess up his room, even for a good cause. "It doesn't have to be drastic, Hakkai. Just un-make the beds, throw some dirty clothes on the floor, and scatter some books around. Little things like that. Just pretend you're Gojyo."
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Sanzo glanced over at Hakkai, wondering, not for the first time, if he could read minds. "Yeah, I'm done with this one, so this is probably a good place to stop." He'd been thinking about suggesting they take a break so he could go have a smoke, but he wasn't in the mood to get a lecture. Normally he'd just tell Hakkai to mind his own business, but he was still feeling a little guilty about his behavior the night of Hakkai's birthday, so he didn't want to start an argument.
He started to gather up his books and notes. Thinking about Hakkai's birthday reminded him of something else. "So did Gojyo screw up yet on that dare for him to clean up after himself?"
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While nothing he said was particularly emphasized, Sanzo might have noticed a vaguely pointed look that was gone as soon as it appeared. Hakkai arranged his own notes and books into a neat stack, but paused when Sanzo asked about Gojyo's dare. He smiled suddenly, a conspirational glint in his eyes. "I'm afraid he has, actually. There's a pile of empty cans underneath his bed, though I'm not sure if he knows I'm aware of it. To his credit, however, he's been a little better about hiding the dirty laundry." He tilted his head to the side, arching an eyebrow. "Should we confront him, do you think?"
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Sanzo smiled a little in response to Hakkai's question. During the drunken, and probably ill-advised, game of Truth or Dare on Hakkai's birthday, Hakkai had dared Gojyo to clean-up after himself for one week. Hakkai had left it to Sanzo to come up with the penalty if Gojyo didn't complete the dare. Since Gojyo wasn't known for his housekeeping skills, Sanzo had enjoyed coming up with possible punishments. He and Hakkai had eventually decided on a suitable one, but they had also agreed not to let Gojyo know what it was until Gojyo failed to complete the dare. Neither of them had even considered for a moment that the penalty might not be needed ( ... )
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He laughed cheerfully as he stood up, not seeimg to be in much of a rush. "You're rather eager to see this, aren't you?" He picked up his own books and nodded to the monk to lead the way. "Did you charge the things to the Aspects' gold card? My, I hope they don't assume we're doing anything untoward." And there was an implied, even though we are at the end of that sentence.
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Sanzo gave Hakkai a sharp look as they left the library and walked into the halls. "And you're not going to enjoy this?" he asked. "You're the one that suggested adding pink." He shrugged. "I think the Aspects have learned not to ask questions if they don't want to know the answers. But in this case, since I had to change the money into Galleons first, they won't see what I spent it on. Although they probably know anyway." He didn't really care what they thought. If they were going to send him off with vague hints instead of clear instructions, then they shouldn't complain about how he spent his time.
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"Well," he conceded, after a short pause, "it will certainly be amusing -- and, well, the pink was an inevitable addition, wasn't it? I just happened to be the one to bring it up first." Hakkai paused midstep, maybe a little surprised at how thorough the monk had been in gathering the needed "props" for their current scheme. "That was very, ah, thoughtful of you, then." He wondered for a brief moment if he should be concerned about how much Sanzo was looking forward to this but brushed it off.
Another second passed, and he said absently, "Ah, I do hope Gojyo doesn't try to escape. I'd rather not resort to force."
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Hakkai might have hesitated at the thought of willingly making a mess, but it was more likely that he was wondering if his own personal definition of "a mess" was particularly drastic enough; after all, a few crumpled pieces of paper on the ground didn't usually constitute a dirty room for most people. "Ah," he said sheepishly, "in that case, I'll probably be a need a bit of help, then."
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