[Week 17, Day 6] [Dream] I saw you in a memory
On the sixteenth of August, Irie Shouichi leaves to visit family in his hometown. It’s a lie - you know he’s gone home to meet with Sawada Tsunayoshi. He won’t be in Namimori, instead he’ll be in Osaka at a safe house. Six hours after he leaves, you’re on a flight to Spain. Shouichi has his own secrets (kept close to his chest, clutching at them like they’re keeping him afloat; as though he’s drowning among the death, the lies and the power) - and you have yours. There are just some things you need to keep from Shouichi - the simple truth is this: you simply can’t trust him anymore.
He’s lost his faith in you; has lost it for a while now. At the very least, you find an hour (before you leave) to be sad about it. He is your oldest friend, so you give him that much.
-
Spain is warm in August.
You arrive at your hotel in shorts and a vest top, sunglasses sitting atop your head and a lollipop hanging from your mouth. It’s apple flavoured and you’re dressed in white and green; some would say the colours are representative to your mood, perhaps. You’re inclined to say that you like to match Kikyou’s hair. Kikyou, after all is your most trusted ally as of late - and anyway, why on earth would you be feeling any kind of feeling related to the colour green? All ridiculous notions.
Kikyou greets you in the hotel lobby, as casual as he can be. You can glance around in disinterest; you have no desire to admire the tall ceiling, the gaudy red décor nor the tacky, expensive furnishings. This is the kind of place people expect you to be however - this is your fake image of decadence and so you force a smile onto your face and nod once at Kikyou and then you’re both walking towards the elevator. Kikyou has had a solemn expression on his face since you arrived and you sigh and cast him blank look as you stand in waiting, the numbers of the floors going by slowly.
“Is there something the matter?”
Kikyou’s eyes close and his entire face becomes tense, irritated. “The cartels in Mexico are not being co-operative, Byakuran-sama.”
You’ve had the Funeral Wreaths (the real ones, not the useless idiots you have posing at the moment) doing the dirty work for the Millifiore, behind the scenes. It keeps them occupied for the moment, just until you need them for what they’re really here for. The elevator pings at your floor and you sigh; the sigh sounds truly sad even to your own ears.
“That’s a shame.”
And it is; you’d been hoping they’d at least give some form co-operation to the take over. You step into your suite and cast a look over your shoulder. Kikyou is watching you, expression carefully neutral. You smile.
“Kill them, Kikyou-kun.”
Kikyou’s mouth slowly turns upwards as he smirks. “Yes, Byakuran-sama.”
Ah, you like Kikyou best of all. He asks no questions, casts no judgements. You wish everyone could be as obedient, sometimes.
-
This meeting between the two of you is just as much a vacation as it is a business meeting. You’ve been overworking Kikyou a lot lately - had him in Mexico, Brazil even China. Zakuro of course, had been supposed to be helping but there’s a sour look on Kikyou’s face whenever you mention his name. A falling out, you suspect. How cute.
There’s a hookah, on the table between you. It’s a nostalgic habit from college that you only do every so often - Kikyou indulges you with the finest merchandise Millifiore has on offer, when you do indulge in it.
“The Triad,” Kikyou is saying, but you’re barely listening, “are hesitant to cut what little ties they have to Vongola. They are keen to keep some peace with Italy, at the moment. I think perhaps with more time and patience, they can be swayed.”
You glance down at your hand and finger the Mare ring absently. The labs back home have been working night and day to finish your box weapons and you smile a small, secret smile. You draw your eyes back up to Kikyou’s face and settle back into your seat, slouching down. “Do we need them?”
Kikyou shrugs. “We do not need any of our drug trade, if I may be honest. Simply, they provide the Family with extra money.”
You chuckle and motion for Kikyou to hand you the hookah. “Then just get rid of them, Kikyou-kun~. Send in our men to take over by force if you want to keep the income~. I don’t care; drugs, prostitution - they’re just a boring, clichéd front~. Burn it all to the ground, Kikyou-kun.”
There’s a smile on Kikyou’s face as you take a draw; it’s small, vicious and his eyes are burning with a smug satisfaction. Well; as long he’s in a better mood, then. You smile and set the hookah down. “Take Zakuro with you.”
His smile drops like a stone; yours does not.
-
There’s a day where you walk along the beach alone. The sun is warm and there is barely hint of a breeze, but you don’t much care. You sit yourself down on the sand and look at the ocean with a blank expression.
The Mare ring around your finger feels heavy as you sit; you’re not unaware that the ocean is what you represent now, metaphorically. You run a hand through your hair as you watch and ponder the ocean. It’s always changing and flowing and you’ve seen on the news how things like climate change are affecting it. The world is crumbling around you.
You haven’t told Kikyou (or Shouichi, for that matter) yet, but it’s becoming harder and harder to cope with the after effects of looking into other worlds. The strain of time is starting to take effect on your ability to the point where now it’s noticeable not only to you, but to those around you. At first it was a queasy stomach and a headache. Now you find yourself tired, queasy and generally miserable after you come out of it.
There are a million reasons you need the trinisette; this is just another, on top of the list.
Kikyou finds you hours later, poking at the sand absently, and he says:
“The Vongola rings have been destroyed. I suspect Irie Shouichi will inform you when you return back to Italy.”
Your hand freezes in the sand. “Sit with me, Kikyou-kun.”
The sea is eerily still as he sits with you. He looks apprehensive, you think.
The world is crumbling around you now, but you’ve felt like there’s something wrong for a while; longer than you’ve known Kikyou, at least. You grab a fistful of sand in your hand and watch it crumble through your fingers. If destroying this world is what it took to fix it, you were willing to do it. You’ve surrounded yourself with death until the point where it’s just another thing now. Death happens, you move on.
Kikyou shifts beside you. You wanted to change this world, but you suspect that you yourself have changed somewhere along the way. You can’t bring yourself to care.
“I’m going home tomorrow,” you say; quiet, small, composed.
“Byakuran-sama-“
You smile. “I’m going to kill Sawada Tsunayoshi in the cruellest way I know how~.”
You’ll let someone else do it for you.
-
You arrive back in Italy at four in the morning. Shouichi is there waiting for you; his face is concerned, annoyed - you take one look at him and against your own will you smile.
“Shou-chan~.”
“Just who do you think you are?” Shouichi hisses as you approach him. “You can’t just take days off! Do you even know what’s happened?!”
You close your eyes and let him pull you from the airport to a waiting car. You let him lead you home and you smile. Always, always smiling. “Something’s happened?”
“The Vongola rings are gone Byakuran-san!”
You spare a glance at him. You think; did you help destroy them, traitor? But you say: “I know, Shou-chan. I saw it, in another world.” You’re lying, but Shouichi’s entire expression and attitude are lies too. You smile at him, gentle, soothing and you say: “Calm down, Shou-chan. This isn’t the end.”
Shouichi says: “I have a plan.”
You close your eyes and slouch into your seat. “Get rid of Tsunayoshi-kun. If he doesn’t have his ring, he’s useless to me. Do whatever you want, Shou-chan - I’m tired right now, so run it by me later, OK?”
The car feels as though it’s moving slower than it should; you start to fall asleep, Shouichi a heavy presence beside you. Too much is happening and right now, just for a while, you want to sleep.
--
[Byakuran wakes up with a headache. He sits up slowly, his face void of emotion and he stares down at his empty hand. He sits there, like this for a moment before he runs a hand through his hair and casts a tired look at the Hitomi.
Of course, everyone will have seen this. Things that he would have rather kept private. But then, not everything can stay a secret for long. Truthfully, sometimes he tires of secrets.
He sighs and reaches for the Hitomi, ending the feed.]
He’s lost his faith in you; has lost it for a while now. At the very least, you find an hour (before you leave) to be sad about it. He is your oldest friend, so you give him that much.
-
Spain is warm in August.
You arrive at your hotel in shorts and a vest top, sunglasses sitting atop your head and a lollipop hanging from your mouth. It’s apple flavoured and you’re dressed in white and green; some would say the colours are representative to your mood, perhaps. You’re inclined to say that you like to match Kikyou’s hair. Kikyou, after all is your most trusted ally as of late - and anyway, why on earth would you be feeling any kind of feeling related to the colour green? All ridiculous notions.
Kikyou greets you in the hotel lobby, as casual as he can be. You can glance around in disinterest; you have no desire to admire the tall ceiling, the gaudy red décor nor the tacky, expensive furnishings. This is the kind of place people expect you to be however - this is your fake image of decadence and so you force a smile onto your face and nod once at Kikyou and then you’re both walking towards the elevator. Kikyou has had a solemn expression on his face since you arrived and you sigh and cast him blank look as you stand in waiting, the numbers of the floors going by slowly.
“Is there something the matter?”
Kikyou’s eyes close and his entire face becomes tense, irritated. “The cartels in Mexico are not being co-operative, Byakuran-sama.”
You’ve had the Funeral Wreaths (the real ones, not the useless idiots you have posing at the moment) doing the dirty work for the Millifiore, behind the scenes. It keeps them occupied for the moment, just until you need them for what they’re really here for. The elevator pings at your floor and you sigh; the sigh sounds truly sad even to your own ears.
“That’s a shame.”
And it is; you’d been hoping they’d at least give some form co-operation to the take over. You step into your suite and cast a look over your shoulder. Kikyou is watching you, expression carefully neutral. You smile.
“Kill them, Kikyou-kun.”
Kikyou’s mouth slowly turns upwards as he smirks. “Yes, Byakuran-sama.”
Ah, you like Kikyou best of all. He asks no questions, casts no judgements. You wish everyone could be as obedient, sometimes.
-
This meeting between the two of you is just as much a vacation as it is a business meeting. You’ve been overworking Kikyou a lot lately - had him in Mexico, Brazil even China. Zakuro of course, had been supposed to be helping but there’s a sour look on Kikyou’s face whenever you mention his name. A falling out, you suspect. How cute.
There’s a hookah, on the table between you. It’s a nostalgic habit from college that you only do every so often - Kikyou indulges you with the finest merchandise Millifiore has on offer, when you do indulge in it.
“The Triad,” Kikyou is saying, but you’re barely listening, “are hesitant to cut what little ties they have to Vongola. They are keen to keep some peace with Italy, at the moment. I think perhaps with more time and patience, they can be swayed.”
You glance down at your hand and finger the Mare ring absently. The labs back home have been working night and day to finish your box weapons and you smile a small, secret smile. You draw your eyes back up to Kikyou’s face and settle back into your seat, slouching down. “Do we need them?”
Kikyou shrugs. “We do not need any of our drug trade, if I may be honest. Simply, they provide the Family with extra money.”
You chuckle and motion for Kikyou to hand you the hookah. “Then just get rid of them, Kikyou-kun~. Send in our men to take over by force if you want to keep the income~. I don’t care; drugs, prostitution - they’re just a boring, clichéd front~. Burn it all to the ground, Kikyou-kun.”
There’s a smile on Kikyou’s face as you take a draw; it’s small, vicious and his eyes are burning with a smug satisfaction. Well; as long he’s in a better mood, then. You smile and set the hookah down. “Take Zakuro with you.”
His smile drops like a stone; yours does not.
-
There’s a day where you walk along the beach alone. The sun is warm and there is barely hint of a breeze, but you don’t much care. You sit yourself down on the sand and look at the ocean with a blank expression.
The Mare ring around your finger feels heavy as you sit; you’re not unaware that the ocean is what you represent now, metaphorically. You run a hand through your hair as you watch and ponder the ocean. It’s always changing and flowing and you’ve seen on the news how things like climate change are affecting it. The world is crumbling around you.
You haven’t told Kikyou (or Shouichi, for that matter) yet, but it’s becoming harder and harder to cope with the after effects of looking into other worlds. The strain of time is starting to take effect on your ability to the point where now it’s noticeable not only to you, but to those around you. At first it was a queasy stomach and a headache. Now you find yourself tired, queasy and generally miserable after you come out of it.
There are a million reasons you need the trinisette; this is just another, on top of the list.
Kikyou finds you hours later, poking at the sand absently, and he says:
“The Vongola rings have been destroyed. I suspect Irie Shouichi will inform you when you return back to Italy.”
Your hand freezes in the sand. “Sit with me, Kikyou-kun.”
The sea is eerily still as he sits with you. He looks apprehensive, you think.
The world is crumbling around you now, but you’ve felt like there’s something wrong for a while; longer than you’ve known Kikyou, at least. You grab a fistful of sand in your hand and watch it crumble through your fingers. If destroying this world is what it took to fix it, you were willing to do it. You’ve surrounded yourself with death until the point where it’s just another thing now. Death happens, you move on.
Kikyou shifts beside you. You wanted to change this world, but you suspect that you yourself have changed somewhere along the way. You can’t bring yourself to care.
“I’m going home tomorrow,” you say; quiet, small, composed.
“Byakuran-sama-“
You smile. “I’m going to kill Sawada Tsunayoshi in the cruellest way I know how~.”
You’ll let someone else do it for you.
-
You arrive back in Italy at four in the morning. Shouichi is there waiting for you; his face is concerned, annoyed - you take one look at him and against your own will you smile.
“Shou-chan~.”
“Just who do you think you are?” Shouichi hisses as you approach him. “You can’t just take days off! Do you even know what’s happened?!”
You close your eyes and let him pull you from the airport to a waiting car. You let him lead you home and you smile. Always, always smiling. “Something’s happened?”
“The Vongola rings are gone Byakuran-san!”
You spare a glance at him. You think; did you help destroy them, traitor? But you say: “I know, Shou-chan. I saw it, in another world.” You’re lying, but Shouichi’s entire expression and attitude are lies too. You smile at him, gentle, soothing and you say: “Calm down, Shou-chan. This isn’t the end.”
Shouichi says: “I have a plan.”
You close your eyes and slouch into your seat. “Get rid of Tsunayoshi-kun. If he doesn’t have his ring, he’s useless to me. Do whatever you want, Shou-chan - I’m tired right now, so run it by me later, OK?”
The car feels as though it’s moving slower than it should; you start to fall asleep, Shouichi a heavy presence beside you. Too much is happening and right now, just for a while, you want to sleep.
--
[Byakuran wakes up with a headache. He sits up slowly, his face void of emotion and he stares down at his empty hand. He sits there, like this for a moment before he runs a hand through his hair and casts a tired look at the Hitomi.
Of course, everyone will have seen this. Things that he would have rather kept private. But then, not everything can stay a secret for long. Truthfully, sometimes he tires of secrets.
He sighs and reaches for the Hitomi, ending the feed.]