(no subject)
Who: Kaoru Hitachiin (uchimata_ja_nai), Elizabeθ Buckley (ergaleomancer ), Naoki Kashima (scalethetower ), Gilbert Nightray (loyalraven ), Nill (voicelessengel ), Edogawa Conan (holmes_fanatic ), Ran Mouri (karates_doors ), Taiwan (eveningplum ), Tavros Nitram (martin_sorvat ), Hungary (edes_virag ), Kyouya Ootori (ko1122 ), anyone (else~!)
What: Kaoru's setting off sky lanterns. Anyone is welcome to come along, scribble a message on one (if they like), and set it free. Or just set one free. Or just watch the pretty lights. I'm happy with this happening in individual threads by character/small groups; we can figure out tagging orders as we go and I'm perfectly happy to backthread for as long as this needs :)
When: After dark on the 8th of June, probably running through to early on the 9th
Where: The Wall, observation deck.
Warnings: Oh god, you guys, I couldn't make it stop. This really is long ;_; Aside from the ncredibly long opener, nothing at this point. Just read the What section for a brief primer if you don't want to tackle the wall of text. I honestly wouldn't blame you XD
Status: In Progress/Open!
Kaoru had been more than a little distracted since he'd found out that his and Hikaru's birthday was coming up. To be honest, he wasn't quite sure what to make of it - he didn't feel older. Chronologically, it had only been five months since their last birthday. And to celebrate it again - to celebrate it alone - was unnatural to him. To celebrate their birthday without the person he came into the world with would just be weird.
Since his arrival, Kaoru hadn't been able to help but dwell on his brother when he wasn't otherwise occupied. It wasn't as though they had never spent a night apart, but that was always with the comforting knowledge that the other was in the next room, or just down the hall, or a phone call away.
He had never felt so lonely and so isolated as he did right now.
Which was why he had finally come to the decision not to celebrate his own birthday - but to celebrate Hikaru's instead.
He had spent most of the week occupying his time reading library books and making sky lanterns - a commoner entertainment that turned out to be not at all difficult to make, and one he was sure Hikaru would love. Although Kaoru had made a few test flights in the safety of his own apartment (and had miraculously managed not to burn it down), his remaining works had been reserved for the eve of their birthday. He had set up camp on one of the observation decks armed with candles to mark the way, a flask full of something hot and a blanket spread out to protect his work - and his knees - one of his lanterns spread out to write in. He took a slender brush in hand and dipped it into a little dish he had previously filled with bottled Sumi ink (the next best thing to the traditional ink stick and grinding stone he could find), rotating the handle between his fingers to fully coat the tip before stroking off the excess and paused, tip hovering over the unblemished surface of the lantern before he started to write in the glow of his candles.
Priorities first. He wished his brother a happy birthday and ensured him of his safety - that Hikaru didn't have to worry about him, and if he didn't even know Kaoru was missing, that it was okay for him NOT to worry and he'd be home before he knew it.
He made wishes for his brother health, and happiness, and safety for the coming year and, knowing Hikaru would never forgive him if he didn't offer an account of himself, continued to spill his experiences onto the paper. He wrote about the strange, often creepy city he'd found himself in and knew Hikaru would probably tease him endlessly for his cowardice - but you know, Hikaru, there's a lot less reason to be afraid when there's someone by your side you can share it all with...
(He straightened up, appraising his remaining writing space and flattened out another section to overflow onto, changing the subject.)
He wasn't stuck by himself, so Hikaru didn't have to worry. Kyouya-senpai was here too, and as difficult to read as always. He was probably, Kaoru conjectured, as unsure of his footing in this new place as Kaoru himself was, but their senpai was never likely to admit that directly. In truth, he didn't know the older boy that well. In the host club back home, after all, he was just there; orchestrating things from the shadows in his trademark Kyouya-senpai way.
Don't laugh at this, Hikaru, but I'd like to get to know him better...
Kaoru missed the host club, and at this point he realised he was writing as though he'd left forever. He hoped they'd managed to pull Tamaki back from the airport, in the end. He hoped that Hikaru was being brave and holding their family together in the absence of two of its members. He prayed that Haruhi was still wearing her school uniform and hadn't returned to the frumpy monstrosity they had caught her in in her first day.
He turned his first sheet face down now that it was dry, moving onto a third page. If he was ever going to put an address on this thing he'd have to wind things up. But he had to tell Hikaru about the things that mattered.
Even if he rushed it, his brother would understand.
After the briefest hesitation, he wrote about his loneliness, his homesickness. He wrote that he was scared. That he was trying to be brave and reach out to as many people as he could, but that he couldn't help but look at his own actions with a degree of cynicism. Was he being friendly with these people because he wanted to? Or because he knew making connections now would make it easier for him in the long run? Didn't that make him just the same as the people they'd always looked down on until recently - didn't that just make him a huge hypocrite?
At the same time (he wrote), there should have been no reason at all for him to feel that way. If no one was going to remember, not Hikaru, not even himself, why should it matter? Why should he feel anything about an event that never happened?
But if Kaoru was stuck here forever... what then? What would that mean for his world then?
He bent closer, writing his last few lines and trying his best not to cramp his script too much.
There's so much more left to tell you, Hikaru, but there probably isn't ink and paper enough. But I'll send all my thoughts up with the lanterns and maybe they'll find you back home. Happy Birthday. Take care of yourself, okay?
He settled back, cross-legged to read over his work, rubbing his arms against a chill he didn't know had settled. His being cold wasn't a problem - at least the wind hadn't kicked up. He needed still weather for his lanterns to sail.
Kaoru flipped the lantern over to its last clear side, washing off the thin calligraphy brush in a separate dish of water and setting it aside to dry a little. His hand found a larger brush, which he thoroughly saturated in ink before writing out his brother's name in bold, vibrant strokes, taking up as much space on the lantern as possible. Once satisfied, he washed off the second brush too, stroking the bristles back into points almost meditatively while the last of the ink dried.
It was ready.
With one hand, Kaoru picked up the lantern, and in the other, he took a small taper, stepping away from his work area along the observation deck. This part was always going to be the fiddliest bit, but somehow he managed to negotiate lighting the makeshift fuel cell at the bottom of the lantern whilst keeping hold of it, blowing out the taper and dropping it so he could hold the lantern in both hands as it began to expand with heated air, growing warm under his fingertips. Before long, he was holding it high over his head, the lantern tugging to be released. Kaoru couldn't let go.
He couldn't let go. He had always pushed Hikaru to be more independent, and yet here Kaoru was still clutching for his brother when he was a world away, to the extent that he was sending letters to nowhere. It didn't matter where the lantern went - he knew it would never reach Hikaru, he had known that from the beginning. The important part was that it was all out there. There was still nobody in this - or any - universe that Kaoru trusted like Hikaru, very few would even think of unburdening himself to. But at this time of year, he hoped their minds should have been closer than any other time, no matter what the distance.
But he had got it out there. For now, this would do. For now, this was enough. From here, he reassured himself, it would get better.
He closed his eyes tightly, and finally let go.
What: Kaoru's setting off sky lanterns. Anyone is welcome to come along, scribble a message on one (if they like), and set it free. Or just set one free. Or just watch the pretty lights. I'm happy with this happening in individual threads by character/small groups; we can figure out tagging orders as we go and I'm perfectly happy to backthread for as long as this needs :)
When: After dark on the 8th of June, probably running through to early on the 9th
Where: The Wall, observation deck.
Warnings: Oh god, you guys, I couldn't make it stop. This really is long ;_; Aside from the ncredibly long opener, nothing at this point. Just read the What section for a brief primer if you don't want to tackle the wall of text. I honestly wouldn't blame you XD
Status: In Progress/Open!
Kaoru had been more than a little distracted since he'd found out that his and Hikaru's birthday was coming up. To be honest, he wasn't quite sure what to make of it - he didn't feel older. Chronologically, it had only been five months since their last birthday. And to celebrate it again - to celebrate it alone - was unnatural to him. To celebrate their birthday without the person he came into the world with would just be weird.
Since his arrival, Kaoru hadn't been able to help but dwell on his brother when he wasn't otherwise occupied. It wasn't as though they had never spent a night apart, but that was always with the comforting knowledge that the other was in the next room, or just down the hall, or a phone call away.
He had never felt so lonely and so isolated as he did right now.
Which was why he had finally come to the decision not to celebrate his own birthday - but to celebrate Hikaru's instead.
He had spent most of the week occupying his time reading library books and making sky lanterns - a commoner entertainment that turned out to be not at all difficult to make, and one he was sure Hikaru would love. Although Kaoru had made a few test flights in the safety of his own apartment (and had miraculously managed not to burn it down), his remaining works had been reserved for the eve of their birthday. He had set up camp on one of the observation decks armed with candles to mark the way, a flask full of something hot and a blanket spread out to protect his work - and his knees - one of his lanterns spread out to write in. He took a slender brush in hand and dipped it into a little dish he had previously filled with bottled Sumi ink (the next best thing to the traditional ink stick and grinding stone he could find), rotating the handle between his fingers to fully coat the tip before stroking off the excess and paused, tip hovering over the unblemished surface of the lantern before he started to write in the glow of his candles.
Priorities first. He wished his brother a happy birthday and ensured him of his safety - that Hikaru didn't have to worry about him, and if he didn't even know Kaoru was missing, that it was okay for him NOT to worry and he'd be home before he knew it.
He made wishes for his brother health, and happiness, and safety for the coming year and, knowing Hikaru would never forgive him if he didn't offer an account of himself, continued to spill his experiences onto the paper. He wrote about the strange, often creepy city he'd found himself in and knew Hikaru would probably tease him endlessly for his cowardice - but you know, Hikaru, there's a lot less reason to be afraid when there's someone by your side you can share it all with...
(He straightened up, appraising his remaining writing space and flattened out another section to overflow onto, changing the subject.)
He wasn't stuck by himself, so Hikaru didn't have to worry. Kyouya-senpai was here too, and as difficult to read as always. He was probably, Kaoru conjectured, as unsure of his footing in this new place as Kaoru himself was, but their senpai was never likely to admit that directly. In truth, he didn't know the older boy that well. In the host club back home, after all, he was just there; orchestrating things from the shadows in his trademark Kyouya-senpai way.
Don't laugh at this, Hikaru, but I'd like to get to know him better...
Kaoru missed the host club, and at this point he realised he was writing as though he'd left forever. He hoped they'd managed to pull Tamaki back from the airport, in the end. He hoped that Hikaru was being brave and holding their family together in the absence of two of its members. He prayed that Haruhi was still wearing her school uniform and hadn't returned to the frumpy monstrosity they had caught her in in her first day.
He turned his first sheet face down now that it was dry, moving onto a third page. If he was ever going to put an address on this thing he'd have to wind things up. But he had to tell Hikaru about the things that mattered.
Even if he rushed it, his brother would understand.
After the briefest hesitation, he wrote about his loneliness, his homesickness. He wrote that he was scared. That he was trying to be brave and reach out to as many people as he could, but that he couldn't help but look at his own actions with a degree of cynicism. Was he being friendly with these people because he wanted to? Or because he knew making connections now would make it easier for him in the long run? Didn't that make him just the same as the people they'd always looked down on until recently - didn't that just make him a huge hypocrite?
At the same time (he wrote), there should have been no reason at all for him to feel that way. If no one was going to remember, not Hikaru, not even himself, why should it matter? Why should he feel anything about an event that never happened?
But if Kaoru was stuck here forever... what then? What would that mean for his world then?
He bent closer, writing his last few lines and trying his best not to cramp his script too much.
There's so much more left to tell you, Hikaru, but there probably isn't ink and paper enough. But I'll send all my thoughts up with the lanterns and maybe they'll find you back home. Happy Birthday. Take care of yourself, okay?
He settled back, cross-legged to read over his work, rubbing his arms against a chill he didn't know had settled. His being cold wasn't a problem - at least the wind hadn't kicked up. He needed still weather for his lanterns to sail.
Kaoru flipped the lantern over to its last clear side, washing off the thin calligraphy brush in a separate dish of water and setting it aside to dry a little. His hand found a larger brush, which he thoroughly saturated in ink before writing out his brother's name in bold, vibrant strokes, taking up as much space on the lantern as possible. Once satisfied, he washed off the second brush too, stroking the bristles back into points almost meditatively while the last of the ink dried.
It was ready.
With one hand, Kaoru picked up the lantern, and in the other, he took a small taper, stepping away from his work area along the observation deck. This part was always going to be the fiddliest bit, but somehow he managed to negotiate lighting the makeshift fuel cell at the bottom of the lantern whilst keeping hold of it, blowing out the taper and dropping it so he could hold the lantern in both hands as it began to expand with heated air, growing warm under his fingertips. Before long, he was holding it high over his head, the lantern tugging to be released. Kaoru couldn't let go.
He couldn't let go. He had always pushed Hikaru to be more independent, and yet here Kaoru was still clutching for his brother when he was a world away, to the extent that he was sending letters to nowhere. It didn't matter where the lantern went - he knew it would never reach Hikaru, he had known that from the beginning. The important part was that it was all out there. There was still nobody in this - or any - universe that Kaoru trusted like Hikaru, very few would even think of unburdening himself to. But at this time of year, he hoped their minds should have been closer than any other time, no matter what the distance.
But he had got it out there. For now, this would do. For now, this was enough. From here, he reassured himself, it would get better.
He closed his eyes tightly, and finally let go.