SHIBUSEN SIDE

[soul_mods]

Characters: OPEN, Shibusen side
Location: Shibusen underground barracks
Rating: R
Time: September 1-15, 2019
Description: Both sides have exchanged news about their respective blast from the past. What does everyone think about it?

Comments

CLOSED. September 6th. Hughes' Room.

[everyonecried]

Would've turned up sooner or later, was all Hughes had to think about it. Much, much later, if he thought longer than he was required to - and he often did, so that would be how it fell.

Not the time travelers, no. The rumors. Rumors were mean things, creeping around in corners until you stepped on their tails and dragged them out to be examined; children, almost, with their parent truths shut into offices or kitchens and ignoring the play that was going on outside. Personally, Hughes liked rumors. They gave him a good reason to think, before or after they arrived-- and once they did, he'd hunt it down as much as he could. Which, in this case, meant hunting down a lot. Meant it was hard to not stick around that kitchen or office, actually, difficult to venture under the sun again. But he forced himself to, because he knew what would be coming, and even if Winry's return meant more than could be imagined (like a miracle, though, not a person, and Hughes hated himself a bit for that), he had obligations to uphold.

Kicking back in his chair in his room, for instance, eyes on the door. Waiting. Not looking it, but expectant - how couldn't he be expectant, mentally tapping a foot against the floor with each passing second, with news like this? They'd catch on, he knew. Just a matter of when.

Hopefully sooner rather than later, he had to think. Waiting hadn't been his strong point, no matter how much time passed.

Re: CLOSED. September 6th. Hughes' Room.

[fridgeburnt]

Xanxus walked briskly to Hughes' room, hands discretely moving inside his pockets, thinking. Planning. Setting things into schemes that he can return and re-arrange at will. He's played a careful balance between the varia and both sides right now, and while it's in danger of collapsing with just one move -- there's always something, so far, that's kept things in check. So far.

He was aware of Kasai hovering behind him, like his shadow, but nothing like -- well. Him. A sore name for a sore memory. A dull pain. Things that he really shouldn't be bothering himself with even now. He has a job to do, and he's going to do it well. That is all that matters right now, especially when each point, each decision made keeps them one day away from eventual death.

And then, there were the rumours. He caught wind of them on his way to Mukuro's side. To think that time can be manipulated .... no, there are other forces at work, and he's sure of this. Something else he doesn't know. One side hadn't make a move, as of yet, though he knows Vergil's up to the same shit he always was. But with the rumours around -- and possibly true -- something has to change. And it was only a matter of time before the other side reacts, and Xanxus has to be fucking prepared, either way.

"This fucking week," Xanxus growled. "Just when I've had enough they pull this shit off. Exactly what the hell are they thinking? and what the hell does it mean, even if it were true?" No, he really can't forgive them for fucking his schedule. It was perfect and would've been quiet otherwise.

[firebrands]

Wherever Xanxus went, Kasai went - or so it had gone for the last ten years, on and off in the early days, more consistently in the later ones. He was always there in that almost-cloud of smoke that was starting to take its toll (had been for a while now) and now was no different. Even in the hidden streets of Shibusen he let the smoke trail behind him as they stalked toward one particular room.

Rumors weren't really a specialty for him, but you heard them no matter where you went. He heard about mysterious figures, about time travel, and it made him laugh. Really? Of all the cliches to set into action after all this time, it went with time travel? He didn't automatically disbelieve, but it was a strange thing to consider. Time was a flighty bastard, now, wasn't it. Why bring it up now, of all times ...

"A lot," Kasai said simply, tapping the ashes off the end of his cigarette to blend into the dark floor. "I assume we'll get more answers shortly." He eyed the nearly-finished cigarette with disdain and took a last long drag on it before crushing it out on the floor, reaching into his pockets automatically for a new one. "We could always head to higher authorities if you're really curious."

Of course they wouldn't. Not without need and force. Neither of which he was particularly feeling at the current time.

[everyonecried]

Smoke - that was a nice smell, a familiar one. Not so familiar to the face, but Kasai was a shadow Hughes had come to expect with Xanxus, and he finally straightened up his chair as the two entered, hands falling to his needs to lean forward, instead. He couldn't help but be full of movement, especially after this development; but at least all of that energy would be channeled into actions rather than words.

Nah, his mind was working just as it normally did, and his words were clear enough. The smile, too - amiable as always, eyes sharp right behind. And weren't these two men pieces of work, his more analytical side wanted to point out-- not that that was a bad thing.

"Four time-travelers from ten years in the past. I'm guessing that's what you two are here about?" Didn't give time for a starting question, but did give time after for any replies. The Varia could easily head to higher authorities, it was true, but that would've been out of the way and off the normal track-- and Hughes still wasn't sure exactly how that Shinigami up top thought about the freelancing group. Probably not that favorably.

This was objective business, anyway, and he kept all of his thoughts pointedly away from Winry. Better that way, just as this exchange was better.

[fridgeburnt]

"Good," Xanxus replied, taking a seat on his bed and crossing his legs with a sigh. There's too much walking involved being head of the Varia in this place. Back in Italy he'd kill anyone that make him so much as stretch his feet out of his fucking chair. "Tell me everything."

Hughes, at least, wasn't really that bad of a guy. He hates dealing with anyone too high. Besides, he rather doubt they'd like it if they found out what the Varia's actually doing. Best to stay hidden and play safe, in the meantime.

[firebrands]

Kasai remained standing near the door, lighting up his cigarette and listening rather than appearing to pay complete attention. Even if he was, he hadn't survived as long as he had by being innately attentive and pressing for more information; people were willing to say more when they thought you weren't paying attention. When the only other person in a room where you're talking to someone is an old man who might or might not be half-asleep, you didn't guard your words as well.

Though he'd admit that sort of thing didn't work so well these days. Xanxus generally ruined the effect.

So Hughes was ahead of the game. There weren't many reasons they would have showed up out of the blue, though, so he was probably just waiting to spill the beans. At least, Kasai hoped that was his plan. He didn't mind going on the information hunt but the day had looked so peaceful in the beginning. So for the moment he was silent, listening more than anything else, briefly stifling a cough that caused a spark of pain somewhere in his chest.

I'm sorry the late of this. :x

[everyonecried]

Everything. As if everything didn't mean digging through the rows of cabinets (already a specific one made for the arrivals) to match up the files that he had made, remember which were fake and which were just coded-- chicken scratch, most of it, though there were a few reports in cursive for when he'd gotten bored. But papers were for when mail came in asking the question: kicking back on the chair, one arm thrown over the side, was for face-to-face meetings.

One eye on Kasai, too. That not-really-listening I'm-only-a-bodyguard-figure pose didn't throw Hughes off for a second; didn't mean he'd call the man on it or make a point of looking at him, or even that it particularly bothered him, but, well.

His tone was all business. Which meant he sounded as if he were reading a rather interesting news article.

"The basics are that four people from ten years ago showed up again. Two here - Winry Rockbell and Miranda Lotto - and two in that communal up in the mountains - Kanda Yuu and Yuuri." And a pause, just in case there were already comments of questions. Either were fine. Best not to dump information so quickly.

Re: I'm sorry the late of this. :x

[fridgeburnt]

"Not just died and have come back?" BREW fucked with itself like that sometimes, or at least as far as he remembered. Maybe BREW fucked with itself at that time and that is the case with these arrivals. But then there should've been records in history about this. And as far as he knows ....

(More importantly: is that power harnessable? Would they be able to obtain it, and once having obtained, used it to change things in the world? Because right now Xanxus would rather be somewhere else, where things made sense; not perfect, but a gunshot or so normally eliminated other problems.)

-- still, the manner of appearances .... "both in the safer zones, huh." Xanxus leaned back, mulling things over. "I suppose it's too early to be called luck, but it's something close."

[firebrands]

Time travel, huh? Guaranteed time travel. Not very long ago he would have laughed at that, but experience and a faint opposition to sudden laughter kept him silent at Hughes' announcement. Instead, he just rolled his shoulder and rubbed at the joint to try and keep it from tensing up too much. Safe places, people they used to know - who vanished off the face of the city so long ago, if his memory was right (and it still was, thanks so much). And now they were back. Time really was a fickle bitch, wasn't she.

"Coincidence," he chimed in, probably unwanted, in a tone of voice that bordered on obviously sarcastic. "If it's luck, it's bad luck." For everybody involved. Not that it made the coincidence any better, but hey, he took what he could get. Kasai didn't have any questions, though, being a better man for the devil's advocate position, and fell silent after his interjection to wait for more information.