Yuuri is in the middle of listening to another rather dull lecture on economics when word he just feels it. Maybe it’s a side effect of all the work that Murata has been having him do with trying to get him up to controlling his powers. He can’t summon anything half as impressive as dragons of water, but just yesterday his usual blobs got something like stubby fingerless arms. He sits up straighter when he feels..... it, searching. He’s completely forgotten about his lesson and when the soldier comes to tell him, he’s already out of his chair and moving towards the door. The poor bewildered man doesn’t have to say anything. He knows.
Conrad is back.
What starts out as a quick walk changes into a jog and before he gets to the second floor he’s running full out. The doors fly open at his approach and he takes the stairs two, sometimes three at a time, nearly tripping over his own feet as he hits the floor of the front hall.
Conrad ruffles the young King's hair on instinct and then steps back, embarrassed by his own audacity. He covers the awkward moment with a slight cough. "I'm sure it will be fine, Heika."
He bows slightly, excusing himself. "By your leave, your Majesty?"
He has no intention of joining Yozak in the kitchen, but Yuuri need not know that. Yozak . . . Well, the two of them could use the time apart. Things had been difficult between them for several weeks . . . ever since the other man found out about the collar in fact. The slender band of leather seemed a bit tight tonight, actually.
Besides, he thought he'd heard something outside and even now his first instinct is to usher the Maou off to a safe place before investigating.
“Yuuri. It’s Yuuri.” But the smile never leaves his face, and he nods, trying to smooth his hair back into place. It’s heartening, really, to see Conrad act like that, mess up his hair without a second thought. There is something a bit fragile about his friend right now. Like weak glass that you can’t press too hard against, or it will crack. Or worse, shatter.
“Make sure you use it tomorrow when we run.” A quick wink and he hugs Conrad again. “Bright an early, like always.”
He tilts his head and smiles slightly at the sight of Anissina's face. Being back in Shin Makoku certainly seems to have agreed with her; she has a healthy glow about her that he never remembered noticing when they were away in Dai Shimeron.
"Real food first," he says, smiling, as he moves past her into the coldbox. "You have no idea how sick I am of fish."
There's fresh pork in the coldbox, and eggs, and vegetables. All the ingredients he needs for a feast. The sheer amount of food in the coldbox, though, seems almost too good to be true, and Yozak can't help but thinking what an event this party that the Maou is planning is going to be. Too bad he probably won't be invited. Ah, well: he'll slip in here tomorrow morning while all the cooking is going on and grab something. He's sure the maids will probably have a story or two to tell him in the meantime.
After a minute, Yozak looks up from selecting his sandwich ingredients and looks over his shoulder. "Got your letter," he says with a wink. "Miss me?"
Yozak laughs as he pours himself a glass of weak ale. "Better hope that Conrad doesn't see those when he goes to read, then. I might ask him to fight for my honor. And--nothing personal, now-- but you'd lose. Dan Hiri-sama's been sparring with him almost non-stop since you left." He winks as he takes a sip, then starts in on his sandwich, still processing the other thing she said.
"Guest of honor?" he asks between bites. "Well, dunno how he's going to feel about a party, but that's an awfully nice thing to come back to. Good timing indeed."
"Honored for doing my job?" Yozak says, pausing to think over his drink. Then he shrugs. "Hn. I ought to rescue royals more often."
The news about his double disappearing is a little saddening. He'd never really connected with his double...but he'd been fond of him, at least a little bit. After all, if that double had never come, Yozak might have never confessed how he felt to Conrad.
"Then I hope he's happy, wherever he is," Yozak says somberly, finishing off his ale.
He shakes his head and reaches for a piece of fruit on the counter behind himself. "That probably wouldn't go over too well. I'd hate to see you end up back in the dungeons after all the help you've given me."
He thinks back to his brief stint as a female and coughs. "Don't be so sure."
Yozak taps his chin thoughtfully, idly noting that he needs a shave. "Anything noteworthy..." He sighs. "Well, we barely got a moment's peace the whole time we were there. They picked up our trail; a couple days after you left, I started noticing spies hanging around. They didn't bother us, but it wasn't exactly a comfortable atmosphere after that.
"He's doing better, too." Yozak refills his glass. "Better than when we first saw him, at least. Skittish, though. Doesn't want to be touched. By anyone. Don't take offense if he doesn't seem thrilled to see you."
Conrad is back.
What starts out as a quick walk changes into a jog and before he gets to the second floor he’s running full out. The doors fly open at his approach and he takes the stairs two, sometimes three at a time, nearly tripping over his own feet as he hits the floor of the front hall.
There they are. Oh my god, there they are!
“Conrad! Yozak! Welcome hooooome!”
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He bows slightly, excusing himself. "By your leave, your Majesty?"
He has no intention of joining Yozak in the kitchen, but Yuuri need not know that. Yozak . . . Well, the two of them could use the time apart. Things had been difficult between them for several weeks . . . ever since the other man found out about the collar in fact. The slender band of leather seemed a bit tight tonight, actually.
Besides, he thought he'd heard something outside and even now his first instinct is to usher the Maou off to a safe place before investigating.
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“Make sure you use it tomorrow when we run.” A quick wink and he hugs Conrad again. “Bright an early, like always.”
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"Real food first," he says, smiling, as he moves past her into the coldbox. "You have no idea how sick I am of fish."
There's fresh pork in the coldbox, and eggs, and vegetables. All the ingredients he needs for a feast. The sheer amount of food in the coldbox, though, seems almost too good to be true, and Yozak can't help but thinking what an event this party that the Maou is planning is going to be. Too bad he probably won't be invited. Ah, well: he'll slip in here tomorrow morning while all the cooking is going on and grab something. He's sure the maids will probably have a story or two to tell him in the meantime.
After a minute, Yozak looks up from selecting his sandwich ingredients and looks over his shoulder. "Got your letter," he says with a wink. "Miss me?"
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"Guest of honor?" he asks between bites. "Well, dunno how he's going to feel about a party, but that's an awfully nice thing to come back to. Good timing indeed."
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The news about his double disappearing is a little saddening. He'd never really connected with his double...but he'd been fond of him, at least a little bit. After all, if that double had never come, Yozak might have never confessed how he felt to Conrad.
"Then I hope he's happy, wherever he is," Yozak says somberly, finishing off his ale.
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He smiles when she speaks and nods, closing his eyes. "Now all all we have to do is get back into normal..."
Then she touches his hand almost tenderly and he blinks, surprised. A grin spreads across his face and he pats her hand with his own.
"There, there. I know you've missed me terribly, but there's no need to get so emotional..."
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Yozak taps his chin thoughtfully, idly noting that he needs a shave. "Anything noteworthy..." He sighs. "Well, we barely got a moment's peace the whole time we were there. They picked up our trail; a couple days after you left, I started noticing spies hanging around. They didn't bother us, but it wasn't exactly a comfortable atmosphere after that.
"He's doing better, too." Yozak refills his glass. "Better than when we first saw him, at least. Skittish, though. Doesn't want to be touched. By anyone. Don't take offense if he doesn't seem thrilled to see you."
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