He was a fool, he'd know he was. He shouldn't have believed what he and Haru had was special, because it wasn't. Maybe he had fooled himself into believing it was true because he wanted it to be true. And for the week, he had ignored his cousin, his family really, and kept mostly to himself. Hikari and Farah had tried, concerned for their brother, to understand what he was going through, and why he wasn't his usual self. He, of course, snapped at the two of them, earning a broken nose in the process from Hikari and a set of tears from Farah who fled. He sighed harshly through his nose, raking a hand through his crimson locks as he pulled a piece forward.
"You were a fool," he spoke to himself, leaning his back to rest against the bark of the tree he currently inhabited. His leg dangled off of the branch as his arm rested against his knee. He was being a child now, ignoring what he had known to be true for a while. But it did not cause the slight ache where his heart was, from lurching forward. He had known pain. Hell, he was half a werewolf, pain was practically guaranteed for shifting. But this pain, it was different. It felt like he couldn't breathe, couldn't sleep, couldn't live properly unless he had the one thing he wanted by his side. He wanted just one thing. Perhaps he should have been selfish.
He should have been selfish and taken what wasn't his and made it his, however; that was just the beast inside of him. His beast, much like any of the beasts of his family, always wanted something, however; he was prone to giving into it a few times. This was different. He had denied it, made it wait until he could figure out where he stood with his cousin, but perhaps it was obvious now. He was just Haru's cousin, and the occasional fuck buddy. There was nothing more to it than that. Maybe he was wrong, but even so, he couldn't see it.
This seriously had to fucking stop.
What were they, twelve? They certainly werenāt any fun anymore, and it was getting to the point where Tora was kind of pissed about it, actually. The three of them were never even in the same damn room anymore. As soon as one of them entered, the other would leave. It was stupid, andāimmature as he himself could be when the mood took himāeven he knew it was pointless. They were moping and sulking, and it hadnāt taken him long to figure out why. Heād been kind of hoping theyād figure it out themselves, because getting involved in other peopleās affairs, especially the love affairs. The word alone scrunched up his nose like heād smelled something foul, but whatever. This was starting to affect his life now, so he felt somewhat obligated to do something about it.
He sure as hell wasnāt doing all the work though. He was just going to nudge something in the right direction. Well, okay. It was more like he was going to bodily shove something in the right direction, or perhaps pick it up and throw it. Hard. Maybe heād just throw one of them. Would that solve the problem? Violence solved a lot of problems, but Tora had the sinking feeling that this was not one of them.
Well, fuck.
Oh wait. It was the absence of fucking that was the problem. Shaking his head, the tallest student at Cross easily tracked Ryoku to a tree outdoors. He could smell Haru, too, but that guy was with his sisterāthe not-Naya oneāand he figured she would probably do this kind of thing just as well as him, if not as stylishly. And that was what she was going to do, he was pretty sure. So he sauntered up to the tree, crossed his arms over his broad chest, and sent a green-eyed glare up at his former Henchman #1. He wasnāt really going to call them that until they started acting like it, though. āSoā¦ is this spineless moping gonna be a permanent thing, or what? Cause Iām just saying, it was kinda shitty of you to make the little one cry. Also, Iām demoting you. You suck as a henchman lately. Are you gonna tell me what the problem is, or am I gonna have to tell you?ā
"Oh? I didn't know henchman could be demoted," Ryoku spoke casually, glancing down at his boss. He rolled his eyes at his statement though. He was moping, sure, he could admit that, but what business was it of his? This was not his affair, why would he put his nose where it didn't belong? He shifted from his spot, falling backwards from the branch and flipped so he landed on his feet. Shoving his hands in his pocket, he stared up at the taller male, a frown etching into his features. He was tall, that much was obvious, but Tora was taller. Not so much that Ryoku had to crane his neck in order to see the man, however; he did have to look up.
"For the record, I didn't make anyone cry. If he cried, it was because of his own volition. And what problem? There is no problem. It was a misunderstanding, and that is all there is to it," he spoke, his voice deadpan as the look he was sending Tora. Though honestly, he knew he couldn't fool the other male and raked a hand through his auburn locks, sighing harshly and a bit exaggerated in the process. "What do you want me to say?" he spoke, the same bite to his tone he had used on Haru was laced with his words. What could he say? Haru was his own person, as was he. He had every right to feel the way he did.
"It's not a problem, more like it's the problem. You've got it easy, going around not being tied down to one specific person, but that isn't what I want," anymore. He didn't want that lifestyle any longer. He was getting old; he was old in every sense of the word. Though he was hardly the sentimental type to think about settling down with just one person, it was perhaps, about time he did. And there was only one person he wanted. He could hear his mother laughing at him in the distance somewhere. She'd probably pick on him too, humiliate him in every sense of the word if she were here, which he was quite thankful for.
āOh?ā Tora replied. āWell sācuse me; I assumed the little wolf counted as someone. She did run off in tears because you wouldnāt talk to her, did she not?ā Tora didnāt always give off the impression of being a particularly smart guyāhe actually preferred to play things a bit dumb. But he was sharp as a razor, in truth. He and Tatsu were brothers, after all. The Huntsman raised an eyebrow, the pissy tone of Ryokuās words completely failing to get any sort of reaction from him. He was about as sensitive as a sledgehammer, and that was a two-way thingāhe might be callus with other people, but frankly he didnāt care if other people were pissed at him, either. Sociopathy kind of worked like that, at least in his case.
āAnd for the record, I don't have it easy because Iām not tied downāitās easy because Iām up-front about what I want and what Iām offering. You used to be the same, if I recall properlyā¦ and I do. But here you are, pussyfooting around like you lost your guts somewhere along the way, and Iām just here to tell you it aināt like you and itās fucking stupid. So hereās a thought: tell him what you want. Be as explicit as you like, but for fuckās sake, be clear. You two arenāt smart enough to have conversations in implication without screwing up the meanings, so donāt try.ā he waved a hand nonchalantly in the air, as if to dispel the thought of trying to be subtle. It was definitely not Ryokuās style, and it didnāt work that great for Haru either, apparently, if he could stick his foot in his mouth like that.
Really, getting all of this through psychometry was a huge pain in the ass, and heād really rather this ridiculous farce stopped showing up in his visions whenever he happened to brush an object belonging to one of them. It was consuming their damn lives. He wasnāt entirely sure why he cared, butā¦ heād known these guys for a couple of years, and they were fun to be around, at least until this, wasnāt that enough? āFor the record, I kinda want my henchmen back. So do me a solid here and just give it a shot. It can't get any worse than it already is, right?ā
Ryoku winced. He'd forgotten he'd made Farah cry. He should actually apologize to her for that. He didn't like making her cry when it was unneeded. "Didn't you know? My guts were cut out and lost along the way," he chided, however; Tora was right. This wasn't like him. He was his mother's son; he told everything as it was. He didn't hide behind words, so why should he do it now? Shaking his head, he placed a hand on his side, giving Tora a trademark smirk in the process. Maybe, it wouldn't hurt, and he'd finally know for sure what Haru saw him as. He could take it if Haru truly only saw him as a cousin, he didn't want to lose what friendship he had with Haru.
"See, now this is the reason we call you boss," he spoke, a hint of fang protruding from his mouth as his smirk deepened. "And here I thought Kari was right for calling you a blockhead," he continued, chuckling deeply. He would take Tora's advice, and seek out Haru. "Besides, I didn't know you had it in you to be so...sagely. I thought that was more your brother's specialty?" he jested, however; at least he was smiling again.
Tora snorted. āSheās plenty right,ā he said with a shrug. āAnd thereās not a sage alive who swears half as much as meā¦ or sleeps with half as many women. So donāt go telling anyone.ā He was grinning, though, and winked. āAnd Iām the boss because Iām awesome. Thatās how the rules work. The rules also say that Henchmen have to be awesome, so get back to it, Ryoku. Iāll keep the number one spot open another week, but if you donāt get your shit together, Iām giving it to your sister.ā Tora turned, tossing a wave over his shoulder as he left.
āGo get āem, wolfy.ā
"You were a fool," he spoke to himself, leaning his back to rest against the bark of the tree he currently inhabited. His leg dangled off of the branch as his arm rested against his knee. He was being a child now, ignoring what he had known to be true for a while. But it did not cause the slight ache where his heart was, from lurching forward. He had known pain. Hell, he was half a werewolf, pain was practically guaranteed for shifting. But this pain, it was different. It felt like he couldn't breathe, couldn't sleep, couldn't live properly unless he had the one thing he wanted by his side. He wanted just one thing. Perhaps he should have been selfish.
He should have been selfish and taken what wasn't his and made it his, however; that was just the beast inside of him. His beast, much like any of the beasts of his family, always wanted something, however; he was prone to giving into it a few times. This was different. He had denied it, made it wait until he could figure out where he stood with his cousin, but perhaps it was obvious now. He was just Haru's cousin, and the occasional fuck buddy. There was nothing more to it than that. Maybe he was wrong, but even so, he couldn't see it.
This seriously had to fucking stop.
What were they, twelve? They certainly werenāt any fun anymore, and it was getting to the point where Tora was kind of pissed about it, actually. The three of them were never even in the same damn room anymore. As soon as one of them entered, the other would leave. It was stupid, andāimmature as he himself could be when the mood took himāeven he knew it was pointless. They were moping and sulking, and it hadnāt taken him long to figure out why. Heād been kind of hoping theyād figure it out themselves, because getting involved in other peopleās affairs, especially the love affairs. The word alone scrunched up his nose like heād smelled something foul, but whatever. This was starting to affect his life now, so he felt somewhat obligated to do something about it.
He sure as hell wasnāt doing all the work though. He was just going to nudge something in the right direction. Well, okay. It was more like he was going to bodily shove something in the right direction, or perhaps pick it up and throw it. Hard. Maybe heād just throw one of them. Would that solve the problem? Violence solved a lot of problems, but Tora had the sinking feeling that this was not one of them.
Well, fuck.
Oh wait. It was the absence of fucking that was the problem. Shaking his head, the tallest student at Cross easily tracked Ryoku to a tree outdoors. He could smell Haru, too, but that guy was with his sisterāthe not-Naya oneāand he figured she would probably do this kind of thing just as well as him, if not as stylishly. And that was what she was going to do, he was pretty sure. So he sauntered up to the tree, crossed his arms over his broad chest, and sent a green-eyed glare up at his former Henchman #1. He wasnāt really going to call them that until they started acting like it, though. āSoā¦ is this spineless moping gonna be a permanent thing, or what? Cause Iām just saying, it was kinda shitty of you to make the little one cry. Also, Iām demoting you. You suck as a henchman lately. Are you gonna tell me what the problem is, or am I gonna have to tell you?ā
"Oh? I didn't know henchman could be demoted," Ryoku spoke casually, glancing down at his boss. He rolled his eyes at his statement though. He was moping, sure, he could admit that, but what business was it of his? This was not his affair, why would he put his nose where it didn't belong? He shifted from his spot, falling backwards from the branch and flipped so he landed on his feet. Shoving his hands in his pocket, he stared up at the taller male, a frown etching into his features. He was tall, that much was obvious, but Tora was taller. Not so much that Ryoku had to crane his neck in order to see the man, however; he did have to look up.
"For the record, I didn't make anyone cry. If he cried, it was because of his own volition. And what problem? There is no problem. It was a misunderstanding, and that is all there is to it," he spoke, his voice deadpan as the look he was sending Tora. Though honestly, he knew he couldn't fool the other male and raked a hand through his auburn locks, sighing harshly and a bit exaggerated in the process. "What do you want me to say?" he spoke, the same bite to his tone he had used on Haru was laced with his words. What could he say? Haru was his own person, as was he. He had every right to feel the way he did.
"It's not a problem, more like it's the problem. You've got it easy, going around not being tied down to one specific person, but that isn't what I want," anymore. He didn't want that lifestyle any longer. He was getting old; he was old in every sense of the word. Though he was hardly the sentimental type to think about settling down with just one person, it was perhaps, about time he did. And there was only one person he wanted. He could hear his mother laughing at him in the distance somewhere. She'd probably pick on him too, humiliate him in every sense of the word if she were here, which he was quite thankful for.
āOh?ā Tora replied. āWell sācuse me; I assumed the little wolf counted as someone. She did run off in tears because you wouldnāt talk to her, did she not?ā Tora didnāt always give off the impression of being a particularly smart guyāhe actually preferred to play things a bit dumb. But he was sharp as a razor, in truth. He and Tatsu were brothers, after all. The Huntsman raised an eyebrow, the pissy tone of Ryokuās words completely failing to get any sort of reaction from him. He was about as sensitive as a sledgehammer, and that was a two-way thingāhe might be callus with other people, but frankly he didnāt care if other people were pissed at him, either. Sociopathy kind of worked like that, at least in his case.
āAnd for the record, I don't have it easy because Iām not tied downāitās easy because Iām up-front about what I want and what Iām offering. You used to be the same, if I recall properlyā¦ and I do. But here you are, pussyfooting around like you lost your guts somewhere along the way, and Iām just here to tell you it aināt like you and itās fucking stupid. So hereās a thought: tell him what you want. Be as explicit as you like, but for fuckās sake, be clear. You two arenāt smart enough to have conversations in implication without screwing up the meanings, so donāt try.ā he waved a hand nonchalantly in the air, as if to dispel the thought of trying to be subtle. It was definitely not Ryokuās style, and it didnāt work that great for Haru either, apparently, if he could stick his foot in his mouth like that.
Really, getting all of this through psychometry was a huge pain in the ass, and heād really rather this ridiculous farce stopped showing up in his visions whenever he happened to brush an object belonging to one of them. It was consuming their damn lives. He wasnāt entirely sure why he cared, butā¦ heād known these guys for a couple of years, and they were fun to be around, at least until this, wasnāt that enough? āFor the record, I kinda want my henchmen back. So do me a solid here and just give it a shot. It can't get any worse than it already is, right?ā
Ryoku winced. He'd forgotten he'd made Farah cry. He should actually apologize to her for that. He didn't like making her cry when it was unneeded. "Didn't you know? My guts were cut out and lost along the way," he chided, however; Tora was right. This wasn't like him. He was his mother's son; he told everything as it was. He didn't hide behind words, so why should he do it now? Shaking his head, he placed a hand on his side, giving Tora a trademark smirk in the process. Maybe, it wouldn't hurt, and he'd finally know for sure what Haru saw him as. He could take it if Haru truly only saw him as a cousin, he didn't want to lose what friendship he had with Haru.
"See, now this is the reason we call you boss," he spoke, a hint of fang protruding from his mouth as his smirk deepened. "And here I thought Kari was right for calling you a blockhead," he continued, chuckling deeply. He would take Tora's advice, and seek out Haru. "Besides, I didn't know you had it in you to be so...sagely. I thought that was more your brother's specialty?" he jested, however; at least he was smiling again.
Tora snorted. āSheās plenty right,ā he said with a shrug. āAnd thereās not a sage alive who swears half as much as meā¦ or sleeps with half as many women. So donāt go telling anyone.ā He was grinning, though, and winked. āAnd Iām the boss because Iām awesome. Thatās how the rules work. The rules also say that Henchmen have to be awesome, so get back to it, Ryoku. Iāll keep the number one spot open another week, but if you donāt get your shit together, Iām giving it to your sister.ā Tora turned, tossing a wave over his shoulder as he left.
āGo get āem, wolfy.ā