[OOM] Shiragiku City.

[orange_lily]

They emerge out on a rather nice plaza with a fountain and, on the far side, an ice cream shop. It's a sunny morning, and people are rushing about on their way to work, in business suits and practical clothing, and it looks to all the world like a busy, normal city.

(The perceptive may note that sitting atop the fountain is a statue. Those who are more perceptive might notice that it's kind of a weird statue - it's bronze, male, corded with muscle in the style of Grecian statues of Apollo, but hairless and with its facial features only roughly carved in: Vague hollows for eyes, only a slight suggestion of a mouth, lumps for ears.

It has three faces like that, one in the regular place and one on each bicep. There are wings on its back, stretched out wide.)

"So, dude, this is Shiragiku City," Yugo says cheerfully. "It's a pretty nice place. Kind of reminds me of Futo without the wind turbines."

Comments

[herr_bookman]

Autor's grip hasn't yet relented on the roofing material of choice, but he reluctantly realizes that Yugo's right. "Right. The third ladder is attached. Give me about an hour. If I don't fall off by then, I'll crawl over there myself."

[orange_lily]

Yugo's expression is - for obvious reasons - unreadable, but he crouches and moves to pick Autor up: Slowly and gently, because a squirming Autor is liable to be disastrous.

"I said I didn't mind carrying you, dude."

[herr_bookman]

In fact, Autor almost does squirm. Almost. But once he realizes what Yugo's trying to do, he clings wherever he can find purchase.

Glancing at the roof's edge reminds him of a ghoul, ready to drag him off by his ankle. The kid presses his face into the hard angles of the armor and releases a choked-off breath.

Luckily for him--and probably no one else--he regains the ability to speak halfway up the mountain. "This is ridiculous," he huffs, the grumpy kitten once again. "I'm some sort of sweaty, cramping, damsel in distress."

I will never, ever leave my grenades behind again.

[orange_lily]

Yugo hopes the grumpiness means Autor isn't too traumatised by the experience.

"Dude," he says agreeably, "you totally are. And yet I was informed that damsels in distress breathily extolled the virtues of the rescuers, and you have totally not yet done this."

Did - did Soukichi lie to him?

"You could probably use some more sleep, huh?"

[herr_bookman]

Is your inability to detect sarcasm a virtue? Autor thinks uncharitably, and then relents. He doesn't think Yugo will drop him. But he might dangle him by the ankl--no, ankles are a bad thing to think about--and let him hang loose for a while.

Plus he likes Yugo. Doesn't he? Autor thinks--which takes a surprising amount of concentration--that it is difficult to like anything right now. And also, on a much deeper level that he'd like to pretend doesn't exist, that he might be being a prat.

"Yes," he says thickly, shivering a bit from the vacuum left by his adrenaline rush. "I probably could."

[orange_lily]

Yugo nods, and makes a beeline for Autor's room. Once he's set Autor down on the bed, he dismisses his armour, giving the boy a long, concerned look.

"I'm sorry. Again. About the attack."

[herr_bookman]

"Dun worry about it," Autor says through his yawn. He has just enough pride to jump--or roll--onto the bed. "I had fun."

Yugo could--nope, too late. The kid's already out. He doesn't even bother kicking off his shoes.

[orange_lily]

Yugo takes a moment to tuck Autor in, then heads off to find Soukichi and Yuriko. They're going to want to discuss Cockatrice.