『 Ionia 』 discussion

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Hansuke stepped into the bar, with his head low. While he was drastically underage, he did drink every so often. He just had to make sure nobody saw his face, otherwise they'd most likely question his age. He walked up to the bartender and ordered a glass of wine. After paying, he scurried over to the corner of the bar and observed what was going on. A bunch of older men were drinking and playing cards, while a younger group of friends was playing darts. He sighed softly and took a sip of the wine.

Naomi sighed softly as he turned the page of his yellowing book. The title was long gone, and so were most of the pages. But from what Naoki could make out, it was a book on modern death techniques. He had nicked it from the Northstar Castle library earlier, and would return it later that night. Naoki paused, set his book down, closing the cover softly, and picked up his glass which contained a murky brown liquid. Naoki couldn’t quite remember what he ordered, but it was strong as hell. Naoki took a slight sip, swallowing the foul tasting liquid with a disgusted expression on his face. “Ugh.” He groaned.

Hansuke was bored already, so when a stranger asked him to join a game of cards at a different table, he accepted it. The group of people playing were a lot older than him, but that didn't really matter. He sat down on an empty chair, and watched as a few people surrounded the table. That's odd. This isn't going to be very entertaining. Hansuke thought. That was until another player brought up the idea of betting money. He smirked, "Money? Sounds fun, I'm in. How much do you bastards wanna lose?" He asked, sounding very confident.

((Sorry, Hansuke swears a bit!))

((It's fine:) ))

Naoki brought the glass back up to his lips and gulped down the repulsive beverage. He despised the taste of alcohol, but it was worth it because it took the edge off of his pain and inner anguish. He set the glass down and wiped his mouth on his sleeve. Naoki tilted back in his chair, to get a good look at his surroundings. The bar was certainly lively at this hour. Naoki scanned the area until a certain person caught his attention. A man, who looked to be around Naoki's age, possibly younger, was seated at a table with lots of older people playing cards. Naoki overheard their conversation. Money? That ought to be interesting. Maybe I'll move closer to watch? he thought.

One of the men at the table laughed, "You're just a child, what money do you have?" He asked. This caused Hansuke to deadpan as he pulled out a wad of cash. "I'll bet this much, can you afford to do that old man?" Hansuke retorted, and picked up the cards the dealer handed out. The man seemed frustrated at this, but remained silent. There were two other people at the table, so four people in total were playing. The man who called Hansuke a child started to place bets once an onlooker passed out the chips. He looked down at his cards and grinned before glancing at everyone else. One person seemed uncomfortable. Maybe they were dealt a bad hand.. Hansuke thought, and returned his gaze to his cards. After they figured out how much everyone would bet, the game began.

((oof, i am terrible at describing games))

((big mood))

Naoki arched an eyebrow as he continued to listen in on the men playing cards. He noticed that people were beginning to crowd around the table, most likely to watch. Naoki stood up, causing his chair to fall to the ground. He quickly caught it before it could clatter onto the wood floor. Naoki picked up his glass and began making his way over to the bar, which was near the table that the men were playing cards at. He returned his glass to the bartender and gave him a few coins as payment, including a tip. Naoki glanced over at the table, finally deciding he would go over and watch as well.

The beginning of the game was a bit slow, and the bets were small. "This is boring, I'm going all in." Hansuke said, and pushed his chips into the center of the table. There were a few surprised gasps, and one of the other guys did the same. "Why not? I like living on the edge." Hansuke smirked a little, but remained silent. He had a pretty decent hand so he was confident that he'd win. The guy to his left sighed. "I call, I don't have anything good." He said and put his cards face down on the table.

((i literally have no idea where i'm going with this. hmm what if hansuke wins and the guy he called 'old man' gets mad or something?))

((Ooh yes, and maybe Naoki steps in and is like 'hey now lets not" ))

((!!!! what if they recognize each other? and hansuke is like bro wtf))

In a few quick strides, Naoki made his way over to the table. He moved around a little bit, trying to get a good look at what was going on. Naoki was pretty tall, so it was easy for him to look over everyone's heads. Naoki couldn't take his eyes off of one of the men. There was something about him that Naoki couldn't figure out. He was certainly interesting, to say the least, and he was obviously winning. Naoki noticed the man across from him, and the fact that he was about to lose made Naoki chuckle softly.

((Y E S))

Hansuke made eye contact with the guy in front of him. He was the only one who hadn't made a decision yet. "I-I will go all in too!" He said and threw his cards down on the table for them to see. The other male did the same, and Hansuke burst into laughter before throwing his cards down dramatically. "I win! Now, it's time to pay up." He said. This statement was towards everyone, but he smirked at the man who had called him a child. Said man looked very nervous. While everyone but him payed up, he fiddled around with his wallet for a bit, until he stood up quickly. "I will not pay a brat like you that much money! Just because you- I bet you cheated!" The man pushed his chair back, looking as if he wanted to punch him. He was practically seething, which made Hansuke smile.

Naoki felt like he had seen the man before, perhaps on the streets or something. He decided to let it go, for now, Naoki continued to watch the card players. Naoki watched the one man stand up, seething with rage. It appeared as if he was about to punch the orange haired man, so Naoki decided to step in. As he began to swing his fist, Naoki grabbed the man's collar and pulled him back in one swift motion. He narrowed his eyes at the man, keeping his grip on the collar of his shirt. "Don't be an idiot." he said, tightening his grip.

Hansuke was prepared to use his ability, and send him flying into the wall. He was surprised to see someone swoop in to 'save the day'. Hansuke widened his eyes ever so slightly. The man looked oddly familiar, but he couldn't recognize him immediately. He scrunched his eyebrows in concentration. Is that..Naoki..?! Hansuke thought. He could practically feel his blood boil at the sight of him, but he stayed seated in the meantime. The male who was now in Naoki's grasp looked even angrier. "Let go of me!" He shouted, and flailed a bit. It was a very pathetic sight, and a few of the onlookers even left after shaking their heads at him.

Naoki rolled his eyes at the man's attempt at struggling. "As you wish.." he said, releasing his grasp. As soon as Naoki let go, the man fell forwards towards the floor. Naoki sighed softly. His gaze drifted back over towards the orange haired man. Naoki thought hard for a moment, suddenly realizing who he was. Hansuke?! he thought, bewildered. "Shit.." he muttered softly. Naoki began to back away from the table, to where he sat before. He reached out to grab the 'borrowed' book and started making his way towards the door, which was quite far away.

Hansuke was not going to let Naoki get away. He stood up, not even flinching when his chair turned onto it's side and landed with a loud bang. "Naoki!" He growled, and stormed after him. He only had one reason to be angry at Naoki which many people didn't know of, but it wasn't a surprise for other people to see Hansuke so worked up for no reason. He reached Naoki in no time, and yanked on his trench coat. "What the hell are you doing here?" Hansuke asked, having to look up at him. The height difference was still noticeable, despite the heeled shoes he had on. The other guy sat up from the ground slowly and left the bar, clearly embarrassed. Of course, he shot Hansuke and Naoki an angry look on his way out.


((OMG DAZAI IS 5'11 AND EARLIER WE MENTIONED CHUUYA BEING 5'2 THAT'S WILD))

((HOLY HECKKKK))

Naoki sighed as Hansuke yanked on his coat. He looked down at Hansuke, and opened his mouth to respond. Did he get shorter? wondered Naoki. "I- That's none of your concern." replied Naoki dryly. He was surprised to see Hansuke so upset. Sure, Naoki knew the reason why, but he wondered how Hansuke hadn't gotten over it already. "Now, if you'll excuse me..I have places to be." Lied Naoki. He didn't want to speak with Hansuke anymore. Naoki didn't want any reminders of his past haunting him anymore.

Hansuke let go of the back of his coat as Naoki spoke. He pouted a bit, but the angry look was still in his eyes. "I suppose it's not, but I still want to know." He said, lowering his voice so he wouldn't disrupt any of the bar's patrons. This was hard for him though, with how worked up he was. Hansuke didn't understand why he was this angry, it had been years. "Wait. Let me come with you." He demanded, and crossed his arms. "Since you helped me out over there, the least I could do is treat you to lunch..Or something.." He grumbled.

"Alright then. I was just here for a drink." he admitted. Even though Naoki was underage, he enjoyed drinking his sorrows away and later collapsing into a pile of self-hate. He was concerned to why Hansuke wanted to come with him, was it part of some revenge plan? Oh well, if I die, I die he thought. "Oh, alright, but you uh- You don't have to." replied Naoki.

((what if hansuki was ordered to kill or just hurt naoki because he left the white fang and joined the rebellion? i'm trying to think of why he'd follow naoki lolol.))

((ooh yeah! and maybe he realizes he doesn't actually want to hurt him??))

((yeeeee!!!))

Hansuke shrugged. "It's better than sitting alone in here." He said. He tried to seem as laid back as possible, but he was incredibly anxious. Hansuke had been ordered a while back to kill Naoki on the spot if he found him, but he didn't know how to go about it. He sighed softly, and decided that he would use this opportunity to do it. Maybe I can corner him somewhere.. Hansuke thought, while scanning the area.

"I guess." he replied. Naoki needed to return the book that he stole borrowed from the royal library, but that could wait until tomorrow. Naoki couldn't shake the feeling that Hansuke had an ulterior motive for wanting to come with him, but he tried to dismiss the thought. "I should probably take this back- but it can wait," he said somewhat quietly.

Hansuke adjusted his hat and strayed a bit behind Naoki as they walked. He wanted to make sure he had more than one knife on him, knowing that his ability would be rendered useless once he attacked. "Where are we going first?" He asked as his royal blue eyes glimmering slightly. He finally thought of a plan, so now it was just a matter of waiting for the right time.

Naoki pulled on the door handle, causing the door to swing open wildly. He held it for Hansuke, Naoki decided to just be nice. "Is the castle alright? I need to return this before-" he began, before cutting himself off. "I just need to take this back. It should only take a few minutes." Naoki's grip on the book tightened, still feeling uneasy about the whole situation. Hopefully this wasn't some scheme to try and get Naoki back into the White Fang.

Hansuke narrowed his eyes slightly. Killing Naoki in the castle would not be a good idea. He decided that he'd have to find somewhere secluded on the way to the castle. His smile was more than mischievous looking, "Sure, whatever." He said. Hansuke's smile faded as they walked to the castle. Is killing Naoki really necessary? He shook his head to get rid of those thoughts. He needed to do his job.

Naoki nodded in response. For some reason, he felt the need to break the awkward silence between the two as they walked towards the castle. “So. Um- How is everyone?” He asked bluntly. Naoki didn’t actually care, he despised those people. They turned him into something he wasn’t- a monster. But, it couldn’t hurt to ask, and Naoki figured that small talk would be good. He noticed the castle looming overhead in the distance. They were getting closer.

Hansuke didn't answer his question. The two of them moved through the crowd, and he grabbed Naoki's wrist tightly. He dragged him to a more secluded area, and pushed him up against the wall with his hand around his neck. His grip tightened a bit as he started to speak, "Have you leaked any information about the White Fang?" Hansuke asked. There was a look of regret in his eyes, but he didn't let go of Naoki yet.

"What the-" he began, surprised. Naoki winced when Hansuke grabbed his wrist. It hurt like hell, the wounds on his wrists were still very fresh. Naoki didn't struggle when Hansuke pushed him up against the wall, he just stared down at him with a serious expression on his face. Naoki chuckled. "Of c-course I have." he began, his voice somewhat strained. "W-What are you going to do? Kill me?" he said, smirking,

Hansuke didn't know why he faltered. His grip loosened a little, but he still had a hold of Naoki. "Why did I bother asking." He grumbled. Hansuke needed to do this fast- if anyone were to turn the corner an notice them, that would be unfortunate. "I- Of course I'm going to kill you!" He stammered. He didn't lock eyes with Naoki, and kept his gaze on the wall next to him. Do I really want to kill him? No..It's not a matter of if I want to. I have to. Hansuke's thoughts raced.

"Hmm, I don't really now!" he replied. Naoki was trying to provoke him, make him angry. It was funny to him, angry short people. He let out a small laugh. "Are you sure about that? You don't seem too sure." Naoki tried to squirm out of Hansuke's grasp, which had loosened slightly.

Hansuke let out a string of curses before letting go of him and stepping back. He pulled out one of the knives he had and held it tightly. I can't let my emotions get in the way of things. "I'm tired of hearing you ramble. Now, do you have any last words? I'm sure the White Fang will forgive you if you leak some information from the rebellion." He growled, before closing in to stab him.

"Mmm, nah." Naoki crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, waiting patiently for his demise. He looked down at Hansuke and smiled, "Do it. You won't." Naoki was ready to die, but he wasn't sure that he wanted to die by the hands of Hansuke.

Hansuke glared at him. "Why are you so willing to die? There's people who care about you!" He said and dropped the knife. "Y-You're such an idiot!" Hansuke was practically shouting now. Deep down, he'd never be able to kill Naoki. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he felt terrible when Naoki left the White Fang. He was sure that he'd feel worse if he ended up dead by his own doing. Whether or not he was sad or super frustrated to the point of wanting to cry, he could feel himself tear up. "Goddammit.." Hansuke muttered and rubbed at his eyes.

((smol sinnamon roll))

((vvv smol boye))

Naoki shrugged. "There isn't though. No one cares about me," he said without emotion. He wondered why Hansuke wouldn't kill him, Naoki truly deserved it. He was a bad person, who did very bad things. And he enjoyed it, and that made him a monster. "Uh, are you- Are you crying?" asked Naoki, confused.

"Oh my god! Are you that dense? I care about you, and I'm sure the people in the rebellion care about you!" Hansuke exclaimed, and shook his head. "I'm not crying, you're just seeing things." He should've just let Naoki leave the bar rather than attempt to kill him. If anyone were to catch word of Hansuke letting Naoki go, he was definitely going to be branded a traitor.

((oof i think i made hansuke a bit ooc, but whatevs lol))

Naoki shook his head. He was definitely crying. "W-Why would you care about me?!" he exclaimed in shock. "I betrayed you.." mumbled Naoki. He needed to get out of there, fast. Memories began flooding back, Naoki didn't know if he could handle it anymrore.

((ugh same w naoki :') ))

((uhhh, I can’t even with these two cuties! x3))

Hansuke looked down at his feet. "Do you really think I care whether or not you gave information to the rebellion? The White Fang killed my only family! The sooner they're taken down, the sooner I can get revenge!" He said. He didn't hold a grudge against the assassin, since he knew first hand that orders were orders. Hansuke looked around quickly to make sure nobody overheard what he had said.

Naoki wanted to believe him, he really did, but he couldn't shake the feeling that this was another trap. Naoki crossed his arms, "And why should I believe you?" he asked curiously, eyes narrowing.

((sorry this is so short :-:))

Hansuke looked up at him, with his eyebrows furrowed. "I guess there really isn't a reason.." He muttered. Because I like you! Hansuke thought. Wait what? He turned around, the heels of his shoes clicking against the pavement. "Whatever. I shouldn't have even approached you." He tried to make his tone sound neutral, but it sounded melancholic. Was being in the White Fang that horrible for Naoki..? I'll ask Asano later.

((no worries! mine is short too))

((maybe they both leave and then naoki tries to find hansuke bc he feels bad about not believing him?))

((yeeeeee a n g s t))

((A l l t h e a n g s t
do you want to move somewhere else theN?))

((sounds good! where do you wanna go? i think hansuke would probably go to the docks to brood think or something))

((Lets do the docks then! Do you want to post first? Or should i?))

((does he think about his hEiGhT?))

((I can post first!))

((all the time))

((thank you!!))

((MAYBE HE WEARS HATS BC THEY MAKE HIM LOOK TALLER))