Film Sparkling Detective Akeboshi Koutarou: Fiance of the Funeral Procession Akeboshi Koutarou (lead) Sparkling Detective Akeboshi Koutarou Akeboshi Koutarou (lead) Kirameki Revolution Shima Hiroshi (lead) According to Lady Amane Nakano Ginzo (supporting) The Story Of My Favorite Idol Coming To Be My Assistant Kawaguchi Subaru (supporting)
Television I Hope To Be With You Forever Ike Masaya (lead) Love Paradox Hayashi Kouji (supporting) But My Little Brother Still Wants To Fall In Love!!! Akimoto Wataru (supporting)
My Future Plans
The third movie in the Sparkling Detective Akeboshi Koutarou series has been greenlit, so please look forward to it.
My Talents
My sparkling personality lights up a room ✨ I'm also fond of paper crafts.
Favorite Books, Movies, Music, and Food
I prefer classic novels. Please support my co-stars in Fiance of the Funeral Procession, coming soon to own on video and DVD!
My Ideal Partner
Height
175 cm/5'8"
Body Type
slim
Smokes
for spells
Drinks
yes
Drugs
that's bad for you!
Sign
Scorpio, Dog
Education
high school
Occupation
romance actor, exorcist
Income
that's private ✨
Children
none
Pets
none
Hobbies
reading, riding public transportation
[He takes the bottle with a roll of his eyes at both the way Matoba makes himself at home and the way he shows up with nothing but sweets. At least the wine looks like it cost some credits.]
Well, you know. It's hard to sell people on sharing a single bed and the communal showers. [Not that Natori would be playing the game particularly aggressively even if he had a penthouse suite, and they both know it. He hands one of the cups over to Matoba (there's nowhere to put them to pour) but fills his own before he pours for Matoba. Bad hosting, but so be it.] Spare me the lecture on collecting cards, I'm not in the mood.
[Well, not in the mood for a lecture, anyway. He watches Matoba fumble with his tie as he takes a seat next to him, the two of them taking up nearly the entire bed just by crossing their legs on it. He takes a sip. Hmm. It actually is pretty pleasant.] What were you all dressed up for?
Haha, I remember well. It's not very convenient for playing. [Why it was better to connect with partners opposite your rank- ah, but he's sure Natori is finding that out fine on his own. Having something worth offering- now that is the real task. He takes a cup from Natori when offered, and raises a slight eyebrow at him pouring for himself first. Uncouth and poorly mannered as always, Shuichi-san............]
I'll take that as an answer to my question, then.
[He sips at his wine idly, untucking the sides of the plastic bag from the cake and tugging out a pair of paper plates, napkins and forks from inside. The small cake inside was fluffily decorated in white frosting, crowned with strawberries and there was a gold fondant peacock Santa decoration in the center. It seems the resort bakeries went all-out.]
[His eye flicks towards Natori at his question as he sips, a quiet deliberation.]
I had some socializing to attend to. [Always busy, the head, even here.]
You knew what the answer was going to be before you asked, or else you wouldn't have asked it, [he grumbles, though it's more goodnatured than it might otherwise be. Natori's vaguely surprised that Matoba bothered to bring a second plate. He decides after another sip of wine that he finds that endearing. Still, they both know who will be eating most of this cake.]
Though if this is what being a 10 gets you, who knows. [He looks over the impressive mass of the cake, but doesn't make a move to try to break it apart.] Still handling powerful people, huh. Well, remember that for those of us down here the nearest sink is a few floors away, so don't get anything on my bed unless you're willing to find me another set of sheets.
Now why would I know that? [Matoba drawls, a tinge of exasperation carefully applied as he raises the cup to his lips again.] I do not have access to your Watch, Natori. If you have learned what is good for you, then you will have applied yourself in the last few months.
[But then, when did he ever learn his lesson? If he's admitting to that, that's almost worse.]
[His eyebrow raises as he nurses his drink, watching him eye up the cake.] Perhaps you will be shocked to learn that I spent a good amount of time beneath this floor. [He gestures vaguely.] Do not lecture me about the communal bathrooms, Natori. You have one whole set of stairs less to climb.
...But, if you find yourself in need of necessities, I don't mind arranging things. [For a price, always.]
[He seems content to sit and sip for a few minutes, at least, without causing any further disruption or ruckus. But he drains the cup eventually and sets it down on the floor in lieu of a surface, after a moment of consideration, to take the cake into his lap and unbox it.]
This was one of the more normal designs on offer, [He comments, with a bit of amusement.]
[It's strangely familiar to hear Matoba complaining about Natori's failure to apply himself, even if it's in a completely different context than it normally is. Matoba could be lecturing him about his shiki again, just in nicer immediate circumstances (the hotel might be plenty to navigate on his own, but at least he could breathe freely. And indulge in a little wine on a holiday for old time's sake). He waves Matoba's criticism aside in favor of this new lore.]
Oh? The head of the Matoba clan was a lowly 2? What an inspiration it is that you've climbed that far up. [Though of course Natori assumes that was long before he arrived, since he was too stubborn to apply himself when he first arrived and thus was never in a position to know Matoba's original rank.] But all I'm saying is that the price of getting frosting on my sheets is fixing it. That's just good business.
[He is not going to get roped into letting Matoba spin that as a debt to be paid instead of basic courtesy. Still, he can't help but admire this cake that looks like he could encounter it at a photoshoot.]
I'm sure I can imagine the more elaborate ones. [Probably something extremely lewd. He leans over and (very carefully) plucks the most accessible strawberry off the top and into his mouth. It pairs unsurprisingly well with the wine.] S'good.
That's right. I imagine the house must not be a fan of those of us who have power to mess about with it, and would like to restrict us in the ways that it can until we will play nicely by its rules.
...Although, I know of some that have gotten away with plenty. Maybe it's just us.
[On account of some thing intrinsic to them, he doesn't say, but he thinks there's a lingering acknowledgment. They both hold a healthy amount of self awareness about their kind. About their own personalities.] In any case, I can afford to spare you some change for laundry.
[That Natori immediately goes for one of the strawberries before the cake has even been cut is a gesture surely meant to annoy him, he knows (he knows!! Seiji's favorite part!!), and yet his mouth still flickers with a frown. So he takes up the plastic knife with his free hand and begins to cut the slices, being sure to cut the eighth that Natori has already de-berried and wedging it along towards him. There. Take your sullied slice.]
[He then carefully disentangles a pristine one for himself, and carefully balances the plate on his lap.]
So, then. [A beat. He sets his wine down on a sliver of floor, after a deliberating moment, so that he can take up a fork instead and enjoy his first bite from the point of his cake slice.] No Christmas Eve fan meetings or variety shows this year. How does it feel?
Hmm. [Of course Matoba would assume it's something personal, that they're enough of a threat as exorcists in the House's eyes to need taking down a peg. More likely it was that other humbling-- dragging the movie star and the head of the house out of their mansions and into the least comfortable rooms available until they play by the rules.
Again, it doesn't need to be said: Natori still needs to accept that lesson, if this room is anything to go by. Not even a surface space to hold their cake.
Natori maintains eye contact as he enjoys his delicious (stolen) strawberry, smiling angelically like he's simply excited to enjoy his share of the Christmas cake. This does not stop when his denuded slice is shoved his way, which they both know he's only going to eat about half of.]
That's right. I'd say I was worried I'm losing my charm, but I don't mind being out of the spotlight right now. [The staff have started acknowledging him again, an improvement from the outright cold shoulder of the past month. That feels like the sweet spot: able to get goods and services, but not buried in too much of what's sure to be negative attention.] I shudder to think about a variety show organized by this place.
[He starts pushing a bit of his cake around with his own fork, skimming off a bit of frosting for a taste test. Also pretty good.]
What's it like for New Year's?
[When they swap places in terms of whose schedule is busy this time of year, when all Natori has to do is make a perfunctory showing at his relative's house to touch up the wards.]
I think a "talent show" among the players would prove quite fruitful,
[Matoba replies cheerfully, licking a curl of frosting from the side of his fork with a face that reads heavenly pleasure. Even if it was not the best buttercream he's ever had, Seiji took simple pleasures where he could.] There are truly all sorts here.
[Taking another bite, he snorts softly at the- he thinks- naivety of the question, eye rolling upward.] We should already be well on our way into preparations by now, [He corrects,] Let alone the proper rounds during the holiday period itself. I suppose I ought to be thankful that this entire rancid place would be better cleansed in one fell swoop. There isn't much point to going around and trying to do rituals on anything unless there's something specific to be gotten from it.
[Taking another bite of his cake, it takes him a moment to mull on another point and then add later, almost as an afterthought,] I wonder if any of it matters at all. Rituals and celebrating the turn of seasons, in a place where they have no meaning. Isn't it pathetic? The ayakashi are trying to play house with mortal time.
'Fruitful' is one word for it. [In the "be fruitful and multiply" sense, maybe.] There were a few idols here who were talking about arranging a concert, but I haven't heard from them in a while.
[He trails off, taking a sip from his wine as he considers what that most likely means. A shame; he'd thought they'd had the right mentality to learn to shield their hearts to this place.It's cute that Matoba took the opportunity to lecture him on what a proper new year's prep is meant to be (by 'cute' he means 'typical and annoying, but also maybe still 'cute'), but it's not as though Matoba's answer doesn't also address the question that Natori was really asking, if obliquely. As much busywork as Matoba may have made for himself on Christmas Eve, there's a lot less to do when he's not wrangling the New Year's cleansings for the largest clan in Kyushu. Natori knows enough not to project his own feelings about his suddenly empty Christmas schedule onto Matoba's for New Year's, not least because this place was hardly a break from exorcist work, but he still can't help but wonder if Matoba enjoys having a little more quiet around this time of the year.
He's debating if it's worth coming up with a different way to ask when Matoba speaks up again with what might be as close as he gets to an answer.]
Mm. [He has no argument with Matoba's characterization of what the house is doing-- it's the same as any other time that the ayakashi adapt a human ritual that they don't understand, picking up the trappings and turning them into a game for their own amusement. But as was always the case with ayakashi, their whims could still have very real consequences for the humans stuck in the vicinity. The snow falling in the lobby of the hotel, for one thing. The very real threat of Mt. Misumi going barren if Houzukigami doesn't show for the moonsplitting festival, for another.] Well, they need to break up the monotony somehow. Might as well bring out Christmas cakes if we need to deal with angry ghosts around Halloween.
[He plays with his cup of wine, swirling the cup and watching the legs drain back down the sides.]
I heard the guests turned into monsters last year instead. I guess I should be grateful they don't want to repeat themselves.
[Matoba gives a disinterested grunt out of politeness, with a faded version of an expression like a teenaged boy that thinks that sort of thing is beneath him. Leave it to Natori to be networking with his ilk even in a place where it brings him nothing.]
[It should be self evident to Natori already. That's what he really thinks, deep down, although of course he would never say it, never commiserate aloud, but there isn't any need to. Just as Natori had his busywork around the holidays to fill up his emptiness, so too did Seiji.]
[And here there were even fewer distractions, still. Matoba shovels another mouthful of cake into his face.]
Tsk. [He makes a sound of disgust over his frosting, finishing the mouthful before elaborating.] It was troublesome, indeed. All the monsters even worse-behaved than usual.
[He's not going to bring up the getting knocked out of his body by a hungry ghost, the multiple incidents of using himself to calm monsters, and especially not any of the admissions that were made in the process.]
[Irrelevant, anyway.]
If you'd been around, I'd have advised you to stay hidden, [He grins back towards Natori, licking the cream from his lips. It's an awful smile, mean and irritated, although the target of that irritation was not necessarily Natori himself.] You'd probably get pounced in an instant.
[...thinks Matoba dressed in a suit for absolutely no one on Christmas Eve. (It does not occur to Natori that this outfit could be for him, even though he very much appreciates it.)
But Natori snorts in response.]
And do you think I would have listened? [At least Natori's self aware-- not that it's hard to know how he'd react when he's already ignored so much of Matoba's advice here already. Which isn't to say that Matoba's advice was wrong-- the annoying part is that he was usually right. Usually. But that's never stopped Natori in the past either.] Anyway, If I've learned anything about this place, it's that trying to opt out and keep your head down isn't very effective for more than a few days.
[He takes one more bite of his cake, then wordlessly offers the rest of his slice towards Matoba the Garbage Disposal. He's sure he can guess the reason that he'd "get pounced," and that this is probably some mix of a neg at Natori's exorcist abilities and a way of calling him hot (derogatory). Y'know, the classic Matoba move.]
I'm sure you would have taken care of it if you had to. [Meaning, he's certain that Matoba would have exorcised him if he'd transformed, and he wouldn't even be mad about it. More annoyed with himself for getting into that situation. It doesn't occur to him for a second that Matoba could have succumbed himself.]
[He scoffs derisively, and stabs his fork into his last, delightful strawberry, stuffing it into his mouth so as to quell his indignation. He's already glancing towards the cake again, and soon reaches to cut himself another slice when Natori offers out his own.]
[It's worse that he's self aware!! Stupid idiot, needlessly involving himself in things he isn't equipped for. Matoba takes one glance upward towards Natori's face, wary for some reason, and then takes the offered plate.] Not alone, of course. You should always have a roster of those who can fulfill your suit's needs when necessary, myself included. [Obviously, that's what he's assuming Natori means by 'taking care of it'??] The danger is in the encounters that are not planned.
...Just not them, [He mutters, and takes his new plate of cake into his lap, stabbing his fork a little more than necessary into a piece.]
[Matoba jams that plastic fork into the strawberry so thoroughly that for a moment Natori worries that the frosting will end up on his sheets after all. He turns an empty hand up to the ceiling as if to say well there you go; if they both knew that Natori wouldn't have listened, why bother bringing it up in the first place? For that matter, why bother getting annoyed at this hypothetical! No one asked him! Except for how Natori did ask him about what happened the year before, but whatever.
He raises an eyebrow at Matoba's look, but once the cake is off his hands he leans back on his bed and gets comfortable.]
That wasn't really what I... oh. So having sex with the monsters cured the transformation, huh? [Of course. Or the transformation was somehow tied to the suit flares, maybe. In any case, what a surprise, another lecture from Matoba on how he needs to clinically line up a number of people to sleep with. Natori props himself up with his elbow and plops his chin into his hand, watching Matoba jab at his plate. He'd say something about Matoba's terminology, but he's more interested in whatever Matoba's worked up about.]
[What else would he mean...? Matoba fixes him with a befuddled, annoyed glance as he eats his first (unnecessarily large) bite of Natori's cake, and then turns his eye back down to the plate as he uses the time chewing that huge bite as an excuse to more carefully choose his words.]
The ayakashi, of course. Players and not inhabitants, I mean. [He says, swallowing and licking a flick of frosting from the tip of his fork, then scraping together another larger bite of cake.] There are a few who are particularly troublesome when these... curses, like the one that gripped this place during the cursed moon that Halloween, make them even more ill-behaved.
That is why I am warning you to be wary. They are bad enough without the negative influence of this realm twisting their malevolence even further.
[Yes there is very obviously a story or several behind this warning, but the fact that he isn't voicing it makes it pretty clear he's speaking from experience, no? Don't ask him. ...Or so the glaring omission and his irritation seems to say.] Of course, humans were also being cursed, but in that case, you could say that it is part of an exorcist's duty to relieve it, hm? With appropriate safeguards.
[...Of course, when it comes to him, Matoba was the one who considered him the latter, wasn't he?]
[Natori raises an eyebrow at the strength of Matoba's complaints. Yes, there's clearly some particular guests that he's thinking of. Probably the same as the ones who like to bite him, given that same irritation and... put-upon attitude as when Natori had first noticed that spectacular set of bruises all over his body. Absentmindedly, Natori rubs at the back of his neck at the thought.]
I've gathered. [Except the person he's thinking of here is poor Baizhu, still catching strays in Natori's head as the ultimate example of what an ayakashi would do in this place.] But even staying in the rooms doesn't stop them from sending trick or treaters to your door, does it.
[Not that he actually had much trouble with the trick or treaters... Matoba probably caught sight of a few background guests with autographed photos, if he'd spotted what other people were hauling around.]
Or any sort of guests, really. [Like, say, Christmas Eve guests.] I guess I should feel lucky that the wine's not spiked with anything.
Ahaha, no, I suppose it doesn't. Although you really shouldn't be opening your door to strangers, Natori.
[Brat. He smiles brightly, blithely ignoring the insinuation Natori is making about the guest that he got at his door tonight. After all, he doesn't count! He slices a large piece of cake off with the side of his fork and takes it into his mouth, just a couple bites left already on this slice. Hmmm... He could do one more slice, he thinks, surely...]
D'n't be p'post'rous, [He scoffs through a sticky mouthful of frosting, swallowing and licking it away like a cat licking its chops.] I would not purchase something so troublesome to bring along tonight.
It's the free food that you must be careful about. [Those Mating Season meet-n-greets, Natori.... Be careful.] Gifts included. Ah, that's right, you didn't receive anything suspicious when your birthday passed, did you?
[God. Matoba is disgusting. Don't talk with your mouth full, you absolute brat. Natori wrinkles his nose and resigns himself to washing these sheets anyway.]
'No such thing as a free lunch,' and all that. [He's debating whether to pick at tonight's offering in that context, tease out what this is if not a gift, but Matoba's question knocks him out of it.] --Hm? Well, not like you're thinking.
[He wonders if Matoba had heard rumors of someone roaming the hotel for several days with a six-eyed mask. Probably not; Natori hadn't exactly been social, and it wasn't out of the ordinary enough to have people talking.]
I got a scolding. [Two, if he counted the mask itself.] My fans gave me the silent treatment for a few weeks because I wasn't grateful enough for their support.
[Matoba hums in agreement around his cheekfull of cake, at least having the propriety to have his lips sealed shut this time. Especially when it came to food offered by ayakashi- the tales were as old as time, the first things he had thought of, cautiously, when he had arrived here to the resort's welcome parties. But after a little while, there wasn't much to do about it. And now it has been nearly two years...]
[And now, Natori too. A tiny, displeased sigh escapes out his nose as he ponders, eye fixed on his plate as he idly scrapes at frosting.]
Fufu.... Women are quite fickle, aren't they? The apparitions of them even moreso. [Don't ask how he's heard. "They're not real women" and all that.] ...I thought it was a little empty in here since I last visited...
[Natori rolls his eyes at the gall of Matoba Seiji talking shit about women like he's a harried husband complaining about how his wife can't make up her mind, but given the context he doesn't feel the need to defend his beloved fans. Probably another of his crimes to be added to the receptionists' lists when they inevitably spy on this conversation.] Such a romantic.
[He nods at the emptiness of the room around them, settling back against his bed with his solo cup of wine.]
It wasn't my choice. Something broke in around... September? When we were all stuck on that camping trip. Shredded the wards and destroyed nearly everything in the room. But that's no excuse to be careless with gifts.
[Matoba gives him a strange look. A romantic? The women he's thinking of would beg to differ, certainly.]
[He's finishing off his plate- well, Natori's plate- and eying the cake again, like he isn't going to serve himself another slice. As if he has propriety.]
Tsk.... What did you offend to earn such a tantrum?
[He doesn't like the sound of that, though. Something that just barged in through Natori wards? It must have been something almost as powerful as the suits, he thinks, to manage that. His hand reaches for the cake knife.] You weren't here when it attacked?
[Natori sees Matoba looking at the cake and pushes the box a little closer to him. There, now it's an offer from the 'host.']
I wonder... [He looks at the wards on the wall-- fresh ones, obviously, regularly replaced and updated to make sure he doesn't leave himself vulnerable-- then leans back on his hands to look up at the ceiling, his cup balanced carefully in between his crossed legs.] No, it was sometime during those few weeks when we couldn't leave the Vale, so I don't even know when exactly it happened. The trail was cold by the time we got out.
[But he's wondered. After a moment, he adds]
Did you go exploring in the caves? Around that time.
The Vale? --Ahh, the "camping trip", [Matoba hums, serving himself another fat slice. This should tide him over nicely...] Our trip was rather uneventful, I must say, but I am aware it was a bit more difficult for others.
[He says it with, as always, the air of the pampered head of the Matoba clan who is aware of the hardships of smaller clans but can't speak from a place of anything but pity for them.]
[Ignore the royal(?) we.]
And the caves? [He looks to Natori with a sip of his wine, a bit of a tanginess before delving into his cake again.] What was in them?
[Natori snorts in response, assuming the royal we is referring to the higher ranks and their drastically different living situations.]
I heard. "Glamping," right? [He takes another instinctive glance at his wards, as if expecting them to start degrading in front of his eyes. As if assessing whether they're any use in this situation, given the state of his room upon his return. More of a safety blanket than anything else. Slowly, casually, without looking back at Matoba:] In one of the caves was an eye, as large as the wall. An associate of mine accidentally made eye contact, and he was frozen in place until I forced it to blink. It didn't open up again after that, but we didn't stay to go any deeper.
[He takes another sip of his wine, glancing casually over at Matoba.]
So I might have irritated something rather large. [Something large with a huge organ lying around in the dark corners of the hotel, one that punished people for looking at it.]
[That's the only sound Matoba has for him as he indulges in a large bite of cake, thoughtfully chewing and savoring the frosting on his tongue as he lets the zen of both disappointment and expectation wash over him. He needs a moment or two to formulate the exact cut he'd like to deliver.]
Always biting off more than you can chew, aren't you. [He swallows and delivers precisely, before taking another bite. Taking on jobs he isn't equipped for, or involving himself in the personal matters of others that are beyond his ability.]
[Shuichi's getting very bold lately. At some point, his luck is going to run out.]
[But it would be a lie to say Matoba wasn't interested.]
I wonder. [His tongue flicks the frosting on the edge of his fork thoughtfully.] Is our friend the house hiding yet again... Or was it a new monster? A shame. I'd have liked to have encountered it myself.
... You didn't let it look, did you? [You'll have to forgive the snide doubt in his voice, since you did just tell him you provoked it.]
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paperpusher) wrote2025-05-24 05:00 pm
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Well, you know. It's hard to sell people on sharing a single bed and the communal showers. [Not that Natori would be playing the game particularly aggressively even if he had a penthouse suite, and they both know it. He hands one of the cups over to Matoba (there's nowhere to put them to pour) but fills his own before he pours for Matoba. Bad hosting, but so be it.] Spare me the lecture on collecting cards, I'm not in the mood.
[Well, not in the mood for a lecture, anyway. He watches Matoba fumble with his tie as he takes a seat next to him, the two of them taking up nearly the entire bed just by crossing their legs on it. He takes a sip. Hmm. It actually is pretty pleasant.] What were you all dressed up for?
no subject
I'll take that as an answer to my question, then.
[He sips at his wine idly, untucking the sides of the plastic bag from the cake and tugging out a pair of paper plates, napkins and forks from inside. The small cake inside was fluffily decorated in white frosting, crowned with strawberries and there was a gold fondant peacock Santa decoration in the center. It seems the resort bakeries went all-out.]
[His eye flicks towards Natori at his question as he sips, a quiet deliberation.]
I had some socializing to attend to. [Always busy, the head, even here.]
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Though if this is what being a 10 gets you, who knows. [He looks over the impressive mass of the cake, but doesn't make a move to try to break it apart.] Still handling powerful people, huh. Well, remember that for those of us down here the nearest sink is a few floors away, so don't get anything on my bed unless you're willing to find me another set of sheets.
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[But then, when did he ever learn his lesson? If he's admitting to that, that's almost worse.]
[His eyebrow raises as he nurses his drink, watching him eye up the cake.] Perhaps you will be shocked to learn that I spent a good amount of time beneath this floor. [He gestures vaguely.] Do not lecture me about the communal bathrooms, Natori. You have one whole set of stairs less to climb.
...But, if you find yourself in need of necessities, I don't mind arranging things. [For a price, always.]
[He seems content to sit and sip for a few minutes, at least, without causing any further disruption or ruckus. But he drains the cup eventually and sets it down on the floor in lieu of a surface, after a moment of consideration, to take the cake into his lap and unbox it.]
This was one of the more normal designs on offer, [He comments, with a bit of amusement.]
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Oh? The head of the Matoba clan was a lowly 2? What an inspiration it is that you've climbed that far up. [Though of course Natori assumes that was long before he arrived, since he was too stubborn to apply himself when he first arrived and thus was never in a position to know Matoba's original rank.] But all I'm saying is that the price of getting frosting on my sheets is fixing it. That's just good business.
[He is not going to get roped into letting Matoba spin that as a debt to be paid instead of basic courtesy. Still, he can't help but admire this cake that looks like he could encounter it at a photoshoot.]
I'm sure I can imagine the more elaborate ones. [Probably something extremely lewd. He leans over and (very carefully) plucks the most accessible strawberry off the top and into his mouth. It pairs unsurprisingly well with the wine.] S'good.
no subject
...Although, I know of some that have gotten away with plenty. Maybe it's just us.
[On account of some thing intrinsic to them, he doesn't say, but he thinks there's a lingering acknowledgment. They both hold a healthy amount of self awareness about their kind. About their own personalities.] In any case, I can afford to spare you some change for laundry.
[That Natori immediately goes for one of the strawberries before the cake has even been cut is a gesture surely meant to annoy him, he knows (he knows!! Seiji's favorite part!!), and yet his mouth still flickers with a frown. So he takes up the plastic knife with his free hand and begins to cut the slices, being sure to cut the eighth that Natori has already de-berried and wedging it along towards him. There. Take your sullied slice.]
[He then carefully disentangles a pristine one for himself, and carefully balances the plate on his lap.]
So, then. [A beat. He sets his wine down on a sliver of floor, after a deliberating moment, so that he can take up a fork instead and enjoy his first bite from the point of his cake slice.] No Christmas Eve fan meetings or variety shows this year. How does it feel?
no subject
Again, it doesn't need to be said: Natori still needs to accept that lesson, if this room is anything to go by. Not even a surface space to hold their cake.
Natori maintains eye contact as he enjoys his delicious (stolen) strawberry, smiling angelically like he's simply excited to enjoy his share of the Christmas cake. This does not stop when his denuded slice is shoved his way, which they both know he's only going to eat about half of.]
That's right. I'd say I was worried I'm losing my charm, but I don't mind being out of the spotlight right now. [The staff have started acknowledging him again, an improvement from the outright cold shoulder of the past month. That feels like the sweet spot: able to get goods and services, but not buried in too much of what's sure to be negative attention.] I shudder to think about a variety show organized by this place.
[He starts pushing a bit of his cake around with his own fork, skimming off a bit of frosting for a taste test. Also pretty good.]
What's it like for New Year's?
[When they swap places in terms of whose schedule is busy this time of year, when all Natori has to do is make a perfunctory showing at his relative's house to touch up the wards.]
no subject
[Matoba replies cheerfully, licking a curl of frosting from the side of his fork with a face that reads heavenly pleasure. Even if it was not the best buttercream he's ever had, Seiji took simple pleasures where he could.] There are truly all sorts here.
[Taking another bite, he snorts softly at the- he thinks- naivety of the question, eye rolling upward.] We should already be well on our way into preparations by now, [He corrects,] Let alone the proper rounds during the holiday period itself. I suppose I ought to be thankful that this entire rancid place would be better cleansed in one fell swoop. There isn't much point to going around and trying to do rituals on anything unless there's something specific to be gotten from it.
[Taking another bite of his cake, it takes him a moment to mull on another point and then add later, almost as an afterthought,] I wonder if any of it matters at all. Rituals and celebrating the turn of seasons, in a place where they have no meaning. Isn't it pathetic? The ayakashi are trying to play house with mortal time.
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[He trails off, taking a sip from his wine as he considers what that most likely means. A shame; he'd thought they'd had the right mentality to learn to shield their hearts to this place.It's cute that Matoba took the opportunity to lecture him on what a proper new year's prep is meant to be (by 'cute' he means 'typical and annoying, but also maybe still 'cute'), but it's not as though Matoba's answer doesn't also address the question that Natori was really asking, if obliquely. As much busywork as Matoba may have made for himself on Christmas Eve, there's a lot less to do when he's not wrangling the New Year's cleansings for the largest clan in Kyushu. Natori knows enough not to project his own feelings about his suddenly empty Christmas schedule onto Matoba's for New Year's, not least because this place was hardly a break from exorcist work, but he still can't help but wonder if Matoba enjoys having a little more quiet around this time of the year.
He's debating if it's worth coming up with a different way to ask when Matoba speaks up again with what might be as close as he gets to an answer.]
Mm. [He has no argument with Matoba's characterization of what the house is doing-- it's the same as any other time that the ayakashi adapt a human ritual that they don't understand, picking up the trappings and turning them into a game for their own amusement. But as was always the case with ayakashi, their whims could still have very real consequences for the humans stuck in the vicinity. The snow falling in the lobby of the hotel, for one thing. The very real threat of Mt. Misumi going barren if Houzukigami doesn't show for the moonsplitting festival, for another.] Well, they need to break up the monotony somehow. Might as well bring out Christmas cakes if we need to deal with angry ghosts around Halloween.
[He plays with his cup of wine, swirling the cup and watching the legs drain back down the sides.]
I heard the guests turned into monsters last year instead. I guess I should be grateful they don't want to repeat themselves.
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[It should be self evident to Natori already. That's what he really thinks, deep down, although of course he would never say it, never commiserate aloud, but there isn't any need to. Just as Natori had his busywork around the holidays to fill up his emptiness, so too did Seiji.]
[And here there were even fewer distractions, still. Matoba shovels another mouthful of cake into his face.]
Tsk. [He makes a sound of disgust over his frosting, finishing the mouthful before elaborating.] It was troublesome, indeed. All the monsters even worse-behaved than usual.
[He's not going to bring up the getting knocked out of his body by a hungry ghost, the multiple incidents of using himself to calm monsters, and especially not any of the admissions that were made in the process.]
[Irrelevant, anyway.]
If you'd been around, I'd have advised you to stay hidden, [He grins back towards Natori, licking the cream from his lips. It's an awful smile, mean and irritated, although the target of that irritation was not necessarily Natori himself.] You'd probably get pounced in an instant.
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But Natori snorts in response.]
And do you think I would have listened? [At least Natori's self aware-- not that it's hard to know how he'd react when he's already ignored so much of Matoba's advice here already. Which isn't to say that Matoba's advice was wrong-- the annoying part is that he was usually right. Usually. But that's never stopped Natori in the past either.] Anyway, If I've learned anything about this place, it's that trying to opt out and keep your head down isn't very effective for more than a few days.
[He takes one more bite of his cake, then wordlessly offers the rest of his slice towards Matoba the Garbage Disposal. He's sure he can guess the reason that he'd "get pounced," and that this is probably some mix of a neg at Natori's exorcist abilities and a way of calling him hot (derogatory). Y'know, the classic Matoba move.]
I'm sure you would have taken care of it if you had to. [Meaning, he's certain that Matoba would have exorcised him if he'd transformed, and he wouldn't even be mad about it. More annoyed with himself for getting into that situation. It doesn't occur to him for a second that Matoba could have succumbed himself.]
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[He scoffs derisively, and stabs his fork into his last, delightful strawberry, stuffing it into his mouth so as to quell his indignation. He's already glancing towards the cake again, and soon reaches to cut himself another slice when Natori offers out his own.]
[It's worse that he's self aware!! Stupid idiot, needlessly involving himself in things he isn't equipped for. Matoba takes one glance upward towards Natori's face, wary for some reason, and then takes the offered plate.] Not alone, of course. You should always have a roster of those who can fulfill your suit's needs when necessary, myself included. [Obviously, that's what he's assuming Natori means by 'taking care of it'??] The danger is in the encounters that are not planned.
...Just not them, [He mutters, and takes his new plate of cake into his lap, stabbing his fork a little more than necessary into a piece.]
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He raises an eyebrow at Matoba's look, but once the cake is off his hands he leans back on his bed and gets comfortable.]
That wasn't really what I... oh. So having sex with the monsters cured the transformation, huh? [Of course. Or the transformation was somehow tied to the suit flares, maybe. In any case, what a surprise, another lecture from Matoba on how he needs to clinically line up a number of people to sleep with. Natori props himself up with his elbow and plops his chin into his hand, watching Matoba jab at his plate. He'd say something about Matoba's terminology, but he's more interested in whatever Matoba's worked up about.]
Not who?
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The ayakashi, of course. Players and not inhabitants, I mean. [He says, swallowing and licking a flick of frosting from the tip of his fork, then scraping together another larger bite of cake.] There are a few who are particularly troublesome when these... curses, like the one that gripped this place during the cursed moon that Halloween, make them even more ill-behaved.
That is why I am warning you to be wary. They are bad enough without the negative influence of this realm twisting their malevolence even further.
[Yes there is very obviously a story or several behind this warning, but the fact that he isn't voicing it makes it pretty clear he's speaking from experience, no? Don't ask him. ...Or so the glaring omission and his irritation seems to say.] Of course, humans were also being cursed, but in that case, you could say that it is part of an exorcist's duty to relieve it, hm? With appropriate safeguards.
[...Of course, when it comes to him, Matoba was the one who considered him the latter, wasn't he?]
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I've gathered. [Except the person he's thinking of here is poor Baizhu, still catching strays in Natori's head as the ultimate example of what an ayakashi would do in this place.] But even staying in the rooms doesn't stop them from sending trick or treaters to your door, does it.
[Not that he actually had much trouble with the trick or treaters... Matoba probably caught sight of a few background guests with autographed photos, if he'd spotted what other people were hauling around.]
Or any sort of guests, really. [Like, say, Christmas Eve guests.] I guess I should feel lucky that the wine's not spiked with anything.
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[Brat. He smiles brightly, blithely ignoring the insinuation Natori is making about the guest that he got at his door tonight. After all, he doesn't count! He slices a large piece of cake off with the side of his fork and takes it into his mouth, just a couple bites left already on this slice. Hmmm... He could do one more slice, he thinks, surely...]
D'n't be p'post'rous, [He scoffs through a sticky mouthful of frosting, swallowing and licking it away like a cat licking its chops.] I would not purchase something so troublesome to bring along tonight.
It's the free food that you must be careful about. [Those Mating Season meet-n-greets, Natori.... Be careful.] Gifts included. Ah, that's right, you didn't receive anything suspicious when your birthday passed, did you?
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'No such thing as a free lunch,' and all that. [He's debating whether to pick at tonight's offering in that context, tease out what this is if not a gift, but Matoba's question knocks him out of it.] --Hm? Well, not like you're thinking.
[He wonders if Matoba had heard rumors of someone roaming the hotel for several days with a six-eyed mask. Probably not; Natori hadn't exactly been social, and it wasn't out of the ordinary enough to have people talking.]
I got a scolding. [Two, if he counted the mask itself.] My fans gave me the silent treatment for a few weeks because I wasn't grateful enough for their support.
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[And now, Natori too. A tiny, displeased sigh escapes out his nose as he ponders, eye fixed on his plate as he idly scrapes at frosting.]
Fufu.... Women are quite fickle, aren't they? The apparitions of them even moreso. [Don't ask how he's heard. "They're not real women" and all that.] ...I thought it was a little empty in here since I last visited...
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[He nods at the emptiness of the room around them, settling back against his bed with his solo cup of wine.]
It wasn't my choice. Something broke in around... September? When we were all stuck on that camping trip. Shredded the wards and destroyed nearly everything in the room. But that's no excuse to be careless with gifts.
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[He's finishing off his plate- well, Natori's plate- and eying the cake again, like he isn't going to serve himself another slice. As if he has propriety.]
Tsk.... What did you offend to earn such a tantrum?
[He doesn't like the sound of that, though. Something that just barged in through Natori wards? It must have been something almost as powerful as the suits, he thinks, to manage that. His hand reaches for the cake knife.] You weren't here when it attacked?
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I wonder... [He looks at the wards on the wall-- fresh ones, obviously, regularly replaced and updated to make sure he doesn't leave himself vulnerable-- then leans back on his hands to look up at the ceiling, his cup balanced carefully in between his crossed legs.] No, it was sometime during those few weeks when we couldn't leave the Vale, so I don't even know when exactly it happened. The trail was cold by the time we got out.
[But he's wondered. After a moment, he adds]
Did you go exploring in the caves? Around that time.
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The Vale? --Ahh, the "camping trip", [Matoba hums, serving himself another fat slice. This should tide him over nicely...] Our trip was rather uneventful, I must say, but I am aware it was a bit more difficult for others.
[He says it with, as always, the air of the pampered head of the Matoba clan who is aware of the hardships of smaller clans but can't speak from a place of anything but pity for them.]
[Ignore the royal(?) we.]
And the caves? [He looks to Natori with a sip of his wine, a bit of a tanginess before delving into his cake again.] What was in them?
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I heard. "Glamping," right? [He takes another instinctive glance at his wards, as if expecting them to start degrading in front of his eyes. As if assessing whether they're any use in this situation, given the state of his room upon his return. More of a safety blanket than anything else. Slowly, casually, without looking back at Matoba:] In one of the caves was an eye, as large as the wall. An associate of mine accidentally made eye contact, and he was frozen in place until I forced it to blink. It didn't open up again after that, but we didn't stay to go any deeper.
[He takes another sip of his wine, glancing casually over at Matoba.]
So I might have irritated something rather large. [Something large with a huge organ lying around in the dark corners of the hotel, one that punished people for looking at it.]
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[That's the only sound Matoba has for him as he indulges in a large bite of cake, thoughtfully chewing and savoring the frosting on his tongue as he lets the zen of both disappointment and expectation wash over him. He needs a moment or two to formulate the exact cut he'd like to deliver.]
Always biting off more than you can chew, aren't you. [He swallows and delivers precisely, before taking another bite. Taking on jobs he isn't equipped for, or involving himself in the personal matters of others that are beyond his ability.]
[Shuichi's getting very bold lately. At some point, his luck is going to run out.]
[But it would be a lie to say Matoba wasn't interested.]
I wonder. [His tongue flicks the frosting on the edge of his fork thoughtfully.] Is our friend the house hiding yet again... Or was it a new monster? A shame. I'd have liked to have encountered it myself.
... You didn't let it look, did you? [You'll have to forgive the snide doubt in his voice, since you did just tell him you provoked it.]