Get into the van, kiddo.

[captaincatblock]

[Peace is a funny thing. It's been teased and denied for so long that now that it's happening, it's almost weird. He'd missed most of the drama with the princess and her traitorous Terran Knight -- not that he's fully convinced of it, but if it gains them this peace, then he won't question it -- but he had been returned to his kin as Earth's first peace offering.]

[Kuroo hadn't been too happy about that, hadn't even had the time to say good bye to Tsukki after being whisked away by a couple of generals and then thrown into political chaos. But he had endured it, because he knew that eventually, the princess would get to the small issue of Kuroo's kataphrakt and how he intends to spend his time on Earth. He could be a diplomat, he'd offered, or teach his fellow Versians about Terrans, since he's learned a lot. Anything, he had added meaningfully, if he allowed him to keep his landing castle close to Earth if not entirely on its soil.]

[He'd gotten some leeway in the end, after weeks of endless talks, so here he is now striding into the hanger where they kept his mech, in full Count regalia. Oddly enough, he only has Terran escorts with him, and they back away well enough when he reaches his destination.

Tsukki? Oiii, I'm looking for your mechanic, Tsukishima Kei. [first he calls out, and then just outright asks someone to find Tsukki for him]

Comments

[captaincatblock]

I'm sure I can do something about your superiors at work. After all, in a weeks I was with you, I got to become friends with some of them. [Not really. But Kuroo knows how to play the politics game and this is easy stuff.]

[He sets the course for his landing castle -- they'll get there in like ten minutes or something -- and gives in to his urge to cuddle.] I couldn't wait. [kisses him at the neck.]

[hellacene]

[he lets kuroo cuddle him. everything is happening at a pace that's too quick for him. he doesn't think kuroo would be stupid enough to hold him hostage, but he also misses him, and now that he has the chance to actually be in his castle he remembers that kuroo has an observation deck. above all things that's what he wants to see.

he's absolutely impossible, but he's kuroo, and he came back for him. that's all that matters. he runs his fingers over his messy hair and replies with,] I'm not sure I'm dressed enough for a castle.

[captaincatblock]

[That's what you get for involving yourself with a mercurial man like Kuroo Tetsurou. He looks completely happy with everything going on around him, the turmoil he's causing be damned.]

That's all right. Whatever you wear, you'd still be the most beautiful man there. [Even that's so sappy he has to laugh at himself.] My staff won't care. It's my castle, after all.

[And that's the castle floating quite a distance away, in all of its hulking glory. The clouds are being displaced around it as he hovers.]

[hellacene]

I guess it's a good thing you're not King.

[you can start a war with that attitude, kuroo.

he pulls away from him the minute he sees the castle, however. he doesn't really understand why kuroo thinks of it as an ugly thing of metal and wire. it's sleek, absolutely shiny, and imposing. tsukki presses his hands against the screen as he watches it with awe.

quietly, he asks him - ]

How long can I stay?

[he wants to see everything and do all the things in this castle.]

[captaincatblock]

[He might or might not have started a war just to show you the stars, Tsukki.]

For as long as you want, love. [Since Tsukki is giving him a little bit of space, Kuroo's going to take the opportunity to attend to his responsibilities as a pilot, like preparing for landing and informing his staff that his Kat is coming in soon.]

[hellacene]

Don't call me that. It's embarrassing.

[worse than him calling him 'tsukki' all the time, cheeks pinking at the words.]

I didn't bring anything with me, Kuroo. [especially if this is going to last longer than a sleepover.]

[captaincatblock]

Don't worry about it, princess. I have things. [cheeky smirk] What's the point of being lovers with a Count if he can't spoil you from time to time? [his wording sometimes is very old fashioned.]

[hellacene]

["princess." well, that one's slightly more accurate.

he settles back onto kuroo's lap as the kat lands on the castle, thinking about what kuroo had just said. he's still in his shirt and jeans and boots. he certainly looks a lot shabbier compared to kuroo, even as he had gained a few inches in height and had some muscle in him. as he presses his face against his shoulder, he wonders,]

You've planned this for a long time, then?

[captaincatblock]

[More accurate than love? Gasp, rejecting my feelings, Tsukki.]

It takes a lot to move through bureaucracy, you know. I had to hound the Princess and her new fiance about helping me get my Kat functional again. [He chuckles, even as he makes the motions to land the Kat.] And I knew I couldn't come back empty handed after disappearing like that.

[But, they're here. Kuroo opens the hatch to let them both out. Notably, no one's touching the Kat beyond the necessary fastenings to slot it into its place. Looks like Kuroo's told them that Tsukki won't appreciate anyone touching it.]

[They're barely even landed when the hull closes up and the landing castle starts rumbling.]

[hellacene]

[but you'll do anything for your princess.

the way kuroo had phrased it earlier though, makes it sound like he's cruising earth for unsuspecting counts to spoil him. it makes him feel a bit self-conscious when he's invited to come down from his kat. no matter what kuroo says, he's still wearing terran clothes in a sea of suits and military jackets.

as soon as the landing castle moves, though, tsukki nearly loses his balance (in anti-grav! of all things!) and has to hold on to kuroo to keep him from flying off.

he's quiet, though, taking in everything in the hangar, from the versans that work for kuroo to the way they keep their distance from him and the count, watching the crowds watching them.]

[captaincatblock]

[Whoa there. Kuroo holds him easily by the waist, himself used to the change in balance. And then Kuroo's distracted for a while giving instructions to a couple of his staff -- something about the storage of his Kat, another about stores, and another about the ascent to space. Someone else tries to talk to him about paperwork, but he waves it off. The Kat's walls are all shuttered right now, to protect the glass from the stress of leaving the Earth's atmosphere, so there's not much to see outside. At least inside should be entertaining enough for now...]

All right. [This, he says loudly, for everyone to hear.] You can stop gawking now. It's not like you haven't seen a Terran before. This is Tsukishima Kei, he took very good care of me when I was down there. [At that, some of the staff brighten a smidgen, in as much as Versian stoicism can brighten up.] Make him feel at home while he stays with us.

[Then he tugs Tsukki by the wrist through the hold to the interior of the landing castle. He looks a little nervous, actually.] Let me show you around. Oh, we don't have to strap down or anything, but the ride gets a little bumpy nonetheless.

[hellacene]

[oh no. now everyone knows his name. god, he feels so embarrassed. it was different when he was a kid and he played volleyball on a full court with his name being announced to everyone. it's another thing for a count to announce his arrival in the castle to everyone else involved. tsukki could've been swallowed by the castle.

he gives a slight bow to everyone and then belatedly realizes he's a guest, and martians work differently, and - kuroo starts dragging him to the interior.]

Kuroo. [should he still address him like that? god, this is so weird.] You're moving too fast again. I want to see everything, you know. We have time.

[captaincatblock]

O-oh. [That might be a slight shake to his chuckle.] Sorry about that. The hangar gets pretty chaotic during ascent, so it's best we leave the staff to it for now. You can see it from the control room if you like...

[He does slow down, though, once they're in a corridor.]

[hellacene]

That's fine.

[it's kuroo's castle, so maybe it doesn't matter if he's a bit closer to him than usual, standing right beside him and letting him hold his hand instead of his wrist.]

I don't know why you keep calling your castle ugly. It's nice and sleek.

[captaincatblock]

Most things from Vers are ugly compared to most things on Earth. Except machinery, I guess. And your one and only Count Kuroo. [His grip on Tsukki's hand tightens.] Well, if you like it, then I can't complain.

[Still, he looks more cheerful when he gestures for them to continue moving, and they half hop and half climb up a set of stairs to a control platform that overlooks the hangar. Tsukki may or may not like the view of the four Styges in the hangar.]

[hellacene]

I said I liked it, didn't I? That means other things from Vers too.

[stop complaining, count.

and when he sees the four stygis in the hangar, his eyes widen as he stops and takes a good look at them.] I've never seen one up close .... they only told me about them from a previous mission.

[the stygis, the kat, and the castle. if he had all these resources from back home they would've won the war just by sheer force.]

[captaincatblock]

That makes me happy to know. [Sincerely.]

What, the Stygis? It's a newer model that's easier to create, I suppose. It's... [He thinks about it, to choose his words carefully. He likes his staff, he doesn't want to insult them.] It's meant for non-nobility, so they didn't make it too ornate, but what it lacks in armor, it makes up for in speed. Like Arcadia, a lot of its effectiveness relies on pilot skill.

[Makes you wonder about Versian pilots, right? But the Styges are pretty weak, so that's not entirely desirable.]

[hellacene]

[good. especially since he doesn't bother complaining about kuroo calling himself handsome anymore.

he leans his chin on his hand as he watches them work on the stygis, an arm propped against the railing as he considers his words.] It's good that they have you.

[he's getting quite the picture of this castle. kuroo's not the most warlike count he's encountered, but a lot of his pilots are skilled. he's willing to bet that in an attack, even if he's not the strongest, it'll take a pilot of exceptional ability to take his team down.]

[captaincatblock]

[Kuroo keeps a hand around Tsukki's hips, like he can't really bear to let him go just yet -- it's been way too long -- and surveys his hangar fondly.]

When we're break into space, we can fly on my Kat. Then I'll show you all the maneuvers she can do. [Maybe bring a few things there, stargaze as they cuddle... He gets sort of excited at the idea.]

[One of his staff comes over with a coat, which Kuroo offers to Tsukki. It's one of his, thick and scarlet.] Here. It's freezing up there.

[hellacene]

[the coat is so thick he looks like he's drowning in it because he's so lean. but he appreciates it anyway, telling the staff a thank you before they leave as he buttons himself up.] I'd like that.

[but the stygis .... he wonders if he's close enough to kuroo that he'll let him look at blueprints and plans .... ] I can show you the upgrades I made. I hope you like them.

But let's see the rest of the castle first.

[captaincatblock]

[He nods agreeably, and waves to his staff to continue as they were as he leads the way out. Kuroo's not really sure where to start, though. Well, they're here already, so...]

This is where spare parts, and other military supplies that's not ammunition are kept. [Points as they pass by a large door. It's closed right now, but Tsukki can stop him if he wants to see.] Below the hangar is the hangar for the sky carriers and other vehicles -- remind me to them to you later. Below that is mostly vents for the landing castle, engine parts, the heater... So we're going to go upward, before we come back here to go downward. The level above ours is where most of my staff sleeps. There's a clinic bay somewhere down there, if you ever feel sick, Tsukki.

[The landing castle gives a big jerk; Kuroo braces against the wall, and just pulls Tsukki to his chest.] Whoa, sorry. Getting through that is never smooth.

[hellacene]

You just want a reason to hold me.

[but he keeps track of the places that kuroo points out to him anyway. although, now that he mentions engine parts and supplies - ]

Do you have a library? [a pause.] I need to learn about Versan technology. [or he can shadow one of his mechanics, that's good too ... ]

[captaincatblock]

I never need a reason to hold you except because I want to, Tsukki. [kisses him on the cheek as they continue to walk along.]

Books aren't really a thing Versians have except for collectors and hobbyists, but we have all our information as data. I'll lend you my hardware later. [They are totally taking this landing castle's version of an elevator, so they can head a couple of floors up.] For the carriers and the Kataphrakts, you can always ask one of my engineers.

So the floor over the staff room is where we eat, do exercise, train, have some hobbies, what passes for a garden in Mars... [Which is, this floor. Don't laugh, Tsukki, but their garden is mostly bushes in pots arranged together to look okey-ish.]

[hellacene]

[he's going to laugh, it looks like a bigger version of the herb garden his mom has at home. on the sink.]

What a cute garden for some very tall people.

[but the promise of hardware and being able to ask his engineers later on makes him look a lot more lively, holding on to kuroo's arm as they move through the halls.] I'll have to tell my parents you kidnapped me, by the way, so they can prepare for the ransom.

[captaincatblock]

[It's the best they can do! There's even a flower in a pot. It looks like a daisy.]

I didn't plant these. I was told that these are authentically from Earth, though.

[Yay hand holding.] I can patch you through later. Then you can tell them that no amount of money on Earth would be enough to make me let you go. [Pouts, but he noses at Tsukki's cheek.] And maybe to send you cake, I suppose. You'd need to remain well-fed so I can have my wicked way with you.