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]

[Raises an eyebrow.] Why do you look annoyed about that?

[hellacene]

Because he's known me since we were little.

[he knows too much and doesn't shut up, god.

they arrive in time at the restaurant. since they just ate, tsukki really isn't that hungry. yamaguchi welcomes them happily, taking a great interest in kuroo while tsukki orders a parfait for himself.]

[captaincatblock]

[Kuroo takes a healthy interest in Yamaguchi, too. Mostly he sizes Tsukki's friend up, as Yamaguchi lets him in his sweet, baffled way. Yamaguchi asks about their plans, Kuroo answers. While Yamaguchi seems surprised at the suddenness, he's more interested in the logistics of it. No protests at all, since it's not entirely unexpected. He had never seen Tsukki that way for anyone, after all, in the years they were friends.]

[They seem to settle into a silent, respectful, mutual understanding of each other's roles in Tsukki's life, which is to say, they get along fine.]

[Yamaguchi also introduces Kuroo to the idea of soggy fries. Kuroo doesn't really know what to think of this weird food, except it tastes good when dipped in Tsukki's parfait.]

[hellacene]

[which tsukki will take issue in. it's his dessert, dammit.

all in all, the conversation goes a lot better than the first time that things went in his household, which he re-tells again to yamaguchi for laughs, now, but during that time it was terrifying. yamaguchi stresses onto tsukki to take care - and tells kuroo to keep an eye on him, especially when he gets too quiet, because tsukki totally sucks at talking and is sometimes a lot more insecure about a lot of things than he should be. ("yamaguchi.") he talks a lot. he gets told to shut up a lot but he laughs it off and tsukki just shakes his head, but he wants to make sure kuroo knows a lot about tsukki too and it's all very friendly with him.]

[captaincatblock]

[All the bits of information Yamaguchi offers are very appreciated, although some of them Kuroo knows for himself as well. They did spend a lot of time with each other before, and Kuroo is the renown king of provocation.]

[Kuroo sort of wants to apologize to these people for taking Tsukki away, but then he doesn't really regret it. So instead, he's nice to Yamaguchi, and promises to send him his own tablet to talk to Tsukki with, and extends an open invitation to him to visit anytime (just send for someone to pick you up). He also promises to take care of Tsukki, again in that joking but serious way of his.]

[Kuroo at some point also makes his excuses to go to the toilet or talk to his men, so the two friends can have a few minutes alone.]

[hellacene]

[most of their talk ends up being terse and short - tsukki doesn't like talking too much about things, after all, he only goes in-depth in how he was kidnapped and what the people he's seen are like so far. yamaguchi teases him about having a super rich boyfriend. to which tsukki replies that, of course, he can only have the best if he's going all out.

when kuroo returns, tsukki's ready to go. yamaguchi gives him a hug, which he returns awkwardly, and then congratulates kuroo again.]

[captaincatblock]

[Kuroo learned this thing from Yamamoto called a high five, which he enacts with a fairly amused Yamaguchi, and then he's walking back to the car with Tsukki.]

I like your friend. He looks reliable. [leans back in his seat, as they head back to the base to get picked up this time.]

[hellacene]

He always is.

[when they're walking back, however, he tugs kuroo to the direction of a bookstore.]

Yamamoto would like those. [points at a rack of mags, filled with all the girls he could possibly think of. the high-five reminded him of that, because who else in the castle other than lev would know about that kind of thing?]

[captaincatblock]

[Kuroo approaches them to look, and blinks a little.] No, if I give Yamamoto any, he'd always ask for them back when I come down here. No, no way.

[hellacene]

We're already here, [tsukki points out.] And people expect presents when we get back. I'll be too lazy to head back home again the next time.

[he pulls out a cosmo mag. 101 ways to talk to your boyfriend. tsukki points at the title and insists,] Instruction manual.

[nevermind that the advice they have is pretty horrible for everyone involved.]

[captaincatblock]

Are you telling me I need to read instructions on how to talk to you? [Indignantly, but he does reluctantly grab every kind he can reach to buy for his wayward vassals.]

[hellacene]

[tsukki makes a face at that.]

It's not for you.

[he'll add a pile of sexy mags in between, some sports magazines, but mostly a lot about girls and a couple with porn. they're gonna look so weird in the counter with all these mags, who even buys porn nowadays.]

[captaincatblock]

[They do, in fact, get a lot of strange looks as they go off to pay, especially when Kuroo added half a dozen magazines about food and interior design and household guides as well.]

They had better be grateful that the generous Count Kuroo and his beautiful Princess Tsukki have decided to bless them with these strange goods from Earth. [Grumbling as he pays for the stuff and hauls them under his arm.]

[hellacene]

I'm sure. [he flips over one of the girlie mags. there's an article about "pleasing your man," and then - ] How do you feel about donuts on your dick?

[captaincatblock]

[A very long look at Tsukki.]

Not if you're going to be biting it off my dick.

[The guard who was about to open the door for them coughs at that.]

[hellacene]

Could also be interesting in the bedroom.

[could also land them in medical, another embarrassing thing to add to kuroo's rather extensive medical file.]

[captaincatblock]

W-we could do strawberries and chocolate instead. [Alarmed.]

[hellacene]

Coward.

.... I'm kidding, of course. That'd be a waste of a donut.

[he continues flipping through the magazine. yamamoto and his friends would be really happy with these things.]

[captaincatblock]

I didn't realize you had more kinks than our usual. [peers over Tsukki's shoulder.] What else do you like to do?

[hellacene]

Don't be ridiculous.

[the rest of the page is covered with advice about cheating boyfriends, uninterested wives, distant children, and the like. tsukki flips through them without interest, until he gets to the swimsuit page.]

Your popularity will definitely increase again after you give out these mags.

[captaincatblock]

I wouldn't say that my popularity's decreased. More of... Their loyalty is shared now, which I approve of. [peers at the magazine...]

We should go swimming in the ocean one of these days. Will Tsukki wear a swimsuit for me then?

[Kuroo does not know how to swim.]

[hellacene]

A swimsuit .... I have a decent pair of trunks, you know.

[speedos just look so embarrassing .... ] If you're not in a hurry, let's go to the beach, then. [oh - ] We might need to buy some supplies first for that, but it shouldn't be a problem finding them.

[captaincatblock]

[shakes his head, smiling.] No, not today. We should get you settled in at the landing castle first, and get your things sorted out.

[Besides, Tsukki looks nice in whatever he wears, and Kuroo has seen him naked. The swimsuit can wait.]

[hellacene]

[oh, that's a better idea.] Alright.

[he leans his chin against his shoulder as they make their way back to the base.] What did my bosses say to you?

[considering it went well .... ]

[captaincatblock]

They kept on pointing out to me that I'm depriving them of a valuable resource, one who cannot be replaced very easily, so won't I reconsider or postpone the leave I declared for you? [Kuroo looks amused.]

I suppose they thought my bribe wasn't enough. But at least they aren't maintaining Arcadia anymore or using personnel on it, so by my calculations, that adds significantly to the benefit they're receiving.