This Way And That [o]

[yamagoe]

Flop.

A body hit a chair rather quickly, and the chair squeaked out in pain briefly before squirming a little at being sat on. The owner of the disturbance relaxed completely unaware of his chair's apparent distaste or un-skinny lazy bodies. "Ah that was too much work," Doctor Yamagoe complained to no one in general his eyes rolling upwards directing his next few statements at the ceiling or maybe some unseen higher power that watched over him. "I don't get paid enough to do this sorta thing. This is for interns or --- what'chacall'em----friends! Friends to do this not me..." he frowned distastefully at the now glistening floors of his office before looking back up at the ceiling again.

Ikki Yamagoe had spent much of the morning cleaning after catching sight of mud that had somehow made its way into his sanctuary. Thus with a frenzied panic that only came with nerves and a good deal of caffeine coursing through his system, he rage cleaned until everything was completely and utterly spotless. However, now that it was done, now that his war with the germs of the outside world had been won, he was coming to the conclusion that it had been a hollow victory in the end. Sure he had destroyed everything that could have possibly made him sick, but the fact of the matter was that he had done it! He could have asked for a maid. He had the money to hire a maid if he wanted, but what had he done? Gone up and cleaned it all himself. "And now I'm sooooooo tired!" he continued to complain at the ceiling.

"And it's not even noon! Not even lunch time, and not a single patient today either! ...........Oh well~" he said suddenly breaking into a horrendous laugh and throwing his head back further than before. "Guess that means I can just kick back and relax here... no one'll bother me~ Ah soooo peaceful..." he hummed closing his eyes after a moment.......

And then his stomach growled. Purple eyes flashed open and stared at the ceiling again. "Oh come now, you do this now just to bother me," he frowned crossing his arms in front of himself. His stomach continued to growl, and it was all he could do not to sigh. "I fed you, ya loud knuckle head," he growled only to stop and realize that he hadn't eaten that day.... at all. "Really? I could have sworn I ate breakfast..." he frowned raising a hand and tapping his chin thoughtfully. His stomach protested again, and he 'hmphed' irritated. "You know what? Just for that you're going to have to wait till my lunch break... got a whole 'nother hour to go ya whiny twit."

Humming a bit to himself, Ikki once more stared at the ceiling.

[a]

Hori was still at home, days like these weren't meant to be spent up at work, it just so happened he had off anyways. Most of his morning all he did was sleep, he woke up once to get some food, and then once to go to the bathroom. His iPod was blaringly loud through the beta headphones his parents had given him; there was always money around, just not enough to make medical miracles on a dying sister... There were few that new his pain, one of which he hadn't seen in some time. There was a muffled sound behind him, and he turned to see who it was; surprisingly someone who rarely entered his room, his father. His headphones dropped faster then a bowling ball. "Hori, I need you to do us a favor, do you remember Dr. Yamagoe? Ikki was his fist name. I'd like you to visit him and see how he is doing, we havent seen him at a twon council meeting for the two years she's been gone."

Hori replied in his usual respective manner with a slight bow and a reply; "It would be my honor, father." Hori was up for the task, it was just unusual he of all people would be sent to the aid of Ikki. He remembered the man two years ago and how he had thought of him... fondly. however the two rarely did anything other then a few hellos whenever they saw each other. He headed out to his car hoping he had remembered the way to the office, getting into his 350z he pulled out of the driveway like a turtle and like a cheetah zoomed his way off. When he opened his eyes again he was at the office parked. Another blackout, not good. Hori walked into the office building, making sure to take his shoes off by the door. He passed by the receptionist, the same women was there two years ago, and she nodded and smiled as he made his way. "I'm just visiting Ikki, no appointment today though." he replied; She chuckled a bit at the inside joke the two had shared when his sister had been in the hospital. He stopped in the doorway to his office. Ikki was still staring off at the ceiling. "Nice to your still hard at work."

[yamagoe]

Ikki wasn't the most lively thing in the world. Nope, there were plenty of others who were far more busy than he was, yet the doctor enjoyed his quiet time at the very least. It was fun to count the various dots on the ceiling-- far more fun than doing the paperwork that his receptionist was doing and far more fun than getting up and actually doing something in general. However, when a familiar voice reached his ears, the doctor slowly pulled his gaze away and stared downwards finding his brother-in-law standing in his office doorway. Hm? What's he doing here? the thought came to Ikki rather quickly, yet he brushed it aside for the moment.

A cool-headed wry smile set itself on Ikki's visage as he leaned forwards and set two elbows on the desk in front of him. "Well hello little brother, fancy seeing you here~ Did you come for a check up or to get an upgrade? I do both! Only a bit of yen for each, you know," he asked laughing and smiling lightly as he bridged his gloved hands together and rested his chin on them. In the years they'd been married, Hanako's family had become his own, and thus Ikki felt nothing towards calling Hori his 'little brother'. That was what he was, wasn't he? Ikki might have been more informal than most, but he didn't care that much.

Briefly Ikki turned his head and made an easy hand gesture towards one of the arm chairs on the opposite side of his desk before fixing his bridge again. Though some offices had always and would always be formal, Ikki was by far a more western doctor and thus had all the amenities of such. "Come~ Sit down and talk to me," he all but ordered before laughing a bit more. "How have you been doing? How is everyone?" he asked more vague than necessarily if only because he wanted a general response back. He didn't want any sort of details that would make him cringe quietly, and though he doubted there would be, he wanted to avoid the possibility of such anyways.

[a]

The air conditioning brushed across his face as he took the directions of the man in front of him, slowly making his way forward Hori sat in the adjacent chair with a squeak and a wobble. They were getting old after all. Ikki's face was lit up with both confusion and a bit of a happiness at the sign of Hori, it was a bit of a delight. However hearing the word "Upgrade" made him shudder. Hori was all but a finger human, he had lost that in a gun fight. "No Upgrades, I don't even have an appointment; it just seems it was time to visit one of our families most esteemed friends. It has been a while, nearly two years since any of us have seen you." Hori rocked alittle in the squeaky chair, mimicking the sounds of the old air conditioner. His face keeled into a lighter tone as his words hit the air and he realized how un-innocent it sounded. Like a mob-boss checking in on a possible snitch.

Hori began picking at a scab he received in his martial arts class. He doesn't even hit hard, but it still breaks his own skin when he does. He scanned the doctors face once more before completely resting in the chair, he seemed content. "Everyone's fine, including myself--" he rubbed his left hands middle finger "Or atleast in one piece that is. We were hoping to check up on you though and see how you were, we knew her death was nearly twice as bad on you then us." He looked down once more and his keys jingled in his pocket. His hands were on the desk, but his head was still looking down when he finally spoke a few single words he never thought about saying until he had asked how this man; the man that had not saved his sister; was doing. "I forgive you Ikki-chan."

[yamagoe]

A frown persisted briefly as Hori explained didn't want an upgrade nor did he have an appointment. He thought briefly of saying that half of his patients didn't have an appointment but came in whenever they needed it, but as the young man explained that he had come to see him solely, Ikki blinked. Two years? Nonsense... I've been keeping in tou-... Ikki stopped his own thoughts upon realizing that he was wrong in that assessment. Blinking, a curious look came to Ikki's face briefly. Two years... yes, two years since she'd.... Ikki's thoughts hardened themselves, but his face remained as placid as the sea on a perfect day.

The shift in the conversation was more welcomed than one would have imagined, yet as Hori explained that they worried about him and--- Why did the conversation keep going back to that? Ikki's stomach squirmed briefly before settling again. The last uttered words were the worst even if he ignored the somewhat insulting honorific that was used. Chan was for children, little girls, things ... not adult-ish... But that wasn't what got him at the moment. He forgave him? Forgave him for what? What had he ever done but try and help her? What he done but did everything possible to keep Hanako alive?

Realizing that he was dead silent as all this mental retaliation was going on, the slate haired doctor finally forced a weak laugh- something akin to a chuckle but nowhere close to the power of it. No, he wouldn't be violent with family. He was descent, wasn't he? That's what she would have wanted him to be towards her precarious little brother. "I see, that's good. You don't have to worry your pretty little heads though. I'm perfectly fine," he forced a smile -something pristine and almost honest, something he used on his patients to reassure them that he wasn't about to kill them...yet. "I've just lost track of time, really, so much work and all~"

Forcing himself to sit back straight backed against the chair, he continued to smile softly. "Though I guess I really should keep in touch more, shouldn't I? I'll email everyone soon then," he hummed doing his best to keep as the leader of this conversation. He'd be the direction, and he'd keep it off of her...off of him, rather. "You know your hair is getting pretty long. How do you stand it, Hori-kun?" he asked continuing to twist the conversation.