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Post by aislinn01 on Jun 15, 2012 21:00:36 GMT -5
you've gotten into my bloodstream ,
( THE SPACES IN BETWEEN TWO MINDS AND ALL THE PLACES THEY HAVE BEEN ) He shouldn't be this nervous. It was just spending time with another friends - right? Just a friend. But that was exactly the problem, you see, because it wasn't just a friend. Kou didn't make just friends; he made friends to last. In the past few days, he'd managed to recover one of these friends-to-last, despite the fact that he'd been certain he would never see Itsuki again. After a misplaced confrontation in the middle of the zoo and a sort-of-apology, they'd agreed to meet again; and Kou had left that day with a number in his pocket and the feeling that maybe things would be okay.
Now, he was standing outside of the zoo gates, late at night, in the dark, alone. He'd swore he told Itsuki nine-thirty - but maybe he was wrong? Maybe he said a later time? He had been a little frazzled lately, running around, trying to get work done and also get his car fixed and all of this sudden excitement in his life left him feeling dizzy. Not to mention his mother had suddenly taken an interest in his life and wanted to know - Kouryou, when are you going to settle down? How was he supposed to answer that? He was far too busy to deal with her anyway.
But it was nine-thirty now, and as Kou stood outside, checking his watch every minute or so, he had the sinking feeling that maybe, maybe, Itsuki wasn't coming. He had seemed pretty mad when they parted ways, after all. Maybe he was just looking for a way to get Kou out of his life once and for all. But no, he didn't want to think about that. Not yet. For now, he was a firm believer that things were going to be okay after all.
( AND THE SILENCE SURROUNDS YOU AND HOLDS YOU ) [/color][/center] |
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Post by MARUMARU ITSUKI on Jun 15, 2012 21:24:37 GMT -5
Itsuki had not been having such a great day. Between waking up late, being tired from the night before (when his peers had dragged him out to go drinking without his consent) and then a day's worth of lectures that made no sense, as well as leaving his wallet at home and having to walk all the way back to get it... he was very tempted to cancel this meeting. He knew it would be rude, and probably get Kou all worked up again, but he was just so sick of today. He wanted to go home and sleep.
He'd promised. He said he'd come, no matter what. Well, maybe not those exact words, but he knew that was what was expected of him - and so he decided to be just a little bit selfless, just this once. That didn't mean he had to be happy about it, though, and Itsuki had decided long before setting out that he was going to make that displeasure known.
He had been such a bright, cheerful, kind-hearted person once. What on earth had happened?
Eventually, and without too much grumbling to himself, he had made it to the zoo. But as he got closer, his earlier resolve began to shake - it wasn't too late, he could still call and say he couldn't make it. It wouldn't be that bad, would it? He had plenty of reasons to want to re-schedule, plenty of valid and perfectly reasonable reasons to want to go straight home. Kou would understand, wouldn't he?
But as Itsuki argued with himself, his feet kept moving; and within moments he was close enough to the zoo gates to see the blonde, and knew that, from that moment, it was all too late. He'd just have to get this over and done with, deal with this strange sense of foreboding and the reluctance that made him drag his feet, made him want to just turn and run away. Somehow he managed to keep moving, although his awkward movements must have looked quite comical.
But eventually he made it there. He should say something, now that he had. But Itsuki couldn't think of anything to say - his head was still a mess of excuses to cancel.
"H-hey," he managed eventually. Was that good enough? It would have to be.
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Post by aislinn01 on Jun 15, 2012 21:41:51 GMT -5
you've gotten into my bloodstream ,
( THE SPACES IN BETWEEN TWO MINDS AND ALL THE PLACES THEY HAVE BEEN ) To say he was relieved when he saw someone approaching was an understatement. He wasn't sure how he would have dealt with sitting here and thinking that maybe he was just running late and then ending up without a friend to show the zoo to. Obviously, Itsuki had already been to the zoo; but Kou firmly believed that the zoo was different at night - had a different feel to it - and he was certain that it was the perfect thing to help get their friendship back on track.
Regardless, it took the form - whoever it was - long enough to become discernible. For a moment, Kou was certain that it might have been some serial killer come to fetch him and drag him off to certain death. But then it came closer, and he realized that it was Itsuki, thank whatever God happened to be up there, and he released a sigh of relief. Thank goodness he didn't have to deal with a serial killer; even more relieved was he to find he wasn't being stood up on his date.
Date, he thought with a little roll of his eyes. That's what this was.
"Hi," he replied, unable to stop the smile coming over his face at the sight of a slightly bedgraggled, but still present, Itsuki. "You look a little exhausted. Lucky for you, we aren't doing anything too physical." He gave a crooked half-smile, a signature Kou-smile, and unlocked the gate with his ring of zoo keys. The perks of being a big-cat tamer and care taker!
He opened the gate, motioning for Itsuki to go in. "I know I said we didn't have to have our hang out at the zoo, but I wanted to show you some things."
( AND THE SILENCE SURROUNDS YOU AND HOLDS YOU ) [/color][/center] |
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Post by MARUMARU ITSUKI on Jun 15, 2012 22:12:07 GMT -5
Anything physical? What on earth was Kou talking about? That sounded like some kind of bad pick-up line, not something you'd say to a friend. Or was he just too tired to understand properly? That was probably it, and he should probably... probably smile or something in case it was a joke he wasn't getting. Just to be sure. So he did, although it didn't stop things from feeling awkward.
"'Something'? Like what?" It wouldn't be the snakes, would it? Oh god, please not anything with scales. Fish - fish he could maybe manage, but anything else and he really would have to come up with an excuse to leave. He wasn't prepared to deal with the things today. "Are you even allowed to be here at night? Aren't there guards and stuff?" Don't they let the lions out to protect everything, or something? It was a silly childish thought, but it made sense - and what if? Itsuki didn't feel like being eaten alive, not today, not ever.
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Post by aislinn01 on Jun 15, 2012 23:01:06 GMT -5
you've gotten into my bloodstream ,
( THE SPACES IN BETWEEN TWO MINDS AND ALL THE PLACES THEY HAVE BEEN ) Naturally, Kou had not realized the implications to his words; when he'd said physical, what he'd been thinking of was that he wasn't going to make Itsuki hike any mountains or go running after something. Of course, he should have taken into considering that Itsuki might perceive it as something else, but at this point he was honestly just too relieved that he was actually there to care.
"If I told you," he sighed, giving a little smile, "then it wouldn't be near as exciting. In you go." Stepping after Itsuki and shutting the gate behind him, he shrugged. "There might be guards. I guess that just means we'll have to be more careful." He grinned, snagging Itsuki by the hand and pulling him toward their first stop for the evening.
They traveled for a while, Kou keeping an eye out for guards that might actually be doing their job instead of sitting in the work room (as per usual). Eventually, they wound up in front of the Sumatran tiger exhibit. The mostly-nocturnal tigers seemed to be rather relaxed that evening; Kou stepped up to the fence, still holding Itsuki's hand without a thought, and peered in. A tiger moseyed up to him and pressed its face against the exhibit, rumbling.
"Isn't she lovely, Itsuki?" Kou murmured, turning to look at his companion. Perhaps it was just him, to be so thoroughly enchanted with a creature in the moonlight, but he was certain it was equally beautiful to Itsuki. "Come here," he said, his voice soft as he led his friend to the gate that led inside. "You should meet at least one dangerous cat while we're here!"
( AND THE SILENCE SURROUNDS YOU AND HOLDS YOU ) [/color][/center] |
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Post by MARUMARU ITSUKI on Jun 15, 2012 23:41:24 GMT -5
All things considered, Itsuki wasn't exactly fond of surprises. He liked being able to completely judge and understand a situation, and approach it with caution. He had been impulsive once, and look where it had gotten him! And, well, he was a little afraid. During the day, there was no possible way a regular person like him would be able to get close to the dangerous animals that could kill without a second thought, and he liked it that way.
But now? If Kou wasn't dragging him along, Itsuki was sure he never would've made it past the gate.
Wait...
When had Kou grabbed his hand? Why hadn't he noticed? He really should have noticed - even with the limited feeling he had in his right side, he should have noticed. It was... uncomfortable, but he didn't really want to speak up about it - it'd all be too hard to explain. He'd just have to put up with it, and pay more attention later.
Eventually they stopped, and made it in to an enclosure. itsuki hadn't been paying too much attention, focusing rather on trying to slip his hand out of that grip - which he was finally able to do, once they were in. And then Kou spoke.
"Isn't she lovely, Itsuki?"
Like hell she was!
In an instant he was clinging to the blonde again (although this time with his left hand), and he wasn't about to let go any time soon. He had a hold on the other boy's shirt and instinctively twisted around to be behind him rather than at his side. God! If he'd been tired before, he sure wasn't now - not now that the adrenaline was pumping and he was ready to run in an instant.
"W-what is this, Kou, do you want to feed me to your pet? I like my cats small and, you know, without the huge claws and sharp teeth..." His voice wavered, but still strong: terrified, yes, but also accusatory. How could he be so calm? It was a tiger, and they were probably disturbing her, and when she noticed she was going to eat them both and that'd be it, forever.
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Post by aislinn01 on Jun 16, 2012 0:01:37 GMT -5
you've gotten into my bloodstream ,
( THE SPACES IN BETWEEN TWO MINDS AND ALL THE PLACES THEY HAVE BEEN ) Kou had barely noticed when Itsuki managed to wriggle his hand free from the enchanted Kou. It was odd, to be so easily enraptured with a creature, but when he really looked at her - really looked at her - he wasn't so perplexed by it. She was beautiful, you know. In a powerful, dangerous sort of way. The kind of beauty you respected. The kind of beauty you didn't let get damaged or washed away.
Itsuki's hand slid back into his once more. He shot the bluenette a quick smile, undaunted by his obvious fear of the big-cat. "Don't be silly," he chastised. "She wouldn't want you for her meal. You're skinny and wiry." He grinned, relinquishing his hand to move toward the back gate and unlock it. "Stay there," he told Itsuki, closing the gate behind him and entering the exhibit. The tiger sauntered over to the familiar man, watching from a distance as he shuffled around, disappearing in the undergrowth occasionally. She followed after him, if only to inspect his movements; and when he appeared from the thick jungle foliage with a hefty cub in his arms, grinning like an idiot, the tiger watched with careful yellow eyes.
"Do you want to pet him?" Kou asked Itsuki, cradling the cub in his arms. He stood on the other side of the gate, the silly grin not being wiped from his face for anything in the world. "He's really sweet, I promise." And who could honestly resist the adorable face of a baby tiger?
( AND THE SILENCE SURROUNDS YOU AND HOLDS YOU ) [/color][/center] |
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Post by MARUMARU ITSUKI on Jun 16, 2012 0:48:56 GMT -5
Was the cub cute? Well, yeah, maybe if it's mother wasn't currently glaring at him. Itsuki would have very much preferred she wasn't around. Still, he reached out a hand hesitantly, brushed the thing's soft fur and then quickly snatched it back.
"How adorable," he muttered, glancing nervously over at the larger tiger. Was it just his imagination, or did she look less than pleased? Like she was tolerating them for now, but ready to pounce at any moment. How could Kou work in conditions like this? "You don't happen to work with any... less violent animals though? Like goldfish or something?" It was meant as a joke, but somehow it came out completely serious. He couldn't stop his eyes from slowly moving back to the mother tiger, who at that moment had decided to yawn, revealing a huge mouth full of sharp teeth.
Itsuki didn't consider himself a coward. Sure, he hated snakes, and he was terrified being so close to the large cats, but wasn't that a normal reaction? Maybe he would have to re-assess his personal evaluation of himself.
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Post by aislinn01 on Jun 19, 2012 1:01:54 GMT -5
you've gotten into my bloodstream ,
( THE SPACES IN BETWEEN TWO MINDS AND ALL THE PLACES THEY HAVE BEEN ) Sometimes, Kou forgot that not everybody was absolutely in love with big cats like he was. Not everybody had the same amount of foolish fearlessness that gave him the ability to work with these dangerous animals day in and day out - and maybe that was a good thing, because if everybody was foolhardy as he was, nothing would ever get accomplished. Everybody would just die too quickly.
Luckily for him, he had just the right amount of stupidity; enough that he could be employed in a job that he loved to go to everyday, that he wasn't stuck in a stupid office job or in a classroom where he felt most confined. He did fine in school, getting decent grades, but he had been most happy outside of it. He didn't want a higher-end job. He liked his life as it was, for the most part.
Kou laughed - probably the first sincere, happy laugh in a long time. He nodded. "I do, actually," he replied with a pleased grin. He set the cub back on the ground, stroking along the lovely orange fur for a moment longer before he waved at the she-cat and stepped out, closing the gate behind him and slipping the key into his pocket. "Do you want to go look at the aquarium instead?" he asked, heading out of the small alcove and toward the fish-end of the zoo. "Even though I'm not a big fish fan, I have to admit it's really very pretty at night."
( AND THE SILENCE SURROUNDS YOU AND HOLDS YOU ) [/color][/center] |
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Post by MARUMARU ITSUKI on Jun 21, 2012 9:35:22 GMT -5
'I'm not really an animal person,' is what he wanted to say. And it was true: oh, sure, he wouldn't say no to playing with a dog or petting a cat or anything, or even feeding some fish if the need arose. Otherwise? He was quite content with keep his distance. But he couldn't say something like that, not with Kou being so eager - it'd start another fight, and that'd mean yelling, and that would mean they might be loud enough to wake some of the larger, more deadly animals. And Itsuki was not prepared to risk that.
"S-sure, that sounds great," he said instead, although his heart wasn't really in it. The words were weary, and he had to fight off a yawn whilst saying them: he was trying his best, but he was just so damn tired. Maybe that's what was making him so jumpy and nervous around all these sleeping giants. He wasn't exactly at his most comfortable when he knew he wasn't thinking straight (for obvious reasons), and there was the extra danger of how angry the animals would be if someone woke them from their (very comfortable looking) sleep. But fish couldn't hurt, right? Did fish even sleep? He'd heard something about them sleeping with their eyes open, or something.
Either way, it would do wonders for his nerves. And, well, it could be nice, being in an aquarium at night. At least the blonde hadn't suggested they go look at the snakes - unlike fish, they were one kind of scaly creature he would rather stay far, far away from, no matter what the time of day. It was probably a good thing Itsuki had forgotten that 'fish' also included things like 'sharks', or he probably would have refused to see anything and instead demand to be let to go home. And that, that would do nothing for their slowly recovering 'friendship'.
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