( karteria ) inbox.

[takasugi]

@MOSTHANDSOMEPREZ

username

@MOSTHANDSOMEPREZ

name

Takasugi, Shinsaku

age

28

hometown

Hagi, Japan

codes by ♡ and ♡

→ WORK CHAT.
→ AI TAKASUGI'S MEMORY LOG.

Comments

action - april event, idc if it's early

[hanikamu]

[ It's a lovely day at the Valentia, isn't it? Takasugi's probably downstairs eating his not-as-lovely breakfast. Rinne doesn't wake up early enough to know the man's full schedule, but he does know that pretty much everyone's done with breakfast by 9 to 10 am, which gives him the best window of arriving before Takasugi leaves.

So Rinne's here, up as early as he can be. His secondhand guitar case is slung over his shoulder while he looks like a clueless idiot loitering around the first floor and pretending to text. He almost looks younger like this, not knowing left from right yet giddy from excitement all the same.

When he spots the man he's looking for, a switch seems to flip. That crass personality from before returns at full force. He slings a friendly arm over his shoulders and pulls him in. His hold is strong and tight. ]

Yooo, Prez! Looks like someone didn't kill those crows today♪ Hey, is that your shamisen? Nice! Anyone ever tell ya you look way too handsome today? Way too free, too. You're still way too broke, aincha? Gyahahaha, that's our Sugisugi for ya!

[ Which he hopes are all very, very distracting words to hear as he starts hauling Takasugi's ass out of the lobby and into the streets. ]

[takasugi]

( he doesn't have a moment to brace himself before getting caught. not with that firm grip steering him forcefully, and not when the presence of a strong life pressing fingertips into his shoulder makes the scattered hints of something different linger at the back of his mind. it's a little startling, the way takasugi's cooler skin warms slightly like it'd been looking forward to the same touch in the same place.

startling, and frustrating, to be taken off-guard again so easily.

takasugi lets it roll off him, though, tugging at the band of his shamisen strap to make sure it hasn't offset any on his back. )

Never a dull moment when you're around, huh, Amagi-kun. Still, "Sugisugi"? Tell me that's not going to be my stage name. But I guess, if we're going to take to the stage and make this a real hit, we ought to go all out and get crazier with it. How about styling your name to match mine? Like, ... "Rin-Rin", or something... maybe.

( before he can throw out any more silly suggestions to get his nickname changed, takasugi takes notice of the guitar case, and his one visible eye sparkles brighter than the sunlight filtering through the trees that occasionally line the city streets on the way to the park. it's his turn to lean in, giddy over the fact that they're really doing this thing. )

Oh?! I knew I could count on you. It's a real piece of junk, judging from the bag alone, but I suppose state-of-the-art equipment would take a fatter stack of cash than what I won from that exercise Patho-Gen tossed on our laps a while back. Hell, I'll have to give you a... raise, or I would, if I were actually capable of running a label or any sort of company right now.

@ salem (this would be before they get tasked to go into the woods)

[techrotten]

...I had a serious question to ask you, but now I also have a less serious one.

"Prez"? As in president?

@MOSTHANDSOMEPREZ

[takasugi]

( he checks the profile, and it's...

... oh. it's that woman who called him OR-DI-NA-RY.

he latches mini-arahabaki's panel shut. )

What else would it be
You know, presumably

un: treeleaf

[lumberlady]

🍊🤼‍♂️🌊🏯👨🏻‍🦰？

🌳🍃！　👧🏽🐎

健あｌｔｈ？ ☺️？

@MOSTHANDSOMEPREZ, text

[takasugi]

( what...










in the world.

is this some kind of distress signal? hello? he's trying not to lose it. this is probably the most interesting text he's gotten thus far. there's an urge to reply, 「いや、誰」to that obvious flub in transmission, but it all comes out in that perfectly universal text they all manage innately when his thumbs press on the pad. well. )

Sure
Not sure I like what that wave suggests though

( okay, but. amagi-kun sends these. emoji, wasn't it? )

🐎 ? What
Can you type a name?

@artsyblobbu

[glub]

knock knock

[ is he annoying yet... ]

@MOSTHANDSOMEPREZ

[takasugi]

( our local "CEO" takasugi sure is popular lately...

but that's only to be expected, right? he recognizes the username. )

Cute
But how come my device doesn't have these
Did you make them yourself?

( the real concern here. )

text | early june, a few days after brunch

[hanikamu]

[ Rinne might be a bum, but he's not a thief. These are the words he turns over and over as he stands in front of Takasugi's room, tugging on the silver pendant Niki gave him. Everyone has been giving him so many things lately. Rarely has he had the opportunity to return the favor. After doing one for the woman from Aparallaxia, he thinks he can do a few more. ]

>> RINNE_A transferred 10000 NUMIS

[ Oh yeah, he changed his username. Not that it's important. ]

@MOSTHANDSOMEPREZ

[takasugi]

( isn't it, though? it's pretty clear who it's from, anyway. )

What's the special occasion?

( because he's thinking about sending this back. now. )

un: trafalgar

[countershocks]

[ at first, there is nothing else than the ping of a location — the car graveyard in east sophia. then, ]

Meet me here in three hours.

[ and that's that. nothing else follows, no explanations, no introductions. ]

action ( 1 / 2 )

[takasugi]

( wow.

he's never received a text that so explicitly reads like "bait". but. thinking it over, and looking at that profile: he's never met this person. and to his knowledge, he hasn't done anything to draw anyone's ire (so far), nor explicitly made himself a target (so far).

an experienced military strategist like takasugi shinsaku knows that charging in without any information is a foolish move. )

action - sometime in june

[hanikamu]

[ It's for work! As with all things are between the two of them, naturally. Rinne put himself in charge of 3kon's costumes, yes, but Niki has no fashion sense whatsoever. Doesn't it make sense for him to get a second opinion? Besides, if there are any major image-related decisions that should be made, Takasugi ought to be the first to know.

Also, Rinne thinks Takasugi is stylish and cool.

Why the samurai is with him on this shopping trip shouldn't even be a question. Rinne walks by his side along the pavement, following directions on his Syntrofos to the first shop, when... ]

Prez! [ He cuts in front of him during a lull in their droll conversation, leaning in with a cheeky grin. ] Notice anything different about me today?

[ He lowers his head slightly to give him a hint. Clasping his soft fox ears are three silver piercings glistening under the summer sun. ]

[takasugi]

( rinne beams at him, mischievous, as though he's about to play a trick of some sort, and all takasugi can do at first is think about how the sun always shines so bold on him.

but of course, they're here on business. he isn't here to stand and gawk at a fire, even when it's beckoning for him to do so.

takasugi's eyes drift away from the busy crowd of karterians passing by, some of them being led by hand, a reminder of the strange events from just a week ago. instead, he locks in on rinne, who pauses to face him, clearly eager for his attention. almost like a boy eager to show off his hairstyle change and brand-new name on the way to adulthood, takasugi's heart stirring with...

with something else, actually. )

What, those piercings? Like I wouldn't notice such a significant change on my precious subordinate. An image change is pretty big for an idol, isn't it?

( rather, he's got some other concerns. and he can't resist reaching up with a wry smile, to flick a finger lightly against one of the rings. )

But, didn't it hurt to have that done? These ears we've got are already so sensitive.

after june event chaos dies down a bit

[lumberlady]

[A lot happened on the Summer Solstice. And after. Enough that Konoha thinks it would be understandable why it might have taken her some time to contact someone about... certain things. Hopefully. It still takes her another day after when she has that thought, though, before she picks up her Syntrofos. And another day, before she actually sends the voice message-]

Good morning, Master Takasugi. Are you doing alright? Eating well? When you have time, would you mind giving me a "call"?

Thank you!

audio

[takasugi]

( it's a relief, at least, that this isn't a bunch of symbols.

he wonders if he should be honest. that no, he isn't doing well. but that's a burden too big to put on someone out of nowhere. )

I hear you loud and clear, Konoha-kun. What's the matter?

( text )

[hanabee]

[Niki writes and deletes this message a good handful of times before he finally sends it. For someone who claims not to be very good with his words, he's careful to send a message that makes it sound like everything is normal (it isn't) and like he's totally chill right now (he is not).]

hello, CEO-san! ☆

are you busy? there's something I wanna ask you about. it'd be great if we could talk in person, [Because Niki doesn't know who or what to trust.] but I'll take anything! it won't take long, I think.

@MOSTHANDSOMEPREZ

[takasugi]

Right now?
Totally free

( a lie, of course. he's busy, but it isn't often shiina-kun wants to ask him something. in fact, he almost never does. )

But in person?
Now I'm starting to think it's something totally dire

un: RINNE_A

[hanikamu]

nikujaga

[ ? ]

sure

[ ?? ]

what if the moon gets shy

you're always a baddie wdym

[ Don't mind Rinne. He's just catching up on his messages. No one ever texts him but Niki, really. For months, he'd been awkward about sending him texts first. But now... ]

slr i was kidnapped lmao

@MOSTHANDSOMEPREZ

[takasugi]

I'm well aware
About the kidnapping part, I mean

( unfortunately.

but also, ? )

Did you roll your hand over a couple saved phrases and send them by accident

( action ) after the incident

[hanabee]

[Sometime the next day, Niki makes a surprise visit. Normally, he'd give a warning first, but he can just drop his gift off if Takasugi doesn't have the time for him, so it's okay.

He knocks on the door with one hand, a small bag in the other. And whenever there's an answer (if there is one?), Niki greets him energetically:]

Good afternoon~. ☆ Got a minute?

[Niki is in a much better mood than the last time they met. While Niki's used to forcing smiles, today's feels much more authentic.]

[takasugi]

( it's with groggy, blinking eyes that takasugi greets niki, tilting the door open slightly.

his other hand is in his kimono, scratching idly at his chest. his hair is down, falling in uneven strands over his shoulder. rising early isn't as much of a priority anymore, given how his soul has edged him out to be a little nocturnal. not to mention all the "odd jobs" he's busy with that just so happen to involve being up into the odd hours of the night. )

Morning, Shiina-kun. Or... ahh, afternoon, was it? Afternoon.

( he can hear the ☆ in niki's voice, but he doesn't have the energy to match it just yet. )

I'm not doing anything especially new besides trying to catch up on sleep, so, sure. As long as there's room to go back to bed after.

after the wc, @onestepforward

[ignoreher]

[ more into the evening proper, far after rinne's been seen off with niki and the like... takasugi had said the week after, and-- it is admittedly maybe a little late on that, because of her own schedule, but it's a good enough reminder and forced break that she

is not nervous texting him because that would be silly

and because she is not nervous she doesn't linger on not sending it before she finally does and then sets it away to do something else, like stare at the same page of a book. ]

If you're somehow still napping, then don't worry about it! But I think you owe me a performance, and I'm on my way to grab dinner, so is there anything you'd like?

[ ... like, the worst that happens is she gets to talk to tak-ai again, and that's not the worst. she has questions for him too. ]

@MOSTHANDSOMEPREZ

[takasugi]

( what if he was just lying and wasn’t napping at all?

truth be told, the lively back-and-forth brought up feelings that were both welcome and unwelcome. a lot has been changing for him lately, where a former servant wasn't supposed to change as much on the inside. but stewing on how messed up he is instead of answering this would be rude to her, really, and so he tucks it somewhere deeper inside before tending to the notification that blips a soft blue light atop his stomach.

dinner...... )

Yeah, actually
Chicken
Chicken croquettes
There's a nice place, on

( shamelessly, he'll forward her a pinned location. )

un: RINNE_A

[hanikamu]

Rinne_A poked you.

Rinne_A poked you.

Rinne_A poked you.

[Thanks for teaching him this, Rafayel. He's just checking if Takasugi's alive. It's important. But it's also important that he's annoying about it.]

prez wake up💥
domestic violence 👊💥👊💥👊💥👊💥

@MOSTHANDSOMEPREZ

[takasugi]

Domestic violence?

( the emoji are cute, but he doesn't get the point of the rest.

aside from the need to blow up his phone and get his attention. which, it worked. )

Anyway, I happen to be up
Scissors doesn't beat rock, but

( very shortly, there'll be a selfie of him out at the waterfront:

)

@ mockingbird

[totalize]

You know, it's rather difficult to track down someone Fully Shifted* back to their username. It's not so vice-versa, so I'm a little hurt that you didn't say hello first~.

(* This is what I assume the case is, at least! Please, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.)

Back to normal now, I hope?

[ Does this feel overly friendly for such a matter? Yep! You bet! Surely that's fine! ]

@MOSTHANDSOMEPREZ

[takasugi]

( he needs a moment to do that winnie the pooh™ thing while looking at this text.

but the profile image is,

familiar. somewhere between calmness and a visceral fear that lurches your body forward. takasugi sits up, chest tight like he might be having an episode, where he is really anything but. )

Is it?
Difficult, I mean
What do you remember about this Fully Shifted Augmented?
Just to confirm you've got the right person

flowers & feathers delivery

[flamechase]

( by the end of the second week of august, a special delivery arrives at shinsaku's door. a carefully put-together bouquet, composed of myrtles, golden rods and a touch of acacias that, as elysia had found, symbolize friendship, luck, new beginnings - the perfect gift for a friend she holds close to her heart. the true decor, however, comes in the form of a green feather; perfumed, beautiful, so precious to the touch. one of the many that had appeared on elysia's body through her months in karteria, gifted for shinsaku to remember her by.

and with it, of course, a note written in cutesy handwriting: )

Hi, Shinsaku ♪ Are you surprised? A beautiful flower bouquet, carefully put together just for you. The flowers of Karteria are unlike anything I have seen, so specially unique. Each of them come with their own meaning, but you will have to find out what it is yourself, okay? They symbolize my feelings for you, so you have to treat it gently.

I have also decorated it with one of my own feathers, so you always remember me, and I can be by your side even when we're not together. Pretty, isn't it? Make sure to take extra care of it!

May you find happiness wherever you go.

Elysia ♡

[takasugi]

( he is surprised, actually. even if seeing and reading his own first name put to paper twists inside him uncomfortable right now.

but also, her feelings for him? platonic ones, surely. he knows how he would indulge in old habits if this were months ago, how he would take this as an invitation and ask her to spend the night to quell this anxiety within him. but all that feels so far away now, the way elysia had encouraged him to indulge in his desires beyond what was right or wrong still a something he considered even now.

the bouquet really is gorgeous. the feather even more so.

he twirls it between two fingers by the hollow shaft, staring at the way the down of it glistens in the sparse light. )

@ mockingbird (text)

[totalize]

We might as well drop the farce, Mr. Chipmunk~.

So, to your question, the only consequence I'm worried about is getting an earful from someone exceedingly annoying but who I'm perfectly capable of handling.

Why? Don't tell me you're concerned about me~?

[ he is DEFLECTING ]

@MOSTHANDSOMEPREZ

[takasugi]

Concerned about myself, really
Like the man I've been talking to this whole time is someone else

( not that takasugi can't be unrepentantly untruthful either. but that's neither here nor there right now.

everyone is so trustful, and takasugi can fit his hand in anyone else's palm if he has to, but there are truly only a few he really cares for. if dancing in circles with masks on their face is what he'll have to do to determine the aims of those among them who could harm them, then takasugi will dance willingly. )

If you're so good at handling it, why're you worried about him being a nag?

action, morning

[hanikamu]

[You know how friends just randomly visit each other's houses on TV? Yeah, Rinne knows that's not how you do things, but Niki said he wanted to do something nice for Takasugi, and if there's anyone who can get things done, it's the man who promised to make him happy.

Not that Rinne's only doing this for Niki. Honestly, Rinne's been looking for an excuse to drop by again. Takasugi wanted something from him, right?

At around 10 A.M., Takasugi can hear a voice from outside his room:]

Shinsaku! Oi, Shinsaku! Open up!

[He knocks on the window. Isn't this room on the second floor? Well, yeah. Let him in. His claws can hold onto this windowsill just find, but it's cold outside.]

[takasugi]

( unfortunately for rinne, there's no immediate movement inside. no stirring from the very even queen that's visible through the window, takasugi curled up in and threading fingers through the thick bush of his red tail for warmth, lying flat on his back. every morning gets increasingly colder on this island, making him wake up later and later even as a fairly late riser, and...

those shinsaku's are getting pretty persistent, aren't they?

he casually turns his head towards the window, blinking tiredly, only to spot a familiar shape clinging to the frame.

a very familiar shape.

well. that's one way to wake a guy. takasugi shoots up, swinging the folds of his hakama fast enough to nearly trip as claws click across the floor. he quickly unfastens the window, letting the golden morning light stream through, it catching in the sharp strands of pink that make up his hair to where it catches flame. the initial panic subsides just as quickly as it came when he slides the glass open and steps aside, making it easier to just jump in.)

You're crazy smart, Amagi-kun, but you can be crazy surprising, too. I can't believe you tackled an entrance like this before I did.

( the freak likes it. but who was expecting any less? )

10/27

[worldexecute]

( it's easy to get his address.

all she has to do is ask malkuth, and here she is, laying a letter and a white lily on takasugi shinsaku's doorstep one cold, early morning.

she lingers after she places it there, thoughtful, before she carefully takes one of her dark, oil-spill feathers and lays it on top.

inside, the letter reads: )

I have nothing but my sorrow, and I want nothing more.
It has been, it still is, faithful to me.
Why should I begrudge it, since during the hours
when my soul crushed the depths of my heart,
it was seated there beside me?
O sorrow, I have ended, you see, by respecting you,
because I am certain you will never leave me.
Ah, I realize it! Your beauty lies in the force of your being.
You are like those who never left
the sad fireside corner of my poor black heart.
O my sorrow, you are better than a well-beloved:
because I know that on the day of my final agony,
you will be there, lying in my sheets, O sorrow,
so that you might once again attempt to enter my heart.

( ...she remembered hearing he did poetry. she likes it, too, and so she offers to him a poem she knows. anonymously, her neat and tidy cursive lining the page... raven feather aside, of coure. )

[takasugi]

( he assumes it's another fan letter at first. he's been getting those lately, stamped in red and pressed with perfume.

but before he can rip it up like the rest, not even sparing a thought for his potential admirers, takasugi notices the feather.

"O my sorrow, you are better than a well-beloved:
because I know that on the day of my final agony,
you will be there, lying in my sheets, O sorrow,
so that you might once again attempt to enter my heart."

he turns the quill in a hand, the quirk of a smile tugging at the edge of his lip. it's a beautiful poem. but giving in and laying with sorrow? is this actually a cry for help instead? because that's not his way of handling sadness, for one. instead of entertaining it, he would rather dodge his grief for as long as he can.

still.

one poem deserves another, right? he'll think on it, and tuck this somewhere for safekeeping. )

text, @artsyblobbu

[glub]

[ opening up with this emoji, if just because he feels like it might cut through some of his own tension at sending him this message. ]



where are youuuuuu
i got some extra citrus and remembered what you told me

itd be a waste just to use it on myself

[ this might be his way of asking if he can come over, yeah. ]

@MOSTHANDSOMEPREZ, text

[takasugi]

( everyone loves takasugi's place. but no one invites takasugi to their place?

that's fine. there are certain invisible boundaries he won't cross, ones he hasn't explained to a single soul. )

It'll be harder to digest now
But I can take some extra fruit off your hands

( action / text ) october 31st

[hanabee]

[Niki loves this time of year, so even though it's been A Month (or perhaps precisely because it's been A Month), he still makes some time to celebrate one of his favorite holidays. It's just a little thing—a small bag of homemade hard candies, some chocolates, and a caramel apple, placed carefully outside his door. He attaches a small tag that says, "From Niki!" with tiny bat and pumpkin doodles in place of his usual frying pan.

After he drops it off, he sends him a quick message.]

hey, prez! it's halloween, so I wanted to share some little treats with you~♪ I know this kinda stuff might not be your thing, but sometimes, sugar is good for you, too!

please enjoy!

[They've been through a lot lately, and this guy is always trying so hard to be cool and strong... He hopes the small gesture might brighten his day at least a little bit.]

[takasugi]

( can you believe takasugi still doesn't know what "halloween" really entails... besides sweets, apparently?

either way, he stuffs the little note in the kitchen, crinkling it into folded sections for safe-keeping.

it's getting increasingly difficult to taste sugar in quite the same way that they used to, but takasugi perseveres. canines crunch down into apple, caramel painting the inside of his mouth in a flurry of taste and then a dullness that matches the brown. still, whatever shiina-kun makes, he needs to try it. whatever is left on the table for him, he'll make an effort to clean it. that's the sort of concession he can make for shiina niki. )

action...

[hanikamu]

[Knock, knock, knock goes Rinne's knuckles on Takasugi's door. As annoying as it is, there's no point in going behind Takasugi's back for this when he'll find out either way. If he wants to protect TAKASUGI from his creator, the best thing to do is lead by example. Probably.

So he comes over at a more reasonable time. Nine sounds good, right? Rinne figures neither of them have real jobs, so it should be fine.]

BUONGIORNO, BABY! [He steps inside the moment Takasugi opens the door.] Oh, you're lookin' cute.

[Doesn't matter what Takasugi looks like. Rinne would say this no matter what.]

Lucky me♪ You wanted me to work here, right? Here's some apples for the trouble. [He shoves a basket into Takasugi's arms.] God, this place looks so much better now. Couch!

[He flings himself at the new couch, stomach first.]

help. i was just about to do this

[takasugi]

( he's right in that takasugi still doesn't have a "real" job. occasionally performing and occasionally engaging in friendly gossip doesn't count.

hands hold tight to the heft of the little basket. who's the actual cute one here, with the way rinne launches like that onto the couch? not that he isn't happy about the compliment. it shows in his face, in the way his eyes spark briefly. it takes all his willpower to refrain from commenting, takasugi shuffling into the kitchen to set everything down neatly. he's in a drop shoulder sweater knit that hugs his frame with warmth, and when he glances back over, it's impossible to keep the corners of his mouth from tugging into a little smirk. )

Enjoying yourself? It wouldn't look halfway as decent without the three of you, of course.

( there's the sound of a knob turning, water pooling into a glass. )

But you're not just here to see me, I know.

( there's always a catch, and he's the one who was adamant about being present for this. )

Mini Arahabaki is over in the corner. I went ahead and transferred his OS from my device back into the unit for now. Just hit the power button, and we can get started.

forward to the 20th, or before whenever they start their season

[ignoreher]

[ unlike the other two, takasugi's door is getting a swift knock before hooves clatter away in the mid-morning, yet while the familiar scent of aged books and freshly baked bread might linger a moment... the person it belongs to has gone, leaving a basket with a gift and letter in its place, his name and a small doodle of a duck scrawled cutely on the long, paper-wrapped rectangle.

the gift is a length of high-quality strings and a bottle of mulled wine, both wrapped carefully with cloth to keep them from tangling with each other. the letter reads thus:

You were probably expecting a gift, but that doesn't make it boring, does it? I wanted to show my appreciation for all that you've done for me in any way I could, even if you might argue that my going above and beyond for you and 3kon shows it well enough... A gift is a little more special, mostly because I've never really been able to give them to people. You're really spoiled though, Takasugi, between this and the stuff I gave you for your birthday!

Anyway, I've made you play so much for me that I'm sure your shamisen's tired of my requests, even if you aren't. I hope the strings fit! If they don't, then just let me know and I'll replace them -- but I'm really good at estimating lengths, so they should be just right. Let's keep making this world interesting in the new year too, okay? I'd like to give you another birthday gift in the future.

Your friend, manager, and third biggest fan,
Malkuth ]

[takasugi]

( "third and biggest fan", huh. third...

but it's true that he's spoiled, takasugi turning over the little box of neatly wrapped string a couple of times while thinking over the implications of her message.

with this, he can take care of his shamisen properly and get ready to play along to the cadence of their voice in the new year. a new year with new challenges, those of which he'll hopefully be prepared for and respond to in kind this time. this woman he pulled in without a moment's hesitation, who is always so willing to do all she can for them. his luck, their luck really changed for the better in meeting her, so he really needs to consider his actions carefully.

and most importantly, keep her smiling like the rest of them. )

late december.

[opposed]

[ A box makes its way to Takasugi's place at some point during the Midwinter celebrations, unobtrusive and innocuous but for the red ribbon it's wrapped in. Inside is an ink set of blue and black and a couple of fine brushes. There's an IOU attached as she isn't certain what kind of paper he'd prefer, though she's put in the name of a local art store. Lastly, there's a small bottle of alcohol, specifically some from the bar they went to once.

A note rests at the bottom: ]

Don't get in too much trouble during the celebrations.
I wasn't certain what to get you so this one time, you can ask for something else and I'll get it for you.
~MM

[takasugi]

"Don't get into too much trouble," she says, when trouble is the best thing you can be.

( it makes him smile all the same, with the plum blossom color of his eyes sparkling like stars from the view outside.

she obviously knows she's set herself up for something, but what that something is, will have to wait for the new year. for now, takasugi places the thoughtful gift on a desk that’s impressively organized, thanks to all the free time this season has given him. his skilled fingers glide over the names on the parchment and admire the elaborate wrapping, complete with ribbon and paper. it’s formal and precise, much like the sort of gift other affluent families would bring in his past after a long journey across the country.

before the night wraps up, he sits down and dips his brush in fresh ink. )

a gift (dec 25)

[totalize]

[ New Eridu might not actually celebrate Christmas anymore, but the day itself is still the fun, meaningful one! So, as sneakily as Mr. Claus himself, there will be a quite beautifully wrapped gift waiting at Takasugi’s front door on the morning of December 25th.

Inside is a quite nice set of grooming tools. Sure, these are probably for the pets of Karteria, but! They’re just as well-suited to Carnivora, especially when they have their winter coats. There’s also a little note tucked into the case. ]

✦ Happy Holidays, Takasugi~ ✦
Now, before you take any offense (? Honestly, I don’t know if you would), these are exactly the sort of things that I would buy for Thiren friends at home. You may already have some things like this, but I hope these will be a pleasant upgrade.
And as a personal tip! Considering asking your Imprinted friend that you’d mentioned to help you with brushing. It’s quite nice for both parties.

[takasugi]

( isn't this a little too nice? the intricate wrapping, the literal velvet folds of this ribbon?

this is something you send to a lover, right? at least from takasugi's perspective. so he's hesitant at first, claws striking against the sides of this thoughtful package while it's in his lap. one would think he’d be more cautious about the fact that the guy he apparently killed is sending him gifts during the holidays, but that’s not the case. he’s already moved past that, and hugo offers a way more intriguing angle to this strange connection between them with exciting buttons to press. it stands that takasugi is still uncertain about whatever path the other is taking, but that doesn't mean it's his business, and so...

it only takes a couple seconds to read the letter.

the red fur of his bushy tail glides through the brush bristles, takasugi casually waving away all that serious thought as he sits on the couch to blatantly enjoy his new gift. )

Delivered on December 25th

[queenofkur]

[ For Christmas, Takasugi receives a single purple flower. There is a letter with it. ]

Dear Takasugi,

This is the Blessing of Kûr. Or rather, your eligibility for it. I can't cast it from a distance! I suppose in lieu of getting to know you better, this will have to do as your Christmas Gift. I shall cast it on you next time we meet.

Merry Christmas!
Ereshkigal, Goddess of Death and Queen of Kûr

[takasugi]

Eligibility, huh.

( seriously? he has to apply himself to earn it?

this is more interesting than just taking it. )

Now we're talking. Just you wait. I’ll prove that I’m more than worthy of a goddess’s divine blessing!