001. out there in the sun | beneath the sky // open post

[clayce]

Take a prompt, take some time, drop in whenever you like.

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[larue]

[ There are records and accounts of that period in the Arcanum -- enough to keep him holed up and reading, except he needs to use his time wisely now. Rethe had asked him if he was sure about doing this -- about joining in the Hunt -- during his Measuring, before quietly telling him to keep all of his friends close. It had brought back the image of Riley Falner that day the War Hounds had all gone to speak with the Daywalker, and how sad he'd looked when they'd all voiced their commitment to the cause.

And because of both those things, Josh knows that given the things they've seen in recent weeks, the war might not be over in a way that the veterans had all hoped -- not if coins with Grendal's insignia were popping up the way they were. ]

What can you tell me about him, sir? About Makoto Kuzunoha and what he meant to Hikaru -- from an onlooker's perspective, of course.

[ His gaze falls to the rings. He figures they'll have a conversation soon enough, but Aidan Clayce is referred to as "the Wolf's brother", and there's always something about the way family sees things that the people involved might miss because they're in the thick of things. ]

[clayce]

I can't say much. For the initial period that Makoto was a part of Hikaru's Searing Wind, I wasn't exactly privy to the movements of Zangyaku.

[Yeah, 2012 and a few of the years before that had been difficult.]

From what I did manage to see, though, it was obvious that they were exceptionally close. It might not be so much of a stretch for me to say that Makoto seemed to treat Hikaru like the younger brother that he never had.

[Pausing, looking thoughtful as he's lighting up.]

It was the same for the others in their little circle, really. Kaien, Feranen... the four of them were friends before they were comrades. They respected Hikaru, yes, but they respected him in the way that family respects their own.

[larue]

[ Josh nods at this, contemplative, eyes still on the rings.

Suddenly the pieces fit -- the look in Hikaru's eyes when he'd promised to kill Josh if he didn't do the man's sword justice, the silence that stretched when Makoto showed up -- a geist without a bound sin-eater -- quiet and observant; and that whole awkward exchange the night before last, over text. ]

That reminds me of a group of kids that I knew -- they had each other's backs, called each other out on their shit, learned and grew together because the foundation of friendship was strongenough to hold through all the tough things.

[clayce]

[Nodding, with a tiny smile.]

Those kinds of relationships tend to last a lifetime, regardless of the circumstances.

[He knows, full well, that Josh is referring to himself and his own group back there. Still, there's no need to call the boy out on it. Not yet, anyway.]

[larue]

[ Wow, gutpunch.

He doesn't look up, not right away, in any case. But when he does, there's a look in his eyes. ] You think so, sir?

[clayce]

I know so.

[From personal experience, and from watching... well. Everything.]

[larue]

[ He's only had a handful of exchanges with Aidan, but there is something in the certainty in the way the Malice King speaks and looks that puts him at ease.

It's not something he's felt in a long, long time. ] Thank you, sir. [ And his eyes are back on the rings, one finger twisting one snake about the other. ] That's reassuring to know.

[clayce]

[Satisfied now that it looks like he's made Josh feel better. Then looking at the rings.]

Good luck with Makoto. I think, though, that you'll be able to find common ground pretty easily.

[larue]

[ A curuous look, then: ]

What do you mean? [ Interest, too. Utterly genuine. ]

[clayce]

Well, beyond the fact that Hikaru seems to consider the two of you as friends, Makoto was one of the Wind's main tacticians. He also made it a point to watch over many of his comrades in the same way that you look out for your sister, and your younger blade mates.

[larue]

Tactitian. [ He was interested before, much more so now.

Ever since Kaz dinged him as their 'operator', he's been mulling over tactics and strategy. It's different from using a playbook, and the engagements they've been in aren't the football field, but there are similarities. Preparation, knowing who to field where and how. ]

I'll take that as a compliment then, sir. [ And then, quietly again: ] I get the impression that Hikaru held -- holds, Makoto Kuzunoha in high esteem.

[clayce]

He does. That only made Makoto's loss harder for him. [Hum.] I don't know the precise circumstances behind how Makoto returned, though, or how he ended up in the death mask of his geist.

[He could find out, but Aidan isn't into being the all-seeing, all-knowing, distant god anymore unless he has to be.]

[larue]

[ He falls quiet at that, gaze falling to the rings and watching the light glint over the metal. ]

Maybe I'll ask him sometime. [ It's been on his mind, because he'd remembered how Coach hadn't been able to say about how he'd come back -- but Makoto had been a Sin-Eater, and the mask he'd been attached to his own geist. ]

Thanks, Father. You've given me a lot to think about.

[clayce]

You're welcome. You can come to me anytime.

[He's visible for a reason. Most people just tend to forget that this dragon's very friendly.]

[larue]

[ His interactions with Aidan Clayce have been few, if brief and at a distance, but what he's seen of the man has earned nothing but admiration and respect.

Josh looks at the beer and then at the rings, thinking quietly: I'll buy you another before he takes one of the cans between his hands. ]

May I drink with you, sir? I... don't really have to be anywhere right now. And I figure, [ he shrugs ] we've never had a chance to speak before. Not like this, anyway.

[clayce]

Of course. It's nice to have some company right now... I'm usually on my own whenever I drop in here.

[And his bottle is pouring itself into his glass, which he lifts in Josh's direction afterward.]

Cheers.

[larue]

Cheers, sir. [ He tips his beer in answer and leans back into his seat. ]

How have you been, sir? [ The last time he'd seen Aidan was that brief moment at Quiapo Station when the Dragon had removed the black strip designed to cause maximum damage to property, people and stability in a country deemed the safest place in the world for the supernatural community. ]

[clayce]

Well enough, all things considered. I should be asking you that, though.

[Said with a lifted eyebrow. He was the Voidseeker for a reason: Crazy, Dark, Terrible and Emotional were things that he was used to dealing with, especially now that he is capable of staring them in the face.]

[larue]

[ Josh nods at that and takes a sip of his beer. ] I'm good.

[ A small smile as he recalls the last couple of weeks. ] Been thinking a lot. About my future. And other things.

[ Funny how the past and the present were kind of meeting midway. He'd been thinking a lot more about his boys, about San Diego and the other people he'd left there. He had Cindy and his dad back now, sure, but there was also that open possibility of getting his mom back.

He lets out a soft breath, drinks again. ]

Tell me about Operation Nyx, sir? [ Earnest and curious. You only get so much from the records. ]

[clayce]

[Studying Josh's expression carefully at that, but doing nothing but nod in quiet understanding. No need to press further. It seemed as though the boy needed a little more time.]

Well, what do you want to know? There might be a lot to say, or a whole lot of nothing, depending on what you are interested in.

[larue]

[ He thinks on that. On his initiation, and lighting that candle for Solomon Burke of TFV. ]

What was it like? Getting nearly all the conspiracies in the world to actually pitch in for something like that?

[clayce]

Honestly? Amazing.

[The smile on his face can say as much, even as it's tempered with sadness.]

It was the last time that each and every single one of us truly got along on an organizational level.

[larue]

[ Quietly lighting up a cigarette and pondering on that. ]

I guess it takes something like the potential end of the world for people to shape up. [ And then, softly: ] The memorial was beautiful, sir. But also incredibly sad and humbling.

All those lives.

[ Thinking now, about those firdt three years in Vancouver and occasionally wandering past a newscast about the trouble in Africa and Russia. He hadn't liked what he'd seen, but it wasn't personal back then. Living in the US had been tough and the fear towards and for supernaturals was palpable, but it wasn't... a war.

Now, everything hits too close. ]

[clayce]

We tried to make it reflect our own sense of loss. I suppose it worked.

[It's... a difficult thing to talk about, even for a man like Aidan. He has seen many things, done many things, but deaths are deaths.]

[larue]

[ A small smile, as he looks over.

He hesitates a little, before he goes: ] Rethe was the one who spoke to me, sir.

[ Looking back at his beer. ] I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised but, [ a soft laugh. ] It was nice.