[+][L-N+][P-UL] ~ SHOUNEN POP - 少年ＰＯＰ ~

[Ryuu Minamoto]

I can no longer return to those days free of bloodshed
These deep scars rooted within me will not disappear...









"Pillow-san?" Jun questioned, trying to make everything Shou was telling him add up in his own head.

"Oh...Ishihara, you mean? So...ok. Well, I suppose it's a good thing the bas...er...the man showed up, then." the dark star seemed to growl. It made him quite angry that the man who was responsible for so much of his recent anguish had been the one sent to protect his beloved. He should be the one, the only one, to have to guard Shou.

"Ishihara You was sent because he is one of Matsumoto Izo's undercover men. He's...like a hitman. He's dangerous, but...I guess somebody you would want to have on your side in a pinch. I wouldn't put any trust in him, though." Jun half-whispered, not going into any detail about how he knew these things about the man. The memories of what had transpired under the man's punishing hands caused goosebumps to pop up all over the vocalist's body, as it was.

"Look...I...I don't want you to worry, ok? I will protect you, all of you, to my very last breath."

Stepping over to the tub, Hayato leaned over and took Shou's face in his hand, tilting the blond's chin up as he claimed those gorgeous lips in a kiss.

"In case I never get the chance again..." he laughed, meaning it as a joke.
Deep down, though...well, there was no telling. He knew that those words could very well be the case. Soon, he might cease to exist on this plane, and he certainly didn't want to go without a kiss goodbye...

Hide it, Hide it
Hide me...

 

[Kaikoloren]

Do you know what you got into
Can you handle what I’m ’bout to do------------------------------------------------}:-

SHOU
No escaping when I start .traeh ruoy nwo I ni m'I ecnO

Beautiful Dreamer

Shou blinked when Jun told him about Pillow-san's real identity. "He's a...what?" That surprised Shou because Ishihara-san was a very mild mannered man that made mac and cheese and was an excellent pillow on long trips back to Japan. But a HITMAN?! "Are you serious? How do you know that?" he asked as he sat in the tub feeling a uncomfortable shiver up his spine. Those words left heavy thoughts in the stars head.

And yes he wondered how Jun knew things like this. What else had Jun been doing? Maybe that explanation would concrete the reason why the VP was sent rather than regular bodyguards. However, the word...Hitman made Shou think of other things that didn't involve protection.

"Not worry? It's hard not to worry when my Hamu has been....shot." he said between tight lips. He wasn't a helpless man but right now he sure felt like one. He had survived the tsunami and the quake only to be stuck in a bathroom worried about his assistant who may or may not be alive. And beyond that, Ko wasn't with him. He could only hope that he'd be safe with Naoko and Ryuukaze.

But as his thoughts filled his head, he didn't notice that Jun had stepped forward and suddenly a those warm lips claimed his mouth in a kiss. And Shou...well he didn't stop him. He let it go for a brief moment and returned that kiss...of course when the other man pulled away, all he could do was blush and look toward the tile.

He surely wasn't decided about their future together and he expected he'd have time to think about that. He didn't want to think about Jun dying right now. All if this started to irk his inner being... "Stop talking like that. You're not going to die. I'm not going to die. I survived far worse than this....So I know we will make it."

Right now, though deep inside he was glad his best little friend, the small manager named Izzy Lucky wasn't here facing this drama with him. Although, had it been the case, he was certain that he'd have been the one standing where Jun was right now.

------------------

Meanwhile, Ko said nothing for a long time, until he said, "I want Uncle Shou. I'm scared. The bad people are coming...." He clung to Naoko tightly and started to cry in Naoko's chest keeping his eyes tightly closed.

-:{------------------------------------------------Cause it’s about to get rough for you
I’m here For Your Entertainment

 

[Ryuu Minamoto]

I can no longer return to those days free of bloodshed
These deep scars rooted within me will not disappear...







With a sigh, Jun shook his head and gazed at the floor.

"You remember what Ishihara said to me before he left the room? "I doubt I need to tell you what will happen if you fail." Well, there's a reason for those words. I know exactly what will happen, because he's the one who came to fetch me from Hawaii. He...punished me for my insubordination. And...he was part of the reason I...seemed to abandon you. Let's just...leave it at that, ok?" the vocalist hung his head, letting his long raven hair shield his face from view. It was obvious that what had happened had affected him severely, to the point of leaving emotional scars.

"I know you're worried...I know. I am, too. I just...wanted to make you feel better, you know. I'm sorry." he knelt down beside the tub and gently caressed the blond's cheek.

"We will get through this. We always make it through the storm..."


-----------------------------------------------------


"I won't let anybody hurt you or your Uncle Shou, Ko-kun. I promise you. There's nothing to be afraid of..." Ryu tried to soothe the boy, kneeling down on the carpet beside Naoko and the child.

"It's ok to cry, Ko, but you don't have to. You're always safe with us. Sometimes bad things do happen, and we don't understand or know why, but you're strong, lil' guy, and you've got a whole family of strong people who love and look after you now. You couldn't be any safer." the violinist spoke softly as he enfolded both Naoko and Ko in a protective hug, keeping one eye on the door, just in case.

If anyone came through there, he just hoped Naoko had the presence of mind to shield the child from seeing, because he would gut the person in a matter of seconds if he identified them as an enemy.

Hide it, Hide it
Hide me...

 

[Kaikoloren]

Do you know what you got into
Can you handle what I’m ’bout to do------------------------------------------------}:-

SHOU
No escaping when I start .traeh ruoy nwo I ni m'I ecnO

Beautiful Dreamer

Shou looked a bit shocked. In fact, he was more than shocked but he didn't know what to say exactly. Right now, deep contimplation was out of the question considering he might be dealing with some idiot trying to kill him in the near future.

"No I didn't hear that." he answered honestly and of course he couldn't have heard it because Ishihara had said the words in a bare whisper directed at Jun.

Shou took the words in and wondered what had really happened in those weeks he had vanished. Were the things that Jun was saying true? He could tell that it really affected Jun deeply and he had to wonder how far into Matsumoto's world Jun had ventured.

"Insubordination? You're telling me these things and asking me to leave it just at that? Mm...Jun...look at this from my point of view. If I told you these things just now, could you just leave it at that?" he asked as he pushed himself back further in the tub so he could lean against the back wall.

"Worried...Yes, that I am. Seems like I've so many more things to worry about now though...." His hand held that one which caressed his cheek. Sometimes Jun was a fool...fool in love. And he wondered how all that was just said was suppose to make him feel better. Maybe he misunderstood.

"Yes, I'm sure we will be alright...It will let up by tomorrow. Promise..." He remembered saying those same words to Izzy when the rain was pouring down. Sometimes Shou just wanted a small piece of that stability Izzy Lucky offered him on the boat, and well right now, he couldn't find it. Jun certainly wasn't stable...nor Naoko, nor Ryuukaze. Hahah...now he couldn't even trust Pillow-san. All these things upset his world...He wanted his stable Hamu....but that too might be impossible.

----------------------------------

Ko looked up at Ryu and sniffled, "Everything is going to be ok??" He wasn't sure he believed that because his first family gave him to the bad people. "You won't give me to the bad people right??" he asked so uncertain. He didn't want to go back. He wouldn't let go of Uncle Naoko. The boy was like glue to the man's body.

But he sighed when Ryu hugged them all together. He felt much safer in this cocoon. So much safer.

-:{------------------------------------------------Cause it’s about to get rough for you
I’m here For Your Entertainment

 

[Nileregwen DoUrden]

Naoko enfolded the boy close, curling his body around Ko's to keep him safe... to keep himself from worrying as much.
"I know there are bad people, Ko-kun... but Ryu's right... we won't let them get you. I won't let them take you back there... I promise, Ko-kun... I know what you went through... really I do and I know you don't believe me and I know you don't want to believe me... but I know... I understand... and I'll do anything in this world to keep you from the bad men, Ko-kun." there were tears in the blond's eyes because he understood.
Ryu didn't get it... sure it was bad but what Ko had gone through... Naoko knew a portion of the child's pain.
He'd been through similar experiences, though not so young. And he wouldn't lose the boy.
"Shou's in... good hands, Ko-kun. Whether I like it or not... Jun will protect him. Trust in us, Ko-kun... trust your family... I won't let you go..."
Feeling his akuma's arms around him, calmed the panic in the pianist's chest. Amber eyes closed as he sighed and just held the child to him, praying to any god who would listen that they would be alright... all of them...

Ishihara had considered this as being a diversion, so as he dove into the trees, ignoring the driver's worry, he pushed past foliage almost silently, gun trained in front of him... but never moving so far as that the onsen was out of his sight.

If the shark had to, he could dive right back out of the woods at a moment's notice and head back to the isolated inn. After all, Jun's gun had no silencer... and he knew that Ko was likely to scream if anything happened.

You had been a sniper on various occasions for Izo, and always it left him with a bad taste in his mouth. One hand carefully pulled his glasses away, tucking them into his yukata. The man's dark eyes lightened slightly, the darkness turning paler... more red... the longer he stood in the near pitch black forest.

He'd never needed night vision goggles... only the time for his eye sight to adjust...

Azriel hadn't been the only one tampered with in the darkness.

Fresh out of college, still with Haru of course but without the man's knowledge, Ishihara went on 'vacation' for about a month for business. In truth, he'd descended into the depths and let the Doctor toy with his eyesight for a bit.

The man had perfected it on other denizens of the PIT, and so Ishihara had requested that his eyes become the perfect eyes of a predator. Nearly a month later You had tested his perfected vision... able to find and identify various things in a near pitch black environment as easily as if he'd been doing the same thing in the middle of the day.

Of course the side effect was that his eyes would change colors, going from their dark shade to a bright red... which was where the glasses came in. They acted as a filter, drawing in any bits of light available in order to KEEP his eyes from changing hue.

Once the glasses were off however, it was only a matter of moments before Ishihara could see as sharply as a wolf in the dark dense forest before him.

Stalking his prey in the woods was far simpler for him than for someone with night vision goggles. He could rely on his peripheral vision, and while his eyes wouldn't read heat signatures like some predators, his gaze far surpassed that of any human.

A few moments passed and You came upon where the sniper had knelt... a track that was plain as day for his red gaze. The man wasn't big... not very heavy either it seemed from the indention.

Seconds later... he was dashing through the woods, hot on the visible foot trail of the man who had shot Yamada Haru.

 

[Kaikoloren]

The vehicles pulled up around the rental car and limo creating a small corral as men poured out of the SUVs. Some had night goggles on and others hurried under the protection of several guns to make it over to the driver and carry Yamada in to the SUV.

#2 slipped out into the night dressed in white and slipped into the shadows after hearing the driver give the information he had given You and where You had gone. #2 wasn't going to follow You, no he took the second choice and covered You's butt to see if the hunter had used this as the diversion.

Meanwhile, in the depths of the pine and snow embraced woods the Shark sought the Hunter. The area where the Hunter had knelt was perfectly placed for surveying the lot and had a vantage of sight to the resort but not a good vantage of Shou's suite. That staging area had to have been different.

As the Shark stared at the tracks and started to follow, the tracks drifted further from the resort and headed toward the road further down the hill. It seemed like the Hunter was traveling fairly light and had a definite head start.

The trees opened up in to a clearing at the bottom of the hill and met up with the road. This road was a service road that wrapped further down the hill towards the main road. The road had been cleared of snow so the foot prints ended here. You would have to check further if he wanted to find the continuing tracks.

Further in the distance down the slope, You could barely make out a taillight of a car turning a corner heading on to the main road. It was also possible that the Hunter was in that car...

1. Check the road for more tracks
2. Assume the car contains the hunter.  

[Nileregwen DoUrden]

As You stopped at the road he knelt, looking at the remaining tracks on that side.

He hadn't heard a car stop or start... hadn't heard the sounds of a door closing which would have echoed in the woods, especially with the snowfall.
Which meant one simple thing...
Dashing across the street, Ishihara dove into the underbrush and, just as he'd predicted, he found another set of tracks.

Once again, the shark had picked up the scent of blood... he just had to follow it home.

 

[Kaikoloren]

The tracks led further into the forest, there were a few points were the footsteps weren't as crisps as they were on the other side of the street. Finally they stopped as if the man just disappeared.

What would You do now??

1. Head back?
2. Search further forward?
3. Something else?  

[Nileregwen DoUrden]

Pausing at what seemed to be a dead end, Ishihara knelt on the ground, scanning the brush for anything... any hint... any clue...

He could've gone back... what if he was wrong about the car?

But he hadn't heard anything... and he'd only been yards from the street at the time...

The trail didn't show anything further down, and unless the sniper grew wings and flew... well...

Red eyes looked up, scanning the trees around him. They were tall... providing good cover above... the notion that the sniper might've gone up wasn't lost on him.

But rather than waste time climbing, Ishihara raised his gun, aiming at each clump of thick foliage he could find in a three yard radius around where he stood... and fired.
In fact, he emptied an entire clip into the trees. Taking a moment to reload and point up again, You just listened...

When that yielded no results, Ishihara trained his gun on the ground... emptying another clip into the surrounding brush underfoot. If the sniper were using the landscape against him... You would find him... and probably put a bullet through his back in the process.

 

[Kaikoloren]

Nothing...no sounds except the caws of disturbed birds and a thump of something falling down to the ground after he had fired the shots into the trees.

Obviously You hit something but when he looked through the bush he'd only find that he'd killed a bird. The mighty Shark at least had a good bird dinner if he wanted.

If You took a moment to think about the foot prints, he'd realize something...they hadn't been as crisp as the others.

Having the opportunity to think on it further, the man...could have back-trailed. He obviously wasn't in the surrounding bush. Or...he could have used a close by branch to swing over one of the bushes and disrupt his tracks.

Further away he could hear two other vehicles. One was just passing by his area on the road behind him. The other, was down the hill. It made the sound of starting and pulling out.

Now what would he do?

1. Forward - He back trailed. The car behind might be a possible target
2. Back - He leapt forward. The car down the hill might be a possible target
3. Something else?

 

[Nileregwen DoUrden]

Having done nothing but shoot a bird down, Ishihara reloaded his gun and thought about his options.
The sniper had probably doubled back on his trail, which would mean heading back up the hill and hopefully finding where the trail branched off or...

Swiftly, You headed down the trail. The land's layout meant that whoever was up on the road behind him... would eventually have to come down since it was the only road to the onsen. If worst came to worst he could stake out the road and blow out tires with his firearm if he had to.

Ducking through some low hanging branches, Ishihara skidded to a halt on the street below, gun aimed immediately.
With two quick shots fired, he meant to take out the fleeing car's front tires.

 

[Ryuu Minamoto]

I can no longer return to those days free of bloodshed
These deep scars rooted within me will not disappear...





"You didn't?" Jun questioned. "He practically yelled it at me..."
To Jun, it had seemed like a yell. Indeed, You had merely hissed the threat, but the vocalist's mind perceived it as louder and more frightening than it had been. A trick of a damaged mind. Likely something Ishihara had intended, wanting his victim to over-react and obey, even to a whispered order and implied threat.

Brushing his hair away from his face, the dark star could only smile a sad smile at the beautiful man he loved so much. What more could he say? Not much, not without irrevocably tarnishing the golden glow that surrounded his beloved.

"Nothing is going to harm you or Ko...and everything is going to be ok. Just...have a little faith, and don't worry about anything but the future. The past...it's over and done with."

Who was he trying to convince, though? Shou...or himself?

Not even realizing it, Jun had leaned against the tub, his arms braced and shaking against the porcelain basin as a cold sweat broke out all over his body. He felt suddenly quite weak...but he wouldn't let on to that. He would defend Shou. To his last breath...if that was what it took.

The past was threatening to consume him, though. It had been playing catch-up on him for longer than he knew. The past, all the things that he had endured, waited for the moment that it could rush in and consume him completely.

The future...seemed bleaker with each beat of his heart...as if it might not even exist at all...

"Yes...it will let up...by tomorrow."

His weary gaze met Shou's determined eyes. Even if the peacock would never have him back, his life, his soul, would always be for this man...the two love's of his life in one body.



------------------------------------------------


"No, we would never, ever let you go." the violinist reassured the small child.
Seeing Ko so afraid simply broke Ryu's heart. He had never been abused or forced to live with bad people, but he knew well enough how it felt to be afraid and alone. After his family's death, he had been afraid of everything. Afraid of forming connections, of depending on anyone. They would only get ripped away from him, like his mother and father had been.

Ko...well, he needed to see that that wasn't the case. He wouldn't always be betrayed and abandoned. He could trust them. They loved him and would fight for him.

"You're our family, Ko...so don't be afraid. Family sticks together, and, in the end, everything is going to turn out ok. In the end, everything will come out alright."

Hide it, Hide it
Hide me...

 

[Kaikoloren]

Do you know what you got into
Can you handle what I’m ’bout to do------------------------------------------------}:-

SHOU
No escaping when I start .traeh ruoy nwo I ni m'I ecnO

Beautiful Dreamer

"No...I didn't." replied Shou as he watched the dark star. If Ishihara had spoke that loud Shou wouldn't have missed those words. If anything he would have reprimanded Ishihara for even saying anything of the sort. But right now, Shou's brow furrowed just a little behind his mask.

The peacock worried about the man before him and wondered how many traumatic things were hidden behind that sad smile. He nodded as Jun spoke and was certain the words might have been said to him but they weren't meant for him. Jun seemed on the edge of a nervous breakdown at least from everything Shou could guess.

Rustling his feathers, Shou pushed himself up on to the edge of the tub and pulled Jun to his chest to stroke that dark long hair. "Shh...Shh....You know, life is filled with uncertainty but the future is brighter if you make it so. Just open a window in your soul and capture those rays. You need to do what I'm doing for Ko, getting him help from a specialist. For him, an adult will make that choice, but for you...You must make that choice. Even if that choice takes you away as you seek out your own inner peace, the man that returns would be lighter inside and at ease."

Shou wasn't a stable soul and sometimes these moments of wisdom were contradictory to his own situation. Of course, he thought he was normal comparatively to the rest of the people that surrounded him. He didn't know of Sai and his lack of certain memories didn't keep the man from moving forward. But to him life was just what he made it and he made his own magic. He brought people into his magical realm and gave them life. Just like a Star in the Heavens, the brighter the shine, the more things could grow. It really was simple on the surface, even though others around him knew well his 'sanity' was just a mask above the complex creature beneath.

And all the while under that mask as he stroked Jun's hair, the peacock started trying to evaluate the situation around him. Jun might be determined enough, but...he was falling apart here and now. Shou was determined to survive and like a time before that, he knew that if the storm struck, he'd save this man just as he saved Izzy. Shou wasn't a weak man. In his heart he could feel that noble self again ready to engage the world that threatened to take his life. Jun might have thought that he was protecting Shou, but Shou knew well and good that he was more than capable. He wouldn't say that though, because Jun needed something to focus on...and at the moment that focus seemed to be about protecting him.

------------

Ko trembled and nodded then took a few big breaths. He didn't say any more but eventually for as tired as he was, he started to fall asleep in Naoko's arms. The world was just a little to much for the boy right now. But he seemed to trust Naoko and Ryu just enough to let himself sleep.

-:{------------------------------------------------Cause it’s about to get rough for you
I’m here For Your Entertainment

 

[Kaikoloren]

As the car skidded to a halt, the doors opened and a woman and man got out. Both bundled up in winter snow suits both looking a little disheveled. The woman started barking at the man. "What did you run over?! We just got the car started!"

"My dear! I didn't run over anything!" The man argued back as he walked around to look at the tires in the rear. "Crap! I think we need a tow...."

The woman followed and looked down and stomped her feet on the ground. "Both tires! Kami-sama! That's ridiculous!" Then she glanced down the street and saw You with the gun. "Oh...Oh...." She backed away from You.  

[Nileregwen DoUrden]

(((OOC: Working on an avatar so too lazy to get post picture/style)))

~ ~ ~

You didn't hide the gun. Instead he gave the couple a smile. "I would suggest you both go a ways on foot down the hill. For your own safety of course." he spoke before disappearing back into the trees for a yard or two, far enough that the couple wouldn't be able to see him.

Ishihara knelt there, listening... waiting... the car from up the hill would have to come down eventually.
He'd be waiting.