[ Oh! Hello there! If he was just gonna come over for a chat Akira would have put on some tea or--
Ah.
Memories come rushing back. Sure he'd managed to catch up to sensei months later with a little help, but out in the open like that tengu are slippery little buggers. He'd chased and chased to no avail, left with only an ever-increasing number of questions he wanted answered so, so badly. Just how different are they from a natural born youkai? Their vision? Their bone density? What was growing their wings like for the first time?
Douman can no doubt see the gears turning in his head, faster than a limited, corporeal body can register and react. It takes a good few moments before wide yes turn to the mask, needing a particularly hard swallow before he can speak again, ]
No tricks this time, right? I get to keep them for a full examination...?
Sometimes it warms his black little heart how easy his subordinates (and associated) can be.]
No tricks besides the usual limits: you can't keep them from living their daily lives, no lasting damage or marks, and you have to properly reassemble anything you're taking apart.
Done! [ Said without even missing a beat. He's been on that leash long enough that it hardly ever bothers him anymore, he can stay on it for an "officially sanctioned" examination of something so rare.
Can't control his excitement enough to keep his hands to himself either, going to grab at one of Douman's, but if he just phases through as per usual it's fine. He's too far into his own little world to care. ]
You won't regret this! I'll even give you a full write-up of everything I discover, won't leave a single nook or cranny unchecked! Aaaah, Principal, you're so good to me...!
It's a deal, then. [He startles a little at the touch and offers the excited dodomeki a smile even as Douman suppresses a shiver because he sure just sold himself to that madman.
He would have thought longer about it if getting a proper examination again hadn't been on his agenda down the road anyway, now that it's become glaringly obvious that even the last bits of his humanity are gone. (Getting burned by Haruaki's anti-youkai powers was one thing, but failing to hold Byakko down for more than a couple of minutes had been alarming the more he'd thought about it.) Hopefully Akira won't mind getting a nurarihyon rather than a tengu.
....Haruaki better reeeaaaallly appreciate the things Douman does just to pay him back for forcing him into that damn sailor uniform.]
You're welcome. You've always been nothing than good to us as well, after all. [gulp] A-and I'd like to see these results very much. Since I've got something of a personal interest, you could say...-
[ Visions of bird x-rays are indeed already dancing in his head. He'll switch gears just fine once the truth comes out, but for now he's bouncing on the balls of his feet, squeezing Douman's hands between his own like a child who's just been given a pony. ]
Ooooh, a personal interest? You can always sit in on the examination if you like! We still have to keep everything sterile and safe of course, but you'd never have to worry about getting in the way!
[ As if to illustrate, eyes pop out onto the backs of his hands, immediately rolling to look up at Douman. Or maybe Akira's just getting too excited--a few more are lining his arms now by the looks of it. ]
I can behave myself, no worries. And it'd be pretty hard for a nurarihyon to get in the way unless I want to.
[It's a useful little skill that has already made a lot of unsuspecting enemies (and other people) fall. The irony of him having died and become an ayakashi while being locked up and bound just to end up with an ability that will let no longer be caught doesn't elude him, just as the part about his twisted presence for others doesn't.
He meets the extra-eye's gaze cooly at first, even lowkey attempting to stare them down, but finally it becomes too much.]
Uh, Akira-kun? Why are you popping eyes at me?
[don't tell him he's already noticed something about him is different?]
[ The eyes close one by one as his breathing slowly starts to steady, though he doesn't let go of Douman's hands just yet. Too fond of physical contact. ]
I do. [Anybody else, and he'd have taken his hand long back. But with Akira it's usually the best to just wait until something else grabs the dodomeki's attention.]
So how should we do it? I definitely want you to do the Furter research during our next culture festival. But when do you want to do your research?
[ If Douman's alright being pulled along, only one hand will let go so Akira can fetch his phone from the small table next to his reading chair. A pro to catching him in his study, a lot of the things currently demanding his attention are well within reach. A con is having to watch your step around over a hundred year's worth of book piles.
Scroll, scroll, let's see... ]
Usually my mornings are pretty booked up, and I keep some openings in the evening in case of emergencies--a lot of people like to get their appointments out of the way both early in the day and early in the week, it's actually pretty neat to look into! So our best bet is sometime in the afternoon around Thursday or Friday.
Exactly! Maybe not the candles, open flames could be dangerous, but...I treat my inpatients with utmost care! It may as well be a lovely little vacation for them.
Ooh, you could even tell them that if they start getting cold feet?
[ Takahashi Akira, a man with an absurd amount of money who could very easily do that...laughs at the idea. ]
That's going a little overboard, don't you think? Besides, sending someone who will no doubt have fresh stitches somewhere with a pool would just be mean.
[His idea is sounding worse and worse the longer they keep talking, but he's already in for it now. All he can do is to try and limit the damage in advance.]
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Ah.
Memories come rushing back. Sure he'd managed to catch up to sensei months later with a little help, but out in the open like that tengu are slippery little buggers. He'd chased and chased to no avail, left with only an ever-increasing number of questions he wanted answered so, so badly. Just how different are they from a natural born youkai? Their vision? Their bone density? What was growing their wings like for the first time?
Douman can no doubt see the gears turning in his head, faster than a limited, corporeal body can register and react. It takes a good few moments before wide yes turn to the mask, needing a particularly hard swallow before he can speak again, ]
No tricks this time, right? I get to keep them for a full examination...?
no subject
Sometimes it warms his black little heart how easy his subordinates (and associated) can be.]
No tricks besides the usual limits: you can't keep them from living their daily lives, no lasting damage or marks, and you have to properly reassemble anything you're taking apart.
no subject
Can't control his excitement enough to keep his hands to himself either, going to grab at one of Douman's, but if he just phases through as per usual it's fine. He's too far into his own little world to care. ]
You won't regret this! I'll even give you a full write-up of everything I discover, won't leave a single nook or cranny unchecked! Aaaah, Principal, you're so good to me...!
no subject
He would have thought longer about it if getting a proper examination again hadn't been on his agenda down the road anyway, now that it's become glaringly obvious that even the last bits of his humanity are gone. (Getting burned by Haruaki's anti-youkai powers was one thing, but failing to hold Byakko down for more than a couple of minutes had been alarming the more he'd thought about it.) Hopefully Akira won't mind getting a nurarihyon rather than a tengu.
....Haruaki better reeeaaaallly appreciate the things Douman does just to pay him back for forcing him into that damn sailor uniform.]
You're welcome. You've always been nothing than good to us as well, after all. [gulp] A-and I'd like to see these results very much. Since I've got something of a personal interest, you could say...-
no subject
Ooooh, a personal interest? You can always sit in on the examination if you like! We still have to keep everything sterile and safe of course, but you'd never have to worry about getting in the way!
[ As if to illustrate, eyes pop out onto the backs of his hands, immediately rolling to look up at Douman. Or maybe Akira's just getting too excited--a few more are lining his arms now by the looks of it. ]
no subject
[It's a useful little skill that has already made a lot of unsuspecting enemies (and other people) fall. The irony of him having died and become an ayakashi while being locked up and bound just to end up with an ability that will let no longer be caught doesn't elude him, just as the part about his twisted presence for others doesn't.
He meets the extra-eye's gaze cooly at first, even lowkey attempting to stare them down, but finally it becomes too much.]
Uh, Akira-kun? Why are you popping eyes at me?
[don't tell him he's already noticed something about him is different?]
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[ The eyes close one by one as his breathing slowly starts to steady, though he doesn't let go of Douman's hands just yet. Too fond of physical contact. ]
Sorry, sorry. You know how I can get sometimes.
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So how should we do it? I definitely want you to do the Furter research during our next culture festival. But when do you want to do your research?
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[ If Douman's alright being pulled along, only one hand will let go so Akira can fetch his phone from the small table next to his reading chair. A pro to catching him in his study, a lot of the things currently demanding his attention are well within reach. A con is having to watch your step around over a hundred year's worth of book piles.
Scroll, scroll, let's see... ]
Usually my mornings are pretty booked up, and I keep some openings in the evening in case of emergencies--a lot of people like to get their appointments out of the way both early in the day and early in the week, it's actually pretty neat to look into! So our best bet is sometime in the afternoon around Thursday or Friday.
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A book pile gets nearly rammed, and Douman has to pull his hand free to steady it before it starts tilting too much.]
Let's take a Friday, then. That way ...they will be free as well. It's less conspicuous when you have a full weekend to work with, isn't it?
[He is really working against himself right now, but he'd rather not have to come up with an excuse for why he's missing on a school day.]
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[ Not quite like that, Akira, but at least no one can say he doesn't have the spirit. ]
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[Excuse his sarcasm, he's seeing his future and not liking it one bit.]
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Ooh, you could even tell them that if they start getting cold feet?
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[Hey, he knows his worth. And he absolutely WILL milk any situation for as much as he can if he's already sticking his head out for it.]
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That's going a little overboard, don't you think? Besides, sending someone who will no doubt have fresh stitches somewhere with a pool would just be mean.
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That last bit was as honest as I'd rather not have heard that. Didn't I say to not take them out of commission for too long?
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[ General "you" here, of course. ]
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[His idea is sounding worse and worse the longer they keep talking, but he's already in for it now. All he can do is to try and limit the damage in advance.]
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[ A thought. ]
But you bring up a good point. I should go ahead and get to work on an aftercare guide for them so we can jump right into business once they're here.
[ Headed towards his desk now, pretty sure he's just forgotten to let go of Douman's hand at this point. ]
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Then I will leave you to that. I need to return and keep an eye on school business anyway.