Ah. He was getting all the soft rewards tonight. His hopes on the bike had clearly been shooting too low. Then again, that sort of just made this all even better.
Briefly, Kai sort of wondered if maybe he was missing something? It didn't stay long enough to think about asking though. He was just a little bit distracted by all sorts of things. The idea that this was something that needed enough thought to be put together, tasty cake, the way Shinji looked framed by the evening sky as the stars trickled in.
The usual distractions.
"Mm. Glad you like it." He shoved another bit of cake in his mouth, turning his own gaze upwards to watch the last faint trails of orange give way to the inky blues chasing them. More and more, those twinkling lights were starting to flicker into view.
Very typical and normal things to be distracted by.
That soft look from Shinji lingers longer than usual, wrapped up in the charm of the situation in general, but also from the delight at getting a better look at the stars dotting the sky. Maybe the area unearthed by the walls moving will be developed in time, but for now, having a little spot to watch the stars twinkle into existence with less light pollution interfering is pretty incredible.
"Ahh, you really can see them better already out here."
It couldn't compare to the mountains, but it'd do in a pinch. It'd probably be a few more wall expansions or something like that until they got anything close to mountains, and who knew what kind of critters were living on those.
"It's still kinda weird though, not knowing any of 'em. I keep expecting other things when I look up there." How far away were those old friends now? Or maybe they were all closer than they'd ever been before, and they were just looking at them from a different angle?
Supposedly, mountains are out there somewhere! Let's hope the walls grant everyone access sooner rather than later.
"Really pretty," he agrees. "It was always hard to get a good look at most of the stars back in the city, before I got here. The were a couple of massive blackouts, though, and the view was always really stunning when the city went dark."
Kind of... bittersweet memories, if he lingers on them for too long, so he won't. Instead, he just does his best to cement this moment into his memory, instead. Watching the last traces of the sun slip under the horizon, the lights dotting the sky overhead, the good food, the company that he cares so much for... yeah. What a cozy, content memory to have.
There were things that could have been said to that, but Kai opted not to voice them. An agreement on how cities had that kind of flaw didn't need to be said, they both already knew that. He already had a pretty decent idea of reasons why there might have been those kinds of blackouts-- they didn't need to be brought up. Not here, not now. Not when all of this was just... kind of exactly how Kai could have hoped it would be like, if he'd ever been in the position to even daydream about it.
It was good. This was good.
"Ah," he murmured after a little while of comfortable, companionable quiet, "let me know if it gets too chilly." There was this whole other blanket here, after all, just waiting for its moment to shine.
More than anything, the comment had been a means to really highlight how much of a treat something like this is. As much as it could potentially open the door for some more melancholy topics, Shinji's glad that Kai doesn't chase them down. Just basking in the sight of the stars and the comfortable company is plenty, and a good atmosphere to be finishing this slice of cake in.
He drops his attention to the blanket as Kai brings it up, and hums softly in agreement. "I will." He wouldn't want to let that forethought on Kai's part go to waste! But, even more tempting, is the urge to lean slightly against the other, who is also a nice source of warmth. Would that be... too much? He already feels like he's being indulged a lot, but that wouldn't be too grand of a gesture to toss on top of everything, would it...?
He thinks on this for a moment, before leaning in, just enough to rest his shoulder slightly against Kai's. There we go.
That certainly was another option. The soft touch drew Kai's focus back from the sky to Shinji. More than feeling like a grand gesture, it felt more like he'd been beaten to the punch. This clearly was the logical step by now.
So too was Kai's wordless shift in position. Why settle for just a shoulder lean when it was so easy to curl his arm behind Shinji's back. What a smooth and well practiced move this was by now. Of course that's what came next. That's what you'd been going for, right Shinji?
The natural progression of things, huh? It's kind of wild to think that something like this is the unspoken expectation from the both of them, a warm and easy expectation it is. It's more than he expected right away, but he falls easily into the routine of relaxing against that arm around his back and sliding his own behind Kai.
Ahh, he really is getting spoiled a ton right now, isn't he? It should be okay if he just basks in it for a while, shouldn't it? That's not so bad of him...
He exhales a soft, content sigh, letting those thoughts slide away with that breath. This is good. It's nice. He wouldn't mind just sitting here for hours, if that's what it comes to.
Good news then, Shinji. Sitting around outside for hours staring at the sky was exactly the kind of thing Kai did when left to his own devices. That's what the meowffins were for. It was just a whole lot more comfortable with the warmth of someone else at his side. How very good that sitting around with Shinji for hours was also pretty high on that list.
They could have stayed just like that easily enough. All that looking up though, that could get rough after a bit. Luckily, this had a simple solution. It also happened to be the true secret to staying out there for hours. "Mm, hang on," Kai murmured in Shinji's ear after they had been cozied up for a while. Slipping out of their wrapped up arms, Kai shimmied over a bit and just.
Flopped right over on his back across the blanket. Sayonara, crick in the neck. Grinning over at Shinji, Kai pat that inviting spot next to him. "It's a good view down here."
Oho! What a smart solution to that particular problem!
At Kai's prompting, Shinji lays back as well, scooting close enough to reprise at least some of that cozy contact in a more horizontal position. Ahh, this is a lot better.
"It is good," a nice, wide view of the sky, in a nice, comfortable position. How lovely. "Much better."
There was an appropriate amount of wiggling going on here to make sure they achieved the maximum amount of coze. Very good. Here we go. "Mhm."
The blanket of stars above them was more impressive when it stretched across their whole field of view. Had it not been for that steady warmth at his side, it would have been easy to slip away into the quiet of nothing. He was rooted here though, aware of the world around him. The wide expanse of unfamiliar lights didn't seem as strange and offputting as they sometimes did, almost as if exploring them with good company was a better idea!
It was that thought that eventually broke the companionable silence. "Do you see any shapes up there?"
It's hard to not try and scan for some more familiar celestial arrangements, but the best he can really do is a few that seem.... almost close to something recognizable, if he squints enough. There's nothing saying they can't come up with their own patterns, though, even if the robots surely have ones of their own, so at Kai's question, Shinji gives a contemplative hum.
"Well," he leans in, getting his face a little closer to Kai's to make sure their lines of sight match up well enough so he can point out a section, drawing lines through the stars with his finger. "I was thinking, these few here, and the way they kind of sweep out? Kind of reminds me of a bird in flight."
Kai's gaze trailed across the sky, following the path Shinji left for him to follow. There were definitely probably constellations up there that had already been determined by the people that had lived here for centuries, but Kai hadn't looked them up yet. This spin with a blank canvas had been exactly what he'd meant.
He traced over the same path with his own fingers as he filled it out in his mind. "Ah, yeah," he said, turning his head to-- Oh. Looks like he was boopin' Shinji's face.
Oh! That little collision earns a soft, single laugh from Shinji, faintly nervous from how easily this could turn into a ~dangerous~ situation, but mostly just... warm. This is honestly really pleasant, and that's enough to make dwelling on any potential dangers feel particularly silly.
"Hm, yeah."
He doesn't quite move away to make any kind of buffer between them, at any rate. Let's stay nice and close for a bit longer here. "Have you found anything interesting?"
As per the norm, any hazards of this situation slipped right past Kai undetected. They were just bumpin' heads and gazing into each others' eyes from Real Close, what was dangerous about that. Perfectly normal scenarios right here.
So very normal that he hadn't made a move just yet either. "Hmm... nothin' too fun. I keep lookin' for triangles."
So normal, so cozy. Truly, neither of them are ready to give up this nice atmosphere just yet, even if it is making Shinji's heart flutter a bit, and bringing a bit of color to his cheeks. It's dark enough that you might not even be able to tell, no need to worry about it all too much. Just keep focusing upward.
"Yeah?" That sounds like a good place to start with an imaginative adventure like constellation crafting as any. "Any good ones?"
Not to worry. The night sky had your back, Shinji. Be at peace, even as Kai made no real move to change anything about this. It wasn't like this was even the closest they had ever been.
"Hmm... There's some contenders, but it's hard to say if they're consistent."
Now he turned his head, looking back up at the stars to find the paths he'd found before. They didn't jump out yet like they normally would, but after a moment he breathed out a soft 'ah.' It was his turn to touch the sky. Here, here, there.
"I don't think any of 'em are Orihime, but who knows."
A good approximation of a summer triangle, at any rate. Shinji offers a soft 'aah,' of understanding, he sees what you're going for, Kai.
"Could be," just as easily as they could be anything else. This is clearly an exercise in imagination right now, so why not entertain the idea for a bit? "If this one were Orihime," he points to one of the stars Kai marked, before trailing his finger down to another one, "That would make... this one Hikoboshi, right?"
Kai watched as Shinji laid them out. Hmm. "Yeah," he murmured with a nod, "that checks out."
He hadn't actually thought of that story in a good long while. He couldn't say he'd ever really been a fan of it either, but there really hadn't been any escaping it. It had always kind of fallen into the category of 'at least someone's having a good day.' Hm.
"Wonder if the magpies will make it this far out."
It isn't as if Shinji has any particular attachment to the story, and if he were to think about it long enough, he'd definitely say he's not thrilled about the whole star-crossed nature of the situation. Even with the benefit of crossing that bridge once a year, isn't it still awfully sad?
But still, tonight isn't the night for letting thoughts of falling fast and hard sweep over him, or the thought of tragically short meetings weigh his heart down. He can understand perfectly well how the situation would leave him feeling, and he can instead settle his focus back on the warmth next to him, and how even in the uncertain nature of Havenwell, it isn't something that's been fleeting.
"Maybe they wouldn't have to do all of that waiting in the first place. It's a whole different sky out here, there might not even be that river between them."
Ah, to be blissfully unaware of why discussing this story in particular might have been rough going. The only parts that were really occurring to Kai were that he had supposed they would have found out soon enough. It was really just around the corner, wasn't it? Which meant that it had nearly been a whole year in this strange place.
It was a whole new summer, and Shinji was still there at his side. Absolutely wild.
"Mm, s'true. I haven't seen the milky way up there. Maybe she finally told her dad off and they ran off to a whole new place. Somewhere to start over."
Maybe, soon enough, the truth will become clear to him. Sooner or later. Eventually. Possibly. For now, he can settle on concocting this new adventure for the two stars.
"Hah, wouldn't that be something?"
No huge parties, no meddling dads, what an ideal arrangement. Yeah, this would be a good place for that fresh start.
"At least they'd be able to enjoy their time together without having to wait or make a whole production out of it."
"Hm. Knowing that bunch, they're probably the ones that invited them."
You know. 'Invited.' Not that the two of them probably minded, if it meant finding a bit of peace from the things they left behind. It'd worked for him so far so, hey, good for them.
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Briefly, Kai sort of wondered if maybe he was missing something? It didn't stay long enough to think about asking though. He was just a little bit distracted by all sorts of things. The idea that this was something that needed enough thought to be put together, tasty cake, the way Shinji looked framed by the evening sky as the stars trickled in.
The usual distractions.
"Mm. Glad you like it." He shoved another bit of cake in his mouth, turning his own gaze upwards to watch the last faint trails of orange give way to the inky blues chasing them. More and more, those twinkling lights were starting to flicker into view.
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That soft look from Shinji lingers longer than usual, wrapped up in the charm of the situation in general, but also from the delight at getting a better look at the stars dotting the sky. Maybe the area unearthed by the walls moving will be developed in time, but for now, having a little spot to watch the stars twinkle into existence with less light pollution interfering is pretty incredible.
"Ahh, you really can see them better already out here."
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It couldn't compare to the mountains, but it'd do in a pinch. It'd probably be a few more wall expansions or something like that until they got anything close to mountains, and who knew what kind of critters were living on those.
"It's still kinda weird though, not knowing any of 'em. I keep expecting other things when I look up there." How far away were those old friends now? Or maybe they were all closer than they'd ever been before, and they were just looking at them from a different angle?
"Still real pretty though."
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"Really pretty," he agrees. "It was always hard to get a good look at most of the stars back in the city, before I got here. The were a couple of massive blackouts, though, and the view was always really stunning when the city went dark."
Kind of... bittersweet memories, if he lingers on them for too long, so he won't. Instead, he just does his best to cement this moment into his memory, instead. Watching the last traces of the sun slip under the horizon, the lights dotting the sky overhead, the good food, the company that he cares so much for... yeah. What a cozy, content memory to have.
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There were things that could have been said to that, but Kai opted not to voice them. An agreement on how cities had that kind of flaw didn't need to be said, they both already knew that. He already had a pretty decent idea of reasons why there might have been those kinds of blackouts-- they didn't need to be brought up. Not here, not now. Not when all of this was just... kind of exactly how Kai could have hoped it would be like, if he'd ever been in the position to even daydream about it.
It was good. This was good.
"Ah," he murmured after a little while of comfortable, companionable quiet, "let me know if it gets too chilly." There was this whole other blanket here, after all, just waiting for its moment to shine.
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He drops his attention to the blanket as Kai brings it up, and hums softly in agreement. "I will." He wouldn't want to let that forethought on Kai's part go to waste! But, even more tempting, is the urge to lean slightly against the other, who is also a nice source of warmth. Would that be... too much? He already feels like he's being indulged a lot, but that wouldn't be too grand of a gesture to toss on top of everything, would it...?
He thinks on this for a moment, before leaning in, just enough to rest his shoulder slightly against Kai's. There we go.
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So too was Kai's wordless shift in position. Why settle for just a shoulder lean when it was so easy to curl his arm behind Shinji's back. What a smooth and well practiced move this was by now. Of course that's what came next. That's what you'd been going for, right Shinji?
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Ahh, he really is getting spoiled a ton right now, isn't he? It should be okay if he just basks in it for a while, shouldn't it? That's not so bad of him...
He exhales a soft, content sigh, letting those thoughts slide away with that breath. This is good. It's nice. He wouldn't mind just sitting here for hours, if that's what it comes to.
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They could have stayed just like that easily enough. All that looking up though, that could get rough after a bit. Luckily, this had a simple solution. It also happened to be the true secret to staying out there for hours. "Mm, hang on," Kai murmured in Shinji's ear after they had been cozied up for a while. Slipping out of their wrapped up arms, Kai shimmied over a bit and just.
Flopped right over on his back across the blanket. Sayonara, crick in the neck. Grinning over at Shinji, Kai pat that inviting spot next to him. "It's a good view down here."
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At Kai's prompting, Shinji lays back as well, scooting close enough to reprise at least some of that cozy contact in a more horizontal position. Ahh, this is a lot better.
"It is good," a nice, wide view of the sky, in a nice, comfortable position. How lovely. "Much better."
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The blanket of stars above them was more impressive when it stretched across their whole field of view. Had it not been for that steady warmth at his side, it would have been easy to slip away into the quiet of nothing. He was rooted here though, aware of the world around him. The wide expanse of unfamiliar lights didn't seem as strange and offputting as they sometimes did, almost as if exploring them with good company was a better idea!
It was that thought that eventually broke the companionable silence. "Do you see any shapes up there?"
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"Well," he leans in, getting his face a little closer to Kai's to make sure their lines of sight match up well enough so he can point out a section, drawing lines through the stars with his finger. "I was thinking, these few here, and the way they kind of sweep out? Kind of reminds me of a bird in flight."
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He traced over the same path with his own fingers as he filled it out in his mind. "Ah, yeah," he said, turning his head to-- Oh. Looks like he was boopin' Shinji's face.
"...Ha. S'good one. I see it."
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"Hm, yeah."
He doesn't quite move away to make any kind of buffer between them, at any rate. Let's stay nice and close for a bit longer here. "Have you found anything interesting?"
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So very normal that he hadn't made a move just yet either. "Hmm... nothin' too fun. I keep lookin' for triangles."
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"Yeah?" That sounds like a good place to start with an imaginative adventure like constellation crafting as any. "Any good ones?"
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"Hmm... There's some contenders, but it's hard to say if they're consistent."
Now he turned his head, looking back up at the stars to find the paths he'd found before. They didn't jump out yet like they normally would, but after a moment he breathed out a soft 'ah.' It was his turn to touch the sky. Here, here, there.
"I don't think any of 'em are Orihime, but who knows."
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"Could be," just as easily as they could be anything else. This is clearly an exercise in imagination right now, so why not entertain the idea for a bit? "If this one were Orihime," he points to one of the stars Kai marked, before trailing his finger down to another one, "That would make... this one Hikoboshi, right?"
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He hadn't actually thought of that story in a good long while. He couldn't say he'd ever really been a fan of it either, but there really hadn't been any escaping it. It had always kind of fallen into the category of 'at least someone's having a good day.' Hm.
"Wonder if the magpies will make it this far out."
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It isn't as if Shinji has any particular attachment to the story, and if he were to think about it long enough, he'd definitely say he's not thrilled about the whole star-crossed nature of the situation. Even with the benefit of crossing that bridge once a year, isn't it still awfully sad?
But still, tonight isn't the night for letting thoughts of falling fast and hard sweep over him, or the thought of tragically short meetings weigh his heart down. He can understand perfectly well how the situation would leave him feeling, and he can instead settle his focus back on the warmth next to him, and how even in the uncertain nature of Havenwell, it isn't something that's been fleeting.
"Maybe they wouldn't have to do all of that waiting in the first place. It's a whole different sky out here, there might not even be that river between them."
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It was a whole new summer, and Shinji was still there at his side. Absolutely wild.
"Mm, s'true. I haven't seen the milky way up there. Maybe she finally told her dad off and they ran off to a whole new place. Somewhere to start over."
Here was a good place for that.
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"Hah, wouldn't that be something?"
No huge parties, no meddling dads, what an ideal arrangement. Yeah, this would be a good place for that fresh start.
"At least they'd be able to enjoy their time together without having to wait or make a whole production out of it."
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No more chaperones for them. Just a nice third figure to balance everything out. Yeah, that seemed good.
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"I'm sure there are plenty of things like birds, mice, cats, and dragons up there to keep them company, too."
Whatever constellations might be there already, surely they'd be willing to take in a couple of runaways from another sky.
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You know. 'Invited.' Not that the two of them probably minded, if it meant finding a bit of peace from the things they left behind. It'd worked for him so far so, hey, good for them.
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