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Yozora lay in cold water.Why is ritual baths always cold? He only managed to get through them now-a-days if he kept his thought firmly on Kajitsu. Preferably one of their sex acts, that kept him warm. Oh, he missed Kajitsu. But at least he didn't have all to bad with these baths. Three days every month, at the full moon, was all that was required of him. His brothers had it worse. Yuuyami and Shinonome were required to bathe every other week, three nights in a row, and dear little Tokoshie bathe every other day. In freezing cold water. No wonder he was so small and fragile.
Yozora took a deep breath, released it slowly and felt how he sank. He was in full control of this and didn't worry. His servant, who stood by the door watching over him, did, though. The chamberlain, Endo, had served Yozora since the young lord were only months old, but still, 27 years later, he got alarmed at this. For a moment Yozora lay on the bottom of the pool, thinking about his little brother.
"Tokoshie, Tokoshie", he thought. "Let your smile reach your eyes next time I see you."
Then, Yozora sat up. Sitting, the water only reached his chest. He rose, water streaming from his waist long, blueish black hair over his naked body. Endo swiftly put a robe around his shoulders,
"You shouldn't do that", he said admonishingly. "I always wonder what I would tell your father if you drown."
"My father wouldn't care all that much", Yozora said quietly. "But my boyfriend and my brothers would. Toko would likely drown as well."
Endo frowned as took a towel and started to dry off his masters hair.
"Your father cares a lot about you, Yozora-sama."
Yozora put on his robe properly and started to walk away.
"I wish he would care more about Toko", he said bitterly.
Endo followed Yozora towards the main living area of the great palace.
"Tokoshie-sama is well taken care of, I believe", he said.
Yozora felt a sting of worry, but said nothing of it. Instead he asked:
"Has there been any word from Kajitsu and Isshun?"
"Not yet."
"And the twins?"
"They're stuck in Tokyo."
"Damn weather", muttered Yozora just as he stepped into the dining room. He was still fasting, of course, so he couldn't eat, but he had hoped to find his little brother.
"Hitori."
Tokoshie's servant, Hitori, looked up from collecting dishes from the huge table.
"Yozora-sama."
"Where is he?"
"On the balcony, my lord."
"Did he eat?"
No, my lord."
Yozora sighed and shook his head, then he went out onto the balcony. Tokoshie stood there, gazing out in the distance.
"Do you see anything interesting", asked Yozora softly.
"I'm looking for Isshun", Tokoshie's voice was barely more than a whisper.
Yozora pulled Tokoshie's head onto his shoulder.
"Toko-chan. You know you're not allowed to do that."
"But I miss him", Tokoshie sobbed.
"I know. And I miss Kajitsu. But I can't have you look for them. The gods will only punish you for it."
"Fathers colleagues are evil", muttered Tokoshie. First they give us these powers and then they don't let us use them."
Yozora chuckled softly.
"Don't let them hear you say that", he said.
Tokoshie pouted.
"Don't expect to know their motives", Yozora went on. "You were given the ability to see across time and space, I can see the darkness of the world and man, Kajitsu see the light, Isshun rules time, the twins rule the creativity, but we don't ask why, for the gods will not answer. They will only tell us that it is what it is."
"It is what it is", said Tokoshie. "We are what we are. Everything else changes. The others world changes. I have seen it. I have seen the world where machine serve man, and I have seen the world where machine threaten rule man."
"Does that scare you."
Not as much as it should scare them."
Tokoshie sighed and looked small and scared again.
The worlds scare me"he whispered. "All futures are so dark. I wish I couldn't see them."
"So don't look. Just look here and now."
"But my family is out there."
"They'll soon be back", Yozora said soothingly. "I promise."
They stood quiet for a while. Tokoshie leaned quite heavily on his big brother.
"Tired", asked Yozora eventually.
"Yes", muttered Tokoshie. "And cold. And I think...."
"Think?"
Tokoshie fried freed himself from Yozora.
"I think I will go to bed", he whispered.
"Toko."
"Yes?"
"I think so, too."
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