[ It's easy enough to track his movement by sound. He's striding around the coffin, running a hand over the lid, looking for a lock or hinges or any indication of how to open it up.
Hierophant passes through it, apparently without his say-so, a single strand curling its way around Adrian's hand. ]
[He's ready to bite verbally, be angry, perhaps bodily throw Kakyoin out. It is Hierophant that gives him pause. Adrian hesitates, then closes his fingers around the tendril.
So there's less anger and frustration in Adrian's voice now. It's more tired, a bit defeated.]
You're the one demanding my help because you're so concerned at being found out. It has nothing to do with me.
[ There's a rush of air. A fist moving downward. But Adrian's fingers close around Hierophant and it's not like the anger leaves him but- fuck, it's not like punching a coffin would achieve him anything but busted knuckles. He's smarter than that. He rests his hand against the lid instead. ]
-I shouldn't have to ask you nicely to come out. You should want to. You should want to play games with me and drink cocoa and put combs in Star's hair to see if he likes them. That's how it's meant to work.
I asked you why. And you didn't say it had anything to do with me. It's not for me and-- I wouldn't blame you.
[Adrian gently pulls the tendril to his chest, clutching at it like a precious thing. It's stupid, but it's how he'd taken to it when he read the message. It's why he'd asked. Not that things should just go back to normal, because Adrian made such a horrible mistake. But also he can't truly think as to why Kakyoin would want to with him right now.]
It's Star. How could it possibly have nothing to do with you?
[ The tendril butts itself against Adrian's chest a few times before the end of it curls into a spiral, like a very thin, long cat kneading its paws before curling up to sleep there. Outside the coffin there's a quiet whumph of air as Kakyoin sits down next to the box. He can't open it without using Hierophant, not if the lid isn't hinged. He's not strong enough to lift the lid off it himself. ]
Birthdays are pointless. Arbitrary. But it'll make Star happy. And I thought- that's a good enough reason to stay awake until the end of the month, right? Being able to make him happy?
But you would have saved me, if it worked. Like I asked you to. Of all the people in the world who could hold it all against you, I'm the absolute last. I certainly wouldn't have stopped you, if I'd known.
[ There's a scrape of hair against the wall of the coffin. He's leaning back against it, one cheek pressed against the cool side of the box. ]
[Slowly, the heavy lid of the coffin lifts up slightly. Just enough that Adrian's eyes are looking out of the crack, the lid on his head like a child shyly glancing out from their pillow and blanket fort, made for their own solitude, safe and sad.]
...I always planned to. You never even had to ask. It was as important as making sure I could even be with both you.
I don't want to live a life without you and Jotaro.
[ He looks up at the open coffin lid and has to supress a chuckle, despite everything. It looks ridiculous. They look ridiculous.
He pulls open the cereal box and one of Hierophant's tendrils rustles around in it until it produces a bat-shaped marshmallow and pushes it through the crack. ]
I lied, about the marshmallows. They had leftover halloween ones for cheap. I could hardly not.
[Dainty fingers snatch the bat-shaped marshmallow, and there's the sound of crunching as Adrian eats it. There's a small pleased hum, the sweetness appreciated.]
You tempt me terribly.
[But Adrian has not sunk back down into the coffin at least, so the cereal and company are both working.]
[ He draws his knees up, settling against the coffin and making himself comfortable. This is how they're going to talk, it seems. Hierophant continues plucking marshmallows out of the cereal, leaving them on the edge of the coffin so that if Adrian closes the lid again all the little bats and coffins will get crushed. ]
I was just going to dress up nicely for him, at first. Make you do it, too. And I think even just that would make him happy. But- It meant a lot to Hierophant, that you got him his own bed. And so I thought it would be nice for him to have something that's- you know. His.
[ Other than a collar, he chooses not to mention. Not out of propriety, just because that's their thing and he doesn't feel like intruding. ]
Hang on, I'll send you a picture. [ He does, poking at the device on his wrist for a moment. It's a picture of a delicate silver hair comb decorated with stars. ] I saw it while I was picking out a comb to go with the clothes I was planning to wear. But some people find them uncomfortable, so I need to know if he actually likes wearing one.
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no subject
[ It's easy enough to track his movement by sound. He's striding around the coffin, running a hand over the lid, looking for a lock or hinges or any indication of how to open it up.
Hierophant passes through it, apparently without his say-so, a single strand curling its way around Adrian's hand. ]
You're being a dick.
no subject
So there's less anger and frustration in Adrian's voice now. It's more tired, a bit defeated.]
You're the one demanding my help because you're so concerned at being found out. It has nothing to do with me.
no subject
[ There's a rush of air. A fist moving downward. But Adrian's fingers close around Hierophant and it's not like the anger leaves him but- fuck, it's not like punching a coffin would achieve him anything but busted knuckles. He's smarter than that. He rests his hand against the lid instead. ]
-I shouldn't have to ask you nicely to come out. You should want to. You should want to play games with me and drink cocoa and put combs in Star's hair to see if he likes them. That's how it's meant to work.
no subject
[Adrian gently pulls the tendril to his chest, clutching at it like a precious thing. It's stupid, but it's how he'd taken to it when he read the message. It's why he'd asked. Not that things should just go back to normal, because Adrian made such a horrible mistake. But also he can't truly think as to why Kakyoin would want to with him right now.]
no subject
[ The tendril butts itself against Adrian's chest a few times before the end of it curls into a spiral, like a very thin, long cat kneading its paws before curling up to sleep there. Outside the coffin there's a quiet whumph of air as Kakyoin sits down next to the box. He can't open it without using Hierophant, not if the lid isn't hinged. He's not strong enough to lift the lid off it himself. ]
Birthdays are pointless. Arbitrary. But it'll make Star happy. And I thought- that's a good enough reason to stay awake until the end of the month, right? Being able to make him happy?
no subject
[He isn't wrong. But--]
I almost ruined everything.
no subject
But you would have saved me, if it worked. Like I asked you to. Of all the people in the world who could hold it all against you, I'm the absolute last. I certainly wouldn't have stopped you, if I'd known.
[ There's a scrape of hair against the wall of the coffin. He's leaning back against it, one cheek pressed against the cool side of the box. ]
Like I said. Colluding.
no subject
...I always planned to. You never even had to ask. It was as important as making sure I could even be with both you.
I don't want to live a life without you and Jotaro.
no subject
[ He looks up at the open coffin lid and has to supress a chuckle, despite everything. It looks ridiculous. They look ridiculous.
He pulls open the cereal box and one of Hierophant's tendrils rustles around in it until it produces a bat-shaped marshmallow and pushes it through the crack. ]
I lied, about the marshmallows. They had leftover halloween ones for cheap. I could hardly not.
no subject
You tempt me terribly.
[But Adrian has not sunk back down into the coffin at least, so the cereal and company are both working.]
...What were your plans for Star?
no subject
I was just going to dress up nicely for him, at first. Make you do it, too. And I think even just that would make him happy. But- It meant a lot to Hierophant, that you got him his own bed. And so I thought it would be nice for him to have something that's- you know. His.
[ Other than a collar, he chooses not to mention. Not out of propriety, just because that's their thing and he doesn't feel like intruding. ]
Hang on, I'll send you a picture. [ He does, poking at the device on his wrist for a moment. It's a picture of a delicate silver hair comb decorated with stars. ] I saw it while I was picking out a comb to go with the clothes I was planning to wear. But some people find them uncomfortable, so I need to know if he actually likes wearing one.