Late Paranoia [Open]

[Kristopher Roberts]

The kitchen was completely empty this evening. However, the light was still on and even though many had left to do their own things, Kristopher stayed behind. He had no work to really do, just being in the kitchen gave him a comfort. It was far too cold to be making his journey to the hospital to help anymore.

The kitchen was the best place for him to be, but also, he didn't want to go home. Not tonight, he was afraid that if he went home, someone would be waiting for him and not his lover. It seemed to be going on for a while now, Kristopher would go home and find Vasant up front and center, toying with him for a time to see if he could tell the difference and then dropping the bomb.

It was unsettling for the blond. He was starting to get paranoid that he might trip the man's trigger about anything and if anyone was noticing his hesitation to go home. Of course, no one had. No one noticed and they would never if he had anything to do about. He didn't want people in his business or worrying about him and so, he was playing everything off for a while now. Plus, if he did want to talk about it, there was no one he could really turn too that would understand or not jump the gun. He was by himself.

Which leads back to the kitchen where the blond stood at the counter. In his hand was a small knife that he was using to slice apples for no reason at all. He wasn't hungry nor did he feel like baking or planned on it. It was just something to keep him busy and out of trouble. His curls where pulled back in a half ponytail, eyes focusing only on the apple and his thoughts.

His shoulder was still bandages and his back was form the Devil's Ball, and so he had only a loose, long sleeved shirt on. From wrist to forearm, was bandaged as well from an injury he received the other night, it hurt to even use the hand by once again, he was ignoring things. He even ignored the bruise on his side he got from hitting a table as well.

Feeling the urge to cough, he turned his head away from the food, lifted his elbow and coughed right into it. Then returned to his senseless process of cutting apples that he was more then likely just going to throw away. His thoughts went on silently, though his eyes every so often, went to a small clock to his left that hung on a wall.

He would have to go face the music sometime soon.

[Zeke Suzushima]

Since the Devil's ball, a couple of things had become routine for Zeke Suzushima. And they weren't all good. For starters, since the ball, he'd had to go easy on the arm with the fudged up shoulder. It had been in a sling for a while, but just like Kris he had started to heal and now he didn't need the brace. It still hurt a little when he was assigned the task to lift something or fix something high-up...which, of course, meant that every Boogie who knew about his injury was giving hi such tasks...but slowly he was getting better. Won't be much longer now.

The other routine was his mistresses absence.

Since the ball, when he'd seen her (or at least her body) with another young woman, Zeke had begun to see less and less of Serenity in his room, in her room, and everywhere else he often saw her. He knew it wasn't her fault. It was that damned witch in her skin, Charoa, who was constantly keeping her from him. As soon as he had wrapped her wounds and helped her, the bitch had ran off with his beloveds body and hadn't come back. It was utter torture. But who could he talk too about his double-faced master-slash-girlfriend-slash-demon? Nobody. He kept it locked inside like he always did with his own troubles and tried to focus on the positives...or bother a friend.

That was the kind of man Zeke was.

So who did Zeke go to when he needed a friend? His twin, of course.

When the older blond had checked Kristopher's room, nobody had been there except for the adorable kitty named Ken who he'd often baby-sat while covering for Kris. After scratching said cat's ear he'd gone to the hospital, to no avail, then he'd snuck around the North Wing. Again, there had been no sign of him. But it's always the last place you check when you're looking for something, and sure enough his last place to look was the kitchen. And there, looking as loli and skinny as ever was Zeke's dear 'brother'.

Zeke grinned slyly as he snuck through the door without as much as a creak. He was on the other side of Kris, the side without the bruise, so he didn't see it. If he had he might have thought over his 'entrance' a little more. But he didn't, so as soon as he'd crept around the room to end up behind Kristopher, the blue-eyed twin sprung.

"Krissy!!" he laughed and jumped at the younger boy, wrapping his gray-sweater'd arms around the sickly one's shoulders...being careful to avoid hurting their identically injured arms. Zeke squeezed his twin slightly. "I've been looking for you all day, you slippery uke! Where have you been? I missed you!"

[Kristopher Roberts]

Kris had not heard his twin enter the kitchen, Zeke might soon learn that he had allowed the other to hear him. Unperpared for the sudden tackling hug, the younger let out a startled cry and his hands went flat on the counter. The knife that was in his hands scattered across the table top and landed harmlessly a few inches away. The pears on the other hand got squished by Roberts hands.

He didn't hear Zeke speaking to him, his heart was far to busy pounding in his chest from a sudden wave of fear. For a moment, he thought Vasant had came looking for him. After all, Kris was late coming hime anyways and that would insew damages already in one way or another.

His mismatched eyes had gone wide and his head lowered down and to the side. He saw the arm resting on his shoulder and it took a moment for him to realize, it wasn't Vasants. The skin was far to fair like his own and far to feminie.

A sigh escaped his lips, a painful one, his injuried hip had smacked into the counter from his surprise visitors actions and now the pain was sending waves to his brain.

Closing his eyes, he finally spoke when the pain went away. "You shouldn't scare people like that, especially ones with knives." He nodded his head towards the still knife.

Straightening up as best he could and resisting the urge to hold his hip, he smiled at the other softly. "Though, I'm sorry to have caused you so much trouble." A small sigh came from his lips again, leaning away from Zeke, he reached over and picked up the knife, carefully moving his fingers around the handle as if it pained him, or burned.

"Just, please, don't do that to me again."

[Zeke Suzushima]

With his arms still wrapped around his dear twin, Zeke immediately knew something was wrong with Kris. He was acting funny, and not the funny-good that he normally was around Zeke, and he looked like he was scared of him. Scared? Of a hug? That's ridiculous. Slacking his arms a little, though still keeping them around the younger blonde's shoulders, the older twin met the soft smile with a little worried pout. Something was way off here.

"Cause me trouble? Since when do you cause me trouble," big blue eyes watched Kris as he leaned forward to get the knife, "And since when were you so quick to freak out? Don't you know your own brother?" Zeke's arms slid from Krissy's shoulders to the boy's hips, resting there like it was as normal as breathing. There was never any oddness to them touching like this, they were twins, after all. He glanced at how skinny they were.

"Man, have you ever heard of food? You're turning into a twig."

...wait.

With Kris leaning across the table, his shirt lifted up in the slightest of sights, revealing a bit of his pale skin. Normally nobody would notice this, but Zeke's hands and eyes were already there, so he caught what other would not. A discoloration on that pretty fair skin of theirs. A light purple, dark blue stain. Without a second thought, Zeke had grabbed the hem of his little twin's shirt and had pulled it up to his chest to get a better view of the marking.

He knew this sudden movement would stun Kris, so he simply stated in monotone, "Random molestation check. Don't squirm." Zeke touched the skin just above the bruise delicately.

"...how did this happen, otouto-kun...?"

[Kristopher Roberts]

"Since you got an arrow in the shoulder because of me, as well as hurt in general for our switching." The blond said as if it was nothing but the simple truth. He didn't like the idea of Zeke getting harmed in any way and furthermore, it was cold outside.

Kristopher rolled his mismatched eyes for the moment, "I think anyone would jump out of their pants when someone comes sneaking up on them in the evening when they can't hear the person enter." A pointed look went towards his twin. It was another honestly reply, most people would jump if someone did that to them. Really, so it would be no surprise for Kristopher to act that way.

"I eat as much as anyone else here." He said as he went back to cutting his apples. "I just don't gain weight cause Im so sick all the time, Zeke. You know that anyways."

Cool air touched his skin and he froze in mid action. He heard Zeke's odd statement about the molestation check and didn't like that at all. He didn't like his clothing being lifted up and his hand came out and pulled his shirt back down forcefully. "Don't do that! It's freaking cold in here, Zeke!" He declared in a whiny voice if that was all that really bothered him, that is until the questions popped up.

"How did what happen?" He asked and glanced down at his hip as if seeing it for the first time. "Oh." he said, "That. It's nothing, just the normal abuse I get from the boogies around here. I just happen to be in ones way and got shoved into a table, nothing new really." He chuckled and went back to cutting the apples he had no plans for using.

"Still hurts, so stop poking at it, please."

Inside, Kristopher was panicing, great! Someone noticed that marking. Now, he hoped he could lie himself out of this hole! Now his mismatched eyes stared at the apple as he made sure his arm was still covered. Good, his bandages couldn't be seen.

Damn'it. He just hoped Zeke would buy that and leave it alone.

"So, seeing as you came looking for me, anything you need, Twin?"

[Terrence Tao]

Terrence stared down at the floor as he walked. He passed several boogies who grinned in his direction, but they didn't say anything. They were enjoying the boy's discomfort in wandering the halls in the late night. The small slave had just been given a new chore that morning; he was suppose to help out in the kitchen. When he had first heard, he had no real objections. As long as a certain someone wasn't still working there, but he had no way of knowing. What made 'working in the kitchen' much more of a pain than he thought it would be, was the fact that he had been chosen to go gather apples from the Orchards before they froze over for winter. After he had finished his other chores, he was pushed out into the bitter cold and told to fetch apples.

Boogies were rather mean; they knew Terrence was vertically challenged. He couldn't even reach the apples, so he had to grab a stick and beat the apples down like they were candy in pinatas. It wasn't as fun as it sounds. The whole operation took all afternoon, and by the time he was done it was dark and far too cold. However, he had gotten the apples down and that was all that mattered. After placing them in the bag, he realized how heavy apples were for the first time. Terrence groaned as he looked back to the Boogie Palace and realized how much more tedious gathering apples would be.

He slung the bag over his shoulders- well not a sling.. More of a slide; Terrence wasn't even strong enough to pick up the bag let alone sling it. He gave the orchids one last glare before beginning the long trudge to the castle. Along the way he saw the occasional slave doing the last of their chores or a boogie grinning maliciously toward him. For the most part, he ignored them. It wasn't as if they were going to help him with his chore. He really wished the boogies had given him a basket for this.. Something with handles would have been much easier to carry; both his hands were already feeling a slight rope burn from the bag's constant sliding.

When he reached the boogie palace, he began his trudge through the halls. Luckily, he could find his way through the halls fine in the dark. They were large and had an echo effect for the most part when others weren't in them. You could walk through the halls without running into a wall just using sound, at least Terrence liked to think so. When he saw the light of the kitchen, he stopped. There were voices in the room, but he couldn't make out the words. Just great. Hopefully it wouldn't be a smug boogie or a slave who would laugh at the crappy chore he had been chosen to do.

Terrence blinked as he opened the door. Someone was getting their shirt pulled up in the kitchen... Normal day it seemed, at least in Boogie world. He couldn't make out the faces, the door he was using gave him a view of the boys that had their faces obstructed by hanging pots. A sigh escaped his lips as he walked into the kitchen with the bag of apples.

"If you two feel like molesting each other, please do so in a place where we don't prepare food," he muttered. Terrence hadn't heard most of their conversation about the bruise, the kitchen was large and didn't carry voices well.

[Zeke Suzushima]

"You're a lot jumpier than you usually are, silly Krissy. Easy does it."

The sapphire twin chuckled softly at Krissy's little answers. Kris was so cute when he was flustered, which was probably why he was subjected to Shaehern's teasing and the like, and even Zeke couldn't stop thinking he was adorable. Poor boy. But it was kind of his own fault for being so damned cute. When the younger twin moved to pull his shirt back down, Zeke just kept his grip so he couldn't before throwing his arms around the boys waist and hugging him again. "Don't worry about cold, otouto-kun! I'll keep you warm!"

Zeke really was acting silly, but underneath his grin was worry.

Why was Kris injured? Had he really just been shoved into a table by some Boogie? It was possible, but the way Kris said it sounded like a lie to the older twins ears. Kris was never a good liar. But if not just some Boogie, then who could have hurt him like this? Could it be Naelona? She was his mistress, so it made some more sense, but from how Zeke had seen her at the ball she didn't seem like she would just hurt one f her boys like this. Especially Kris.

Then who was it?

Another little voice caught Zeke's attention and he leaned his head back to see the stranger, pulling Kris to look as well since he was still caught in the hug. It was just a kid with a bag of apples. Strange. "Ohayo, chibi. Can we help you?" His arms were still wrapped around his Christmas-eyed twin, holding him tight like a lover...which wasn't the case, they were twins. Sorta. But to anyone else it might seem a little awkward. That's just how they were.

Before letting go of Kris, Zeke leaned in and whispered in his ear.

"You're not getting off that easily. Come to my room tonight."

We'll discuss this later.

[Kristopher Roberts]

"Gah, I get the point, but let go, your touching my bruise and its stil tender." Kristopher wasn't in the mood to be as playful as his twin was, but then again, Zeke was always like this like it or not. However, right now Kristopher could use less physically touching then anything. He could just picture Vasant walking by and seeing this, even if he understood Zeke and Kristopher realtionship, it would still go utterly down hill for him.

But he said nothing about it and once again, sighed. Stabbing a knife into an apple slice and nailing it to the counter, he gave up on his cutting. He wouldn't be able to have time to himself it seemed.

Then a new voice came onto the scene and Kris groaned at the words. How wonderful, he didn't need this little shit to spread rumors---oh Terry. Well, no worries there. He looked at the younger boy and gave an awkward smile. "Sorry no loving going on here, just Zeke clinging to me like a parasite." He waved a bit and then frowned.

Go figure, Zeke wouldn't let him off the hook but he told him right back in a whisper, "There's nothing to talk about. It's just a bruise."

There would be no discussing later, he had to get home before Vasant did come looking for him. Now, Kristopher pulled away from Zeke, not by much though, just enough to gain his own footing and stand up right so he wouldn't fall over at an awkward angle with Zeke holding him.

[Terrence Tao]

The small boy blinked as the one who seemed to be the more dominant of the two pulled them to look at him. There was that odd word again.. Chibi. What on Earth did it mean, and why did everyone call him that? Maybe Terrence should have been more of an Otaku back in the human world; he would probably be less confused now if he had. "Chibi... Why does everyone call me that?" he muttered as he rubbed his chin with his free hand. It really was bothering him. What if they were insulting him, and he had no idea what it was. That made him nervous.

Terrence gripped the bag and drug it to the middle of the kitchen, in front of the two. Both his shoulders were tense as he noticed Kristopher. "The boogies told me to bring apples, so I'm bringing them," he paused and took note of how close the two blonds were huddling together. "Is that a problem?" asked Terrence as both his misty purple eyes stared at them. The two did seem rather close, and if he was invading on a personal moment... well... good.

"Zeke?" he questioned. Terrence had never met the young man, but he looked an awful lot like Kristopher. "Bloody hell Kris.." he muttered as his eyes glanced over Zeke. "Is this another sibling of yours that was spirited away to the Boogie world?" he chuckled, "They just seem to adore your family." Sure, it was rather rude to ask in that matter, but it was true! There were around three or four bloody Roberts in the Boogie World; that just wasn't normal! It was if their parents had signed a contract to sell their children off to the boogies like in those fairy tails. You know the type: Rapunzel, Rumpelstiltskin, and Heckedy Peg to name a few. Of course, most who came to the boogy world never had a happy ending like these.

[Zeke Suzushima]

The confusion on the young boy's face was pretty funny to Zeke, and it showed in the spark in the older man's eyes. "Other people call you that?" he chuckled, a hand still place on Kristoper's good hip. It wasn't just their looks-odd-but-not-awkward-twinness that had him holding on...he had the oddest feeling that his little twin would end up running away if let go for more than a second. The older blond pointed at Terry playfully. "Chibi means 'small' in Japanese, chibi-chan."

Zeke placed his other hand to his face and let out a mock gasp. "Parasite? Krissy, you're so me~an!" He chirped, looking to the side dramatically, stage tears in his bright-blue eyes. "Here I was looking all over the place for you out of love, and you call me a parasite? Maybe I shouldn't have come to find you after all." Despite his theatrics, there was some truth to his words. He'd come to have fun with his twin to forget his troubles...

...but something was wrong, and now Zeke was even more worried.

Not exactly as planned.

"Nice to meet you!" the blond sprung back to normal when the small boy said his name, a normal bubbly smile on his face. Zeke waved once to Terry, watching Kris from his peripheral vision. The joke about the Boogies loving the Roberts family seemed more fact than fiction. Maybe they were drawn to the misfortune in Kris, Kyle, and Sarah's pasts. But the Higurashi family also had three of four kids in the palace...and Zeke knew them from childhood. They were in no way as tragic as the Roberts. So what did the two families have in common that attracted the monsters?

Hmmm...it's still a mystery?

To Kristopher's whisper, Zeke simply winked at him. "Well, come anyway. Or I'll drag you along by your sleeve."

[Kristopher Roberts]

Kristopher sighed, "No, Terry. He isn't any realtion to me by blood. We just happen to look a like." It was the honest truth and he shrugged his shoulders. Turning away from the two, Kristopher looked down at the fruit he had sliced.

He wasn't really certain what he was going to do with it now. Sighing deeply, he sat to work disposing of the sliced fruit with the excuse of it being out in the open to long and some of it looking to be rotten. Of course,it wasn't rotten but he didn't really care today as he normally would.

"Oh, Terry." Kris said as an after thought, "The things you brough go over there." He gestured to a tall cabinet in which most food items where stored.

Then, glancing at Zeke he said, "When do you want me to come over then?" There was no way in hell he was gettign away with anything.