[identity profile] eleventyrags.livejournal.com posting in [community profile] hh_mirror
The Doctor hadn't always loved Halloween, but on those worlds that celebrated it (or something like it) he definitely tried to join in the fun, if there was nothing overtly intent on re-enacting a favorite horror film but with real knives instead of rubber props. He supposed at Hogwarts there was no danger of this (and even if there was, the danger was minimized) and thus strolled confidently over the grounds, rambling until he came to a pile of rather gorgeous pumpkins. He stared at them a minute, then at the door they framed. A sign read:

Pumpkins, free to a good carver.

Candy within, Trick-or-Treaters welcome.

Any tricks resulting in broken glass will be met with a boot up someone's back end.


The last bit, he noted, was scrawled rather hastily in something that his mind wanted to read as Japanese, but his eyes were registering as English. The rest was in big, spiky, dramatic handwriting, with bats, cats, and pumpkins scribbled all over the place. It very nearly covered a plaque that read 'Professor Minaminaminamino." What a name. He grinned and ducked in.



She, with brown hair all shocked out by too much curling iron, an ironic pointy black hat on her head, a very witchy dress, too much makeup, and boots that looked like they could stomp a Dalek. The other (she? No, the shoulders were too broad, but the hair just screamed girl) sat with their back to the doctor and looked like the costume of the year must be a mummified werewolf. The tail was even moving, too. Nice touch.

"Trick or treat!" He called, waving a hand. The girl looked up at him and beamed and the - yes, that face was as close to male as it was going to get - man turned around to look at him.

"What's your costume?" The girl asked, putting her head to one side. The man flapped a hand at her, and she stuck out her tongue at him.

"A time traveler," The Doctor said grinning at their interaction. They might have been bickering siblings, for all they didn't look a thing alike.

The man gestured to a cauldron on the floor next to the table. "Take your treat then, oh wanderer. You might have to forgive River her impetuousness."

The Doctor blinked at the name, but before he could say anything, the girl cut in.

"Not that River," she said, her eyes intent on the Doctor for a split second before turning back to her companion. He had the unsettling certainty that she'd just casually read his mind. People weren't supposed to be able to do that.

"And that isn't even a real word," she was saying. "Bad foxes should read more dictionaries."

The Doctor grabbed a bag from the cauldron - fun-sized jelly babies - and extended a hand to the suffering redhead. He noticed that what he first thought were bandages on his head were furry ears to match the tail. "Nice costume. Professor Minaminaminamino, I presume?"

The Professor made a face and took the offered hand. "Kurama, if you please." He shot a withering look to River, who contrived to look innocent. "I thought it had been covered."

"I'm The Doctor," he introduced himself. "I'm surprised you're indulging the tricking and treating, though. That's more of an American holiday these days, isn't it?"

Kurama shrugged, breaking the handshake with a smile to go back to what he was working on. They looked like flowers that had decided to be lanterns, all in orange and black. River was stringing them together on a long line.

"There are plenty of American students here, and it's an amusing enough tradition." Between his hands another flower seemed to appear from nowhere, and went to the pile for River to tend. It even glowed faintly.

The Doctor watched them work for a moment, munching on his jelly babies, until River completed a strand and jumped down from the table. "I'll take care of these," she said, and then stopped to look at the Doctor with a lot more knowing solemnity than a teenaged human girl should have. "Not that River. If she's the Amazon, I'm a waterfall."

And then she was gone, even grabbing a broom on her way out. The Doctor looked quizzically at Kurama, who shrugged.

"I don't even know. I stopped trying to guess months ago." He stretched, winced, and then flexed his hands. "How much of that time traveler business is the truth? In some way all of us are, at least in this place, but that bow tie is giving me some pretty specific questions."

"All of it," the Doctor replied, adjusting his bowtie with a grin. "I just happen to know that the bowtie has never not been cool."

Kurama's smile was wry. "Those Croats, pulling us all kicking and screaming out of the fashion dark ages."

"You know your history."

"I've lived my history."

They stared at each other for a beat, the Doctor half-poised to grab his screwdriver and see just what Kurama was, Kurama smirking at him and practically daring him to ask.

"Mind if I take a look around?" The Doctor asked instead; there would be other times to pry, and there was a flower one room over that was so blue it was making him TARDIS-sick. Kurama waved a hand at him in a 'by all means' gesture.

Such interesting folk there were here. He was beginning to enjoy himself.

((OOC: I suck at making things short. Specify if you want River, Eleventy, or Kurama to play with, or be surprised <3 ))

Date: 2010-11-01 12:23 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] mello-n-choco.livejournal.com
At least he sort of almost admits...not really. I raise an eyebrow. "You haven't been there, then?" And, he disappeared before without going onto that plaque. Can we really be sure he's gone at all here? I pull out a chocolate bar and offer him some. "Just how much are you able to heal?" I ask. What cost did he pay to defeat Karasu, given it might only be temporary?

Date: 2010-11-01 12:40 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] serrulata.livejournal.com
"I haven't wanted to," he finally admitted, breaking off a bit of corner for himself. He could almost hear the questions Mello wasn't asking, which irritated him because he WOULD be the one to think to ask them all, aside from Kusuriyuri.

"I can heal all the surface wounds easily, the eye is going to take some doing, though." He fiddled with the piece of chocolate before popping it into his mouth. "Though I'd rather lose an eye and know I can put him down at least for a while than slink around trying to counter his insanity all the time." Which he knew wasn't logical, because not confirming on the plaque was akin to walking away without a body to spit on.

Date: 2010-11-01 12:48 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] mello-n-choco.livejournal.com
"I see," I say blandly. He knows he's being an idiot. I can see that much. "And, just how much will you need to sacrifice?" I ask. "Last time you fought him alone, did you owe that samurai something? I heard about that. What about this time? Who do you owe? What will you owe next time?"

Date: 2010-11-01 12:53 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] serrulata.livejournal.com
Kurama ground his teeth, knowing Mello wouldn't let this one go, and absolutely hating him for it.

He mumbled a reply, scratching at the tabletop with a finger.

Date: 2010-11-01 12:54 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] mello-n-choco.livejournal.com
"Well?" I ask. "You'll have to repeat that. I'm afraid my hearing isn't as good as a demons, stuck with these non-pointed ears as I am."

Date: 2010-11-01 12:58 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] serrulata.livejournal.com
"I traded a favor with one of the new students," he said, a little louder and a little too sharply. "He gave me a thing called 'materia,' in exchange I'm keeping an eye on his boyfriend." At least for now. He had no idea what Sephiroth would decide to pull out of his ass regarding their agreement. They'd have to talk soon.

Date: 2010-11-01 01:00 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] mello-n-choco.livejournal.com
"Watching his boyfriend? Why don't I believe that particular answer. There's more to it, isn't there?" I narrow my eyes at him. "You weren't stupid enough to give your word on an open ended favor, were you?" I already know the answer. I wonder if he'll deck me for the question.

Date: 2010-11-01 01:06 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] serrulata.livejournal.com
"Oh, piss off," he growled, thumping his fist on the table and wincing when it made his bones sting from wrist to shoulder. He glared at his own, traitorous arm for a beat, and then rubbed the unbandaged side of his face with a sigh.

"I traded for a single favor, equivalent to the power of the materia he gave me. He doesn't know what I used it for, and he really did just ask me to keep tabs on one of the new kids. Zack, the one with all the spiky hair and the stupid non-armor."

Date: 2010-11-01 01:12 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] mello-n-choco.livejournal.com
"He doesn't know what you used it for but he knows how powerful it is. Or how powerful you are, then, I take it." I draw one of my legs up, hooking my heel on the edge of the seat and wrap my arm around it, staring at him for a moment. "When it comes to dealing with Karasu, I find it very difficult to believe half of the stories I've heard about you." I swing my leg and tilt my head. "How did you become the king of thieves when you plan strategies like you do when it comes to him?"

Date: 2010-11-01 01:17 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] serrulata.livejournal.com
Kurama shrugged, dejected and angry and knowing that Mello was right but not wanting to admit it.

"Half of it's that I've never had an opponent I couldn't kill right off," he muttered. "Another part is that I..." he faltered, thinking about what Kuronue told him before. He fiddled with a piece of candy before tossing it back in the cauldron. He loved Mello, really and truly, but he also couldn't bring himself to lay all that baggage on him, even if it was just for the purpose of inquiry, or because they were friends.

Date: 2010-11-01 01:19 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] mello-n-choco.livejournal.com
I wait for him to answer, but when it seems like he's not, I prompt him, "You what?" I'm pretty sure he doesn't really want to talk to me, but he needs to say this stuff and he's not likely to talk to anyone else about it. I doubt he's even gone this far talking to that pointy eared lover of his.

Date: 2010-11-01 01:27 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] serrulata.livejournal.com
"It's because he's so much like me," he said, each word like pulling teeth. It was the truth and he hated it more than anything. "And because... do you know what it's like, going from that to being human? It's like being turned into someone's dog, or a fucking hamburger. And he reminds me that I went from being so much more than humanity could ever achieve to little more than dirt." It wasn't kind, but it was true. Kurama may well have treated most humans like intelligent pets, but he had still eaten human flesh, still killed swathes of them like wheat at a harvest.

Date: 2010-11-01 01:30 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] mello-n-choco.livejournal.com
Not the most flattering of statements, but it was better that he say it, I think. "So, you fail at strategy because you feel like your plotting against yourself and hate to find your own weaknesses as well?" I ask, my tone still level, not clinical, but not taking what he's saying personally.

Date: 2010-11-01 01:33 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] serrulata.livejournal.com
He hunched his shoulders not wanting to meet Mello's eyes. "Precisely. I want to purge, but I also don't want to let anything go."

Date: 2010-11-01 01:35 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] mello-n-choco.livejournal.com
I lean my chin on my knee. "Wasn't it some great warrior who said something about not being able to defeat an enemy until you have conquered yourself?"

Date: 2010-11-01 01:45 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] serrulata.livejournal.com
"Sun Tzu," Kurama murmured, taking another piece of candy from the cauldron and tearing the wrapping to pieces. The sweet itself rolled onto the table, soon to be forgotten. "And I'd like to know how the hell I'm supposed to conquer myself. Kusuriyuri tries to help, but I don't even know who I am sometimes."

Date: 2010-11-01 01:47 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] mello-n-choco.livejournal.com
I frown a little. "Going back to Socrates, even before, self-knowledge is hailed as the ultimate goal. A lot of their methods for finding yourself involve psychoactive substances and privation." I shrug. "You could go pray under a waterfall. That does seem to be very popular in Japan."

Date: 2010-11-01 01:52 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] serrulata.livejournal.com
"I fail to see how giving myself pneumonia is a helpful conduit to self-discovery," he said flatly. He was skirting the subject again, and sure Mello would catch him on it: He didn't want to know.

Sure, he knew his own ego inside and out, and the arrogance he wore on his sleeve, but after the first few layers he couldn't stand to look any deeper. He couldn't find where the balance was supposed to be between human morality and demonic lack thereof, and had no idea where to start. And, despite how helpful Kusuriyuri wanted to be and how good Mello was at being an impromptu psychoanalyst, he doubted anyone else knew either.

Date: 2010-11-01 01:55 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] mello-n-choco.livejournal.com
I shrug. "Fine, any method will work, but if you don't stop trying to bullshit your way out of it, you're never really going to be able to win against him because he'll always be there," I point at his head, "even if he's not here," I point outside. "Maybe you need to lock yourself in a room with an unbreakable mirror so you can't get away from yourself until you breakdown and really look at yourself."

Date: 2010-11-01 02:05 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] serrulata.livejournal.com
"I hate how right you are," he muttered, and then realized he'd said that out loud and hunched further, hiding behind his hair. He didn't need this shit, he didn't need having his faults thrown at him after what should have been a great victory. He'd killed Karasu, and everyone was giving him fucking stern looks over it.

He couldn't get a goddamn break.

Date: 2010-11-01 02:12 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] mello-n-choco.livejournal.com
"You think I like it?" I ask. I reach over and lift his hair a little. "Listen, I know it wasn't easy for you to defeat him, but you're not done. The hardest part is still looming over you and you know it. Take it from someone who's been there." Not exactly there but close enough. It took a while to find myself once I left Wammy's and again when I got here.

Date: 2010-11-01 02:29 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] serrulata.livejournal.com
"I know," he muttered, taking the cue and pushing his hair back. "I feel a fool, being afraid of myself. But it just seems so necessary."

Date: 2010-11-01 02:32 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] mello-n-choco.livejournal.com
"To defeat him before facing yourself?" I ask to clarify, though I'm sure that's what he means. "My advice," I continue before he can answer, "is finish your battle before you go look at that plaque, before you find out what this place has done."

Date: 2010-11-01 02:57 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] serrulata.livejournal.com
He shook his head. "No, to be afraid of myself. Which is also why fighting Karasu was important: I could focus on how much I hated him instead of thinking about how much of myself I was trying to bury."

He drew his knees up to his chest, perching on the stool and closing his eye, twitching when he couldn't feel the other lid moving the way it was supposed to. "You're right, though. I can't be Youko anymore, here. I don't think I'm even much like I was back home, before coming here."

Date: 2010-11-01 05:12 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] mello-n-choco.livejournal.com
"Is it Youko you fear? or who you've become?" I ask. "Or are you afraid of finding a balance that no one else would like or could deal with, especially Kusu?" I probably should have left the last off, but he needs to hear it. I brace myself, though, half expecting to hit the floor for that, regardless how he looks.

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