#hm. beginning to see a need to clean up my narration style

[shih-coulda-had-it]

FEBUWHUMP DAY FOURTEEN | CAPTIVITY | wc: 463

a/n: Yet another Krakenverse Afohiko Edition Branch, wherein Sorahiko got caught much earlier than in v1 (his ceaseless courting). The pros? He gets to have the strangest in-law relationship with Yoichi, and a really strange parent/not-parent tie to Tamaki. Also, in a reverse of v1, Sorahiko gets to throw his shackles on AfO. Not in this snippet though.

//

Tamaki’s first memory of his father’s consort always comes down to the golden chains, gleaming defiantly in spite of the darkness of the deep sea. The number of links shift without warning--sometimes, the furthest Consort Torino can keep his wrists apart is a mere foot, and sometimes Consort Torino will be stalking down hallways with glowing yellow lines trailing behind him.

His second clear memory of Consort Torino is the man’s barely-leashed rage, held in check only when out of sight from Tamaki’s father.

Tamaki sits in his uncle’s rooms, cringing back from where Consort Torino is seated across. Between them is his uncle, ignoring the other man’s dark mood in favor of coaxing Tamaki to attend another session of court.

Lord Akkorokamui holds court on an irregular basis; Tamaki has attended every session since he was old enough to be separated from his mother.

Or so Uncle Yoichi says, when Tamaki asks if he could skip just one. 

“Just let him,” says Consort Torino flatly. “He’ll want to run from Motoji soon enough, and he might as well see how far he can get while young.”

“He’s seven,” Uncle Yoichi replies, crisp.

“Yeah, and?”

“Father doesn’t like tag,” says Tamaki, and Consort Torino closes his eyes and tips his head to the ceiling, the gills at his neck flaring with a sigh. Then, a slight whap! from one of Uncle Yoichi’s tentacles, smacking the man’s shoulder and eliciting a quick flash of gold. The dazzling effect precludes nothing, though.

“Watch it,” Consort Torino growls.

“Watch yourself,” his uncle says, scoldingly. He reaches over and tugs at one of the consort’s sleeves, until the cuff is hidden from sight. “Half a millennia, and you still react like this. My older brother won’t tolerate your attitude influencing his son.”

“All the more reason to teach him.”

“On a later date, Sorahiko. Don’t stray from the plan.”

“‘Plan’?” Tamaki echoes. He shrinks back from the attention, and hastens to change the subject. This is clearly a conversation not intended for Tamaki; his father has blocked Tamaki’s ears several times over when the doctor speaks with him, and it’s such an unpleasant experience.

Tamaki associates his uncle’s rooms with safety. A bubble of peace, and patience. He wonders if Consort Torino is here for the same reasons.

“... So do I still have to go?”

“No,” says Consort Torino the same time Uncle Yoichi says, “Yes, Tama.” They share a look, and then a scowl from the consort faces off with a frown; surprisingly, the former wins. Uncle Yoichi turns his eyes to his hands, and Consort Torino elaborates: “You don’t have to. I’ll turn up instead, and give your excuses. Your father might be distracted enough with me that he won’t care for an absent prince.”