#unfortunattely but also hilarious

[deathfavor]

@yeonban​ said: ❛  Oi,  Seiroku.  Where  do  you  think  you're  going?  ❜  Soma's  voice  resounds  through  the  halls,  having  followed  the  other  inside  the  building  sheltering  their  wounded,  and  he  sounds  almost  incredulous  at  Seiroku's  presence  here,  on  his  way  to  the  injured,  as  though  in  spite  of  his  profession,  he  wasn't  supposed  to  be.  ❛  You  won't  find  anyone  in  there.  They're  all  off  for  the  day,  you  know.  ❜  The  statement  isn't  exactly  accurate,  there  are  still  one  or  two  medics  tending  to  the  severely  wounded,  but  he'd  made  sure  the  shifts  would  be  evenly  distributed  so  that  they,  too,  would  get  to  indulge  in  the  rarity  of  the  festival.

Those  shifts,  however,  did  not  include  Seiroku,  and  Soma  planned  to  keep  it  that  way.  ❛  And  that  goes  for  you,  too.  Quit  trying  to  work  and  go  enjoy  the  festival.  ❜  It's  baffling  that  he  even  has  to  say  this,  and  he'd  have  most  assuredly  penned  the  doctor  as  a  workaholic  if  not  for  the  growing  confusion  in  the  air.  The  general  had  meant  to  leave  after  delivering  the  comment,  body  already  half-turned  towards  the  entrance,  but  he  remains  silently  staring  at  Seiroku  instead,  and  after  a  moment  longer  he  turns  to  face  the  other  once  again.  ❛  ...You  do  know  there's  a  festival  happening  today...  don't  you?  ❜

  The place felt more like a ghost town than somewhere a large band resided with the empty streets and hallways as Seiroku made his usual path to the medical wing. (Strange – the idea of a usual path.) It made Soma’s voice all the more audible and engulfing when he called out as the black dog came to a halt mid-stride. Had the tone been any different he might have been concerned. But it sounded confused and astounded, which in turn only made him confused as he turned around to face the general with a puzzled expression. What was he doing? The same thing he usually did. But why was it suddenly causing this reaction today?

  “…Off for the day?”  His brows furrow – and the implication that he should KNOW this makes him frown slightly. Why would he know this? SHOULD he have known this? He could always make the excuse that he wasn’t sure if it applied to him yet it would hardly be effective given how involved he’d become. At least the matter of a day off explained the emptiness to some degree. It was vexing to him as a strategist to not know this fact though.

  His confusion only deepens at the grand general’s next sentences. The nice thing was that the man in front of him tended to be quite expressive which made it easy to read. But on the other hand, such clear expressions only rub salt into the wound of his own ignorance.

  “  Fest..ival…?  “  The word comes out almost like two separate words, the explanation for everything delivered upon him like a hammer striking metal. That’s why the day was off and everyone was gone. It wasn’t just a day off, but a rare occasion. Shock settled clearly onto his features in response to this news.

  It is a rare event in which Seiroku is thrown entirely off his rhythm. He almost always remained composed and calm even in the most chaotic moments, polite and mannered regardless of another’s behavior or actions. But now it feels like he has been thrown into the middle of a whirlpool with nothing to hold onto. White hot embarrassment erupts into a raging fire in his chest, ears turning a bright shade of red, a red that started to creep forwards to his cheeks. (And the stark contrast between all white clothes and long black hair did nothing to hide the red – if anything, it simply made its appearance all the more noticeable. The face veil certainly didn’t help hide anything.) It was one thing to be outmaneuvered as a strategist or be caught by surprise from something unexpected. He could handle that with his signature calm or with quick reflexes and adjustments, and even admire or appreciate and acknowledge someone else’s skill. It was another matter to be because he didn’t know something. Especially when everyone else seemed to.

 Should he have known? He can’t remember ever going to a bushi festival. Had he ever been to one? There were no memories – if he had, then the void from the surgeries must have eaten that memory, but he’s certain he’s never been to one.

  There is nowhere to hide. Not when Soma is staring at him so intently, the confusion and then genuine shock seeming to have held the general in place to look at him. It’s mortifying. Seiroku can’t remember the last time he’d felt so ignorant and embarrassed, especially in front of someone else. Maybe when he was still receiving his education and messed an answer up. It’s disgusting and appalling how small his embarrassment makes him feel. It makes him angry with himself to want to hide, though nothing but his embarrassment shows on his face. No wonder Soma had been so baffled by him being here.

  “  I-  “  Silver tongue fails him as he uncharacteristically struggles to speak, and it feels like he’s burning from embarrassment.  “  No.  “  Seiroku finally admits. The fact this memory would be preserved in that damn black crystal too- “  I wasn’t aware…I’ve never been to a festival.  “  That much was a truth. He’d been too focused on education, and then if there had been one in his old band, he’d probably been forced to work through it. And naturally he hadn’t attended any since joining the obsidian eight or even prior to that when he’d turned his back on the bushi life. His head turns to stare at the wall as if it was suddenly very interesting; anything to try to soothe the wounds of embarrassment.