Group Adventures

"Probably," Mireya agreed with Haru. It was hard to keep things from Eden though. But she'd work on it. She wasn't going to be denied a boyfriend whIle her twin was being a slut with all of hers.

"I know what you're thinking," Eden said. "And I have tried with that. But she's impossible sometimes. You know that."

"Yes," Jiro answered because Tan knew what he liked and wouldn't fail him when it came to food. He was nearly finished with his sketch though.

"What do you mean by that?" Mandisa asked. She didn't mind that she had to scoot her chair herself. But she was confused by what he'd said.

"I'll help," Haru promised, because she felt it was unfair that Mandi got to do whatever, but Miri couldn't even hold hands with someone.

"I know, maybe Miri should stand her ground with you as well. By holding on so tightly, you're just making her feel untrusted. Sometimes, you have to let them fly alone," Taeyang said, because be knew Miri was a good girl and wouldn't be as bad as Mandisa.

"Okay," Tan said, he was curious though. "What are you drawing?" He asked finally. He really wanted to know.

"I have more secrets than you, Mandi." Jiyong laughed, but he didn't explain it, he could have but he didn't. Not right now.

"You're the best," Mireya said and gave Haru a hug. "But it's not like I even have anyone in mind, unfortunately. Not after today and my phone blowing up with...you know..." Ick.

"I know," Eden said. "It's sound logic. There's just not anyone I would trust her flying to, you know? Else I'd let her. Mandi might be a mess but at least I can trust that if something does happen, she can take care of herself and handle it." Miri...not so much. She got kidnapped enough from those whatever the fuck sects as it was. He wasn't going to just trust some guy with her.

Jiro moved his arms to show Tan. He was drawing a warning vision for Mandisa. It pictured the yuki-onna imagery that originally had scared her so much because of its dangerous potential. But this time there were words. "One day Yukiko is going to learn the truth of her family's past. And on that day she will be strong. She will no longer be weak and unsure. She will no longer be afraid. She will no longer have nightmares but be the thing that they contain."

Mandisa pouted. "Of course you do. You have to be so mysterious. Though sometimes I think you just say stuff like that to tease," she added. She could never tell. He was one of those people that were so hard to read. She liked that about him when it wasn't turned against her.

"Obviously those guys are perverts," Haru said, but she was thinking if she knew anyone that she could set her up with. Other than the twins. Hm. No. Eden would flip shit.

"True, but she has us to take care of her." Taeyang said, he was the less reliable of the twins. He was more loud, in your face and silly. But he would definitely look after Miri, after all. That's what he'd been tasked to do with his brother.

"That's pretty heavy, should we let her see that at dinner?" Tan asked, he was t sure. It might put the girl off her dinner, at least he would have if it was in his direction.

"Sometimes, but not this time." Jiyong said and smiled a little. He ordered his food, some drinks for everyone and let everyone else order.

"Obviously," Mireya said. "It would be my phone number that would be leaked too. Not my brother's or sister's. Ugh." That was so unfair. She wondered who had done it. She could imagine what her siblings would do them when they found out. Especially Mandisa...

"Hm, there is that," Eden said. Between the three of them they could handle any guy that tried to hurt her. "Ah, fine. I will give the next one that comes about that she's into a chance. If he seems worth her."

"That is the point," Jiro said quietly. "Sometimes people need a shock to their system if they're going to wake up in time to avoid a tragedy."

"Hm..." Mandisa looked like she was trying to figure Jiyong out but gave up. She knew she'd never even come close with her guesses. She had no idea how true that really was though. She placed her order and helped Yuki decide.

"Right? How frustrating." Haru said, she'd had just emails. But the fans had figured it out long ago and she had someone filter them for her.

"Well, yeah. Don't let any clown try for it." Taeyang said, he completely understood that. "I don't think it will be long before her heart is stolen."

"true, especially when their attitude and behaviour is clearly corrosive." Tan said, because damn. Yuki got scary as fuck.

Jiyong went back to being quiet. He often was the outsider of the group, to a point. He was close to them all, but he wasn't as chatty as his brother.

Mireya ordered her food and a dessert to share with Haru because she could. "It's okay. Now I can get a new phone. We'll have an excuse to go shopping." And she liked to go shopping. It wasn't just that it was a girly activity that she liked, it was also a normal activity.

Eden rubbed his face. "I don't want to think about it. I think you're right though. That's the harder part for me. It'll be ages before someone sticks with Mandisa. I don't have to worry about that. But Mireya's going to fall right away and he's not strong enough to protect her, how am I supposed to just let it happen?"

Jiro nodded at Tan. "So she gets it now." He folded up the sketch and passed it over to Mandisa.

She took it without question because Jiro would sometimes communicate by sketches and written words over speaking aloud, especially in a large group. But no, he wasn't asking a question or giving her a heads up on anything at dinner. She unfolded the paper and just stared at it. Then she crumpled it up and shoved it into her jacket pocket.

"Shopping is nice, if Eden will ever let us go off on our own in his busy schedule for our vacation." Haru said, but she honestly doubted it.

"Anyone who falls for her seriously will be strong enough to have dragons at bended knee, he can protect her." Taeyang said in that mysterious way of his and his brothers. "But until then, we are on vacation. Let's get drunk."

"Hm?" Jiyong said curious at Mandisa's reaction to the drawing. "What did our Bunnicula see this time?" He asked.

"Why do they call you that?" Tan said and made a face. Worse nickname ever. Seriously, he didn't get it at all.

"Hey, we're going to the vacation manor, right? There's got to be something nearby for rich people to go shopping, you know? I'm sure we can sneak away. There's only so much time you can spend on the beach, right?" Mireya reasoned.

"You're so weird," Eden said with a laugh. "But yeah, let's." Because he was fine with getting drunk tonight but he wouldn't get to the point where he'd be useless the next day. There was time for that later.

"Something sour," Mandisa said with a scowl. She didn't know if he was just trying to scare her or if he was serious. But she was a little afraid. She remembered the initial fear and urgency in rescuing the girl so the yuki onna couldn't become a threat. If that could still happen and she would trigger such a wrath then maybe she really should lay off the girl.

"They're saying I'm a vampire that preys upon apples and sucks them dry of their juice. Rabbit food," Jiro explained. "I don't mind it." There could be worse nicknames, he supposed.

"Oh I should think so, as much as I'd love a tan we both know that people prefer our pale skin tones, only Mandi pulls off the darker tones." Haru said with a whimsical sigh. So not fair.

"Who's weird?" Taeyang asked as if he literally had no clue what Eden was talking about. "Your name is weird. You realise that's a garden, right?"

"Aw, but my lovely, I thought you loved sour things?" Jiyong teased as he sipped his drink, because he could. Because he was just allowed to be that way.

"Well they're not wrong," Tan said as the logic was sound. It was actually funny now that he got the joke. "Well, at least it's not something rude."

"I know, it's really not fair at all," Mireya agreed. "So we're just better off. I am going to feel so weird without my phone. But everyone I care about is with me now so I guess it's not so bad..."

"I didn't pick it," Eden said. Not that he could ask his parents what they'd been thinking when they named him after a garden. They were pretty dead.

"I do," Mandisa agreed. "But...not this." She didn't want Yukiko to see. And the girl was looking at her between sipping on her drink and listening to others talk. But once Yukiko had gotten busy with talking with Zeke, she took the crumpled paper out of her jacket and handed it to Jiyong.

"Exactly," Jiro said. "It should have been. They're like that. So I won't protest." Bunnicula was a much better nickname than what he could have gotten.

"Who would you text if you had if anyway?" Haru said, literally the friends that Miri really did care about where at this table. "So it's not a big loss."

"No, hmm." Taeyang agreed softly as he mused. "What would you have called yourself had you had the choice for yourself?"

Jiyong looked it over. He didn't comment, he folded the paper up neatly and handed it back to her. "Let's avoid that, shall we? I'll help you."

"I won't either then," Tan said, he put his hand under the table and put it on Jiro's knee softly. He was being very stable he thought.

"It will be when we all go home," Mireya said. "Although...I'm not sure where we're going after this." They weren't home a lot. They were so busy with things, Tamer and model work. Jiro came with them more lately since his tutor had agreed to travel.

"Hmm..." Eden thought on that. "You know, I've never really thought about it. I'm not sure. I feel like everyone else has rather more interesting names." But he was okay with his simple one.

Mandisa appeared relieved. "Good, because I'm not entirely sure how to handle that..." She couldn't really do much against ice. Neither could Mireya. So if shit went down they're pretty much be out of luck. And sure, she likely could kill Yukiko if it came to that but she really didn't want to. Why save her just to have to do that? No, that wouldn't do.

Jiro didn't respond to the hand other than to look at Tan. "Maybe you should have one," he said, continuing the conversation like normal.

"Nor am I," Haru said with a small shrug. She didn't really mind though. "Let's just enjoy right now and worry about the later later."

"Eden is interesting, it's also weird. One does not erase the other." Taeyang said with a little smile, he was amused by the conversation.

"I have ideas. Later." Jiyong said, meaning they would discuss without quite as many people around. When they could talk in true confidence.

"A nickname? I dunno." Tan said, narrowing his eyes at Jiro. He was worried about what he thought would be a good one for him.

"Agreed," Mireya said to her bestie. Within a few minutes their food was brought. She was very happy to have proper food to eat. She felt like she'd been starving.

"Not as weird as your name," Eden said teasingly and took another sip of his drink. He was just as happy as his sister to have food brought. But he was a guy. He ate lots of food.

Mandisa nodded. She was eager to hear what he had to say about it. She just looked at her food. She wasn't feeling as hungry now after that little warning from Jiro. Brat. He'd done that on purpose.

Tan got lucky. With the food there, Jiro focused on his fish and forgot about trying to dub Tan with a new name. He didn't realize that Tan was kind of a nickname as it was.

Haru made a happy sound at the food. She was literally beside herself to see it. It smelled and looked delicious. She tucked in hungrily.

"Taeyang means sun," the man explained. It wasn't such a weird name. "Eden is a place, it's like calling your child Tokyo or something like."

Jiyong took Mandi's hand softly and kept it in his own. He could eat one handed. He didn't mind, "dearest one, please. You must eat to keep up your strength. Do not stress too much about what Bunnicula has shown you, I will always be here for you."

Tan was so glad for that. He took his hand back and started to eat happily. He was going to pretend that conversation never happened at all.

"Hey, Eden is a better place than Tokyo," he said with a laugh. He was mostly focused on his food like everyone else.

"How'd you get to be so cute?" Mandisa asked and smiled at Jiyong. He helped her feel relaxed. Best friend that she could ask for. Like seriously. She let him keep her hand and started to eat.

Jiro was lost in food. As was Mireya. And Zeke actually made a sound of hyper happiness when his food appeared while Yukiko was predictably quiet but just as happy.

"So the legends say, but have you ever been?" Taeyang asked, he was genuinely curious as he ate his food. He didn't think that even Jihae had been there.

"I clearly stole it all from you," Jiyong said with a smirk as he focused on his food as well. Eating one handed was never easy at the best of times.

Food glorious food.

Food was devoured and partying in rooms happened.


Everyone had been made to get up at a decent hour. Eden wasn't so mean as to make them wake up early. But they were definitely up before noon. Eden had arranged transportation and soon enough all of them were at the temple.

"This place is monstrous. How long exactly do you want us to spend here?" Zeke asked as he looked at up the temple doors. On either side was a massive statue of the two gods the temple was devoted to.

"However long it takes," Eden said with an amused expression on his face. Zeke was always the least enthusiastic to be dragged to spooky places.

The temple didn't look spooky from the outside. "It doesn't seem that bad," Mireya said as she looked around. "The view from here is kind of pretty."

"It's probably terrifying inside," Mandisa teased Zeke and tickled his sides.

"No!" he shrieked and batted at her hands.

Even Yukiko had to giggle at that. Zeke was such a spazz.

"However long what takes?" Haru asked curiously, she wasn't really sure what was happening yet. Just that they were here.

"Brother. Do you witness?" Taeyang asked, looking at Eden with a bemused grin upon his face. He couldn't help it.

"I witness," Jiyong replied, his grin matching his twins for a moment. "We have taught him well. Our work here is done."

"No one is going to die, right?" Tan asked of Jiro, because he wasn't in the mood for that currently. There were times when he felt he could handle it. Today was not one.

Eden glanced at the twin brothers and made a face. "I'm not entirely sure what you're taking credit for so I can't decide if I approve."

Mandisa just stared at the boys. And then she got over it. "No but seriously, how long do you think this will take?"

"It will take as long as it takes," Eden said to his sister, still amused, and opened the doors. The air inside the temple was utterly stale and smelled old.

Jiro didn't answer Tan. Not at first. He seemed fixated on the temple doors. "No," he said quietly then. "There will be no more death here. Not today."

Tae and Ji just grinned as they walked into the temple. They were used to areas like this, the smell didn't bother them like it would the others.

"who brought air fresheners??" Haru asked as she choked on the stale air. Eww. No. She didn't like it at all. Eden was pretty, but she didn't think he was pretty enough to deal with this for.

"Okay, no one we know dies here, right?" Tan felt the need to just... Clarify on that one. Because Jiro was always mysterious, he didn't mind it, but he didn't want to be scared about that later.

Zeke laughed. He agreed with Haru on the air fresheners. Maybe not on if Eden was pretty enough for this hassle. He was undecided there. Eden was awfully pretty... He sent a gust of wind into the temple and then pulled it out again, over their heads, so that stale air was removed and fresh air replaced it. "Better?" he asked her with a smile.

Eden just chuckled. He wasn't going to protest them doing anything to make themselves more comfortable. Those singers were the only ones that didn't enjoy this sort of stuff as much as the rest. He thought it was funny.

"No one we know dies," Jiro said. He couldn't blame Tan for asking for clarification. He was not often very clear. Sometimes that was on purpose but other times it wasn't.

The first room of the temple had a high ceiling. The walls were carved with runes. The left side of the wall depicted Dialga and spoke of him. The right side depicted Palkia and spoke of her. There were gold inlays in the wall and other precious metals and stones decorating the depictions of the two gods. There was no obvious door leading them further inside the temple.

"Yes," Haru said with a smile and blew him a little kiss before looking around. "Oh, this is massively pretty though."

"It's okay, I've seen better. For Zekrom and Reshiram," Taeyang said, in a bit of a bratty tone. His brother sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Okay, good." Tan said, wanting to take Jiro's hand and wall with him. That wasn't allowed though. So he just stayed close. "It's so huge."

"Well all temples are different," Eden said, not sure what that comment was about. The comment itself was fine but Jiyong's reaction was one he didn't quite get. And he didn't care to ask. He was far too excited to look around and see what they could. The door closed behind them and the torches were lit to provide proper light to the room.

"Oh it is pretty," Mireya agreed with Haru and moved to one of the walls to look at it. "With the torches, this one looks like it's made of stars." She thought that was so very pretty. She went to touch it, like you do, when you're curious.

"Don't touch," Yukiko said quietly from behind her. "It might anger the guardian."

"This temple has been closed for hundreds of years, right?" Zeke asked. "So any guardian it once had would be dead," he reasoned.

"That's just makes it worse..." Yukiko said.