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Who: Inui and Yanagi
When: Some time after Inui's post about Oshitari
Where: Yanagi's room
What: Showering together
Inui made his way to Yanagi’s room, right on time as always for their prearranged evening talk. He’d brought along a notepad this time - recycled paper, to actually write things down if need be, without the worry about the digital copy being read by someone else - and glanced at the time as he appropriately slowed down his steps to reach the door at 2100.
He paused, waited a second for the time to tick over and ah, the door opened right on time, as expected from Yanagi, who would have known he’d be there. “Renji. Always nice to see you.”
Inui’s punctuality was expected and appreciated. “Hello, Sadaharu,” greeted Yanagi, stepping to the side to allow Inui entry. “Please, come in.” In anticipation of their evening’s activities, Yanagi was dressed simply in a yukata, one of the rare ones that didn’t match with one of Sanada’s.
“Make yourself at home,” he indicated. It was painfully obvious which side of the room was Yanagi’s. In the tiny space that they had, Yanagi had not managed to recreate his preferred layout, but the minimalist decor and shelves full of oribots and classic literature remained the same.
Inui nodded at Yanagi as he entered, glancing up and down Yanagi’s outfit - he definitely recognised that yukata from back on Earth - and then took the invitation to look around the room. It was interesting to see how Yanagi still translated his personal style to a shared room on a distant colony. He would have to ask to see Sanada’s room as well, Inui decided.
“Genichirou’s oribots are getting more intricate,” he noted, looking at the collection. He noted their positions. “You rotate them between your room and the ones in Command?” Since Kirihara had broken some, presumably on Yanagi’s desk.
Yanagi nodded. “There’s not enough room for them in either location, otherwise, and Genichirou is always making more,” he affirmed. “I believe interacting with Masaharu has been good for the refinement of his skills in robotics.”
He sat down on his bed, looking consideringly at Inui. “You seem to be adjusting well to life on an alien planet. Your social skills haven’t improved, I note.”
“I unfortunately left the ones he made me back on Earth,” Inui said. After all, he’d still been bruised at the time when he’d packed, and hadn’t expected Sanada to be on the list of personnel on Izanagi either. “The team environment was always one that would benefit Genichirou.” Even if the man himself would probably disagree at times.
Inui moved to sit at Yanagi’s desk, mostly so he could take out his notebook and start to scribble down a few thoughts. “Besides sharing a room with Dr Yagyuu, it has been an easy transition to make.” And his research in the lab was just as doable as the one back on Earth. “I have interacted with a number of people since arriving here. The primarily online based system on communicating has been… beneficial to a degree.”
“It is possible to send for them, if desired,” Yanagi suggested. “While I agree Sanada is generally a good team player, he doesn’t always get along with others even while on the job. I’m sure you know he went on an expedition?” The Tachibana-Ohtori-Sanada team had been so thick with tension it put everyone in Command listening in on the comms on edge. “He completed the task, because he’s Genichirou, but he certainly was not happy about it.”
He watched Inui scrawling in his notebook, and wondered if it would follow them into the bathroom. It wouldn’t be the first time. “Oh? Is Dr. Yagyuu not a good roommate? Or are you adjusting to sharing a space? I’m glad you are getting some interactions in, even if some of them seem to have been…less than ideal.”
Inui shook his head. “I’m sure that Genichirou will make me more over the next five years.” And maybe having someone else to make them for would help slow down the rate at which Yanagi was collecting them. He nodded at the question. “I read about it, but not a situation entirely Genichirou’s doing.” He separated work and personal life very solidly, and perhaps the others hadn’t been expecting him to maintain that separation so keenly for two straight weeks.
“Dr Yagyuu is a tolerable roommate.” He hadn’t had much to do with the man, really, too busy with getting his experiments set up, and catching up on all the data. Having access to the communications gave him plenty to read in his spare time. “Sharing a room takes some adjustment.” Inui glanced at Yanagi and raised his eyebrows. “All of the interactions so far have yielded interesting data and insights into the people at the base. They have all been informative.”
“Genichirou, like you, could stand to learn a little flexibility,” Yanagi summarized. “Neither you nor he care overly much about the opinion of others, but you seem to have a particular knack for inadvertently offending people.” He’d found it charming, once upon a time, and still did, but managing a colony packed into what was essentially an underground bunker with nowhere to run had given him additional considerations. “Still, I am glad your efforts have borne fruit, though I would like to suggest alternative methods of data collection as you become more familiar with the base.”
Inui paused in his writing to look up properly at Yanagi. A rare complaint from Yanagi, given that he certainly had very vivid recollections of Yanagi hiding his amusement as Inui made observations about other people. And enough of a complaint to make Inui consider what he was saying. “I doubt others would be willing to be thoroughly inspected within a shower with me,” Inui said, pulling out his tablet to pull up a list of the personnel on the base and consider their names. “And nor would I be interested in doing so with other people. There are still some limits to data on other people that I’m willing to collect.”
Yanagi chuckled a little at that idea. “Considering the rumors incited by your prepositioning of the poor man at the pool that day, I don’t think you’d get many willing volunteers, no.” He got up and walked to the desk, peering over Inui’s shoulder at what he was writing. “I was not suggesting you look at naked people, Sadaharu. On the contrary, I suggest you observe without being observed to be observing.”
Inui did look a little embarrassed at that memory, his ears going pink. “... I placed an order for contact lenses after that,” he said finally. “Hopefully they will be delivered in a timely manner and I can enjoy the baths when they are complete without prepositioning people unknowingly.” In his defence, he was usually very good at recognising Yanagi without his glasses on, but he had underestimated the number of people in the base with a similar haircut and shade, and the difficulty that it being wet would add.
He tilted the notepad towards Yanagi so he could better read it - short hand notes about the details within Yanagi’s room, and the comparisons to how his had been on Earth, mixed in with a few observations about the oribots. “I am showing the base that I write notes when I observe them,” Inui said, his writing pausing and he glanced sideways at Yanagi. Yanagi who would of course understand that it meant further along when Inui did stop writing, it would cause people to lower their guard.
“I think you’d look good in contact lenses,” noted Yanagi, amused by Inui’s reaction. Inui’s spectacles almost seemed part of his personality, though. He leaned closer, reading the familiar shorthand easily. “It is a strategic approach,” he approved, nodding. There was still the problem of Inui inadvertently offending half the base with his inquisitiveness. Hopefully dairy diplomacy would help.
“As you have told me… twice before,” Inui said, shaking his head a little. As well as having told him before about the laser eye surgery. Inui acknowledged but chose to ignore that hint. “There are some more paranoid members of the base that it won’t fool, but for the most part, it will work as it has before.” Inui turned his head to look at Yanagi’s face that was leaning very close, before he flicked back to his early notes on Kirihara Akaya, from the initial reading through the reports, his interactions on the journals and then additional notes he’d made after their poolside picnic. “Is it time for a shower together, Renji?”
It seemed he would be answering a lot of questions about Kirihara next. Yanagi acknowledged the request with a nod, having expected the topic. “It’s as good a time as any,” he agreed, using his convenient location to undo the shirt button at the base of Inui’s throat.
“Agreed. Before the evening gets away from us.” Inui stood up after the first button was undone, holding onto Yanagi’s wrist to pull him gently into the bathroom. The tablet was left on the desk, but his notebook came along with him. “A warm shower?” Since Yanagi had disagreed with his proposal for a cold shower when they’d originally discussed it. Inui took up his communicator from his wrist, leaving it on the bathroom counter and watching Yanagi closely. “I will need to be very close to see you to see properly if it’s anything that will fog up my glasses.”
Yanagi followed without any resistance, taking off his own communicator and setting it beside Inui’s. “If we are to be spending some time in here, I’d prefer to be warm. Shivering will distract from the task at hand,” he said. He smiled slightly at Inui, taking a step forward so they were almost nose-to-nose. “I’ve never objected to your close scrutiny, Hakase.”
“I have no interest in measuring your physiological response to the cold at the moment,” Inui said, reaching to start undoing the obi on Yanagi’s yukata. “Maybe next time, so I can wear my glasses in the shower with you.” He didn’t move from where he was standing, watching Yanagi’s face closely even as he undid the obi and started to fold it up behind Yanagi’s back. “Enough physical activity should be enough to counteract the cold from a shower though, if you’re worried about shivering.”
“I think you should just wait for the contacts,” laughed Yanagi, letting his yukata fall open as the obi was removed. He continued his work on Inui’s shirt buttons, and then undid his belt. “Or you could rely on something other than sight. I’m not sure even vigorous physical activity can overcome the innate response to being doused in cold water. Perhaps if the base’s air conditioning malfunctions.” Though if that happened, they would have worse things to worry about.
Inui considered Yanagi’s suggestion. “There have certainly been studies suggesting that the sense of touch activates the same parts of the brain for object recognition as our sense of sight,” he said fairly. “And that human confidence in object reality is higher in some cases from their sense of touch.” He looked closely at Yanagi’s face as he slipped his hands under the man’s yukata to run his fingers along Yanagi’s back. “If the base’s air conditioning malfunctions, I’m sure a large number of the base will enjoy the sight of Genichirou fixing it while topless. It may malfunction again on a regular basis.”
“Is your confidence in my reality solidified, then?” Yanagi allowed the barest semblance of a shudder as Inui’s fingers ran down his spine. He settled his own hands on Inui’s waist.
“Many already get to see Genichirou work in various states of undress,”Yanagi chuckled. There was even a little fan group which posted frantic updates whenever the overalls started to come off. “I’d rather not imagine the odour of 198 colonists sweating in an enclosed area.”
“A single test does not allow for reliable conclusions to be drawn,” Inui said, smiling a bit because they had had similar discussions before. The sense of touch was certainly a good measurement too, but tricky to use as a way of comparing changes from before and now.
“I plan on investigating the effects of Genichirou’s state of undress on Dr Oshitari’s productivity next,” Inui said, still curiously touching down Yanagi’s back under the yukata. “As his general presence has a significant measurable impact, I’m hopeful this will also yield results.” Although the chances were likely that Oshitari would now watch his words per minute, and he would have to find another way to measure his productivity.
Conveniently, Yanagi had not seen the point of putting on underclothing for their evening’s activities. “Yuushi is not the most productive even without Genichirou around,” he reflected. “He used to spend hours just chatting to me on his communicator during what was most assuredly work hours.” He idly stroked his thumb over Inui’s abs, unused to them being this defined. “However, you are right in that announcing the data has biased your observations. It will be difficult to gain objective insight into the matter. Yuushi also encounters Genichirou in an undressed state in their room, so there is that to consider.”
Inui paused to consider Yanagi's words. "So you think that Dr Oshitari's productivity drops when Genichirou is around," he said, frowning slightly. Despite the very furious sustained typing that he'd measured every day. "... Writing something else that isn't beneficial to the Science department but of a biological subject…" he pondered outloud, tracing down the path of Yanagi's spine again to the top of his buttocks. "I will have to change what I'm measuring, to properly determine the effects. Especially if Dr Oshitari makes a conscious effort to hide it.
Inui was being very, very handsy, not that Yanagi particularly disapproved when they were out of sight of any security cameras. “Ah, perhaps I’ve said too much,” he said, as if he hadn’t given up that information on Oshitari on purpose. Yanagi offered Inui a sly smile, then stepped sideways out of reach. “I’ll leave you to discover the truth on your own, Sadaharu, not that it will be very difficult for you.” He slid his yukata all the way off, then folded it and set it aside before stepping into the shower.
Inui’s frown deepened in thought as he watched Yanagi undress, mulling over his words. “I always enjoy meeting the challenges that you set for me, Renji,” he said finally. And he could take the hint, pulling off his shirt and pants to fold up and place on the counter with his notebook and glasses. The comms were set very pointedly next to their clothes as well. He had to put a hand out to carefully feel his way to the shower and watch his depth perception, slipping in after Yanagi.
And then he used a hand on Yanagi’s shoulder to push him against the wall with a thunk that he was sure the UEA-monitored comms would pick up. Inui leaned into Yanagi’s ear. “Can I ask about Petty Officer Kirihara Akaya now?”
Yanagi obligingly gasped as his back met the tile. “You may,” he murmured, turning on the water with one hand as the other braced against Inui for support. “He’s … special, one might say. Both as a person, and as an UEA asset. Considerable effort went into developing him, I gather.”
Even if this was all a cover for being able to discuss topics that they were sure the UEA would oppose to, Inui did let his hand stray down to Yanagi’s back again, bracing himself with his other arm against the wall of the shower. From this distance at least, Yanagi’s face was very in focus. “Joined the UEA at 14, no family that he acknowledges, went on special missions, was in a special facility that Able Spaceman Tooyama also knows of, holes in his memory…” Kirihara’s conversation threads had been fascinating to read. “How much do you trust Dr. Yagyuu and his part in this?”
“Trust?” Yanagi smiled. “I only trust Genichirou, and perhaps yourself, now that you are here.” He ran his fingers through Inui’s hair, which had wilted amusingly from the spray, reminding him of a soggy hedgehog. “Dr. Yagyuu appears to be … quite mercenary. The UEA is paying him a great deal to maintain their pet projects, and he seems happy with that.”
Only perhaps, for trusting him? Inui narrowed his eyes slightly at Yanagi and his hand slid down to rest on the curve of Yanagi’s ass. “So one that will do his job well, as long as the UEA continues to pay him.” And, as they were both very aware, the UEA had some very deep pockets. After all, Inui also benefited from it. “I’m looking forward to when I have to do my mandatory psych evaluation with him,” Inui said finally. “Did you intend to take Kirihara under your wing in Command? Or was that unintentional?”
Considering how long he’d known Sanada, compared with how long he’d known Inui, Yanagi rather thought Inui should be satisfied with ‘perhaps’. Yanagi was, after all, an intensely private person, despite his amiable demeanor.
“You are Dr. Yagyuu’s roommate, and have more access to him than most,” Yanagi pointed out simply, giving Inui’s own bottom a warning tap before they got too derailed. He would leave Yagyuu’s investigation up to Inui. Yanagi was not particularly interested in the doctor. Kirihara, however …
“It was not my intention to mentor Akaya-kun,” he said of Kirihara. “I like him, however. If I can help him, or befriend him, then I will.”
“People act differently between work and privately,” Inui reminded Yanagi, smiling a bit at the tap back that he was 98% sure of the meaning. It didn’t make him move his hand though, but it rested in place at least. “Now that my preliminary data gathering of everyone on the base is complete, and my experiments are running well, I will have more time to focus on Dr. Yagyuu.” And he might actually spend more than the bare minimum amount of time in their shared room.
Were the comms just audio to the UEA, Inui wondered, and just in case, shifted so they weren’t just awkwardly in the same position for too long, dipping his head to Yanagi’s throat. “And the end goal of that? Does he fall into the same category as the other people who you show some interest in on the base?”
“There is always an overlap, as determined by the core personality,” Yanagi insisted, “and one could argue that in a shared space, there may not even be a ‘private’ persona. He sighed and tilted his head back to let Inui do…whatever he was trying to do down there.
“Does there have to be an end goal?” Yanagi redirected the question back at Inui. In all honesty, Yanagi had not expected to like Kirihara, but the kid was strangely very charming when he wanted to be.
"I still have to determine the extent of that overlap," Inui argued back, pressing a kiss to Yanagi's throat before straightening up again. "And given that Dr. Yagyuu has already exhibited a difference in his interactions with various members of the community, it is right to expect to see separate public and private faces."
Inui pulled back to look at Yanagi's face, slightly blurring at the edges. "For you, yes there is usually an end goal." After all, Yanagi's interactions with members of the community could be mapped against their objective usefulness. "Even if you're not fully aware of it currently."
“Mm… we’ll see who’s right, in time.” Yanagi didn’t mind the argument, knowing that he and Inui had very different approaches to collecting and evaluating data. He just shook his head, pushing away from the wall.
“And you, Sadaharu?” Yanagi asked softly. Inui was not wrong in that Yanagi often had agendas for his interactions with people, but sometimes… he just wanted to interact with someone with common interests, or someone with the intellect to challenge him. He cupped Inui’s cheek with one hand. “What is my end goal, with you?”
“Of course.” And the chances of Inui being correct in this… he wanted to tentatively place it at 64%, with quite a large room for error attached to the number. There were too many variables.
Inui frowned at the question, aware of the hand on his face.. Maybe half a year ago, he would have had an idea to give to Yanagi about his ‘end goal’, but that had been before Yanagi had vanished to another planet without saying anything. “... There is insufficient data to form a reliable conclusion,” he said, letting his hands rest on Yanagi’s hips. “My current hypothesis though… I’m not sure you know yourself, Renji.”
Yanagi considered him for a long moment. “What I meant for you to understand,” he said finally, “is that I do not need objectives for all my social interactions.” Inui, for better or worse, had slowly inched under that nebulous subgrouping where he placed Sanada and precious few others. He turned away. “Do you have further questions for me, or shall we stop wasting water?”
Inui narrowed his eyes slightly, bringing the edges of Yanagi’s face into sharp focus. “I understand.” That Yanagi had some very strange ideas about his own motivations, and the data disagreed. His hands dropped. “I always have questions for you, and am always eager to hear your insight into things. But none that can’t wait until next time.” Inui reached to turn off the water instead.
Clearly, Inui did not understand at all. Yanagi sighed and reached for the towels he had prepared beforehand, and passed one to Inui. “Of course, you are always welcome to ask them, and we can have other such sessions going forward,” he said, stepping out of the shower. “If you have time, there is an additional matter I would like your opinion on. It is related, somewhat, to your observations on Yuushi.”
“I shall look forward to them,” Inui said, accepting the towel with a nod. “Perhaps we should spread them evenly between your room and mine, so that we don’t inconvenience either of our roommates too much.” He started to dry himself, rubbing the towel through his hair. “Pass me my glasses, Renji,” he said, wiping off his face and holding out a hand. “I always have time to give you my opinions when you want them.”
“That sounds reasonable.” Yanagi dried himself off and shrugged on his yukata, tying the obi loosely before turning to grab Inui’s glasses from the counter. He placed them on Inui’s nose himself, adjusting them to Inui’s preferred angle. “Essentially, I have requested that Yuushi try his wiles on Genichirou.”
Inui paused in the drying of himself to allow the glasses to be carefully put on his nose - perfectly placed as expected of Yanagi. He started to pull on clothes, raising his eyebrows as he did up his belt and thought about Yanagi's words. "Dr. Oshitari trying his wiles on Genichirou," he repeated, his eyebrows raising a little higher. "... Do you think he has a chance?"
“It does not matter if he succeeds or not,” Yanagi explained, tidying up a little in the bathroom while Inui dressed. “The main goal, on my end, is just for Genichirou to notice.” He made his way back to his bed and sat on top of the covers, beckoning Inui to join him.
Inui did up his shirt and followed Yanagi back, sitting down next to him as requested. He had not considered the differences between the beds here and the one at his apartment on Earth when he'd first arrived and seen the rooms. "For Genichirou to notice that people can be interested in him?" Inui asked, going back to the conversation. "Dr. Oshitari will need to be very blunt if he wishes to cross the Wall of Kanagawa."
“It’s quite a bit smaller and thinner than your bed back home, isn’t it?” remarked Yanagi, guessing at Inui’s thoughts. Perhaps Niou would 3D print a mattress topper…
He nodded at Inui’s query. “Yes. I’ve advised Yuushi as much, but I’ll leave the approach up to him.”
“Quite a bit smaller, yes, but comfortable enough. If we were to share a bed again, we would need to make adjustments,” Inui said, nodding. He thought of his data so far about Dr. Oshitari, which was remarkably not that much given that the man did not seem to talk too much to people on the journals which made that method of data collection difficult. “... Have you considered requesting that Genichirou help Dr. Oshitari out? He is a very helpful man, he may be convinced.”
“We’ll manage,” said Yanagi. To demonstrate his point, he lay down, and pulled Inui to lie beside him. Very snug, especially for two tall people like them, but not impossible. “Have Genichirou help Yuushi?” Yanagi thought on that for a moment, imagining as an example Sanada flexing half-naked for Oshitari’s… reference material. Oshitari might not survive. “He might. He likes Yuushi enough.”
Inui settled down on the bed next to Yanagi, rolling onto his side carefully to take up a little less room and wrapped one arm over Yanagi’s waist to tug him closer. “Has Genichirou implied that he would like to do something of that nature with people?” he asked, curious. Because Sanada was well known as someone nearly impossible to get close to. “Did you ask Dr Oshitari because of his general proximity, or another reason?”
This was a familiar, and not uncomfortable position. He shook his head. “No, Genichirou has not. Sometimes I feel the whole debacle with his older brother traumatized him too much.” Sanada’s brother had knocked up Yanagi’s sister when they were young, leading to a shotgun marriage. Their families were of course mortified and endlessly lectured Sanada and Yanagi about the dangers of premarital sex … the end result being extreme paranoia on Sanada’s end (and for a time, Yanagi as well). “Yuushi is very, very attracted to Genichirou, which I thought might be a good motivator. Genichirou does not dislike him, either.”
Perhaps the way this could be made better would be if Yanagi hadn’t put on the yukata again, but it was fine. He nodded as Yanagi spoke, considering what he knew (and had witnessed first hand) of Sanada’s dating history. “I agree that he would be a good option,” Inui said “”As long as he knows that a very direct approach will be the best one for talking to Genichirou about it. Anything else and it is very likely Genichirou won’t notice.” Or think that it was a strong enough approach to be filled with enough conviction for Sanada to be convinced by. “Has Genichirou suggested that this is something that he wants in the first place?”
Yanagi closed his eyes, relaxing his shoulders a fraction. “Hopefully Yuushi will be able to break through the wall. I believe he sees it as a challenge.” He sighed, feeling like Mrs Sanada when she fretted over Sanada’s marriage prospects. “… Genichirou seemed to have a crush on Dr. Yukimura, but nothing has come of that so far. And you know he seldom talks about relationships, so no, it is not something he’s talked about.”
“He has shown remarkably little interest in public,” Inui said, watching Yanagi’s face curiously. “Besides his increase in typing speed, he did not interact with Genichirou at all, while he was in the lab with me.” And that was definitely something to consider, now that Yanagi had given him the additional information about Oshitari. Inui frowned. “... Maybe we should write Genichirou some palm cards to read off.”
“Yuushi has a very good poker face,” Yanagi said, still “resting his eyes”. It had been quite a busy week for him. He chuckled a little at Inui’s suggestion. “Genichirou would be so mortified. I don’t think that will work too well.”
“He controls his expressions well, but he does slip up in other places.” Inui still considered tracking Oshitari’s heart rate while in his desk chair… perhaps he could talk to Sanada about making something discreet. Inui shifted to press a kiss to Yanagi’s cheek before settling back down. “If you need any help with Dr Oshitari and Genichirou, let me know.”
“What nefarious things are you thinking now, Sadaharu?” Despite his own drowsiness ,Yanagi could tell Inui’s mental gears were still working away. Lying down had been a miscalculation. “I’ll be sure to keep you apprised on the situation… I’m sure you’ll have your own input as it develops.”
“Never nefarious things,” Inui said with a frown. “Just how I could measure other possible physical responses that Dr. Oshitari has to Genichirou without him knowing.” A sensor in the chair, he thought suddenly. Definitely something to talk to Sanada about. “I am very curious to see how this situation evolves. It will be good to compare to my extrapolations of data on Genichirou.”
“The doctors sometimes request physiological data from the communicators,” commented Yanagi, hiding a yawn behind his hand. Inui could make whatever he wished of that.
“I look forward to the comparisons.” Yanagi looked at Inui. “I’d like to sleep soon. You are welcome to stay, if you like.”
How backdated was the physiological data on the communicators… and how easily could he get a hold of it, Inui wondered. And then paused – ah, they’d left their communicators in the bathroom, but it didn’t really matter. He wasn’t expecting any messages for the next while, and if someone really needed them… they could come and find them. Time always went a little strange when he was with Yanagi, skipping too fast and skewing with his perception of how much time had passed since the 2100 that he’d arrived at the room - something that Inui had yet to find a proper scientific explanation for. He did nod slightly at the acknowledgement that Yanagi was tired though.
“I will stay, then. Until Dr. Shishido returns.” Inui shifted slightly to undo the top couple of buttons on his shirt and take off his glasses to lie a bit more comfortably. He settled his arm back around Yanagi. “Shall we recite kifu until you fall asleep?” he asked, teasing.
Yanagi smiled a little. He could almost hear the cogs in Inui’s brain aa he digested the information.
“We’d be up for hours if we start on kifu.” Yanagi sleepily swatted at Inui. He was in a comfortable, familiar position, and the unconscious relaxation of his body made him feel his tiredness even more acutely.
“Good night, Sadaharu,” he said, and fell quickly asleep.
When: Some time after Inui's post about Oshitari
Where: Yanagi's room
What: Showering together
Inui made his way to Yanagi’s room, right on time as always for their prearranged evening talk. He’d brought along a notepad this time - recycled paper, to actually write things down if need be, without the worry about the digital copy being read by someone else - and glanced at the time as he appropriately slowed down his steps to reach the door at 2100.
He paused, waited a second for the time to tick over and ah, the door opened right on time, as expected from Yanagi, who would have known he’d be there. “Renji. Always nice to see you.”
Inui’s punctuality was expected and appreciated. “Hello, Sadaharu,” greeted Yanagi, stepping to the side to allow Inui entry. “Please, come in.” In anticipation of their evening’s activities, Yanagi was dressed simply in a yukata, one of the rare ones that didn’t match with one of Sanada’s.
“Make yourself at home,” he indicated. It was painfully obvious which side of the room was Yanagi’s. In the tiny space that they had, Yanagi had not managed to recreate his preferred layout, but the minimalist decor and shelves full of oribots and classic literature remained the same.
Inui nodded at Yanagi as he entered, glancing up and down Yanagi’s outfit - he definitely recognised that yukata from back on Earth - and then took the invitation to look around the room. It was interesting to see how Yanagi still translated his personal style to a shared room on a distant colony. He would have to ask to see Sanada’s room as well, Inui decided.
“Genichirou’s oribots are getting more intricate,” he noted, looking at the collection. He noted their positions. “You rotate them between your room and the ones in Command?” Since Kirihara had broken some, presumably on Yanagi’s desk.
Yanagi nodded. “There’s not enough room for them in either location, otherwise, and Genichirou is always making more,” he affirmed. “I believe interacting with Masaharu has been good for the refinement of his skills in robotics.”
He sat down on his bed, looking consideringly at Inui. “You seem to be adjusting well to life on an alien planet. Your social skills haven’t improved, I note.”
“I unfortunately left the ones he made me back on Earth,” Inui said. After all, he’d still been bruised at the time when he’d packed, and hadn’t expected Sanada to be on the list of personnel on Izanagi either. “The team environment was always one that would benefit Genichirou.” Even if the man himself would probably disagree at times.
Inui moved to sit at Yanagi’s desk, mostly so he could take out his notebook and start to scribble down a few thoughts. “Besides sharing a room with Dr Yagyuu, it has been an easy transition to make.” And his research in the lab was just as doable as the one back on Earth. “I have interacted with a number of people since arriving here. The primarily online based system on communicating has been… beneficial to a degree.”
“It is possible to send for them, if desired,” Yanagi suggested. “While I agree Sanada is generally a good team player, he doesn’t always get along with others even while on the job. I’m sure you know he went on an expedition?” The Tachibana-Ohtori-Sanada team had been so thick with tension it put everyone in Command listening in on the comms on edge. “He completed the task, because he’s Genichirou, but he certainly was not happy about it.”
He watched Inui scrawling in his notebook, and wondered if it would follow them into the bathroom. It wouldn’t be the first time. “Oh? Is Dr. Yagyuu not a good roommate? Or are you adjusting to sharing a space? I’m glad you are getting some interactions in, even if some of them seem to have been…less than ideal.”
Inui shook his head. “I’m sure that Genichirou will make me more over the next five years.” And maybe having someone else to make them for would help slow down the rate at which Yanagi was collecting them. He nodded at the question. “I read about it, but not a situation entirely Genichirou’s doing.” He separated work and personal life very solidly, and perhaps the others hadn’t been expecting him to maintain that separation so keenly for two straight weeks.
“Dr Yagyuu is a tolerable roommate.” He hadn’t had much to do with the man, really, too busy with getting his experiments set up, and catching up on all the data. Having access to the communications gave him plenty to read in his spare time. “Sharing a room takes some adjustment.” Inui glanced at Yanagi and raised his eyebrows. “All of the interactions so far have yielded interesting data and insights into the people at the base. They have all been informative.”
“Genichirou, like you, could stand to learn a little flexibility,” Yanagi summarized. “Neither you nor he care overly much about the opinion of others, but you seem to have a particular knack for inadvertently offending people.” He’d found it charming, once upon a time, and still did, but managing a colony packed into what was essentially an underground bunker with nowhere to run had given him additional considerations. “Still, I am glad your efforts have borne fruit, though I would like to suggest alternative methods of data collection as you become more familiar with the base.”
Inui paused in his writing to look up properly at Yanagi. A rare complaint from Yanagi, given that he certainly had very vivid recollections of Yanagi hiding his amusement as Inui made observations about other people. And enough of a complaint to make Inui consider what he was saying. “I doubt others would be willing to be thoroughly inspected within a shower with me,” Inui said, pulling out his tablet to pull up a list of the personnel on the base and consider their names. “And nor would I be interested in doing so with other people. There are still some limits to data on other people that I’m willing to collect.”
Yanagi chuckled a little at that idea. “Considering the rumors incited by your prepositioning of the poor man at the pool that day, I don’t think you’d get many willing volunteers, no.” He got up and walked to the desk, peering over Inui’s shoulder at what he was writing. “I was not suggesting you look at naked people, Sadaharu. On the contrary, I suggest you observe without being observed to be observing.”
Inui did look a little embarrassed at that memory, his ears going pink. “... I placed an order for contact lenses after that,” he said finally. “Hopefully they will be delivered in a timely manner and I can enjoy the baths when they are complete without prepositioning people unknowingly.” In his defence, he was usually very good at recognising Yanagi without his glasses on, but he had underestimated the number of people in the base with a similar haircut and shade, and the difficulty that it being wet would add.
He tilted the notepad towards Yanagi so he could better read it - short hand notes about the details within Yanagi’s room, and the comparisons to how his had been on Earth, mixed in with a few observations about the oribots. “I am showing the base that I write notes when I observe them,” Inui said, his writing pausing and he glanced sideways at Yanagi. Yanagi who would of course understand that it meant further along when Inui did stop writing, it would cause people to lower their guard.
“I think you’d look good in contact lenses,” noted Yanagi, amused by Inui’s reaction. Inui’s spectacles almost seemed part of his personality, though. He leaned closer, reading the familiar shorthand easily. “It is a strategic approach,” he approved, nodding. There was still the problem of Inui inadvertently offending half the base with his inquisitiveness. Hopefully dairy diplomacy would help.
“As you have told me… twice before,” Inui said, shaking his head a little. As well as having told him before about the laser eye surgery. Inui acknowledged but chose to ignore that hint. “There are some more paranoid members of the base that it won’t fool, but for the most part, it will work as it has before.” Inui turned his head to look at Yanagi’s face that was leaning very close, before he flicked back to his early notes on Kirihara Akaya, from the initial reading through the reports, his interactions on the journals and then additional notes he’d made after their poolside picnic. “Is it time for a shower together, Renji?”
It seemed he would be answering a lot of questions about Kirihara next. Yanagi acknowledged the request with a nod, having expected the topic. “It’s as good a time as any,” he agreed, using his convenient location to undo the shirt button at the base of Inui’s throat.
“Agreed. Before the evening gets away from us.” Inui stood up after the first button was undone, holding onto Yanagi’s wrist to pull him gently into the bathroom. The tablet was left on the desk, but his notebook came along with him. “A warm shower?” Since Yanagi had disagreed with his proposal for a cold shower when they’d originally discussed it. Inui took up his communicator from his wrist, leaving it on the bathroom counter and watching Yanagi closely. “I will need to be very close to see you to see properly if it’s anything that will fog up my glasses.”
Yanagi followed without any resistance, taking off his own communicator and setting it beside Inui’s. “If we are to be spending some time in here, I’d prefer to be warm. Shivering will distract from the task at hand,” he said. He smiled slightly at Inui, taking a step forward so they were almost nose-to-nose. “I’ve never objected to your close scrutiny, Hakase.”
“I have no interest in measuring your physiological response to the cold at the moment,” Inui said, reaching to start undoing the obi on Yanagi’s yukata. “Maybe next time, so I can wear my glasses in the shower with you.” He didn’t move from where he was standing, watching Yanagi’s face closely even as he undid the obi and started to fold it up behind Yanagi’s back. “Enough physical activity should be enough to counteract the cold from a shower though, if you’re worried about shivering.”
“I think you should just wait for the contacts,” laughed Yanagi, letting his yukata fall open as the obi was removed. He continued his work on Inui’s shirt buttons, and then undid his belt. “Or you could rely on something other than sight. I’m not sure even vigorous physical activity can overcome the innate response to being doused in cold water. Perhaps if the base’s air conditioning malfunctions.” Though if that happened, they would have worse things to worry about.
Inui considered Yanagi’s suggestion. “There have certainly been studies suggesting that the sense of touch activates the same parts of the brain for object recognition as our sense of sight,” he said fairly. “And that human confidence in object reality is higher in some cases from their sense of touch.” He looked closely at Yanagi’s face as he slipped his hands under the man’s yukata to run his fingers along Yanagi’s back. “If the base’s air conditioning malfunctions, I’m sure a large number of the base will enjoy the sight of Genichirou fixing it while topless. It may malfunction again on a regular basis.”
“Is your confidence in my reality solidified, then?” Yanagi allowed the barest semblance of a shudder as Inui’s fingers ran down his spine. He settled his own hands on Inui’s waist.
“Many already get to see Genichirou work in various states of undress,”Yanagi chuckled. There was even a little fan group which posted frantic updates whenever the overalls started to come off. “I’d rather not imagine the odour of 198 colonists sweating in an enclosed area.”
“A single test does not allow for reliable conclusions to be drawn,” Inui said, smiling a bit because they had had similar discussions before. The sense of touch was certainly a good measurement too, but tricky to use as a way of comparing changes from before and now.
“I plan on investigating the effects of Genichirou’s state of undress on Dr Oshitari’s productivity next,” Inui said, still curiously touching down Yanagi’s back under the yukata. “As his general presence has a significant measurable impact, I’m hopeful this will also yield results.” Although the chances were likely that Oshitari would now watch his words per minute, and he would have to find another way to measure his productivity.
Conveniently, Yanagi had not seen the point of putting on underclothing for their evening’s activities. “Yuushi is not the most productive even without Genichirou around,” he reflected. “He used to spend hours just chatting to me on his communicator during what was most assuredly work hours.” He idly stroked his thumb over Inui’s abs, unused to them being this defined. “However, you are right in that announcing the data has biased your observations. It will be difficult to gain objective insight into the matter. Yuushi also encounters Genichirou in an undressed state in their room, so there is that to consider.”
Inui paused to consider Yanagi's words. "So you think that Dr Oshitari's productivity drops when Genichirou is around," he said, frowning slightly. Despite the very furious sustained typing that he'd measured every day. "... Writing something else that isn't beneficial to the Science department but of a biological subject…" he pondered outloud, tracing down the path of Yanagi's spine again to the top of his buttocks. "I will have to change what I'm measuring, to properly determine the effects. Especially if Dr Oshitari makes a conscious effort to hide it.
Inui was being very, very handsy, not that Yanagi particularly disapproved when they were out of sight of any security cameras. “Ah, perhaps I’ve said too much,” he said, as if he hadn’t given up that information on Oshitari on purpose. Yanagi offered Inui a sly smile, then stepped sideways out of reach. “I’ll leave you to discover the truth on your own, Sadaharu, not that it will be very difficult for you.” He slid his yukata all the way off, then folded it and set it aside before stepping into the shower.
Inui’s frown deepened in thought as he watched Yanagi undress, mulling over his words. “I always enjoy meeting the challenges that you set for me, Renji,” he said finally. And he could take the hint, pulling off his shirt and pants to fold up and place on the counter with his notebook and glasses. The comms were set very pointedly next to their clothes as well. He had to put a hand out to carefully feel his way to the shower and watch his depth perception, slipping in after Yanagi.
And then he used a hand on Yanagi’s shoulder to push him against the wall with a thunk that he was sure the UEA-monitored comms would pick up. Inui leaned into Yanagi’s ear. “Can I ask about Petty Officer Kirihara Akaya now?”
Yanagi obligingly gasped as his back met the tile. “You may,” he murmured, turning on the water with one hand as the other braced against Inui for support. “He’s … special, one might say. Both as a person, and as an UEA asset. Considerable effort went into developing him, I gather.”
Even if this was all a cover for being able to discuss topics that they were sure the UEA would oppose to, Inui did let his hand stray down to Yanagi’s back again, bracing himself with his other arm against the wall of the shower. From this distance at least, Yanagi’s face was very in focus. “Joined the UEA at 14, no family that he acknowledges, went on special missions, was in a special facility that Able Spaceman Tooyama also knows of, holes in his memory…” Kirihara’s conversation threads had been fascinating to read. “How much do you trust Dr. Yagyuu and his part in this?”
“Trust?” Yanagi smiled. “I only trust Genichirou, and perhaps yourself, now that you are here.” He ran his fingers through Inui’s hair, which had wilted amusingly from the spray, reminding him of a soggy hedgehog. “Dr. Yagyuu appears to be … quite mercenary. The UEA is paying him a great deal to maintain their pet projects, and he seems happy with that.”
Only perhaps, for trusting him? Inui narrowed his eyes slightly at Yanagi and his hand slid down to rest on the curve of Yanagi’s ass. “So one that will do his job well, as long as the UEA continues to pay him.” And, as they were both very aware, the UEA had some very deep pockets. After all, Inui also benefited from it. “I’m looking forward to when I have to do my mandatory psych evaluation with him,” Inui said finally. “Did you intend to take Kirihara under your wing in Command? Or was that unintentional?”
Considering how long he’d known Sanada, compared with how long he’d known Inui, Yanagi rather thought Inui should be satisfied with ‘perhaps’. Yanagi was, after all, an intensely private person, despite his amiable demeanor.
“You are Dr. Yagyuu’s roommate, and have more access to him than most,” Yanagi pointed out simply, giving Inui’s own bottom a warning tap before they got too derailed. He would leave Yagyuu’s investigation up to Inui. Yanagi was not particularly interested in the doctor. Kirihara, however …
“It was not my intention to mentor Akaya-kun,” he said of Kirihara. “I like him, however. If I can help him, or befriend him, then I will.”
“People act differently between work and privately,” Inui reminded Yanagi, smiling a bit at the tap back that he was 98% sure of the meaning. It didn’t make him move his hand though, but it rested in place at least. “Now that my preliminary data gathering of everyone on the base is complete, and my experiments are running well, I will have more time to focus on Dr. Yagyuu.” And he might actually spend more than the bare minimum amount of time in their shared room.
Were the comms just audio to the UEA, Inui wondered, and just in case, shifted so they weren’t just awkwardly in the same position for too long, dipping his head to Yanagi’s throat. “And the end goal of that? Does he fall into the same category as the other people who you show some interest in on the base?”
“There is always an overlap, as determined by the core personality,” Yanagi insisted, “and one could argue that in a shared space, there may not even be a ‘private’ persona. He sighed and tilted his head back to let Inui do…whatever he was trying to do down there.
“Does there have to be an end goal?” Yanagi redirected the question back at Inui. In all honesty, Yanagi had not expected to like Kirihara, but the kid was strangely very charming when he wanted to be.
"I still have to determine the extent of that overlap," Inui argued back, pressing a kiss to Yanagi's throat before straightening up again. "And given that Dr. Yagyuu has already exhibited a difference in his interactions with various members of the community, it is right to expect to see separate public and private faces."
Inui pulled back to look at Yanagi's face, slightly blurring at the edges. "For you, yes there is usually an end goal." After all, Yanagi's interactions with members of the community could be mapped against their objective usefulness. "Even if you're not fully aware of it currently."
“Mm… we’ll see who’s right, in time.” Yanagi didn’t mind the argument, knowing that he and Inui had very different approaches to collecting and evaluating data. He just shook his head, pushing away from the wall.
“And you, Sadaharu?” Yanagi asked softly. Inui was not wrong in that Yanagi often had agendas for his interactions with people, but sometimes… he just wanted to interact with someone with common interests, or someone with the intellect to challenge him. He cupped Inui’s cheek with one hand. “What is my end goal, with you?”
“Of course.” And the chances of Inui being correct in this… he wanted to tentatively place it at 64%, with quite a large room for error attached to the number. There were too many variables.
Inui frowned at the question, aware of the hand on his face.. Maybe half a year ago, he would have had an idea to give to Yanagi about his ‘end goal’, but that had been before Yanagi had vanished to another planet without saying anything. “... There is insufficient data to form a reliable conclusion,” he said, letting his hands rest on Yanagi’s hips. “My current hypothesis though… I’m not sure you know yourself, Renji.”
Yanagi considered him for a long moment. “What I meant for you to understand,” he said finally, “is that I do not need objectives for all my social interactions.” Inui, for better or worse, had slowly inched under that nebulous subgrouping where he placed Sanada and precious few others. He turned away. “Do you have further questions for me, or shall we stop wasting water?”
Inui narrowed his eyes slightly, bringing the edges of Yanagi’s face into sharp focus. “I understand.” That Yanagi had some very strange ideas about his own motivations, and the data disagreed. His hands dropped. “I always have questions for you, and am always eager to hear your insight into things. But none that can’t wait until next time.” Inui reached to turn off the water instead.
Clearly, Inui did not understand at all. Yanagi sighed and reached for the towels he had prepared beforehand, and passed one to Inui. “Of course, you are always welcome to ask them, and we can have other such sessions going forward,” he said, stepping out of the shower. “If you have time, there is an additional matter I would like your opinion on. It is related, somewhat, to your observations on Yuushi.”
“I shall look forward to them,” Inui said, accepting the towel with a nod. “Perhaps we should spread them evenly between your room and mine, so that we don’t inconvenience either of our roommates too much.” He started to dry himself, rubbing the towel through his hair. “Pass me my glasses, Renji,” he said, wiping off his face and holding out a hand. “I always have time to give you my opinions when you want them.”
“That sounds reasonable.” Yanagi dried himself off and shrugged on his yukata, tying the obi loosely before turning to grab Inui’s glasses from the counter. He placed them on Inui’s nose himself, adjusting them to Inui’s preferred angle. “Essentially, I have requested that Yuushi try his wiles on Genichirou.”
Inui paused in the drying of himself to allow the glasses to be carefully put on his nose - perfectly placed as expected of Yanagi. He started to pull on clothes, raising his eyebrows as he did up his belt and thought about Yanagi's words. "Dr. Oshitari trying his wiles on Genichirou," he repeated, his eyebrows raising a little higher. "... Do you think he has a chance?"
“It does not matter if he succeeds or not,” Yanagi explained, tidying up a little in the bathroom while Inui dressed. “The main goal, on my end, is just for Genichirou to notice.” He made his way back to his bed and sat on top of the covers, beckoning Inui to join him.
Inui did up his shirt and followed Yanagi back, sitting down next to him as requested. He had not considered the differences between the beds here and the one at his apartment on Earth when he'd first arrived and seen the rooms. "For Genichirou to notice that people can be interested in him?" Inui asked, going back to the conversation. "Dr. Oshitari will need to be very blunt if he wishes to cross the Wall of Kanagawa."
“It’s quite a bit smaller and thinner than your bed back home, isn’t it?” remarked Yanagi, guessing at Inui’s thoughts. Perhaps Niou would 3D print a mattress topper…
He nodded at Inui’s query. “Yes. I’ve advised Yuushi as much, but I’ll leave the approach up to him.”
“Quite a bit smaller, yes, but comfortable enough. If we were to share a bed again, we would need to make adjustments,” Inui said, nodding. He thought of his data so far about Dr. Oshitari, which was remarkably not that much given that the man did not seem to talk too much to people on the journals which made that method of data collection difficult. “... Have you considered requesting that Genichirou help Dr. Oshitari out? He is a very helpful man, he may be convinced.”
“We’ll manage,” said Yanagi. To demonstrate his point, he lay down, and pulled Inui to lie beside him. Very snug, especially for two tall people like them, but not impossible. “Have Genichirou help Yuushi?” Yanagi thought on that for a moment, imagining as an example Sanada flexing half-naked for Oshitari’s… reference material. Oshitari might not survive. “He might. He likes Yuushi enough.”
Inui settled down on the bed next to Yanagi, rolling onto his side carefully to take up a little less room and wrapped one arm over Yanagi’s waist to tug him closer. “Has Genichirou implied that he would like to do something of that nature with people?” he asked, curious. Because Sanada was well known as someone nearly impossible to get close to. “Did you ask Dr Oshitari because of his general proximity, or another reason?”
This was a familiar, and not uncomfortable position. He shook his head. “No, Genichirou has not. Sometimes I feel the whole debacle with his older brother traumatized him too much.” Sanada’s brother had knocked up Yanagi’s sister when they were young, leading to a shotgun marriage. Their families were of course mortified and endlessly lectured Sanada and Yanagi about the dangers of premarital sex … the end result being extreme paranoia on Sanada’s end (and for a time, Yanagi as well). “Yuushi is very, very attracted to Genichirou, which I thought might be a good motivator. Genichirou does not dislike him, either.”
Perhaps the way this could be made better would be if Yanagi hadn’t put on the yukata again, but it was fine. He nodded as Yanagi spoke, considering what he knew (and had witnessed first hand) of Sanada’s dating history. “I agree that he would be a good option,” Inui said “”As long as he knows that a very direct approach will be the best one for talking to Genichirou about it. Anything else and it is very likely Genichirou won’t notice.” Or think that it was a strong enough approach to be filled with enough conviction for Sanada to be convinced by. “Has Genichirou suggested that this is something that he wants in the first place?”
Yanagi closed his eyes, relaxing his shoulders a fraction. “Hopefully Yuushi will be able to break through the wall. I believe he sees it as a challenge.” He sighed, feeling like Mrs Sanada when she fretted over Sanada’s marriage prospects. “… Genichirou seemed to have a crush on Dr. Yukimura, but nothing has come of that so far. And you know he seldom talks about relationships, so no, it is not something he’s talked about.”
“He has shown remarkably little interest in public,” Inui said, watching Yanagi’s face curiously. “Besides his increase in typing speed, he did not interact with Genichirou at all, while he was in the lab with me.” And that was definitely something to consider, now that Yanagi had given him the additional information about Oshitari. Inui frowned. “... Maybe we should write Genichirou some palm cards to read off.”
“Yuushi has a very good poker face,” Yanagi said, still “resting his eyes”. It had been quite a busy week for him. He chuckled a little at Inui’s suggestion. “Genichirou would be so mortified. I don’t think that will work too well.”
“He controls his expressions well, but he does slip up in other places.” Inui still considered tracking Oshitari’s heart rate while in his desk chair… perhaps he could talk to Sanada about making something discreet. Inui shifted to press a kiss to Yanagi’s cheek before settling back down. “If you need any help with Dr Oshitari and Genichirou, let me know.”
“What nefarious things are you thinking now, Sadaharu?” Despite his own drowsiness ,Yanagi could tell Inui’s mental gears were still working away. Lying down had been a miscalculation. “I’ll be sure to keep you apprised on the situation… I’m sure you’ll have your own input as it develops.”
“Never nefarious things,” Inui said with a frown. “Just how I could measure other possible physical responses that Dr. Oshitari has to Genichirou without him knowing.” A sensor in the chair, he thought suddenly. Definitely something to talk to Sanada about. “I am very curious to see how this situation evolves. It will be good to compare to my extrapolations of data on Genichirou.”
“The doctors sometimes request physiological data from the communicators,” commented Yanagi, hiding a yawn behind his hand. Inui could make whatever he wished of that.
“I look forward to the comparisons.” Yanagi looked at Inui. “I’d like to sleep soon. You are welcome to stay, if you like.”
How backdated was the physiological data on the communicators… and how easily could he get a hold of it, Inui wondered. And then paused – ah, they’d left their communicators in the bathroom, but it didn’t really matter. He wasn’t expecting any messages for the next while, and if someone really needed them… they could come and find them. Time always went a little strange when he was with Yanagi, skipping too fast and skewing with his perception of how much time had passed since the 2100 that he’d arrived at the room - something that Inui had yet to find a proper scientific explanation for. He did nod slightly at the acknowledgement that Yanagi was tired though.
“I will stay, then. Until Dr. Shishido returns.” Inui shifted slightly to undo the top couple of buttons on his shirt and take off his glasses to lie a bit more comfortably. He settled his arm back around Yanagi. “Shall we recite kifu until you fall asleep?” he asked, teasing.
Yanagi smiled a little. He could almost hear the cogs in Inui’s brain aa he digested the information.
“We’d be up for hours if we start on kifu.” Yanagi sleepily swatted at Inui. He was in a comfortable, familiar position, and the unconscious relaxation of his body made him feel his tiredness even more acutely.
“Good night, Sadaharu,” he said, and fell quickly asleep.
