Then a voice drifted through the shutters and he peeked out. Was that-across the courtyard-but it couldn't be-oh yes it could...

"Konzen! Konzen! Look! I went to the field today and got you flowers. Bright gold, like your hair, ne?" Goku was jumping, chains around his neck and wrists clanking about as the unmistakable diadem gleamed in the sunset. "Are we gonna visit Ten-chan?"

"Not now." A deep voice. Controlled and firm. The mark of someone not even attempting to hide obvious boredom. "Go play with Kenren or something and let. me. work." A flicker of light caught Konzen's eye. He turned his head: Tenpou's library. /The idiot's locked himself in again/.

In said room, Hakkai leaned against the wall tiredly and sunk down, grabbing the nearest book, one he had forgotten to shelf for lack of any fitting space. Again, went to the bookmark:

"Man's main task in life is to give birth to himself." Worthless book. Stupid human.

He laughed mirthlessly, shook his head, and in a justified act of frustration, Hakkai slammed the covers shut and violently sent hefty volume careening to the other side of the otherwise uncluttered library.

/His library/; which a few hours ago looked as if a bomb had dropped inside. Clean now, save for one book out of place.

If time had any relevance here, he would have estimated being here for a good eleven hours, give or take a few. Hakkai closed his eyes, basking in the security of darkness which had never failed him ever since that day. Oblivion was a good thing. Yes, a very good thing. Then...the creaking of the door.

"Oi, Tenpouuu!"

Oh god.

Footsteps.

Hakkai furrowed his eyebrows in annoyance and sunk deeper into his bookshelf enclave as if privation of words, privation of breath, privation of thought and privation of sight would make him disappear. Privation of person. If only.