Larel smiled at Hotaru waving his hand to show it was alright, he could understand at least part of what Hotaru was going through so he didn't really mind, the least he could do was listen after all. When Mary returned he caught the gourd inspecting it, he nodded standing up as the two of them talked to one another. Larel couldn't help but nod at Mary's observation as it was easier to be around her like this, though he still preferred Mera, with a shrug he dropped the gourd into his shadow before it started twitching as mumbles came from it; he waited as Zenmaru filled it with Kimura's blood. He glanced over at Mary seeing her huff in annoyance a small smile forming on his face for a moment before it went blank again as he looked back at his shadow crossing his arms in the process.
"It's easier to be around you but I still prefer the old you," Larel said bringing a hand to his chin. "I'm used to that one anyway, still I don't mind this side either."
He gave a firm nod before his shadow shivered, the gourd popped out of it and Larel grabbed hold of it, he glanced to his right as Zenmaru spoke to him, and he responded to her his eyes drooping a little clearly against whatever she was talking about.
"Hotaru you can complain to me whenever you want too," he said looking over at her. "I couldn't always deal with her the way I do now, at least in the beginning. I think it's thanks to someone always listening to me that helped me get through it. Though there's not much pride in getting used to the voices in your head it's at least a step in the right direction to keeping your sanity."
Larel glanced to his right again before squeezing the bridge of his nose a small sigh escaping from him.
"I just said you can't eat him," Larel said pointing at the shadow. "I'll deal with him later so don't touch him."
Larel opened the gourd with a sigh and poured a bit into his palm, he brought his hand to his mouth and took a drink of the blood closing his eyes for a moment before putting the top back on.
"You're company is far better than Zenmaru's Hotaru," Larel said wiping his mouth. "Who to my surprise didn't try to mix anything in this, I kind of expected it."
He glanced to his right again shrugging his shoulders before dropping the gourd back into his shadow.
"Do you really blame me for doubting you?"

Kaori crossed his arms as Eryn mentioned Hotaru and Larel, he admitted that he was a little curios about them and he enjoyed the possibility, the two had always been together even when Mera left back then. He supposed it was something worth looking at a bit more, especially when Eryn mentioned Hotaru at the festival, he did see Larel's reaction back then which brought a small smile to his face.
"It would be nice if she wore them more often," Kaori said nodding. "If not just to see that look on Larel's face again, though I think playing cupid would be harder with him involved."
His doubt came mostly from what he heard Alari talk about, Larel had to work on focusing his attention on the things around him a bit more. Since he mentioned it Kaori found it hard to disagree, once his attention was focused on something almost everything else became non-existent, though he was getting slowly better at it.
"The challenge is what makes it interesting though," Kaori said nodding.

Alari nodded to Mera doing what he could to calm his still rapidly beating heart seeing her smile once more, he offered a small smile glad to be able to relax himself, he regretted that it couldn't be for very long. A weak chuckle escaped from him at the mention of Larel as he didn't want to get attacked again, and sadly he had a good idea where some of them came from but some of his other insults were...creative.
Alari followed behind Mera watching her grab Eryn's ear, Kaori and Alari flinched as he was dragged along by, the two looked at each other before Alari shrugged and the two followed after them.
"Were you involved in such a discussion Kaori," Alari said seeing the two were alone for a moment.
"Of course not Oji-san."
Kaori averted his eyes and shook his head, Alari reached up and adjusted his glasses causing Kaori to turn his head a little more. Alari was pretty sure he was involved in it somehow but he just smiled and turned back towards Mera and Eryn. Seeing Mera like this made him happy, he hoped it could stay like this for a bit longer, Kaori couldn't help but smile seeing the two happily interacting with each other.
"By the way we're having plums and red beans for dinner," Alari said.
"W-what but I don't like eating that OJi-san," Kaori whined looking over at him.
"Really now? I didn't know that."
"You're evil Oji-san."