estoria | In our bodies we will live, in our bodies we will die

Entry tags:

In our bodies we will live, in our bodies we will die

Who: Ren Koumei

dishevelment & OPEN (with one part locked to Ren Kouha

roughcut)
When: IC 6/16 OOC 4/3
Where: Various places around the city
What: Koumei and Kouha need to have a Talk + Koumei attempts to find a hobby
Rating/Warning: Potential for serious, feels inducing discussions

A -- Locked to Ren Kouha

[It has been a short while since Kouha arrived in the city, and Koumei was overjoyed to have his youngest brother around. Although Haru insisted that it wasn't a problem, Koumei knew that he would need to repay the Saniwa back one day for allowing the two brothers to be in the same apartment. Just being together was enough for Koumei to be content.

But there was something that they needed to talk about-- something involving the Empire that they were supposed to inherit. Something involving their siblings, and the fact that one among them had allowed the darkness in his heart to swallow him whole.

Koumei was actually awake that morning, idly playing with the his little robo-pigeon and the robo-fox that resided in the apartment, trying to find a way to further delay the inevitable. He didn't want to talk about this...

But it was a shadow lingering over them that was hard to ignore.]

B

[There had been a common refrain he had heard over the last several weeks: "Find a hobby."

It was a strange notion for Koumei, a man who had spent much of his life supporting a war effort in one capacity or another. If he hadn't been in war counsels or attending to his work in the magic research facility, he was catching up on precious sleep or playing with his pigeons in Rakushou.

But, mostly it was sleeping.

While Doudanuki's insistence on teaching him how to use a sword was compelling, it was far from an actual hobby. That was work-- and the only way he was able to keep Doudanuki from destroying his hair.

Thus, Koumei found himself in the library perusing the various crafting books, looking for something that would catch his interest. If he wasn't there, he was looking at the selection of fiction novels of a variety that ranged from cerebral mysteries to sordid romances.

After checking out a few of them to read further, he went over to the gardens to enjoy the afternoon reading. Whether he actually spent the afternoon napping underneath a tree or not was another story, but regardless of the outcome he would consider the day well spent.

It was strange, having so much free time. He didn't know what to do with it.]

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[ Sirena herself was out in the garden to have tea with herself. He was levitating with her stomach close to the ground, and making a tower out of everything from her picnic basket. There was a jar of jam, teacups, food and spoons, all made into a high tower.

When it fell over, a scone rolled over to Koumei.

Her fin flapped lazily. ]

Ooh, can you get that for me?

[Should Koumei find Takeru, he'll be able to find him practicing with a bow and arrow. Sure, his arms might hurt from pulling on the string constantly but it was all going to be worth it in the end!

Of course, once he decided to take a break, his eyes spotted someone familiar]

Hm? Koumei-san? Is that you?

[The book he had been reading was oddly entertaining-- was was the odd tower the young woman nearby was making for herself. Between the strange concepts in the book (like 'Chinese' food-- he didn't understand what was so distinct about it when the descriptions were similar to food from his own home), and the intent actions of the young woman, he had more than enough to entertain himself with.

He just hadn't expected interactions.

Regarding the fallen little biscuit curiously, Koumei carefully marked his place and gently retrieved the little snack from the dirt. ]

This? [He asked, standing and dusting his clothes off from the bits of grass and leaves that clung to the fabric.] Of course.

...What is it that you're doing over here, anyway?

[...Oh dear. He was hoping that the silly romance he had his nose buried in would help disguise some of his observations. Apparently that wasn't the case, and he chuckled sheepishly as he cast a grin at the young boy.]

Yes, of course. It's a nice day, isn't it?

[Kouha is the type to sleep in most days, when he can get away with it. His new work allows for a late morning schedule, too, so the mornings when he's up this early have been few and far between in this city.

This morning follows a night of fitful sleep, though, so by the time mid-morning approaches, he's given up. It's a surprise when he sees Koumei awake, and it trips him up a bit.]

Brother Mei?

[Kouha approaches slowly, more hesitant than usual. Despite Koumei's attempt to avoid the issue, Kouha can tell something's up. He doesn't want to push it, especially when things have been relaxed after months of the opposite back home, but there's no way they can avoid whatever the problem is forever. It's not the Ren way, and certainly not Kouha's, besides.

Besides, he's not blind. It's practically impossible for Koumei to hide those new scars when they're sharing such a small space, and though he didn't ask when he first saw them, their existence has been bothering him for days.]

Hey... Are you doing alright? You seem out of it.

[Maybe it's because of being awake at odd hours (for Koumei, at least), but he somehow doubts it.]

[Although the issues were obvious, Koumei was infinitely grateful for Kouha's discretion in every regard. The civil war amongst their family and their countrymen, due to the machinations of the organization Sinbad had dubbed 'Al-Thamen', was a heavy burden upon all of their hearts. The losses of both Alibaba, the man Koumei would have gladly accepted amongst their family, and the ever whimsical and unpredictable Judar had left marks upon them all as well.

There was a desperate sorrow in the eyes of Aladdin, the Magi of Alma Torran, that Koumei wasn't liable to forget no matter how much time he spent in this world. The tears of the remnants of Alibaba's Household, and Lady Hakuei's decision to bow out of the war against her only full blooded brother left alive after the inferno that claimed most of her family a decade before, were further burdens that they all needed to bear.

They couldn't let their emotions define them...but, in the state of startling calm that was the day to day life in the Colony, those emotions were impossible to ignore.

Koumei just offered his brother a bitter smile as he gently ran his fingers through robo-pigeon's feathers, listening to the life-like creature coo under his ministrations.]

I couldn't sleep, [he confessed.] Not that it's anything unusual.

Yeah, it sure is! It makes me wish that it could last for a while!

[But he knew that it probably wouldn't. All the more reason to enjoy it now right? Although, now that he got a closer look at what he was reading, he couldn't help but be curious]

...By the way, what are you reading? It looks like it's pretty interesting.

I'm making the leaning tower of pizza.

[ There is indeed a piece of pizza somewhere in the mix.

She takes the scone out of his hand and starts over again. ]

You want to build too?

[Koumei cast a glance from the boy to his book-- on the cover was a handsome man (described in narrative as a 'scotsman') and a voluptuous blonde woman in eachother's arms against the backdrop of a forest covered mountain.]

...It's probably not anything you'd be interested in reading until you're a bit older, [he confessed, looking slightly embarrassed at being caught with it. The truth was, there were parts of the narrative that were wholly inappropriate for a child.

He had no idea there were so many florid ways to describe intimate relations between a man and a woman.]

Leaning tower of....pizza?

[That strange, cheesey pie that was so cheap and so popular? He eyed the pile, wondering exactly where the pizza in it was...]

I've never heard of a 'leaning tower of pizza.' What is it supposed to do?

It's the Leaning tower of Pisa but with a twist.

[ He plucks the pizza out of the pile and takes a bite out of it. Yes, there's a few petals from the trees on it, but she doesn't care. Then she puts it back and starts to put it all together. ]

It's a tower made of all this stuff.

[Koumei, exactly what were you reading...?

But as Takeru looked at the cover and then back at Koumei, he gave a slight pout. Whatever he was reading, it sure looked kind of interesting. Just what was he reading about anyway?]

Oh, I see. This is one of those grown up stuff I'm not suppose to know about isn't it? [But now that he thought about it though?]

It doesn't have a lot of blood or anything really violent in there right? [There wasn't anyone going off and killing anyone for that lady right??]

[ Ah, hobbies. So many to choose from, so little time.

As anyone could have guessed, Rapunzel's dilemma is the direct inverse of Koumei's: in a little over a month she's racked up more points trying different things than she's earned Credits.

How is it possible that she'd once been so ignorant of the world? How could she ever have been happy in a life without freedom or high-waisted jeans or Kalashnikovs or hundreds and hundreds of books-- ]

--Ah!

[ She stumbles backwards after knocking her head against a ladder meant for reaching the highest of the library's many shelves. In doing so, Rapunzel happens to back into Koumei as he's browsing, sending her own armful of textbooks and novels to the ground. ]

Sorry! I'm sorry. I didn't see you. Are you o-- Hey, is that book any good? I keep seeing it around on different "best seller" shelves...

[ Why apologise for being an enormous klutz when you can bond with total strangers, after all? ]

[Oh, don't mind Koumei-- he had dropped his books as well with the collision, and was totally unbothered by another sheltered soul with stupidly long hair bumping into him. The girl's hair was the longest he'd ever seen, and it was nothing short of impressive!

Picking up the book she had indicated from the mess, Koumei held it out for her to get a better look.]

I'm not sure, but the cover say's it's 'science fiction.' Although, the title of it sounds more speculative, to me...

[Because, did robots really dream of electric sheep?]

Oh-- you mean that tourist landmark that I've read about in some of the books here?

[Because, hello young miss. This man is from an odd parallel of Three Kingdoms China-- not that he even understood enough of Contemporary Earth Culture(tm) to describe it as such.]

This is...quite a lot of stuff you're putting into this tower. Not all of it is pizza, either. A play on words?

[ Kousetsu is just going about his daily routine for his job within the gardens when he spots, one Koumei Ren, sleeping beneath a tree. There's a ton of books scattered about him but Kousetsu is mindful not to disturb them as he comes over. ]

Koumei-san. Is...everything alright?

No, no-- not violence!

[If it was just violence, he'd be more willing to talk about it.]

It's just not things that a person your size is generally interested in. Not yet-- perhaps in a few years, though.

[Kouha tilts his head so it rests on the wall, considering his brother carefully. This is all so familiar and domestic that it's easy to see where the little cracks are, and he can tell Koumei is struggling with something. He doesn't know if he'll be allowed to know what that thing is, but there's no harm in trying.]

Yeah? Since you're not running anything here, I thought you'd have it a little easier.

[He decides to take a careful step forward, physically and emotionally. He's been letting things get a little too cool between them, and he hates not being honest with Koumei, even when it's an attempt to spare his feelings. They'll never get anywhere staying in place, anyway.]

It wouldn't have anything to do with those scars, would it?

[He's prepared to drop it at the slightest hint of refusal, but it seems like an easy enough opener.]

[The answer to that was complicated. Things, for the most part, were alright. The problems only came into play over situations that Koumei couldn't get anyone else to help with, like his perpetual insomnia and the worry he had over talking to Kouha about the situation in their Empire.

Peering at Kousetsu blearily from underneath the sleeve he had thrown over his face, Koumei mulled over that existential question for a moment.]

I'm just taking a nap, [he finally decided to say.] Finding a hobby is hard work, and Mister Kashuu is no help.

[He closed his eyes and heaved a sigh, already seeing that there was no way to further avoid this conversation. Sparing Kouha the pain of this was a practice in futility as it was.

He was a son of Ren Koutoku, and one of only three fathered by that man. He had a keen eye for detail, a warrior's spirit, and an understanding of the people around him that made him an excellent King Candidate. Though Kouha couldn't see it himself, Koumei could see what it was that Leraje had seen in the young man.]

...So you noticed, [Koumei said, not even bothering to question his brother as he pulled himself into a sitting position. Although he had been conscious to keep himself covered as much as possible, there was only so much he could do to hide in such close quarters.

The few who had seen hadn't asked, and for that he was grateful.]

Make yourself comfortable, Kouha-- we've much to talk about, and more than enough time to do so, if you want to do it now.

[ Rapunzel squints at the title first, puzzling it out. ]

...hm. Must be a metaphor. Fiction is so strange. I had no idea you could make up stories and... write them down for people, you know? Not before I came here. My mother wasn't really a big fan of making things up, heh.

[ She looks up, smiling. ]

Do you... like to read too?

[ Napping in the park sure sounds like a great idea. Hell, Shinpachi would even agree on the fact that sleep is pretty rad - although he's an action kind of guy, he does have his lazier moments where he wishes he could just nap it off rather than having to do a whole slew of chores.

But that doesn't mean he really expects there to be someone napping when he's walking through the park on his way back from work..

.. which means that he - accidentally, really! - ends up tripping straight over Koumei as he's lying there, falling face first half on the grass, half on Koumei with a shout.

Very graceful, as you can see. (Except not at all.) ]

I do; it's a nice way to escape your worries for a short while, if the times allow for it.

[The girl was a talkative one, and the sort who would have been great friends with his youngest sister if she were in this city by some strange twist of fate. Koumei returned that smile.]

I can't imagine anyone who wouldn't be fond of stories. It's human nature to make them up.

[Graceful was a word that fit neither of them.

Koumei responded to the shout and collision with a started yelp of his own, jolting awake from his midday nap with his heart pounding in his chest and a sense of anxiety shooting through his nerves.]

Eehh? Excuse me?!

Yeah, I like it. Do you like pizza?

[ She picks up another piece that's still in the box and reaches it out for him with clawed fingers. ]

I like it a lot, it's so ghoul, right?

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In our bodies we will live, in our bodies we will die

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NOT THE BEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSS

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