Cho Hakkai (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
reformedsinner) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
thenearshore2017-07-21 07:56 pm
reformedsinner) wrote in thenearshore2017-07-21 07:56 pm
open/catchall: a sensei's job is never done
Who: Cho Hakkai and you!
What: Kicking around the Heavens, refereeing pet conflicts, providing an education and continuing to test his new medication powers on unknowing human subjects
Where: Various
When: August 6 - 10, 2016
Chicken Feed - August 6
[Hakkai owes a few thank-yous for the help he got while he was sick. As annoying as it is to have needed so much help, he can't exactly ignore it; so he's gone the domestic route, made up a truly astounding number of small fruit baskets and other little food gifts, and is paying visits to the temples of his helpers to leave them by the front door.
He knocks first, of course, to deliver his thanks in person, but if no one answers he'll just leave the basket with its little thank-you tag.
At Sharak Sanzo's temple, he encounters a slight snag, namely, the fact that he can't seem to get anywhere near close enough to leave the basket on the front stoop. It's shielded, and he's going to have to wait until a resident wanders by.
A few of the resident chickens notice his presence, and peck their way thoughtfully in his direction, and Hakkai considers them, and considers the basket he's brought Sharak... and opens up the large bag of freeze-dried mealworm treats to start tossing them to the chickens. Until someone notices and lets him in, passersby may notice Hakkai crouched on the roadside surrounded by a dozen eager hens, offering little dried worms to each one by hand. It's only a matter of time before he starts convincing them to do tricks.]
Reading, Rites & 'Rithmetic - August 8 & 10
[Hakkai's at the school for his classes as usual, but before and after class, he's also putting up some hand-written flyers in the downstairs hallway. They read,
Seeking Shinki & Anyone Willing to Teach Shinki Spells
Practical Daily Lessons: Borderlines, Spellcasting, Shinki Combat Advice
Knowledge Shared is Knowledge Gained. Contact Cho Hakkai If Interested.
They're also illustrated with helpful hand-drawn ayakashi in a creepy, technically proficient but over-detailed style that makes the creatures even more grotesque. Hakkai, when not teaching or pasting up flyers, can be found in the library on the ground floor grading math workbooks.]
Herding Cats - August 9
Kishi, he doesn't want to play with you.
[Hakkai is standing in his temple's entryway, doors thrown wide, addressing a black-and-white cat in an exasperated tone. The cat is on his hind legs, pawing at Hakkai's knee and patting his thigh entreatingly as he meows at the white dragon curled up on Hakkai's shoulders. Another cat, a grayish tabby, trots up to the tableau, sits down, looks up at the dragon and adds her demanding meow to the first cat's.
Hakkai looks like he's developing a headache.]
Musha, no. Kishi! Down.
[Reluctantly, the black-and-white cat drops back down to his haunches and meows again. Hakkai lifts a finger scoldingly in their direction.] Go play.
[Suddenly, Jeep flares his wings, catches the wind, and drops from Hakkai's shoulders to soar up and a few feet further away from the entryway, into the front street. Musha and Kishi tear after him, eager paws kicking up dust from the roadway.
Jeep, midair, transforms, and a jeep thuds down onto the street right in front of the cats' noses. They yowl, hiss, and break for the safety of the temple, moving so fast there's nothing but a few floating hairs left in their wake. The Jeep's headlights blink on and off in something that looks a lot like silent, smug laughter, and Hakkai sighs wearily.]
Well, that's one way to teach them.
Heavenly Delivery Service - August 6 - 10
[When he's not otherwise occupied, Hakkai's still taking his homemade, and divinely powerful, medicines down to followers praying for healing. He has a large and carefully sectioned toolbox, padded with folded cloth for the glass jars and bottles, that goes with him, and a long handwritten list of prayers. Even with teleportation taking him to the general area, he's having to do some walking around and asking directions before he finds the proper house.
It doesn't help that quite a lot of them are in apartment buildings, although, at least, gods don't need to be buzzed in by a resident.
Anyone near enough to one of his prayer delivery locations might find themselves approached by a young man in a monocle, clearing his throat politely as he shifts the extremely large and heavy toolbox he's holding, and glances down at a memo pad in his free hand.]
Excuse me. Would you happen to know where...
[He flips a page.]
Happy Takada Apartments is? It's supposed to be somewhere in this neighborhood.
What: Kicking around the Heavens, refereeing pet conflicts, providing an education and continuing to test his new medication powers on unknowing human subjects
Where: Various
When: August 6 - 10, 2016
Chicken Feed - August 6
[Hakkai owes a few thank-yous for the help he got while he was sick. As annoying as it is to have needed so much help, he can't exactly ignore it; so he's gone the domestic route, made up a truly astounding number of small fruit baskets and other little food gifts, and is paying visits to the temples of his helpers to leave them by the front door.
He knocks first, of course, to deliver his thanks in person, but if no one answers he'll just leave the basket with its little thank-you tag.
At Sharak Sanzo's temple, he encounters a slight snag, namely, the fact that he can't seem to get anywhere near close enough to leave the basket on the front stoop. It's shielded, and he's going to have to wait until a resident wanders by.
A few of the resident chickens notice his presence, and peck their way thoughtfully in his direction, and Hakkai considers them, and considers the basket he's brought Sharak... and opens up the large bag of freeze-dried mealworm treats to start tossing them to the chickens. Until someone notices and lets him in, passersby may notice Hakkai crouched on the roadside surrounded by a dozen eager hens, offering little dried worms to each one by hand. It's only a matter of time before he starts convincing them to do tricks.]
Reading, Rites & 'Rithmetic - August 8 & 10
[Hakkai's at the school for his classes as usual, but before and after class, he's also putting up some hand-written flyers in the downstairs hallway. They read,
Seeking Shinki & Anyone Willing to Teach Shinki Spells
Practical Daily Lessons: Borderlines, Spellcasting, Shinki Combat Advice
Knowledge Shared is Knowledge Gained. Contact Cho Hakkai If Interested.
They're also illustrated with helpful hand-drawn ayakashi in a creepy, technically proficient but over-detailed style that makes the creatures even more grotesque. Hakkai, when not teaching or pasting up flyers, can be found in the library on the ground floor grading math workbooks.]
Herding Cats - August 9
Kishi, he doesn't want to play with you.
[Hakkai is standing in his temple's entryway, doors thrown wide, addressing a black-and-white cat in an exasperated tone. The cat is on his hind legs, pawing at Hakkai's knee and patting his thigh entreatingly as he meows at the white dragon curled up on Hakkai's shoulders. Another cat, a grayish tabby, trots up to the tableau, sits down, looks up at the dragon and adds her demanding meow to the first cat's.
Hakkai looks like he's developing a headache.]
Musha, no. Kishi! Down.
[Reluctantly, the black-and-white cat drops back down to his haunches and meows again. Hakkai lifts a finger scoldingly in their direction.] Go play.
[Suddenly, Jeep flares his wings, catches the wind, and drops from Hakkai's shoulders to soar up and a few feet further away from the entryway, into the front street. Musha and Kishi tear after him, eager paws kicking up dust from the roadway.
Jeep, midair, transforms, and a jeep thuds down onto the street right in front of the cats' noses. They yowl, hiss, and break for the safety of the temple, moving so fast there's nothing but a few floating hairs left in their wake. The Jeep's headlights blink on and off in something that looks a lot like silent, smug laughter, and Hakkai sighs wearily.]
Well, that's one way to teach them.
Heavenly Delivery Service - August 6 - 10
[When he's not otherwise occupied, Hakkai's still taking his homemade, and divinely powerful, medicines down to followers praying for healing. He has a large and carefully sectioned toolbox, padded with folded cloth for the glass jars and bottles, that goes with him, and a long handwritten list of prayers. Even with teleportation taking him to the general area, he's having to do some walking around and asking directions before he finds the proper house.
It doesn't help that quite a lot of them are in apartment buildings, although, at least, gods don't need to be buzzed in by a resident.
Anyone near enough to one of his prayer delivery locations might find themselves approached by a young man in a monocle, clearing his throat politely as he shifts the extremely large and heavy toolbox he's holding, and glances down at a memo pad in his free hand.]
Excuse me. Would you happen to know where...
[He flips a page.]
Happy Takada Apartments is? It's supposed to be somewhere in this neighborhood.
no subject
Yes, of course, although I can't necessarily promise I'll be able to help with it....
no subject
[Hoo boy.]
no subject
[That is a little over his level. He smiles cheerfully.]
Are there any other unsolved postulates you're looking into while you're at it?
no subject
That's the only one, but I can come back with a list.
no subject
[He taps a finger thoughtfully against his chin.]
You don't do much work with your god, then...?
no subject
It's not that. I'm finding things to do other than be a god's servant. [...If that didn't get his feelings about being a shinki across, then nothing would.]
no subject
[It certainly does. He's not the first person Hakkai's met with that kind of attitude towards being a shinki; but there's only understanding in his tone, no sarcasm.
It is reasonable. It's understandable, too.]
May I ask who your god is? Or is it more of an idealistic objection than a specific one?
no subject
It's both. [--like why Hakkai was asking that question, for one thing.] I've asked him to release me, but he won't.
no subject
Ah. Him.
[And it seems he's not the sort of god who would release his own shinki, any more than he's prone to respect the wishes of other shinki he'd controlled and named for his own convenience. Hibari, for one.
Ross, at least, seems to have his mind intact.]
I've heard a few things about him. My condolences; and.
[He glances over at Ross, the cold anger on his face disappearing beneath a studied blankness.]
Do you need any help making him release you?
no subject
What kind of help are you offering?
[Ross had his own hunches on that front, but given that he was still mostly unaware of the danger he was in, they were likely to be wrong.]
no subject
Killing him might not be effective, since gods have been known to return from the dead, but some of the new gods killed recently haven't. It might be worth a try.
[In other words: he is offering any help, up to and including murder.
He remembers Hibari's pain and confusion vividly. He hasn't had a clear reason to strike out against Loki, and Hibari is no longer here... but he doesn't mind finding an excuse for that particular bit of violence.]
no subject
[On one hand, he could get exactly what he wanted if he managed to go through with it. He could be free without being shackled to a god. On the other, if he got caught...]
This is the most incriminating conversation I've had in a while. [That wasn't the only thing that kept him from readily agreeing, either.]
no subject
He named a friend of mine some months back, and used some variety of magic to deaden his emotions so that he could not be blighted until well after Loki had revoked the name.
[As far as Hakkai's concerned, that kind of behavior is all the justification he needs.
He won't insist on drawing Ross into self-incrimination, though, if the young man's concerned about it; instead he raises his eyebrows.]
I don't believe self-defense is criminal.
no subject
He couldn't forgive anyone who would use magic to control others.]
Whether it's criminal or not doesn't matter anymore. ...I'll try killing him.
[Even though Hakkai had offered his help, Ross was still wording it that way.]
no subject
["I'll try killing him" isn't a request for help, though, and Hakkai frowns a little. Ross might be intelligent, but mathematics aren't as useful a murder method as other skills.]
I'll help you.
[He pauses.] If you want my help. Whether you want it or not, though, I want him dead -- and so we're on the same side.
no subject
Even if I said I didn't want it, that wouldn't make you decide to do nothing. [He knew what his answer would be if their situations were reversed, after all.]
Right now, it's more important to think of a plan instead.
no subject
[Admittedly, it's more of a priority to do something now that Hakkai knows Loki is keeping other shinki against their will as well. Hibari had gotten into conflicts frequently enough that Hakkai's not sure how many of them can fairly be laid at his door; but a god with such a careless attitude poses a threat to other shinki, too. Not least his own.
He steeples his fingers together, watching Ross evenly.]
You're right. Do you know anything about his schedule? I would prefer not to give him time to use his abilities against either of us.
no subject
Not only that, but talking about that was at least a distraction from being watched like a hawk.]
I might have to leave a lot to you. It's over if he senses that I'm trying to kill him. [Even now he had to be careful about letting those feelings out.]
no subject
Ross is the one running the most risk here; Schuldig, as long as he refuses to revoke Ross's name, can sense his stronger feelings. He's right to worry.]
Where have you been staying? Is it safe?
no subject
And, well, it wasn't like he had anywhere else he could go or even felt he could go, though he left that part unsaid.]
I don't want to give him any reason to be suspicious. It's better if I stay where I am.
no subject
[Hakkai's frowning outright now with concern.]
no subject
But I can still get away with staying out all day without him asking where I've gone to.
no subject
... do what you need to in order to stay safe. And I'll --
[He pauses, briefly, and meets Ross's eyes; there's concern in his expression, but also a cool, businesslike thoughtfulness.]
I'll see what I can do.
no subject
Then I'll go make myself scarce in case he realizes I'm here.
[It seemed safer to assume the worst from Schuldig.]
no subject
[Hakkai nods, and, abruptly, smiles.]
Thank you for the book. In fact... [He turns to the shelves behind him, plucking out one of the advanced mathematical texts, and hands it over.]
... if you need to talk to me, you should have an excuse to hand.
[Returning a book will do.]
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