[ closed ]

[blossomstorm]

Who: Kenren and Tenpou
What: What is coping?
When: Backdated to April 6th, late night / April 7th, early morning
Where: Athena's temple
Warnings: Talk about death, alcohol (will update as necessary)



[ At some point after this, Tenpou excuses himself and takes Kenren with him (because there's no better way to say it), thinking of dropping him at his own temple and heading back to his place. But when they are outside, it turns out Kenren doesn't want to teleport because he drank too much, and his temple is difficult to access because he drank too much, and he can't really explain how to get there anyway because he drank too much. And so they start on their slow way to Athena's temple, and neither of them questions the validity of this choice.

The particulars of this setting will be edited when that log is finished, but that's more or less it! Even with Tenpou's help, it's hard for them to walk in a straight line, but they try, in their own way, and they get to Athena's temple eventually.

Even once they arrive, Tenpou doesn't let go of Kenren's arm over his shoulders until he reaches the main bedroom, because Kenren might use the sculptures and statues for balance, and why risk it. Anyway, the main bedroom is spacious and impersonal, but at least it has a sofa and bookcase full of old books. The bed is unmade. There are a couple of books lying on it. Those are the only indications that Tenpou was there at all earlier. Otherwise, it's Too Tidy. ]

We're here.

Comments

[scatterproudly]

[ Balance is hard.

It's especially hard when you've gotten used to having another human as support for the past who-knows-how-many-steps and then all of a sudden you don't have it anymore, but! Kenren is a man full of perseverance and determination and so he valiantly stumbles his way to the bed. He lets gravity do the rest of the work the moment his knees so much as touch the mattress and collapses on top of it. ]

Whoaaaa, you got a bed...

[ It comes out a little muffled because his face also landed directly on a book, but. Details. ]

[blossomstorm]

[ Not turning on the lights, he walks to the window and opens it. ]

I had a bed before, too.

[scatterproudly]

[ Kenren doesn't remove his face from the book just yet, the scent of paper and ink is both familiar and comforting right now. ]

We never used it.

[blossomstorm]

[ There, much better. He lights up a cigarette (it's been like an hour since his last one).  ]

. . . It would have been difficult to access.

[scatterproudly]

[ Spreads both arms and legs wide across the bed... and even that's not enough for his hands to quite reach the edges. Nice bed. ]

Dooon't make this one inaccessible, it's a good bed.

Keep it a bed.

[blossomstorm]

Yes, yes. I'll try.

It felt strange to sleep on a bed after so long, though. Didn't that happen to you?

[scatterproudly]

Mmmm...

[ He finally shifts his position, now he's using the book as a pillow instead of inhaling it and he can more or less make out Tenpou's silhouette by the window. ]

Didn't get much sleep, but yeah, it was too big.

[blossomstorm]

[ Tenpou just looks at him from there for a bit, smoking in silence. At least his body language should seem relaxed enough. ]

[scatterproudly]

You mad at me...?

[blossomstorm]

Not really.

[scatterproudly]

[ He doesn't say anything, just keeps watching him. For the first time tonight, amidst all the alcohol, Kenren is considering the possibility that maybe getting wasted with Gojyo was a terrible idea and that Tenpou might not approve of it.

But Tenpou says he's not angry.

And when Tenpou says he's not angry it really means he's not angry.

That's the good thing about Tenpou—well—one of the good things about Tenpou. ]

[blossomstorm]

[ While Kenren thinks all of that, Tenpou is just going to continue doing his thing over here, absently watching the smoke. ]

I didn't get much sleep either. It was mostly tossing and turning.

[scatterproudly]

. . .

[ Stretches out the arm that is closest to Tenpou, making grabby hand gestures. ]

Smokes for Kenren?

[blossomstorm]

[ He reaches inside his pocket. He'd grabbed Kenren's pack of cigarettes (and the lighter that was next to it) before leaving Gojyo's place. He holds them up for Kenren to see. ]

Kenren is being cared for. Does he need me to light one up for him?

[scatterproudly]

Nnn... just lemme take a drag from yours. Don't wanna set your brand new bed on fire.

[blossomstorm]

[ He leaves Kenren's smokes on the window frame and steps away from there. Although the window isn't too far from where Kenren is, Tenpou walks slowly, taking his time, then he sits on the edge of the bed, and shifts closer to him.

And there is his cigarette, close to Kenren's lips so he can take a drag directly without a need to coordinate anything but the obvious. #smokingbuddies ]

[scatterproudly]

[ Don't take your time, you jerk. (Except yes, take your time because that also gives Kenren a chance to heft himself up on his elbows).

He winces slightly as he catches the filter between his lips, his lower one is still swollen and tender from the fight with Gojyo. In fact, Tenpou can probably feel it too, since he's not making any special effort to avoid touching his fingers with his mouth.

He takes a deeeep drag. ]

[blossomstorm]

[ Tenpou watches, tracing his cheek and the right side of his jaw softly with his thumb while Kenren does that, keeping his touch very light. ]

[scatterproudly]

[ He pulls back and cranes his neck up to exhale the smoke after a long moment, watching it dissipate in the dark. ]

Thanks.

[ His voice comes out quieter, now that Tenpou is close. ]

[blossomstorm]

[ Now he takes a slow drag himself, shifting in his place to be more comfortable. When he speaks, he does so softly. ]

What for?

[scatterproudly]

[ Now is a good time for him to move that book out from under him, he closes it half-heartedly with a light 'thud' and slides it towards Tenpou for him to handle.

Then he folds his arms and rests down his head atop them. (His head, by the way, hates him very much right now and won't stop reminding him how utterly drunk he is at every little movement, but this is an attempt to mitigate that). ]

Hah... I was thinkin' of the smoke just now, but there's a lotta stuff. Don't make me list it.

[ He closes his eyes, smiling lazily. ]

[blossomstorm]

[ He takes the book and stretches his arm (more would be overkill), leaving it on the bedside table. Be thankful, he could have left it where it was and it might not have bothered them anyway because this bed really is too big. But he did say he would make an effort. ]

I don't want to make you do anything.

[scatterproudly]

Thaaaat's good, 'cause I'm pretty useless right now...

[blossomstorm]

...Well, you're not the only one.

[scatterproudly]

[ Opens one eye to look at him. ]

Yeah...?

[ Gojyo was completely useless as well, right now, for sure. But was that who Tenpou meant? ]