[ OPEN ]

[scatterproudly]

Who: Kenren and YOU
What: Wine, freedom and... not fertility, fortunately. // Being a loser who hides in trees.
When: April 8th - 14th
Where: Outside Liber's temple // Outside Menrva's temple
Warnings: Casual drinking, will update if anything else comes up!


April 8th - 15th, Outside Liber's Temple

[ Kenren likes people-watching and unfortunately, since his temple is at the top of a hill and not exactly accessible, it's hard for him to do that from the comfort of his own home. As a result, it's not strange to find him sitting at the bottom of the stairs that lead up to his temple with a jar of sake that he uses to refill a cup every now and then. Sometimes he does nothing but sit and observe the occasional passerby, sometimes he's reading a book or fiddling with his phone... whatever the case, if you happen to make eye-contact with him he'll happily (shamelessly) wave at you. Feel free to approach your friendly neighborhood loser for introductions or, conversely, come judge him for his questionable habits. ]

---

April 13th, Outside Menrva's Temple

[ Kenren had noticed something peculiar going on with his emotions. At first he thought it was just his own messed-upness over the fact that he was alive once more and a god once more and trapped in Corrupt Heaven once more. But no... these emotions were too sudden, too random to make any kind of sense at all. And just like they came, they would also go pretty quickly, leaving him pretty confused.

Until, around the 11th, they started being a little less easy to ignore and making Kenren start to theorize if this all had to do with the shinki he'd named during the school attack. It didn't click at first because his own soulless shinki never gave him any "trouble", but this was how these relationships were supposed to function, right? Humans had emotions and their gods were supposed to feel them...

He'd said he would stay as far as possible from their maybe-reincarnations, just to play things safe, but this morning things had started getting pretty unbearable (even for his own standards). He still had no idea what kind of relationship he was supposed to have with Sanzo, especially considering all the complications involved, but what he did know was that he wasn't the kind of person who could calmly ignore somebody else's intense emotional turmoil.

And so, he did what any self-respecting former general would do: he headed out to Menrva's temple, found the bushiest and sturdiest-looking tree in the vicinity and climbed it to settle somewhat comfortably in one of the branches. Ambush? No, this was nothing of the sort. It was simply taking necessary measures to avoid being seen by the other residents of the temple while still being able to keep an eye on their movements in order to approach Sanzo at the best possible time.

Hopefully no one will be around to hear his stomach growling loudly after an hour or so has passed, it would absolutely be a shame for his flawless cover to be blown like that. ]

---

[CLOSED TO SANZO]

April 14th, Outside Menrva's Temple

[ Anyone in their right mind would think that if your super stealthy strategy to wait for Sanzo to emerge from the temple had failed once it might be smarter to come up with a different one, but Kenren doesn't know enough about his shinki to think of a better plan. And so, for the second day in a row, he climbs up the tree outside the temple and begins the wait (one could even think he finds this sort of thing fun).

At least today he was smart enough to bring a couple of snacks. ]

Comments

April 12th, late afternoon

[reformedsinner]

[Hakkai had found himself debating whether he even wanted to have this conversation enough times: yes, of course it's Sanzo's business and not his, just as the name Gojyo had left on Sanzo is also not his business.

Sanzo, however, is not displaying an excellent track record of handling his own situation sensibly, and so, Hakkai finally stops himself mid-debate, packs a plate of meatbuns as a guest gift (and an excuse) and starts out to find Kenren's temple.

It's a relief, as he approaches, to see that Kenren's hanging out on the steps at the bottom of the startlingly long staircase to a distant hilltop garden. It'll be easier, for one thing, to retreat from this conversation if he has to, he thinks, and heads for the stairs.]

Good afternoon! Excuse me -- do you happen to have a few minutes to talk? There's something I've been meaning to speak to you about....

[scatterproudly]

[ The familiar voice is enough of a warning for Kenren to know what to expect when he looks up from his phone, but his face still spells Confusion and Uncertainty. There's a number of topics this could be about, but they're all more or less equally ominous.

Still, after a second he manages to change his expression into a friendlier smile. ]

Heyyy, yeah, I'm not busy. [ A short pause. ] Is it... something you'd rather discuss more privately? [ He tilts his head, gesturing towards his temple. ]

[reformedsinner]

It's really nothing serious!

[Hakkai glances out at the path: still, they're not alone here, and Kenren's offer isn't a bad one. It's not that Sanzo seems particularly ashamed of his new name-collecting habit. It's simply that Hakkai's not sure how widely he wants any information on that spread.

He smiles politely, lifting the plate.]

But perhaps we should speak elsewhere? Ah, it's late for this, I know, but I brought by a little housewarming gift.

[scatterproudly]

[ Kenren stares at the plate a little. Ah, that's right... Hakkai had helped him in the kitchen, after all.

They're almost 100% sure this group is made up of their future incarnations, but Hakkai being essentially the same soul as Tenpou is something he still can't come to terms with. Sure, they're very similar on a superficial level, but anything beyond that... ]

Oh, hey! Thanks! [ After stuffing his phone inside his pocket, he stands up, takes the plate and picks up his sake. ] And yeah, we can talk elsewhere. I hope you don't mind stairs.

[reformedsinner]

Not at all! You do seem to have quite a few of them, though, don't you?

[Hakkai glances up, and up, the endless staircase.]

Are you perhaps the god of aerobic exercise?

[It would sound like an absolutely genuine question, except that the glint in Hakkai's eyes is a little too innocently curious.

But what would another version of Gojyo be the god of? If they're the same soul, he can't shake the sense that they should either be the same god, or that something is deeply wrong with the Heavens. Something being deeply wrong with the Heavens, of course, is not news. But speculation about that isn't what he's here for; he's curious, but it's just small talk until they're far enough up the staircase that he can bring up the subject of Sanzo.]

April 8th ish

[blindfoldcode]

[Huh. Kido recognized this guy. She met him during school, she thinks? She's normally the kind of person to pass by without acknowledging people, but she'll pause here.]

Waiting to corrupt people?

[No, Kido. That might be you trying to joke but it's actually very rude holy shit. Either way it won't be a surprise if he doesn't recognize her considering she has gone back to her oversized clothing and androgynous ways.]

[scatterproudly]

[ It does take him a moment to recognize her, but her comment helps him make the connection. He flashes her a grin. ]

S'up! Lookin' to be corrupted?

[blindfoldcode]

[Oh good he took that well.]

I thought you'd avoid corrupting kids? [She scuffs at the ground, stuffing hands in her pockets, but she's joking. She thinks.]

[scatterproudly]

I won't go around offering, but what if it's the kids who want to go down that path? Isn't it my obligation as a god to answer their prayers?! [ He poses, somewhat dramatically.

And then, completely deadpan: ]

Or something like that.

Outside Liber's temple, April 10th

[blossomstorm]

[ Tenpou comes walking the old-fashioned way, and waves back at him easily when their eyes meet. He's not here for introductions or judging, though... He's here for lunch, as agreed. Never mind that it's almost 6PM. He's also carrying a couple of books under his arm. ]

[scatterproudly]

[ Kenren did not expect him to be on time for lunch, but that doesn't mean he won't nag him about it. ]

You're late.

[blossomstorm]

Sorry, sorry. I found a book on famous fast-food chains and their history, and I couldn't tear myself away... Did you know that McNuggets come in only four specific shapes?

[ Are they sitting here or heading upstairs (ha ha)? ]

[scatterproudly]

What... shapes are those?

[ They're heading upstairs, as soon as Tenpou is close enough Kenren gets up and gestures for him to follow him up. ]

April 14, in a tree

[killsthebuddha]

[ Kenren is being super stealthy. The stealthiest.

Except Sanzo's a paranoid fucker with a sense for when he's being watched. He's also had a feud with an archer while he's at it, though he sure as hell can tell the difference in intent. He wasn't dealing with that shit yesterday, but today is something else.

With a single-minded, surprisingly level focus, he lets himself be seen in the library window once while picking out his target before practically vanishing. For all that he doesn't have any of the neat tricks that gods and false gods seem to be given, he's downright uncanny about getting places unseen when he wants to be.

It's better not to question how he settles on one of the lower branches of the tree before he makes himself known. Someone in a monk's robes shouldn't be able to pull that off, but Sanzo's resolved not to question things like that. ] Looking for something?

[ It's practically polite. No gun in hand or anything. ]

[scatterproudly]

[ The last thing Kenren was expecting was for somebody else to show up all of a sudden in the middle of his perfect hiding spot, so he lets out an undignified yelp and hugs the branch he's sitting in with both arms and legs. ]

W-What the fuck, when did you get here?!

[ And then, once his brain has started to process the identity of the intruder, he adds: ]

Genjo Sanzo?

[killsthebuddha]

[ There's nothing smug about his expression, but that's not to say he's not in some obscure way. So maybe, just maybe, Sanzo has a sense of humor.

Really, Kenren deserved this. ]

Not long. [ He might as well admit it with a shrug. Shifting on his perch, he leans against the trunk of the tree and fishes out his cigarettes. ] Look down next time.

[scatterproudly]

[ Kenren glares at him in silence for a little longer, completely unamused. But hey, at least they can talk now. ]

I was looking down, just not particularly at that branch. [ He doesn't even bother to sit up properly again, it's easier to look down at Sanzo like this... if... not the most cool-loking pose. ]

I'd like to talk.

9th? I guess??? idk who cares

[onerous]

[Look, Kenren said he's help train her and while Yuri's not sure if he even remembers that (or if he's hoping she doesn't remember), she's determined to see it through.

She wants to help people, and she can't do that running and hiding from attacking demon things.

And yet Yuri still hesitates when Kenren spots her and raises his hand in greeting. It's with a mildly sheepish expression that she raises her own back before crossing over to speak to him.]

What are you doing down here? [Honestly she half-expected to find him in a tree again or something.]

[scatterproudly]

Chilling, people watching, greeting the neighbors. Most people are too lazy to go all the way up to say hi, you know?

[ For the record, this isn't Yurishaming. More like the opposite. ]

Up for some training?

[ The truth is he still has no idea what he's even supposed to teach her, but Kenren is, after all, a man of his word!! ]

[onerous]

[Yuri's eyes narrow just slightly, suspicion on if that was supposed to be a sly dig at herself or something, but then h's mentioning the training and Yuri decides it doesn't matter. Honestly climbing those stairs is a hassle, okay? He's not wrong.

Her shoulders slump a little in relief] Oh, you remembered. [What confidence she has in Kenren.]

But yeah, I'm ready as I'll ever be, I suppose. I didn't think I'd be hearing something like that again... [Ah she misses Hisoka. Too bad training with Hisoka didn't prepare her for this though.] What weapons do you know how to use?

[scatterproudly]

Was I not supposed to? [ Now he is indeed teasing, but she should be getting used to it by now.

(If not, she should work on that.) ]

I'm most proficient with a gun, but I can use a sword too, if necessary.

[ He stands up, dusts off his pants and gestures towards his temple, we're heading up now. ] There's also my fists and my legs—not the best weapon when you're going for long rage, but they're very satisfyin' to use.

April 13, evening

[bon_bon]

[ He's not sure why it vexes him so much. The way the idiot just runs away from his problems, as if somehow he could pretend they don't exist. Shinki don't always confront things head-on, given the touchy nature of their memories, but Konzen suspects this is more to do with that dumbass's way of dealing with bullshit.

Konzen has been somewhat put-off since that whole encounter. He walks toward his temple, eager to just wash up and read a book or something mundane. His path takes him in front of someone else's temple though, and there he sees an idiot of a different sort, hanging out with a cup of sake. He stops. ]

Kenren.

[scatterproudly]

Evenin'!

[ He gestures at Konzen to come closer. Hopefully he is in the mood for hanging around, because Kenren isn't planning to let him off the hook easily. ]

How's the godly life treating you so far? [ This is funny because they were gods before too. Please appreciate his lame jokes. ]

[bon_bon]

[ He stands there for a moment hesitating. And then Kenren asks such a ridiculous question, Konzen figures he ought to just sit down and marvel in their combined absurd states of being. The step is big enough to accommodate both. ]

It's not boring, [ he says with a snort. But that doesn't make it an improvement, either. ]

[scatterproudly]

[ Kenren smiles even wider when Konzen decides to sit down, he scoots to the side to make room so they can both have plenty of space. ]

Well, that's something at least. Better or worse than your previous life, would you say?