Kenren (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
scatterproudly) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
thenearshore2016-08-14 05:51 pm
scatterproudly) wrote in thenearshore2016-08-14 05:51 pm
[ OPEN ]
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. ]
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. ]
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[ Kenren pulls out a pack of cigarettes (the same brand as Gojyo's) from his pocket and lights one up. ]
So yeah, definitely not random. But that's to be expected, right? Weren't we assigned here by Amaterasu or something.
[ Oh, and there it is. So this was about Sanzo after all. ]
In my defense, he kinda forced me to do it. It was for the best, though, we really needed the help.
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He isn't smiling as he glances up the staircase again.]
No, he told me he forced you into it. To be honest, I was a little concerned about how you saw the matter....
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Were Hakkai and Sanzo close like Tenpou and Konzen, then? It would only make sense... ]
I don't mind it. [ He shrugs, noncommittal. ] None of us had our shinki with us at the time and we were stuck in the cafeteria with a monster.
Does he regret it?
[ If so, he should probably see about releasing him. ]
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[Hakkai's return shrug is tiny, barely a movement of his shoulders as he crosses his arms.]
It's just that it's a powerful bond, and I wondered how you felt about it.
[And, also: Sanzo hadn't spoken of it as if it were anything he planned to deal with. If he wants to act as though it's meaningless, and he bears his own burdens, that's his right, of course.
Hakkai just doesn't see why he has to follow the other shinki's lead.]
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[ It doesn't help that he can't figure out whether Hakkai is here to be protective of Sanzo, or the other way around.
Not that Kenren needs protecting, but if Hakkai is aware of how the whole naming ritual went down... well. ]
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Emotionally will do, unless he's been stinging you that badly.
[Not that Kenren needs Hakkai's protection; but Sanzo's enough of a loose cannon to worry him right now. Threatening gods into naming him, then insisting it's meaningless, for one thing.
If he's stinging them all under the facade of not caring, Hakkai feels like this might be a much more serious problem even than it appears.
(He wouldn't be sure from Elsa's behavior. He's been stinging her far too often himself.)]
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Not really. As for your question, I didn't really notice what was going on until recently... I mean, yeah, there's things going on, but it doesn't seem to be anything serious.
[ That, or Sanzo is really good at repressing his emotions, which he supposes is the case. ]
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Either it's not that bad, then, or Sanzo's techniques for keeping himself from blighting his gods are more effective than Hakkai's.
Which wouldn't really be a surprise.]
There's been something going on with him?
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On the other, Hakkai and Sanzo are... friends? Maybe? Which is more that can be said about his own relationship with the priest. ]
I guess? Nothing too serious, some aggressiveness and frustration? But I got the impression that's normal for him. [ This was all extrapolating from Konzen, but Hakkai didn't need to know that.
Just like he didn't need to know about Sanzo's... hormones. ]
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[Hakkai wouldn't go so far as to call Sanzo a friend. They've barely known each other for a month, after all. Acquaintance is as close as he can come.
And "junior shinki of the same god," which is what makes him feel responsible enough for the man to do things like this.
It grates oddly. It's become blatantly obvious that he and Sanzo knew each other somehow in life, but he doesn't know how, and he doesn't know what he might once have known about the other man. They can talk practicalities easily enough. Anything personal, though....
Well, that's at least half Hakkai's own fault.]
Is it a problem for you?
[It's not stinging, but he can certainly see how it would be distracting.]
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[ Having reached the top of the stairs, Kenren starts mechanically leading the way across the gardens, towards his actual temple. Hakkai said this wouldn't take long, but they're already all the way up here. Plus, he brought a housewarming gift and all, it wouldn't be nice to have it while they aren't inside the house, he figures. ]
How about him, though? Does he hate it?
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[More that he aggressively refuses to care whose shinki he might be; which, well, if it's working out for him, Hakkai doesn't see how that's reasonable but he supposes everyone copes with it in their own way.
He's not happy with anyone holding that kind of power over him, himself. Perhaps it makes it easier for Sanzo to think of the bonds as individually meaningless if he has enough of them.
Speculating about Sanzo's motives, he decides, is probably just going to leave him with a headache. He glances around, instead, raising his eyebrows in polite appreciation.]
You have a lovely garden.
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Haah, well. At least it's not personal? [ He's only half-joking. ]
Thanks, gotta say I'm pretty happy with the home they set up for me here, but at the same time it's way too big for just one person. I'm not used to this at all.
[ Which is why he wastes so much time sitting at the bottom of the stairs. A Kenren needs much more social interaction than what he can get by holing up up here. ]
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[It's a very large house indeed for one person. Hakkai's mostly startled by the one person part, though. He shoots Kenren a curious glance.]
... You don't have a shinki? Apart from Sanzo, that is.
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So, even if she's there, it doesn't always feel like she's there—if you know what I mean.
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[Is she one of those... strange shinki? Like the one that Gojyo has? And Sho's other, more silent one....
Hakkai eyes Kenren dubiously. He finds the very existence of those shinki disturbing. It's as if they lost more than just their memories in the process of becoming a shinki; as if they've lost who they are, too.]
I have seen a few of those around. It must be odd to share a household with one.
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Yeah, exactly like that, I thought they weren't that common?
I want to say that's reassuring, but it's exactly the opposite, tch. Any idea why they're like that?
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[Slowly, he shakes his head.]
I haven't the slightest idea why they're like that.
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Susano'o. That guy back yet? Goku said he'd gone missing and that's why he was staying with you guys.
[ Which, overall, wasn't so bad in itself. But the fact that Goku was under the care of someone who didn't seem to care that much about him really got his blood pumping.
Meanwhile, Kenren keeps naturally leading the way through the gardens and now into his house. It's nowhere as opulent or gaudy as Gojyo's, but it does feel like it's entirely too big for one (and a half?) people. At least the sunlight and the prevalent greenery give it a cozy atmosphere. ]
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[On the subject of Susano'o, Hakkai's tone becomes subtly -- but deeply -- judgmental. It's ignoring his responsibilities to his shinki, for one thing. It's the way he'd made a violent move towards the boy for chattering. The megalomanic self-interest is a problem, too, but not the sort of one Hakkai would necessarily judge him for.]
For my own part, I don't mind Goku staying with us as long as he'd like to. Elsa is his god too, after all.
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On the upside, it sounded like he wasn't the only one who disapproved of that jerk. ]
Huh, really?
... So Konzen's his... what? Third god, now?
[ Kenren was aware of how some gods here were uncomfortable with the concept of noras, but he himself couldn't care less what that meant for the shinki's "reputation"... It didn't matter as long as they'd made the choice for themselves. ]
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[It's not as if Kenren seems to have a problem with noras to begin with, not if he's willing to keep Sanzo's name. On the other hand, there is something about the "now" that makes Hakkai wonder if Goku's loyalty is being impugned. He might as well ask.
(Sanzo, ater all, can take care of himself. Goku's good-natured enough that Hakkai feels no shame about indulging his protective impulses.)]
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[ Hakkai's question could hardly be phrased in a more polite way, but there's a certain edge to the tone that leaves Kenren at a loss. ]
That's Goku's business and nobody else's.
[ Well, that's a bit of a lie, of course it's Kenren's business too because he cares a lot about the kid, but he's not about to barge into his life and tell him who he's allowed to work with and not. ]
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[Hakkai nods briefly, crossing his arms.]
Some gods feel it is their business who shinki serve. Since you're an associate of Konzen's, I just thought I'd make sure.
[... and that might be a little too rudely direct, but Kenren seems to be the type who would appreciate a direct approach. At least it's worth a try.]
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Kenren, I've been looking for it but I just can't find it. Where did you leave your lighter—
[ And then he actually opens his eyes and sees Kenren, with Hakkai. Oh. Maybe he shouldn't have left the room in just his underwear and an open shirt.
...Well, what's done is done. ]
Ah, I didn't know you had visitors. Good morning, Hakkai.
[ It's still late afternoon, though. ]
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