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 Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2008 5:53 pm
Setsushi does not know how Kumoru truly felt, as humans do not show their emotions as readily as Porcelain do -- or at least, Setsushi is not so skilled at reading them yet. But he did not seem angry... and he did say he hoped Kouyo would soon grow well and return to work.
Setsushi tuts at Kouyo for chewing the cut, then shoos him off towards the shower and begins to cook.
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Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2008 6:53 pm
[ ... ]
Some minutes later, two bowls of udon, one medium-size and one huge, are done, steaming hot and with fine layers of filmy grease on top. Setsushi settles into a chair with chopsticks and spoon, ready to demolish his own.
Is Kouyo done? Dinner is already ready~
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Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2008 7:10 pm
Kouyo emerges from the bathroom a few minutes later, dressed and brushing his hair. He managed to get it surprisingly dry on his own this time; in spite of how utterly sick and broken he felt, the priest had been able to do well enough with his magic for that simple task, at least.
He goes behind the screen to fetch one of his blankets from his nest, and wraps himself up in that before settling down at the table in front of the other bowl of noodles. Then he picks up his own utensils, and thanks his friend for the meal before starting to prod at the food a little.
... Kouyo supposes he feels a little bit better now. Just hungry and very tired. Also still very anxious, but he does not mention that; it is probably obvious enough just watching him.
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Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2008 7:23 pm
Setsushi smiles at Kouyo, sending a warm feeling towards him. If Kouyo is hungry, he had better eat up~ Setsushi specially prepared this dish to make Kouyo full and sleepy, and put a little bit more fat on his bones.
Because Kouyo must sleep; two bad nights right after each other aren't allowed. And Kouyo needs to rest well in order to do well at work, doesn't he? And the faster he works, the sooner he will be done.
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Posted: Wed Dec 24, 2008 12:53 am
The priest nods and sips at the broth, wincing a little as the salt bothers his little wound. He will try to eat all of it, then.
Kouyo is not going to work tomorrow, though. Or probably for several days. Kumoru will not want to see him, and the Porcelain is not sure he wishes to see the human right away, either. He was quite improper with the necromancer.
His stomach turns a little with anxiety and disgust with himself, and so Kouyo sets his spoon aside, then stands and goes to measure Setsushi's house again.
... The storage room has been coming along well, though, he tells his friend in hopes of changing the subject. Master Whitestone visited him once, briefly, to promise to give him some sort of electric dust-sucking machine to help make the job easier; while he is obviously not looking forward to seeing the shop owner again, Kouyo is curious about the device and how it would work and how much quicker it will make the cleaning....
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Posted: Wed Dec 24, 2008 1:44 am
Setsushi peers at Kouyo, blinking with confusion. Setsushi cannot claim to know what Kouyo feels better than Kouyo does... but the human did say that he hoped Kouyo would come back soon. In fact, Setsushi thinks he was supposed to contact Kumoru to let him know that Kouyo is feeling better...
Setsushi brushes away the change of topic with a heavy, almost physical firmness, and lays his utensils down. He asks directly, but not quite insistently: What in the worlds happened between them? Kouyo does not have to tell Setsushi, but Setsushi feels like he is being kept in the dark about something...
Can Kouyo tell Setsushi anything else?
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Posted: Wed Dec 24, 2008 8:24 am
Kouyo goes to measure the room the other direction, quiet except for fear and anxiety that quicken his steps. To buy himself more time, he tells Setsushi that there is a lot to explain, and that perhaps it is not talk for the dinner table.
Just tell him. Tell him everything. Now or later, whenever he finds out, he will cast you out or kill you. He is your friend. You both will suffer less if you are honest.
The priest finally returns to his seat and goes back to his soup, eating it slowly and not looking up at his friend. He begs his friend's patience with him, because this has to do with the agonizing madness of being a broken husband - Kouyo has great difficulty even thinking about any of it. And he also fears injuring Setsushi. The High Priest is frightened by his own growing insanity, but is also beginning to believe that the understanding of another may be the best medicine, so he does not have to continue to suffer alone.
But he will not force anything upon Setsushi if his precious friend does not wish to know.
Kouyo breaks down crying as he works on eating his udon. He will finish his dinner first, because he deeply appreciates everything his friend has done for him.
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Posted: Wed Dec 24, 2008 2:18 pm
And Setsushi will not force Kouyo to tell him anything if he does not want to reveal it, but he believes he must know more in order to effectively help Kouyo. And he once again reassures Kouyo that he need not fear Setsushi; there is nothing, nothing Kouyo could say or do that would provoke Setsushi to violence or end their friendship.
With that, Setsushi falls silent and finishes his own food, leaving Kouyo to his own thoughts for the most part, though sending an occasional affectionate or comforting feeling towards him.
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Posted: Wed Dec 24, 2008 4:36 pm
Kouyo makes an effort to calm himself, but still sniffles into his soup as he works on eating it. He takes his time eating, and cannot quite finish everything before he fills himself up. Though he remains fairly anxious, the priest's thoughts gradually become a little more quiet and resigned.
As he reaches the last of the noodles and tries to determine if he has room for them or the greasy broth, Kouyo hesitantly admits to Setsushi that he has started to think of his friend as something akin to a spouse as well. He hopes it is not too awkward for this little fledgling to say so. But back in the Golden World, the Knight was really the only one who came to see Kouyo and not just the High Priest. The younger Porcelain always looked forward to Setsushi's visits. And now here in Gaia, he was going through such great pains to take care of him....
Setsushi has been much more of a constant in Kouyo's life than anyone else, certainly his wife. He is deeply thankful that he at least has one friend. Kouyo smiles weakly and glances up at the Knight, projecting a feeling of hope that his maiden friend gains some happiness from Kouyo's presence, even though he has been such trouble.
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Posted: Wed Dec 24, 2008 6:01 pm
Setsushi smiles nervously, though he sends a warm feeling to Kouyo. The human Whitestone made that joke as well, didn't he...
Setsushi cares deeply for Kouyo, and they do support each other like spouses do sometimes, but still, Setsushi can't help thinking that their love is quite different from that between mates. And not just in the obvious way -- the throne of Setsushi's heart is still cold and empty, and likewise, Setsushi can never be Kouyo's only, can he?
And so Setsushi will do everything he can to reunite Kouyo with the one he really needs, or if that is impossible, cure him. Seeing his friend suffer is really quite painful for Setsushi as well--
... Kouyo doesn't have to make himself finish everything, he knows.
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Posted: Wed Dec 24, 2008 6:47 pm
Kouyo also fidgets a little. Master Whitestone did, but... Kouyo had no intent to insult like the human had.
Setsushi is right, though, that it is different, but not entirely. Though he admits that it may just be more difficult for him to differentiate because he is close to so few people. He blushes faintly and hastily adds that of course Kouyo cannot make Setsushi his alone - perhaps in his madness he considered it, but only because the profound emptiness he feels at being married but broken is more than he can stand sometimes. He would not dream of being so selfish as to actually do such a thing.
Still... Kouyo hopes that his friend will not mind or be too upset if he must rely on Setsushi for the emotional support his wife cannot provide. At the very least until the priest has found more friends. All of this would be so much easier if he had not been kept in such isolation.
He is not sure if he can ever see his wife again - his visions have led him to some troubling possible presents and futures. And even if he does find her, Kouyo doubts it will change the fact that she cannot bond with him. He sighs heavily, wrapping up a little more in his blanket as he sits back from the table. He seems to be a bit more at ease after the meal, but he still sinks into a bit of a troubled quiet.
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Posted: Wed Dec 24, 2008 6:59 pm
Setsushi nods and listens quietly. He then reaffirms that he will do whatever he can to help his dear friend Kouyo -- he cannot be his wife, no, but he can give support, some worthless advice, companionship and sympathy in dark and lonely times.
... ... ... But, wait: why does Kouyo say his wife cannot bond with him? Setsushi puzzles a moment... then quickly retracts the question as he imagines scenarios, and privately mulls over his churning thoughts.
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Posted: Wed Dec 24, 2008 7:12 pm
Kouyo had already more or less made up his mind to tell Setsushi finally, though a part of him hoped that he would not ask. If he is living at Setsushi's side now, as he could only dream of doing back when he was trapped in his birdcage, it will be even more difficult to withhold his secret forever. Perhaps it is the price he has to pay to be able to live now with Setsushi at his side, and away from all the confining restrictions of the Golden World. Now seems as good a time as any, especially since the priest begins to cry almost as soon as Setsushi asks the question.
"It was a human hand that stripped the flowers from these branches," he tells his friend quietly, his voice shaking. And then he hides his face in the blankets. Kouyo dearly hopes Setsushi will not judge him harshly.
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Posted: Wed Dec 24, 2008 7:20 pm
Setsushi had been imagining something entirely different, and for a few moments he just stares at Kouyo, trying to process this.
... Gathering his wits, shutting his mouth and drawing in a subset of his thoughts and feelings behind a wall, his brow furrows and he looks at Kouyo with confusion and perhaps a bit of distress -- disgust?
"How? Why?" Who? would be the next logical thing to ask, but Setsushi bites his tongue before that comes out.
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Posted: Wed Dec 24, 2008 11:48 pm
Kouyo keeps his face hidden and does not look at Setsushi as he continues to weep. He tells his friend weakly that he did it because he had fallen in love with her. She had given him hope and Kouyo of Two Years Prior had found himself utterly entranced by both her strength and beauty. And so when she desired his body as well, Kouyo had permitted her to take all of him.
The High Priest's thoughts of his love for his wife are shaped differently than the love for Setsushi he had spoken of before, the former more like jagged shards of glass. Still, he clings to them as well, in spite of how obviously the pieces hurt him inside. He tells Setsushi that he knows now that it was a terrible mistake, that his friend had been correct about humans, but that he is the same as any broken husband who now must be loved or die.
He pulls his legs up onto the chair and hugs his knees to his chest, wrapping up in the blankets and shying away from the older Porcelain slightly. Hesitantly, he projects a desire to be held, touched, anything - Setsushi does still love him, yes? If not, Kouyo understands... and would like it if his friend at the very least gave him the pleasure of dying by his swords.
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