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"no it's alright, I'll just answer now. I'm not looking for anything in a haka because...let's just say I don't find them attractive." He said. It was much easier to say these kinds of things to a complete stranger than someone you knew your entire life. Ren just wondered what Shi's reply would be.

Ren nodded simply in reply. "I've known for a long time. Since when I was about ten...I feel guilty because I seem to be infatuated with my half-brother..." He then paused. "my mother doesn't know, well not my real one. I'm not related to him so why should I tell him anything? and not any of my real family knows because it's too hard to tell them. I don't want any trouble, I'm afraid that they will see me differently once they knew..."

Tensa also found himself in an area he wasn't known for loitering in. Wide open meadows, nature everywhere, it wasn't where he had known to spend time in. However, recently, he found himself increasingly distracted at his shop, so he ventured out to other locales to see if he could find a nice quiet place to persue his passions.

Tensa was a craftsman. Not of clothing or jewlery, or piddly things like that, he was more fond of mechanics, of constructing useful things. He dabbled in the recreational as well, but his true passion were clocks. Yes, clocks.

Knowing full well most hanze went by the sun to determine time, he used his clocks for specific measurements, to determine just how long something took to do. They were somehow very accurate, with springs and gears and pendulums, unless they were tampered with, his clocks kept marvelous time.

Highly reflective eyes shifted as motions near the grass distracted him from forcing a particularly stubborn spring into place. An older gehaka was passing by, snipping flowers and placing them in a basket. Almost before realizing it, Tensa noticed he did not have on bracers. He assumed this gehaka must have been widowed.

Standing, Tensa stopped to squint as a large mosquito flew past him toward the gehaka. Without thinking, Tensa whipped out a smooth arm and caught the nuisance before it had a chance to land, swatting it to the earth and briskly stepping on it. He smiled at the gehaka, looking him with silver eyes. Most unusually though, the gehaka's reflection was all that could be seen from them.
"Good morning." Tensa said cordially, nodding his head graciously.

Something about this Gehaka caught Tensa's interest. Both dark ears were cocked toward him, as he had the haka's full attention. It was almost as though he'd seen him around before somewhere, but couldn't quite place it. Well, when one lived in the city, lost of gehaka and haka became regular sights. Still...

Tensa shifted his weight onto one leg as he looked Amikai over once more. "If you don't mind, can I ask a small favor of you?" Tensa asked, "It won't take but a moment." He added afterward, knowing this gehaka must have been working.

"Delightful!" He exclaimed, folding slender hands together. It almost was as though he were expecting the Gehaka to refuse, which to this point, they never had. He just so disliked soliciting others for help, it made him feel useless, which Tensa spent a lot of time reenforcing that he was not.

Tensa motioned for the older gehaka to follow him, leading him off a short ways to where he had his materials set up on a blanket in the grass. A half finished clock was in the center of the mess, looking rather disemboweled, with springs and gears hanging out.
"My name is Riyuyi Tensa, I own a repair shop in the city. I make clocks as well, but this most recent one is a little larger to what i'm used to, and I can't quite get this spring into place."

Tensa lifted the clock easily in one hand and motioned to the offending part, pointing out the crafted notch the thick coil was supposed to fit into.
"Do you think you can manage it?"

He looked hopefully up at the Gehaka, not seeming to find it odd at all the gehaka's voice was thick and gravely.

Tensa watched the dark skinned Gehaka with interest. He hadn't seen one with such coloration before, and he was still trying to place this one in his mind. Ethnicity, or something familiar to him. Under the heat of the sun, the haka's ears went a little limp, but he did not seem too bothered, or if he was, he didn't openly display it. The clock was taken from him, rolling out of his fingers and into the sure grip of the working hanze.

"What brings you out to the meadows today?" He asked, making small conversation as the gehaka handled his clock. He saw the basket of flowers, but that could mean anything. He could be gathering them to court a haka, as a task sent of him by someone, it could be because he worked at a flower shop, or even if he just wanted to.

He just seemed so...nonchalant. Neither displaying unhappiness or eagerness. Perhaps it just came with age. Tensa studied the gehaka's hair momentarily, admiring the grey streaks that indicated premature color loss. For some reason it facinated him. Older gehaka really did. He wanted to know his story.

With a satisfying click of metal hitting metal, the spring fit into place. Mirror like eyes darted down to his handiwork, to see the thick spring right where it needed to be. A pleased smile drifted across his face.
"Thank you."

Ah, that was what Tensa was waiting for. A proper introduction. For some reason, Tensa found he much preferred getting to know those he interacted with. He was just inquisitive overall. Everything was so very facinating.

He timidly reached out to Amikai as the gehaka stood and picked a fox tail free of his hair. It was also an excuse to thread his fingers into the multicolored strands, which were not dissappointing in texture. He pulled out the little weed bit and let it fall to the grass.

Little social blunders like that passed Tensa right by, so enraptured was he by his focus. In sharp contrast to most haka, he tilted his head in a quizzical manner. "Offense?"

A beat later he waved his hand,
"Think nothing of it." Indeed, this Gehaka was unfalliably polite, no use making a fuss, and he did assist him sucessfully. The clock shone in the light, metal parts glinting.
"Muruyama Amikai; maiden name?"

Yes, he was stalling the exotic gehaka from his work, and no, he was not ashamed about it. Internally, he was searching for an excuse to stay with the gehaka, but not anger whoever he was working for.

Shi nodded and looked as the grass waved in the wind, "Well, at least you're true to yourself, Ren... regardless of what others think of you, you can never go wrong when you know what your heart is telling you is true..." (Who's the philosopher now? xd ) "You shouldn't feel guilty, but embrace what you feel without shame... I'm not going to get into the fact that these feelings are for your half-brother. I don't know what to say about it."

"I know now. Am I treating you differently?" Shi asked, shrugging. He hoped he hadn't acted different. He was trying to handle the rare situation rationally.