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 Posted: Tue Dec 02, 2008 3:39 am
Kouyo sits in one of the chairs by the wall in the public half of Setsushi's house, with his head in his hands and a cold damp cloth against the gradually-healing bump over his eye. He had briefly considered trying to heal it the day before, but decided that he was not steady of mind enough at the moment to do such delicate magic, and so had chosen to let it heal naturally to avoid giving himself a black eye or something.
He had already done his daily measurements of Setsushi's house, hence why he just sort of wanted to sit quietly now. The High Priest still gives off a vague feeling of anxiety as he sits there, though, listening to his head pound.
Outside, Jilan shuffles up to the door with his brother in tow, and knocks lightly. He currently has one of Xiao Huo's doll's seated on his shoulder, and his zither in its case on his back.
Both of the younger Porcelain had ridden in with their father on the bus to work, and spent about half an hour at the used book store before Xiao Huo got unmanageably bored. Fortunately, they had been planning on coming by the udon-ya anyway, as Kumoru had said that he had some sort of appointment with Setsushi and Kouyo, and had wanted the boys to go ahead.
Xiao Huo bounces alongside his big brother, glad that he does not have to spend all day in the book store. He could not read anything, and most of the books did not seem to have pictures anyway. Even his dolls thought it was boring.
Also, if he was visiting Setsushi again, maybe Xiao Huo could try again to see if there was a way home. He was big enough that he probably knew everything.
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Posted: Tue Dec 02, 2008 4:08 am
Setsushi looks up from his not terribly successful attempt to cook molasses-cakelets at the sound of the knock. He frowns, glances at Kouyo, then wipes his hands on the cafe apron he is wearing and goes to answer.
By the time he is peering down at the boys from the doorway, though, he has put on a kind smile. "Welcome," he says, "Jilan, Xiao Huo." They should come in quickly, before they get cold.
Setsushi apologizes, as he was hoping to have some sweets ready for them, but... sweatdrop
As he herds them inside, he indicates them to Kouyo and Kouyo to the boys; he does not remember how well-acquainted they are...
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Posted: Tue Dec 02, 2008 4:22 am
Kouyo glances up at Jilan.
Jilan glances over at Kouyo.
... Kouyo looks back down at the table.
... Yes, they have met, but only very briefly. Perhaps Setsushi could introduce them better? sweatdrop
The High Priest does not think he knows the younger child, though. He looks up again and smiles faintly, offering a greeting to both children along with a vague assurance that he will be more fun when his head stops hurting.
Xiao Huo waves to the High Priest, projecting cheerful greetings of his own.
... Does Xiao Huo smell sweets~?
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Posted: Tue Dec 02, 2008 4:26 am
Setsushi's smile gets a little nervous, but he explains to Jilan and Xiao Huo that this is his dear friend Kouyo. Kouyo is not feeling well today, so perhaps they should keep things a little quiet, for his benefit.
He nods to Xiao Huo. Setsushi was trying to make little cakes... he was frustrated that everything in Gaia seems to be jammed full of ice-cream and whipped-cream and all kind of other horrible things that make Setsushi sick, and so he picked out this recipe; it doesn't have anything in it Setsushi can't eat. But... ... ... well, the results don't look much like the photographs in the book at all...
He glances over at the sad little black blobs and scratches his cheek shamefully.
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Posted: Tue Dec 02, 2008 4:54 am
Xiao Huo walks over to peer at the cakes, and, after a moment, picks one up and taps it experimentally against the countertop.
He thinks he is hungry for a toast instead confused
Does Setsushi have an angry tummy, too, then? Xiao Huo's gets angry a lot. Only his mommy knows how to make lots of foods that are happy for his stomach.
Setting his zither case down on one of the chairs, Jilan climbs into the other seat across from Kouyo and fidgets, expressing shy concern. Will he be alright when Kumoru comes by this evening?
Kouyo huddles a little closer to the wall and assures everyone that he will be fine in a few days. And he thinks he is ready to receive the mage today, as long as Setsushi is.
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Posted: Tue Dec 02, 2008 4:59 am
Setsushi watches Kouyo with a concerned expression, but nods his assent.
As Setsushi gets ready to toast some bread, he explains to Xiao Huo that it's not really that Setsushi has an angry tummy, but... well, his body is like an old man's, and he can't eat a lot of a things that kids can. But when he cooks his own food, he's all right. Perhaps when Xiao Huo is older, he can-- work on his cooking skills for the same purpose?
Setsushi had almost suggested that Xiao Huo ask his mother to teach him, but he caught himself...
Shaking off those thoughts, he asks Jilan, casually, how the mage is doing. What is it like, living with Kumoru? ... And such an intimidating spirit? sweatdrop
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Posted: Tue Dec 02, 2008 5:16 am
The boy follows Setsushi around, arms crossed to hug his dolls to his chest. He would have to learn from someone, though, and his mommy is the best cook in the whole wide world... except Gaia is in a different whole wide world. He would not know who could teach him, so he would have to go home first.
And Setsushi is not an old man. He doesn't have half as many wrinkles as his great-aunt. He makes a face, presumably in imitation of this scary old woman, then forces a small giggle. Xiao Huo almost misses her, too. Almost.
The older boy watches his younger brother with a bit of concern, then shrugs at Setsushi's question. It is different than last time. Kumoru is different than last time. There are more children around the home, though, which is nice, in a way, though it still kind of intimidates Jilan a bit to have 3 other siblings around other than Xiao Huo.
His little brother keeps describing the bunch of them like they're a whole bunch of crazy Sorcerers or something, which Jilan finds amusing. They sort of are in a way, he supposes, but Kumoru is really the only one studying magic.
... What spirit?
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Posted: Tue Dec 02, 2008 5:41 am
Setsushi nods slowly at Xiao Huo, smiling though his brow betrays a touch of sadness.
When the boy's toast is done, Setsushi puts it on a plate and carries it over to the table. ... He steps back to the kitchen to grab one of the blobs before pulling up a fourth chair for himself and... tentatively tasting the 'cakie' or whatever they are called. He makes a strange face, but he decides it is edible after all, and Setsushi had better eat them so Kouyo won't have to. sweatdrop
... Ah, yes. The 'spirit' was Madame "Lucretia," who did correct him and tell him she was not really a spirit. Is she one of Jilan's 'siblings'? What is the rest of the family like?
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Posted: Tue Dec 02, 2008 5:57 am
Xiao Huo starts to look sad, too, as he follows Setsushi over to the table. He climbs into a chair beside his brother and starts nibbling at his toast.
Lucretia is very nice. Xiao Huo is not allowed outside by himself because he is little and Gaia is very very big. Whenever he wants to go places and Jilan is busy, Lucretia goes with him. Secretly, he wants to learn magic from her. He wants her to be his Chaos so he can open up a door back home with magic. Or help Kumoru do it.
Kouyo sets the damp cloth aside and rests his chin on his hands, glancing over at Setsushi's cakes. He wonders what all went into them, and hopes his friend does not get sick. Although they probably turned out better than if Kouyo had tried to make them.
Then he turns his attention back to Jilan, remaining silent to see what the boy had to say.
Lucretia is their one sister, yes. She is the youngest one, even though she looks older. Jilan tries to explain that she apparently grows... down. Like. Towards the floor. Very strange creatures live on Gaia. She apparently does help Kumoru with his magic, but Jilan knows that she is not the source of it.
His other two brothers are more normal in comparison. Donat is the oldest one, and he has brown fur and little horns - Jilan holds his hands up behind his ears with his index fingers pointing backwards as he tries to project his best rendering of the goat-boy. The younger boy, Bhel, also has horns, but they point more to the sides and up than backwards, and they are also red. The Porcelain also attempts to project an image of Bhel, too, with his bull-like legs and shiny red hooves.
... It's an interesting group sweatdrop
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Posted: Tue Dec 02, 2008 6:00 am
... Interesting family, yes. That's all Setsushi can think to reply as he tries to eat the rest of the cakie before it crumbles into dust in between his fingers.
And has Kumoru been working on opening a door for Xiao Huo? Setsushi asks it with keen interest that he does not bother to hide; after all, Setsushi is also interested in returning home.
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Posted: Tue Dec 02, 2008 6:19 am
No, he hasn't, because he works like a boring grown-up most of the time instead of being a Sorcerer. It's like Kumoru has a secret identity of a bookstore-working person. Bo~ring.
Hmm... Jilan only half-agrees. He also suspects that Kumoru does not know exactly what the doorway needs to be like. Jilan himself has never seen the Golden World, and cannot help Xiao Huo explain, and he has no memory of the actual getting there when he went to the Silver World and then returned.
He glances between Kouyo and Setsushi and tells them as privately as he can manage that he is not sure Kumoru can make portals, though. He had never seen the mage do it when he knew him before, and he has a sneaking feeling that he still cannot, and does not want to tell Xiao Huo as much.
The High Priest looks over at the toddler, who is still gnawing on his toast. He then lets out a soft sigh, feeling sadness, and also... guilt. Privately, he wonders to what extent he must figure out his own problems before he finally be able to serve those of his people who are trapped here with him.
Does Jilan know what Kumoru might need in order to make an attempt anyway? Is a portal something he is able to learn?
The older boy shrugs. He has tried to ask about it on the several occasions when Xiao Huo has mentioned it, but Kumoru says he would need more information, as he knows nothing at all about the Golden World or how it works.
Jilan also thinks he needs a portal instruction book, like some of his other magic books, but as the Porcelain cannot read a word of any of them, he would have no way of identifying such a tome.
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Posted: Tue Dec 02, 2008 6:51 am
Setsushi glances at Kouyo, thinking for a moment before wondering if Setsushi has any knowledge of the Golden World that might be of use to Kumoru. If he stumbles across any other doors he can at least report it to a mage to be studied. They could ask the Celestial Oracle of Gaia, as well, or... ... actually, even though he probably does know something of planes and magic, they probably shouldn't ask the Mist Sorcerer.
And even if Kumoru cannot perform portal magic, might he not know some other mage who can? Does he have any school friends in Gaia, Setsushi wonders?
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Posted: Tue Dec 02, 2008 7:15 am
... Jilan is not sure if Kumoru has friends anywhere, when he thinks about it. Bhel and Lucretia have mentioned one "Aylana" before, but Kumoru himself hardly mentions her. The mage never did really like to talk very much about himself, as far as Jilan can recall.
Why does he keep so alone, Kouyo wonders.
... What sorts of magic does he know, if not portal magic?
The older boy shrugs a little. Fairly normal stuff, that he has seen. Lots of wind magic. Bhel said Kumoru can control the winds and use them to pick him up and Bhel is a pretty sturdy kid. Donat says he can write charms to let him talk to ghosts sometimes.
Xiao Huo chimes in to mention that Lucretia told him she helped Kumoru make a magical wizard staff. She said he had this bottle thing that can suck souls out or something like that, and he can collect them in there like fireflies. But Xiao Huo touched it and it didn't do anything, so she could have been exaggerating....
Jilan pokes his brother in the shoulder. Xiao Huo should learn to stay out of Kumoru's stuff sweatdrop
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Posted: Tue Dec 02, 2008 7:23 am
...How can someone not have any friends? confused
Well, Setsushi supposes someone could be like the Mist Sorcerer, but that one is a misfit who couldn't make a friend if he tried; Kumoru seems to be a functional member of society, at least, with a job and all. He must just be a private man.
Setsushi raises an eyebrow at the story of the staff, but it sounds more like one of Xiao Huo's tales than anything else, so he just joins in Jilan gently chiding the boy for playing with magical instruments. It can be dangerous sweatdrop
... Should Setsushi ask Kumoru about the portals himself? he asks Jilan, though as he does so he looks straight at Kouyo.
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Posted: Tue Dec 02, 2008 8:04 am
Xiao Huo whines a little at Jilan and slumps back in his seat as he stuffs the last of the bread crusts into his mouth. All of the magical stuff is so cool, though....
Kouyo's features remain smooth and calm as he peers back at Setsushi, but he privately radiates a feeling of mistrust. They should see how much information they can get out of the mage before they tell him anything.
Jilan shrugs again. He gets along well enough with people. Kumoru just seems to prefer studying. Quite a private man but... always polite. He made sure he taught all of his children that. Even Bhel says please and thank you. Jilan learned manners from Kumoru when he was just a child, too.
Oh, there is one other person Kumoru knows. Jilan has never seen him, but there's Mister Whitestone? The owner of the bookstore. He is a mage, too, and that is part of why Kumoru had been interested in working there. The Porcelain has no idea what kind of magic he knows, though, so it might be best to ask Kumoru about him.
It also might be a good idea if Setsushi and High Priest Kouyo talk to Kumoru themselves about the portals, since Jilan really does not know what to tell him sweatdrop
Xiao Huo thinks Jilan is like an alien or something. Saying he comes from the Silver World. Silly brother. So of course he knows nothing about windows in the air like the one Xiao Huo fell through.
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