. all you have's your axe to grind . closed

[shikomizue]

Who: Takasugi Shinsuke (shikomizue) & "Friends" | Closed
What: Catch All For April-May-June
When: Over April / May / June
Where: Mostly Wyver, some Thesa and Olympia
Warning(s): alcohol + graphic violence + bang + will edit as needed

[ closed starters in the comments ]

Comments

[almaredemptoris]

[Even before the boy addresses him, Jean Valjean feels an intruder in this memory torn from another's records. Ever a fastidious observer of privacy, respecting that of others as he would wish for them to respect his, he had tried to leave the boy be - but soon he discovered that by some device of the phenomenon that resurrected this memory to life, every path he took only led him to shadow this pair. Thus he had watched the scene unfold in silence, allowing his curiosity to grow. He is surprised, then, when suddenly the boy takes notice of him. He had thought himself a phantom, misplaced in this memory as he is, but the boy addresses him directly. His countenance warms to a smile and his words come gently.] No, I don't suppose I do. I am only a traveler passing through. What is this place?

[shikomizue]

[A traveler come from far, far away - the man is clearly foreign. His features are stretched into something gentle, but it offers Takasugi little comfort. He regards the smile with a stare.] A school for brats. [Blunt, though there's a smirk playing on his lips. He's proud to call himself a member of such a 'prestigious' class.] They're all sleeping now, but when they're awake, they'll panhandle you for money and sweets. [So. Get moving, or something.]

[almaredemptoris]

[He wonders then: if the children board at the school, then have they nowhere else to go? Have they any family? Such thoughts flit across only his mind, but not his countenance, and his kind disposition does not falter against the boy's curtness. Rather than annoyed, he appears apologetic.] Well, I'm afraid I have no sweets to give, and I doubt my money will go far in your land.

[shikomizue]

[Not one of them has anywhere else to call home - Takasugi the only among the group to bear that condition willingly. Though, he'd never thought of his abandonment of flesh and blood as a burden. It'd been a release.] Ah. They're a crafty bunch, they'd find something to weasel out of you. [He's still brusque, but there's clear fondness in his voice, in how surely he speaks of his classmates'... 'skill'?] So. Where are you from? [Not here, obviously - Takasugi isn't any more trustful of locals than foreigners, but his curiosity is piqued by the later.]

[almaredemptoris]

Have you heard of France? That is where I am from. [If this is a memory that he speaks to, then there is no harm in telling of places unknown in this world. Moreover, the character of his surroundings, the architecture, clothing, and so on, do not seem to match Olympia, and so he concludes this must be a memory of one from another land.]

[shikomizue]

Aah- [For a moment pensive, Takasugi thinks to his lessons in geography. He'd been daydreaming, no mind paid to the lands around him - both his country, and wider.] No. What's it like there? [Childish curiosity takes the lead over his pretense of disinterest now; eyes fixed on the man, awaiting an answer.]

[almaredemptoris]

[Such a broad question is difficult to find a good answer to. Moreover, until the Storm descended and he was brought here, he had been nowhere else, and so it is hard to say what qualities are unique to his motherland. But as always, a simple answer is best.] It is peaceful now. I live there with my daughter, and God has provided well for us. [Soon enough he turns the conversation back to the boy.] And what of here? I have only just arrived and know so little.

[shikomizue]

[Peaceful, huh? Takasugi's face falls when he hears the word. Not because he can't relate - there may be upheaval elsewhere in his country, but at the school their calm days are interrupted only by childish spats. He's disappointed, because he's always been far more interested in stories of strife.] Here... [His gaze slips upwards, towards the gentle blue sky.] Some people say there's a war. Some people say it's nothing more than a few madmen causing problems. [He doesn't really see the difference.] You should be careful traveling, old man. Or you might wander onto a battlefield. [The wry warning is enough for a smile to twist on his lips, but it's fleeting.]

[almaredemptoris]

[As when clouds blot the sky, his countenance briefly turns grim when the boy speaks of war. Yet what ensnares his attention more than the troubles of this country is the blithe manner of this child. Perhaps he is too young to remember the wars of days gone by, or perhaps he childishly equates war with tales of courage and glory. Then his look is mild once more.] Thank you for the warning. I shall be careful when I set out again. [He nods toward the school that stands beyond them.] When do your lessons begin? Will the other children awaken soon?

[shikomizue]

[The man's fleetingly darkened gaze draws Takasugi's attention. Gentleness masking something else - world weariness, or a grim past - captures him, sends adrenaline flowing from his core. He's interested in that side of people, more than their money or their treats.] You'll hear them when they wake up. They're rowdy. [Takasugi casts a glance over his shoulder, back towards the room he shares with two of his closest friends.] If you have a war story, I'm sure they'd take that, instead of trying to pick pocket you. [Or they'd take both but... whatever. That's this guy's problem.]