Day 163 // Every plan is a tiny prayer to father time

[fuckthemancers]

Who: Zulf and you
Open: Open
When: Day 163
Where: Throughout the Bastion
What: Well, someone has to take up the kitchen work, and prepare Night's funeral, and write down the history and culture of two different cities...
Format: Anything
Warnings: Nothing immediately comes to mind, although it should be noted that Zulf is in a bad state mentally/emotionally so depending on the conversations, things could be described. Lemme know where you want to run into him!

As soon as he's able, Zulf leaves the hospital. It's not like he deserves to be there, after all, not with the dead, not with the injured. He's fine, isn't he? Besides... There's too much to do. So on the 163rd day of the Bastion's existence, feel free to run into him just about anywhere looking exhausted in nearly every way imaginable.

...Unless your name is Raile, Zia, Rucks, Colin, Rin, Zayna, Zahi, Nathaniel, or Rosethorn. In which case, seeing any of those individuals makes the man startle before immediately trying to find a way to leave the area before conversation can happen. Seriously, he will bolt if he has to, don't make him change from a quick walk.

Periodically throughout the day, Zulf can be found in the kitchens...

With Rin out of commission and Mireille still taking care of her baby, someone has to keep the kitchen up and running. Zulf still remembers the offer he made to her, so of course he's going to keep to what he said. Breakfast, lunch, dinner... He's not in the kitchen the entire day, but he's there often enough. His sleeves are rolled up and he's hard at work like maybe enough cooking will help things. Feel free to interrupt him at any time.

Sometime in the morning after breakfast, it's off to the the Hitachiin-Abe home.

It's something he's been meaning to get to for ages now, really. Seimei had asked about the Tazal Terminals and Caelondia. It's just proper that he finally get to writing all the large amount of answers. He's already holding some things in his arms when he gets there, a thick heavy photo album stacked with papers and crude writing tools- things he's scavenged here and there particularly from the Mancer Observatory. He's passed by the home before, but it's only now that he takes a moment to admire it. Any of the residents can find him waiting awkwardly by the front, not sure how to make his presence known.

Come night, well, that is traditionally the Lorn Mother's time. Anyone still awake... Well, there's a light on at the Shrine.

Honestly, he doesn't know the state of the Gods for all these other worlds that have fallen apart. All he knows it that the Pantheon still has its eye on the scattered fragments that once made up Caelondia, the Terminals, the Wild Unknown... So at least there's that. If she doesn't have anywhere to go or where she's going is worse than that, the Lorn Mother can keep her safe. If there is somewhere for her... Mother guide her home.

Either way, they need to have a funeral. Both to help her soul be free of its ties to the physical, and to help those still alive mourn.

So he gets hard at work, cleaning the shrine with an almost single minded dedication. There won't be any rest until it's spotless... Although he won't lie, he's doing his best to avoid any kind of rest as much as he can. So maybe someone will walk in on him doing that.

When he isn't cleaning, however, he's settled to the side. There's a small pile of salvaged clothing besides him and a sorry excuse for a sewing kit that he makes do with. Red seems to be a theme with the clothes he's picked out...

Comments

[fuckthemancers]

This time, his writing is quicker and more decisive. Instead of sliding the paper over to Seimei, he holds it up.

Has he asked you to leave?

[yinyangfox]

Tilting his head to regard the paper, Seimei snorted a laugh, arching a brow and swiveling his head to eye the Ura suspiciously. And here the man acted like his words were meaningless. Even his written ones, few as they were, held plenty of wisdom.

"No, he has not. Had he asked me to, I would have, heavyhearted though I may have been. Even so, sometimes people do not say things for not even they realize they need to. I imagine he wants me there, I am almost certain our feelings for one another remain intact, but we hardly speak or see one another. I cannot fill the void family can, and I worry that his relations with me are a stress he could do without."

[fuckthemancers]

More quickly written words, all of them coming to him in a heartbeat. He knows this, after all. He knows romance, the troubles that comes with it, how family plays into it all. It's something he once had to deal with on his own, when it came to his own beloved. An Ura man courting a Caelondian woman, after all? Once he finishes, he slides it over to Seimei once again.

Romance often causes stress. It is a series of thorns you both must learn to deal with so long as you love one another and wish to stay close. You may not be family from his land or his world, but such a relation as this makes the two of you close to.

Speak to him. A proper romance is something between two people. A decision such as this cannot be made by you alone. You must speak with him. Ask if he wants you to leave. Ask if there is anything you can do to lessen the burden you believe you give him.

That is the most important thing. This is something you must work through together. I can only tell you so much.

[yinyangfox]

Reading the letters carefully, Seimei opened his his mouth to speak, inhaling first. It turned into a sudden gasp of breath that sounded very much like a sob and he stopped, looking up slowly at Zulf as though wondering if it had been heard. He said nothing on the matter, clearing his throat and sniffing in that ever-so-arrogant way of his.

"Of course. Its sensible and only the right thing to do. Thank you," he murmured, leaning to refill Zulf's tea and distract himself a moment. After a bit of thought he poured himself more tea and raised it to sip quietly.

"I have never allowed myself to be this close to anyone, ever. I do not know what to do as a human...let alone as a man. I only know that the separation pains me, and I should not be so...reliant on him, when he has so much more to worry about more important than me."

[fuckthemancers]

Zulf notices, but makes no movement to point it out. He simply pretend to organize some of the paper that is about before Seimei speaks up again. There's a nod before he goes a little awkwardly stiff as more tea is given to him. Ah... He keeps forgetting about it. So not to seem rude, he goes back to steadily drinking the tea while Seimei explains himself. All in all, it sounds... normal, for someone not used to a bond such as this. Another sip of his tea, and Zulf places the cup down so that he can write once more.

That is normal. If this is your first relationship that has become so intimate, it is little wonder that you have grown so attached. Give it time and soon you should adjust if all goes well.

As for reliance on your loved one... That is normal. Simply make sure that he can rely on you just as much. Lovers share so much: their joys, their frustrations, their sorrows. Since you are still inexperienced and he is presumably less so, it's perfectly acceptable to rely on him a little more.

[yinyangfox]

Hearing the scratch of parchment once more, Seimei turned his head, looking down curiously as the letters formed the patterns of words, a snort of a laugh passing his nose.

"I sometimes wonder about my little prince and his experience," the onmyoji grunted, arching a brow and shaking his head with a faint smirk. "Suffice to say in matters of worldly things, I'd say he's a sight more experienced than I am. I quite literally lived as a hermit for most of my years. I have never really liked people, even less so being forced to interact with them. My time here has been nothing but one learning experience after another."

[fuckthemancers]

If one is not learning, than one is stagnating. That is what my father used to say.

And with that written down, Zulf goes back to his tea.

[yinyangfox]

"Hm. Yes, quite right," Seimei replied with a small nod, looking off to the garden and drinking his own tea in the shared silence. Were their relative ages not so apparent, one might mistake them for elderly men, two sage advisers enjoying quiet company and the beauty of nature. In way, both of them were far older than their years, and they shared much in their weary manners.

"Lord Zulf, I'll be going away for a time regardless of the situation, I've decided. I need to do some things and there are matters I would tend to on the Skyway. While I am out there, is there anything you might wish me to keep an eye out for? I can offer little in the way of payment for patiently enduring my company, but if I find anything I will happily return with it for you."

[fuckthemancers]

Similarities or not, Zulf simply enjoyed the quiet mutual silence. It was peaceful in this place, with the soft wind rustling through the trees. If he hadn't known better, than he would have never thought to imagine the destruction of the Calamity lay beyond the walls. It felt almost too peaceful here for something like such a disaster to have ever taken place.

The offer made only had him hastily shaking his head before he recalled the paper once more.

I really would not want you to go out of your way, especially as I had merely done for you what you had already done for me.

[yinyangfox]

"Then I will simply bring back anything of value I can find and hope it suits. And offer my gratitude. Thank you for your counsel," he remarked, bowing deeply from his spot, rising after a moment and gazing towards the main hall.

"If there is nothing else, I believe I will excuse myself and retire for a while."