he reads the message when he's at a stoplight that he's obeyed, but other than that there's no response up until there's just a knock right on fawkes' door. the first thing he says:]
On a graduate student's salary? My options are roughly this or a cardboard box underneath a highway bridge.
[At least he's realistic. Or possibly just used to being snarky about his circumstances, but anyway — at least the place is reasonably clean inside. Cluttered, sure, but not a mess. Standard college student gamer nerd chic.]
That's the thing. I'm actually not entirely sure — let me show you.
[And let him just head over to what looks like a candy dish on his tiny kitchen table, picking up a small, translucent-white gemstone about the size of a small gumball, and tossing it to him.]
[does he have a legend of yelda poster on his wall
Baren catches what's tossed to him, blinking as he examines it in his palm and moves to have it catch the light. It's foreign to him, which he already doesn't understand, and tilts his head.]
I.... don't have an answer....?
[but he sounds like he absolutely hates admitting it
I've got five of them, in total. Retrospec saw fit to send them to me.
[He pauses, leaning his weight against the edge of the table and folding his arms loosely across his chest.]
Kurama remembers something about them, what they are and where they came from. A man who considered them so valuable that it was worth torturing a girl to collect them. Now that they've come into my possession, I'm not altogether sure what to do with them.
I'm not starving. The fact that seventy-five percent of my diet consists of coffee is a lifestyle choice, nothing more.
[FAWKES.]
Neither. I know who they were, though, at least vaguely. The latter was some sort of mobster, so an activity like that isn't really surprising. The girl was...
[He pauses, trying to think of how he wants to phrase this.]
When you hurt your arm, in the forest, do you recall I mentioned your actions reminded me of someone? That someone was a friend of Kurama's, I think. A known felon, but Kurama liked him well enough — and didn't have much room to talk, being a felon himself. The girl was his twin sister.
I know where you live. I'm going to break your coffee machine.
[why did fawkes finally tell baren where he lived he's going to find no peace
(what he will find instead are prepared meals in his fridge at random intervals, aka whenever baren deigns to come by and cook. and since he always makes enough for two, he'll leave enough behind for fawkes to eat later....)
that said
Baren blinks at that explanation and he has a lot of complicated opinions about it. it shows on his face - the way that his eyes flit between uncertainty, confusion, a dash of anger - but ultimately what he settles on saying out loud for now is:]
Yes, because that's conducive to achieving financial stability. Having my appliances broken.
[He shakes his head slightly, stepping forward and motioning to have the gemstone back, if Baren's interested in relinquishing it.]
She was quite possibly the only thing in the world his friend cared about, and I guarantee Kurama never once tried to hit on her.
[Let's just...get that...out of the way...]
I do recall that he was tasked with the duty of ensuring that his friend didn't murder the mobster who made the foolhardy choice of causing harm to her.
[A hint of a smile crosses his lips, and it's not a particularly nice smile, but it's sort of a vindictively satisfied one.]
I also recall he was strongly considering being just slightly too late to have intervened in time to stop him.
[It's not his to keep - but Baren tosses it over easily.
Listens to the story, and he thinks lightly about what he would've done if Okuni was helpless enough to be tortured by someone who was profiting off her tears. It's already an unthinkable idea, given that Okuni is more than capable of killing a man all on her own, but....
Baren snorts - and shrugs.]
Sounds to me like nothing of value was really lost.
[you ever think about how demons should probably have less morally ambiguous friends]
Does put you in a weird position now that you've actually got some of the gems for yourself.
It does. It seems...irreverent, to put it mildly, to profit off of them in any way, considering how they were procured — and for what reason. I don't even know if they have any value here, to begin with.
[Lightly, he tosses the stone back into the candy dish, where it rattles and clinks pleasantly.]
But I'm not entirely sure what to do with them. Keep them? Wear them? I don't know.
[Baren wanders over to the candy dish, inspecting the gems out of curiosity before glancing over back to Fawkes.]
No one would blame you if you wanted to sell at least one - just to get an idea of their value, figure out if you can use them as a bargaining chip in the future for things that actually matter more than money. [because it's in Baren's nature to see everything as a tool.
that said, he waves a hand]
Or you can give them out as gifts to people. Sentimental value, earning their favor, establishing trust by giving them something that matters to you... that sort of thing.
[ . . . why is it that even by describing a nice gesture, he talks it in a painfully calculating way]
[Hmm, indeed. For a second, he looks like he's considering something, and then mentally files it away and nods, as if to secure it...wherever he just put it.]
She had a tender heart, Yukina. I doubt these would have any particular value to her, especially considering how they were acquired. If anything, I imagine she'd want to see them put to some good use. That way, at least some good would come of them.
[Hmmm.]
Shall I let you know what I decide, when I have it figured out? If you're curious.
A video game system, with a game I've never heard of before. I've yet to get around to playing it, however; I just haven't had the time to sit down and try.
[Which is thus far the only thing that has inadvertently saved him from a complete nervous breakdown so. Good job, other life obligations?]
Why, have you gotten something interesting, yourself?
More memories of a woman I'd consider dying to meet? [gengetsu is a queen and baren doesn't need a lot to be reminded of this fact] Oh and some earrings, I guess. Can you imagine how hard that must've been in the Sengoku Era? I must've been really committed.
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roseblooms) wrote2020-04-24 08:15 pm
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Borrowed time from what, exactly?
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[like a 5 year old]
chuu's sleeping! knocked the fuck out
but it's more fun if we pretend it's a race against the clock
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...Also, I have a slightly bizarre question for you, being that you tend to be a wealth of knowledge about generally bizarre things.
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shoot the question and i'll answer when i get there?
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no subject
he reads the message when he's at a stoplight that he's obeyed, but other than that there's no response up until there's just a knock right on fawkes' door. the first thing he says:]
You should move out of here.
[ . . . thanks baren.
anyway - ]
What's the gemstone?
no subject
[At least he's realistic. Or possibly just used to being snarky about his circumstances, but anyway — at least the place is reasonably clean inside. Cluttered, sure, but not a mess. Standard college student gamer nerd chic.]
That's the thing. I'm actually not entirely sure — let me show you.
[And let him just head over to what looks like a candy dish on his tiny kitchen table, picking up a small, translucent-white gemstone about the size of a small gumball, and tossing it to him.]
no subject
Baren catches what's tossed to him, blinking as he examines it in his palm and moves to have it catch the light. It's foreign to him, which he already doesn't understand, and tilts his head.]
I.... don't have an answer....?
[but he sounds like he absolutely hates admitting it
(he does)]
no subject
...and actually so is bink
life is great when you're #BiAsHell]
I've got five of them, in total. Retrospec saw fit to send them to me.
[He pauses, leaning his weight against the edge of the table and folding his arms loosely across his chest.]
Kurama remembers something about them, what they are and where they came from. A man who considered them so valuable that it was worth torturing a girl to collect them. Now that they've come into my possession, I'm not altogether sure what to do with them.
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[please don't make up random profit numbers for jewels you've never seen]
Have you seen the girl around? Or the guy who tortured her?
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[FAWKES.]
Neither. I know who they were, though, at least vaguely. The latter was some sort of mobster, so an activity like that isn't really surprising. The girl was...
[He pauses, trying to think of how he wants to phrase this.]
When you hurt your arm, in the forest, do you recall I mentioned your actions reminded me of someone? That someone was a friend of Kurama's, I think. A known felon, but Kurama liked him well enough — and didn't have much room to talk, being a felon himself. The girl was his twin sister.
no subject
[why did fawkes finally tell baren where he lived he's going to find no peace
(what he will find instead are prepared meals in his fridge at random intervals, aka whenever baren deigns to come by and cook. and since he always makes enough for two, he'll leave enough behind for fawkes to eat later....)
that said
Baren blinks at that explanation and he has a lot of complicated opinions about it. it shows on his face - the way that his eyes flit between uncertainty, confusion, a dash of anger - but ultimately what he settles on saying out loud for now is:]
... You're kidding.
[that's like
too specific and uncanny]
no subject
[He shakes his head slightly, stepping forward and motioning to have the gemstone back, if Baren's interested in relinquishing it.]
She was quite possibly the only thing in the world his friend cared about, and I guarantee Kurama never once tried to hit on her.
[Let's just...get that...out of the way...]
I do recall that he was tasked with the duty of ensuring that his friend didn't murder the mobster who made the foolhardy choice of causing harm to her.
[A hint of a smile crosses his lips, and it's not a particularly nice smile, but it's sort of a vindictively satisfied one.]
I also recall he was strongly considering being just slightly too late to have intervened in time to stop him.
no subject
Listens to the story, and he thinks lightly about what he would've done if Okuni was helpless enough to be tortured by someone who was profiting off her tears. It's already an unthinkable idea, given that Okuni is more than capable of killing a man all on her own, but....
Baren snorts - and shrugs.]
Sounds to me like nothing of value was really lost.
[you ever think about how demons should probably have less morally ambiguous friends]
Does put you in a weird position now that you've actually got some of the gems for yourself.
no subject
[Lightly, he tosses the stone back into the candy dish, where it rattles and clinks pleasantly.]
But I'm not entirely sure what to do with them. Keep them? Wear them? I don't know.
no subject
No one would blame you if you wanted to sell at least one - just to get an idea of their value, figure out if you can use them as a bargaining chip in the future for things that actually matter more than money. [because it's in Baren's nature to see everything as a tool.
that said, he waves a hand]
Or you can give them out as gifts to people. Sentimental value, earning their favor, establishing trust by giving them something that matters to you... that sort of thing.
[ . . . why is it that even by describing a nice gesture, he talks it in a painfully calculating way]
no subject
[Hmm, indeed. For a second, he looks like he's considering something, and then mentally files it away and nods, as if to secure it...wherever he just put it.]
She had a tender heart, Yukina. I doubt these would have any particular value to her, especially considering how they were acquired. If anything, I imagine she'd want to see them put to some good use. That way, at least some good would come of them.
[Hmmm.]
Shall I let you know what I decide, when I have it figured out? If you're curious.
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[no he doesn't
but regardless he's going to shrug]
Any other fun gifts from Maury?
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[Which is thus far the only thing that has inadvertently saved him from a complete nervous breakdown so. Good job, other life obligations?]
Why, have you gotten something interesting, yourself?
no subject
[what if they Didn't
but also Baren's just going to shrug at that]
More memories of a woman I'd consider dying to meet? [gengetsu is a queen and baren doesn't need a lot to be reminded of this fact] Oh and some earrings, I guess. Can you imagine how hard that must've been in the Sengoku Era? I must've been really committed.