putting out the fire with gasoline

[existentialcrisis]

WHO: Ukoku and Koumyou (at least until this inevitably becomes a catchall)
WHERE: the atrium
WHEN: right after orientation/9 dec (I think)
WHAT: monks being weird, probably bad jokes
WARNINGS: none/will update if needed



[ In the end, Orientation answers none of Ukoku's questions. This is not a failing of the video—it's informative, and his subconscious mind files things away automatically—it's just that there's a fascinating mirage in front of him. This is an extraordinarily vivid hallucination, if that's what it is, but he's forced to acknowledge that brain trauma is more likely than this very specific combination of anomalies. He is, after all, suddenly and conveniently removed from the people who were in the middle of attempting to kill him. He might have given them too little credit.

When it's over, and they're ushering everyone outside, he accepts the duffel bag someone hands him rudely, distracted, without taking his eyes off the ghost.

And then he starts to follow, shamelessly. Koumyou is bright in his white robe ahead; Ukoku melts into the shadows. The halls that might have interested him otherwise give way to trees, and soon they're surrounded by them, alone.

He uses the sutra's power to dart forward, skip spaces and hop once in the grass, and then he's behind Koumyou's back, reaching out to catch the end of the cord in his hair. ]

Comments

[straycloud]

[ Koumyou only shrugs at the question of time. It could be lunchtime, maybe, but it also really doesn't mean anything. The thought of time of day as something not governed by the sun and moon is just a bit odd. ]

That's not going to suit me at all. [ It's a silly complaint, but it's enough an issue that he decides to look in Ukoku's bag to see what else there is, paying not the faintest attention to invading his space. ] It's no good to have so much jewelry. I'll misplace it.

[existentialcrisis]

I'll probably misplace mine, too.

[ He's letting his bag of stuff hang off his arm for ease of ransacking, watching Koumyou while he's busy. ]

Let me see yours.

[straycloud]

[ Clearly, inspecting each other's belongings makes perfect sense, and he offers his bag up freely. Why not?

He makes a face, glancing up through his bangs. None of this makes much sense at all. It's lucky for them that it probably doesn't have to. ]

If we're both so forgetful, we're going to give the Sangha a bad name. [ Because of all the things they could do, misplacing an object would be the worst. ]

[existentialcrisis]

[ The worst. Ukoku laughs—an I'm sure we can do better than that laugh—and digs through Koumyou's things until he finds the dog tags. ]

Do you think it'd bother them if we switched?

[straycloud]

Hmm? [ That's a thought, isn't it? ] You're really trying to misplace them now, aren't you?

[ But following the rules has never been in his nature. He smiles beatifically, wholly genuine for the first time since Ukoku approached him. ] Let's see what happens.

[existentialcrisis]

[ What a good philosophy. He digs out his communicator while they're walking, loops one of his arms through Koumyou's, and abruptly turns in a different direction. Lunch is over, it's canceled. He's messing with the communicator with his free hand. ]

I think we need to be farther away from each other.

[ But clearly they should do that by testing whether the dog tags will unlock their respective doors if the wrong person uses them. ]