Catchall log for mid-Merriment, OTA!

[subcircuits]

Who: Devero and YOU
Where: All over the train
When: Merriment 17 through 21
What: Devero potters around the train, catching up on things and pretending he's not still really, really worn out from the mission.
Warnings: Recreational drug use in the luggage car prompt.


In the days following the platform, Devero is relieved to find that he's recovered enough energy to be able to stay awake for most of a day, and even to concentrate on projects again! The lassitude is hanging on to him longer than most, so he's still not quite is robust self, but he's present and working again. Between Merriment 17 and 21, he can be encountered all over the train.

Where does your character find him?


In the lab car?
Wait, since when is Devero glowing purple and semi-transparent? Come into the lab car on the right day at the right time and you'll find this specter moving about. Perhaps he's fiddling with a door latch, or you find him in one of the labs, picking things up and putting them back down again. There is absolutely neutral, lifeless expression on his face if you happen to catch sight of it, and-- Wait, is that some kind of glowing core in the middle of the shape?


In the training car?
Devero knows how to shoot a gun. Really. He swears. But if you happen in on him practicing his marksmanship with a sleek, futuristic rifle in his hands, it sure doesn't seem like it. He's visibly frustrated as he misses another shot, dropping the gun down from his shoulder and turning his back on his target. (Claudette tilts her head and chirrups. Does this mean the game is over?)

"Rust and ruin," he swears, shoving his wrap-around tactical Interface up on his forehead. "I'm never going to get the hang of this thing. I'm sorry, Entrapta."


In the library car:
Several weeks ago, Devero had snatched down the slip of paper that he'd tacked up in the standard car, the one advertising lessons in GSL-- Global Sign Language. The day of the platform, he'd tacked it back up again. Find him at the advertised time in the library, staring into the screen of his usual Interface. While he waits to see if anyone's going to show up, he's talking to himself.

You know, with his hands. How else? This is meant to be a sign-language lesson, after all!


In the music car:
As crowded as the train's been getting, the second floor of the music carriage is still a good place to slip away to if you're looking for (relative) privacy. Today, however, Devero's beaten you to it. If you don't notice right away that he's in here, though, that's understandable-- there's no music, no sound save for the whisper of his feet on the stage, the rustle of his clothes, and the occasional audible breath.

Despite the apparent silence, Devero is dancing. He's practicing alone an energetic routine for two, but there's no mistaking the precision and grace in his movements as he performs them, even without the partner.

Do you stay and watch, or leave him to dance in solitude?


In the luggage car?
If you've been on the train for longer than a few weeks, you may already be acquainted with this particular odor: it's savory, herby, as if someone's over-toasted spices in a pan prior to cooking with them. Were it a strong odor, it'd probably be sour and unpleasant; as mild as it is, it's mostly unobjectionable.

The source of it can be easily traced to the obviously hand-rolled cigarette smoldering between Devero's lips. That's right, it's future-weed hours here in the luggage car, folks. And if you look at him twice, you'll find him holding his joint out in your direction. "Want a hit?" he asks amiably.


Somewhere else?
Devero can feasibly be found all over the train: prepping vegetables or washing dishes in the kitchen; soaking or doing yoga in the spa car; working out in either of the gyms; sleeping through a movie in the cinema; or even just traveling up and down the train. Yeah, they have transgates now, but walking (or hoverskating) the length of the train is an easy way to keep his condition up while he's still recovering from the last mission. He's not nearly as exhausted as he was before, which means it's working. Really. He swears! He didn't fall asleep here, he was just resting his eyes!

Feel free to find him wherever you want, if one of the prompts above doesn't tickle your fancy.

Comments

[its_dad_sanzo]

Koumyou leans in to smooch him on the cheek again, smiling.

"You can always tag me in if you need to, okay?"

Devero doesn't have to do this alone, especially if Vegeta absorbs the lessons quick enough to out-pace Devero.

"Speaking of, I alluded to my big... fear of teaching, with Siebren. He had a good suggestion; when we start doing stuff that's more dangerous, we might want to invite a..."

What, supervisor?

"...Referee, of sorts. To make sure I don't do something stupid. If we can find someone that could do that without thinking everything I do is too much, anyway."

[subcircuits]

He takes a deep breath and nods. "Okay," he says. Privately, he's sure he'll have to tag Koumyou in pretty much immediately, but he doesn't share that pessimism.

"Oh," he says with a blink as Koumyou relays Siebren's suggestion. "Hell, that's brilliant!" And you know what? He knows exactly who could do that for Koumyou. He bumps the priest with his shoulder. "We should ask Trunks, I bet he'd be willing."

He turns his head and presses a kiss to Koumyou's hair. "Not that I think you have anything to worry about," he adds softly. "You've been perfectly appropriate with me."

[its_dad_sanzo]

"I... suppose?" Koumyou's not entirely sure about that pick, but then again, if including Trunks would make Devero more comfortable, then...

"I haven't interacted with him directly since the day I arrived, but I know you two are close. If you think he's sensible enough to know the difference between useful pushing and... 'Koumyou doesn't know what normal is and is going way too far'."

Without just, you know, assuming everything Koumyou does is going way too far, which would be less helpful than not having someone there at all.

The priest gives Devero a sidelong glance, "So far, for the basics. If you want to learn chi manipulation, it's going to get more... complicated, as we go."

[subcircuits]

"He's trained under his father," Devero says, his voice very dry. Gonna let Koumyou infer what that might have been like based on his brief encounter with the other man and Devero's description. Less pointedly, he continues, "Trunks is used to people who have a lot of power, so I think he has a pretty good baseline to figure out what 'too far' is. And we've been training and sparring together for a while now, so he's got a pretty good idea of what my limits are, too."

Devero catches that glance, and frowns slightly. "I have faith in you," he murmurs, squeezing Koumyou again. Simple as that, despite the fact that they're simultaneously discussing having someone chaperone their lessons. Devero knows that's as much for Koumyou's peace of mind as his own safety.

[its_dad_sanzo]

"Alright... we don't need him yet, but you may as well ask."

Koumyou glances over again at the squeeze, then sighs quietly. "At least one of us does. Outside of killing, I'm pretty..."

Useless.

"Bad at everything."

[subcircuits]

"No," Devero says, immediately and forcefully. "That's bullshit. Because you know what you're not bad at?

He doesn't give him a chance to answer. "Being a father."

[its_dad_sanzo]

"I may have passed over the bar that's sitting on the ground, but that doesn't make me good," Koumyou argues softly, looking away. "I still failed him in the end."

And then there's poor Buttercup, who had to deal with his parenting in the fake lives they now have memories of. Is she even going to want to see him, after that?

[subcircuits]

"You made sure he was fed and loved," Devero says insistently. "You protected him, and you taught him enough that he survived. You said it yourself, Koumyou: he made it. Maybe you weren't a perfect father, but you were a good one."

And it's not just Genjo he's thinking of, either. He pulls away from Koumyou, turning to sit facing him, folding one leg up on the bed. "Did you know Buttercup came very close to skewering me at the end of the mission? Came at me with a knife. Do you want to know why?"

[its_dad_sanzo]

Fed and loved and protected are all things Koumyou -- Houmei -- had lacked.

The priest folds his hands in his lap when Devero pulls away, looking down at them and feeling very... old. Brittle.

He doesn't know if he wants to know or not, but... he probably should.

"Why?"

[subcircuits]

He leans forward a little, intent. "Because she didn't want to wake up from a dream where she was your daughter, Koumyou."

[its_dad_sanzo]

Koumyou doesn't even realize he's about to cry until a few big, hot tears roll free and splat against his hands. He clenches them together harder, feeling his bones creak, and says nothing, not trusting his voice.

[subcircuits]

Devero reaches out to him, gently enfolding Koumyou's clenched hands in his own big, warm ones. "She wanted to be Buttercup Sanzo," he says gently. "And she wanted your family to remain together, you and her and Genjo."

He presses Koumyou's hands lightly. "If you haven't talked to her yet, I think you should."

[its_dad_sanzo]

Koumyou's hands can be felt grinding the prominent, sharp joints between Devero's gentle hold on them. "I... haven't dared to."

[subcircuits]

Devero doesn't try to stop him from that. He lets the priest grind his hands together while they're clasped in his own.

"Will you?" he asks. "At some point?"

[its_dad_sanzo]

Koumyou nods, just a little, bowing his head a bit more to hide his face with his bangs as more hot, fat tears roll free and splat onto Devero's hands.

"If you'd been part of it I would have fought to keep it, too."

[subcircuits]

"Oh Koumyou," he sighs as tears spatter his hands. He squeezes Koumyou's again. "We were lucky, in a way. Rainbow asshole made a big mistake splitting us up."

[its_dad_sanzo]

"I never considered... adopting a second kid. I didn't even formally adopt Kouryuu."

On a world where love is death, it may have just sped the tragedy up if he had. But he still can't help but find it another fault in his parenting, that that step hadn't even entered his mind.

"Buttercup's always reminded me of Kouryuu. But it's not fair that she got linked to me like that. What if she hates me, now? I can't... blame her if she does."

Because, you know, he's a failure.

[subcircuits]

"There's only one way you can find out," Devero says, still gentle but so implacable. "I don't think you have to worry about that, but the only way to know for sure is to ask her."

Now his hands on Koumyou's become more insistent, trying to break them apart so he can massage the priest's palms with his thumbs. "Would you have adopted him?" he asks. "If it had been safe for you to do so?"

[its_dad_sanzo]

"If it had been safe and I'd ever had the thought occur to me, yes. In a heartbeat."

Koumyou doesn't even have to think about that. His hands resist being pulled apart for a few seconds, and then relent all at once like the strength has just run out of the priest.

"Though I'm sure the rumors wouldn't have slowed down any. There's a... culture around pretty young boys, in temples. A lot of people assumed that was my interest in him."

[subcircuits]

Devero cradles those hands gently, thumbs rubbing soothing circles against Koumyou's palms.

--Well, until the priest mentions those rumors. His hands tense a little until he manages a deep breath and forces them to relax. "People will believe what they're going to believe regardless," he says. "On your world, doubly-so, I'm sure.

"What I'm trying to say is--" He pauses for a moment, to articulate it. "Adoption wasn't a feasible option on your world, so of course you didn't pursue it." Yeah, he knows Koumyou well enough now to be able to guess at where his mind's going on that.

"But Koumyou, we're not on your world anymore." Now he squeezes those hands again. "If Kouryuu boarded the train at the next platform-- hell, if Genjo Sanzo boarded the train at the next platform-- would you adopt him now?"

[its_dad_sanzo]

"If he was okay with it, yes. Absolutely."

But Koumyou never assumes anyone is as attached to him as he is to them. Not even his own son, who he sang to as a baby to get him to sleep.

[subcircuits]

"Something tells me he would be," Devero says, but he's not going to belabor that point.

The point he is going to belabor is this: "Talk to Buttercup. Let her tell you how she actually feels, instead of just deciding for her and acting on that. Okay?"

[its_dad_sanzo]

Koumyou sighs, and leans wearily into Devero's side.

"I will."

See? He can listen to reason... once in a while.

[subcircuits]

"Thank you," Devero says, relieved and grateful. Leaning down, he presses a kiss to Koumyou's temple.

[its_dad_sanzo]

Koumyou's quiet for a moment, tired from his anxiety over... well, everything.

"...So what did you think of my Kouryuu?"