[ Action | Open ] 🌙 Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth. - Buddha

[its_dad_sanzo]

Who: Open to all!
What: Koumyou Sanzo's arrival in Genessia.
Where: The Bay
When: Mid-November
Warnings: Nah. A single manga panel of Koumyou's death, but it's super not-graphic by itself.

But ultimately, impermanence is our only truth.
Koumyou's eyes opened. He didn't remember closing them. The last thing he remembered was telling a young Kouryuu -- Genjyo Sanzo -- to be strong... and the briefest sensation of being taken apart. His head had come off before the pain could truly set in. And now he was... here. Staring up at the ceiling of a... cave?

The priest blinked, and lifted his hands above his face. They were both there. He patted his shoulders, and the familiar crinkle of the Seiten Sutra greeted him.

This was not what he'd expected of the afterlife. If he'd expected anything at all. Reincarnation? Even he wasn't sure. But if he was to be reincarnated, what was he doing here in this familiar body, in these familiar robes, with his Sutra?

The Sanzo priest sat up and looked around. For once, his eyes were fully open and sharp, with no one to observe him. A box fell into his lap from atop his bamboo breastplate, and he blinked down at it. How peculiar! Death had left him a present, it seemed. How polite of it.

He opened the box and sifted through it, perfectly content to sit in his pod for a while as he did so.

Eventually, he wandered out of the cave, and shielded his eyes against the sun with one hand as several birds took off from nearby trees at his appearance. A few crows, and... several small, colorful birds? Hm. They were certainly pretty, against the blue sky...

Comments

Action;

[innocent_royal]

[Today was a fine day. Vividly detailed clouds against a sky blue canvas. Still a cool day, safe for her kind, safe from the oppressive heat.

The young girl of 13 years was out with a peculiar creature, walking side-by-side. They didn't look like owner-and-pet with the ribbon-like feelers of the pink and cream Pokemon, Sylveon, wrapped around the girl's arm like a companion.

Upon passing the Bay, Anastasia stopped for a moment to reflect on her time, then her reflection was interrupted by someone. "Is he new?" She would wonder. He looked more serene than the otherwise confused and inquisitive others she's seen before.

While she figured to wait until he figured out the phone, if he is a new one, her Sylveon decided to speak up, startling the girl.]


"Sylvie! Syl~veeoon~!"

Action;

[its_dad_sanzo]

[Koumyou didn't seem inclined to figure out his phone anytime soon. He was reaching into his wide, white sleeve for something... and then he paused, looking over at the sound.

He blinked, though that was quite the feat when his eyes barely seemed open at all.

The priest approached, and then crouched down in front of the pair, his hands on his knees.]

Pardon me...? What sort of creature is this?

Action;

[innocent_royal]

[Even though Anastasia shyly took a step backwards, her Sylveon took a step forward, greeting him with a fanged smile. She did give him a prompt answer to his question, at least.]

"...She's a pokemon, called a Sylveon. Her name is Sylvia."

[its_dad_sanzo]

[Neither of those terms were in the least bit familiar to Koumyou, but he rolled with it anyway.]

Ooooh. She's very cute!

[As one might do with a cat or similar creature, he lifted and extended a partially-covered hand for Sylvia to inspect if she wished.]

[innocent_royal]

[Sylvia completely ignored the hand as she performs her own universal greeting of extending a ribbon-like feeler to gently pat the man on the nose.]
"Vie~"

[Anastasia doesn't try to stop her pokemon, as it is completely harmless. She brings her hands together in front of herself.]


"I apologize for her. That's how she likes to say 'hi' to people."

[its_dad_sanzo]

[Koumyou blinked his eyes open a little more, showing the slightest slivers of brown irises. But instead of recoiling at the nose-boop, he imitated the motion with one finger on the pokemon's nose. Boop! But he was smiling broader than before.]

It's quite alright. Reminds me a little of Kouryuu as a baby.

[Babies grabbed for things. Including noses. And sometimes hair. Okay... often, hair.]

[innocent_royal]

[The Sylveon seems delighted someone imitated her. She bounced backward and skipped back to Anastasia's side. The girl herself slightly tilted her head to the side inquisitively.]

"Are you a father?"

[its_dad_sanzo]

Oh, yes.

[Koumyou perked up even more, as he always did when he had the excuse to talk about his son. He stood back up to his full height, a few inches under six feet tall.]

My little Kouryuu is fourteen, and already so big!

[He gestured somewhere around mid-bicep height on himself, beaming. What a proud dad.]

Sometimes it's hard to remember that he started off as such a tiny little baby. He hasn't gotten any less cute, though!

[innocent_royal]

[Anastasia considers for a moment what it would be like if one of her parents bragged about her. They were always the kind to look ahead.

Meanwhile, Sylvia used her feelers to compare this Kouryuu's height with Anastasia. She was still short.]

"Pardon the change of subject, but are you new to Genessia?"

[hugs_for_nugs]

As he was wont to do, Cole was just there. Koumyou was not the one that needed help, not severely, but he sat squarely in the middle of so many threads that lead to so much pain and upheaval. Following the web of memories was difficult and overwhelming, so Cole focused on just a few he knew. He couldn't resist approaching Koumyou, maybe if he could figure him out he could figure out how to help the rest.

"I know your face," he said as he walked up alongside the priest. "I do not know you, you don't know me, I don't think. You shouldn't. You are new, needing help? No? I'm glad it didn't hurt."

[its_dad_sanzo]

"Eh?" Koumyou was rummaging around in one of his sleeves, but he paused and tipped his whole body to the side a little bit, one sandal lifting off the ground entirely, to peek under Cole's hat.

"No, I don't think I've seen you before. Who are you?"

[hugs_for_nugs]

"I'm Cole." He didn't sound happy to introduce himself this time. "You are... I know your name, there are many that think of it."

Cole tilted his head up to look at Koumyou's face in turn. His eyes were bright blue, eerie, and sad, sadder still for the memories he pulled upon to recognize that face.

[its_dad_sanzo]

"Is that so?" Koumyou straightened back up, and resumed his rummaging. He found what he was hunting for, and drew his long, slightly curved pipe out of his sleeve. And his lighter, of course. He lit the pipe and put the lighter away again.

Tucking the back of his opposite hand under his elbow, he lifted the pipe and took a drag of the tobacco.

Much better. He wasn't a chain-smoker like some people, but it was still nice to be able to do this. If he was somehow alive, he may as well live.

[hugs_for_nugs]

Cole watched him light the pipe and the curl of smoke that followed as if it was the most fascinating thing he'd seen in years. He was thinking, thinking over all those threads that began with this one monk and spanned many years. He'd seen his death from different angles, different reactions, he'd seen how the moment recreated itself again and again in the mind of a friend of a friend.

"He's missed you," he blurted out while caught on one particular thread.

[its_dad_sanzo]

"Who?" Koumyou had no idea how many years had gone by in what seemed to him like a blink, after all. And even then, that could apply to a few people. Maybe. Perhaps. One in particular, of course.

He took another drag from his pipe and let the smoke out in a slow breath. How did death work, anyway?

[hugs_for_nugs]

Cole opened his mouth to answer and paused. He looked around suddenly, fidgeting hands still. Listening- no seeing something that no one else could.

"It is better I don't tell you," he said, relieved. There was someone else who knew more and could explain it better than he could.

"The birds know, they'll tell who needs to know. You'll know soon. Oh, and you aren't dead. Well you are, but you aren't. To some you are, to you, you're not."

[its_dad_sanzo]

"Oh, of course," Koumyou took the explanation of his death-but-not-death in stride as perhaps only he could. "Who needs to know... will they be coming here, then?"

[firefandance]

Her pokemon had gone on ahead carrying some items she was taking back to the inn while she carried some bags herself. She always enjoyed the little trips to the shop when she did them not just for the inn itself but for herself and her pokemon. They seemed to enjoy it anyway as well.

Making her way back she planned to go via the Bay and when she did, she found herself stopping for a moment, her companions having not realised yet carried on while she looked over.

"Ah, excuse me... I assume you just came out of the way, correct?"

[its_dad_sanzo]

Koumyou watched the creatures with their shopping bags as they wandered off. Fascinating!

His attention turned to the girl when she spoke, and he tipped his head a little.

"Oooh, do you mean the cave with the beds in it? Yes, it was very damp!"

[firefandance]

"Yeah, I never... quite understand why it needs to be though." It was rather confusing to say the least, but she had really no way of finding out from anyone as to why it was like that.

"But I always assume it's damp for a reason. Might not be obvious, though."

[its_dad_sanzo]

"I don't know, but it sure was unpleasant," Koumyou sounded a bit whiny, there. "At least it wasn't freezing! Though then I might have had ice to jump across..."

[firefandance]

"Well just be glad you didn't arriving during the winter then. It would be freezing then. So you were lucky." She said as she turned slightly "Ah, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Yukiko Amagi."

[its_dad_sanzo]

"Oh man, I'm glad then! It was already cold enough for me!" Koumyou gave a dramatic shiver. Then he smiled, and bowed very slightly, "I am Koumyou Sanzo."

[firefandance]

"Pleasure to meet you." She gave a small bow, still trying to hold the bags of food she currently still had. "Since you are new, I assume you will be looking for a place to stay and work, right?"

[its_dad_sanzo]

"I don't know yet," Koumyou watched as one of the colorful birds from earlier returned to its perch, its tiny little eyes fixed directly on him. Interesting!

"How long have you been here?" That was addressed to Yukiko, despite how Koumyou shielded his eyes with one hand and peered up at the bird.