[Video] 🌙 if you can't see the sky there's too much artificial light

[its_dad_sanzo]

[Koumyou turns the camera on with a smile. The sun is briefly too bright behind him, until he adjusts how he's holding the phone.]

Hm, I suppose it's safe for me to make one of these videos now, right?

Let's see, here.

[He turns the phone around and shows a small and pretty edo-style building. The shrine has an outdoor bell which can be rung to pay homage to the spirits and/or make a wish. Behind it, there's some kind of garden or park with cherry and maples trees' leaves blowing in the breeze.]

I'm told this is on... ah, Thistle Avenue and 8th Street, of the main city. I am its... caretaker, now? Anyway, make use of it if you wish. I've cleaned up most of the mess left behind. Ah--

[The camera pans down quickly to show a Silvanshee from the recent ruins exploration. It butts its forehead against Koumyou's shin, through his pristine white robes.]

Be careful of Mr. Wiggles if you visit. She can be a little territorial! She accepts opened cans of fish as tribute.

[Yes, there's a demon cat living at the shrine. W H E L P . That's what they get for putting Koumyou in charge.]

Oh, and before I forget! Again...

[He pans the camera back up to himself with another smile, his brown eyes barely open.]

I am priest Koumyou Sanzo. It's nice to meet you all.

Comments

[badly_behaved_priest]

Sanzo grimaced and tucked the pack away quickly. Koumyou was the only person who could get away with that without getting an earful.

"You're going to show me, regardless of my answer." Sanzo's reply was dry and bored to cover his curiosity. If Koumyou wanted to show him something, it was probably worth it. He pulled out his lighter, as he watched, lighting his cigarette and trying to stow the lighter back in his sleeve before Koumyou grabbed that too.

[its_dad_sanzo]

"Oh hush, you grump," Koumyou crouched down to open a hidden panel in the smooth wood flooring under the mat, and he produced...

A sake bottle, and two cups.

"Ta-daaaaah~! I've been holding onto this for your next visit!"

[badly_behaved_priest]

There was a knot of some intense feeling in Sanzo's chest, tight and uncomfortable, yet not entirely unwelcome. Kouryuu had given his master no end of reprimands for drinking and drinking where others could see, and now he was an adult. After he'd had time to adjust, and meet Koumyou in person, Sanzo thought that would be the end of the sudden, often painful reactions to whatever his father would do. The nightmares and memories hadn't faded, apparently this wouldn't either.

Sanzo's face twitched once, his internal conflict quickly hidden under an expression of mild interest.

"Hn. That's better than what I intended to bring." To his relief, none of that tension made it through to his voice.

[its_dad_sanzo]

"I'm not surprised," Koumyou let the hidden door drop shut, and then dropped the tatami mat back in place before settling on his shins in a comfortable place. When had he lit the cigarette in his lips? He hadn't stolen Sanzo's lighter, or produced his own from his sleeve.

He waited for Genjyo to settle down on the floor with him before offering an empty cup, the bottle held in his other hand. He'd pour! It just seemed right, didn't it? A little... belated... coming-of-age moment with good 'ol dad.

[badly_behaved_priest]

Sanzo lowered himself to the floor without hesitation. Hesitation might hint at what mixed feelings he had. Any happiness he felt now could be snatched from him so quickly, to join the rest of the bittersweet memories he had of Koumyou.

He held his cigarette in one hand, resting against his knee, and took the offered cup with the other hand, holding it out until Koumyou had poured his share. A moment like this had crossed his thoughts before, more than once, a painful could-have-been.

Sanzo stared down at his cup, lost in thought. Drake had told Koumyou more than Sanzo wanted him too, he'd hoped to keep much of the negative out of what limited time he might have with his father. So now he wanted to show as little of that as possible, especially after their first meeting here, but it was so hard not to slip.

"Thank you," he muttered, forcing himself back to awareness.

[its_dad_sanzo]

Koumyou poured for himself after pouring for his son, smiling that squinty smile of his. He set the bottle down and took the cigarette from his mouth so he could take a sip from his cup.

[badly_behaved_priest]

Sanzo was grateful there was no comment on his distraction, Koumyou wouldn't miss something so obvious. They could both pretend it hadn't happened or why. He took a sip himself and looked over at Koumyou with a rare, fleeting smile.

The next morning he could wake up and Koumyou be gone again. Uncertainty. That should be an easy enough thing to accept, considering impermanence was such an important lesson his master had taught him. Nothing made it easy to accept, but he would try to enjoy this moment while he could.

[its_dad_sanzo]

Koumyou noticed that fleeting little smile and his own simply intensified. To his Empathic son, the level of affection coming off Koumyou had to feel like a heat wave.

"It's good, isn't it?" Room temperature and kept under the floorboards for possibly days, but sake really took on a different quality when shared with the right person!

[badly_behaved_priest]

"Yes." Before Koumyou had reappeared, Sanzo would have thought, to himself only, that water would be delicious if shared with his master. He wasn't sure if his opinion on that changed. Probably not.

Sanzo felt surprisingly calm, peaceful, despite the lurking cat, somewhere. It was good to see Koumyou again, it was better to see him smile like that.

[its_dad_sanzo]

Koumyou beamed and was content to just drink with his son. There were a lot of things he needed to ask the younger Sanzo... a lot of painful things...

They could wait for another time.