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paradisalost2007-03-19 11:21 pm
devotingly.livejournal.com) wrote in paradisalost2007-03-19 11:21 pm
Entry tags:
[ COMPLETE ] Iason Mink, Mori Ranmaru, Riki - Understanding
Who: Iason Mink [![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
blondiemaster], Mori Ranmaru [devotingly], Riki the Dark [equivocedly]
What: Pissy Iason gets lost in the castle. Ranmaru finds him and makes friends. Unfortunately, Riki sees them and misunderstands.
When: After this thread.
Where: Downstairs.
Rating: G? Mentions of Master-Petness! D:
There was a reason he was called the swift runner, and the way he moved was proof enough for that. However, the reason for it was not something he was doing out of any sort of pleasure--- he'd left something baking in the oven downstairs and got called outside by one of the friends he'd made here, and they'd wandered off as he'd gone and assisted them for their task that they couldn't do on their own, only it had taken him long enough to realise that what he'd been making was probably going to be burned to a crisp!
The boy raced down a small corner, pausing and then swerve-- only to crash full force into a large figure, eyes widening as he stumbled forward and grabbed them for balance with a surprised cry, and the book he was holding knocked out of his hand. Embarrassment clouded the boy's face as he looked up at who he'd run into, silver eyes wide in horror. "Forgive me, sir! This person was in a hurry and..." he paused, noticing a spirit servant walking out of the kitchen, holding the rolls he was baking and carrying them out to cool. Ranmaru sighed in relief, feeling embarrassed that he'd forgotten they were there and realising he was still holding on to the man, looked back at him. "Anou... d-did I hurt you, sir?"
Iason was...well... to put it mildly, pissed. For some reason, the fact that he was feeling angry at all hadn't quite registered in his mind, and instead he was fuming. Of course, without his ring, Riki would attempt to be free...but...did that mean that their last moments had meant nothing? He felt a bit ill at the thought, another new experience. At some point, the fact that he was actually experiencing anything would come to realization, but right now it was all focused on Riki...and when Riki was involved, he was often far too estranged to realize that maybe it was something wrong with him. Riki always brought out those things that Jupiter would become upset over.
Caught in his thoughts of Jupiter...and more importantly... Riki, he barely noticed when something far too solid slammed into him, but he was rather aware when they grabbed him, and he resisted the urge to instantly use physical force to remove them from his body. He hadn't been paying attention, after all. They could be trying to balance themselves, and not just grasp onto a Blondie's body aimlessly...although it wouldn't have been the first time in his many visits to Ceres. He frowned, and shook his head. "No, I'm perfectly fine," he said simply, noting the appearance of the boy. Pet material, certainly, exquisite, really...he would have been greatly appreciated in the Market, and perhaps by Iason himself, if he were able to force out the thoughts of his most favored pet.
Quickly drawing back, Ranmaru bowed in apology to the older man, thrice. "Please forgive this person. It was most unbecoming of this person to not look where he was headed..." he apologised again, feeling terrible. Now that he knew his baking was safe, he moved a hand awkwardly behind is head and gave the other man a sheepish smile, noticing he wasn't going anywhere. It was then he noticed the look on the other's face and realised he wasn't all quite there... if anything. He was distracted.
"Are you new here, sir?" he asked, tilting his head to a side. "This person saw many new arrivals in the castle, and you were not present before, were you?" he asked. He was inquisitive, a habit that often got him into trouble, but he knew at least, Nobunaga didn't mind. If anything, he knew his Lord liked it. Looking at the man before him, he was briefly reminded of his Lord's vassals, Keiji Maeda... the broad frame, blond hair... except this one didn't seem to be too much of a rabble-rouser.
Iason nodded at the apology, and then again at the inquiry. "I am," he said simply, looking around for some sort of escape. Unfortunately, this place did not seem to have furniture attendants to whisper in his ear when something was wrong, or give him even the most minuscule excuse to escape the attentions of any sorts of unsavory beings. Of course...this one did not seem unsavory...but more interesting, especially in manner of speech. He rarely heard one talk of themselves in third person...unless they were deranged pets with a massive inferiority complex, but that happened so rarely anymore.
"You have been here long?" he questioned abruptly, the words a surprise to even him. He hadn't expected to spout any nonsense to the residents...but he had just spouted out something that he was curious about without thought. He scowled even more at the thought of not being in control, but quickly eradicated it for ambivalence.
Noting the other's discomfort, Ranmaru did feel that he should move away and leave the other so as not to further disturb him but having served Nobunaga had made him somewhat perceptive. For starters, his Lord always expected him to know things before he even said them and he had, as far as he could remember, done that to the best of his abilities. So well, in fact, that it was uncanny. He hadn't had the opportunity, but it was obvious such a skill didn't die out on whim.
When the other asked him his question, even Ranmaru blinked and moved his hand down. "A-Ah, yes, this person has. Well, for... as long as time is supposed to be counted in this place." he honestly didn't remember how long it had been anymore, he just knew that it had been long enough to assume his Lord and Lady were no longer here. Quickly smiling to the other, he moved a hand to himself. "If you are lost, this person will be glad to help, sir. It's interesting to meet more people from new worlds!" he added. "Where do you come from?"
Iason blinked, and swept a few loose strands of blonde hair out of his face. "I am not lost," he mentioned simply. He had been...fuming, yes, that would be appropriate, even though the idea of such a thing caused him to feel revolted. Was that another one of those emotion things that he seemed to be feeling more and more of recently? So far it had been mostly redirected at Riki, although there had been brief moments when he had felt these emotions redirected towards others...no, it must be back flow from Riki.
"I come from Amoi," he answered the question, eyeing the pet-candidate curiously. "And you?" he prompted simply, giving him the same almost cold stare that he gave everyone, although he had a feeling it wouldn't appear to have the same bite that it usually had. It would probably be moreover the sort of look that he would give Katze...or even Raoul, if he was feeling particularly kind...even though that rarely happened, if ever.
"Oh?" Ranmaru smiled then, used to such looks. He'd been around men and lords older than him for most of his life, so he wasn't too surprised. Remaining polite, his nature as amiable as anyone, he nodded. "This person has not heard of Amoi! It sounds like a place from where I come from, though!" he nodded to him. "Ah, this person is from Nippon... though... if I may, sir, we usually have very few foreigners there, if at all. Though staying here made this person realise that they aren't barbarians as many among us claim!" he laughed a bit, then realised he'd rambled and felt his cheeks color, moving a hand under his mouth and smiling weakly.
"Oh, er. Forgive this person... My Lord often directed when this person could speak and now that he is no longer here, it is hard to determine when to stop, please forgive me." he bowed his head again and straightened up. Then, curiosity entering his voice, he asked, "Where were you going, sir? That way leads to a dead end." he pointed. Looking at him curiously, he smiled then. "Were you thinking about something important?"
Iason listened with quite a bit of curiosity, and he had to admit that it sounded a bit like his city of Tanagura, and their feelings on the rest of Amoi. He simply nodded at the apology and blushed cheeks, and wondered if this one would have been as fun to train as Riki? Probably not. He already had a master, obviously, although he called him something different, but the meaning was still in there, and quite heavily laden on. Iason wouldn't have been surprised to learn that this young one would only take orders from his master...he did seem like the sort. His pointing to the dead end, however, snapped his attention. Ah, so it had...that would have been quite...embarrassing.
His eyes did twitch just slightly, and one corner of his mouth lowered slightly, and he swallowed slowly, before shaking his head. "It was...nothing important," he said simply, fixing the boy with something of a serious gaze. Even belying such minuscule facts as a hesitated phrase was...detestable in his mind, and embarrassing for a Blondie of Amoi to do so.
Well, this was indeed a strange man wasn't he? Ranmaru found it interesting to see how he seemed to be restricting himself, though not quite. He seemed open enough... but Ranmaru didn't want to seem too intrusive. But there was just something about him that made him want to inquire... and he chuckled lightly, nodding to him. "Mm.. Ah. You were probably lost in thought after all." he stepped to a side, then motioned. "That way is a dead end, but that way, inwards, is a path leading outside. Come, come! Ranmaru will show you!"
He figured the man needed a breath of fresh air, or assumed anyway. And stepped on ahead of him, showing him the way. "It's a garden! It's really large, and you can walk around as much as you like. It helps clear troubled thoughts." he chuckled lightly, then walked up beside the man. "Your eyes are so sad though, sir... did you lose someone you care for? This person has never quite seen such sadness in anyone before!" it was a stab in the dark statement, but it was still worth it to talk to someone else. It wasn't like he had anything else to do.
Iason's eye widened in slight shock, before he managed to reign himself back into control. Whatever was happening here was managing to send what he had expected to be a lack of emotions into disarray, and he detested it. Even the mere thought of Riki sent him wildly spinning into some manner of dissaray and madness when he thought of the fact that in his pocket, so close to his fingers was the ring. The thing that he had managed to hold Riki so close to him for so long...and now he was finally free.
Riki was free and there was nothing he could do to help it. The worst was that he couldn't do anything to force Riki to return this time. There was no Bison to manipulate, and he barely knew his surroundings enough to actually use anything else to manipulate it. "That would be enjoyable, thank you," he said smoothly, trying to reign in his flow of thoughts on Riki.
How intriguing. Ranmaru led the man outside and showed him the extensive garden... it was indeed a beautiful place, as most of Paradisa was. But Ranmaru liked being outside, and it showed the moment he did step out. Relaxing, he raced ahead of the blond man and pointed out the better areas. "There's a stream there! Through the trees, there's a lake, and there's places to sit outside too. It's really nice out here, sir!" he was telling him, figuring he'd do a complete job in letting him know where was what.
Then, he headed towards a push of moonflowers by the stream, picking them all carefully and using the short blade he carried, he evened their stems and stood back up, using one of his belt's string ties to tie them together. Walking back to Iason, he held the flowers out to him and smiled kindly. "Here, sir! Moonflowers are said to be good luck and bring peace to their owner!" he chuckled then. "My name is Mori Ranmaru! It's our first meeting, right? So I'll give you this as a gift!"
He had a cheerful disposition, and it wasn't because he wanted anything out of the other man. He'd seen others arrive here, completely lost and confused and there was just something in this man he couldn't put a finger on. He knew he had lost something, but he still hadn't been able to figure out what exactly. "In a place like this, it is best that you make friends... it gets rather lonely if you don't. Did you find your friends here yet, sir?"
Iason watched him practically prance around the garden, and he smiled in spite of himself. This one was no pet...he wouldn't have made a good one, for no reason more than he was strong-headed, and would do things on his own. In that, he reminded him of Katze, although Katze was far more hardened than this one was, although he wondered how long one like him would last in a world like Amoi...if at all. The lifestyle had hardly been for the weak at heart, especially for those in his position, or the Mongrels in Ceres.
He accepted the flower with a slow nod, and a soft mutter of thanks, before running a gloved thumb along one of the blossoms, admiring their texture and appearance. He did enjoy things of beauty. At Ranmaru's question, however, he frowned, and hesitated. He could hardly consider Riki a friend, or even a lover, but instead was he an acquaintance? Did he even have friends? He supposed Raoul was one...but only as far as Jupiter would allow.
"No, I have not," he said simply, after a moment's pause. He could see why it would get lonely, and without anything to entertain himself, he supposed that he would get bored as well. This could, then, perhaps be hell?
"Oh.." Ranmaru's expression softened a little, and he did feel a little sympathetic towards the older man. He knew exactly how it was to be lonely in a big place like this, and he had felt lonely for the longest time. There was the matter of his Lord disappearing, and then that little issue where he knew he couldn't remember something, and it bothered him to think of it.
Smiling then, Ranmaru shook his head. "Ranmaru can be your friend! Ranmaru has made quite some nice friends here. You'll like it too. Because we can't go home, we might as well enjoy it, ne?" he told him enthusiastically. Perhaps it was his resemblance to the vassal who treated him like his younger brother or perhaps it was the loneliness in his eyes, Ranmaru wasn't sure. But it was enough for him to want to help him. His Lord had told him to help those that needed it, after all. "Ne, sir hasn't told this person his name yet!" he chuckled.
Iason didn't want the pity, and his lips tightened slightly, although he could hardly blame the boy for feeling it. He was certain he most likely had the pity that anyone else would feel towards a man who looked as seemingly pathetic as he did. Iason didn't know it, but his usually sharp and calculated blue eyes were far less than they usually were, and, perhaps even a bit sad. He should have known better than to leave his room in such a state.
Unfortunately, Iason seemed to be forgetting logic at some points. He released a faint smile, and nodded. "Iason Mink," he said simply. He nodded his head, "Its a pleasure," he said smoothly.
"Iason Mink..." repeated Ranmaru, the words a bit difficult on his tongue but managing to say the name, he nodded. "It is a pleasure to meet you too, Iason Mink-sama!" well, he was kind at the very least. And that made Ranmaru smile as he bowed to him. "This person holds true to his word though... If you have any trouble, just tell me. Ranmaru will do his best to make sue you aren't uncomfortable!" he chuckled then. "Iason-sama looks very much in need of refreshing his mind." he moved a hand to his and touched the back of it.
An act that didn't go unnoticed. Riki had been wandering the castle, trying to learn as much as he could and after asking someone else, he'd found his way out. He'd -wanted- to walk outside, being cooped up inside wasn't his thing and he was relieved to breathe fresh air, when he noticed the talking couple outside. He'd wanted to ignore them, but the name the other boy spoke hung out too strongly, and he gasped, turning to see the blondie and... a boy. Had the boy not been speaking, he would have thought him a young teenage woman but it was obvious he wasn't. However...
Iason's... smiling at him. And he's touching his hand. Why? Riki realised he was getting angry and he didn't move. They'd notice him, and he thought of going back inside, but...
Iason nearly pulled away from the boy's touch, but instead had a feeling rise on the back of his neck, and he instead allowed the touch, despite his best feelings. He swallowed, and nodded. "If I find any trouble, Ranmaru, then I will certainly find you," he said simply, and lifted an eyebrow in thought of the second part of the phrasing. "I merely come from...a rather gruesome situation," he said softly, his voice faltering only the barest amount, practically undetectable at the thought.
The nagging feeling was still there, however. He felt a sickness in the pit of his stomach, and he felt like he was being watched. He didn't enjoy it...it was...revolting...and he had to turn to see who would be so interested in him. Ugh, voyeurs.
Oh shit.
Riki wanted to run, but he didn't move. As it had mostly always been with Iason, he found himself rooted to the spot, and when the blondie turned and looked at him, he found himself staring in shock... then his eyes narrowed and he clenched his fists to his side.
Ranmaru, noticing that they were being watched, looked confusedly at Iason, before quickly looking to a side and spotting the black-clad young man, his eyes widened in surprise. Who was he? He didn't say a word, though, looking between Iason and him. The other man, however, turned his gaze onto him, and Ranmaru could have sworn he saw a look of hurt in his eyes, before turning into a vicious glare. He'd never been looked at that cruelly before.
Riki was, naturally furious. It hadn't been more than a few hours and Iason was already... Damn him. Gritting his teeth, Riki then forced himself to calm down, turning a devil-may-care lok towards the blondie. "Preparing for a new pet already?" he couldn't help but ask in a barely concealed biting tone. "Sorry to interrupt."
Iason was a bit upset that Riki had come to such a new conclusion so quickly, and a slow swallow managed to bring his emotions in check. He couldn't simply come outright and say it, could he? No, he had too much pride to simply come out and say what thundered in his ears, and what his mind kept trying to say, over and over again. He did feel his breath hitch at the vision of Riki, he looked so...healthy...not at all the broken half-man he had seen last when they had lied together in Dana Bahn.
Here he looked...free, and ready to break lose and punch him at any moment. If he were honest, he wouldn't have minded in the least, either. He would have enjoyed it, he supposed. He swallowed, before fixing Riki with an even, very 'blondie' glance. "If that is what you believe," he responded in kind to his accusation, sharp, biting, hollow. He couldn't imagine using any other sort of emotion, without revealing that he wasn't, that this was a chance encounter. No, he had to keep himself even.
He -was- willing to punch him right there. If anything, he wanted to at him until that smug look went off his face, until some emotion OTHER than calm came into his face. He didn't know why, he just knew that it was pissing off to see him so -content- with that... and he paused. The boy standing next to Iason not only appeared like an obedient pet, he seemed to be genuinely caring. The way he worriedly looked at Iason, and back at Riki, there was sincere -worry- in his eyes. Riki had arrived two days later, it was possible that Iason had met the boy in the time.
He'd given him fucking flowers for crying out loud.
And obviously took a shine to him. Riki thought bitterly. Stuffing his hands into his pockets, he shot Iason a cool, dark glare. "I'll leave. Wouldn't want to give your friend a bad impression of you." not wanting to hear anything else, he turned and walked inside the castle. He was feeling sick.
Alright, this was getting strange. As the dark-haired man turned, Ranmaru was absolutely stunned by the level of hurt he heard in the other's voice. And why wasn't Iason saying anything in his own defense? It then struck Ranmaru, that the two of them knew each other and he moved a hand to his mouth, concealing a gasp. This was terrible. Somehow, unknowingly, he had caused two friends to fight. Biting his lower lip, he watched as Riki began to walk away and stepped up to Iason's side. "Who was that, Iason-sama?" he asked. "He too... had sad eyes."
Iason watched Riki leave, his arms wavering with the flowers just slightly. He wanted to chase after him, grab him, tell him to stop being silly, that he had bumped into the boy and he had been showing him around...but Iason was too proud for that. He frowned, and watched Riki leave, his eyes looking terribly worried after his...well, to put it bluntly, Love.
He sighed to Ranmaru, and shook his head. "He was...a pet," he said simply, eyes locked onto the path that Riki had taken, mouth slightly agape as if he wished to say more. He did want to say more, he wanted to make Riki to understand that he hadn't done anything with this person, and he was too...independent to ever be a pet...at least to those who were terribly impatient. Iason was hardly that sort...but he only wanted one pet, and that pet was free, for good it seemed. "A very...special pet," he said, his voice dropping in volume at the last bit.
Ranmaru turned as the other spoke, realisation entering his eyes when Iason's voice went lower and being as perceptive as he was, it didn't take him too long to figure out what was going on. Iason's sad gaze earlier, even now the tightness with which he regarded the other man. When he said 'pet' however, Ranmaru's eyebrow raised in confusion. That man had referred to him as a pet as well, hadn't he? "What does that mean? A pet?" he asked. It didn't make much sense, but then he added softly, "Is he... your lover, Iason-sama?"
That would probably be more awkward than the last question, and hesitantly, Ranmaru moved forward to touch the base of the stems in Iason's hand as he stepped before him. This man was so sad, and there was certainly true sadness in his eyes. It was heartbreaking in certain way and Ranmaru just wanted him to feel better.
Iason's eyes widened just slightly, and his frown tightened considerably. He sighed slowly, and his throat tightened. "Yes, I...suppose that would be a more romantic term for it," he said simply. "Riki was my pet," he said matter-of-factly, a pure lack of emotion dripping in his voice. He had been a pet dealer, after all. The fact that he owned them hadn't been much of a big deal, and the insinuations of what pets did weren't all that difficult to figure out, nor was it an embarrassment to him to admit that. It didn't necessarily mean that he had loved Riki, correct?
Yes, there was no way the two would have been completely related, unless one were completely Naive, but whether this person was or not was an entirely different situation. Iason doubted this person was terribly naive, but he had been proven wrong before.
Only, in Ranmaru's eyes, seeing that the boy had mostly if not always been perceptive about things like this, it was obvious to him that Iason held something far more stronger for the man who'd just left than he either wanted to admit, or that he understood himself. Biting down his lower lip, Ranmaru thought for a while on how to cheer him up, then looked up and smiled suddenly.
"Well... if you both have fought now, you can make up later, ne? Maybe you could bring him a present!" he offered. Then he chuckled softly and looked to a side. "I'm sorry. This person shouldn't be offering suggestions when there is no knowledge of what has truly happened. But..."
He tilted his head and smiled encouragingly at him.
"Ranmaru's Lords said that there is always light after a storm. So things will be alright!" he laughed a bit, then motioned inside. "You look like you could use a good cup of tea, Iason-sama! Will you honor me with your presence for it?"
Iason chuckled softly, shaking his head almost sadly. The boy seemed to be picking up more than he was letting on, and this made him terribly uncomfortable, but he would have to deal. "I don't believe it is hardly that simple," he answered softly, a hand sliding in a pocket, moving to slowly thumb the pet-ring still in his pocket. He couldn't forget that it was there, a constant reminder that Riki was no longer his or even remotely his.
He looked down at the boy, and nodded slowly. "I suppose I have more than enough time to accept your request," he said smoothly to Ranmaru, giving him something of a kinder glance than he normally gave to any souls, or at least he had, before leaving Amoi. It seemed here he was subject to more than simply ambivalence towards everyone other than Riki. Even Raoul had been held at an arms length from anything resembling emotion.
Seeing the look that Iason gave him, Ranmaru felt himself lighten a little. Then, he bowed his head and once he'd raised his gaze, he extended a hand towards the castle. "After you Iason-sama." he offered, and began to escort him back into the castle, talking to him the entire while and hoping the other felt better. After all, who knew. Maybe he could help him see that there were other ways instead of indifference to help earn a person's feelings. Maybe, like every powerful Lord, Iason was inept at showing his true feelings.
Determined to help, he promised himself he'd take care of his needs.. and hopefully figure out what this deal with the dark-haired man was.
Envy played a dark role in a person's feelings, and Riki, having watched the comfortable way Iason had spoken to the younger boy, realised he was feeling it. He hadnt left, he'd waited to see if they would separate. But now they were even going places together? Something stung in his chest and he grit his teeth, narrowing his eyes and turning away. He'd seen enough.
"I've been replaced after all." he hissed to himself.
Some part of him wished he was wrong, and deciding he didn't want to see any more, he turned to leave.
He already hated this place.
blondiemaster], Mori Ranmaru [devotingly], Riki the Dark [equivocedly]What: Pissy Iason gets lost in the castle. Ranmaru finds him and makes friends. Unfortunately, Riki sees them and misunderstands.
When: After this thread.
Where: Downstairs.
Rating: G? Mentions of Master-Petness! D:
There was a reason he was called the swift runner, and the way he moved was proof enough for that. However, the reason for it was not something he was doing out of any sort of pleasure--- he'd left something baking in the oven downstairs and got called outside by one of the friends he'd made here, and they'd wandered off as he'd gone and assisted them for their task that they couldn't do on their own, only it had taken him long enough to realise that what he'd been making was probably going to be burned to a crisp!
The boy raced down a small corner, pausing and then swerve-- only to crash full force into a large figure, eyes widening as he stumbled forward and grabbed them for balance with a surprised cry, and the book he was holding knocked out of his hand. Embarrassment clouded the boy's face as he looked up at who he'd run into, silver eyes wide in horror. "Forgive me, sir! This person was in a hurry and..." he paused, noticing a spirit servant walking out of the kitchen, holding the rolls he was baking and carrying them out to cool. Ranmaru sighed in relief, feeling embarrassed that he'd forgotten they were there and realising he was still holding on to the man, looked back at him. "Anou... d-did I hurt you, sir?"
Iason was...well... to put it mildly, pissed. For some reason, the fact that he was feeling angry at all hadn't quite registered in his mind, and instead he was fuming. Of course, without his ring, Riki would attempt to be free...but...did that mean that their last moments had meant nothing? He felt a bit ill at the thought, another new experience. At some point, the fact that he was actually experiencing anything would come to realization, but right now it was all focused on Riki...and when Riki was involved, he was often far too estranged to realize that maybe it was something wrong with him. Riki always brought out those things that Jupiter would become upset over.
Caught in his thoughts of Jupiter...and more importantly... Riki, he barely noticed when something far too solid slammed into him, but he was rather aware when they grabbed him, and he resisted the urge to instantly use physical force to remove them from his body. He hadn't been paying attention, after all. They could be trying to balance themselves, and not just grasp onto a Blondie's body aimlessly...although it wouldn't have been the first time in his many visits to Ceres. He frowned, and shook his head. "No, I'm perfectly fine," he said simply, noting the appearance of the boy. Pet material, certainly, exquisite, really...he would have been greatly appreciated in the Market, and perhaps by Iason himself, if he were able to force out the thoughts of his most favored pet.
Quickly drawing back, Ranmaru bowed in apology to the older man, thrice. "Please forgive this person. It was most unbecoming of this person to not look where he was headed..." he apologised again, feeling terrible. Now that he knew his baking was safe, he moved a hand awkwardly behind is head and gave the other man a sheepish smile, noticing he wasn't going anywhere. It was then he noticed the look on the other's face and realised he wasn't all quite there... if anything. He was distracted.
"Are you new here, sir?" he asked, tilting his head to a side. "This person saw many new arrivals in the castle, and you were not present before, were you?" he asked. He was inquisitive, a habit that often got him into trouble, but he knew at least, Nobunaga didn't mind. If anything, he knew his Lord liked it. Looking at the man before him, he was briefly reminded of his Lord's vassals, Keiji Maeda... the broad frame, blond hair... except this one didn't seem to be too much of a rabble-rouser.
Iason nodded at the apology, and then again at the inquiry. "I am," he said simply, looking around for some sort of escape. Unfortunately, this place did not seem to have furniture attendants to whisper in his ear when something was wrong, or give him even the most minuscule excuse to escape the attentions of any sorts of unsavory beings. Of course...this one did not seem unsavory...but more interesting, especially in manner of speech. He rarely heard one talk of themselves in third person...unless they were deranged pets with a massive inferiority complex, but that happened so rarely anymore.
"You have been here long?" he questioned abruptly, the words a surprise to even him. He hadn't expected to spout any nonsense to the residents...but he had just spouted out something that he was curious about without thought. He scowled even more at the thought of not being in control, but quickly eradicated it for ambivalence.
Noting the other's discomfort, Ranmaru did feel that he should move away and leave the other so as not to further disturb him but having served Nobunaga had made him somewhat perceptive. For starters, his Lord always expected him to know things before he even said them and he had, as far as he could remember, done that to the best of his abilities. So well, in fact, that it was uncanny. He hadn't had the opportunity, but it was obvious such a skill didn't die out on whim.
When the other asked him his question, even Ranmaru blinked and moved his hand down. "A-Ah, yes, this person has. Well, for... as long as time is supposed to be counted in this place." he honestly didn't remember how long it had been anymore, he just knew that it had been long enough to assume his Lord and Lady were no longer here. Quickly smiling to the other, he moved a hand to himself. "If you are lost, this person will be glad to help, sir. It's interesting to meet more people from new worlds!" he added. "Where do you come from?"
Iason blinked, and swept a few loose strands of blonde hair out of his face. "I am not lost," he mentioned simply. He had been...fuming, yes, that would be appropriate, even though the idea of such a thing caused him to feel revolted. Was that another one of those emotion things that he seemed to be feeling more and more of recently? So far it had been mostly redirected at Riki, although there had been brief moments when he had felt these emotions redirected towards others...no, it must be back flow from Riki.
"I come from Amoi," he answered the question, eyeing the pet-candidate curiously. "And you?" he prompted simply, giving him the same almost cold stare that he gave everyone, although he had a feeling it wouldn't appear to have the same bite that it usually had. It would probably be moreover the sort of look that he would give Katze...or even Raoul, if he was feeling particularly kind...even though that rarely happened, if ever.
"Oh?" Ranmaru smiled then, used to such looks. He'd been around men and lords older than him for most of his life, so he wasn't too surprised. Remaining polite, his nature as amiable as anyone, he nodded. "This person has not heard of Amoi! It sounds like a place from where I come from, though!" he nodded to him. "Ah, this person is from Nippon... though... if I may, sir, we usually have very few foreigners there, if at all. Though staying here made this person realise that they aren't barbarians as many among us claim!" he laughed a bit, then realised he'd rambled and felt his cheeks color, moving a hand under his mouth and smiling weakly.
"Oh, er. Forgive this person... My Lord often directed when this person could speak and now that he is no longer here, it is hard to determine when to stop, please forgive me." he bowed his head again and straightened up. Then, curiosity entering his voice, he asked, "Where were you going, sir? That way leads to a dead end." he pointed. Looking at him curiously, he smiled then. "Were you thinking about something important?"
Iason listened with quite a bit of curiosity, and he had to admit that it sounded a bit like his city of Tanagura, and their feelings on the rest of Amoi. He simply nodded at the apology and blushed cheeks, and wondered if this one would have been as fun to train as Riki? Probably not. He already had a master, obviously, although he called him something different, but the meaning was still in there, and quite heavily laden on. Iason wouldn't have been surprised to learn that this young one would only take orders from his master...he did seem like the sort. His pointing to the dead end, however, snapped his attention. Ah, so it had...that would have been quite...embarrassing.
His eyes did twitch just slightly, and one corner of his mouth lowered slightly, and he swallowed slowly, before shaking his head. "It was...nothing important," he said simply, fixing the boy with something of a serious gaze. Even belying such minuscule facts as a hesitated phrase was...detestable in his mind, and embarrassing for a Blondie of Amoi to do so.
Well, this was indeed a strange man wasn't he? Ranmaru found it interesting to see how he seemed to be restricting himself, though not quite. He seemed open enough... but Ranmaru didn't want to seem too intrusive. But there was just something about him that made him want to inquire... and he chuckled lightly, nodding to him. "Mm.. Ah. You were probably lost in thought after all." he stepped to a side, then motioned. "That way is a dead end, but that way, inwards, is a path leading outside. Come, come! Ranmaru will show you!"
He figured the man needed a breath of fresh air, or assumed anyway. And stepped on ahead of him, showing him the way. "It's a garden! It's really large, and you can walk around as much as you like. It helps clear troubled thoughts." he chuckled lightly, then walked up beside the man. "Your eyes are so sad though, sir... did you lose someone you care for? This person has never quite seen such sadness in anyone before!" it was a stab in the dark statement, but it was still worth it to talk to someone else. It wasn't like he had anything else to do.
Iason's eye widened in slight shock, before he managed to reign himself back into control. Whatever was happening here was managing to send what he had expected to be a lack of emotions into disarray, and he detested it. Even the mere thought of Riki sent him wildly spinning into some manner of dissaray and madness when he thought of the fact that in his pocket, so close to his fingers was the ring. The thing that he had managed to hold Riki so close to him for so long...and now he was finally free.
Riki was free and there was nothing he could do to help it. The worst was that he couldn't do anything to force Riki to return this time. There was no Bison to manipulate, and he barely knew his surroundings enough to actually use anything else to manipulate it. "That would be enjoyable, thank you," he said smoothly, trying to reign in his flow of thoughts on Riki.
How intriguing. Ranmaru led the man outside and showed him the extensive garden... it was indeed a beautiful place, as most of Paradisa was. But Ranmaru liked being outside, and it showed the moment he did step out. Relaxing, he raced ahead of the blond man and pointed out the better areas. "There's a stream there! Through the trees, there's a lake, and there's places to sit outside too. It's really nice out here, sir!" he was telling him, figuring he'd do a complete job in letting him know where was what.
Then, he headed towards a push of moonflowers by the stream, picking them all carefully and using the short blade he carried, he evened their stems and stood back up, using one of his belt's string ties to tie them together. Walking back to Iason, he held the flowers out to him and smiled kindly. "Here, sir! Moonflowers are said to be good luck and bring peace to their owner!" he chuckled then. "My name is Mori Ranmaru! It's our first meeting, right? So I'll give you this as a gift!"
He had a cheerful disposition, and it wasn't because he wanted anything out of the other man. He'd seen others arrive here, completely lost and confused and there was just something in this man he couldn't put a finger on. He knew he had lost something, but he still hadn't been able to figure out what exactly. "In a place like this, it is best that you make friends... it gets rather lonely if you don't. Did you find your friends here yet, sir?"
Iason watched him practically prance around the garden, and he smiled in spite of himself. This one was no pet...he wouldn't have made a good one, for no reason more than he was strong-headed, and would do things on his own. In that, he reminded him of Katze, although Katze was far more hardened than this one was, although he wondered how long one like him would last in a world like Amoi...if at all. The lifestyle had hardly been for the weak at heart, especially for those in his position, or the Mongrels in Ceres.
He accepted the flower with a slow nod, and a soft mutter of thanks, before running a gloved thumb along one of the blossoms, admiring their texture and appearance. He did enjoy things of beauty. At Ranmaru's question, however, he frowned, and hesitated. He could hardly consider Riki a friend, or even a lover, but instead was he an acquaintance? Did he even have friends? He supposed Raoul was one...but only as far as Jupiter would allow.
"No, I have not," he said simply, after a moment's pause. He could see why it would get lonely, and without anything to entertain himself, he supposed that he would get bored as well. This could, then, perhaps be hell?
"Oh.." Ranmaru's expression softened a little, and he did feel a little sympathetic towards the older man. He knew exactly how it was to be lonely in a big place like this, and he had felt lonely for the longest time. There was the matter of his Lord disappearing, and then that little issue where he knew he couldn't remember something, and it bothered him to think of it.
Smiling then, Ranmaru shook his head. "Ranmaru can be your friend! Ranmaru has made quite some nice friends here. You'll like it too. Because we can't go home, we might as well enjoy it, ne?" he told him enthusiastically. Perhaps it was his resemblance to the vassal who treated him like his younger brother or perhaps it was the loneliness in his eyes, Ranmaru wasn't sure. But it was enough for him to want to help him. His Lord had told him to help those that needed it, after all. "Ne, sir hasn't told this person his name yet!" he chuckled.
Iason didn't want the pity, and his lips tightened slightly, although he could hardly blame the boy for feeling it. He was certain he most likely had the pity that anyone else would feel towards a man who looked as seemingly pathetic as he did. Iason didn't know it, but his usually sharp and calculated blue eyes were far less than they usually were, and, perhaps even a bit sad. He should have known better than to leave his room in such a state.
Unfortunately, Iason seemed to be forgetting logic at some points. He released a faint smile, and nodded. "Iason Mink," he said simply. He nodded his head, "Its a pleasure," he said smoothly.
"Iason Mink..." repeated Ranmaru, the words a bit difficult on his tongue but managing to say the name, he nodded. "It is a pleasure to meet you too, Iason Mink-sama!" well, he was kind at the very least. And that made Ranmaru smile as he bowed to him. "This person holds true to his word though... If you have any trouble, just tell me. Ranmaru will do his best to make sue you aren't uncomfortable!" he chuckled then. "Iason-sama looks very much in need of refreshing his mind." he moved a hand to his and touched the back of it.
An act that didn't go unnoticed. Riki had been wandering the castle, trying to learn as much as he could and after asking someone else, he'd found his way out. He'd -wanted- to walk outside, being cooped up inside wasn't his thing and he was relieved to breathe fresh air, when he noticed the talking couple outside. He'd wanted to ignore them, but the name the other boy spoke hung out too strongly, and he gasped, turning to see the blondie and... a boy. Had the boy not been speaking, he would have thought him a young teenage woman but it was obvious he wasn't. However...
Iason's... smiling at him. And he's touching his hand. Why? Riki realised he was getting angry and he didn't move. They'd notice him, and he thought of going back inside, but...
Iason nearly pulled away from the boy's touch, but instead had a feeling rise on the back of his neck, and he instead allowed the touch, despite his best feelings. He swallowed, and nodded. "If I find any trouble, Ranmaru, then I will certainly find you," he said simply, and lifted an eyebrow in thought of the second part of the phrasing. "I merely come from...a rather gruesome situation," he said softly, his voice faltering only the barest amount, practically undetectable at the thought.
The nagging feeling was still there, however. He felt a sickness in the pit of his stomach, and he felt like he was being watched. He didn't enjoy it...it was...revolting...and he had to turn to see who would be so interested in him. Ugh, voyeurs.
Oh shit.
Riki wanted to run, but he didn't move. As it had mostly always been with Iason, he found himself rooted to the spot, and when the blondie turned and looked at him, he found himself staring in shock... then his eyes narrowed and he clenched his fists to his side.
Ranmaru, noticing that they were being watched, looked confusedly at Iason, before quickly looking to a side and spotting the black-clad young man, his eyes widened in surprise. Who was he? He didn't say a word, though, looking between Iason and him. The other man, however, turned his gaze onto him, and Ranmaru could have sworn he saw a look of hurt in his eyes, before turning into a vicious glare. He'd never been looked at that cruelly before.
Riki was, naturally furious. It hadn't been more than a few hours and Iason was already... Damn him. Gritting his teeth, Riki then forced himself to calm down, turning a devil-may-care lok towards the blondie. "Preparing for a new pet already?" he couldn't help but ask in a barely concealed biting tone. "Sorry to interrupt."
Iason was a bit upset that Riki had come to such a new conclusion so quickly, and a slow swallow managed to bring his emotions in check. He couldn't simply come outright and say it, could he? No, he had too much pride to simply come out and say what thundered in his ears, and what his mind kept trying to say, over and over again. He did feel his breath hitch at the vision of Riki, he looked so...healthy...not at all the broken half-man he had seen last when they had lied together in Dana Bahn.
Here he looked...free, and ready to break lose and punch him at any moment. If he were honest, he wouldn't have minded in the least, either. He would have enjoyed it, he supposed. He swallowed, before fixing Riki with an even, very 'blondie' glance. "If that is what you believe," he responded in kind to his accusation, sharp, biting, hollow. He couldn't imagine using any other sort of emotion, without revealing that he wasn't, that this was a chance encounter. No, he had to keep himself even.
He -was- willing to punch him right there. If anything, he wanted to at him until that smug look went off his face, until some emotion OTHER than calm came into his face. He didn't know why, he just knew that it was pissing off to see him so -content- with that... and he paused. The boy standing next to Iason not only appeared like an obedient pet, he seemed to be genuinely caring. The way he worriedly looked at Iason, and back at Riki, there was sincere -worry- in his eyes. Riki had arrived two days later, it was possible that Iason had met the boy in the time.
He'd given him fucking flowers for crying out loud.
And obviously took a shine to him. Riki thought bitterly. Stuffing his hands into his pockets, he shot Iason a cool, dark glare. "I'll leave. Wouldn't want to give your friend a bad impression of you." not wanting to hear anything else, he turned and walked inside the castle. He was feeling sick.
Alright, this was getting strange. As the dark-haired man turned, Ranmaru was absolutely stunned by the level of hurt he heard in the other's voice. And why wasn't Iason saying anything in his own defense? It then struck Ranmaru, that the two of them knew each other and he moved a hand to his mouth, concealing a gasp. This was terrible. Somehow, unknowingly, he had caused two friends to fight. Biting his lower lip, he watched as Riki began to walk away and stepped up to Iason's side. "Who was that, Iason-sama?" he asked. "He too... had sad eyes."
Iason watched Riki leave, his arms wavering with the flowers just slightly. He wanted to chase after him, grab him, tell him to stop being silly, that he had bumped into the boy and he had been showing him around...but Iason was too proud for that. He frowned, and watched Riki leave, his eyes looking terribly worried after his...well, to put it bluntly, Love.
He sighed to Ranmaru, and shook his head. "He was...a pet," he said simply, eyes locked onto the path that Riki had taken, mouth slightly agape as if he wished to say more. He did want to say more, he wanted to make Riki to understand that he hadn't done anything with this person, and he was too...independent to ever be a pet...at least to those who were terribly impatient. Iason was hardly that sort...but he only wanted one pet, and that pet was free, for good it seemed. "A very...special pet," he said, his voice dropping in volume at the last bit.
Ranmaru turned as the other spoke, realisation entering his eyes when Iason's voice went lower and being as perceptive as he was, it didn't take him too long to figure out what was going on. Iason's sad gaze earlier, even now the tightness with which he regarded the other man. When he said 'pet' however, Ranmaru's eyebrow raised in confusion. That man had referred to him as a pet as well, hadn't he? "What does that mean? A pet?" he asked. It didn't make much sense, but then he added softly, "Is he... your lover, Iason-sama?"
That would probably be more awkward than the last question, and hesitantly, Ranmaru moved forward to touch the base of the stems in Iason's hand as he stepped before him. This man was so sad, and there was certainly true sadness in his eyes. It was heartbreaking in certain way and Ranmaru just wanted him to feel better.
Iason's eyes widened just slightly, and his frown tightened considerably. He sighed slowly, and his throat tightened. "Yes, I...suppose that would be a more romantic term for it," he said simply. "Riki was my pet," he said matter-of-factly, a pure lack of emotion dripping in his voice. He had been a pet dealer, after all. The fact that he owned them hadn't been much of a big deal, and the insinuations of what pets did weren't all that difficult to figure out, nor was it an embarrassment to him to admit that. It didn't necessarily mean that he had loved Riki, correct?
Yes, there was no way the two would have been completely related, unless one were completely Naive, but whether this person was or not was an entirely different situation. Iason doubted this person was terribly naive, but he had been proven wrong before.
Only, in Ranmaru's eyes, seeing that the boy had mostly if not always been perceptive about things like this, it was obvious to him that Iason held something far more stronger for the man who'd just left than he either wanted to admit, or that he understood himself. Biting down his lower lip, Ranmaru thought for a while on how to cheer him up, then looked up and smiled suddenly.
"Well... if you both have fought now, you can make up later, ne? Maybe you could bring him a present!" he offered. Then he chuckled softly and looked to a side. "I'm sorry. This person shouldn't be offering suggestions when there is no knowledge of what has truly happened. But..."
He tilted his head and smiled encouragingly at him.
"Ranmaru's Lords said that there is always light after a storm. So things will be alright!" he laughed a bit, then motioned inside. "You look like you could use a good cup of tea, Iason-sama! Will you honor me with your presence for it?"
Iason chuckled softly, shaking his head almost sadly. The boy seemed to be picking up more than he was letting on, and this made him terribly uncomfortable, but he would have to deal. "I don't believe it is hardly that simple," he answered softly, a hand sliding in a pocket, moving to slowly thumb the pet-ring still in his pocket. He couldn't forget that it was there, a constant reminder that Riki was no longer his or even remotely his.
He looked down at the boy, and nodded slowly. "I suppose I have more than enough time to accept your request," he said smoothly to Ranmaru, giving him something of a kinder glance than he normally gave to any souls, or at least he had, before leaving Amoi. It seemed here he was subject to more than simply ambivalence towards everyone other than Riki. Even Raoul had been held at an arms length from anything resembling emotion.
Seeing the look that Iason gave him, Ranmaru felt himself lighten a little. Then, he bowed his head and once he'd raised his gaze, he extended a hand towards the castle. "After you Iason-sama." he offered, and began to escort him back into the castle, talking to him the entire while and hoping the other felt better. After all, who knew. Maybe he could help him see that there were other ways instead of indifference to help earn a person's feelings. Maybe, like every powerful Lord, Iason was inept at showing his true feelings.
Determined to help, he promised himself he'd take care of his needs.. and hopefully figure out what this deal with the dark-haired man was.
Envy played a dark role in a person's feelings, and Riki, having watched the comfortable way Iason had spoken to the younger boy, realised he was feeling it. He hadnt left, he'd waited to see if they would separate. But now they were even going places together? Something stung in his chest and he grit his teeth, narrowing his eyes and turning away. He'd seen enough.
"I've been replaced after all." he hissed to himself.
Some part of him wished he was wrong, and deciding he didn't want to see any more, he turned to leave.
He already hated this place.