strategicnaps | IC INBOX FOR CONSIGNMENT

[It's okay, for every single time his silver tongue makes a smooth move, it also says something horrendously stupid.]

Oh, what's wrong with taking a bath together, though? [NO NO NO HANBEI STOP] But if that's what performing that level of song magic requires... that's curious.

[he would've thought using strong magic comes from 'lots of practice' and not 'magical stripping']

Which part of bathing together is it like? [why is he asking this why why why]

[If she didn't have her pride intact, Suzunomia would probably be slamming her head against a wall.

What. Is. Happening here?]

A-ah...it's...not? [To make everything worse, that sort of question definitely has her heart going for a moment. The embarrassment is making her super tongue-tied, though.]

It's- it's everything...Especially...undressing...and--

[Embarrassment overload.

Commence throwing the hat at Hanbei's face.]

NO! This is too much! [Swiveling away from him, her hands are covering her face because wow this is way too much.]

Obviously I am getting something wrong! Is that sort of thing normal for your world? Think about your wife, Hanbei-!

[whoops um

Her embarrassment and stuttering absolutely adorable, until she tosses the hat at his face. Now, here's the crossroad, Hanbei-- you can wax poetic about how it was a political marriage and the both of you are better off elsewhere, or be utterly embarrassing and say the absolute truth.]

Ahah, uh... does it really matter? [THAT'S THE WORST THING YOU CAN SAY RIGHT NOW HANBEI] I do have holdings in Bodaisan, too, so it's not like I'm already struggling to take care of her.

[sorry about your culture shock]

[If this were her Cosmosphere, he would have been kicked out so quickly.

There's a moment of silence on Suzu's part. She's...really unsure how to process that. It's been a loooong time since humans in her world had arranged marriages. Maybe there was a translation mistake somewhere.]

...Do men and women bathe together normally? In my world, it is only when they are very close or are married. [Although there are swimming pools and bathing suits, but she's pretty sure that-- wait, no. Just to be safe:] Together. Privately. Not in a community setting.......Like you would with your wife.

[She can't even look at him while she's saying this.]

[He should honestly be removed from her sight anyway.]

Oh, no, they don't do that normally. I just don't find anything wrong with it myself, that's all. [Hanbei gives literally 0 fucks. Not to mention he's kind of a pervert, but that's not the main point...!]

I could bathe with my wife, too, but I don't really do that. [not to mention he hasn't seen her in like 2 years] We're just free at different times, if we're even in the same place.

[Critical-down in a Cosmosphere would do the trick, but trying to destroy someone's mind is normally frowned upon. She has experience to back that up too.

Now that she's pieced a few things together, she can stop hiding her face.]

Perhaps you do not know a woman's feelings behind such a situation. [Or being a pervert is another big part of the puzzle. Anyways, this ~~dating sim event~~ conversation has tanked so hard.]

Let us just say that, I would not be able to perform stronger magic for just a friend. If the situation was dire, maybe, but it would be extremely hard to concentrate.

[True.]

Awww, but it's just bathing. [Hanbei can tell how badly this conversation tanked, though. It's kind of an daily occurrence for a conversation to go so horribly awry, so he's not too bothered. Sometimes, he's just too smart for his own damn good...] Anyway, that makes sense.

[Viewing it from a technical and less childish perspective, it wouldn't be hard to distract someone if they were undressing (she said undressing right or was he imagining things) in front of people they barely knew.]

[But...magical stripping takes like...three seconds. ~~Not including the cinematic stripping cutscenes.~~]

Your world is so strange, Hanbei. [Yup, she's chalking this up to cultural differences. Totally valid, and it helps her to calm down a bit.] ...Or you have a lot of confidence in your body. [Which she does not. Hah.

Speaking of bodies--] Ah, right. Are you sure you are okay? With your illness...

[It's not that strange. And-- gck, why do so many people know about his illness now...

It's like. 2 more people know his illness here in the span of a month than 11 years back home. Well, they're always suspicious, but Hanbei always excuses it on overwork and the like.]

Oh, I'm fine. As long as I can get my medicine, I won't die from it. [How blunt.] And while the food isn't arriving, the medicine is. So you don't have to worry about me.

[please shut up about it]

[Never. The power of...whatever this relationship is compels her.]

I simply do not want you to suffer needlessly, even if you try to hide it. Because...if I could take away the pain, I would sing for you every day. For as long as our circumstances allow us. [Which, who knows how long that will be considering CDC, but at least what she's saying is all genuine.]

You may not be one of mine, but I do care for you, Hanbei.

[screech]

Every day? Ahh, don't worry, you don't need to trouble yourself that much! [The pains normally only come back around twenty Earth days after taking the medication. The pains that remind him he'll probably never feel 'great' again, but hey, he can still fool himself and sleep easy whenever he gets his drop. (Who knows for how long.)]

...Thanks. But really, you don't have to worry. I'm not looking to suffer.

[But he has to, or else how is he going to deal with going home? (If he ever does.)]

...Okay. [Not that she's quite satisfied, but she makes up for it by stepping forward to give him a quick hug.

--Only to lean back and give him a feigned, haughty look.]

Yet 'trouble', you say? I was created to sing. If it weren't for this body, I could sing for a hundred years straight!

[Oh, a hug again-- he's about to hug back, before she says something next.]

Well, I do enjoy listening to you sing, healing properties or not. That could be repayment for me giving you the food, then.

[He likes people who sing. And dance, and drink and joke and go on adventures, as if nothing was wrong, and they could make good memories everywhere they went.]

A marvelous idea! [Oh man, getting pumped! She's practically bouncing in place.]

What kind of song? I could sing you the Legends of Harvestasha or the ideals of paradise-- the songs about Rhaplanca! Or, or the Chronicles of Resshikou is fun too, but it is more dark than the others...There is also a song of my dear Shelanoir and a Teru boy. I have not seen her in centuries!

[...........Yes, she is very excited about singing, but that's just how the Singing Will of Ar Ciel is.]

What sort of song do you like?

[HE'S HAPPY TO SEE YOU'RE HAPPY BUT DON'T GET TOO EXCITED]

Which song carries the most good memories along with it? I think I'd like to listen to that song.

[It's a bit of a vague request, but it's also a part of the point. Suzunomia will have to pick out what she thinks is a 'good memory' herself.]

The song I sang for you before-- I will sing you the prelude of it. It...is a bit long, but it is based on Mother's first song and the prayers we sing together.

[The energy dies down a little bit only because Suzu suddenly looks almost bashful. It's a song about giving birth to the world and all living things, so she's not quite sure if Hanbei will understand it or not...but it's worth a try:]

The planet, in the Era of the beginning...

[Sorry, Hanbei, gotta sit through a 6 minute song now.]

[Nah, it's fine. Lots of enka songs drag on for really long, anyway-- then again, they don't sing along which such ferocity to the tune. It's a bit overwhelming. Ultimately, though, he doesn't complain.

Because the song is full of life, and peaks and downs and energy. It's full of hope and power. Yeah, that's the word he's going for. It's a very powerful song. He takes his earphones off in order to not destroy the tune, so he doesn't understand the slightest bit about what's being said.

But the impact is there.]

I should've expected it to be strong, if it was the first one, but that was amazing! What does it mean?

Hmhmhm~ Thank you. It was to describe the formation of Ar Ciel as a physical planet and bringing souls into the world. The hope and joy that our children would be strong, gentle lives, blessed by our God and sun, Sol.

It is about Ar Ciel's love for all living things. We wanted to live happily with our children... [And there's a BUT missing here.] I just recently remembered it, so I am glad I got to share it with you.

[Urk, it's almost on the same level as sharing her true name, so that bashful look isn't going away soon.]

[The 'just recently remembered it' makes Hanbei recall that Suzunomia's probably holding darker secrets than most people-- and 'Wills'-- in her planet have. But, as usual, he won't pursue it unless she wants to spill first.

Or until he absolutely has to.]

How do you think your life is back home? [But now's not the time for such gloomy premonitions.] Your life and the life of the people living in it, I guess.

[Those aren't the greatest things to ask if she is supposed to respond positively. In fact, she falters for a moment, trying to keep her face from reflecting the immense sadness that has been weighing on her heart for so long. Welcome back to the roller coaster of emotions.]

I do not know. [You sort of lose track of things when you've been stuck in limbo for 600 years.]

Yet, I do know at the same time...Ar Ciel is dying. There is some hope, now that I have been able to return, but there is no land or water. Mother's heart is shattered, and the pain we have experienced is so intense that She does not allow life to grow on Her surface as She once did. [She presses a hand over her heart. A mortal one but still a reminder of the planet's own wound.]

But I do not wish you harm or anyone else here or on Ar Ciel. So... ['Don't be afraid of me' is her unspoken worry.]

[Ah.

But it doesn't really matter. (Not here.) He's not saying it because he doesn't care about Ar Ciel-- he cares about it significantly less so than his home planet, but. The CDC are capable of powerful things.]

Well, I'm sure that if the CDC wants you as a recruit, they'll find to way to give your planet life again. [To keep her existing, and also give her something to protect so she would be motivated to pay heed to them.

He doesn't even consider being scared of Suzunomia. Then again, Hanbei isn't scared by too many things.]

...That is not the point. [Surviving is much different than living. The CDC can't repair the Consensus' relationship and feelings towards humans. Giving life to the planet is her job, anyways.]

It is complicated, and I do not expect you to understand. It is not something I can simply push to the back of my mind. Even here...Especially here. [Because seeing a world die will be the worst trigger ever.]

Yet, I must persevere. We all must. [It may even be more trying than the first century after the Grathnode Inferia.] But it also makes good reason for cherishing even simple moments.

[But that is the point, right? Surviving isn't living, but it's better than being dead. (Somewhat.) Now's not the time to argue that, though-- and Suzunomia's the 'goddess' here. Boundless wisdom and all that which comes with being alive for so long, Hanbei assumes.]

We should stop talking about such gloomy things, then. [And once again, he falls back on his first method of evading these topics-- just outright saying that dwelling on it isn't going to do them any good.] The song was energizing, but now, with all the winds around us... I think I'm starting to get sleepy.

[Throwing in a yawn for good measure, here. That's his second method of getting out of messes. Feign sleepiness (though it isn't really feigned, most of the time).]

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