PARADIGM.

—————   The  sudden  interruption  caused  Susabi  to  sigh  with  mild  exasperation  .  He  can  only  stand  there  &&  watch  Seimei  with  an  expression  of  mild  disapproval  over  how  easily  he  got  distracted  from  their  conversation  .  ❝  I  was  just  talking  about  how  strange  it  feels  to  be  in  a  place  with  so  many  humans  for  so  long.  ❞ It  was almost surprising  just  how  quickly  Seimei  had  forgotten  just  what  they  were  talking  about   but,  then  again,  the  sudden  change  in  topics  almost  made  Susabi  forget.  ❝ But,  nevermind  that  ,  what  is  making  you  so  distracted   ? ❞ 

The familiar call of a certain Onmyoji’s voice has him halting his trek and swiveling out of the way of a blissfully unaware wanderer who nearly topples the gentle spirit over. Luckily for them both Ichimokuren is a lot sturdier than one would suspect him to be. It’ll take more than brute force and some careless footwork on his part before he greets the ground in an unwarranted visit. 

❝ Seimei-Dono. Your timing is impeccable. Just this morning I thought, I should like to visit with him again. Check up on Seimei and see how he’s adjusting to the environment. Are you faring well? ❞ His hand flourishes from out of his sleeve and slips up to grasp at Seimei’s wrist, an act to further tether one to the other. He then shuffles around and sets his palm against the mortal’s lower back and hastily guides him out of the way from yet another inattentive stranger.

❝ I’d be more than happy to help in any way I can but I think it might be wise to resume elsewhere. The streets are far too crowded this time of day. Not the ideal spot for us to talk. ❞

        it seems to be a running trend of spirits and companions alike guiding him from his wayward course,  his uncanny ability to land himself in less than favorable positions only making such an endeavor that much more difficult.  still,  there’s an appreciative hum that sounds as ren navigates the crowd and even with the slightest manhandling,  he pays no mind:  it’s much better than being trampled by humans and monsters who would do so without a moment’s hesitation.  a smile bleeds from his lips and into his tone,  almost  touched  that he’s in such a busy spirit’s thoughts.

        “  i certainly hope that i haven’t made the impression on you that i need to be monitored;  please don’t worry yourself with thoughts about me when there are undoubtedly more pressing things that require your time.  someone like me should be forced to adapt if i cannot do so willingly.  ”     -----  courtesy,  idly thumbing the seam of his sleeve as he speaks and it’s with a laugh that he bites comments towards himself.  the beacon of onmyodo,  or so he’s been told,  shamelessly relying on his shikigami for help...  that certainly wouldn’t bide well with the people of kyoto.

        “  oh no,  please don’t mind me,  you’re free to speak as you so please.  ”     -----  seimei’s interest in scouring through  books  to learn the complexities of this island have dwindled to near nothing;  talents in his youth served well to build his character today,  but few have remained,  braving through higher priorities and even higher expectations of himself.  reading?  well,   that’s fallen deep,  deep down and buried itself under even menial tasks.  instead he favors eavesdropping on others when they speak of their homes and despite this habit’s questionable ethics,  not many options are left.  hearing this stranger’s rambles,  mutters to themself and a few words sputtered even louder than his own working monologues,  he can’t help but close the book in his lap and pause to hear.  it isn’t until they  stop  that he raises a hand in dismissal. 

        “  well,  now that i’m egging it on,  that makes it more  AWKWARD,  doesn’t it?  i’m sorry,  i just like to listen.  ”

        “  i’ve always  wondered  how these were made...  ”     -----  excess time has allowed him to develop less than favorable traits and even now in the midst of their conversation,  seimei pauses in front of a stall when the owner beckons him closer.  easily distracted,  he would  NEVER  admit,  but the speed of which he loses his hold on topics would argue otherwise.  fingers prod at the intricate beading between knots advertised as lucky charms,  but he and all of those from his world can certainly feel otherwise.  it’s almost as suddenly as he had broken the flow of their discussion that he stands alert and regards his company once more with the barest of sheepish smiles:  never too embarrassed,  he’s grown far too  accustomed  to awkward exchanges to be affected deeper than the surface.          “  ah,  but you were saying something,  weren’t you?  about this?  actually,  i can’t seem to recall.  ”

        “  people start their work at a far younger age than i may have thought,  even here...  ”     -----  he isn’t one to talk,  invested in his own craft even as a child,  he was at least given the freedoms of a branch without proper establishment or even a name.  hiromasa was a surprise enough as is and though not as young as susukihotaru or even kagura,  the threshold lowers at an alarming rate;  he knows firsthand the sacrifices at the very basics,  though there’s no way to speak for other worlds.  even still,  seimei can’t help but mutter his concerns whether she agrees or not.          “  i’m always worried that such a burdensome profession will burn out young souls who should be free to enjoy themselves rather than be chained down by heavy responsibilities.  though,  that can be turned around as a point of praise,  too.  ”

        “  ah!  just the person i was looking for,  ”     -----  a hand weaves from between the crowd and he narrowly avoids mushing his face against a stranger’s shoulder in his attempt to snatch ren’s attention.  spacial awareness has done little to aid him in his interactions:  hyper-focused as he is, it’s nothing more than a fleeting thought mulled in slight embarrassment when accidents do occur,  but his uncanny sense of luck has prevented it from happening so far.  his fingers hook around the seam of the spirit’s sleeve,  latching for leverage  ( and to anchor himself from the herded crowd )  and yanking himself forwards to free himself from the flow of traffic.  seimei has done his best to wander the city on his own,  but the farthest he’s gone has been the cotes’ ward central town and somehow cycled back to his quarters:  navigating the island is much harder than he would have initially assumed and any attempts to describe his market list has been in vain.     

        “  i hope i’m not intruding on your time,  but i would appreciate a bit more of your help if you aren’t busy...  i’ve been meaning to find a new means of making ofuda but i haven’t the slightest clue where to even start.  ”

      “  there are performers like this in kyoto,  but typically,  you would need a ticket or an invitation.  those aside,  there a religious displays and festival entertainers,  but from the looks of it,  neither of those applied...  ”     —–  it’s a game of catch-up,  the way that he fumbles in the dark for any lead as to how to act  ( how to process )  in the presence of those who would be far younger than he,  displaced in a time far beyond his imagination.  still,  he speaks kindly regardless of how breathlessly confused he always is in his efforts to understand the current cultures so displaced from his own.  he follows suit the rest of the crowd and claps for the dancer before a finger taps at his chin,  thoughtful.     “  is this a normal occurrence or are you just as confused as i am?  i know that this island brings out the  STRANGEST  traits of everyone’s world and combines them...  ”

        “  careful.  ”     -----  a wary hand pulls at the stranger’s collar,  tugging just lightly enough to narrowly escape an  unfortunate  accident between their foot and the creature’s tail.     “  i’m sure a footprint wouldn’t add much to their attempted professional appearances;  you’ve been saved from an earful,  though your shirt is a bit more rumpled than it started..  ”

        “  oh!  ”     -----  it’s between the barest of interactions that he very narrowly escapes from one beast to the next and whether  he  can see them or not,  they  CERTAINLY  see him.  a rumble erupts in the form of a heaping crater in front of where he’s shooed a citizen lest they get hurt,  and in his race to both seek out another frozen individual and outrun the creature, seimei’s leap of faith over a mountain of rubble lands him barely on his feet.  quick maneuver,  stumbling awkwardly to avoid collapsing right on top of this stranger.  a moment’s disbelieved pause and he blinks at her blearily.     “  i can  hopefully  assume that you aren’t one of those things...?  ”

❝ Haven’t I always? ❞ Only half-truth. There was a time the ex-fujin’s will faltered and broke. Shameful! Back when he still stubbornly clung onto his heavenly status with unwavering resolve. A futile endeavor that would eventually splinter and usher in his inevitable demise. He was once overcome by grief and ire, both body and mind weak from the slow decay of a dwindling life force. He’d become.. vulnerable. Corrupted. And vowed to never again give in to weak constitution. 

❝ If you close your eyes and listen, for a moment it truly does feel like we’re home. Why.. I can even hear the duo of drunks quarreling in this distance… waga tomo yo. Waga Tomo. ❞ Seimei’s poking fun is met in kind with smiling lips and a feeble attempt at poking back. Idle hands resume their gentle petting whilst nimble fingers brush through orange and white fur. His gaze drifts away from his company and descends to the little body who occupied his lap space,  ❝ No that isn’t right. I do not believe you are negligent. Rather, my absence hasn’t been missed neither has yours. This place? It’s strange really. We are at a standstill and if I had to guess if and when we are able to return it’ll be as if nothing has changed.. ❞ 

        “  certainly,  which is why i’m not too worried.  ”     -----  reassurance in the gentleness of his voice,  a sort of sincerity that he allows to bleed easily and blanket over his prior jest;  he speaks in  earnest  when he feels is necessary,  far too acutely aware of his own emotional shortcomings that he overcompensates by attempting to tune closer to others. a hand shifts to brace against ren’s back,  moving slightly to rest at crown back of his head before his thumb briefly hooks at his shoulder.  they’re the  BAREST  of gestures,  but kagura and hiromasa say that they convey at least the  idea  of tenderness and it’s one of the few actions that he can afford at the moment.