ahappylie | Appointments & Messages

[He raises his eyes and notices Ramirez staring at the table again. He can't allow himself to be so melancholy and picks up Ramirez's teacup, setting it in front of him.]

Not technically. I am a samurai, part of the warrior class, but not a "soldier" in an army as some would think it.

[Fair enough. He reaches out to take the teacup, but he doesn't drink from it just yet, preferring instead to let his fingers absently trace the rim.]

Explain.

We are born into a class based on our familial occupations. Mine was the warrior class, the samurai. Long ago we were warriors and soldiers, but until recently there were no wars to fight. Now, certain groups of us are moving under orders like soldiers, but my group specifically is not technically an army.

[You answer so easily, Souji. He's not sure if he could do the same.]

How so?

[It's part deflection that he keeps asking questions, and part genuine curiosity. There are striking similarities against the other cultures and situations currently pervading throughout Arcadia, but none of it is quite exactly the same.]

[It's easy to answer when he's not really giving any personal information away.]

Because it's not technically a war yet. There have been skirmishes and we stopped a plot by the rebels to burn the capital, but we are only a bunch of masterless samurai that the people see as ruffians and hooligans who just happened to fall into the right daimyo's favor.

[Ramirez continues to twirl his fingers around the rim, inclining his head and passively listening to Souji's explanation. "Daimyo" doesn't mean much to him, but he can guess the meaning through the context.]

Hmmm.

[He draws his hands back and looks up again, a funny, tight-lipped smile on his face.]

Even if they think that way, you are willing to protect them. That's honorable of you.

[Oh Ramirez, how ridiculously idealistic you sound sometimes. :C]

[That look on his face surprises Souji for a moment. Then he lowers his head, laughing softly behind his hand.]

It isn't that honorable. I don't much care for what they think of me. I'll always be a demon to them, but the time we live in needs demons like us so they can stay innocent.

[What are you laughing at. >:|]

Demons.

[He repeats the word with little inflection in his voice, but that's a highly unsatisfactory answer, Okita. He is clearly expecting him to elaborate. :|]

Edited 2011-04-13 05:38 (UTC)

[At how moetan you are. :D

When Ramirez questions (if that could be called a question), Souji just smiles and leans back, sipping his tea. When he sets the cup down, the smile vanishes and his eyes remain on the table.]

Yes. We're murderers with official sanction.

[And the smile is back.]

Or so they say.

[D8< NOT MOE.

...Oh, goddamn you, Souji. You said that word.

Murderers.

And Ramirez freezes, fingers halting on the edge of the cup. All at once, he can feel the color draining out of his face and a nervous, unpleasant twist in his stomach.

He had to grow up thinking like a tool for his Elders, a weapon that could bring about the apocalypse if they so chose to do so. How many times was he told that the island dwellers only left a trail of death and destruction in their wake?

Funny, now that he thinks about it, being told that by men who would just as quickly use him to eradicate the world's population if Arcadia was not moving according to their standards.

Ramirez had been raised to be a murderer, though he was not told as such in such layman's terms. Defecting to the Valuan Armada was certainly the lesser of two evils, but that didn't change the fact that they were certainly the most vicious of Arcadia's continents, bloodthirsty enough to enslave an entire group of natives to mine in inhumane conditions, all for Valua's profit.

Murderers. He had been stuck with this role twice, and both times he could not bring himself to agree with their ideals. They were both disgusting, no matter how you looked at it. And Ramirez went along with both of them, hating what they stood for but allowing them to dictate his actions anyway.

The knee he had been leaning on comes down, and Ramirez slides into a more complacent sitting position.]

That's a relative thing.

[Souji is smiling again, but he doesn't care. Ramirez's lips thin and his face sets into a firm, grim line before he speaks again.]

I'm not a native to your world, Souji Okita. I don't fully know the circumstances that lead up to your current situation at home- only that it's similar to Arcadia's.

So I will ask you one thing.

[Ramirez looks up at this, purposefully and directly at Souji, and there is nothing hesitant or reserved about this look; it's like he's forgotten Souji makes him so nervous, or has at least brushed it aside for now in favor of a more important matter.

In fact, remember that whole personal space thing? Yeah, forget that. Ramirez leans forward, arms crossed in front of him, and Souji may get the impression that if there wasn't a table separating them, Ramirez would be right up in his face with a stare that could burn a hole into the wall.]

Do you truly believe in what you are doing?

[The best moetan ever! 8D ...which is terrible, but with how he's acting, I'm just like ;3;!!! CUTE. Even if it's not. At all.

Souji sees him freeze, sees the change come over Ramirez and simply watches. It's the same thing as others have shown him when they realize who he is, who they turned their blade against -- but not quite to the same degree. There is recognition of a fellow, but with Ramirez, it's more internal. He's remembering something and Souji sees that, watches the silent struggle as he settles further into the seat, turning grim and losing all nervousness in his voice.

It's painful to have changed their relationship this way. Souji prefers to have people see him as the happy, carefree sword teacher and nothing else. He would never deny being what he is, but...]

It seems that not even the floating world is free of strife, hm?

[A momentary distraction from his answer and Souji pulls his hands into his lap before looking up at Ramirez, no longer the happy friend, but all the Shinsengumi captain that he has been raised to be.]

It is the path someone important to me has chosen and so I will follow it. It is the path of truth, the only path before me and I will follow it until I die.

[;A; But he is filled with rage and angst!!! And cute is a girly word. :C HE IS MANLY, DAMMIT.]

It never was. Peace never lasts with humans.

[...]

Or so I've heard.

[Souji looks up, and Ramirez does not break eye contact this time. He feels like he should be surprised by this change...but he isn't. He never believed that smile was all there was to you, Souji, irritating as you are.

So he stares back, calmly, and with that same dark sort of intensity, and bows his head slightly in silent acknowledgment.]

If you would lay down your sword and your life for your cause, then that's all that matters.

[And he means that. Every word.]

[IDK, MAN. IDK. BUT IT'S CUTE. MANLY CUTE.]

No, it never does. But we can hope.

[He looks away after that, settling back and picking up his teacup again with both hands. He sips it and then smiles faintly.]

You sound like one who knows what it is like. Do you have a similar purpose?

Edited 2011-04-14 02:26 (UTC)

[NO NOT CUTE. ;~;

Well, go ahead and look away. Ramirez continues to keep his gaze on him until Souji asks that question.

..And that's enough to make him draw back again, averting his eyes back down to the lukewarm liquid in his cup. He had hoped to find a way to avoid this sort of situation, but...Souji got a little unpredictable.]

Something like that.

...I'm afraid I'm not quite as set as you, however. [Things got...complicated.]

[Watching him for a moment, Souji nods faintly. To ask would be rude and the way Ramirez is acting makes Souji think he doesn't wish to talk about it.]

Perhaps one day you will find your own path then; the one that is right for you.

[Well, the lack of curiosity is certainly appreciated, especially since Ramirez has pushed at him for so long.]

Maybe.

[But this has certainly been a tiring way to start this night so-]

I'm sorry; it seems I'm not very good at light conversation.

[Okita just laughs it off, shaking his head.]

No, it's just nice to have a conversation with you. I found it very interesting.

[...Man, what to say to that. Social niceties call for an "I'm glad you thought so" or something in a similar vein, but that is a total lie and he doesn't want to say it. So he just settles for a carefully neutral-]

Thank you.

[Which probably sounds just as awkward, in hindsight. Ah, well. Ramirez will just settle for sitting back and drinking his lukewarm tea so he doesn't have to talk anymore.

...And probably making (and promptly trying to straighten)a face at it once the taste actually hits him. That's not the taste he was expecting when he heard "tea". Upper class European-esque culture and all that.]

[Okita doesn't mind socially awkward people and he just smiles, sitting back. He can hear Saizou snuffling at the back door now, knowing that Ramirez would be incensed if he let the pig in. Ayumu would be too, considering it was almost dinner time.

He glances back when he sees Ramirez's face and an amused smile spreads across his face.]

Not to your liking?

[Don't you dare let that pig inside. B(

...Oh, geez, but that was an awful thing to do. Let's try that again. Ramirez sets the cup down and shakes his head at at the question.]

...It's just different. The tea I've had was always very sweet.

[Don't be mean to the pig. B(

Sweet tea? Oh, this has his attention.]

...Tea can be sweet?

[Then you keep that thing behind a door. B(]

Yes. It was always served with milk and...sugar, or honey, or something similar.

[Or at least, it was in his limited worldview. No doubt the majority of Arcadia's population wasn't quite as fortunate, but Ramirez only really knows high society.]

[GAWD, HE'S OUTSIDE. RELAX.]

Oh... [He can't imagine milk, sugar or honey in Japanese tea, but he supposes it's right to offer.] Should I get some for you?

[NO. HE DOESN'T TRUST HIM. OR THAT PIG.]

No.

I like this better.

[WOW. PUTTING HIM ON THE SAME LEVEL AS A FARM ANIMAL.]

....

[Souji smiles and sits forward, picking up the teapot to offer Ramirez another cup.]

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