[ A much more detailed answer than the last time Sakichi asked a similar question. Commitment to a cause rather than a person. He can understand that.
It's striking how much more easily he can get along with a Baren who doesn't attempt to surround himself with a maze of deflections. This is more like the Baren whom Chuuya knows, Sakichi can only assume. Or perhaps this is a Baren neither Sakichi nor Chuuya truly knows, born of a foreign time.
Does it ultimately matter? No, not really. Not to Sakichi. He only cares that Baren has been honest with him, and he nods, accepting the answer. ]
Have you decided on your food?
[ A few more cats pad over and wedge themselves under Baren's chair. ]
Sandwiches will do, I guess. And tea! I'm not really familiar with this marketplace but...
[He's not familiar with most things in this city? But he knows that Sakichi is also too honest to lead him astray, so this is probably a trustworthy establishment.
If Baren still had his modern set of memories, he'd be shocked at himself. The amount of blind trust being put into this person... but everything that Baren knows and remembers at the moment tells him that Sakichi is easily manipulated and led around, and not very good at doing the same in return.
[ It's a question, but he doesn't very much expect an answer. It's best to keep one's expectations low with Baren, even if he is being unusually forthright today.
A waitress stops by their table, and Sakichi orders a pot of tea and sandwiches before returning his attention to the man across the table. The other patrons are also starting to stare at Baren, slightly resentful of him hogging all the cats. Sakichi still isn't sure how he should be handling this overfamiliar Baren. It will be best to lay out the terrain, he thinks.
His mouth stops on Baren's name again, then on Kaiyou, but stubbornly he bulls on through to the next best thing. ]
-- Kumou. [ That's the name of Baren's shrine, as well as what's written on his haori. It's as good a name as any. ] What am I to you?
[That's an easy answer, because it's the one that he gave Gen. Baren is generally bad at describing his relationships with people in their sincerely fond terms.
The nice thing is that he doesn't need to admit to fondness in order to elaborate on agreements, on contracts, and that's why he rests his chin in his hand. It occurs to him for a second to see if he can test the band of Sakichi's loyalty, if he could make up additional facets to their relationship and see if the other man will remember it at any point. If he didn't, wouldn't that be convenient?
... but he doesn't, instead shrugging on shoulder.]
And someone to work with and trust, in exchange for information. Not necessarily a partner... but you are something worthwhile, at least so far.
[ Trustworthy and worthwhile. Strong words from Baren. Sakichi doesn't expect their relationship now to match whatever it was in their other lives, but the possibility that it might have been a genuinely fruitful one catches him off guard.
(A freeloader, though?)
Since Baren has been so informative, Sakichi may as well return the favor. ]
From my perspective, you're a needlessly evasive nuisance with hazy intentions. It's exhausting talking to you.
[ He says it with no change in expression, matter-of-factly. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
It's striking how much more easily he can get along with a Baren who doesn't attempt to surround himself with a maze of deflections. This is more like the Baren whom Chuuya knows, Sakichi can only assume. Or perhaps this is a Baren neither Sakichi nor Chuuya truly knows, born of a foreign time.
Does it ultimately matter? No, not really. Not to Sakichi. He only cares that Baren has been honest with him, and he nods, accepting the answer. ]
Have you decided on your food?
[ A few more cats pad over and wedge themselves under Baren's chair. ]
no subject
[He's not familiar with most things in this city? But he knows that Sakichi is also too honest to lead him astray, so this is probably a trustworthy establishment.
If Baren still had his modern set of memories, he'd be shocked at himself. The amount of blind trust being put into this person... but everything that Baren knows and remembers at the moment tells him that Sakichi is easily manipulated and led around, and not very good at doing the same in return.
So.]
At least you're not acting that differently.
pbbbbbbbbbbt
[ It's a question, but he doesn't very much expect an answer. It's best to keep one's expectations low with Baren, even if he is being unusually forthright today.
A waitress stops by their table, and Sakichi orders a pot of tea and sandwiches before returning his attention to the man across the table. The other patrons are also starting to stare at Baren, slightly resentful of him hogging all the cats. Sakichi still isn't sure how he should be handling this overfamiliar Baren. It will be best to lay out the terrain, he thinks.
His mouth stops on Baren's name again, then on Kaiyou, but stubbornly he bulls on through to the next best thing. ]
-- Kumou. [ That's the name of Baren's shrine, as well as what's written on his haori. It's as good a name as any. ] What am I to you?
i still love u. and now i'm late too lmao
[That's an easy answer, because it's the one that he gave Gen. Baren is generally bad at describing his relationships with people in their sincerely fond terms.
The nice thing is that he doesn't need to admit to fondness in order to elaborate on agreements, on contracts, and that's why he rests his chin in his hand. It occurs to him for a second to see if he can test the band of Sakichi's loyalty, if he could make up additional facets to their relationship and see if the other man will remember it at any point. If he didn't, wouldn't that be convenient?
... but he doesn't, instead shrugging on shoulder.]
And someone to work with and trust, in exchange for information. Not necessarily a partner... but you are something worthwhile, at least so far.
yay for matching
(A freeloader, though?)
Since Baren has been so informative, Sakichi may as well return the favor. ]
From my perspective, you're a needlessly evasive nuisance with hazy intentions. It's exhausting talking to you.
[ He says it with no change in expression, matter-of-factly. ]