Disclaimer: Not mine.
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Stars
Chapter Two:
By the sun
---
"Fugen." It was not a question, simply a statement,
"Yes, Genshitenson-sama?" Fugen replied humbly, staring down at his round paopei cradled in his arms. As soon as he'd returned to Kunlun after his short visit down to Earth, his disciple, Mokutaku, had breathlessly informed him that Genshitenson-sama had requested to see him. It was strange. Why the urgency?
"You and that idiot disciple of mine," Fugen faintly bristled at his lover being dismissed so casually...
"...Fugen Shinjin?"
Fugen started out of his thoughts at Genshitenson's indignant voice. He realized he had not been paying attention to whatever else the man had gone on to talk about,
"My apologies, Genshitenson-sama." he said and earned a glare almost hidden under bushy eyebrows. Clearing his throat, the old sennin repeated what he had said,
"Taikoubou and yourelf have always been...close," he paused for an indication from Fugen, who gave a small nod,
"You were both granted immortality at the same time, and yet," the old sennin's voice began to rise, "you have achieved senninhood while he has not." Fugen nodded again.
None of it was new to him,
Now Genshitenson's voice lowered almost conspiratorially, "The reason that he has not, is that Taikoubou does not wish to be a sennin. He does not wish to be immortal at all."
This bit of information left Fugen reeling. True, he had known all of it, but he had not known that Genshitenson knew. All he could do was nod numbly, wondering where the talk was going,
"He has been progressing only as much as he wishes to and unfortunately, he does not seem to be improving much as of late." Fugen didn't like the turn the conversation was taking. It didn't sound good for Bou. Finally Genshitenson simply stated what everything else had led up to,
"I am revoking his immortality. He will be sent to live out the rest of his mortal life on Earth."
Taikoubou bit into overly ripe peach and his eyes rolled back in pleasure. He moaned loudly, eliciting a snort from the blue haired sennin sitting nearby.
"Glutton." Youzen commented offhandedly, as he contemplated where to place the small black piece on the crowded board.
Bou didn't bat an eyelid as he sighed contently around another juicy bite. Youzen's opponent shifted awkwardly in his chair as he hurridly placed his white piece and immediately bent to the task of fishing another suitable piece out of the ornately carved bowl.
A smirk crossed Youzen's lips, as he managed to set down his next piece with barely contained glee. Fugen's mind was obviously elsewhere, thought the blue-haired doushi, as he began to pick pieces off the board. Fugen hadn't even noticed.
The angelic sennin startled as Youzen cleared his throat.
"I apologize, I-" he looked down at the board, white playing piece in hand looking for a move, then stopped. A soft 'oh' escaped his lips as he blushed. He'd lost.
Inclining his head graciously to the doushi as acceptance of his defeat, Fugen began to clear his pieces off the board. Youzen began to do the same but the sennin finished first and stood up, signaling that there would be no more games. Slightly disappointed, Youzen murmured his excuses to Taikoubou and Fugen and left them alone, knowing that there was something that was distracting Fugen greatly, if the intelligent sennin had actually lost to him so carelessly.
After Youzen was gone, Fugen sat down on the luxurious window seat that his lover was stretched out on. He had finished the peach and was dozing the alcohol off. Fugen laid down next to his lover, resting his head on Bou's shoulder,
"Bou-chan, wake up." but the sleeping doushi groaned and turned on his side away from Fugen, determined not to wake up.
"Bou-chan," Fugen tried again, and leaning up on an elbow, blew gently into Bou's tanned ear.
Bou jerked awake then and clasped a hand over his ear, glaring indignantly at Fugen, who quickly changed his mischievious grin into his mysterious innocent smile. That only made Bou glare more, but he turned around to look at Fugen,
"What is it?" he whined, blinking sleepily.
"Bou-chan...do you...like being an immortal?"
Bou yawned and let his eyes close again, "Is that what you wanted to ask?" Fugen nodded.
"Sure." Bou replied inconsequently and settled back down into the pillows lining the edges of the window seat. But Fugen wouldn't let the answer rest and pushed at his lover's shoulder until Bou woke up again, sighing. In all the decades that he had been with Fugen, he had learned that the immortal was stubborn as hell and couldn't be dissuaded once he latched onto something. It was easier to just give in to what Fugen wanted.
"We've talked about this," Bou yawned and stretch widely, "it's not that bad; I've gotten used to it."
Fugen's heart sunk. He had always known that Bou disliked being an immortal, but somehow he'd been hoping that had changed since his talk with Genshitenson, over 2 months ago.
"Do you--would you ever--d-do you like being here, like this?"
"Of course I do!" Bou grinned, and wrapped an arm around Fugen's bare shoulders, his fingers pushing the lavender collar down further and he winked cheekily at Fugen, who couldn't help laughing.
"Bou-chan!" he chuckled as he straightened the shirt before sobering, "you know what I mean."
The idiocy receeded from Bou's emerald eyes and they glinted with...something, before he spoke again,
"My feelings haven't changed, Fugen. I don't like it...but it's tolerable." he yawned again, the sleepiness coming back from out of nowhere, "'Sides, you're more important to me than heaven or earth." the last line was said with so much dramatic flair added that Fugen couldn't help but bury his face in Bou's shoulder and laugh.
Immortals who passed the door to the room stopped and stared in alarm as a voice that sounded very much like a gentle, quiet, angelic sennin laughed heartily.
Long after his laughter subsided, Fugen was still nestled next to a napping Bou on the windowseat as the bright oranges, reds, and yellows from the sunset filtered in through the glass. It was Fugen's favorite time of day. The sunset viewed from Kunlun was so short, it lasted barely a few minutes. Hardly enough time to fully soak in the beautiful colors. No one but Fugen knew that Bou's hair, when viewed closely in brilliant last burst of light at sunset, wasn't the even brown tone it looked like during the day, but a multitude of colors. All the chestnuts, the light browns, mahogany, and red-browns were brought out and they shimmered in the light.
But the sunset was over after the few minutes of glorious color and night was rapidly setting in. Fugen sighed and decided to wait just a bit before waking his lover. They were so content and the longer he could hold onto that happiness, the longer he would.
As soon as Genshitenson had talked with him about his plan of renouncing Taikoubou as an immortal, Fugen had rushed down to Earth. The two had spent some time on Earth, but not any longer than Bou's usual stays, so as not to arouse any suspiscion, from both Bou or Genshitenson. They had just gotten back that afternoon and Youzen had stopped him, asking about something or other.
Fugen knew he wouldn't be able to delay any longer. Genshitenson would have a talk with Bou and his lover would be sent back down to Earth to live out the rest of his mortal life there.
The sky outside was dark and the first stars had appeared. Fugen shuddered with the loss of his warm sunshine.
Mortality. Fugen couldn't see why his lover wanted it so much. What good was there to dying? To leaving?
---
Hm, I don't know what the game is called in English, but it was popular in ancient China. Kind of like the equivalent of Chess. (Well, technically Chess originated in China too, but it's a more recognizable comparison)
---
Stars
Chapter Two:
By the sun
---
"Fugen." It was not a question, simply a statement,
"Yes, Genshitenson-sama?" Fugen replied humbly, staring down at his round paopei cradled in his arms. As soon as he'd returned to Kunlun after his short visit down to Earth, his disciple, Mokutaku, had breathlessly informed him that Genshitenson-sama had requested to see him. It was strange. Why the urgency?
"You and that idiot disciple of mine," Fugen faintly bristled at his lover being dismissed so casually...
"...Fugen Shinjin?"
Fugen started out of his thoughts at Genshitenson's indignant voice. He realized he had not been paying attention to whatever else the man had gone on to talk about,
"My apologies, Genshitenson-sama." he said and earned a glare almost hidden under bushy eyebrows. Clearing his throat, the old sennin repeated what he had said,
"Taikoubou and yourelf have always been...close," he paused for an indication from Fugen, who gave a small nod,
"You were both granted immortality at the same time, and yet," the old sennin's voice began to rise, "you have achieved senninhood while he has not." Fugen nodded again.
None of it was new to him,
Now Genshitenson's voice lowered almost conspiratorially, "The reason that he has not, is that Taikoubou does not wish to be a sennin. He does not wish to be immortal at all."
This bit of information left Fugen reeling. True, he had known all of it, but he had not known that Genshitenson knew. All he could do was nod numbly, wondering where the talk was going,
"He has been progressing only as much as he wishes to and unfortunately, he does not seem to be improving much as of late." Fugen didn't like the turn the conversation was taking. It didn't sound good for Bou. Finally Genshitenson simply stated what everything else had led up to,
"I am revoking his immortality. He will be sent to live out the rest of his mortal life on Earth."
Taikoubou bit into overly ripe peach and his eyes rolled back in pleasure. He moaned loudly, eliciting a snort from the blue haired sennin sitting nearby.
"Glutton." Youzen commented offhandedly, as he contemplated where to place the small black piece on the crowded board.
Bou didn't bat an eyelid as he sighed contently around another juicy bite. Youzen's opponent shifted awkwardly in his chair as he hurridly placed his white piece and immediately bent to the task of fishing another suitable piece out of the ornately carved bowl.
A smirk crossed Youzen's lips, as he managed to set down his next piece with barely contained glee. Fugen's mind was obviously elsewhere, thought the blue-haired doushi, as he began to pick pieces off the board. Fugen hadn't even noticed.
The angelic sennin startled as Youzen cleared his throat.
"I apologize, I-" he looked down at the board, white playing piece in hand looking for a move, then stopped. A soft 'oh' escaped his lips as he blushed. He'd lost.
Inclining his head graciously to the doushi as acceptance of his defeat, Fugen began to clear his pieces off the board. Youzen began to do the same but the sennin finished first and stood up, signaling that there would be no more games. Slightly disappointed, Youzen murmured his excuses to Taikoubou and Fugen and left them alone, knowing that there was something that was distracting Fugen greatly, if the intelligent sennin had actually lost to him so carelessly.
After Youzen was gone, Fugen sat down on the luxurious window seat that his lover was stretched out on. He had finished the peach and was dozing the alcohol off. Fugen laid down next to his lover, resting his head on Bou's shoulder,
"Bou-chan, wake up." but the sleeping doushi groaned and turned on his side away from Fugen, determined not to wake up.
"Bou-chan," Fugen tried again, and leaning up on an elbow, blew gently into Bou's tanned ear.
Bou jerked awake then and clasped a hand over his ear, glaring indignantly at Fugen, who quickly changed his mischievious grin into his mysterious innocent smile. That only made Bou glare more, but he turned around to look at Fugen,
"What is it?" he whined, blinking sleepily.
"Bou-chan...do you...like being an immortal?"
Bou yawned and let his eyes close again, "Is that what you wanted to ask?" Fugen nodded.
"Sure." Bou replied inconsequently and settled back down into the pillows lining the edges of the window seat. But Fugen wouldn't let the answer rest and pushed at his lover's shoulder until Bou woke up again, sighing. In all the decades that he had been with Fugen, he had learned that the immortal was stubborn as hell and couldn't be dissuaded once he latched onto something. It was easier to just give in to what Fugen wanted.
"We've talked about this," Bou yawned and stretch widely, "it's not that bad; I've gotten used to it."
Fugen's heart sunk. He had always known that Bou disliked being an immortal, but somehow he'd been hoping that had changed since his talk with Genshitenson, over 2 months ago.
"Do you--would you ever--d-do you like being here, like this?"
"Of course I do!" Bou grinned, and wrapped an arm around Fugen's bare shoulders, his fingers pushing the lavender collar down further and he winked cheekily at Fugen, who couldn't help laughing.
"Bou-chan!" he chuckled as he straightened the shirt before sobering, "you know what I mean."
The idiocy receeded from Bou's emerald eyes and they glinted with...something, before he spoke again,
"My feelings haven't changed, Fugen. I don't like it...but it's tolerable." he yawned again, the sleepiness coming back from out of nowhere, "'Sides, you're more important to me than heaven or earth." the last line was said with so much dramatic flair added that Fugen couldn't help but bury his face in Bou's shoulder and laugh.
Immortals who passed the door to the room stopped and stared in alarm as a voice that sounded very much like a gentle, quiet, angelic sennin laughed heartily.
Long after his laughter subsided, Fugen was still nestled next to a napping Bou on the windowseat as the bright oranges, reds, and yellows from the sunset filtered in through the glass. It was Fugen's favorite time of day. The sunset viewed from Kunlun was so short, it lasted barely a few minutes. Hardly enough time to fully soak in the beautiful colors. No one but Fugen knew that Bou's hair, when viewed closely in brilliant last burst of light at sunset, wasn't the even brown tone it looked like during the day, but a multitude of colors. All the chestnuts, the light browns, mahogany, and red-browns were brought out and they shimmered in the light.
But the sunset was over after the few minutes of glorious color and night was rapidly setting in. Fugen sighed and decided to wait just a bit before waking his lover. They were so content and the longer he could hold onto that happiness, the longer he would.
As soon as Genshitenson had talked with him about his plan of renouncing Taikoubou as an immortal, Fugen had rushed down to Earth. The two had spent some time on Earth, but not any longer than Bou's usual stays, so as not to arouse any suspiscion, from both Bou or Genshitenson. They had just gotten back that afternoon and Youzen had stopped him, asking about something or other.
Fugen knew he wouldn't be able to delay any longer. Genshitenson would have a talk with Bou and his lover would be sent back down to Earth to live out the rest of his mortal life there.
The sky outside was dark and the first stars had appeared. Fugen shuddered with the loss of his warm sunshine.
Mortality. Fugen couldn't see why his lover wanted it so much. What good was there to dying? To leaving?
---
Hm, I don't know what the game is called in English, but it was popular in ancient China. Kind of like the equivalent of Chess. (Well, technically Chess originated in China too, but it's a more recognizable comparison)