tampered | log; ongoing

log; ongoing

When; August 8th, 2008; Afternoon
Rating; Very G!
Characters; Machi Tobaye (

oodzuchi)
Summary; Rabi invites a lonely-sounding kid on the Network out to the zoo and a bit of dinner, and friendship ensues~

Log;

He was always early, usually earlier than he rightfully should've been, perched on one of the benches surrounding the fountain in the center of the City. A book from the Library was held open loosely between his thumb and ring finger, a small paperback that deceptively claimed to be tales of Irish horrors, but inside was some futuristic story about a group of boys on the run. It was a good day to walk through Xanadu, at any rate, and the weather was pleasant, if not a bit on the warmer side. He'd been there about twenty minutes, nearly three-quarters of the way through his book. Half an hour early as an excuse to sit in the sun and read wasn't a bad trade-- time flew by quick.

Rabi hoped the general description he'd rambled off to the boy on the Network would be enough to find him-- with a short glance around, he didn't happen to see any other redheads with an eyepatch, in a dark button-down shirt. And, well, if the kid had any trouble, Rabi knew what he looked like a bit too-- short and blonde with big sunglasses; couldn't be too hard to miss.

At any rate, he leaned back into the well-worn planks and sighed, tilting his head back as he looked up at the sky, guessing the time. Close, wasn't it? The page was dog-eared and the redhead stood up, stretched, and yawned. He wouldn't lie and say a nap under a nearby tree didn't sound inviting, but nice weather always had that effect.

The prospect of meeting someone new and getting a chance to learn about them, their world, anything really, was a mighty inviting one, and something Rabi could never really turn down. His curiosity often got the better of him, but it was a welcome downfall. Knowledge is power and all that. Now, to start looking around for a short blonde kid with big sunglasses.

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Machi drifted like a leaf on the wind, letting the motions of the City buffet him and take him to the fountain. While friendly and even chatty on the Network, Machi still had a great fear of the outside world, especially the City - even on a lovely day such as this. He was nervous and spacing out, lost in his own thoughts. He rarely went into the City except to listen to jazz on Saturdays, and his friend's sudden disappearance coupled with the arrival of two murderers from his world made him trust this place all the less.

Machi was brought back to reality by a sharp pain in his leg indicating he'd walked into a bench. Ouch. At least he didn't go vaulting over.

He noticed someone who is probably Rabi from his description, but what if he wasn't? Machi was too shy to walk over and ask, worried about being wrong when there were so many here just admiring the fountain. So he sits on the bench and waits to see if the other young man will approach.

It didn't take but a moment for him to turn back to the right after carefully scanning the faces on the left, those most accessible to his line of sight, until he noticed a blonde boy sitting on one of the benches a ways from his own-- a new addition if he did say so himself-- and was quite certain it was his "date".

Assuming he hadn't been seen-- which was quite possible, really, with the usual hustle and bustle of the City's center-- he walked over in long strides and called, "Machi! 'That you, Machi?!"

The smile on his lips was evident in his voice, a cheerful, if not loud, tone bordering on tenor. As he got closer, he was quite certain this was the boy he'd been speaking with on the Network.

Machi startled when he heard his name. "Rabi?"

He stood, glanced in the direction of Rabi. So it was him. He waited for the taller boy to approach.

Machi's own voice was quiet, perhaps on the androgynous side. There was a richness in tone that spoke of lush hills in Eastern Europe. "Yes, I'm Machi."

His smile was wide as he stopped just two more steps away and extended his hand, the book tucked into his back pocket as though it were a fat wallet. "Yup! It's good 'ta meetcha in person, Machi! How're you doin' today?"

His voice had a characteristic casualness to it, if not a bit of a slurred accent that mixed a few cultures together and was all-around undefinable, but his good nature wore through it. He was dressed in his "good" clothes, a pair of khakis and a navy button-down shirt, with a pair of dress boots on. The clothes weren't much like back home, but they looked nice, at least.

He couldn't help but notice how quiet the boy was, and his previous assumptions were pretty much right. But wasn't the City one of the best places to make friends? That was his opinion, at any rate, and it kinda reminded him of his constant traveling back home and meeting all sorts of people.

Machi wore a blue turtleneck and khakis with little dark shoes. He liked being covered, liked collars all the way up to his neck. In essence, it's hiding he liked. Yet for someone so restrained in looks and voice, he was happy to cross into Rabi's space. Took his hand between two little, graceful ones, touching every contour, learning. Pressed warmly.

An old habit.

"Ah, well, I am here?" Machi tilted his head with the question, and thought to add: "Is warm today."

They were probably worn and calloused, his hands, from all the fighting and the grip on his hammer for the past couple years, but they were large, and warm.

The oddity of the greeting wasn't lost on him, though, and he tilted his head himself. "Yeah it is! It's good nappin' weather, right? And, haha, as long as you're here! Ya ready 'ta go?"

"Are you having naps in the mid-day, Mr. Rabi?" Machi chided gently, teasing more than admonishing, really. "We go? Is time to eat?" Machi took Rabi's arm without thinking. It's something he still did with Klavier, and still tended toward with receptive parties. Rabi gave off similar vibes as his friend, and he found himself trusting the redhead for no good reason. Perhaps it was just the fact that being in the City rattled him to the point of needing a security blanket to face the world with. He'd always been reclusive.

"Hahaha! Only sometimes, I promise. It's too good 'ta pass up sometimes when I wander out 'ta read!" He looked down questioningly as the boy took his arm, brows furrowed. He didn't mind, really, though he stiffened just slightly out of habit. Exorcists rarely let people so close to them, out of practice of assuming anyone that approached was an akuma, but he relaxed after a moment and hooked a thumb in the pocket of his khakis.

"I hope ya don't mind Thai! It's a bit spicy but they got good food, at the place I have in mind. Then we can walk around th' zoo, hm?"

"Thai food? I like it. Spicy is good! I can't eat so well with the chopsticks, though. Puppy was going to teach me..."

He felt the older boy stiffen and loosened his grip slightly. Thought of explaining but was a bit too embarrassed. How needy could he possibly get? And now his throat stung because he was thinking of Wocky again. Machi swallowed the pain down, felt it congeal back into his stomach.

"No one is ever taking me to zoo before. Is nice to walk?"

"Chopsticks are kinda easy-- but then again they're kinda not, ahahaha! I guess it depends. If ya hold 'em right, they're pretty useful! But I never really can, I'm too used 'ta forks and spoons. Yuu-chan always yells at me when I try 'ta use his at home, haha, it really annoys him!"

He waved it off with his other hand, a bit of a bounce in his step. "But chopsticks aren't too important! You've never been to a zoo before? They got all sortsa animals! Especially th' one here-- it's got some really weird animals I've never seen, I guess from other worlds. It's a great walk-- and if you get tired, we can stop an' get ice cream or something, hm?"

The redhead couldn't explain it very well, but Machi reminded him of someone-- maybe the younger Exorcists at headquarters he usually played with, but being able to take someone out, even just for a walk around the zoo? It was nice. He really wished he could've brought Ariel along. He knew the two would probably get along really well, but if his assumptions were correct...

Well, her not being able to talk and all, it'd probably get hard for them to really communicate. But to be able to put a smile on someone's face for a change, that's all that really mattered for now. His thinking had turned very short-term since he'd come to the City, but he wasn't entirely sure that was a bad thing. People seemed to come and go at a steady rate, and though it wasn't clear whether or not people remembered their experiences in the City, it was a once in a lifetime sorta deal to get to know people you otherwise would never've met.

"No, I think, others, are finding it a bit pointless. Also, they do not like me out in public very much." Machi fidgeted with his sunglasses but didn't remove them. Sometimes he forgot that not everyone knew his secret yet. "I am not sure how I feel about things in cages. Are they happy there? I could feel a bit sad for an animal in a cage because I..." Machi dropped off, went quiet. The recent rehashed memories of the detention center were still a little fresh. He thought of the orphanage, too, and sighed a little.

Trying to change the subject, he spoke again, "The restaurant is far?"

"Why not? Do you sunburn easy or somethin'? An' I don't think they're all in cages, they mostly get a pretty big habitat like their ones at home. It's not th' same, of course, but it's somethin'. They seem happy enough, even in a crazy place like this."

Though incessantly curious, Rabi was one that knew when to break the waves of conversation and also when to ride them. This was certainly a case of the latter. "Not all that far, but it's a good walk. It's a bit off to th' side once you enter the zoo, so we can go to either first. Ya hungry?"

"My record company, they want me to remain mysterious. The more the public sees, the less they control my image. The less my image is in their control, the less control they have of me. And... what use is it to take a pianist who cannot see to a zoo? Or to a park of amusements? Why take him to meet people his age if he only speaks Borginian? No, better I am eccentric, stay at home, sit with nose in corner until they seeing fit to take me out and have me compose for them again."

Machi went quiet then. Covered his mouth with his hand for a moment, surprised at his own vehemence. "I am hungry," he said quietly, vaguely. "I would like noodles very much, please."

Rabi was silent for only a few moments, his suspicions confirmed. "Can't tell ya I know what a record company is, but it doesn't sound like anythin' particularly pleasant. And... haha-- hey, why didn't ya tell me? Now I feel bad! We coulda done somethin' else. Maybe we'll just get somethin' 'ta eat then, hm?"

He reached over and rested a hand on Machi's head, just short of ruffling his hair, and smiled. "'Sides, sounds like you're speakin' English 'ta me! Though that might just be th' City's doing-- even people that don't speak certain languages understand each other, it seems."

"A record company, ah, how am I putting this? When you are a musician, they are in charge of you. They own the music you write, and arrange for your performances and tours. You have a contract and you cannot break it because of legality. The record company, they are treating you like a product, not a person. Like some new item to sell. They think of how to sell you best, this is called image. And if you break that image, it could effect your sales. So you are not allowed. Image is in my contract." And the more Machi tried to explain it, the less he had any idea of how to clarify it. So he just presses on. "Is funny. They are wanting a boy who speaks no English, so I learn in secret. Otherwise, what I do if lost away from home? I am knowing better than to depend on them."

Machi went quiet to enjoy the hand in his hair for a long, long moment. He was lonely. So much his throat hurt sometimes. "I am glad you can understand, though my English is not so good. Get better since I come here, have a chance to speak to others. You see... this is problem with my image. They want to keep me away from everyone, so I am not able to be free. So I will always turn to them. And I need the money from record company - because my dear Lamiroir, my siren, she needs a surgery. If I did not play their rules, she would forever be in pain. Forever blind. Maybe die."

Machi stopped walking abruptly. "Rabi, I have told you lies with my actions."

Though try he might, nothing similar came to mind as he thought of a "record company", but he was pretty sure he understood the basics of it. "So they pay ya 'ta compose music an' stuff? That almost sounds like a good deal, but for them 'ta be so horrible..." He trailed off, his tone turning thoughtful.

Some things he'd heard about other worlds just didn't make any sense, and this was one of them. Especially since Machi seemed like such a charming boy on his own-- the redhead didn't see the need to force him into a mold half-based on his past to be successful.

"Well, I've heard a lot worse! In my world, where I live, it's got people from all over the world, speakin' all sortsa languages. So I help teach some english classes when I'm around so everyone can have one language 'ta communicate in. It gets hard when ya don't speak all th' languages though, so there's a good number'a people that teach when they're at headquarters. I think ya sound just fine. Though, I'm real sorry 'ta hear about your friend-- Lamiroir, was it? Pretty name, sounds French. Elle doit être une beauté. Do you know what's wrong with her?"

Rabi came to a stop beside Machi as well, half a step ahead before bringing his foot back, looking down at Machi with a curious glance. "Mm?"

Machi took a deep breath. "Lamiroir means siren in Borginian. Is name I gave her, when I meet her at jazz club years ago. She suffer bad head injury. Lose her sight and her memory. Someone sent her to Borginia to hide her away, I think. Because she sings and I play, we became a good team. I had already habit of wearing dark glasses. So the record company, they say, we will pretend Machi is the one who is blind. So that there is an explanation for us to be arm-in-arm on stage."

Machi tucked his sunglasses up into his hair. His eyes were ghostly pale blue, pronouncing the dark circles beneath. There's unsurprising intelligence in his eyes, but more importantly, there's focus. "I am not blind. I have just pretended, many years. They trap us both - make us keep our true selves secret. I never go to zoo, art gallery, park or movie, not because I cannot see it, but because I am not supposed to."

He fiddled with a loose thread on his shirt. "I pretend so long, I forget I can see. I can look out to the world and see nothing. Prefer this, sometimes. Lamiroir and eye spoke without speaking, and I miss this. To touch... to show you care."

Might as well get it out of the while while he confessed. "Lamiroir is fine now. She had her surgery, and remembers who she used to be. She even remembers her real children. She is no longer of need of my guidance."

Rabi set his hand on Machi's head once more, this time indulging in a hair ruffle. His smile was warm as he began to reply. "That's fine. You're really a good kid, Machi. I can understand how hard it is 'ta break old habits, better than most at least."

For was this not his 43rd alias? And surely it was difficult to remember each new name, changing as Bookman see fit to move them elsewhere. A new name, a new personality, a new lie. Rabi; the newest, as well as a warm personality to converse easier with his fellow Exorcists, as the Bookman's mission led him deep into the heart of the Order-- but it was no longer just an act. He'd met people that had forever changed his views on people-- the world in general. And he'd grown into that warm, caring personality. He was a master actor, but it was much nicer to realize that one was no longer acting, and the "you" that he was "playing" was really a "me".

"I'm glad 'ta hear that she's fine now, but I really doubt you're not needed anymore. You were a big part of her life for a long while, weren'tcha? I doubt that just cuz she remember her life before, she forgot what happened in between. Hu-- People don't forget those sorts of ties so easily."

No, he understood that just as well. How many times had he abandoned friends-- sometimes more-- as he discarded past names and they moved on? It was long ago, when he still believed in making friends, and for years afterwards, he hadn't been able to bring himself to care about other people-- viewed himself separately from the rest of humanity, who could hurt and kill and forget so easily. Much had happened in the thirteen years he'd traveled with Bookman, but he never forgot a second of it.

Of course, his views were far different now-- not everyone was the same. People were all individual, friends were important ties you make and keep and treasure, and most importantly, it was through these ties that anyone really lived to the fullest. Sure, sad things may happen-- people you know might forget you, they might pass away, they might move on. But it wasn't always. Life had a funny way of balancing out the good and the bad; it was just a matter of being able to accept it all with a smile on your face.

"I wish I could be believing this." Machi started walking again. Flipped sunglasses back in his face. Didn't take Rabi's arm again - no excuse to. His slender fingers curled at his sides. "I did something bad, to try and get the money for her surgery. She says... I fell into darkness. I was like a son to her. I was." Those fingers become fists. He has to slowly work them loose. No use in becoming upset about that. Lamiroir isn't here.

He knew Lamiroir couldn't possibly love him anymore. Not after the shameful thing he did. Even if it was because he wanted to help her, how could she forgive actions that allowed someone to die? Machi wasn't the murderer, but if he hadn't agreed to the smuggling plan, the murder wouldn't have happened. Who would want a son responsible for a murder?

"But ya still did it for her, didn't you? Even if it was bad, there's still that truth." He rested his arm on Machi's shoulder, eye drifting back to the sky as he tilted his head back. There was a nice, soft breeze out too that kept the warm weather from becoming overbearing.

It wasn't as though Rabi knew what had happened, or fully understood the meaning behind the boy's words, but he thought he had the gist of it-- even if it was still surprising that a boy so young had already suffered through such hardships.

Maybe the other worlds weren't as different as he'd previously thought they were.

"I am doing it for me, I want to go away from that situation." Machi leaned a little bit against the young man, accepting the feeling of his support for the moment. Today was perfect, with clouds gently drifting. "If I do it their way... maybe no one is dead that way. Everything... my whole life... is a waste now. I was once the pride of my country, now I am the shame. As I was the pride and now shame of Lamiroir."

"Well at least here, ya don't gotta worry about it, huh? And you're still young, ya got your whole life ahead'a you! If there's one thing people're good at, it's changing. If you don't like who ya are right now, you can still change. No one's life is ever a waste, yanno."

But wait, what was that peeking around the corner? Why, it just might be the zoo!

With their destination in sight, Rabi gave Machi a nudge and grinned. "Look! The gates 'ta Xanadu! Just a bit inside and th' restaurant's there."

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log; ongoing

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long tag is long omg fail

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