Closed RP: Hakkai and Sanzo

[worldly_monk]

Things at Hogwarts seemed to have quieted down a little in the last week. Apparently the 'Holiday Season' madness was over. Even so, habit had brought Sanzo to a vacant classroom in an isolated part of the castle so he could get some reading done

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[polite_sinner]

((OoC: . . . gwah, meant to rethread. Sorry about the double post!))

Hakkai raised an eyebrow at the monk's assessment of gambling and gamblers, matching Sanzo's amused look with one of his own. "Well, Gojyo is a rather skilled player on his own, and I didn't have to accompany him too often. Though I suppose you're right -- it seems to be an accurate enough appraisal, at any rate. Ah, but I'm a little curious. When did you get the chance to analyze a gambler's psyche, if I may ask?"

He noticed the quick smile with a bit of surprise but didn't comment on it, since Sanzo probably would have denied its existence, anyway. It wasn't often that the monk really admitted any attachment to anything, and somehow Hakkai wasn't too surprised that Goku managed to fit into the image. (He also thought that Sanzo and Goku made a rather cute father-son duo, but he wasn't going to say as much any time soon.) "It sounds like quite an entertaining show," he said mildly, "but I don't really envy the other monks at all. They're rather particular about everyhing, aren't they?"

Hakkai smiled blandly when Sanzo directed his attention back to him. "I'm not sure if that'd be a problem. I have a feeling that you're not really allowed to go for good until you're ready to, but that's just conjecture. And if the Aspects sent you here, I don't think they would really allow you to give up on your objective just because of some fickle magic, right? You could probably find your own way around it."

[worldly_monk]

(( I can't remember if we've ever discussed OOC how much Hakkai knows about Sanzo, so I'm going to go with 'not much'. Warning: Exposition Ahead. XD ))

"Long story." Normally he would have left it at that, but their earlier conversation made him reconsider. Sanzo blew out a stream of smoke, trying to remember what he'd told Hakkai about his past. Probably very little, he acknowledged to himself. Well, it wasn't like it was a secret. Besides, he'd already told Gojyo some of it during their evening of drinking. He probably owed it to Hakkai to tell him some of it too.

"You know I'm looking for my master's sutra. That's supposed to be the point of all this research." He glanced at Hakkai before continuing. "My master was responsible for two of the sutras, the Maten and the Seiten. When I was twelve, he called me to his rooms and told me he was making me a Sanzo priest. He gave me my Buddhist name and the Maten Sutra. He also made me his successor for the Seiten Sutra."

He took another slow drag on his cigarette before telling the next part. "A few minutes later, several youkai broke into his rooms. They killed him and took the Seiten Sutra." Sanzo's voice was cold as he tried to distance himself from the memories. "With his death, the Seiten Sutra became my responsibility, so I left the temple the next day to find the youkai and get it back. I spent the next four years searching, before I ended up in Chang'An." He reached over for the ashtray to put out his cigarette. "Anyway, the point is, I was tracking a gang of thieves, so I've been to some places most monks never go. I learned to watch people, to try and figure out their intentions."

Sanzo was silent for a while before commenting on Hakkai's theory. "You're probably right about getting back here. Either the Aspects or the Bosatsu would send me back if the Hogwarts magic didn't work." And they would probably make sure Goku didn't follow too, if it came to that. Not that the monkey would be any happier, even if he knew Sanzo had no choice.

[polite_sinner]

Hakkai visibly sobered as Sanzo told him about his past, just barely masking his astonishment over how much the monk was sharing with him. It wasn't really every day that Sanzo decided to expound on his life, so Hakkai let him speak without interruption, watching Sanzo from the corner of his eye. Until now, Hakkai was only aware of very vague details when it concerned Sanzo, and if he were to admit it, he was oddly gratified to actually hear something concrete from the monk for once, rather than have to infer everything from avoidant comments and vague facial expressions.

"Twelve is far too young to be on your own," Hakkai said softly when Sanzo was finished, though he spoke before really realizing it. Mentally kicking himself, his expression softened a little, and he turned his head, looking down at the table. Not sure if Sanzo wanted to continue discussing his past, Hakkai gave him an opportunity to continue with the old topic, saying in a light tone of voice, "They would probably send you back when you were just getting settled again back home, too. Perhaps Goku could come along this time?" He smiled a little teasingly, though it was clearly a sort of cautious one at best.

[worldly_monk]

Sanzo shrugged at Hakkai's comment. "Probably, but I managed." There was a cynical smile on his face. "Sixteen is probably too young to be put in charge of a temple the size of the one in Chang'An, but it didn't seem to bother the Sanbutsushin." He shifted slightly, still somewhat uncomfortable discussing his past. He glanced at Hakkai and noticed his tentative smile, like he expected Sanzo to bite his head off for saying anything. Sanzo forced himself to relax.

"Bringing Goku to Hogwarts might be a really bad idea." He could just imagine how much trouble that would cause. "Maybe I shouldn't go back until I'm ready to leave here for good."

[polite_sinner]

Hakkai saw Sanzo's discomfort and offered another vaguely reassuring smile. "I suppose that's true," he said, still using a careful tone, "but they must have realized you would have been able to handle the responsibility. And it does look as though you were able to manage the duty well enough, at least from what I have seen." He paused for a second and laughed gently. "Disgruntled traditionalistic monks aside, of course."

Smiling in amusement at the idea of Goku at Hogwarts, Hakkai shrugged his shoulders. "Personally, I think it would be entertaining, and Goku would certainly enjoy being here -- or, at least, he would rather like the food they serve, wouldn't he? I suppose it could be a bit of a problem if he attempted some magic and it backfired on him, but I imagine that could happen to any one of us."

[worldly_monk]

Sanzo still looked bitterly amused. "Hn. Most of the time I just tell them to leave me the fuck alone. They don't always listen of course, but at least they've stopped bothering me with every trivial problem." He gave Hakkai an amused glance. "You'd probably be better at running a temple than I am. Want to take over the job?"

Goku and unlimited food sounded like a disaster waiting to happen. "We'd never get him out of the Great Hall. Either that or the house-elves would be transporting food to his room all day." Sanzo rubbed his forehead, as if already feeling the headaches Goku could cause. "I have a feeling if Goku tried anything magical, it wouldn't be 'if' it backfired, it would be 'when'. Another good reason to practice those reversal spells."

[polite_sinner]

"Ah, but that's still a leadership role, depending on your viewpoint," Hakkai replied cheerfully. "You're delegating work, and in so doing, the temple can become self-sufficient in the absence of its esteemed figurehead, isn't that right?" He laughed a little when Sanzo offerred him his position at the temple, waving a hand and shaking his head. "As tempting as that is, I'm afraid I must decline. I'm not entirely sure if I'm entirely fit for the role, and I doubt the other monks would be very happy with that swap, all things considered."

Sanzo's almost palpable annoyance received an all too bright smile from Hakkai. "It would also be another good way to practice reversal spells, don't you think? Accidents would be infortunate, of course, but I think with some practice, Goku could be quite good with magic." Hakkai was probably just trying to be optimistic, though. "Then again, I suppose it would be problematic if Goku and Gojyo decided to put any spells they learned to good use in their arguments, though. . ."

[worldly_monk]

"If you're able to come up with a line of bullshit like that, you're definitely more qualified than I am." Sanzo gazed at Hakkai in mock admiration, before giving up the act with a short laugh. "You're right, the other monks wouldn't be happy at all. That's almost enough reason to do it. Are you sure you're not interested?" He was joking, but not about Hakkai being qualified. The former teacher had the patience and the ability to deal with people that Sanzo lacked. Sanzo's only qualification was the will of the Aspects. He shook his head with a sigh. "Unfortunately the Sanbutsushin probably wouldn't play along."

Sanzo frowned at the image of Gojyo and Goku fighting with magic. "They probably would start throwing spells at each other. As if the yelling wasn't bad enough." Something else occurred to him. "I wonder if there's a spell to silence someone?"

[polite_sinner]

"Really, it's just a matter of perspective, isn't it?" Hakkai sheepishly chuckled at Sanzo's brief act, rubbing the back of his neck. "Now, you and I both know that I'm not exactly the perfect candidate for the job." A rather major crime committed in his past was the primary reason for that, and it was hard to forget about it. He was quiet for a second before smiling and adding, "Besides, given how you usually speak about it, I don't think I would really want to have your position. I'm not entirely sure how well I could cope with that sort of work atmosphere, really."

Hakkai smiled at the thought of Gojyo and Goku arguing, half out of amusement and half out of fondness. "I suppose I shouldn't say that the bright side of them using spells on one another is that at least it wouldn't be an accident when they turned one another into furry animals." Raising an eyebrow at Sanzo's question, he thought for a moment before shrugging. "I don't see why there wouldn't be. Of course, if you intend to use it on Gojyo and Goku, we both know they can be rather rowdy even without being able to yell."

[worldly_monk]

Maybe Hakkai was right. Putting a former mass murderer in charge of the temple would certainly scandalize everyone who knew about Hakkai's past. Sanzo smiled a bit grimly. If they only knew how much blood had been spilled by their current high priest, with only slightly better justification. Sanzo shrugged again. "You're not perfect. Neither am I, but I guess they're stuck with me."

Sanzo looked a little disappointed at Hakkai's reminder. "Yeah, but at least I wouldn't have to hear their voices. Maybe there's a spell to immobilize them too?" He decided to take a look through some of the basic spells books, just in case. "I wonder if Gojyo has thought of trying to find a spell to turn Goku into an actual monkey."

[polite_sinner]

"Well, nobody is entirely perfect, of course," Hakkai replied lightly. "And if there is someone who actually is, I don't imagine very many people would appreciate being with him or her for any length of time." He paused for a moment, giving Sanzo a sort of teasingly disapproving look. "Really, being 'stuck' with anyone doesn't sound very enjoyable at all. Perhaps it would be best if you said something along the lines of -- they're able to enjoy your company, or vice versa. It doesn't seem quite as negative that way, don't you think?"

Shooting the monk another look of mock reproach, Hakkai said, "I'm not entirely sure if magic should be used to solve these sort of problems, especially when all you really have to do is give the two of them a stern talking to." Or shoot off a few warning rounds, in Sanzo's case. "Ah, you know, I'm not sure if I would be very surprised if Gojyo did. If Goku were here, I'm sure he would want to look for a spell to transform Gojyo into a real kappa in retaliation."

[worldly_monk]

Sanzo met Hakkai's attempt at a disapproving look with a raised eyebrow. "Somehow I doubt they're enjoying my company. I know I don't enjoy theirs." He might have been exaggerating a little. There were a few monks at Keiun that were tolerable, but the majority were idiots. Even after several years, they were still surprised and disappointed that he didn't live up to their image of what a Sanzo Priest should be.

He looked thoughtful for a moment. "The high priest before me wasn't much better. He smoked and drank - he gave me my first pack of cigarettes actually - but they don't remember that anymore. I've overheard them moaning about how much better things were with High Priest Jikaku." The criticism only amused him. He didn't care what the morons thought of him.

Hakkai's suggestions for dealing with Gojyo and Goku were equally amusing. "'Give them a talking to', right. Like that ever works for more than a few minutes," Sanzo scoffed. "Okay, fine, I won't use magic on them...unless I've already tried yelling at them first." There was something close to an actual smile on his face. "Fair enough?"

[polite_sinner]

"I'm sure they have more appreciation for you than you give them credit for," Hakkai said, ever the superficial optimist. "After all, if they didn't think you were capable of handling your position as a Sanzo Priest, they wouldn't go to you with their problems or any official matters, would they?"

He noted Sanzo's thoughtful expression, but decided not to ask for specifics on Jikaku (having drawn his own conclusions), probably in order to spare Sanzo the discomfort of discussing more about his past, or the effort of simply avoiding the topic altogether. "Ah, they do say that people always look better when one looks back on memories of them, and it seems true enough. I must admit, it's a little difficult to imagine you being a non-smoker." He smiled gently and jokingly.

"It does work occasionally, depending on the tone of voice you use." For Hakkai, that meant using an unnaturally calm, collected voice that never failed to send a chill down the spines of even the bravest of men -- but luckily, he only used that voice for good, not for evil. He regarded Sanzo with that same reproachful look, before giving him a slow, conspirational smile. "I suppose that will have to do. Well, if worst comes to worst, please do avoid casting anything particularly mean-spirited."

[worldly_monk]

"They don't exactly have a choice. If it's an official matter, they have to bring it to me. Unfortunately." Sanzo eyed Hakkai, wondering if the man believed a word he was saying, or if it was just his seemingly compulsive need to put a positive spin on everything. "Did you think I was born smoking?" he asked sarcastically. Talking about smoking naturally made Sanzo crave a cigarette, so he reached for his pack again.

"Maybe with the tone of voice you use." Sanzo had been on the receiving end of Hakkai's tone of voice before, and he'd prefer not to hear it again. He lit a cigarette, and returned Hakkai's smile with a smirk of his own. "Hm. Maybe we should look up some spells now, just so I can get your approval that they aren't too 'mean-spirited'?" He looked away, shaking his head. "Of course with my luck, magic will probably bounce off of Goku, just like everything else."

[polite_sinner]

"No, I suppose they don't, but nonetheless, they still occasionally 'pester you,' as you seem to put it, even with minor issues, yes?" Hakkai gave Sanzo a slightly puzzled smile when the monk seemed to look him over, briefly wondering if he said something wrong -- but then he realized that if he actually had, Sanzo would have been sure to make him immediately aware of that fact. "No, not exactly," he replied a little teasingly. "I suppose I always expected you to be the sort who started smoking at a very young age, is all."

Hakkai grinned innocently, his head tilted in a slightly questioning way that practically screamed, Why, I'm sure I have no idea what you're talking about. "Ah ha ha, well, at least we both know what really motivates you to research other magical spells besides what you came to this school for." He chuckled a little and nodded his head. "I wouldn't be entirely surprised if it did -- fortunately for Goku, of course. I wonder if any spell aimed at him would simply ricochet and hit someone else nearby?"

[worldly_monk]

Sanzo looked a little confused by Hakkai's question. "Is that supposed to be a positive thing? They annoy me with trivial shit because they approve of me?" He was obviously dismissive of that idea. "I don't care what they think of me. I'm stuck with them as much as they're stuck with me."

He contemplated the glowing tip of his cigarette. "My master smoked, but I never even thought about trying it." Sanzo certainly wasn't going to tell Hakkai that he had disapproved of his master's smoking habits. There was absolutely no reason to give Hakkai ammunition for future 'discussions' about smoking. "Probably a good thing I didn't. I didn't have the money to buy things like cigarettes before I got to Chang'An, and people don't usually donate smokes to wandering monks."

"Self interest is a great motivator," Sanzo agreed. His smile turned sly. "It could either ricochet or have no effect at all. We should let Gojyo test it out. We can observe, from a safe distance of course."