FIC
Title: Changing Weather
Author: laurose
Ratings: PG
Pairing: Established Ken10
Warnings : none
Summary: Tenpou recruits Konzen
Disclaimer: not mine, and no profit made
**
beta'd by Sybil Rowan
**
When General Kenren blew into Tenpou's office like a small, friendly whirlwind, every paper in Tenpou's office seemed to become possessed. Tenpou put it all back in the right disorder, and examined his lover's face.
With no surprise, but with no pleasure either, “That's quite a black eye you have.” And because someone engaged in revolutionary plotting has to know these things, “What happened?”
“I stopped off at Old Wang's, just for a beer.”
Old Wang had acquired a lot of satisfied customers over the years. Tenpou began calculating how much it would cost to leave Old Wang in good humour. Maybe it wasn't too bad. After all, it had been a long time since Kenren had actually destroyed a place.
“And I met Ji and Han - ”
Had he got into an argument with two loyal sprigs of the Emperor's family tree? Worst case, a political argument?
“And we went the rounds with a few others and ended up at the Willow Quarter.”
Of course, if Kenren kept off politics, it would only do good for him to be seen with the court' curs - wait! Willow Quarter? Focus slipping a little from conspiracy, Tenpou listened to a doubtless highly edited account of how he won a bottle of the best sake from a notoriously stingy madam in one hand of cards.
“And I was bringing it home to share. I was just going to sample it, honestly, to make sure she hadn't bilked me. I sat down on the side of the Lover's Bridge, just to, um, rest my feet.”
This part of Heaven was pretty flat, but Lover's Bridge was a respectable twenty feet above the river. Tenpou didn't like the thought of his lover perched on its edge, when he was too drunk to walk straight.
“So I thought I'd see if I could walk along that narrow railing...”
Only a black eye? Were there worse hurts under his leathers?
“...Shoddy workmanship. But I only slipped a little bit. I was already pulling myself up when this kid rushes up, all excited like, and makes a big deal of rescuing me. Strong kid. Awesome. Small, but strong. He pulled me up right through the railings.”
Tenpou said with relief, “So that's where you got the black eye.” Though, knowing Kenren, he could still have burned down both a brothel and a temple and forgotten to mention it.
“Yeah. I 'd never have thought he was so strong.”
“Well, we won't tell anyone General Kenren was given a black eye by a kid.”
“Oh, it wasn't the kid. We got on fine together. We were sitting on where the railing used to be, sharing the sake, and I was teaching him some interesting songs, when along comes this high muckamuck who turns out to be his guardian. Face like a beautiful woman, lavender silk robe, and Lord Enma could he punch.”
“He punched you.”
Kenren nodded. Then, seeing Tenpou's face, a rather unnerving mask, he said, “Hey, I gave his kid brother liquor. That's why he hit me, and fair enough, too.”
“That is why?” Kenren was a smart man, but he didn't quite follow Tenpou's train of thought. Kanzeon Botatsu Itself found it hard to follow Tenpou's train of thought. “I mean, he punched you because it was his kid brother, not because it was a useful piece of equipment?”
Kenren looked at him. “You haven't been drinking, have you?”
“You know who punched you.”
“No. Unless it was Homura in a blond wig.”
“Konzen Douji, which makes the kid the Seiten Taishi.” To show Kenren which way his thoughts were leading, “Second in line to become War God of Heaven.” This didn't seem to show Kenren much. Tenpou went on thoughtfully, “I think you owe Douji an apology.”
Tenpou shrugged. “What should I say?”
“You can't apologise. You're laid up from the punch he gave you.”
“Hey!”
“In fact, you may have concussion.”
“I always look like this.” Kenren breathed out a big, gusty sigh. Several just rearranged papers fluttered to the floor. “You do realise Konzen Douji is nephew to Kanzeon Botatsu, and an important and trusted official right in the heart of the courtly spider web.”
“Very lucky for us, too.”
Kenren wasn't slow. Overthrowing the Emperor of Heaven needed more than the two of them. So far, though, it had been only them knowing what, who and where; and often only Tenpou. Kenren was fine with that.
Anyway, Tenpou always knew which bribe and threat and fairy tale to use. “I'm off. Coffee is an excellent remedy for this sort of concussion.” As he uncoiled from his leather armchair, he added, “If this bright idea of yours doesn't work out, I only look in to borrow your coffee.”
Tenpou would have felt better if he'd believed him. But he knew, if he went down Kenren would insist on going down with him. And if anything would have turned Tenpou from his course, that would.
But he walked Heaven's paths, not with delight but with renewed determination. Here, they were lined with cherry trees. Cherry trees which would never grow into fruit. Every morning the flowers danced in the exact same breeze, at the exact same time. How could a people who couldn't even change the weather, or grow fruit, change and grow with the changing, growing Earth?
Konzen Douji he knew by sight, but no more. Pretty as Douji was, Tenpou was hardly interested in yet another, routine, paper pusher. He'd check out how Douji felt about his pet monster. Kenren had a real nose for that sort of thing. Tenpou was reasonably confident there was hope there. He could flim flam Douji with hope of new ways of dealing with Heaven's enemies, ways that didn't involve turning a child into a killing machine.
And, after all, it was quite true. It would just be a rather more drastic change than he'd lead Douji to believe.
Tenpou crossed a small half-circle of a bridge, freshly painted the exact same red as the perfect water lilies beneath. Heaven's bureaucracy controlled even those fine details.
A reflex learned on Earth drew his gaze to a ripple in the water. But there were no alligators in Heaven, no poisonous snakes. It couldn't even be the reflection of wildfowl flying overhead.
There were, however, goldfish.
Family connections have their benefits. The set of of offices where Douji worked was one of the roomier and less frequented of Heaven's many sets of offices. Tenpou managed to find his way to Douji's wing without alerting any of the bored clerks to their unusual visitor.
Tenpou had always been rather sorry the elaborate etiquette of Heaven didn't give bureaucrats scope to express their personalities. Douji's door detailed his family and official duties, and gave no hint to what sort of god wore them.
Tenpou had no wish to surprise Douji, whatever he was doing. He thought Kenren's theory of what senior bureacrats did physiologically impossible. He thought, himself, they probably slept, but Douji wouldn't want to be caught asleep, either. He clapped his hands. A deep voice told him to come in.
Douji had neither been partying or sleeping. He was in an exemplary position for a bureacrat, between a high pile of papers in his outbox and an even higher pile in his inbox. He wasn't even looking at Tenpou as he flicked through yet a third high pile. Tenpou took advantage of his inattention to study the office, but it held little personality, unless you counted a bunch of bright flowers on the desk. One of the aesthetic crowd? Under the regulation white mats Tenpou saw bright crayon scribbles. Perhaps not.
He looked back and saw Douji was studying him. Beautiful violet eyes they were, and bright as noon.
There were very few people in Heaven as smart as Tenpou, but from the first he never doubted Konzen Douji was one. His plan of pulling a dim little bureaucrat's strings vanished.
Douji said in that rich voice, “Marshal Tenpou?” His hands were still full of papers.
Tenpou could still have given Kenren's apologies, as quickly as possible with the excuse of Douji's being busy.
He glanced again at the mats and stepped into the room, closing the door behind him.
FIN
Author: laurose
Ratings: PG
Pairing: Established Ken10
Warnings : none
Summary: Tenpou recruits Konzen
Disclaimer: not mine, and no profit made
**
beta'd by Sybil Rowan
**
When General Kenren blew into Tenpou's office like a small, friendly whirlwind, every paper in Tenpou's office seemed to become possessed. Tenpou put it all back in the right disorder, and examined his lover's face.
With no surprise, but with no pleasure either, “That's quite a black eye you have.” And because someone engaged in revolutionary plotting has to know these things, “What happened?”
“I stopped off at Old Wang's, just for a beer.”
Old Wang had acquired a lot of satisfied customers over the years. Tenpou began calculating how much it would cost to leave Old Wang in good humour. Maybe it wasn't too bad. After all, it had been a long time since Kenren had actually destroyed a place.
“And I met Ji and Han - ”
Had he got into an argument with two loyal sprigs of the Emperor's family tree? Worst case, a political argument?
“And we went the rounds with a few others and ended up at the Willow Quarter.”
Of course, if Kenren kept off politics, it would only do good for him to be seen with the court' curs - wait! Willow Quarter? Focus slipping a little from conspiracy, Tenpou listened to a doubtless highly edited account of how he won a bottle of the best sake from a notoriously stingy madam in one hand of cards.
“And I was bringing it home to share. I was just going to sample it, honestly, to make sure she hadn't bilked me. I sat down on the side of the Lover's Bridge, just to, um, rest my feet.”
This part of Heaven was pretty flat, but Lover's Bridge was a respectable twenty feet above the river. Tenpou didn't like the thought of his lover perched on its edge, when he was too drunk to walk straight.
“So I thought I'd see if I could walk along that narrow railing...”
Only a black eye? Were there worse hurts under his leathers?
“...Shoddy workmanship. But I only slipped a little bit. I was already pulling myself up when this kid rushes up, all excited like, and makes a big deal of rescuing me. Strong kid. Awesome. Small, but strong. He pulled me up right through the railings.”
Tenpou said with relief, “So that's where you got the black eye.” Though, knowing Kenren, he could still have burned down both a brothel and a temple and forgotten to mention it.
“Yeah. I 'd never have thought he was so strong.”
“Well, we won't tell anyone General Kenren was given a black eye by a kid.”
“Oh, it wasn't the kid. We got on fine together. We were sitting on where the railing used to be, sharing the sake, and I was teaching him some interesting songs, when along comes this high muckamuck who turns out to be his guardian. Face like a beautiful woman, lavender silk robe, and Lord Enma could he punch.”
“He punched you.”
Kenren nodded. Then, seeing Tenpou's face, a rather unnerving mask, he said, “Hey, I gave his kid brother liquor. That's why he hit me, and fair enough, too.”
“That is why?” Kenren was a smart man, but he didn't quite follow Tenpou's train of thought. Kanzeon Botatsu Itself found it hard to follow Tenpou's train of thought. “I mean, he punched you because it was his kid brother, not because it was a useful piece of equipment?”
Kenren looked at him. “You haven't been drinking, have you?”
“You know who punched you.”
“No. Unless it was Homura in a blond wig.”
“Konzen Douji, which makes the kid the Seiten Taishi.” To show Kenren which way his thoughts were leading, “Second in line to become War God of Heaven.” This didn't seem to show Kenren much. Tenpou went on thoughtfully, “I think you owe Douji an apology.”
Tenpou shrugged. “What should I say?”
“You can't apologise. You're laid up from the punch he gave you.”
“Hey!”
“In fact, you may have concussion.”
“I always look like this.” Kenren breathed out a big, gusty sigh. Several just rearranged papers fluttered to the floor. “You do realise Konzen Douji is nephew to Kanzeon Botatsu, and an important and trusted official right in the heart of the courtly spider web.”
“Very lucky for us, too.”
Kenren wasn't slow. Overthrowing the Emperor of Heaven needed more than the two of them. So far, though, it had been only them knowing what, who and where; and often only Tenpou. Kenren was fine with that.
Anyway, Tenpou always knew which bribe and threat and fairy tale to use. “I'm off. Coffee is an excellent remedy for this sort of concussion.” As he uncoiled from his leather armchair, he added, “If this bright idea of yours doesn't work out, I only look in to borrow your coffee.”
Tenpou would have felt better if he'd believed him. But he knew, if he went down Kenren would insist on going down with him. And if anything would have turned Tenpou from his course, that would.
But he walked Heaven's paths, not with delight but with renewed determination. Here, they were lined with cherry trees. Cherry trees which would never grow into fruit. Every morning the flowers danced in the exact same breeze, at the exact same time. How could a people who couldn't even change the weather, or grow fruit, change and grow with the changing, growing Earth?
Konzen Douji he knew by sight, but no more. Pretty as Douji was, Tenpou was hardly interested in yet another, routine, paper pusher. He'd check out how Douji felt about his pet monster. Kenren had a real nose for that sort of thing. Tenpou was reasonably confident there was hope there. He could flim flam Douji with hope of new ways of dealing with Heaven's enemies, ways that didn't involve turning a child into a killing machine.
And, after all, it was quite true. It would just be a rather more drastic change than he'd lead Douji to believe.
Tenpou crossed a small half-circle of a bridge, freshly painted the exact same red as the perfect water lilies beneath. Heaven's bureaucracy controlled even those fine details.
A reflex learned on Earth drew his gaze to a ripple in the water. But there were no alligators in Heaven, no poisonous snakes. It couldn't even be the reflection of wildfowl flying overhead.
There were, however, goldfish.
Family connections have their benefits. The set of of offices where Douji worked was one of the roomier and less frequented of Heaven's many sets of offices. Tenpou managed to find his way to Douji's wing without alerting any of the bored clerks to their unusual visitor.
Tenpou had always been rather sorry the elaborate etiquette of Heaven didn't give bureaucrats scope to express their personalities. Douji's door detailed his family and official duties, and gave no hint to what sort of god wore them.
Tenpou had no wish to surprise Douji, whatever he was doing. He thought Kenren's theory of what senior bureacrats did physiologically impossible. He thought, himself, they probably slept, but Douji wouldn't want to be caught asleep, either. He clapped his hands. A deep voice told him to come in.
Douji had neither been partying or sleeping. He was in an exemplary position for a bureacrat, between a high pile of papers in his outbox and an even higher pile in his inbox. He wasn't even looking at Tenpou as he flicked through yet a third high pile. Tenpou took advantage of his inattention to study the office, but it held little personality, unless you counted a bunch of bright flowers on the desk. One of the aesthetic crowd? Under the regulation white mats Tenpou saw bright crayon scribbles. Perhaps not.
He looked back and saw Douji was studying him. Beautiful violet eyes they were, and bright as noon.
There were very few people in Heaven as smart as Tenpou, but from the first he never doubted Konzen Douji was one. His plan of pulling a dim little bureaucrat's strings vanished.
Douji said in that rich voice, “Marshal Tenpou?” His hands were still full of papers.
Tenpou could still have given Kenren's apologies, as quickly as possible with the excuse of Douji's being busy.
He glanced again at the mats and stepped into the room, closing the door behind him.
FIN