That star is the tear of a warrior...

[jupiterjazzman]

The first thing Gren notices is the warmth. It's not just warm, it's hot, though he couldn't swear to whether or not it really was or if it was just by comparison to his memories of snow, and space. He puts a hand to his ribs but the pain is gone, though the iron taste of blood still clings to the back of his tongue. He turns his head to the

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[silvereyedphage]

He might hear footsteps coming around the corner of the porch, approaching, then pausing a few paces away. If he looks in the direction of those footsteps, he'll catch sight of a tall, slim, pale figure, silvery grey hair framing a narrow face. But the hair is shorter, the fringe covering one grey, reptilian eye peering through rimless eyeglasses. And he's dressed in a white, summer-weight business suit, rather than a long grey jacket.

A flicker of confused recognition and doubt shows in the stranger's one visible eye.

The summer warmth has troubled Muraki's sleep, bringing dreams of the world he left behind, the few trusted people there. The long-suffering Oriya in particular. And he wonders if those dreams have become a reality, and somehow, his protector and confidant has found his way to this place...

[silvereyedphage]

"I take it that this has to do with...some manner of interplanetary travel? I hope I don't sound ignorant: I know a few things about physics, but my expertise lies in medicine, specifically surgery and genetics," he replies.

[jupiterjazzman]

"Yes. Without them it would take months at least to get anywhere. I couldn't tell you how they work, though. I don't know much about physics either, I'm a musician." And ex-soldier, but the whole bounty on his head thing makes him reluctant to mention that.

[silvereyedphage]

"I shan't press you for the details, though I will admit, your world sounds fascinating," he says, beckoning Gren to follow him into the house. "A musician? What style, might I ask?"

[jupiterjazzman]

Gren follows readily. "Jazz, mostly. I play saxophone. A bit of piano too, but sax is my favorite." And he doesn't have it with him. It must still be on its shelf in his apartment back on Callisto.

[silvereyedphage]

He opens the front door, stepping aside to hold it open for Gren. "I'm partial to classical music, I'd be the first to admit, but I have a place in my heart for a little bit of every kind of music, as long as it comes from the player's heart and soul," he says. "There's a piano in the ballroom here and... perhaps the attic may yield something more to your expertise."

[jupiterjazzman]

"That would be nice," he says, nodding thanks as he enters the mansion. "I wouldn't know what to do with myself without one." The only time he'd gone long without was when he was in the army, and of course when he was in prison.

[silvereyedphage]

"I know the feeling: I would have lost myself, if I hadn't been able to settle in as the unofficial house physician," he says.

"Are you tired? I could help you to find an open room upstairs," he offers, leading the way into the front room.

[jupiterjazzman]

"...That would be nice, yes." A place to be alone for a while and deal with everything that's happened to him today would be very nice.

As he follows Muraki, though, he just has to ask. "Muraki...do you know a man named Vicious, by any chance?"

[silvereyedphage]

He'll beckon Gren to follow him up the stairs. "I'm afraid that I don't know anyone by that name," he says. "Was he someone whom you knew?" he asks, curious, glancing over his shoulder.

[jupiterjazzman]

"Yes," Gren says, an odd mix of wistfulness and pain in his eyes. "He was. You look enough like him that you could be brothers."

[silvereyedphage]

He smiles a bit, glancing away almost modestly. "I hope, in that case, my appearance didn't startle or confuse you," he says. "But on that note, I need to apologize for the way I behaved when I first saw you: for a moment, I mistook you for someone in my world, a friend since high school who was somewhat of a protector to me when I was still in the spindly, 90-pound weakling stage."

[jupiterjazzman]

Gren blinks in surprise, that he hadn't expected. "Isn't that odd," he murmurs. Even more odd is that in Muraki's world, the man who looked like Gren was the protector. He pushes away the memory of Vicious saving him from the scorpion on Titan and looks Muraki up and down. "A 90-pound weakling? You?
He shakes his head.

[silvereyedphage]

He chuckles, his good eye crinkling a bit. "I know, it's hard to believe. Some people take longer than orders to grow into themselves than others, and some change dramatically in that process."

[jupiterjazzman]

"I can see that," Gren says, looking Muraki over. Certainly no 90-pound weakling now. The glance is a little appreciative as well, he can't really help it. He looks too much like Vicious.

[silvereyedphage]

He raises an eyebrow, smirking a bit and tilting his head. "Is that a look of admiration I detect?" he asks.