2022-09-28 21:28![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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the_zone
sws_mizuki in the_zoneWho: Byodoin and Mizuki
When: the 23rdish?
Where: Byodoin’s room.
What: Byodoin and Mizuki enjoy some tea as Byodoin continues to work on wooing the safety consultant.
Byodoin considered himself a very lucky man. Not only had Mizuki not ran for the hills the minute he found out he was a father, but he hadn’t run after Kintarou was... helpful either. In fact he'd still even agreed to another little get together. Tea in Byodoin’s room this time.
Byodoin would be cleaning like mad were it not for the fact that his room was well, spotless. And rather spartan, apart from his tea collection and the damn rock his family sent him.
Well, it wouldn’t offend Mizuki at least. Byodoin started setting up his tea set on his desk, waiting for Mizuki to arrive.
Having retrieved some nuts and other snacks from the commissary (a guest should always bring a gift for the host), Mizuki made his way to Byodoin’s room and knocked on the door. “It’s Mizuki,” he said helpfully into the intercom.
Byodoin got up and met Mizuki at the door, offering the man a smile in greeting. "Hey there Safety. How's your day been going?"
His day had been going fairly well, after all, since he'd had this to look forward to. It would be nice if Mizuki felt at least a little the same way.
“Hello,” greeted Mizuki amiably enough. He still didn’t know what to think of the whole “Byodoin had a son thing” (or actually, even the whole Byodoin was interested in him thing!), but it wasn’t like Byodoin had done something wrong. So Mizuki considered them still friends, at least. “It’s been an alright day, I’ve mostly been writing reports.”
Byodoin was willing to work with Mizuki still at least considering them friends. That was a good starting point to work from to get a relationship! His parents had always said friendship was important for a good relationship.
"Reports? Any major safety violations going on?" It was interesting to hear Mizuki talk about his job. Even if it was all futile, Mizuki was passionate and that was a wonder to behold. So talk, Mizuki. Spill the beans.
Meanwhile he grabbed the tea sampler for them to browse.
“Oh, it’s mostly the Kobayashi thing,” sighed Mizuki, thinking of all the horrible paperwork “And the whole Tooyama-kun drinking lake water thing, although he gets an exemption, somehow.” Mizuki didn’t quite want to probe too deeply into that part. He knew Tooyama was … special, in more than one way, and his sense of self-preservation suggested knowing too much would be detrimental to his health.
Mizuki looked curiously at the sampler. “Surprise me?” he suggested.
Byodoin selected the black tea that this company was most known for. It seemed like as good a place to start as any.
"I'm giving the brat basic safety refreshers so he doesn't make a mistake like that again. Any ideas on what other kinds of things I should cover, other than not drinking untreated water?" Byodoin asked, and then sighed. "There's probably a lot of things that seem obvious that he needs to be reminded of..."
His life was suffering.
… There was honestly too much to list. “Don’t break walls? Don’t wrestle unknown creatures? Don’t punch a hole in the ground?” Mizuki looked even more stressed with each thing he listed. “I’m kind of surprised he managed to stay alive this long. He’s a sweet boy, but…”
"...he's a disaster." Byodoin finished Mizuki’s sentence with a sage nod. "I feel like I'm always cleaning up after him. It can be exhausting."
Byodoin worked on brewing the tea, carefully timing how long it was allowed to seep even as he conversed. "I seriously worried he was telling you I wanted to marry you and have a million more kids or something when he ran off to talk to you."
Mizuki was nodding along with Byodoin’s statements as he poured out the snacks into a fancy plate he’d brought along, until the comment about getting married alarmed Mizuki so much his hand twitched involuntarily, sending a peanut flying.
“... we aren’t even dating!” Mizuki protested.
Byodoin actually laughed at Mizuki’s dramatic reaction, starting to pour their cups. "Well obviously. But the brat has an... active imagination. Sometimes he just decides random crap on his own."
He offered a cup to Mizuki. "You don't have to stress out though. I'm just aiming to go out with you, not marry you. I can't imagine myself ever getting married."
That earned a frown from Mizuki. “That sounds very irresponsible,” he said. “I think dating should be with purpose. I believe you said to me some time ago that you were hoping for a serious relationship.” If they had different ideas on what that meant, perhaps it wasn’t such a good idea after all.
Byodoin raised an eyebrow at Mizuki, surprised by that reaction. "I do want something serious, but I think it's a little early to decipher what that might be." He pointed out. "Claiming I could see us getting married at this moment would be a lie. I can barely see you consenting to a kiss."
“I personally go into relationships to look for lifelong partners,” said Mizuki, primly folding his hands in his lap. “I’m aware it is a rather old-fashioned approach, and it’s cost me more than a few missed opportunities, but…” He shrugged. “That’s how I believe I should approach things.”
Oh Mizuki. It was rather hard to find a lifelong partner if you were demanding it right off the bat. Still, Byodoin couldn't help but grin and look utterly pleased with himself, because this was a win in his book.
"So you're telling me you're getting to know me with the intent of seeing if there could be something lasting there?" Byodoin laughed. "You do realize that's exactly what I've been asking you for when I asked you out originally."
In other words, he was getting exactly what he wanted.
“No, no, that’s not what I meant!” Mizuki said, turning bright red. Byodoin was putting words in his mouth! “If we were to start dating, and that is a big if! Then I would enter the relationship thinking about the long term. It sounds like you have a different idea of things, however, so perhaps it might not work out.”
Nope, Byodoin’s newfound good mood could not be ruined. No matter how Mizuki phrased it, he was clearly getting to know him with the future in mind.
"If I had to spend the rest of my life with you, well... that doesn't sound so bad, really. I still have a hard time imagining getting married, but if anyone could convince me of it's merits I think it would be you." Byodoin mused, before leaning over and pressing a light kiss to the tip of Mizuki’s nose. "You hold a lot of power over me, Mizuki Hajime."
This! Was not! Going to plan! What happened to long romantic courtships with symbolic gifts and reserved hints … all right, Mizuki sort of already knew he was not getting any of that with someone like Byodoin but still!
“You… you’re not making any sense,” Mizuki settled for complaining, still red as a tomato. “I’m sure you’re just sweet-talking me.”
Byodoin chuckled. "I'm just adaptable. I'm willing to be open to the idea of marriage if you want me to be. I'm serious when I say I like you."
He sipped his tea, content as could be, before looking to Mizuki. "You should try the tea before it gets cold. It's very good."
Mizuki took a few deep breaths and composed himself enough to roll his eyes at Byodoin. “You’re impossible,” he declared, and took his teacup with an almost-pout. Thankfully, the aroma of the tea succeeded in soothing Mizuki’s ruffled feathers. He sipped the tea daintily, not forgetting his impeccable table manners even while frazzled.
“It’s decent,” he had to admit, after a while.
Byodoin let Mizuki come down from his embarrassment. After all, razzling him too much would only negatively impact his chances. Still, he was in a damn good mood now.
"Oh... I made something for you. Not sure if it will be your style, but I had my calligraphy stuff out the other day..." Byodoin moved to retrieve a large piece of mounting paper from beneath his bed, presenting Mizuki with what was, instead of a piece of calligraphy, a rather detailed image of a rose placed upon the rice paper in bold strokes of ink.
Those art lessons his mom had him take as a kid were finally paying off.
“Oh!” gasped Mizuki, not expecting the gift. It wasn’t the most beautiful piece of art he’d ever seen, but the fact that Byodoin had the materials with him (suggesting he was in fact, a man of some culture) and had taken the time out of his busy schedule to paint it took Mizuki by surprise.
“How lovely,” he commented, carefully taking the ink painting from Byodoin. “Very decisive strokes!”
Byodoin looked pleased that Mizuki seemed to like his gift. "It's not much, but I thought you'd like this more than a traditional calligraphy piece."
He didn't think anything more traditional would really match Mizuki’s aesthetic.
“Thank you, I do like it,” Mizuki replied, looking up at Byodoin. “Calligraphy seems more up your alley though. I am glad you have been keeping up with artistic hobbies even when you’re so busy!”
Byodoin had never really thought of calligraphy as an artistic hobby so much as a discipline, but... he supposed it was also art. "It helps me to center myself, so I try to remember to practice it now and then... my parents had me take classes as a child and I suppose it just stuck."
Well, the calligraphy did. Not the painting or sculpting or drawing lessons. Though honestly he'd enjoyed most of them.
“That must have been very enriching,” said Mizuki approvingly. He’d grown up with music, himself, and had always felt sorry for others who had grown up without such spiritual nourishment. “I think art is a very good way of cultivating oneself! Whatever form it takes, and even if you don’t use it in daily life.”
Byodoin nodded to that. "I can see the benefits, even if I wasn't very into a lot of the classes that my parents made me take, those skills are all still quite useful. Especially having a creative way of thinking."
His parents had made him try to learn an instrument too. That hadn't stuck, though he could still read sheet music.
“Indeed! People often undervalue the arts,” Mizuki lamented. Society these days was all about technological advancement and expansion. Quite barbaric. “Maybe we can suggest craft or music sessions to our morale officer.”
"It couldn't hurt. Ohtori's pretty artsy himself." Byodoin knew the morale officer pretty well, since he lived with him and all. "I'll suggest it to him. Maybe I'll volunteer to host a calligraphy meetup. Some of the guys here on base would really benefit from centering themselves from time to time."
“...maybe not Tooyama-kun,” said Mizuki, wincing. “Or Kirihara-kun, really, though they could stand to quiet down a little bit. I’ve heard Sanada-san likes calligraphy, so he would enjoy the activity. You should plan one! I’ll make snacks, if you want.”
"Yeah, no ink for the brats. They can write with water if they want." Byodoin mused, sipping his tea while wincing in horror at the thought of the mess they'd make. "Sanada would enjoy it though. Maybe Yanagi too. And I'm sure a few others would come. I'll have to schedule something."
It would be fun, probably.
“It would be lovely to do something themed,” Mizuki continued, getting a little carried away – he’d missed his tea parties and social gatherings out here in the middle of nowhere. “You could have calligraphy, and tea, and perhaps Dr. Tachibana could make some traditional sweets …”
This was getting a bit out of hand in Byodoin’s opinion, but if planning some big event made Mizuki happy... well, okay. "Like a culture event, huh? That's an idea. Seems like it would take a lot of organizing to get right. Would you help me?"
If he was going to get to spend time with Mizuki he would absolutely plan some big party.
“Oh, of course!” agreed Mizuki immediately. Event planning was his forte, after all. “I’ll have to talk to Ohtori-kun, and then maybe see if I can get a handle on everyone’s schedules! I suppose it’ll have to wait until the expedition returns…” There was quite a lot to do! Mizuki wondered if his new friend Yukimura would like to contribute some flower arrangements, as well.
He stood up, politely setting his teacup aside. “I’d probably best get started, since it’s a lot,” he said, because he was both excited for the event and glad to have an excuse to back out of Byodoin’s space for a bit while he recovered from his embarrassment. “Thank you for the tea and the thoughtful gift.” He was going to pretend none of that conversation ever happened!
Byodoin stood up himself to walk Mizuki politely to the door.
"Just tell me if there's anything I can help with. You know I'll do it." He offered, looking long and hard at Mizuki’s face, before reaching a hand out to cup Mizuki’s pretty little cheek. Should he go for it? Might as well, right?
He leaned in and planted a feather light kiss to Mizuki’s lips. Just try ignoring that one, Safety.
"Have a good night."
When: the 23rdish?
Where: Byodoin’s room.
What: Byodoin and Mizuki enjoy some tea as Byodoin continues to work on wooing the safety consultant.
Byodoin considered himself a very lucky man. Not only had Mizuki not ran for the hills the minute he found out he was a father, but he hadn’t run after Kintarou was... helpful either. In fact he'd still even agreed to another little get together. Tea in Byodoin’s room this time.
Byodoin would be cleaning like mad were it not for the fact that his room was well, spotless. And rather spartan, apart from his tea collection and the damn rock his family sent him.
Well, it wouldn’t offend Mizuki at least. Byodoin started setting up his tea set on his desk, waiting for Mizuki to arrive.
Having retrieved some nuts and other snacks from the commissary (a guest should always bring a gift for the host), Mizuki made his way to Byodoin’s room and knocked on the door. “It’s Mizuki,” he said helpfully into the intercom.
Byodoin got up and met Mizuki at the door, offering the man a smile in greeting. "Hey there Safety. How's your day been going?"
His day had been going fairly well, after all, since he'd had this to look forward to. It would be nice if Mizuki felt at least a little the same way.
“Hello,” greeted Mizuki amiably enough. He still didn’t know what to think of the whole “Byodoin had a son thing” (or actually, even the whole Byodoin was interested in him thing!), but it wasn’t like Byodoin had done something wrong. So Mizuki considered them still friends, at least. “It’s been an alright day, I’ve mostly been writing reports.”
Byodoin was willing to work with Mizuki still at least considering them friends. That was a good starting point to work from to get a relationship! His parents had always said friendship was important for a good relationship.
"Reports? Any major safety violations going on?" It was interesting to hear Mizuki talk about his job. Even if it was all futile, Mizuki was passionate and that was a wonder to behold. So talk, Mizuki. Spill the beans.
Meanwhile he grabbed the tea sampler for them to browse.
“Oh, it’s mostly the Kobayashi thing,” sighed Mizuki, thinking of all the horrible paperwork “And the whole Tooyama-kun drinking lake water thing, although he gets an exemption, somehow.” Mizuki didn’t quite want to probe too deeply into that part. He knew Tooyama was … special, in more than one way, and his sense of self-preservation suggested knowing too much would be detrimental to his health.
Mizuki looked curiously at the sampler. “Surprise me?” he suggested.
Byodoin selected the black tea that this company was most known for. It seemed like as good a place to start as any.
"I'm giving the brat basic safety refreshers so he doesn't make a mistake like that again. Any ideas on what other kinds of things I should cover, other than not drinking untreated water?" Byodoin asked, and then sighed. "There's probably a lot of things that seem obvious that he needs to be reminded of..."
His life was suffering.
… There was honestly too much to list. “Don’t break walls? Don’t wrestle unknown creatures? Don’t punch a hole in the ground?” Mizuki looked even more stressed with each thing he listed. “I’m kind of surprised he managed to stay alive this long. He’s a sweet boy, but…”
"...he's a disaster." Byodoin finished Mizuki’s sentence with a sage nod. "I feel like I'm always cleaning up after him. It can be exhausting."
Byodoin worked on brewing the tea, carefully timing how long it was allowed to seep even as he conversed. "I seriously worried he was telling you I wanted to marry you and have a million more kids or something when he ran off to talk to you."
Mizuki was nodding along with Byodoin’s statements as he poured out the snacks into a fancy plate he’d brought along, until the comment about getting married alarmed Mizuki so much his hand twitched involuntarily, sending a peanut flying.
“... we aren’t even dating!” Mizuki protested.
Byodoin actually laughed at Mizuki’s dramatic reaction, starting to pour their cups. "Well obviously. But the brat has an... active imagination. Sometimes he just decides random crap on his own."
He offered a cup to Mizuki. "You don't have to stress out though. I'm just aiming to go out with you, not marry you. I can't imagine myself ever getting married."
That earned a frown from Mizuki. “That sounds very irresponsible,” he said. “I think dating should be with purpose. I believe you said to me some time ago that you were hoping for a serious relationship.” If they had different ideas on what that meant, perhaps it wasn’t such a good idea after all.
Byodoin raised an eyebrow at Mizuki, surprised by that reaction. "I do want something serious, but I think it's a little early to decipher what that might be." He pointed out. "Claiming I could see us getting married at this moment would be a lie. I can barely see you consenting to a kiss."
“I personally go into relationships to look for lifelong partners,” said Mizuki, primly folding his hands in his lap. “I’m aware it is a rather old-fashioned approach, and it’s cost me more than a few missed opportunities, but…” He shrugged. “That’s how I believe I should approach things.”
Oh Mizuki. It was rather hard to find a lifelong partner if you were demanding it right off the bat. Still, Byodoin couldn't help but grin and look utterly pleased with himself, because this was a win in his book.
"So you're telling me you're getting to know me with the intent of seeing if there could be something lasting there?" Byodoin laughed. "You do realize that's exactly what I've been asking you for when I asked you out originally."
In other words, he was getting exactly what he wanted.
“No, no, that’s not what I meant!” Mizuki said, turning bright red. Byodoin was putting words in his mouth! “If we were to start dating, and that is a big if! Then I would enter the relationship thinking about the long term. It sounds like you have a different idea of things, however, so perhaps it might not work out.”
Nope, Byodoin’s newfound good mood could not be ruined. No matter how Mizuki phrased it, he was clearly getting to know him with the future in mind.
"If I had to spend the rest of my life with you, well... that doesn't sound so bad, really. I still have a hard time imagining getting married, but if anyone could convince me of it's merits I think it would be you." Byodoin mused, before leaning over and pressing a light kiss to the tip of Mizuki’s nose. "You hold a lot of power over me, Mizuki Hajime."
This! Was not! Going to plan! What happened to long romantic courtships with symbolic gifts and reserved hints … all right, Mizuki sort of already knew he was not getting any of that with someone like Byodoin but still!
“You… you’re not making any sense,” Mizuki settled for complaining, still red as a tomato. “I’m sure you’re just sweet-talking me.”
Byodoin chuckled. "I'm just adaptable. I'm willing to be open to the idea of marriage if you want me to be. I'm serious when I say I like you."
He sipped his tea, content as could be, before looking to Mizuki. "You should try the tea before it gets cold. It's very good."
Mizuki took a few deep breaths and composed himself enough to roll his eyes at Byodoin. “You’re impossible,” he declared, and took his teacup with an almost-pout. Thankfully, the aroma of the tea succeeded in soothing Mizuki’s ruffled feathers. He sipped the tea daintily, not forgetting his impeccable table manners even while frazzled.
“It’s decent,” he had to admit, after a while.
Byodoin let Mizuki come down from his embarrassment. After all, razzling him too much would only negatively impact his chances. Still, he was in a damn good mood now.
"Oh... I made something for you. Not sure if it will be your style, but I had my calligraphy stuff out the other day..." Byodoin moved to retrieve a large piece of mounting paper from beneath his bed, presenting Mizuki with what was, instead of a piece of calligraphy, a rather detailed image of a rose placed upon the rice paper in bold strokes of ink.
Those art lessons his mom had him take as a kid were finally paying off.
“Oh!” gasped Mizuki, not expecting the gift. It wasn’t the most beautiful piece of art he’d ever seen, but the fact that Byodoin had the materials with him (suggesting he was in fact, a man of some culture) and had taken the time out of his busy schedule to paint it took Mizuki by surprise.
“How lovely,” he commented, carefully taking the ink painting from Byodoin. “Very decisive strokes!”
Byodoin looked pleased that Mizuki seemed to like his gift. "It's not much, but I thought you'd like this more than a traditional calligraphy piece."
He didn't think anything more traditional would really match Mizuki’s aesthetic.
“Thank you, I do like it,” Mizuki replied, looking up at Byodoin. “Calligraphy seems more up your alley though. I am glad you have been keeping up with artistic hobbies even when you’re so busy!”
Byodoin had never really thought of calligraphy as an artistic hobby so much as a discipline, but... he supposed it was also art. "It helps me to center myself, so I try to remember to practice it now and then... my parents had me take classes as a child and I suppose it just stuck."
Well, the calligraphy did. Not the painting or sculpting or drawing lessons. Though honestly he'd enjoyed most of them.
“That must have been very enriching,” said Mizuki approvingly. He’d grown up with music, himself, and had always felt sorry for others who had grown up without such spiritual nourishment. “I think art is a very good way of cultivating oneself! Whatever form it takes, and even if you don’t use it in daily life.”
Byodoin nodded to that. "I can see the benefits, even if I wasn't very into a lot of the classes that my parents made me take, those skills are all still quite useful. Especially having a creative way of thinking."
His parents had made him try to learn an instrument too. That hadn't stuck, though he could still read sheet music.
“Indeed! People often undervalue the arts,” Mizuki lamented. Society these days was all about technological advancement and expansion. Quite barbaric. “Maybe we can suggest craft or music sessions to our morale officer.”
"It couldn't hurt. Ohtori's pretty artsy himself." Byodoin knew the morale officer pretty well, since he lived with him and all. "I'll suggest it to him. Maybe I'll volunteer to host a calligraphy meetup. Some of the guys here on base would really benefit from centering themselves from time to time."
“...maybe not Tooyama-kun,” said Mizuki, wincing. “Or Kirihara-kun, really, though they could stand to quiet down a little bit. I’ve heard Sanada-san likes calligraphy, so he would enjoy the activity. You should plan one! I’ll make snacks, if you want.”
"Yeah, no ink for the brats. They can write with water if they want." Byodoin mused, sipping his tea while wincing in horror at the thought of the mess they'd make. "Sanada would enjoy it though. Maybe Yanagi too. And I'm sure a few others would come. I'll have to schedule something."
It would be fun, probably.
“It would be lovely to do something themed,” Mizuki continued, getting a little carried away – he’d missed his tea parties and social gatherings out here in the middle of nowhere. “You could have calligraphy, and tea, and perhaps Dr. Tachibana could make some traditional sweets …”
This was getting a bit out of hand in Byodoin’s opinion, but if planning some big event made Mizuki happy... well, okay. "Like a culture event, huh? That's an idea. Seems like it would take a lot of organizing to get right. Would you help me?"
If he was going to get to spend time with Mizuki he would absolutely plan some big party.
“Oh, of course!” agreed Mizuki immediately. Event planning was his forte, after all. “I’ll have to talk to Ohtori-kun, and then maybe see if I can get a handle on everyone’s schedules! I suppose it’ll have to wait until the expedition returns…” There was quite a lot to do! Mizuki wondered if his new friend Yukimura would like to contribute some flower arrangements, as well.
He stood up, politely setting his teacup aside. “I’d probably best get started, since it’s a lot,” he said, because he was both excited for the event and glad to have an excuse to back out of Byodoin’s space for a bit while he recovered from his embarrassment. “Thank you for the tea and the thoughtful gift.” He was going to pretend none of that conversation ever happened!
Byodoin stood up himself to walk Mizuki politely to the door.
"Just tell me if there's anything I can help with. You know I'll do it." He offered, looking long and hard at Mizuki’s face, before reaching a hand out to cup Mizuki’s pretty little cheek. Should he go for it? Might as well, right?
He leaned in and planted a feather light kiss to Mizuki’s lips. Just try ignoring that one, Safety.
"Have a good night."
