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[threedontknows]

 

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[lone_horse]

[ He'll follow along and sit where offered, crossing his arms comfortably as he sits back to let him eat. He nods to the comment. ]

Shen Wei, one of the other passengers, helped teach me cooking and my first inmate was a teenage boy.

[ The equation here is obvious enough. ]

[threedontknows]

[He smiles through his first bite of the still-warm bao.

It's enough to bring tears to his eyes.]

How many inmates have you had?

[lone_horse]

Six. Four permanently paired. Three graduated.

[ A pause. ]

One disappeared.

[threedontknows]

Oh.

[He can tell that he’s the kind of man who would take that sort of thing personally.]

I’m sorry.

[lone_horse]

[ A dip of his head in appreciation. ]

I'm going to try and help him. But it may not be possible. For now? I'm here.

[threedontknows]

[He is here, that’s true. He frowns in thought as he reaches for another bite of the bad.]

I obviously don’t know what your inmates have done to earn such devotion, but it seems to me that they were very fortunate to have you.

[lone_horse]

[ He dips his head to one side and shrugs. ]

I do what I can. In the end, they found their way.

[threedontknows]

[And he’s modest too.]

I’m certain they did.

[He sets down his food and bows his head.]

Thank you again for thinking of me.

[lone_horse]

It can be rough to adjust to the food here. It's different than what I'm used to too.

[ A bow of his head in return. ]

I'm glad you liked it.

[threedontknows]

It's all very different.

[He's used to eating by himself after the death of his Da-ge, but this...? This is so heart-breaking in its familiarity.]

I'd like to ask you for a favor.

[lone_horse]

[ He perks up immediately, then nods. ]

What is it?

[threedontknows]

Will you eat with me again some time? It doesn't have to be immediate, but maybe in the next few weeks?

[lone_horse]

[ That makes him pause for a moment. ]

I have lunch in the counseling office most days. You can join me there any time.

[threedontknows]

[He nods. That's acceptable to him.]

Thank you, I will.

[lone_horse]

[ And Kiryu will pack a little extra food. It's not like he can't scarf it down if he doesn't show. ]

Good.

[ If there's anything to finish, he'll let him. If not, he'll dip his head in the start of a goodbye. But he can recognize someone who likes quiet company well enough. It makes him consider. ]

Do you play, um... mahjong?

[ He knows that one's played on the mainland, but he wouldn't know how old it is. ]

[threedontknows]

[It's not a game he knows, and he shakes his head.]

No, I don't, but I'm happy to learn something new. Our next shared meal together perhaps you could teach me?

[lone_horse]

What about shogi?

[ ...he's trying. ]

I could show you either one.

[threedontknows]

[He shakes his head. Maybe if he sees either game he might know what Kiryu's referring to.]

Each region and city and even era has their own language. I'm sure that's where I'm finding difficulty in understanding these games.

[lone_horse]

Oh.

[ Look, he's street smart, not book smart. He's not stupid, exactly, but knowledge that doesn't have a function doesn't have much room in his head. ]

Well, then I've got a lot of games to show you.

[threedontknows]

[He sits up a little straighter, looking pleased.]

I look forward to it!

[lone_horse]

[ Kiryu doesn't really smile much but he gives his closest now. ]

So do I. I'm always up for a game.