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.

He'd found a couple of books that actually had spells to locate hidden objects. Unfortunately they were written in an older dialect that was hard to decipher.

Comments

[worldly_monk]

Sanzo made a derisive noise. He wasn't entirely sure that Gojyo would be happy to help. He also couldn't quite see himself asking Gojyo nicely for anything. It was his responsibility, dammit. He didn't need anyone else's help. No, that wasn't entirely true. He just didn't want help. He dragged one hand through his hair, wondering how far he could bend his pride to accomplish his goal. Sanzo took a deep drag on his cigarette, letting the smoke out slowly. "Maybe you should ask him."

He considered Hakkai's comment about getting to know each other, and bit back his reflexive rejection of the idea. He wasn't going to spill his guts to anyone. But even as he thought that, he remembered the first night Gojyo had arrived at Hogwarts, and their drunken conversation in his room. "I doubt there's anything I don't already know about Goku," he finally answered. It wasn't agreement, but it wasn't outright denial either.

He put out his cigarette and glanced over at the spell Hakkai was holding up. "What? Oh, that one." He shrugged, and his usual smirk returned. "I thought you could use it to locate Hakuryu. I doubt it would work on anyone else, no matter how much they might resemble an animal."

[polite-sinner.livejournal.com]

Hakkai might have been watching Sanzo from the corner of his eye for his reaction, but if he had been, he had quickly averted his eyes back to the table. He nodded his head once, slowly. "I'll ask him for his help if and when you want me to," he said simply, leaving an obvious opening for Sanzo to back out if he had any second thoughts about attempting such an advanced spell with two other amateur "wizards." Even in his own mind, Hakkai was going over the various specialized reversal spells he had decided to learn some time ago and was a little disappointed that he only remembered a handful -- he'd certainly need to do some studying up.

For his part, Hakkai had already spilled his guts once before -- he didn't recall it being very fun, either. He smiled a little at Sanzo's noncommital comment -- not siding on either an affirmative or a negative. It was something that even an accomplished fence-sitter such as Hakkai had to appreciate. "That's very true," he replied, "but I suppose the opposite isn't true for Goku." His tone wasn't really accusatory, but more stating a plain, flat fact. Of course, it wasn't Hakkai's place to expect Sanzo to tell anyone anything beyond what the monk felt appropriate, so he didn't push the topic.

"I see. My, that's very thoughtful of you." He set the spell aside, chuckling a little as he started looking over the next one. "Well, if we do end-up turning Gojyo or ourselves into small animals, it's good to know that we're prepared. Should we select a designated owner, do you suppose?"

[worldly_monk]

"Hmm. If we can't find anything else that looks more promising, then I'll think about it." The idea of combining the three of them with an unknown spell filled Sanzo with more than a little dread. Turning Gojyo into a tiger was amusing, but he didn't particularly want to experience it for himself.

Hakkai's observation about Goku wasn't something Sanzo had considered before. He put the thought aside for the moment. "We won't need a designated owner, because if we do end up trying that spell, we're going to make sure we can all do the cancellation spell first." Hopefully they wouldn't be unlucky enough to all end up transformed into something else. Then again, none of them had a good track record with luck.

"There's got to be a simpler way of doing this." Sanzo opened the book he'd been looking at when Hakkai came in. "I wonder if there's a spell that will translate a text automatically?"

[polite-sinner.livejournal.com]

"Are you so sure about that, Sanzo?" Hakkai asked, all smiles and cheerful looks and far too much amusement than he probably had any right to show. "If we, for instance, accidentally turned you into a dog of some sort, we could take you out for walks and play fetch. I'm sure Goku would like a pet to keep him company at the temple, wouldn't he?" It was probably bad luck to already be predicting failure like this, but Hakkai had always been the type to consider the worst case scenario and not assume an immediate success; it just made it so much more plausible and satisfying when he nodded sagely and solemnly murmured something like, I was afraid this would happen, right after disaster inevitably struck.

"That would be convenient." Another flat statement, rather than a hopeful one -- clearly, the glass was rarely ever half-full with Hakkai. "There must be a spell along those lines already in effect, however, if you consider it," he mused aloud after a moment, "given how many different languages everyone here should be speaking and writing in. Do you think that it just doesn't extend to anything magical?"

[worldly_monk]

Sanzo narrowed his eyes. One hand twitched toward the fan, but he decided not to invoke the wrath of Hakkai bother. "If that's a possibility," he snapped, "then we won't be trying any spells after all. I am not going to be anyone's pet." He glared at Hakkai, conveniently forgetting that he had suggested the same thing about Gojyo only a few minutes ago. Sanzo pushed away a sudden nostalgia for the days when Hakkai had still been overly respectful of him. He preferred Hakkai the way he was now. Really. Even if he did think Gojyo had been a bad influence on him.

Sanzo dropped the book back on the table and sighed. "You're probably right about the languages. I keep forgetting about that. I've obviously been here too long. Maybe the translation magic only works for languages actually being spoken here? This could be an older language." Another, more annoying possibility occurred to him, and he scowled at the book. "Or it doesn't work on the books because the students are expected to be doing the translation work themselves."

[polite-sinner.livejournal.com]

Hakkai laughed, shaking his head and waving his hand in what was probably supposed to be a reassuring manner. "Now, now, Sanzo, no one's going to be turned into a small animal." Not that Hakkai could really guarantee that, which was why, after a short hesitation, he amended lightly, "Most likely, anyway. In any case, we certainly won't be making pets of each other." He paused again before adding in a softer voice, "Probably." He smiled in what was most likely an open mockery of innocence.

"Aaah, I see," Hakkai said, feigning a grave expression. He crossed his arms and, if it hadn't been for a faint smile, he might have looked as though he was entirely serious. "So you've assimilated, then." Glancing over to the book in question, he tried to read its contents -- which was easier said than done, giving his odd angle and the archaic language. "An old dialect that the Head Mistress didn't assume anyone would possibly speak, perhaps? The 'doing the work ourselves' theory sounds rather plausible, as well -- though it could just as easily be said that they simply don't want us attempting anything from the older spell books, couldn't it?"

[worldly_monk]

Hakkai's attempts at being reassuring weren't really working, but Sanzo decided it was probably safer to just drop the subject of pets. He leaned back in his chair and raised an eyebrow at Hakkai's slight smile. "I don't know if I've assimilated, but I have lost track of the calendar," he admitted. "I know the New Year should be coming up soon, but I don't remember when it is."

He shoved the book over so Hakkai could see it without twisting his neck. "I'm not sure they care about preventing us from using spells, considering that random spells sometimes end up in the food, or at parties. No one seems to care what we do around here, as long as no one dies." Sanzo looked thoughtful for a moment. "Although, there is a Restricted Section in the library that you apparently need faculty permission to enter. Anything truly dangerous to the school or the students is probably in there."

[polite-sinner.livejournal.com]

"Oh, you're right! I'd nearly forgotten about it entirely." The date must have somehow slipped his mind (and he made a mental note to leave a reminder in his private journal later). Hakkai chuckled a little, almost sounding a little surprised. "It's just next month, now that I remember it. My, the year goes by so fast, doesn't it? It'll be strange, being away from home on New Year's. Maybe I ought to make some dumplings and buy some candy to send back to Goku. . ."

Offering an embarrassed and mildly grateful look, he picked up the book and began looking through it again. "'As long as no one dies,' which can't exactly happen here, thankfully." A few stray thoughts about Halloween and its aftermath came to mind, and if he was frowning as he pushed the memories away, he didn't realize it. Soon he was smiling in his usual way again, picking up where he left off, acting like he'd never had a dark thought in his life -- it usually was a convincing act for anyone who had never spent too much time with him.

"Ah, yes, the Restricted Section. With an ominous name like that, I suppose it's difficult for anyone to not want to take a look around." His smile said that he had definitely thought of doing just that, at least once or twice. He raised an eyebrow and asked, "There might be something of use in there, dont you think?"

[worldly_monk]

Sanzo counted in his head, trying to remember which year it was. "I don't remember the date, but it's the Year of the Pig, isn't it?" He glanced at Hakkai with a bit of a teasing smile, but didn't make any of the obvious jokes. "I guess we should do something for the New Year. I doubt the school will be throwing a party, since they already celebrated New Year's." The smile became a smirk as he had another thought. "We can raid the Ravenclaw bar and take all the sake."

The idea of looking in the Restricted Section had occurred to Sanzo also, but he'd decided there were plenty of other books to try first. "Hmm. I don't know if 'finding magical objects' is really something that could be considered dangerous. It might be worth a look, but I don't know if we could get a professor to give us permission." Letting Hakkai, or even Gojyo, help with his search was one thing. Sanzo hated the idea of needing to involve anyone else, even in a minor way. "I'm sure there are magical protections, so we probably can't just sneak in either."

He'd been watching Hakkai, and had seen the momentary frown. "Something wrong?" he asked, and gestured to the book in explanation. "You were frowning at the book."

[polite-sinner.livejournal.com]

Hakkai looked up, trying to remember the particular year, as well. "I believe it is, yes, unless we're both mistaken." He gave a sort of winning smile and said brightly, "How fortunate for me that it seems to be my year! Hopefully it'll be a lucky one." It was a reference to his surname, of course, and not actually to his zodiac sign((because the mun still isn't quite sure on that)). "Ah, you can never underestimate this school's willingness to have a party just for the sake of having a party -- but I think I like your idea much better."

Heaving an affected sigh of defeat, he sat back a little in his seat and lifted his shoulders slightly. "Ah, well, I didn't think you would want to get access to the Restricted Section, but I thought it would be worth a try, anyway," he admitted. "I'll need to remember to attempt a different approach next time."

He glanced from the book, to Sanzo, then back to the book, all in one startled, stiff movement. "Oh, was I. . .? I didn't mean to." He laughed awkwardly in the sort of way that most people do when they've been caught red-handed. "I was just a little puzzled by a strangely worded passage," he said, half-honestly at least, and he tapped the page in question. "Of course, I'm sure the rest of the book is the same, as we've discussed, so I shouldn't be too surprised."

[worldly_monk]

"Hmph. I'm not sure I want to attend any more school parties, after what happened last time we did." Sanzo didn't like to think about Halloween. The idea of some other consciousness taking him over still made him furious. "I'd still like to know who had that bright idea."

He watched Hakkai's performance with a skeptical look. "If you want to try to get permission for the Restricted Section, go ahead. But don't do it on my account. And quit trying to manipulate me," he added, looking slightly annoyed. His annoyance grew when Hakkai gave him an evasive answer to his question. He thought about letting it go, but Hakkai's comments earlier made him reconsider. "Uh huh. What's really on your mind? Or was that little speech about getting to know each other just for superficial stuff like favorite colors?" he asked sarcastically.

[polite-sinner.livejournal.com]

((. . . copy and paste gone wrong, ignore that. .___.))

Hakkai gave a quiet "hm," most likely one of agreement, before saying, "I'm afraid I must be inclined to agree." He looked as though he was turning something over in his mind, and when he came to a conclusion, he gave another little sigh. "My, we're rather antisocial, aren't we?" But he didn't really sound as though he was overly upset by this fact.

He held up his hands to appease the monk. "I apologize, I certainly didn't intend to make it seem as though I was manipulating you." Even though that was what he was planning on doing, more or less, but he preferred to call it something a little less harsh sounding, like influencing. "It's really nothing," he said after a second. Closing the book, he feigned another serious look and asked, "What is your favorite color, while we're on the topic? I'd like to know Goku's, too, if you know it."

[worldly_monk]

Sanzo shrugged at Hakkai's assessment. "Maybe so." As far as he was concerned, he wasn't anti-social, the rest of the world was just overly social. It was all a matter of perspective. "Gojyo and Goku probably makes up for the two of us."

He gave Hakkai an irritated look, not fooled by the apology. "I wasn't serious about the favorite color question. I have no idea." He'd never even thought about it. "Tch. Goku probably likes them all. He's not very discriminating about what he likes. If you asked him about his favorite food you'd probably get a twenty minute recitation of everything he's ever eaten." Sanzo mouth quirked into a slight smile at the thought, then shifted to a frown. He was not missing the little pain in the ass monkey. Not even for one second.

[polite-sinner.livejournal.com]

"Ah, yes, that's very true." Hakkai chuckled a little as he considered it. "It's rather convenient just how nicely balanced we are, isn't it? We're quite a diverse group, really."

He smiled brightly in response to Sanzo's annoyance, as if he were the most unassuming person in the world. "Now, I'm sure you have one. Blue or orange, perhaps?" Sanzo's thoughts on Goku's tastes earned another light laugh from Hakkai, but the monk's slight smile received a vague look of understanding. "Now, I'm sure even Goku has eaten something he didn't quite like." Lowering his voice a little, as if he were sharing some confidental secret, Hakkai continued, "Bad peaches, perhaps? I recall his complaining about some sour oranges, once. . ."

[worldly_monk]

"I don't know. Orange. Red. Whatever," Sanzo replied, choosing colors at random. "What does it matter? Is my favorite color supposed to tell you something about me?" He glanced at Hakkai and raised an eyebrow. "So what's your favorite color then?"

Sanzo just shook his head at Hakkai's suggestions. "That's not how it works with Goku. Bad peaches and sour oranges don't count. He'd still eat one if you gave it to him."

[polite-sinner.livejournal.com]

"It's possible, from what I understand," he said with the same tone of false solemnity as he had been using before. "Although I'm sure it's some superficial analysis based on just general associations with colors, such as red meaning that one is quick to anger, or blue meaning that one is calm." Hakkai shrugged his shoulders, clasping his hands together and resting his elbows on the table. "Almost anything one does can allow people to see what sort of person they are, I suppose, even something like the flavor of ice cream one prefers. Perhaps liking mint chocolate chip means that one is the adventurous type?" He was quiet for a second and then smiled brightly as he answered Sanzo's question, "I think I can confidently say that emerald jade green is my favorite, although I do have a soft spot for blue. That wasn't too predictable, was it? I suppose if we go with the connotations for that color, that would mean that I'm easy to make enviousness, wouldn't it."

Hakkai grinned fondly at the thought, chuckling softly. "Ah, yes, that does certainly sound like Goku. I believe he might be the one out of all of us best able to cope with any bad situation, like something as devastating as a bad meal. It's a rather admirable trait, don't you think?"

[worldly_monk]

((Sorry it took me so long to reply!))

Sanzo didn't bother to hide his skepticism. "That's totally subjective. You could just as easily say that blue is cold, red is powerful, and green is nurturing. You can try and evaluate someone by their blood type, their birth date, or the color of their hair, and it would be just as inaccurate." He sat up straight again and looked doubtfully at Hakkai. "You don't really believe any of that, do you?"

Talking about Goku was making Sanzo restless. He shifted in his chair and started stacking up the books. He couldn't help imagining how many ways the monkey could cause trouble without Sanzo there to keep an eye on him. "I wouldn't say Goku copes with a situation. He just plows right through anything in his way. I guess the end result is the same."