"I was an orphan, as I told you," he says quietly, "and there aren't many options for orphans. Most of the time, people would prefer if we didn't exist. They don't have prospects. Money. Social standing. Or anyone to help them forge their path in life. Some get lucky, but most do not."
He glances over at John.
"The man who helped raise me was a member of the yakuza, a criminal group. And I saw his fancy cars, his suits, his watches, his good shoes. More than that, though, he was respected. His skills and his talents meant more than who his parents were. And he didn't have to kowtow to the upright society that didn't want us, him or me or the people I loved. It was the only path I saw that seemed to go anywhere, no matter what Pops said about it, how many times he tried to warn me."
A quick tilt of his head.
"He beat the shit out of my kyoudai and me. Told us he'd never let us swear up. Tossed us on the stones in the rain until I asked him a question:" he looks back to John then, "'Don't orphans deserve to dream too?'"
He shakes his head. Sometimes, he wonders about the wisdom of that day. His, and Kazama-san's.
"He brought us to the most successful family in the clan the next day. Had us both swear up under his patriarch, where we had the best chance to make it big."
John loves stories, especially when people talk about their own lives. He shifts a bit, listening intently. And John? Is a good listener. As Kiryu talks, there is no one else in the room. There is nothing else in the world. John gets exactly as much attention as he needs, and he gives him all the nonverbal feedback in all the right places.
He might not give a single fuck about the content of the story, this man might just be the most boring, but John doesn't give any of that away.
The question gives him pause.
"To be with my brothers," he says. "And help lead our people after the Collapse."
The whole 'deeply listening to him' thing isn't really Kiryu's bag; if the man is ignoring him or only waiting for him to finish, that's fine. The point isn't his story. He's not a great storyteller. He doesn't even really like talking. The point is that he understands what he's trying to say. And that background is important for that point.
"And how does giving you Bliss help you to achieve that dream?"
John turns a little icy at that question and he stands up, retrieving his water bottle from on mantle of the fireplace.
Wrath, he knows, will be his undoing. Instead, he focuses on the stones of his fireplace.
"Sin is - like a cancer on the soul," he says softly. "It picks and picks, taking bites, rotting away, consuming. That? Is what being on board this ship is like for someone like me. You think you can understand what that means by asking me about my dreams?"
He makes makes soft noise, sucking air between his teeth.
John has an answer. But it's not an answer he's willing to give Kiryu. He's not willing to dig that deeply into himself or his own motivations. He's not willing to think too much beyond surface level.
But the breach has him rattled and he already has Norton. John doesn't use Bliss for himself, so there's no motivation. No real reason.
He doesn’t want to try. "You didn't upset me," he says pleasantly enough. "Thank you for doing as much as you did."
Kiryu doesn't argue. Instead, he pushes on his shoes. In the doorway, he waits until John is finished lying to him before he says something, just as soft.
"Real strength comes from being challenged. If you want to be strong enough to leave here and fulfill your dreams, you can't go back on the path you've already walked, the one that brought you here. You need to seek a new path, be willing to consider a new way."
Another nod.
"I wish you the best of luck. From one orphan to another."
And with that, he'll go. He won't wait for John's reply. He'll listen or he won't. And given that last reaction, even seeing how he answers won't tell him the truth of that matter. Better not to stay and aggravate anything.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2021-09-23 01:31 am (UTC)He doesn't hide what he is. Not to anyone who knows how to look.
no subject
Date: 2021-09-23 01:34 am (UTC)He doesn't.
"No, I'm not particularly surprised," he says instead.
no subject
Date: 2021-09-23 01:45 am (UTC)"I was an orphan, as I told you," he says quietly, "and there aren't many options for orphans. Most of the time, people would prefer if we didn't exist. They don't have prospects. Money. Social standing. Or anyone to help them forge their path in life. Some get lucky, but most do not."
He glances over at John.
"The man who helped raise me was a member of the yakuza, a criminal group. And I saw his fancy cars, his suits, his watches, his good shoes. More than that, though, he was respected. His skills and his talents meant more than who his parents were. And he didn't have to kowtow to the upright society that didn't want us, him or me or the people I loved. It was the only path I saw that seemed to go anywhere, no matter what Pops said about it, how many times he tried to warn me."
A quick tilt of his head.
"He beat the shit out of my kyoudai and me. Told us he'd never let us swear up. Tossed us on the stones in the rain until I asked him a question:" he looks back to John then, "'Don't orphans deserve to dream too?'"
He shakes his head. Sometimes, he wonders about the wisdom of that day. His, and Kazama-san's.
"He brought us to the most successful family in the clan the next day. Had us both swear up under his patriarch, where we had the best chance to make it big."
Then he refocuses on John.
"Do you have a dream, John-san?"
no subject
Date: 2021-09-23 01:58 am (UTC)He might not give a single fuck about the content of the story, this man might just be the most boring, but John doesn't give any of that away.
The question gives him pause.
"To be with my brothers," he says. "And help lead our people after the Collapse."
no subject
Date: 2021-09-23 02:06 am (UTC)"And how does giving you Bliss help you to achieve that dream?"
no subject
Date: 2021-09-23 02:17 am (UTC)Wrath, he knows, will be his undoing. Instead, he focuses on the stones of his fireplace.
"Sin is - like a cancer on the soul," he says softly. "It picks and picks, taking bites, rotting away, consuming. That? Is what being on board this ship is like for someone like me. You think you can understand what that means by asking me about my dreams?"
He makes makes soft noise, sucking air between his teeth.
"Just go," he says, taking a drink.
no subject
Date: 2021-09-23 02:21 am (UTC)"Of course. I'm sorry if I upset you. Thank you for talking with me."
He'll head for his shoes.
no subject
Date: 2021-09-23 02:31 am (UTC)But the breach has him rattled and he already has Norton. John doesn't use Bliss for himself, so there's no motivation. No real reason.
He doesn’t want to try. "You didn't upset me," he says pleasantly enough. "Thank you for doing as much as you did."
no subject
Date: 2021-09-23 02:39 am (UTC)"Real strength comes from being challenged. If you want to be strong enough to leave here and fulfill your dreams, you can't go back on the path you've already walked, the one that brought you here. You need to seek a new path, be willing to consider a new way."
Another nod.
"I wish you the best of luck. From one orphan to another."
And with that, he'll go. He won't wait for John's reply. He'll listen or he won't. And given that last reaction, even seeing how he answers won't tell him the truth of that matter. Better not to stay and aggravate anything.