AUDIENCE FOR: Mikazuki Munechika

[guestservices]

Comments

week 1, monday

[guestservices]

[when mikazuki rings the bell, shadows appear before him, from which emerges cetus, holding the tea. when they speak, there's an odd, almost muffled quality to their voice.]

Hello.

[unsaid]

[muffled quality.... mikazuki cants his head to the side but smiles easily]

Hello, hello.

Thank you for answering my invitation. I had been looking forward to this.

[tea with cetus! tea with cetus!!]

[guestservices]

Are you sure it's not the tea you're looking forward to most?

[unsaid]

I have tea everyday?

[arguably he shouldn't]

[guestservices]

I'm a little surprised you don't get sick of it.

[unsaid]

Ha ha ha... There is some comfort to be found in what is familiar.

Shall we sit? Is there somewhere you would like to go?

[guestservices]

[a hum]

I like the courtyard, I guess.

[unsaid]

Mm. As do I, as do I.

[he spends so much time there, but will begin to head in that direction]

Do you enjoy flowers?

[guestservices]

[they'll follow.]

They're fine?

[unsaid]

Then is there something else about the courtyard that you like?

[guestservices]

It's just nice to be outdoors when so much of everything else is indoors.

[unsaid]

Mm, indeed, indeed...

In truth, Shinobu Kocho and I were wondering if we might request some additional pieces to be added to the courtyard? Is that a request I could make of you?

[guestservices]

Er... what kind of pieces?

[unsaid]

Ha ha ha, nothing too obtrusive, I hope.

She is simply fond of wisteria trees.

[guestservices]

Hm.

[they hum.]

We can't just do it for free. You'll have to fulfill a few criteria. You'll have to justify why it would be "entertaining"—by this hotel's metric—and should your explanation be acceptable, the work of planting the trees would also fall to you two.

[unsaid]

I have to tell you how to kill someone with a wisteria tree?

[IS THAT ENTERTAINING?]

[guestservices]

If you would, that would suffice, yes.

[unsaid]

Someone could, in theory, fall from it.

[guestservices]

You're on the right track, but you may need to be more convincing.

[unsaid]

[ . . . he hums faintly to himself as they enter the courtyard and take their seat.]

... I imagine Shinobu Kocho would not be particularly pleased if I was engaging in such thought experiments.

Might you keep a secret, dear Cetus?

[guestservices]

I am generally not in the habit of gossiping about guests.

[unsaid]

Then I am in your care.

[mikazuki seems thoughtful for a moment before he tilts his head]

Then to begin, it is possible to fall from a wisteria tree and injure yourself severely enough. Perhaps, one may even find themselves caught in the long vines, strangled and body caught in their length. Or, should some feel particularly spiteful, they may intentionally have the body of their victim hidden above.

... the blossoms of wisteria hold the meaning of longevity, even immortality. One of the oldest trees is just as old as I. Should one think of the juxtaposition of these beautiful blossoms with the fortune of long life, and how short-lived our experiences are here - it is ironic.

Would that suffice?

[guestservices]

[they think over this, before they nod.]

Yes, that's acceptable.

{they pull out a few seeds for wisteria trees to hand over to mikazuki.]

Note that you must use them for the purpose you stated [i.e. no going PSYCHE I'M PLANTING THESE IN MY ROOM INSTEAD] and the two of you will be responsible for planting these yourselves, as well as nurturing them until they sprout. Your results won't be immediate, although I promise they won't take years either.

[unsaid]

Fufu... Thank you, thank you.

[he will take these seeds and honestly enlist dimitri and tsuru to help because sharing is caring in the realm of gardening.]

Would you like to be present with us when we plant them, dear Cetus?

[guestservices]

[when y'all do, just make a note in location changes for our reference and note that there won't be any visible results until... well, you'll know when it happens. but work hard (?) until then!]

Me? Why?