2.0 - Teachings
Erien
God's Weakest Soldier
- Location
- Georgia
- Pronouns
- He/Him
View: https://youtu.be/7_GBjUGVwQM?t=18
["- how often and when do you do teachings, and what have you been focusing on?"]
Thanks to @Armoury for the beta!
—
Byakuren straightens up, her posture becoming more assured as she moves to answer - this is a question she has been asked many times before, and so her answer is practiced almost to the point of being rote.
"We follow the usual schema for temples. Early morning wake-up call and preparations, then meditation, then breakfast, then morning teachings. The middle of the day is left open for miscellaneous duties, and then there's a second teaching in the evening after dinner. Room and board are free, so long as any guests try to follow the schedule."
You frown, slightly. That's… it would be within acceptable bounds, if on the more permissive side of things, compared to your experiences. If the schedule was strictly followed.
But you know that it isn't. When you entered the temple, Kyouko was the only one you saw doing her proper duties. And if there's that degree of laxity already… how many guests actually attend the teachings, instead of just taking the food and room? How many actually meditate in the morning, instead of just indulging themselves in sleep?
And beyond that… "Which teachings, in particular, do you focus on, sister?"
"We have a relatively standard rotation - there's a constant influx of new faces, so we repeat a number of the more introductory and basic texts each month. Fridays are when we do a more in-depth continuation with discussions for the returning faces."
So, in effect, she's only doing actual teachings once a week. There can be some value in repeated meditation on a singular text, of course, but it pales in comparison to the wisdom gained from considering actual new topics. That's… entirely unacceptable. "That is far too little sister, and beyond that, with your influx of new faces… how many are those simply seeking a meal? The temple was large and grand, but it could certainly not hold recruitment every week."
She frowns as well, her expression mirroring yours. "That's unfair - we have gotten some actual new recruits from all this. Kyouko has been doing an excellent job, and we have a number of interested repeat visitors to the Friday sessions."
"And yet Kyouko remains the only person in the temple I consider a buddhist I could be proud of, and even she has her vices. You have an avatar of the war god devouring meat, a nun drinking heavily, a mouse forced to serve a god that isn't her own, and a demon in the guise of a young girl. Mamizou, meanwhile, I believe is only here for her amusement. Would you care to argue otherwise?"
Her expression grows darker. "I… you…" She glances down, taking a deep breath, and then her gaze locks onto your eyes. "Perhaps you can claim perfection, but I can only work with what I had, after you abandoned me." Her voice is starting to turn into a hiss.
"If you speak of my pilgrimage, that was required, and you followed along shortly afterwards." You reply, carefully, slowly.
"You damn well know that's not what I'm talking about, brother." Her hair is starting to curl upwards, a wind from nowhere picking up, as she unconsciously lets her energy leak into the surroundings. "You return out of nowhere, after centuries of nothing. I asked you to answer me, you know! I begged, I pleaded, you could have given me anything! I was driven to madness, I did awful things just to get the hint of an answer - and still nothing!" Her eyes are starting to glow a malevolent hue. "And when you return, you tell me that it isn't for me, that you'll leave once again once your task is done, and you expect me to meekly step back into line!"
You stare at her for a moment. "So what you are saying is, is that you are still driven by greed then, sister?"
"Greed? Is that what you call it, to actually care about something for once in your life? A foreign impulse to you, I'm sure. Did you ever actually love me at all, Myouren?" She's trembling - in rage, in fear, in despair.
You saw nothing, for several long moments. Staring at her, you don't breathe, you don't need to anymore. You don't blink, such a thing serves no purpose. Then, you speak. "I am the one who raised you when our parents died, I am the one who founded the temple around us, I am the one who took care of you on those long nights of poverty and strife. I am the one who has waited for you for over a full millenia. Never accuse me of not loving you, if you do, if you dare do such a thing, I will go against my own beliefs to remove you from my life and thoughts forever."
She stands in place, staring at you for a long moment, before wrenching her eyes closed. She sounds wretched, and spent, when she answers. "We aren't going to accomplish anything more here tonight." She turns her back on you as she leaves the shed. "I won't bother you again."
You watch her leave, saying nothing in response. Only when she is well and truly gone do you speak. "Lying is a sin sister." Then you turn your head towards the wall to your left. "You may stop sneaking now and enter."
The Avatar of Bishamonten enters, where your sister left. Her expression is studiously neutral, her bow in greeting perfectly polite according to the needed formalities of a junior greeting a superior - and no more than that.
"Good afternoon Shou." You say, foregoing her title. "How can I assist you?"
"I would not presume to take up your precious time, enlightened one. This one has no requests she would make of you." She remains rigid and formal, but in her eyes… there is a distaste for you there, fresh but growing.
You tilt your head. "Then why are you here?"
"I was simply keeping an eye on the temple's teacher, to ensure no harm would come to her."
"Do not lie to me, for you know I would not do such a thing even if I wished to." You say with a small smile. "Just because you are capable of lying, does not mean it should be freely done."
She stiffens, then inclines her head. "I could not help but worry nonetheless, even if my fears were unfounded. It has long been my role to ensure Byakuren's safety."
"My sister is well and truly capable of taking care of herself, unfortunately." You reply. "Are you satisfied no harm has come to her? Or do you wish to see what your spear is capable of?"
Her hands clench. She would dearly love to impale you, if given the chance, but both the implications such an act would have upon her role, and her miniscule chances of success are dissuading her from acting. Even so, it takes a long moment for her to wrestle down her urge and respond. "You've dealt her no injury I can see, enlightened one." There's a slight growl building in the back of her voice.
Your smile widens more, ever so very serious, the servants of Bishamonten. "I do not stand on titles, and I would have you speak to me earnestly."
She stares at you a moment, before forcing herself to nod. "Very well then. Is that all you wish to discuss, Myouren Hijiri?"
"You are the one who entered here, not myself. I would assume if you had nothing to speak of you would have merely slinked away from the building."
She tilts her head, and then, without a further word, simply leaves.
Then you turn your head towards the other wall. "You may enter as well."
There's a moment's pause, before Nazrin sighs as she enters. "You must have realized that half of the temple would be curious enough to listen in on this. Byakuren spoke about you on many occasions, and so everyone wanted to see how the reunion would go." She smiles, thinly. "Besides… I had to make sure no harm came to Shou."
You judge that statement for a moment. "That may have become necessary," you comment. "She was quite upset with me."
The mouse nods in commiseration. "She still is. Byakuren is very important to her. To all of us, really, but Shou particularly so."
"She is your teacher, that is to be expected. Are you here to threaten me as well?"
She snorts. "Hardly. What would be the point?" She slowly begins to smirk. "And I must admit that I'm flattered that the biggest fault a bodhisattva can find in my conduct is a situation beyond my own control, so I may be better inclined towards you than some."
You frown. "Do not believe yourself without sin or fault Nazrin. You are a known entity, and amongst those here you are considered one of those at greatest fault."
Her expression falls. "At greatest fault?! I'm not even in charge of anything important, how does that make sense?" She begins muttering. "If I'm going to get the blame I should at least get the perks…"
"Your pride that you believed yourself capable of such a distinction is your main fault." Then you smile again. "But I am mostly kidding."
She pauses in her angry muttering. "Oh." Her expression twists through a melange of emotions, before near-involuntarily, she barks out a laugh. "Okay, you got me. Who knew you had a sense of humor?"
"There are many things about me I am sure you know little about. Death has a nasty habit of removing all the faults of a person, and leaving only the gleaming qualities one wishes to be remembered." You chuckle slightly. "And my sister adored me more than most."
She takes a deep breath. "Right. I'll see if I can talk to Byakuren or Shou about it at some point, but it's probably best if they take a bit to cool down. See you around." She turns and starts to leave, before suddenly pausing and looking back to you. "And just so you know, I'm pretty sure Kyouko was listening in from the roof." There's a thump from above, as someone startles at being mentioned.
"I am aware, she does not breathe quietly." You reply.
Nazrin chuckles as she walks away. A long pause ensues.
You tap your staff against the roof above your head.
Kyouko holds very very still, attempting to minimize her breathing… it's not very effective, which is perhaps to be expected from a yamabiko. If anything, you're modestly impressed by her restraint in denying the impulse to echo the roof's reverberations.
You tap the staff a second time, and finally she can withstand it no longer, and drops down from the top of the shed, scrambling around the small building until she can see you. "Sorry, sorry, I just wanted to know and I didn't mean to make a problem, I'm sorry sir!"
"Calm little one, I am far from upset with you. Curiosity is not a vice nor a sin, unless done in poor intention or to excess. However may I help you?" you ask gently.
She pauses for a moment, before leaning in. "Byakuren swore," she says, in a tone implying that she was sharing some great secret. "She never swears when she thinks I can hear it. She must be really mad."
"She is indeed upset, but it will pass, with time." You smile, then lower yourself onto your knees so that you are at the same eye-level as the young youkai. "I am afraid seeing me was quite a shock to her."
Kyouko nods gravely, as if she was deeply memorizing this information. "And… is it true that you're proud of me? Even though I do the Choujuu Gigaku band and Byakuren gets mad?"
"I am very proud of you," you say quietly. "Though, perhaps you should focus more on your studies than on your music. But there is no problem with doing both. To be Buddhist is not to live without joy. It is obsession and vice that is the fault that frequently bedevils men, women, and youkai."
You think she said 'thank you' it was hard to tell, as it was both very loud, and she was moving at great speed out of the building as she said it. You watch her go, then you step out of the building yourself. Your staff taps against the ground thrice, and you take a moment to look around. Mamizou was watching you from across the way, Shou was… glaring at you, as she stood next to Byakuren. Nazrin inspected a nearby building, Kyouko was talking to Cirno, your sister was ignoring you…
And it was time for you to do what you had come here to do to begin with. Taking the temple to the Hakurei Shrine was happenstance, but a happy event regardless, as it was where you needed to be. You began to walk forward, past everyone, and out the back of the shrine.
You had a Hell to visit.
…
Though you were being followed.
—
[] [Nue]
[] [Mamizou]
[] [Cirno]
