Well, I'm glad to be out of that jumpsuit, and... the rooming isn't too bad.
[ it could be better (read: with lin) (he's going to get separation anxiety) but, he likes lavi so far, so. he will take eto's book, running his thumb over the cover - clearly pleased and excited to get to read it. ]
And so it is! It's an older one - actually one of the first concepts I used to teach in an Information Technology course. It must have been twenty years ago, now.
[ lu bixing's expression softens a little - nostalgic, maybe, of a time once past. as eto flips through, she won't find a ton of sciency stuff - it's actually more like a historical text, though there are programming diagrams, charts and other depictions of neurological networks, brain diagrams, and a few other things interspersed throughout.
there are also
like inappropriate drawings in it every now and then. thank you hell ] And... I guess it's been well loved.
[ jesus christ ] Our lifespans are pretty long, now! Most humans live to be 250, plus, give or take a decade. I look pretty good for almost fifty!
[ really he's like, the equivalent of a twenty five year old still. aging in can ci pin be like.
anyway!! when eto asks, he nods, taking the book very carefully and starting to flip through the pages, bit by bit. no defacing, no scribbling, nothing - and he breathes a little sigh of relief for her when he sees it, too. ] Looks like it might be okay. Thank goodness! I wouldn't be surprised if mine was like that before it got here, to be honest with you.
[ he waves a hand like "nooo you're too kind" at the first part, playing it up a little just to be silly. ]
Genetics are manipulated pretty easily, nowadays. Sometimes it's luck of the draw! Being this handsome, I just got lucky.
[ ok he's clearly being silly there.
back to the books, though, he closes king bileygr and holds it to his chest, then laughs a little, shaking his head, affectionately. ] The rowdiest you could imagine. Most of them had no desire to be in school at all, and took it out on us in... well, creative ways.
Still. The students who are the hardest to teach are often the ones who are the most worth teaching, I think.
[ Play silly games, win silly prizes. Eto does not hesitate to bully.
Now that I'm home I can give you a more proper summary of what kind of stuff LBX is going to find in that book, which is effectively -- a story of a protagonist only known as Nameless, and an aberration known as a one-eyed ghoul. Caught between the war of humans and ghouls as its intermediary, he would come to unite the ghouls and lead a rebellion, liberating them from the oppression they've suffered at the hands of the villains -- a corrupt human organisation, that in itself aided by a mysterious underground ghoul group in order to control the world. Enjoi. ]
My my, it's a wonder you're not a crankier adult. I would have personally given them all a tongue-lashing, probably.
[ looks at this book. looks at can ci pin. laughs hollowly.
anyway
he winks at the first part, playfully, and then returns his attention to the actual book - absently running his hand over the cover, looking at the inside for author's notes and summaries, things of the like. not much to do in hell but read. feels familiar.
as for being cranky - well! that makes him laugh. ]
I found the best way to deal with them was to assert my dominance. [ he says this in sort of a conspiratorial way, with a waggle of his eyebrow like he's done something evil... ] ...By which I mean, I hacked a few of their personal devices when they were heckling me during the opening speech and reminded them that a large portion of the school was funded by a notorious gang.
[
eighth galaxy baby ] So, maybe not a tongue lashing, but it got the job done.
Oh my. Not the secret I was expecting to hear at all.
[ SHE WASN'T EXPECTING MR NICE-GUY HERE TO BE HACKING PHONES let alone get some kind of lore reveal that your SCHOOL is being RUN BY A GANG. Damn, why can't her life be this interesting. ]
Not the kind of enforcement I expected a school to have. How exactly did you end up in that scenario?
he laughs, and with that, will move to go plop down somewhere. i can't remember if there are chairs in these rooms but there's probably a chair. lu bixing looks nostalgic as he's telling this story, a little sparkle in his eyes of it, though.. it's a little bit distant, a little sad. ]
Ah, well. Gangs used to run about everything in the Eighth. They're still everywhere if less so now, but on Beijing Beta, the biggest was Black Hole. A close friend of mine was the head of it; we had something of a chance meeting. And he ended up being a lot more than just a gang leader, actually, but... well, I was always amazed by how generous he was. I wouldn't have been able to start the school without him. I wouldn't have been able to do a lot of things, really.
[ (lu bixing voice) sugar daddy ]
I joked that he was going to have an honorary doctorate for it. You maybe wouldn't expect it, but he's a kind person.
Edited (too many fucking names) 2023-02-06 12:15 (UTC)
[ It's rickety for sure but probably, there's a desk so there's probably a chair. Eto is just going to sit on the edge of the bunk bed, meanwhile.
Also misread 'generous' as 'gorgeous' and I was like damn, the gay lore already... ]
Huuuh. Is that so? You know, this sounds pretty familiar to me, too. Gangs are pretty rampant in the streets of Tokyo. My Tokyo, at least -- there's a couple of us here, from different variants. I've known some people, here and there, but the 24th Ward is known to be the worst of them all.
I knew some nice people from there, though. Can't say I would've found myself where I am today without them.
[ But perhaps enough about her. She wasn't asked. Her eyes light up a little in curiosity. ]
Now, why wouldn't I expect it? It wouldn't happen to be the gentleman you kept glancing at, would it?
oh, he likes listening to eto talk about her tokyo, though - he looks very genuinely interested! ] Haha. I think it's important not to judge people by their covers, right? If we rely on stereotypes and fearmongering, then it's easy to miss the amazing people from place to place.
[ "gangs are okay actually" - lu bixing, 2023
though - with the mention of the gentleman, lu bixing scratches his cheek, looking away a little. it's a 'hand caught in the candy jar' sort of smile, sheepish. has he really been looking that often... (yes) (yes he has) ] ...That's the one. Everyone knew him as 'Sige', back then, though, he was always just Lin to me.
[ I'm also sharing this because I found the official in-universe cover of it... King Bileygr... it's so thick lmao. I forgot to mention but it is authored by Sen Takatsuki. ]
Now, you're a man out for my heart. If only more people had the kind of patience and worldly outlook that you do -- it'd all be much nicer, wouldn't it.
[ Lu Bixing is her funny little meow meow. It Has Been Decided. ]
Is that a nickname of sorts? One of my longtime colleagues was from China, actually. I guess I don't know if "China" still exists in outer space, but it would be the nation most likely associated with your name's language.
My understanding is pretty limited though, since he was more interested in learning Japanese than teaching me any Mandarin.
[ this looks like a book you'd read in a classics college course and feel fear at when you had to buy it at the bookstore
but, ah! he puts a hand to his heart, at first. ] Maybe so. It would be nice, right?
[ but unlikely. he doesn't say that but you know, the vibe is just kind of there... it's fine....
...the bit about china has him make an interested noise, though, and he nods, lighting up pleased as the hand drops. he likes talking about it, so. ] It was! And... not really. Ancient Earth societies are long gone in the form that might've been familiar, but it's more like they evolved out into space than they disappeared. Societies still use similar language concepts. Mine does - Beijing Beta was a planet that did, but there are plenty of others, too! I guess there's versions of each of the ancient Earth countries and cities that are more associated with entire planets, nowadays - I visited Kyoto planet not all that long ago, so, even ancient Japanese is still around.
As for Sige, it was more of a codename than anything else. I think gangsters tend to feel like they need cool nicknames, but, Lin's identity was a little bit of a secret, then, so it was just out of necessity. Even I didn't know who he really was for a long time.
[ It's okay... she has enough pessimism for them both honestly... he can afford to be nice. ]
Hum, how interesting. The idea of it truly is something only dreamt of by writers, where I'm from... I've taken to reading plenty of science-fiction about mankind reaching out into the stars, but it's all they are: fiction.
[ She finds it endlessly funny that what are simple cities in her world are entire planets on his. ]
That's how so many of these things start, right? Literature and fiction have their influence on reality - or, at least on dreamers.
[ the corner of his mouth lifts briefly, expression softening some. ] Mankind's always been reaching for the stars, one way or another. It's a little comforting to hear that similarity, too.
[ in sort of a nerdy, sciency way. as for the gang thing.. he makes an "ehh" noise, tilting his head back and forth. yes? no? kinda? ]
As in a member? No. But, I guess you could say I was associated by proxy. [ considering the funding thing. ] It was my dad's line of business for a while, too, if a little more interplanetary, but I didn't want to directly take part in it, except to use it when it was necessary. If that makes sense.
What piece inspired you? If you don't mind me asking.
[ eto is just very interesting - lu bixing is enjoying this conversation, enjoying the chance to sit and talk books and dreams and knowledge with someone very smart. perhaps... she is his blorbo now also... ]
And that's exactly right. There's no Eighth without smugglers and gangs, even now.
[ There's a slight edge here, that suggests careless sifting could get LBX cut -- but she finds him well enough that she would allow some questions. ]
Earth has had situations like that before, of course. In cases like the mafia and yakuza. Though not quite universal, there have been situations where they've been integral to a society's balance.
[ oh... his expression softens at that, gentle immediately. ]
I see. [ warmly: ] She must have been a prolific writer.
[ lu bixing has been lucky with his family, so the subject touches something soft and tender in him, too. he loves his father after all, though... the idea of monoeye hawk leaving memoirs is a funny mental image.
as for the other topic: ] Now that I'm in charge of the Eighth, we spend a lot of time routing smugglers and making sure that they're kept in check. I've tried my best to work with the exisiting infrastructure to create a system that benefits everyone, and one that helps the people of the Eighth feel a little safer, you know?
They're good people. [ the best people. ] They deserve good lives.
[ a journalist! lu bixing makes a soft noise of understanding, at that. it makes the political part of her work come into focus, and he nods, letting that sit for now. he's empathetic enough to tell when something is a difficult topic, and parents... are still a little touchy for him, even now.
an idealist though, huh? in a way, it's almost nice to know that eto sees him that way. there's measured silence for a moment, like he's considering it, before he lets out a soft huff. ] Mmm... I think I used to be.
[ it's a good observation for her to make, and his response back is thoughtful. open, too, really. ] I learned the hard way that being an idealist doesn't always help, but...lately, I've been trying to get some of that back.
[ trying, anyway. it's hard, after such a massive loss, to learn how to stand again - but lu bixing has to, doesn't he? after all, he's more than just a person. which brings him to eto's second question, as he gives her a little bit of a smile, rueful. ]
Well, I'm the Prime Minister of the Eighth Galaxy, now. It was by necessity, but, it is my duty.
[ to be honest, he would much prefer to be an educator, so she's dead on.
he laughs a little at the gray hair comment, reaching up to ruffle a hand absently through his hair. ] I probably do! It wouldn't surprise me.
It's been a long road, though, but I wouldn't have it any other way. [ he gives a little shrug of his shoulders, giving eto a smile. ] At least, in terms of the actual independence of the Galaxy itself. We'd been mistreated by the IUS for far too long - as for being Prime Minister, I didn't exactly sign up for it, but, if it's what's needed, then I'm doing everything I can.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
[ She accepts the trade, a corner of her mouth turning up at the cute little sound. ]
Oh? One of your textbooks, I see. It'd fit right in with the shelf, wouldn't it?
[ She'll give the pages a quick look through. How sciencey... ]
no subject
[ it could be better (read: with lin) (he's going to get separation anxiety) but, he likes lavi so far, so. he will take eto's book, running his thumb over the cover - clearly pleased and excited to get to read it. ]
And so it is! It's an older one - actually one of the first concepts I used to teach in an Information Technology course. It must have been twenty years ago, now.
[ lu bixing's expression softens a little - nostalgic, maybe, of a time once past. as eto flips through, she won't find a ton of sciency stuff - it's actually more like a historical text, though there are programming diagrams, charts and other depictions of neurological networks, brain diagrams, and a few other things interspersed throughout.
there are also
like inappropriate drawings in it every now and then. thank you hell ] And... I guess it's been well loved.
[ this is a joke. ]
no subject
...
How old are you?
[ She hasn't had the time to snoop everyone's Bicker yet, had to get settled first. Besides, I think it'd be funnier to hear it from the man himself.
Well, these drawings are what she could've expected from Hell. That being said. ]
Check for me that mine isn't marred this way, dear.
[ It's her personal item so probably not. But like, she'll k-word someone if it is, and it's clear. ]
no subject
[ jesus christ ] Our lifespans are pretty long, now! Most humans live to be 250, plus, give or take a decade. I look pretty good for almost fifty!
[ really he's like, the equivalent of a twenty five year old still. aging in can ci pin be like.
anyway!! when eto asks, he nods, taking the book very carefully and starting to flip through the pages, bit by bit. no defacing, no scribbling, nothing - and he breathes a little sigh of relief for her when he sees it, too. ] Looks like it might be okay. Thank goodness! I wouldn't be surprised if mine was like that before it got here, to be honest with you.
no subject
On the other hand, my colleague already had white hair and was going blind, and he was only barely older than me.
[ As for the books, great. LBX gets a normal, not so murder smile. ]
Rowdy students, I take it? Some teens can be so immature.
no subject
Genetics are manipulated pretty easily, nowadays. Sometimes it's luck of the draw! Being this handsome, I just got lucky.
[ ok he's clearly being silly there.
back to the books, though, he closes king bileygr and holds it to his chest, then laughs a little, shaking his head, affectionately. ] The rowdiest you could imagine. Most of them had no desire to be in school at all, and took it out on us in... well, creative ways.
Still. The students who are the hardest to teach are often the ones who are the most worth teaching, I think.
no subject
[ Play silly games, win silly prizes. Eto does not hesitate to bully.
Now that I'm home I can give you a more proper summary of what kind of stuff LBX is going to find in that book, which is effectively -- a story of a protagonist only known as Nameless, and an aberration known as a one-eyed ghoul. Caught between the war of humans and ghouls as its intermediary, he would come to unite the ghouls and lead a rebellion, liberating them from the oppression they've suffered at the hands of the villains -- a corrupt human organisation, that in itself aided by a mysterious underground ghoul group in order to control the world. Enjoi. ]
My my, it's a wonder you're not a crankier adult. I would have personally given them all a tongue-lashing, probably.
no subject
anyway
he winks at the first part, playfully, and then returns his attention to the actual book - absently running his hand over the cover, looking at the inside for author's notes and summaries, things of the like. not much to do in hell but read. feels familiar.
as for being cranky - well! that makes him laugh. ]
I found the best way to deal with them was to assert my dominance. [ he says this in sort of a conspiratorial way, with a waggle of his eyebrow like he's done something evil... ] ...By which I mean, I hacked a few of their personal devices when they were heckling me during the opening speech and reminded them that a large portion of the school was funded by a notorious gang.
[
eighth galaxy baby ] So, maybe not a tongue lashing, but it got the job done.
no subject
Oh my. Not the secret I was expecting to hear at all.
[ SHE WASN'T EXPECTING MR NICE-GUY HERE TO BE HACKING PHONES let alone get some kind of lore reveal that your SCHOOL is being RUN BY A GANG. Damn, why can't her life be this interesting. ]
Not the kind of enforcement I expected a school to have. How exactly did you end up in that scenario?
no subject
he laughs, and with that, will move to go plop down somewhere. i can't remember if there are chairs in these rooms but there's probably a chair. lu bixing looks nostalgic as he's telling this story, a little sparkle in his eyes of it, though.. it's a little bit distant, a little sad. ]
Ah, well. Gangs used to run about everything in the Eighth. They're still everywhere if less so now, but on Beijing Beta, the biggest was Black Hole. A close friend of mine was the head of it; we had something of a chance meeting. And he ended up being a lot more than just a gang leader, actually, but... well, I was always amazed by how generous he was. I wouldn't have been able to start the school without him. I wouldn't have been able to do a lot of things, really.
[ (lu bixing voice) sugar daddy ]
I joked that he was going to have an honorary doctorate for it. You maybe wouldn't expect it, but he's a kind person.
no subject
Also misread 'generous' as 'gorgeous' and I was like damn, the gay lore already... ]
Huuuh. Is that so? You know, this sounds pretty familiar to me, too. Gangs are pretty rampant in the streets of Tokyo. My Tokyo, at least -- there's a couple of us here, from different variants. I've known some people, here and there, but the 24th Ward is known to be the worst of them all.
I knew some nice people from there, though. Can't say I would've found myself where I am today without them.
[ But perhaps enough about her. She wasn't asked. Her eyes light up a little in curiosity. ]
Now, why wouldn't I expect it? It wouldn't happen to be the gentleman you kept glancing at, would it?
no subject
oh, he likes listening to eto talk about her tokyo, though - he looks very genuinely interested! ] Haha. I think it's important not to judge people by their covers, right? If we rely on stereotypes and fearmongering, then it's easy to miss the amazing people from place to place.
[ "gangs are okay actually" - lu bixing, 2023
though - with the mention of the gentleman, lu bixing scratches his cheek, looking away a little. it's a 'hand caught in the candy jar' sort of smile, sheepish. has he really been looking that often... (yes) (yes he has) ] ...That's the one. Everyone knew him as 'Sige', back then, though, he was always just Lin to me.
no subject
Now, you're a man out for my heart. If only more people had the kind of patience and worldly outlook that you do -- it'd all be much nicer, wouldn't it.
[ Lu Bixing is her funny little meow meow. It Has Been Decided. ]
Is that a nickname of sorts? One of my longtime colleagues was from China, actually. I guess I don't know if "China" still exists in outer space, but it would be the nation most likely associated with your name's language.
My understanding is pretty limited though, since he was more interested in learning Japanese than teaching me any Mandarin.
no subject
but, ah! he puts a hand to his heart, at first. ] Maybe so. It would be nice, right?
[ but unlikely. he doesn't say that but you know, the vibe is just kind of there... it's fine....
...the bit about china has him make an interested noise, though, and he nods, lighting up pleased as the hand drops. he likes talking about it, so. ] It was! And... not really. Ancient Earth societies are long gone in the form that might've been familiar, but it's more like they evolved out into space than they disappeared. Societies still use similar language concepts. Mine does - Beijing Beta was a planet that did, but there are plenty of others, too! I guess there's versions of each of the ancient Earth countries and cities that are more associated with entire planets, nowadays - I visited Kyoto planet not all that long ago, so, even ancient Japanese is still around.
As for Sige, it was more of a codename than anything else. I think gangsters tend to feel like they need cool nicknames, but, Lin's identity was a little bit of a secret, then, so it was just out of necessity. Even I didn't know who he really was for a long time.
no subject
Hum, how interesting. The idea of it truly is something only dreamt of by writers, where I'm from... I've taken to reading plenty of science-fiction about mankind reaching out into the stars, but it's all they are: fiction.
[ She finds it endlessly funny that what are simple cities in her world are entire planets on his. ]
Were you ever associated with these gangs?
no subject
[ the corner of his mouth lifts briefly, expression softening some. ] Mankind's always been reaching for the stars, one way or another. It's a little comforting to hear that similarity, too.
[ in sort of a nerdy, sciency way. as for the gang thing.. he makes an "ehh" noise, tilting his head back and forth. yes? no? kinda? ]
As in a member? No. But, I guess you could say I was associated by proxy. [ considering the funding thing. ] It was my dad's line of business for a while, too, if a little more interplanetary, but I didn't want to directly take part in it, except to use it when it was necessary. If that makes sense.
no subject
Me, I just equate everything to a tragedy.
[ As depressing as that may sound, there is art in tragedy, in tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow. ]
I suspect gangs might not have the same connotation to you as they might to me. They sound very deeply embedded in your infrastructure.
no subject
What piece inspired you? If you don't mind me asking.
[ eto is just very interesting - lu bixing is enjoying this conversation, enjoying the chance to sit and talk books and dreams and knowledge with someone very smart. perhaps... she is his blorbo now also... ]
And that's exactly right. There's no Eighth without smugglers and gangs, even now.
no subject
[ There's a slight edge here, that suggests careless sifting could get LBX cut -- but she finds him well enough that she would allow some questions. ]
Earth has had situations like that before, of course. In cases like the mafia and yakuza. Though not quite universal, there have been situations where they've been integral to a society's balance.
no subject
I see. [ warmly: ] She must have been a prolific writer.
[ lu bixing has been lucky with his family, so the subject touches something soft and tender in him, too. he loves his father after all, though... the idea of monoeye hawk leaving memoirs is a funny mental image.
as for the other topic: ] Now that I'm in charge of the Eighth, we spend a lot of time routing smugglers and making sure that they're kept in check. I've tried my best to work with the exisiting infrastructure to create a system that benefits everyone, and one that helps the people of the Eighth feel a little safer, you know?
They're good people. [ the best people. ] They deserve good lives.
no subject
[ So it's a sort of writer? Maybe it runs in the genes, huh? ]
You're an idealist, aren't you?
[ That's the conclusion she's drawn from a mere few days of knowing him, hearing him talk, rolling his words around. ]
It isn't as if you're a police officer. What binds you to do this duty?
no subject
an idealist though, huh? in a way, it's almost nice to know that eto sees him that way. there's measured silence for a moment, like he's considering it, before he lets out a soft huff. ] Mmm... I think I used to be.
[ it's a good observation for her to make, and his response back is thoughtful. open, too, really. ] I learned the hard way that being an idealist doesn't always help, but...lately, I've been trying to get some of that back.
[ trying, anyway. it's hard, after such a massive loss, to learn how to stand again - but lu bixing has to, doesn't he? after all, he's more than just a person. which brings him to eto's second question, as he gives her a little bit of a smile, rueful. ]
Well, I'm the Prime Minister of the Eighth Galaxy, now. It was by necessity, but, it is my duty.
no subject
[ Since by all the talk so far, he has come off more like educator. Yes, prime minister would do it. ]
An entire galaxy in your hands! However do you not have grey hairs all around by now?
An idealistic outlook would be difficult with that kind of weight on your shoulders.
no subject
he laughs a little at the gray hair comment, reaching up to ruffle a hand absently through his hair. ] I probably do! It wouldn't surprise me.
It's been a long road, though, but I wouldn't have it any other way. [ he gives a little shrug of his shoulders, giving eto a smile. ] At least, in terms of the actual independence of the Galaxy itself. We'd been mistreated by the IUS for far too long - as for being Prime Minister, I didn't exactly sign up for it, but, if it's what's needed, then I'm doing everything I can.
no subject
[ Oh, yes. She's most definitely fond of this gentleman. He really is too intriguing to just let him go. ]
What is the IUS?
[ As she just pulls her blanket over and sits, leaning in, rapt attention. ]
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)