[open] [ that picture from the iron giant of the guy yelling ART ]

[fabrefactions]

WHO: Yusuke Kitagawa + OPEN
WHERE: Around Recolle.
WHEN: From 5/3 to 5/12...!
WHAT: Oh just... normal things.
WARNINGS: Excessive use of PAINT.



[ Anyone who runs into Yusuke from the moment he gets his hands on his paintbrush and a paint pot is going to be aware of two distinct things: firstly, that he is an artist and definitely knows what he's doing with the utensils at his disposal. This ain't his first rodeo, that's for sure.

Secondly though, is that Yusuke is painting a lot like a man possessed - he's specifically focused on finding outlines and getting an idea of the layout, despite his well known attention to detail, and just... doesn't seem to be stopping. From the moment he finds his painting tools, he's back tracking to his home and wildly painting the street back into existence.

And this is how he is for the majority of the week. There's a method to his madness though, he's clearly looking for something, and seems to retracing old steps in an attempt to find it. The longer he's at it, the sloppier the paintwork becomes and, quite honestly, the worse for wear Yusuke seems. He only stops when it gets too dark to paint, and returns home, before leaving to begin again early in the morning. Watch him long enough, and you may even catch him swaying on the spot, or heavy lidded, like he's about to fall asleep on his feet.

... Help him? This is just sad. ]

Comments

[concasse]

[-- Hn. He doesn't recall being told about Yusuke's mother's health.

Not to say he's angry about being kept in the dark. Sanji never asked, Yusuke never told. He already knows how his boyfriend works.

Still, it's a detail that lingers in the mind, and there's a pause in which he's not sure which thread to follow. The complexity of these feelings aren't ones he can relate to.

After all, Sanji despises his father. Isn't all that embarrassed about the fact, either. With a sigh, he drops his brush, using his now free hand to rub at the nape of his neck.]

Hey, you went from getting to be a kid, to having to take on the responsibility of an adult. And you lost a parent on top of it. [He shrugs] 'Course you'd feel a little sore.

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It was irrational. He didn't ask for it to happen.

[ But it had felt a lot like abandonment. He did suddenly have responsibilities he hadn't thought he'd ever have, at an age he couldn't really handle them. But the possibility that he could be taken from his mother if he couldn't prove they were doing fine had been very clear straight away.

...

But he couldn't be mad at his mother for being ill. So it had been easier to be mad at the person who wasn't there any more. ]

I moved past it eventually, with time. I prefer remembering him as my father, rather than someone who abandoned us. He was very important to me and my mother, of course. He still is.

[ He luffs his papa, ok? Ok. ]

[concasse]

[...

Well.

Not a lot to say to that. Besides nodding to show he's paying attention, Sanji drops his hand again, picks up the brush, returns to painting...]

You said you were your mother's carer?

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Yes, I did.

[ You need to be at least THIS specific to unlock his tragic backstory, Sanji. Try harder. ]

[concasse]

[... This is punishment for something, isn't it? ]

Is she still sick?

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[ No, it's a lesson in specifics. ]

She will always be sick. [ It's just said very factually. ] It's something she lives with, but her care is good now so her quality of life is much better.

[ ... ]

Oh, and it's nothing that is likely to end her life prematurely, good care and current level of health permitting.

[concasse]

[Yusuke, you're demanding specific questions from the guy who hasn't even mentioned his own parents.

That said, hearing that his mother is well enough to sustain herself earns a quiet sigh, his shoulders relaxing back into place.]

Good to hear it.

[Dealing with the death of a loved one is difficult... heh, not that Sanji would really know, but losing both of his parents isn't a fate he'd wish on Yusuke.]

... Maybe one day I could meet her?

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[ That is... genuinely something Yusuke hadn’t thought to suggest. Not because he thought Sanji and his mother wouldn’t get along - on the contrary, his mother is exactly Sanji’s level of self-assured and unafraid to go after what she wans, and he’s fairly sure that his mother, like all his other friends, would approve of someone else chasing Yusuke down for his poor sleeping and dietary habits.

It was more.... Sanji himself had been clear about his faith in himself not to bolt before a relationship reached anything close to the “meeting the parents” stage. He’d never considered bringing it up, and even after their more recent discussion, surrounding Sanji’s curse and the nature of their relationship, he hadn’t planned on bringing it up for a while. Not until he was sure the concept of what they had discussed had truly settled. So to hear Sanji suggest it before he could is... surprising. But in a warm, and happy sort of way.

The kind of what that makes him want to smile, as well as completely uninterested in stopping himself from smiling in the first place. ]

I don’t see why not. I think she would like you.

[concasse]

[If forced to explain himself, Sanji wouldn't have an answer to give for his sudden interest in meeting Yusuke's mother. It's not like much has changed on his end. No, he doubts Yusuke is gonna dump his ass anytime soon, but there's still that concern of one day testing his boyfriend's patience and goodwill, even by accident.

... But he's... trying here. Step by step. And sensing Yusuke's approval, his face floods with color before he turns and forces his attention on painting more of the road]

Yeah-- I mean, not fuckin yet, gotta find your graveyard first. [Jesus, even his ears are red, to hell with this.]

It's-- y'know... [His pause could snap trees in half, that's how heavy it falls.] Not used to being around mothers, so I'll try to behave myself.

[that's probably as close to a hint as he'll get]

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[ And bless, here is a boy who cannot take a hint. Nope. Well... usually. It seems specific, oddly so for Sanji. Yet still vague enough that he can't quite pin down the context - does Sanji not see his mother much? Does she not live in Recolle? ... Is she dead? ]

I'm in no rush. Whenever you are comfortable, I am sure she will be happy to meet you. She is ... well, I only know her as a mother so I can't say what meeting her is like. But she is unlikely to do something to make you uncomfortable, if that is your worry.

[concasse]

Nah, that's not my worry.

[Sanji has zero faith in himself, as has been established, but the nice thing is he expects that shit and can account for his own behaviors -- which includes being pretty damn hard to ruffle when he doesn't feel like being pissed off. Yusuke's mom would have to really press to get under Sanji's skin.]

... Should probably tell me what she's like before I meet her, though.

[And he feels this is a much safer road for both of them, discussing the living rather than the dead]

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[ It probably is. It still feels like an out of body experience to talk about his father so casually - like he's outside watching someone who looks like him discuss it. He's still not sure why but... he's also not sure he likes it. ]

That is a very broad request, asking me to condense a person like that. Is there anything in particular you wanted to know, and I could expand from there?

[ Yusuke could talk about his mother a lot. Her beauty, her determination, her guidance and support, her skill and name as an artist and how much she taught him directly and indirectly... the list goes on and on. ]

[concasse]

[Sanji swears Yusuke is the only person on this planet who'd hear that question and respond with "human beings are complex creatures, you gotta narrow it down, fam"

Lord.]

I dunno, she's your mom. I don't got any basis to start with.

[Uhh.... actually wait, hold up, he's got something]

What's her favorite food?







[I mean, what the fuck else did Yusuke expect?]

[fabrefactions]

[ But they are complex creatures that can't be narrowed down like that. They are all individuals! ]

She enjoys nabe. But that is not something I see as commonly here as I do sushi, or curry rice. Western food wise, she's a fan of risottos and Italian food.

[ This is exactly what he expected, bless. ]

[concasse]

Nabe, eh?

[A couple of months back, Sanji would not have known what that even was, but there are some benefits to being a chef pirate, if only in spirit.]

S'good choice, especially if you're entertaining guests. [A family meal, Sanji would argue. He rubs at his chin, and despite the obvious direction he could take this, the man instead switches gears]

And what about hobbies? She paint, too?

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It's warming as well. Something about nabe is very much a comfort food, so I can see the appeal.

[ Sanji and his magical cooking knowledge. The second question though, earns a slight chuckle. ]

Yes, she paints. She is the one that taught me to paint, and encouraged my own forays into art as well. [ He doesn't get his painting skills from his father, at all. ]

[concasse]

Really? So she was like your teacher?

[Given Yusuke's instinctive love of art, it seems fitting he inherited it from someone. The kind of love and passion you pass onto a younger generation. Unbidden, his lips twitch into a smile]

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Something like that, yes. I would paint alongside her, in my own way and she would guide me. If she were not too involved with her own work.

[ How do you calmly say that she's Kind Of A Biggish Deal back home - he's fairly sure some of her works are in art galleries, and there'd been on the odd fancier trip away sometimes after one of her works sold well. ]

[concasse]

[Admittedly, Sanji's thinking a small-time artist who made it big in her local community but not much else. That's the way of the world for most people.

It's still a cute image, the thought of a tiny Yusuke slathering paint onto a canvas and eagerly looking to his mother for guidance. Heh.]

I bet you were a cute kid.

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[ He looks thoughtful at that. ]

Perhaps? I'm not sure it's possible to personally judge if I were cute or not. [ Canon confirms he was hecking adorable though. ]

But... I suppose all children who are trying their best at something that brings them joy have an element of sweetness.

[concasse]

[It's a harmless statement on Yusuke's end. The two of them are just discussing the hypothetical cuteness of children, nothing to get in arms over.

However, Sanji falls into an abrupt silence, paintbrush held tight in his fist but not moving. After a beat, he turns away from his boyfriend all together, face hidden over his shoulder and underneath a curtain of bangs]

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[ Yusuke is fairly absorbed in his painting, but the sudden silence doesn't go amiss for long. When he looks around and just sees the difference in how Sanji's stood, and his body language in general, it's enough to make him stop for a moment.

And move a little closer, just enough that he can lean down and use his free hand to brush a little of Sanji's hair out of his face. ]

Is everything alright? Did you injure yourself...?

[concasse]

... No.

[He won't pull away, but his shoulders tighten as his face is revealed -- expression almost... sad.]

Forget it, just...

[...]

I saw the guy's mother.

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?

[ He's not about to shrug and leave him to brood after that. He moves his hand, so he's pushing the hair out of Sanji's eyes and keeping it out of them; his thumb brushing gently against Sanji's temple. ]

From Retrospec memories?

[concasse]

... Aa.

[He won't fight the touch, but it's easier to stare into the distance rather than meet Yusuke's glance.]

It's the first time I've ever seen her.

[Though he frowns the moment the words are out, tasting bitter in his throat]

I mean, she probably doesn't look anything like my mom did. Who the hell knows?