A Glass Retreat (for Reno)

[Kenshin]

The Glass Vista was an anomoly of Mea'lan architecture, primarily because it was typically the metalworkers who engaged in such endeavors. The building itself was structurally sound. Its maker was very familiar with his medium, but that did not stop the occasional metal-minded visitor from being distressed at the general lack of nails and metallic framework in the building.

Kenshin had had a long curtain placed along one entire wall of his room, mostly because he did not favor the large window that looked out across the waters far below the city. It was a little bit too bleak for his tastes and he did not like the idea that a nosy Vpera could fly by and look in.

The furniture in the room was also molded glass. It was pretty but Kenshin didn't like it. The walls, frosted glass, seemed almost conventional despite their odd texture.

For this evening he'd had two platters of food brought to his room and two bottles of sweet red wine. The platters included exotic fruits, sweets and fresh baked cookies as well as a few fine meats and cheese with fresh bread. Another tray near the bed held a variety of massage oils and lotions.

The bed in the room was made up perfectly. Kenshin had assured that there was nothing stray cluttering up the place. His belongings were mostly tucked in drawers and otherwise stowed.

Staying true to his word Kenshin had spoken with the front office of the resort to secure Reno access to the baths when he arrived. If there was one thing the resort had gotten right it was its elaborate bathing rooms. The builder had had an odd obsession with plumbing which may have played well with the city's unique water problems. The Vista had its own unique reservoir system which supported the movements of water demons throughout the structure which was fed by funnels that trapped rain water from the roof of the building.

The baths were equally elaborate and made the most of a limited water supply applying steam and heat in unique and sometimes unexpected ways. The water was often stretched a lot farther than it seemed.

Once all was in place Kenshin dressed himself in a loose-fitted outfit desighed for practicing martial skills since it allowed for freedom of movement. The fabric was light and soft though in a deep shade of blue which complimented his eyes. And once he was dressed he relaxed and tried to center himself. He had invented a script for himself to follow, knowing full well that if he deviated from it, he was apt to suffer and he did not care for emotional or physical pain as a result of Reno's ire. And yet, he could not overcome a general feeling that if he failed to sway Reno's interests this evening, he simply was not going to.

[Reno]

Reno looked at the Glass Vista inn with a mixture of displeasure and wonder. He was awed by the beauty of Mea´lan work, the wonders that his glass wielding brethren could achieve, but at the same time the lack of metal in the place made his skin crawl. These were the moments when he quite literally needed the pieces of metal pierced through his skin. He sucked the lip ring into his mouth and stared up at the structure, and felt his insides twist. When people wanted to torture Mea´lan dedicated to their metal they put them in places like this where the medium of their craft was completely absent.

Slowly he walked up to the front door and placed his hand on the glass, feeling comfortable with it except for the uneasy tightness in his stomach that he was entering a place where that was practically all there was. This one thing. Glass. It set him off his normal confidence and left him feeling small, like all the knowledge and power he had was useless.

Before stepping into the building he had to let his free hand fall to his side and clutch the smooth ball of metal he had put in his pocket for this reason. In his mind he promised himself that this would be the only time he would feel this anxious in this place, and only since he had little experience with structures so disgustingly absent of metal. Part of him actually believed that the entire thing would come crashing down, but he know better than to give into that irrationality.

Crushing the solid metal ball in his hand he pushed open the door, his head held high and the mocking smile that he normally wore positioned on his face as he entered. His eyes cast around him, judging the entire building, from the structure of the walls to the furniture and decoration. His eyes even studied the staff and finally came to settle on one behind the front desk.

Striding over he stopped and let his eyes sweep the table top before flicking up to the person there. “I´m here to see Kenshin, he should be expecting me,” he said dryly and then added before he could be asked, “Reno Sarker.”

With a set of directions for the bath and another to get from there to Kenshin´s room Reno set off. First arriving at the baths and finding himself truely pleased with the place for the first time. He let his grip on his metal safety blanket soften and he left it in his pocket as he set aside his clothes. The metal in his skin would be enough for the bathing rooms, and perhaps the mild edge in his body would result in ensuring he would not doze off.

He took his time in the bathing rooms, enjoying the hot water and steam as he allowed it to soak into his body and relax him. Only for a moment did he wonder about how the plumbing was done before his mind drifted to a blank place of relaxation as if he was meditating or working. Enjoying basking in the water he decided to finally get out only when he started to feel the faint notion of dizzyness brought on by the heat.

Once dry Reno dressed in his clothes more ceremoniously than he would normally, taking care of the rich loose fabric. He had opted for one of the few outfits that he rarely wore, due to the fact that it had no metal. It was an outfit adopted by caravan Mea´lan like Reno for times when they needed to approach people of rank, for leaving the sword behind meant less than leaving one´s metal off hand. The material was loose fitting, the pants designed so they could easily be pulled or rolled up while the shirt was open at the front and tied closed by a simple piece of matching cloth.

The entire outfit was of high grade, designed to match his rank and keep him respectful infront of those of high rank, so he could show by cloth that his metal craft rivaled the smiths of royalty. From good material to the rich colour of the blue dye that rimmed the white, coloured the sash, and made the detailing.

Reno plucked at his clothes, hesitant about them for the fact they were his most formal, but knowing he owned nothing else that could come close to meeting Kenshin´s specifications. Glancing down at the soft leather sandles he had put on his feet he sighed, missing the metal bottomed, or steal toed shoes he prefered, but also feared would somehow crack the glass inn.

Finally deciding he looked well enough he combed his hair with his fingers before forcing it back from his face and making his way to Kenshin´s room. He was ready for his lesson, and fully suspected Kenshin could have any number of alterior motives, but he was off set by the setting despite how much better he felt after the bath.

His hand didn´t even seek the clump of metal in his pocket as he made his way from the baths to Kenshin´s room. Once there he knocked and waited, not entirely sure what to expect.

[Kenshin]

Kenshin had picked at the food some while he waited. Reno had taken long enough to make his appearance that the cheese had become a bit dry at the corners and the bread was not quite so soft anymore. More than once Kenshin had started to reach for the wine only to stop himself. If he started with the wine he wouldn't stop and then Reno would find him on the floor in a rosy haze. The fruits were also a little on the droopy side but he would order more if Reno complained. He should have anticipated Reno's tardiness. The man did have certain habits.

But the wine had remained untouched. Kenshin was trying to categorize the situation as business. If it was business or politics he would find himself on his best behavior after all. Though, the situation did stretch far too near to temptation.

He had started to doze off when a knock at the door rattled him back to full alertness. Unfortunately it was the sort of startled waking that accompanied a jolt of adrenaline and left one wondering if something direly important had been forgotten.

There was a second knock and he sprang to the door careful not to slip on the tiled floor in the process.

He pulled the door open and fell into glassy-eyed silence for a moment before his brain caught up with his startled physiology.

"Reno." He said in a bewildered way. "I mean. Oh, come in." He stepped back to let the divine figure step inside through the room's threshold. Kenshin truly adored the outfit the other man wore. It fit him well. And he realized as an afterthought that he had been staring.

"Forgive me." He said as he closed the door behind his guest. "I dozed off into a nap while I was waiting. Help yourself to the food--help yourself to anything. You are my guest after all."

He was so very off-center right now. Kenshin felt like he was going to have a lot of trouble staying to his little mental script. His startled nerves were ill-prepared to expend energy preserving his dignity. It wasn't going to work.

It had to work. He cast his gaze around the room. "Have a seat wherever you like. There's wine, but you don't have to drink it. I don't have to either. It is a good bottle though. I chose it myself. And if there is anything else you might like, feel free to ask." He said, worried that he sounded as nervous as he felt. He inwardly cursed himself for failing to just be himself. He felt like he was trying to host a foreign dignitary and didn't know a syllable of the proper language to speak.

Finally a subtle smile crept over his features. "You look very nice."

[Reno]

It seemed odd to Reno that he had to knock twice, until the door swung open and Kenshin appeared before him. The drowsy, rumpled look that clung to him declared the fact that he had fallen asleep. A faint turn to his lips showed Reno´s open amusement at Kenshin´s state, even though he had caused it with his tardiness.

Well Kenshin paused in drowsiness, Reno paused in his amusement, waiting for Kenshin to catch up and speak first. Waiting to be invited into the room so he could look at it in more detail than what he saw over the Osai´s shoulder. Once the other stepped back he walked into the room and stopped once he would be out of the way, gazing around with his normal judging gaze as if he was memerizing the details to somehow be used in the future.

Reno didn´t like the room, and those glass aspects set out the idea that the room could appear like Kenshin. It was like a hotel room, and not in the way that those who lived on the road could sometimes make any space a home. Simply put it looked like Kenshin was just there because he had no better options. It was clean, uncluttered, and generally the opposite of what Reno was, which he expected from Kenshin, but he had also expected to find some aspect of liking in it as he had in Kenshin.

Kenshin whose eyes where on him, but he didn´t think to mind, not since he had expected it. The outfit was designed to make him look good, to make him look like he could belong in the wealthy side of town and kneel before royalty as he presented them swords or trinkets.

"Did I take so long?" he stated more than asked without the slightest trace of apoligy in his voice in response to his friend´s. He didn´t even wait for an answer to the question as he added, "The baths were nice. A good point to an otherwise unsatisfactory structure, though I commend my glass working brothers for its craftmanship."

Wandering over to the food he picked up a piece of fruit and popped it in his mouth, chewing slowly. "It´s a pity I was late after all," he mused, "My apoligies. You prepared things nicely." He plucked a few more pieces from the plate and popped one in his mouth, and continued his inspection of the room.

His eyes trailed over the curtain and he crossed to it, pulling the material aside slightly so he could look at what was behind it. For a moment he stepped behind the curtain, letting it fall behind him as he pressed his hand on the clear glass wall and gazed out at the view. A moment later he reappeared, "Quite the view, but I see why you would have it covered."

When he was offered a seat he returned to the table with the food and sat down in the chair with more care than he normally had. His characteristic appearance of drowsiness was absent as well, his eyes open and his posture straight, but relaxed into a natural confidence. It was habit that came with the clothes to be more alert and appear more compitant, just like the set of carved and polished wood, stone, and bone rings and rods that he opted not to wear.

At the question of the wine he sucked his normal metal lip ring into his mouth, a habit that stayed with him unless he really tried not to do it. "I´m afraid I am not much good with wine, or any other such drinks, but I try not to decline the recommendations of those with good taste. Perhaps just a little."

He looked at Kenshin at the comment, a sharp analytical look to his eyes before he turned his head slightly to the side and said with a slight smile, "You do as well. I´m sure you´re aware that Mea´lan see the colour blue more clearly. That shade of blue is almost the perfect compliment to your eyes. You should wear the colour more."

[Kenshin]

Kenshin smiled at the compliment after sinking down on the edge of his bed. Reno had the chair, but the bed was far more comfortable.

"I had a friend once who would say things like that to me." Kenshin said with a laugh. "When I was in Onise I had very little money to my name. It was educational, but interesting to have to really think about what I spent my funds on."

"Do Mea'lan make blue metals?" He asked. "I've seen colored metals worked into jewelry, but most of your work appeared to be uncolored. I wondered if perhaps it weakened the metal somehow, or if, it was simply an impractical thing."

He laughed again. In some ways he was the very image of impracticality. He always seemed to want to do things the hard way. He had a land kirin but was living in a floating city. He probably could have found other options if he had tried, than working for Armaris, and yet, here he was grumbling in the shadow of a former lover.

"And don't worry about the delay. You told me that you liked a long bath I believe. You may have said something like that. I scarcely remember. I should have anticipated and had the food brought later."

He got up and went to the bottles of wine. He opened one of them easily enough. There was a practiced flair to the motions. He drank wine more often than he should in general, so the drink itself, the containers it came in, was all second nature to him. He splashed reddish liquid into the two glasses there.

"I had to think quite some time before deciding on this one." He said. "I know that you probably don't have the same appreciation for it that I do. This one has more of a fruit flavor than many of the wines I have tried. Wines can be complicated though. They often have a flavor that changes either as you hold it in your mouth, or as you drink it. It's partly what I like about it. Fortunately it's meant to be drunk warm."

He lifted one of the glasses and offered it to him. The glass itself was borrowed from the hotel and had a slender shape to it, clearly something crafted to match the hotel's peculiar glass qualities. Kenshin hadn't really thought about it. It was a glass and it would hold his wine for him. That's all that really mattered. He'd drink out of wooden mugs if that was all they had.

[Reno]

“You should always consider what you spend money on,” Reno mused, “It is always questionable when the source of money will dry up.” He tipped his head very slightly and added, “Though I suppose our circumstances are quiet different. For one you don‘t have an apprentice or child to care for.”

At the question of coloured metals Reno stopped and looked at Kenshin with a look he had often given his apprentice. It was one of those more disdainful expressions he wore openly and played easier to read than other emotions, such as joy. In this case it read that such a question was a rather stupid thing to ask casually and Reno followed the expression with a sigh. “To put it as simply as I can, yes metals can be coloured and even made blue as well as a vast number of other colours. It depends on the metal, some change do to a certain exposure to specific temperatures and working, other changes require specific combinations of chemicals and procedures. There are methods that the Mea’lan developed to ensure that the typical weakening of the metal during such practices does not occur, but they are known by the masters of the specific study. In all likely hood much of the better techniques are the old ones that have been lost, forgotten, or kept in family circles as too much of our information tends to be.”

He sucked the lip ring into his mouth and continued, “It is the general practice, especially of the caravan Mea’lan, to work together to complete projects. By each member specializing in a particular aspect the work is done better and quicker. A sword for example is normally a combined effort of many, rather than my practice of doing it by oneself. But since I don’t play well with others and no longer remain with a caravan I do my weapons and jewellery by myself and colouring the metal is highly time consuming and impractical. It doesn’t turn enough of a profit, and beyond that it doesn‘t appeal to my interests. I like the natural hue of metal anyway.”

In truth the fact that he didn’t have the normal network to rely on was something that weighed on Reno and had pushed him to become as good as he was. He couldn’t work with anyone he deemed to be lesser skilled than he himself was and most who could be placed on his level had no desire to work with him. It was a complicated state that had left him bitter to the idea of cooperation, while at the same time he longed to find someone who could fit with his abilities, demands and ideas. It was hard to find people to work with in order to create one beautiful, unified idea. Which was another advantage of the caravans, the children could be birthed and raised to be a unit who would grow to work together. But that was an advantage Reno had never been a part of.

He smiled slightly and added, a complete after thought, “But if you want something made of coloured metal, I’d make an exception of my normal practices.”

Reno picked up another piece of fruit and ate it in response to Kenshin’s accepting his apology. He had spoken enough in the explaining of metals, so he returned to eating.

Watching Kenshin stand and cross to the wine he studied the movement in his normal way, taking in the practiced method to opening the bottle. He listened to Kenshin and accepted the glass as it was offered to him, holding it to the light as he examined it. Lowering it he let his eyes take in the reddish liquid more than the glass before he raised it to his nose and inhaled the scent of it. Satisfied, he took a sip, almost experimental, and then smiled slightly. “I think it’s hard to find two people who have the same appreciation for a bottle of wine. I likely do not share such a thing with you, but I do appreciate the time you took to choose it.”

He looked at Kenshin over his glass with a pleased look in his eyes as he took another sip. Lowering it to the table he kept his fingers naturally around the stem of the glass, holding it gently, “It suites me tastes better than other wines I’ve been invited to drink. But then I expected no less from you.”

[Kenshin]

Kenshin would hear the words but it was unlikely he would hold onto them this time or even ever. He tended to be wasteful with money unless he was out of it. He just couldn't hold onto it very well. And so, it was in his favor that he usually had plenty to go around. This was partly what had driven his decision to follow Armaris around. Armaris meant money and plenty of it.

He was actually humored by the momentary expression shift on Reno's face. He tried not to wear his humor too openly for worry that Reno might think he was laughing at him (which he wasn't). Instead he found sympathy in the expression. It was something he found kinship with, not because he was familiar with the topic but because he had wanted to wear a face like that on other topics at other times. It was just far too familiar. But he understood that he was speaking with a master of his craft and he knew nothing so it was natural that he would ask something that was bland or ordinary. He wondered how deeply one would have to delve into the craft with a question to ignite a spark of interest rather than a look of disdain.

And though the idea of putting Reno through some additional difficulty for his benefit amused him, he was more interested in seeing what sort of thing Reno conceived of with his own craft. The color was unimportant. He shook his head. "I was merely asking a question. It was a fleeting notion and by no means a request. Have you ever seen an Osai with a colored blade?" He paused with a light of amusement in his eyes then shook his head. "It is surely something that would get me laughed at. And while there are a great many things I will endure, publicly and privately, I don't like to be laughed at."

There was irony in this statement since the impostor who had taken his place had been known to bear a red sword, but 'red' could have been figurative such as 'drenched in blood'. Kenshin had never seen the blade so he had no way of knowing it had actually been red. If he had he would have used that as reason enough to know the man was a fake. What Osai would wield such a stupid looking blade.

Kenshin was likewise taking a sip of the wine. He would have been angry if it had not come out as he had intended and was pleased at how sweet the drink was. In his experience those who were not that familiar with wines tended to be put off by the tart, bitter or sour flavors that sometimes emerged in wines. This one was more of a dessert wine but would balance nicely with the foods he'd selected. It was all part of a complicated picture he was trying to build but had partly failed at since the fruits had been sitting out so long. But that didn't matter so much.

"I appreciate the vote of confidence." He said. "I don't know if I would have had such faith in my choices. I used to have someone else plan my meals when I was entertaining." He shrugged and reached to steal a piece of fruit from the tray.

It was then that he started to remember again what they had discussed earlier, and the purpose for this little meeting and he found himself wondering how that was going to work if at all. One thought was that he could hustle Reno onto the bed under the guise of offering a lesson, but that seemed a bit too heavy handed. He did not want to offend the man. Instead he decided it was probably more polite to work his way into it verbally since that allowed Reno more time to enjoy the wine and relax.

"So." Kenshin said, trying to avoid any smugness. "You asked for a lesson from me. My question from you is where would you like to begin? I could attempt to explain what I know, but since that is not the way I learned it I wouldn't expect that to be the best way to teach. Also I suppose it would be best to air out any questions or concerns you have--oh, that is what I am missing..."

He suddenly remembered something which caused him to drift out of what he had been talking about. He laughed and got up then hurried to one of the chests in the room which he opened. He withdrew writing implements and went to his desk.

He was still smiling as he used his ink to mark up a crude diagram.

"Forgive my feeble reproduction. I'm certain I could find you a better rendering of this concept somewhere else. It is kind of a vague representation of how to think about the body, and what supports it beneath the skin and how these things all pull together and affect the whole."

He continued to add to his sketch as he remembered things, but it was obvious that there were pieces he was forgetting. "My mother had something similar on a hide scroll of all things, horribly crude but it had survived several generations. She referred to it when she was looking to address specific problems. And this picture is by no means as accurate or as useful as what she had. That scroll contained generations worth of observations. It would not suprise me if my great great grandmother had held that very same scroll."

[Reno]

Actually pausing briefly to consider if he had ever seen an Osai with a coloured blade he shook his head slightly. “It’s the fact that the Osai have a high opinion of their weapons that has always made them worth dealing with, even when racial tensions run high.” He smirked slightly, “I’d laugh at an Osai wielding a coloured blade. Other than one black blade I’ve seen, I find coloured blades to be a stain on the trade.”

Glancing at the glass at his hand his mind trailed briefly, imagining what he could do with it. He considered a variety of charms, or ways of encasing parts of the glass in metal before his attention flickered up from it again to continue with what he wanted to say. “The sword I plan for you won’t be coloured,” Reno said with mild amusement at the idea, “I was thinking rather along the lines of a trinket of sorts with my offer. It is my specialty, though not the line of work you employ me for.”

It was due to his past and upbringing that despite changing to the field of jewellery Reno still made most of his living by making swords. Weaponry produced the majority of his money and so he couldn’t abandon it, which did have the benefit of keeping his skills at the ready. He did enjoy the detailing work of a blade and find much pleasure in restoration projects like the one he had preformed for Kenshin, but he would rather work as an artist designing things of beauty rather than use.

Raising his glass to his lips Reno took another sip as he considered the topic of the wine and meal in general. “I suppose if I did any entertaining I’d have my apprentice prepare the meals. He’d likely also be better at selecting wine than I.” With a small pause Reno looked at the liquid in his glass before continuing, “If I‘m careful it can be enjoyable, but it‘s often more of a hassle for me.”

At the mention of the lesson his eyes fell on Kenshin. They didn’t hold any excitement or amusement, or much of any emotion at all to indicate that he actually desired to do anything more than to sit and sip his glass of wine. He simply sat and listened, just as he had been before, but his attention was more direct.

As Kenshin began to draw at his desk Reno rose to stand next to him and examine the picture. He kept himself back enough that he wasn’t peering over Keshin’s shoulder as he worked, but it limited his ability to study the picture as it formed. His eyes trailed over the lines of the sketch where he could see them, his mind working to memorize every detail and apply it to previous knowledge.

“The old knowledge tends to be the greatest, even as we develop, it is both the foundation and at times the superior to what we have at present,” Reno replied before placing his hand on the desk and leaning forward. He sucked his lip ring into his mouth and nodded slightly, “I think I understand it.”

His eyes flickered sideways so that he was looking at Kenshin, “So we can move onto the lesson? You mentioned that you didn’t learn from explanation, so I would prefer that you teach me to the best of your ability. I imagine you learned through demonstration and practice then, no? So we should do that.”

“Is there anything you need me to remove?” Reaching behind him he pulled down the back of his shirt collar and turned slightly to expose the top of his back where three small, shiny bars of metal pierced the skin above his spine. “I wasn’t sure about these, for example.”

[Kenshin]

The Osai had no experience using his talents on someone with quite so many piercings. He considered it for a moment and then said. "Leave them as they are for now. If you should feel anything pinch or pull though, we can pause to adjust. It is not supposed to hurt and I believe I can adjust for your various embellishments. He was trying not to ponder Reno's form too intensely lest he stray off topic.

"You don't have anything that is not visible to the eye?" He inquired as he rose to his feet and gestured to the bed. He had no idea if the man might have metal embedded under his skin for some unknown reason. Reno would likely know if he had metal hidden under his skin but Kenshin did not want to find it by accident. "Take off your shirt so that I can see what is visible and then you are welcome to lay as you are most comfortable, front or back." With a chuckle he added. "We can flip you over later."

As Kenshin thought about it more he realized that there were some Osai who would probably refuse to touch a man with so many piercings. The presence of rings and bars under the skin would modify the effect of any touch. He was teaching though, and there was no reason to presume that there was not some benefit to the metals if he was careful and thought about it before applying pressure. He might be able to guess at whether something should be moved or removed but not before he had started.

He took a heavier swallow of wine, then set down his glass. He then moved into position to get started.

[Reno]

Reno let his hand fall away from the collar of his shirt and turned so he was facing the room, leaning slightly on the desk. He glanced down once more at the sketch as he listened to Kenshin. It was already in his memory, but it was worth taking it all in again to ensure he would remember it. At times Reno could be a dreadful person to teach, but when it came to remembering the information he was given he added serious effort to his natural talent at it.

At the question Reno shook his head, “No. I have never felt the need to wear any of that. Not to mention I hear it can be uncomfortable if done wrong.” Moving to his previous place rather than the bed Reno continued, “It’s useful if you are for some reason captured, as long as it’s a good enough job, but I have little need for that.” He paused and smirked, “Also it’s impractical when, like me, one has the habit of angering other Mea’lan who have this nasty little ability of pulling the metal out with ionic magic.”

He picked up his glass from where he had abandoned it, swished the liquid with a flick of his wrist and then finished it in one fluid motion. Then as instructed Reno pulled the tie that held his shirt together and shrugged his shoulders so the material dropped off them and slid down to his wrists. Removing the shirt completely he placed it over his chair and turned to Kenshin, quirking an eyebrow as he stood there a moment with his torso exposed.

Despite his arms and face, Reno’s tattoos were not so dense on his body as one might have expected. They continued in the swirling black patterns, flowing around his body to be broken by large patches of un-inked skin or in some places different designs. One particularly intricate design that came together to represent a storm curled around one side of his untouched abdomen to be broken off by the line of his pants it slipped under. Another, even more detailed design, ran up his side — a running horse followed by the scrawled words Lai-Vidia. On his back a flower bloomed on his shoulder blade to be encircled by the normal designs before they turned out and continued across his skin. The other side of his back was completely bare, his spine cutting it and leaving it empty.

Walking over to the bed Reno dropped onto it comfortably, laying on his stomach he crossed his arms and rested his head on them. Glancing at Kenshin he smirked slightly, “I’ve only had men ink my back, not my front, and though they normally have sharp needles and leave permanent marks on my skin, I’d say this is similar. So I'm comfortable like this, if it's fine by you.”