Abe no Seimei: Terra Ignota AU

[yinyangwizard]

The door opens on a gleaming city where the neon fires of commerce light curving metal walls, and flying cars dart through the air in a complicated dance. Crowds throng the streets, from booted Humanists and gentle Cousins to somber Masons and laughing Europeans.

Someone detaches themself from the crowd and slips through the door: a man, a Utopian, their eyes covered by a silvery vizor, their Griffincloth coat currently displaying a twilit, overgrown temple garden. A green sensayer's scarf winds loosely around their neck.¹ They quietly but firmly shut the door, cutting off the sights and sounds of the city.

(On the Griffincloth coat coat, a three-tailed kitsune emerges from behind a tree, sniffs the air, twitches its tails, and bounds off out of sight.)

"Ah! What a welcome surprise! And fortunate too: I need some new material." The Utopian reaches into their coat and pulls out a small notebook and pen, so they can sketch anyone particularly interesting for possible later use in one of their books.

(They might be sketching you.)

¹For a more in-depth description of Abe no Seimei Akira Miyazaki's outfit, please see his profile.

Comments

[thewidewideworld]

There's a young man sitting by the fire, a notebook open on his knees. He taps out a tune as he scribes down musical notations. He hums aloud, eyes closed as he finds the right sounds.

He's too preoccupied to notice if he's being drawn.

[yinyangwizard]

He is! The pale young man looks like a classic melancholy poet. Miyazaki (for that is the name of the fellow in the strange coat) can't help but draw him.

(He may be at it a while: he wants to get it right.)

[thewidewideworld]

Sin lifts his voice in a soaring series of notes, frowning and shaking his head before erasing the notes and trying again.

After half an hour or so, he shakes his head. He needs coffee. Something to keep him sharp. He looks around, spotting the strangely dressed individual and nodding politely.

[yinyangwizard]

Miyazaki stopped sketching a while ago, to listen to the young man sing. He's a little embarrassed to be suddenly noticed like this, and he smiles and nods back awkwardly.

(His coat is in full night now, displaying a small shrine lit by stone lanterns.)

[thewidewideworld]

Sin sets his notations aside and orders a coffee. Rather strong coffee ordered in fluent Italian.

He pauses to admire the coat. "How very beautiful."

[yinyangwizard]

"Oh." Miyazaki smiles. "Thank you! All my people have our utopias - our imaginary worlds - and this is mine."

Some utopias transform the world around them into starbases or undersea castles or buildings made of clouds. Others, like Miyazaki's, make no reference to his surroundings at all.

[thewidewideworld]

"How wonderful, a world of your own." He notices the sketch, tucking his curls back. "Your art is beautiful. I can't speak well of the subject though." He smiles self-deprecatingly.

[yinyangwizard]

"I would not sketch you if you were not interesting," Miyazaki says. "Sitting there in contemplation as you were, you looked like a classic poet."

[thewidewideworld]

"Frustrated composer might be more apt." He smiles but accepts the complement with a graceful bow. "But thank you."

[yinyangwizard]

"Ah, there are few things more frustrating than writer's block! What are you trying to compose?"

[thewidewideworld]

"I'm meant to be working on my end of year composition but it doesn't feel right tonight." He pushes his golden mane back, frustrated with himself.

[yinyangwizard]

"One of my bash'mates says that when they need inspiration, they go out walking in nature, and often discover the rhythm or melody they need in birdsong or the rustle of wind in the leaves," Miyazaki says. "At the very least, it may help you to relax while your subconscious works on the problem."

[thewidewideworld]

"What a wonderful idea." Sin smiles. "I've been told there's quite a lovely forest here. I'm from a large city. Not a lot of nature to be found nearby.

[yinyangwizard]

"Oh, yes, quite a forest! And beautiful gardens and a lake." Miyazaki claps their hands together. "Would you join me for a walk? I will be happy to show you the grounds."

[thewidewideworld]

Sin beams brightly. "I would be very grateful, thank you! Just give me a moment." He tidies his papers, packing everything back into a battered backpack which the bar stashes for him.

"I'm Sin, by the way."

[yinyangwizard]

Miyazaki bows. "Akira Miyazaki. Pleased to meet you! Oh, you're in for a treat. Be ready to climb some hills though..." Miyazaki heads to be back door and opens it for Sin.

[thewidewideworld]

"A pleasure to meet you." Sin smiles, following him outside. He takes in the view of gardens and lake with a soft gasp of joy. "The air is so clean." Not that Florance is that polluted but still. He turns his face up to the sunlight, eyes closed and smiling radiantly.

[yinyangwizard]

Miyazaki considers adjusting their coat, since the coat is supposed to sync to local time, but elects not to. Instead they survey the gardens, trying to decide where to take Sinric first.

[thewidewideworld]

"It's so wonderfully green." He smiles, looking out across the gardens. "Is the lake safe to swim in?"

[yinyangwizard]

"Oh yes. There are a pair of giant squid in the water, but they don't do anyone any harm." Miyazaki sets off for a nearby flowering tree, where bees are gathering honey from the blossoms. Bees are interesting!

[thewidewideworld]

Sin doesn't yet know the concept of Shinrin-yoku but he feels it. The refreshing joy of nature. He follows gladly, watching the joy the bees bring Miyazaki.

[yinyangwizard]

"Humans in my world live in Hives, like these bees," Miyazaki says. "By choice, not by accident of birth. Although some remain Hiveless, like one of my bash'mates."

It's useful when one's profession is resolving disputes between different Hives.

[thewidewideworld]

"Really?" Sin brightens with curiosity. "As a cohesive whole with a leader, as bees do?"

[yinyangwizard]

"It depends on the Hive," Miyazaki says, backing away for a bee taking off. "The Masons have an Emperor: the Mitsubishi are organized as a corporation. The Cousins still have a chairperson and Trustee board as they did when they were a charity. We Utopians have the Constellations, specialized decision-making networks that arise organically."

Miyazaki starts wandering towards some beds of fragrant herbs. The scene on their coat is now a riverside village, quiet for the night, lit by lanterns and torches.

"Each of the seven Hives, plus the Hiveless, are governed by the Senate in Romanova, which deals with global issues and universal laws."

[thewidewideworld]

"You mentioned bash'mates? That's your family?"