[ic] as i walk through the valley where i harvest my grain

[pancakeboy]

They don't have time to hang around the Dojima house till the kids deign to return. So eventually Akechi sends Hawk a text, as you do.

Hello, Hawk. Are Akira-kun and Moth with you?

Comments

[aspiringhero]

[ Yes, but one of the rulebooks was right. Or maybe neither one was right? But they weren't both right, because they said opposite things. He frowns up at Magpie in confusion. ]

How are they relative?

[pancakeboy]

Each of you thought you were right. [They're just turning the corner, towards the glowing blue door.]

And, of course, that the other was wrong. So from your perspective, you were right, and Akira-kun was wrong. But what did Akira-kun think?

[aspiringhero]

He thought I was wrong and he was right. [ It was easy to see that. ] But that's because... because he was wrong. But Crow didn't think so.

[pancakeboy]

And does Crow make the rules? [He gets the Velvet Room door for Hawk.]

Or do you have your own rules, in your heart and your head?

[aspiringhero]

[ Goro bites his lip.

The rules are there and you follow them, or you don't, and either way that's what the rules are. Even when it's the rules of right and wrong. His own rules?? That doesn't make sense at all, but it's obviously what Magpie, the only adult present, wants him to say.

A month or two ago, he would have just said it. He isn't quite brave enough to say, Crow makes the rules, but his silence is still progress. ]

[pancakeboy]

[They pass through the Velvet Room. Akechi offers Igor a bit of a glare, as they go; he has never got a coherent word out of ... whatever he is. They head for the Tokyo door.]

Think of the bookshop. [The big one in Shibuya, that looks like a sugar cube and is surrounded by trees.]

[aspiringhero]

Okay. [ That's less confusing and he's used to doing it, so he's relieved. He squints in concentration as he pictures the bookshop with all his might...! ]

[pancakeboy]

[He does the same, intense and determined to make the damn place be where he wants it. And when they open the door, there it is—a big, textured white building, strangely surrounded by trees and grass. He breaks into a smile.]

There we are. Good work. [It's safe for Hawk to run ahead, if he wants to.]

[aspiringhero]

[ His eyes shine at the praise! He beams up at Magpie for a second, confusing talk all but forgotten. But he doesn't run ahead, or at least not yet. ]

What book do you want? Like. What kind?

[pancakeboy]

[Oh, look at that. He's pretty sure he never smiled like that; it's unfair as hell.]

Something interesting. [He always says this, though anything really interesting to him won't be found in a bookshop.] Politics or history, maybe. Or a cookbook, perhaps. I have time.

[Or a novel; there are still mysteries he hasn't read. They cross the barely-trafficked road, taking the path up to the bookshop door.]

[aspiringhero]

[ Politics and history are so... grown up. But the cookbook interests Goro some. ]

Crow cooks yummy food. Can you cook too? Will I when I'm big?

[pancakeboy]

[Shit, he should have known better than to invite that question.]

I've never learned. Been too busy. [He gets the door, again, for Hawk.]

[aspiringhero]

Thank you. [ His mom taught him manners! When he was younger. She doesn't care as much anymore. His face falls for a second, but the sight of all the books lifts his spirits again. ]

Is that why you want a cookbook? To learn?

[pancakeboy]

[He watches the kid's face fall, but doesn't comment as they head inside.]

Pretty much. Like you say, Crow can do it, which is a bit of a pain. As for what you'll do when you're older... that will be up to you.

[The shop opens up around them—oceans of books that he mostly can't read. Though it's much better than it was.] So, where first?

[aspiringhero]

[ He thinks for a second. ]

I wanna read about Robin Hood. [ He pronounces the name carefully. ]

[pancakeboy]

[His face does that thing where it loses all its expression. Hawk is probably quite used to it by now.] You do?

Who's been talking to you about him? [He makes a turn towards the myths and legends section, nonetheless.]

[aspiringhero]

Aki-chan. [ That might not be the answer Magpie expects. ] He sounded cool.

[ The myths and legends section has a lot of giant books. Goro stares at them as he passes, impressed. ]

[pancakeboy]

[So the question becomes... who's been talking to Akira about Robin Hood? Crow, most likely. Or Raven. They do go in for bedtime stories. Maybe Hawk can be derailed?... But he knows his kid self, and knows this isn't quite a friendly act.]

What about King Arthur and the Round Table, have you heard of him? The two often go together.

[Lots of the books are quite large, and beautifully detailed. Even if he can't read them, he can see the pictures on their spines, and the covers of the ones on display.]

[aspiringhero]

[ Goro's eyes linger on the prettiest books, but he's paying attention to Magpie. ]

Why does he have a round table?

[pancakeboy]

Equality. [He makes guesses as to the contents of the books—Japanese myth, Greek, Norse. His eye rests on an image of someone dressed in green with a bow, which still has the power to amuse him.]

He called knights to serve him, and chose a round table so none of them would think they were more important than any other. It didn't work too well, as I recall.

[aspiringhero]

Ohh... [ But actually, that just raises another question. ] Why would the knights think they're more important than each other if he had a normal table?

[pancakeboy]

Often, when a table has long and short sides, the most important person is seated at the top, yes? But a round table has no sides. I presume the king didn't sit at the table.

[One of the books has someone in an inaccurate horned helmet; he considers it. But Hawk will ask, and they'll get on to Loki, and it will be a whole thing. He gets the unspoken impression that someone in his head thinks he's a coward; well, let him.]

[aspiringhero]

[ Goro nods seriously. He breaks into a big smile upon seeing a picture of a big, fierce sea serpent, but then they've passed that book as well and he looks thoughtful again. ]

But how do you know which short side of the table is the top? Where the important person is?

[pancakeboy]

Good question. I guess because it's the side with the best chair. A king would have a throne, for instance. Even in a conference room, you'll see better chairs for the important people.

[Really! It's so pretentious, he thinks—at the same time as he thinks he deserves the better chair.]

Did you see something you liked? [He stops; he noticed the smile.]

[aspiringhero]

The snake. [ He points. No snake-related news has reached his ears, thankfully. But he's distracted; he wears the focused little frown of a six-year-old who is piecing things together. ]

Then. If the good chair is the important person place. Couldn't knights get good chairs for the round table?