2026-05-31: The Aesthetics of a Ninja
- Log: 2026-05-31 The Aesthetics of a Ninja
- Cast: Kurou Ryouhara, Ren Amamiya
- Where: Shibuya, Tokyo
- OOC Date: May 31, 2026
- IC Date: Saturday, November 17, 2012
- Summary: One Saturday evening, Kurou invites Ren over for the tea he promised them. Ren decides to take him up on it, and both of them learn a little more about the other.
<Pose Tracker> Kurou Ryouhara has posed.
It has been a slow process to acclimate to the living space, receiving a number, and being encouraged by the two 'adults' in his life (who are both only two years his elder) for Kurou to ease into a sense that certain entirely conventional behaviors are sanctioned concepts. They still do not always come naturally, but tea being owed keeps the thought swirling in Kurou's mind until, one calm Saturday, he texts Ren to invite them over for tea in the evening.
He does mention that Akabane-san will be out, which perhaps reassures that Shiryuu may also not be there to complicate matters. Granted, with ninja, one can never be too sure.
Kurou has his own Saturday errands, but being out ensures he can pick up the right sweets pairings before he returns. He has more than enough time to make sure the available space of Umie's apartment is cleaned and primed for rest instead of crafts, and that the kitchen is prepared with all the tools he will need... including making sure that his own treasured stash of matcha has not, somehow, misplaced itself.
(With ninja, one can never be too sure.)
When Ren arrives, Kurou greets them with a bow.
"Welcome. Please feel free to sit anywhere you like."
Which is a genuine statement, if Ren should find draping over a couch to be their preference. But that being said, it's the coffee table that has been prepared with a tablecloth and features a wooden box of nerikiri confections that seems intended for seating.
"I will begin preparing tea, if you like."
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Even though they themself set up the possibility, it's a weird thing for Ren to get invited by Kurou to tea. When the text comes in as they're heading home from the half-day at school, it comes in, and they give serious consideration to saying they're already busy. It's even true; setting aside an afternoon hang-out with Minako, today's their laundry day now. Ultimately, they decide to get it out of the way early and accept.
Keeping an eye on the Ryouharas is an important job for them now. It's not one they could just offload onto someone else, either.
So, with that coldly analytical approach in mind, Ren heads over to Umie's place later in the evening, bathed (because the laundry room is right next to the bathhouse) and clad in freshly clean clothes. They're let in, and they return Kurou's bow with one of their own.
"Thanks," they say, and walk inside. Draping over the couch would be funny, but they opt to follow the unspoken prompts and sit before the coffee table.
"Please," they prompt back, looking over at Kurou. It might have been a cold analysis that prompted them to come here, but they are genuinely interested in trying his tea. He loves hot drinks so much, they actually want to experience one that he makes himself. What will that reveal about him that his inexpressive face doesn't?
<Pose Tracker> Kurou Ryouhara has posed.
With Phantom Thieves, one can also never be sure. But that's not something Kurou has on the forefront of his mind, even if Ren might be a fan. Akabane-san has stressed the importance of keeping Ren out of supernatural problems, and Kurou intends to assist her, if possible, in keeping that from ever having to be Ren's problem.
But tonight is about tea, which is the opposite of danger.
Kurou's face is as stoic as ever, but Ren's prompt puts a now not too unusual sparkle in Kurou's eyes before he moves to the kitchen. All he means to do there is boil the water. If Ren is interested in the process, then Kurou sees no need to hide it. Seated at the coffee table, and in focused silence Kurou tasks precisely to his task:
To soak the whisk, measure and sieve the powder and whisk it into a gentle green froth. A tranquility settles over him as he absorbs himself in it.
For better or worse, the idea of an awkward silence is not something that exists in Kurou's concept of reality.
He pours the tea in a pair of traditional tall cups, but unlike poor Shiryuu, Ren does not have to see Kurou take a chipped one for himself. Neither cup is chipped! Truly, living conditions have improved.
"There are many varieties," he finally says as he serves Ren their cup. "Usually depending on the age of the leaves and the shade they are grown under. This is matcha... where shaded leaves have been ground into fine powder, mixed in rather than steeped. I hope you find the taste to your liking."
He glances to the nerikiri. "The sweets are traditional in tea ceremony. ... But... I confess I mainly enjoy their aesthetic."
They are joyfully vivid in their autumn leaf and flower shapes, appropriate to the season.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Tea is the opposite of danger, true... unless, of course, one were to posture about it as a way of showing off how smart and cultured one is. Yes, it truly is dangerous to get subjected to a tea-pose for dominance.
However, Kurou and Ren continue to have a lot in common. They don't mind silence either, and watch Kurou attend to his tea-making in interest without a need to fill the air with chatter. They see that sparkle and they see that tranquility, and they don't smile, but they do relax some afterwards.
They accept the non-chipped cup with both hands, then takes a slow, measured sip. They do at least know that there's lots of different kinds of tea, and surely everyone knows matcha is tea leaves ground into a powder and mixed with hot water, but they didn't know that matcha tea leaves grow in shade.
"It's earthy. And grassy." In other words, a fine and normal matcha. "It's good." They set the cup down with care and follows Kurou's glance to the nerikiri. "They do look cute," they agree, and reaches out to pick one of the red leaf-shaped sweets. It is, as nerikiri usually is, beautifully formed. They nibble a corner, loathe to mar it too much too soon, and its subtle sweetness is a fine complement to the bitterness of the tea.
"How did you get into preparing tea?" they wonder, looking back at Kurou. It doesn't seem weird to them that an actual ninja would be into it, but it's such a... wholesome pastime. Maybe that's giving him too little credit, though.
<Pose Tracker> Kurou Ryouhara has posed.
Tea could also be poisoned, a maternal voice in Kurou's head might try to remind him if he was not too busy thinking about how delicious tea is. Poison would ruin the flavor profile. But to tea-pose for dominance...
Perhaps even Kurou would not be prepared.
Kurou takes a long sip of his own cup, breathing in to smell it. Instead of setting his tea cup down, he presses the warm edge of it against his collar bone, slightly against his shoulder.
Earthy and grassy. Slightly bitter, but smoothly balanced. Kurou's gaze remains bright. Exactly as tea should be. And nerikiri! Which should be... cute? Kurou picks one up and inspects it, nodding slowly with Ren's assessment.
"Cute..."
Yes, nerikiri, like umbrellas, is 'cute'. He is listening and he is learning.
With the question, Kurou pauses, considering. Akabane had touched on something similar. It should be an easy question to answer, and yet there is a struggle in being entirely sure of his true motivations.
"... I do not quite remember when it began. My mother had an affinity for herbal teas. Her gardens and her way of mixing them was a different practice than this, but... I..." He looks down into the frothy, green surface of the cup. "...Missed the warmth, I think."
He refocuses back on Ren. "Or perhaps it was merely an animal urge. Preparing and drinking a cup made me feel better than I did the moment before. So I continued."
Especially in those times moments felt unwell, but he needn't dump that on Ren here and now.
"I wanted to make sure I was doing it correctly. Though... there is no truly 'perfect' variety and method... But that is a valuable discovery, too."
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Cute, after all, is a positive statement on something's aesthetics, and isn't that why Kurou likes them?
Ren observes his reaction too. Some boys dislike being described, even indirectly, as cute, but he doesn't seem bothered. Of course, it's hard to tell for sure when it comes to him, but there aren't any subtle cues Ren can pick up on either.
Instead, he answers the question. Therein is a subtle cue--the way he looks down at his tea when he speaks of the warmth he missed. "..."
Of course, Kurou suggests maybe it's just not that deep, but Ren's not inclined to believe that, even if they think Kurou is being sincere. They wonder how often he's been encouraged to grapple with and examine his own feelings.
"Perfection is overrated," they reply in roundabout agreement to Kurou's discovery. "Everyone's got their own individual tastes." You can't hope to make something that will appeal to absolutely everyone without fail.
More importantly, though...
"...Is it okay if I ask where your mom is now?"
When it comes to damaged children, it always comes down to the parents, doesn't it...?
<Pose Tracker> Kurou Ryouhara has posed.
Kurou is someone who clearly puts effort towards aesthetics. He has preferences. He paints his nails, and he dyes his hair, and he explores the idea. But it is still an uncertain area. 'Cute' is a curious word that seems to have a broad application, but Kurou feels like he's getting it. He continues to inspect his cute food, and then, satisfied with this new data point, he eats it.
Then he pauses, tapping a finger to his lips.
"... Hm. The bunny style was also 'cute'... But I did not like the idea of eating it."
It isn't as if Kurou wouldn't eat rabbit meat. What a strange idea it is, that food could be made to look too cute.
"Perhaps," Kurou notes of perfection in turn with his own gravity. "But... the pursuit of it is what led me to understand so many different facets of the plant and how it is grown and harvested... the history of its cultivation, and methods it is brewed with. I do not regret the misconception."
Ren may wonder about Kurou's emotional practice, but they probably already know the partial answer in their heart: not very often.
Kurou takes another savoring sip as Ren asks after his mother. He does not hesitate in his answer, and his usual stoicism masks any sorrow or bitterness that one might expect for his answer.
"Konan detention center."
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
'Cute' is also different from 'cool,' like the difference between 'cute' and 'beautiful' or even 'voluptuous.' They're both positive words that comment on an aesthetic, but they have wildly different connotations.
Kurou might be one who puts effort towards making himself more aesthetically pleasing, but that doesn't necessarily mean he'd be pleased by 'cuteness.' One more thing Ren's learned about him--especially when he remarks on the bunny style.
It's weird. Ren gets it, though. It's not too different from why they chose to nibble on their nerikiri rather than take a bigger bite.
And yeah. 'Not very often' is the obvious answer, isn't it?
"You like to learn, huh?" Ren remarks. Me too, they keep to themself. "It sounds like all of it made for a valuable lesson."
Kurou sips his tea; despite this, he doesn't hesitate to answer. Something flickers in Ren's eyes.
"...I see." They pick their cup up again, but don't yet drink. "How did that happen?"
Which, Kurou may or may not note, is a different question from 'What did she do?' or even 'What is she in for?'
<Pose Tracker> Kurou Ryouhara has posed.
'Cute' is complicated enough. Kurou might not be able to handle unpacking 'cool' and 'beautiful' yet, let alone 'voluptuous'. As for which Kurou prefers... he remains someone difficult to read, but that may well be in part because there's nothing yet on the page.
What is easier to read are his eyes, ever a small window into the rest of him despite the lack of -- the struggle with? -- anything else. Attentiveness shines at the idea of learning. He nods.
"It is why even though exams are an imperfect measure of knowledge, I still enjoy the opportunity to attempt their mastery." Perfection may well be overrated if a perfect score on an exam does not actually mean perfect knowledge. But it does mean some knowledge, at least. And what more could Kurou ask for?
(A lot, probably!)
Kurou watches Ren as they respond, though not with any expectation. It is a subject that has seen a number of different responses... most of them careful, or pitying, but some of them more caustic.
After all, someone who is imprisoned must deserve it. That is how everyone is taught.
... Ren does not say any of that.
What Ren asks is a much easier question to answer. The full, detailed truth is one shrouded in Ryouhara secrets and forbidden-by-Akabane supernatural elements, but the full, detailed truth is not necessary for understanding. There is a more distilled and simple truth that Kurou knew as his own reality for too long for it not to come easily to his tongue.
"I was badly hurt when I was young." Not just him, but Ren does not need that story -- Ren cannot have that story. The way Kurou rests his cup against his collar becomes a firm press. "She was blamed for the incident, and I was put into the care of those responsible."
He pauses, breathing out, and letting his shoulders settle.
"But now I am here."
In Umie's apartment, with masks to paint, tea to drink, and... warmth.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
It means perfect knowledge of what's asked on the exam, at least. That's something, though while Ren loves to learn, they value the marks on a piece of paper much less. ...Well, until recently. Until they got people they wanted to impress with their grades. But that's another matter entirely.
"You like perfection and mastery too," Ren observes, on the matter at hand. "Even if it's just striving for it."
They can respect that. Often times, the journey's worth more than the destination. Having a goal to work towards is valuable, but being willing to work for it in the first place is what gets you there at all.
When Kurou answers about how his mother was incarcerated, though, Ren's gaze flicks towards the cup he holds to his collar and the pressure Kurou's added to it. "...That must've been incredibly hard on you," they murmur with muted horror.
Now Ren understands Kurou's reactions when they spoke about the Phantom Thieves over in Leblanc--why he implied he was much the same as Akechi in the sense that changing someone's heart to make them repent is, to him, a punishment for the victim and not the perpetrator. Why Umie couldn't say no to taking him in.
It may be just a simple, distilled version of the truth, but it's that simplicity that lets it cut to the emotional core.
"Does making tea make you feel closer to your mom while she can't be with you?" they wonder. Here in Umie's apartment, where he can pretend to be a normal boy and do things simply because he enjoys them, there must be a certain freedom.
<Pose Tracker> Kurou Ryouhara has posed.
Sometimes there's stickers!
(Kurou gives himself the stickers.)
"That is true," Kurou confirms, but then considers. This is like the coffee... Where Ren asked questions and listened, but did not speak much. Conversation, even so simple as this, is not as easy as it seems. His brow furrows a touch.
"... What about you?" he ventures, unsure if this is sufficient to invite Ren to speak, if they wish. "You have no need of perfection, but still have interesting pursuits and strong competency in them."
A more serious conversation is easier to navigate only by it being one of the few times Kurou's feelings are clear and easy to grasp, and the path forward looks so simple. But the words have to be chosen carefully.
"Yes," he agrees instead, simple and true, and with no concern that it could make him seem weaker to acknowledge. "Yet I know I am luckier than many have been. I try not to squander that."
Whatever may have happened to him, he was still someone present for it to happen to.
Kurou sets the cup down to the table as Ren proposes a curious theory, tea only half drunk. If he drinks the rest, the cup will lose its temperature. He will wait a little longer, then enjoy the rest before it fully loses its pleasant warmth.
"... I wonder," he says aloud himself in speculation, as if Kurou were not any more an expert on his own heart than Ren could be. It's so difficult to think why he likes things. Why did he pick the green umbrella? Why did he want a dark red blanket? Why does he often default to blue when he can't think of what to paint his nails?
Why does he like making tea?
"Do you have a reason you like making coffee?"
He means to word it so Ren can say 'yes' or 'no', but not offer the reason, if they don't want to. That most people would assume elaboration is implied is lost on Kurou.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
It is like the coffee, but this kind of behavior is normal for Ren, especially when interacting with people they still don't know well. It speaks to Kurou's desire to make a genuine connection that he does his best to reach out in return all the same. Some people accept Ren's interest with grace but without reciprocation.
Ren gives Kurou a subdued but sincere smile at his counter-observation, at least. "Thanks."
...But that's still a one-word response. Insufficient after all.
Their gaze is still sympathetic, but when Kurou speaks of not squandering his better-than-some fortune, they nod once and don't press, even though there's a shadow in their eyes. They know well what it's like to suffer but not want to go on and on about it. Hell, by comparison, Ren could say that they've had it easier than Kurou in turn. It doesn't erase either of their pain, but... there's no sense in wallowing in it, either. If Kurou tries to count his blessings, that's a good thing.
Ren's just not confident that this is keeping him from continuing to suffer at someone else's hands.
Kurou doesn't give a proper response to the last question--but whether it's because he really doesn't know or he's trying to deflect (like Ren would), it's understandable. Ren would be slow to admit to something that personal to someone they're still getting to know, even if they do like them. They let it lie for now and finally sip their tea, whose warmth has slowly been leeching into their hands.
Why do they like coffee, though? (That isn't how Kurou phrased it. Ren did hear that. This is something they think on, though.)
"It smells good," they reply, starting with the most simplistic answer. "I didn't start because I like it, though. It was something the Boss offered to teach me while I'm there. I've gotten to like it more and more since."
Deeper than that... maybe it was a way to feel like they weren't just a grudgingly-tolerated burden while living in Leblanc's attic. To feel like they're learning a craft and contributing to the place--that they're wanted. Not just a convict to be shoved in a corner where no one can see them, much less be disappointed in them.
But that's their own damage speaking, and Ren is never quick to give it a voice.
<Pose Tracker> Kurou Ryouhara has posed.
Not the expected -- hoped for? -- result, and yet... a single word response is a perfectly acceptable one to give. Kurou considers how it isn't even a confirmation if Ren agrees with his assessment... But also considers that Ren probably would have said if Ren had wanted to say it.
He does not attempt to pry. Patience is necessary to learn, and he is not in a circumstance of trying to learn more than he is given. ... Hm. There's a freedom in that, too.
Freedom has been a precious little thing from the sound of it, after all.
Kurou's belief in his own fortune is genuine, and not to dismiss the darkness in Ren's eyes. There is no easy way to dismiss the reality that is being acknowledged, Especially if there is any empathy in that gaze, and not merely sympathy.
The world is unkind to many people. You never know what someone sitting across from you has been through.
For now, there are things to be curious about instead of wallowing too far into the past. Why make tea? Why make coffee? Do most people have a reason? Do most people know that reason?
Coffee smells good.
"An animal urge," he echoes quietly of his own reasoning from before.
But Kurou's eyes make another of their subtle shifts, his pupils a little larger and puppy-like as he remembers the coffee from the cafe. Coffee does smell good... Wait. Why do the two of them think it smells good? How far does this rabbit hole go...?
That aside, Ren started because the 'Boss' showed them...
"... Knowledge is built on the knowledge that came before. Perhaps liking is built on the liking from before. I only tried coffee that I learned I liked the smell of because you liked making it."
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Unbeknownst to Kurou, to Ren, it is a confirmation. Kurou said it so eloquently, to the point that they felt a little seen; what else is there to add? ...That's how communication can fail sometimes, though. Still, it's a miscommunication without stakes. The next time they talk, maybe it can come up then--and even if not, there are other things to talk about as the two of them continue to get to know each other better.
That's friendship--for better or worse, considering their respective loyalties.
Ren breathes something like a laugh when Kurou echoes about animal urges. "Which isn't a bad thing," they reply.
Sometimes people just think things are neat. Something of that is there in the way Kurou's pupils eyes grow--setting aside any rabbit holes.
"That's true," Ren replies. Lots of people get into things because people around them liked it first. That can be how popularity grows; you hear about it, you grow curious, you check it out, and you fall in love too. Alternately, someone close to you infects you with their passion and spreads that love to you. At the same time-- "It was your choice to come by Leblanc, though. If you hadn't chosen to do that, you wouldn't have smelled that coffee and decided you liked it," Ren points out. "There's some of both in liking, I think."
Everyone has their own preferences. Sometimes those preferences can expand as people interact with new people and try new things, but sometimes they don't, and that's fine too.
Their tea has cooled to pleasantly warm by now. They take another nibble of their nerikiri and chase it with a longer, deeper sip, this time with a greater appreciation of how and why it means so much to Kurou.
"...It's funny," they muse aloud. "Knowing why the tea means so much to you makes it taste better somehow."
<Pose Tracker> Kurou Ryouhara has posed.
Fortunately, Kurou is going to continue to believe it either way. But perhaps it is these little hiccups that will teach Kurou that friendship, or whatever this qualifies as, does not need to be perfect, either... a connection, like tea, is worthwhile, as long as you like it.
Ren breathes an almost kind of laugh, and Kurou straightens some, attention perked by their amusement.
"It is not," he agrees. "We should not forget we are capable of such simple joys."
If it really were only the smell of coffee that Ren liked, what could possibly be wrong with that? He starts to bring his cup to his lips before his eyes alight with brief realization.
"Oh. Poison detection."
Then he continues as to sip his tea, as if that thought made any sense in the continuity of their conversation. That's why they like the smell. Coffee isn't poison. It makes perfect sense to Kurou now.
Kurou's choice... He nods slowly in acknowledgment of that. "Hm. I cannot deny those factors." He looks to his own nails thoughtfully, running his thumb's against his index finger's, and glances toward Ren's fingers. Even if there is not polish now, sometimes Ren wears it.
"... And there are still things we like that we are not expected to like."
It was that unexpected draw they both shared that saw them speaking to each other on friendly terms in the first place.
But for the tea to taste even better now...
Kurou stops, looking to Ren, and there is a subtle glossy glitter in his eyes that his face still fails to match. Words fail him for long enough that he gives up on finding them, happy to drink tea together in silence for the moment.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Whatever this qualifies as, yes.
Ren makes a small noise of counter-agreement on the matter of simple joys. It ascends into a questioning noise at--Poison detection?--but never evolves into an outright question. They weren't expecting that seemingly out-of-nowhere comment, but seeing Kurou bring the cup close to his nose and then suddenly say that, they can piece together why: in smelling his tea, the ninja realized why someone might like the smell of a drink.
It's absolutely not and never was a factor in why Ren likes the smell of coffee, but they're not going to push the point. For one, they're not supposed to know he's a ninja, and it's better for both of them if Kurou "successfully" maintains the effort to keep it a secret.
Instead, they follow Kurou's gaze down to his painted nails. Ren's nails are indeed painted today: the usual black, and a perhaps more unusual starry glitter coat overtop. They smile crookedly in acknowledgement and nod once. "But that's who we are," they conclude.
Anyone who doesn't like it can get over themselves.
As Ren moves to sip again, they catch the way Kurou stops and stares at them. He doesn't say anything, but his eyes shine, and it seems clear to Ren why, given their remark just now about the tea tasting better. They can all but see a trio of musical notes erupt from his head, grinning their way past to signal how much of the right thing they just said to him was. And, for all that Ren accepted this hang-out as part of an ongoing effort to monitor someone who's antagonized the Phantom Thieves... they're kind of happy about it.
Despite what he helped do to another dear friend of theirs, maybe Ren and Kurou are starting to become friends for real.
...Well, if so, it wouldn't be the first time they've befriended an enemy. Ren mulls on that as the two savor their tea and the companionable silence.