dancing in the flames

[bakegarasu]

Who: Otoha and Minato.
Where: The Welcoming Committee building.
When: Just before sundown.
Status: Closed.

[It occurred to Otoha that he should check in with someone on the Defense Force. It wasn't like he was a regular member - he had made it relatively clear that he wanted to be one of the members that was more on 'reserve'. After all, he had his own patrols, and patrolling with a partner would just slow him down.]

[So it's with this thought in mind that Otoha knocks on the door of the Welcoming Committee building and pokes his head inside, looking for Minato.]

Comments

[messianic]

[Minato doesn't notice someone poking his head in, not at first; his head is bent over paperwork--

...actually it looks like his head is awfully close to the desk.

Closer inspection will reveal that he is, in fact, asleep on his paperwork.

yep way to go, leaderboy.]

[bakegarasu]

[... Otoha holds back his laughter, and takes off his coat, draping it over Minato. He can come back later, but it won't do for him to be cold while asleep. He turns to leave.]

[messianic]

[...ah...that wakes him up.

He blinks blearily, having already been stirring, and fingers the coat that appeared out of nowhere.

And, sleepily--]

Otoha-san...?

[bakegarasu]

... Oh. I didn't mean to wake you up. But yeah, it's me.

[messianic]

[He shakes his head quickly.]

Oh, no, it's fine. I shouldn't have been sleeping anyway...

Can I help you with something?

[bakegarasu]

... Thought I'd check in. I've been patrolling, even though I'm not on regular patrols. This place is a lot quieter than I'm used to. No nightly stabbings.

[Was that a joke? Maybe. Possibly. ... Probably not.]

[messianic]

[...ah.

He'll just.

Ask.]

...Is that so? I hope you won't be too bored then. This place isn't very exciting compared to your home, it sounds like.

[bakegarasu]

It's a good kind of boring. It just leaves me with too much time on my hands. Hence the bar... which is also pretty slow.

[messianic]

[...ah.]

I'm underaged, but maybe I can come visit you there sometimes anyway.

Just to chat.

[bakegarasu]

Someone's already requested that I start carrying drinks that aren't alcoholic, too, so I think it'll be fine. But feel free to drop by anyway.

[messianic]

I will then.

[It's a protag promise aww yeah.]

How have you been?

[bakegarasu]

I've been fine. It's been strange here for me... I'm still not sure how to live a more or less 'normal' life.

[messianic]

It's never too late to try and start, is it?

Mostly you should enjoy yourself. Meet new people.

Smile.

[LINEFACE.]

[bakegarasu]

[What is smiling.]

I've met a lot of new people here. It's just hard to believe they're not trying to kill me. Or arrest me.

[messianic]

...I promise they're not, Otaha-san.

You're safe here.

[bakegarasu]

I know that. It's just a hard habit to break.

[messianic]

...Have you been chased much, throughout your life?

[bakegarasu]

When you grow up in the Yakuza it's just part of life. Police chasing you, members of rival groups chasing you...

[He shrugs, unconcerned.]

[messianic]

[...blink. Blink.]

The Yakuza...? Really?

[bakegarasu]

Yeah. My father was the head of the local group. He and his other members raised me as a hitman.

[messianic]

[He nods slowly at that, considering.]

I see. So you've been doing this for a long time.

[bakegarasu]

[He nods in return.]

It was the only life I knew, until recently before I got here. Killing is just... what I'm good at.

[messianic]

[Hmmm.]

Well, it can be one thing you're good at. Is there anything else?

[bakegarasu]

I'm fast. And I seem to have a good memory for drink recipes.

[messianic]

Ah...drink recipes, huh?

Well...what about other recipes? Have you tried cooking?

[bakegarasu]

I'm not that good at cooking. I usually end up burning both the food and myself without noticing.

[messianic]

[oh...]

Baking...?

[bakegarasu]

Same problem.

[Eheh...]

[messianic]

We should practice sometime.

[c:]

[bakegarasu]

I wouldn't mind.

[ c: ]

[messianic]

[Thumbs up!]

Maybe together we can avoid burning anything down.

Anything else you've ever wanted to try...?

[bakegarasu]

I don't know. There's a lot of normal life I've never gotten to do.

[messianic]

[He's going to start throwing things out now, then. :V.]

Sewing? Football? ...Dance?

[bakegarasu]

No, no, and you don't want to see me dance. I have no sense of rhythm when it comes to music.

[messianic]

[HE'S NOT GIVING UP YET!!]

Drawing, painting? Track, basket weaving...?

[bakegarasu]

I'm no good at drawing, but I'm pretty fast. I would've been pretty good at track in high school but my grades were pretty terrible. I never really showed up for school either.

[messianic]

...Why not?

[o:]

[bakegarasu]

I was more interested in skipping school and causing trouble, or taking hit requests. I thought it was boring and stupid, and I never planned on going to university so why even bother? I thought I'd be a hitman my entire life. I still am, in a way.

[messianic]

But here you can be whatever you want to be, Otoha-san.

Even if you aren't very good at drawing or basketweaving.

[bakegarasu]

... Yeah, I know.

[He reaches out and ruffles Minato's hair a little.]

[messianic]

[A bit of a smile from under messy blue hair, as he peers up at Otoha.]

Then I look forward to seeing what you become.