Moving Day! Backdated to the 22nd

[bondsofsuffering]

Who: Hizumi Mizushiro, Ayumu Narumi, Hiyono Yuizaki, and Taro Watanabe. OPEN!
Where: Pisces District, around the apartments and the Narumi Detective Agency.
Summary: After working to turn it into a proper living space, the Spiral kids + a tanuki are moving into a detective agency because of lame name jokes.
Warnings: None.

It took some work, but what better way to distract yourself from certain Shadow pains than to get busy with moving? This may or may not be the reason why Hizumi abruptly called up the others and told them to get their stuff moved in if they wanted a bigger place to stay. And yes, even Hiyono was included in that list - even though he doesn't know a whole lot about her, she's Ayumu's friend from home and seems to know a few things, so why not?

Thus, various people can probably be found running between the apartments and the old Detective Agency. Even if they look busy, maybe they'll have time to stop and say hi?

Comments

[hachitaro]

"Huh. Thanks. I guess I didn't realize you were such a chef..." Most of Taro's cooking experience can be gently called either bachelor cooking or 'throw everything into a pot and hope it's edible', but at least his food is usually okay.

"Do you know if Hizumi or Hiyono cook? We could set up a schedule or something."

[melodyoflogic]

"I do all the cooking back home. My sister isn't the best at it." Honestly, he did most of the household chores. When he meant 'bad' he really meant it. She was hopeless when it came to cooking.

"Hizumi can. I don't know about her though."

[hachitaro]

"Huh..."

He thinks about that for a moment while he pokes the eggs. Gotta make sure they don't stick and all.

"Hey, how come you never call Hiyono by her name?" Don't think he hasn't noticed that.

[melodyoflogic]

He pauses for several seconds, giving a considering look.

"Who?"

....Don't ask Taro. Just don't ask. It's a lost cause.

[hachitaro]

"..."

The gentlest facepalm, right here.

"Is this something I just shouldn't ask about?"

[melodyoflogic]

Ayumu doesn't even blink at the reaction.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I just don't know who that is." He reaches into the box again, pulling out a few more things.

[hachitaro]

Ayumu? You are getting whapped upside the head. Not too hard, but still.

"Yuizaki. The other person in the house. Ring a bell?"

What is wrong with you.

[melodyoflogic]

"Ow! What was that for?" He scowls, rubbing his head. It wasn't hard, no, but his pain tolerance was... something else.

"Oh. Her." Still. Not saying her name.

"I forget."

[hachitaro]

"... Is this normal forgetful forgetting, or is this something to do with the whole..."

He twirls his spatula in the air, trying to think of a word.

"... something. Devil and something about biology... thing. From your world."

[melodyoflogic]

Geez, did that really deserve a hit...?

"I don't think so. But I only just found out about that stuff before arriving here, remember?" A shrug. He moves back to his box, unloading what's left of it's contents.

[hachitaro]

"... Yeah. But I don't know what you guys have talked about with it. I figure you guys will tell me stuff as I need to know. ... Hopefully."

If they aren't butts about it.

[melodyoflogic]

Was Taro actually taking that seriously...? At least it had gotten him off his back.

"Between Hizumi and I, you've probably gotten about all the details there are to give."

[hachitaro]

"It still kinda worries me. You guys are too young to worry about dying and all that serious stuff. You should be out doing stupid things and pretending you're invincible, like other kids your age."

Don't think he's not going to big brother at you, Ayumu. Someone has to be the adult here. ... Even if it's the tanuki.

[melodyoflogic]

"People die everyday, for all sorts of reasons. Objectively, there's no such thing as 'too young'. But we're not dying here." At least not because of their genetics. And Ayumu was determined to make sure Hizumi would be fine. After that.... he wasn't sure.

But that reminded him-- "Do me a favor though?"

[hachitaro]

"Yeah, I know. Doesn't mean I won't try."

He tilts his head a little bit.

"Huh? What is it?"

[melodyoflogic]

"...Don't tell her. She knows about the 'God' and 'Devil' scenario, but I'm not sure if she knows about everything else." Ayumu had no illusions of keeping it from her forever, and he wouldn't want to lie to her about it, either. But he'd rather she hear it from him when she did, rather than by accident. He picks up another canister of spices, placing it up on the shelf.

"I'll tell her myself eventually."

[hachitaro]

"I wasn't going to tell her. It's not my story to tell."

He prods at the pan a little, and turns off the heat.

"... And this is going to sound stupid, but if you ever need advice or just need to talk or something, just... let me know? I can't promise to have the best advice, but as a friend and someone who's been around the block a while, I'd like to help. Okay?"

[melodyoflogic]

He looks like he doesn't know how to answer for just a moment. Taro had made it clear in the past that he wanted to be a support for Hizumi.... and now Ayumu as well. Even after knowing him for a few months, Ayumu still wasn't sure what to make of that. The amount of people in his life he knew he could rely on were few, the people he let himself rely on and seek out, fewer.

After a moment, a small smile comes to his face.

".....Thanks." Much like Hizumi, only time would tell if he took him up on the offer, but Taro had already proven himself to be a reliable ally here.... Just that alone meant a lot.

[hachitaro]

"You're welcome. I just... don't want you guys to have to handle stuff alone."

Taro busies himself with getting the eggs plated and ready to eat, before grinning back up at Ayumu.

"I can probably help with homework too. I've been through high school enough for it..."

[melodyoflogic]

Taro might not realize it, but those were words Ayumu rarely heard. Or maybe he did.

"Don't worry, school work is pretty easy for me." He was just lazy. He smiles back, picking out the cooking utensils he had and placing them in the sink to wash later.

"....But thanks. Really."

[hachitaro]

"No problem. That's what friends are for, right?"

He reaches out to pat Ayumu's shoulder, and then goes back to fussing with the kitchen stuff.

"Besides... it's not like I have to hide anything here. I can be honest. ... Which is strange for me, but hey."

[melodyoflogic]

"Didn't you have anyone at all you could be yourself around back in your world?" He giving Taro a curious look, questioning.

[hachitaro]

"... Yeah. Sort of. I mean... Toshiko and I have lived together for a long time. We're not - we've never dated or anything, we're just friends. But we've both been busy with our own projects lately. And even if I'm not an elected official and never was, I was always stuck in politics in the Underground. And if you think human politics is cut-throat..."

Suffice it to say that assassination attempts on the actual elected officials weren't exactly uncommon.

"... Our entire existence demands that we hide what we are from the world. The people who want us to show ourselves are also usually the kind of people who claim that they're superior to humans. No one likes it, but there's no good answer. And we fight amongst ourselves, making ourselves weaker and threatening to expose ourselves to humanity. And... we won't survive that. So I was trying to play the political game, trying to make peace."

He smiles thinly. That turned out so well... ugh.

"... If they could see this world, where people and demons live together... if not always peacefully, then at least peacefully enough. I don't think any of them would believe it. Hiding is all most of us know, or at least have known since we left our homelands."