Also, fun fact about Lalli: he prefers entering and exiting his apartment via his balcony. Which means that he's going to scale down the side of the building, get to Izo's own balcony, and scratch on the balcony door to be let in.]
[ In several definitions of the word. A stray Servant, a stray dog gone wild, and he's home to a stray tengu now. A couple of strays in good company, at least.
Izō plops down on the floor where a worn, chipped sake set awaits (one of the 'gifts' pulled from the oi no bakemono). He fills two of the cups and offers one to Lalli. ]
...ish. Because Lalli is still unsure about alcohol. But he will actually give it a try this time, since Izo is now a friend and Izo probably wouldn't offer him anything gross.
Lalli sits down near Izo and takes the tiny cup. He doesn't drink yet, because he's busy looking over the small glass. Someone has never seen a sake set up close before. Even here he doesn't make a habit of paying close attention to these kinds of things.]
It's strong. Guessin' ya never drank much before...or at all. So take it easy. [ Because he doesn't want to be the drunk babysitter, thanks. ] Drink that and I'll pour ya more if ya want.
[ At last Lalli's questions are delaying the inevitable. Izō needs a few more drinks in him to really let himself open up, anyway. ]
Not really. They didn't let us drink in the military base, and it's expensive to buy on your own.
[He does 'take it easy', though. Instead of downing the small cup's contents in one go, he just sips it. And then he instantly makes a pucker-face, because wow that's bitter to his sweet-craving tongue.]
[The rain continues day after day but it does nothing to dampen Hijikata's vigour. Much to his surprise, moving into Izō's apartment has proven to be more of a blessing than it is a curse and, aside from the occasional argument and snide comment, they've managed to stay civil. There's just one thing that he can't stand: the state of the damn place. Sure, any normal person might look at it and think it's a little unkempt- those little piles of collected knick-knacks spring to mind- but Hijikata isn't normal. There's no way he's staying somewhere that isn't up to his standards.
And so it's on a day when the weather has eased up just a little and Izō is out of the house that he gets to work. The door leading out to the balcony has been thrown wide open and all the windows along with it. He's hung up a line across the breadth of the room just in front of it, on which both futons are airing out.
It's the first thing that Lalli will see should he decide to drop in at any point. The next is Hijikata himself, sleeves rolled up and hair pushed out of his face with a band, polishing the floorboards. Considering that the last time he saw him he was covered in blood, it's quite the marked change. The new tail probably isn't helping either and his reaction is no less animalistic when he realises he has unexpected company. Hijikata rears up, lip curling to reveal a flash of sharp teeth- and then realises who he's looking at and settles back.
[Lalli is actually mid-descent, climbing down from the balcony above, when he notices something is wrong.
He smells the cleaner, first off. That is immediately wrong, because Izo never cleans. Izo's apartment has been a state of mess and lived-in-smells for as long as Lalli has known him, so smelling the cleaner is the first thing that's Wrong.
Second, the fact that the door is open at all. Izo normally leaves it closed, except when opening it to let Lalli in. Too many youkai can just fly in an open door, after all. It's best not to invite them in.
Lalli's feet have touched down on the railing to Izo's balcony, and his hands are still gripping the balcony above. He's frozen in place like this, and just stares at Hijikata with wide eyes.]
My place. Two floors up.
...Where's Izo?
[He. Might as well start with that. Because he's traveled this path often enough to know he doesn't have the wrong apartment, at least.
He hasn't moved, by the way. He's still standing on the railing of the balcony. That initial reaction had spooked him and he's holding onto the balcony above to be ready to run if need be.]
[Hijikata's forehead creases slightly at Izō's name, as though speaking it aloud is enough to provoke a migraine. Might as well be for all the trouble he gives him.
... why is he still here again?]
Out. [Where? God knows, but he really doesn't care.] He sulks if I try and clear up his messes while he's here.
[And that's all he's going to say on the matter. Hijikata gets to his feet slowly, still a little cautious as he sizes Lalli up. Naturally, he recognises him as the young man he fought alongside on that dark, rainy night but that was then and this is now. He's a near stranger walking in on what Hijikata has decided his his territory. Even though it's actually Izō's. Whatever.]
You know him, then. What's your name? I didn't catch it before.
[And this is where Lalli frowns. Not so much because of irritation, not yet at least, but rather because of how much he's thinking about this situation. It's like Lalli is processing what Hijikata said and coming up with more questions than answers.]
Izo's messy, that's how he lives.
[Okay, now he actually is slightly offended, but mostly for Izo's sake. Lalli wouldn't like it either if someone came in and rearranged his things, he can totally get why Izo is off sulking somewhere else.]
I'm Lalli Hotakainen. Who are you? You shouldn't be cleaning up his apartment, he likes it how it is. If he wanted it cleaned, he wouldn't be off sulking about it.
That might be so but it's not how I live. [He clicks his tongue dismissively.] That stray dog makes a lot of noise but that's all it is most of the time. Noise.
[When he sets his cloth aside, it's more out of courtesy for the conversation than giving in. As far as he's concerned, he's already shown willing by not throwing the assassin's collected trinkets in the trash where they belong. For now, they sit untouched but for where he's moved them around to make space.]
Toshizō Hijikata, Vice Commander of the Shinsengumi. [Even he can recognise that it's not much of an introduction when that almost certainly doesn't exist where Lalli's from. He shrugs.] ... I know Izō from before. He invited me to stay.
[Lalli's eyes narrow a bit. Hijikata is abrasive in an entirely different way from Izo, and it might take months for him to get used to that. Lalli has never been that good with change, it's going to take him time to get used to a new presence.
Speaking of which-]
Izo's mind lacks mental defenses, and he forgets to eat sometimes. So I bring him food and check on him sometimes.
...we're friends.
[It's important to him, he's so difficult about making friends.]
[Hijikata eyes him for a few moments longer. It's not entirely surprising that Izō has friends, even less so that they feel the need to take care of him; he seems to provoke that kind of reaction in people. Maybe it was more accurate than he thought to call him a stray.]
Hm. [Unreadable as he is, there's no judgement or disapproval in his voice and he's quick to return to his usual clipped tone.] Pass me that beeswax.
[He picks up a new cloth. No amount of polishing is going to make the wooden fittings and panels on the doors look presentable but he's nothing if not stubborn.]
[A stray dog who got taken in by a stray cat. Or is the cat actually the stray being looked after? It's hard to say. Neither Izo nor Lalli are particularly responsible people. Lalli's just food motivated, that's all.
Since it doesn't look like Hijikata is going to snap or yell or attack, Lalli finally moves from his statue-like perch. He slips down from the balcony in a fluid motion that speaks to his familiarity with climbing, and he steps over to grab the requested item and hand it to Hijikata. Lalli questions the wisdom of polishing something with so many dings and stains on it, but Kissa reminds him that it's best not to question things unless you plan on solving them yourself.]
From family. My grandmother first, then my cousin Onni.
[He pauses for a moment, and then adds:]
And some from the military. But it was mostly Grandma and Onni.
[Hijikata hums thoughtfully. Military experience... that explains a lot, and it's something he can relate to somewhat. The Shinsengumi didn't necessarily fit under that label and he's always considered himself a samurai before a soldier but towards the end of things they might as well have done. So, there's genuine respect- and even a small amount of gratitude- in his voice when he speaks up again.]
I see. Then they have my thanks too for training you.
[Arrogant as he is, even Hijikata can recognise he was in a precarious situation. Besides, it's always suited him better to work in pairs or groups; lone wolves die alone in the wilderness. Only a pack can survive.]
I've run out of cartidges for my rifle. Where do you get yours?
[At first Lalli doesn't understand why Hijikata is thanking his relatives, but then he connects the dots to the fight from before and he hums in neutral agreement. He's grateful to his family too, yes, and for those same reasons.
And while Lalli is still a bit grumpy about Hijikata's presence- he still doesn't like that he's messing with Izo's things, or that Izo's home is being changed at all- he can at least recognize that there's nothing actually wrong with Hijikata that is worth being wary over. That thought carries through in his actions, in how he relaxes a bit and his words seem more natural than tense. Lalli's emotional reactions are a bit more subdued than what most people give, but they're still very blatant and with no trace of falsehoods or attempts to cover them up. A keen eye can pick up on his mood easily, and that mood right now is 'unsure of new things, but not upset or scared'.]
I had mine from home. I haven't found replacements, so I've been careful with how much I use them.
[He has shot his gun exactly five times since arriving in this world, and he's keeping a close count of his ammo. That speaks to another skill of his: survival out in the wilds for weeks on end with no contact with civilization, and the careful resource management that comes with it. Bullets are a prized treasure to be used in emergencies.]
this is gonna sound weird, but...remember those combs and shit we grabbed? me and emily saved some other shit from being destroyed. come with me to the lake so we can throw em in.
[ Because that's what everything is telling him to do right now: go to the lake. ]
[ Lalli will find him waiting outside the apartments, his silhouette a bit narrower thanks to the fact he's wearing western-style clothes for once in his life. The items are stashed carefully in pockets and a couple are even tucked into his partially unbuttoned shirt. Whatever works for now is good enough. ]
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timeasmymeasure
voice;
Date: 2021-01-12 11:34 pm (UTC)voice;
Date: 2021-01-12 11:57 pm (UTC)What's your apartment number?
voice;
Date: 2021-01-13 12:04 am (UTC)[ A pause and as an afterthought: ]
...Thanks.
voice; -> action
Date: 2021-01-13 12:21 am (UTC)[His acknowledgement of Izo's thanks there.
Also, fun fact about Lalli: he prefers entering and exiting his apartment via his balcony. Which means that he's going to scale down the side of the building, get to Izo's own balcony, and scratch on the balcony door to be let in.]
no subject
Date: 2021-01-13 12:27 am (UTC)Is that jus' how ya fuckin' do things? [ Accusations as he lets him in. ] Thought a fuckin' stray was tryin' t'get in again.
[ A stray what is anyone's guess. ]
no subject
Date: 2021-01-13 12:47 am (UTC)He doesn't seem bothered by Izo's questions there though. He just walks in once the door is opened.]
Technically I am a stray.
[Technically. 'Kissa' was a stray, and Lalli has strayed pretty far from his home.]
no subject
Date: 2021-01-13 12:55 am (UTC)[ In several definitions of the word. A stray Servant, a stray dog gone wild, and he's home to a stray tengu now. A couple of strays in good company, at least.
Izō plops down on the floor where a worn, chipped sake set awaits (one of the 'gifts' pulled from the oi no bakemono). He fills two of the cups and offers one to Lalli. ]
Guess strays like us gotta stick together.
no subject
Date: 2021-01-13 01:04 am (UTC)[Stray drinking buddies!
...ish. Because Lalli is still unsure about alcohol. But he will actually give it a try this time, since Izo is now a friend and Izo probably wouldn't offer him anything gross.
Lalli sits down near Izo and takes the tiny cup. He doesn't drink yet, because he's busy looking over the small glass. Someone has never seen a sake set up close before. Even here he doesn't make a habit of paying close attention to these kinds of things.]
It's tiny. Why is it so little?
no subject
Date: 2021-01-13 01:12 am (UTC)[ At last Lalli's questions are delaying the inevitable. Izō needs a few more drinks in him to really let himself open up, anyway. ]
no subject
Date: 2021-01-13 01:35 am (UTC)[He does 'take it easy', though. Instead of downing the small cup's contents in one go, he just sips it. And then he instantly makes a pucker-face, because wow that's bitter to his sweet-craving tongue.]
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From:early april
Date: 2021-04-09 06:21 pm (UTC)And so it's on a day when the weather has eased up just a little and Izō is out of the house that he gets to work. The door leading out to the balcony has been thrown wide open and all the windows along with it. He's hung up a line across the breadth of the room just in front of it, on which both futons are airing out.
It's the first thing that Lalli will see should he decide to drop in at any point. The next is Hijikata himself, sleeves rolled up and hair pushed out of his face with a band, polishing the floorboards. Considering that the last time he saw him he was covered in blood, it's quite the marked change. The new tail probably isn't helping either and his reaction is no less animalistic when he realises he has unexpected company. Hijikata rears up, lip curling to reveal a flash of sharp teeth- and then realises who he's looking at and settles back.
... not by much, though. He still looks pissed.]
Where the hell did you come from?
no subject
Date: 2021-04-09 07:32 pm (UTC)He smells the cleaner, first off. That is immediately wrong, because Izo never cleans. Izo's apartment has been a state of mess and lived-in-smells for as long as Lalli has known him, so smelling the cleaner is the first thing that's Wrong.
Second, the fact that the door is open at all. Izo normally leaves it closed, except when opening it to let Lalli in. Too many youkai can just fly in an open door, after all. It's best not to invite them in.
Lalli's feet have touched down on the railing to Izo's balcony, and his hands are still gripping the balcony above. He's frozen in place like this, and just stares at Hijikata with wide eyes.]
My place. Two floors up.
...Where's Izo?
[He. Might as well start with that. Because he's traveled this path often enough to know he doesn't have the wrong apartment, at least.
He hasn't moved, by the way. He's still standing on the railing of the balcony. That initial reaction had spooked him and he's holding onto the balcony above to be ready to run if need be.]
no subject
Date: 2021-04-09 10:11 pm (UTC)... why is he still here again?]
Out. [Where? God knows, but he really doesn't care.] He sulks if I try and clear up his messes while he's here.
[And that's all he's going to say on the matter. Hijikata gets to his feet slowly, still a little cautious as he sizes Lalli up. Naturally, he recognises him as the young man he fought alongside on that dark, rainy night but that was then and this is now. He's a near stranger walking in on what Hijikata has decided his his territory. Even though it's actually Izō's. Whatever.]
You know him, then. What's your name? I didn't catch it before.
[Didn't even ask.]
no subject
Date: 2021-04-10 03:21 am (UTC)Izo's messy, that's how he lives.
[Okay, now he actually is slightly offended, but mostly for Izo's sake. Lalli wouldn't like it either if someone came in and rearranged his things, he can totally get why Izo is off sulking somewhere else.]
I'm Lalli Hotakainen. Who are you? You shouldn't be cleaning up his apartment, he likes it how it is. If he wanted it cleaned, he wouldn't be off sulking about it.
no subject
Date: 2021-04-10 10:15 am (UTC)[When he sets his cloth aside, it's more out of courtesy for the conversation than giving in. As far as he's concerned, he's already shown willing by not throwing the assassin's collected trinkets in the trash where they belong. For now, they sit untouched but for where he's moved them around to make space.]
Toshizō Hijikata, Vice Commander of the Shinsengumi. [Even he can recognise that it's not much of an introduction when that almost certainly doesn't exist where Lalli's from. He shrugs.] ... I know Izō from before. He invited me to stay.
no subject
Date: 2021-04-10 12:35 pm (UTC)Speaking of which-]
Izo's mind lacks mental defenses, and he forgets to eat sometimes. So I bring him food and check on him sometimes.
...we're friends.
[It's important to him, he's so difficult about making friends.]
no subject
Date: 2021-04-10 01:02 pm (UTC)Hm. [Unreadable as he is, there's no judgement or disapproval in his voice and he's quick to return to his usual clipped tone.] Pass me that beeswax.
[He picks up a new cloth. No amount of polishing is going to make the wooden fittings and panels on the doors look presentable but he's nothing if not stubborn.]
... you're a fine shot. Where did you learn?
no subject
Date: 2021-04-10 04:05 pm (UTC)Since it doesn't look like Hijikata is going to snap or yell or attack, Lalli finally moves from his statue-like perch. He slips down from the balcony in a fluid motion that speaks to his familiarity with climbing, and he steps over to grab the requested item and hand it to Hijikata. Lalli questions the wisdom of polishing something with so many dings and stains on it, but Kissa reminds him that it's best not to question things unless you plan on solving them yourself.]
From family. My grandmother first, then my cousin Onni.
[He pauses for a moment, and then adds:]
And some from the military. But it was mostly Grandma and Onni.
no subject
Date: 2021-04-30 07:33 pm (UTC)I see. Then they have my thanks too for training you.
[Arrogant as he is, even Hijikata can recognise he was in a precarious situation. Besides, it's always suited him better to work in pairs or groups; lone wolves die alone in the wilderness. Only a pack can survive.]
I've run out of cartidges for my rifle. Where do you get yours?
no subject
Date: 2021-05-01 01:39 am (UTC)And while Lalli is still a bit grumpy about Hijikata's presence- he still doesn't like that he's messing with Izo's things, or that Izo's home is being changed at all- he can at least recognize that there's nothing actually wrong with Hijikata that is worth being wary over. That thought carries through in his actions, in how he relaxes a bit and his words seem more natural than tense. Lalli's emotional reactions are a bit more subdued than what most people give, but they're still very blatant and with no trace of falsehoods or attempts to cover them up. A keen eye can pick up on his mood easily, and that mood right now is 'unsure of new things, but not upset or scared'.]
I had mine from home. I haven't found replacements, so I've been careful with how much I use them.
[He has shot his gun exactly five times since arriving in this world, and he's keeping a close count of his ammo. That speaks to another skill of his: survival out in the wilds for weeks on end with no contact with civilization, and the careful resource management that comes with it. Bullets are a prized treasure to be used in emergencies.]
text
Date: 2021-06-07 02:00 am (UTC)[ Because that's what everything is telling him to do right now: go to the lake. ]
no subject
Date: 2021-06-07 01:57 pm (UTC)Okay.
Is Emily coming too?
no subject
Date: 2021-06-07 05:29 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-06-07 09:16 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-06-08 12:30 am (UTC)[ Lalli will find him waiting outside the apartments, his silhouette a bit narrower thanks to the fact he's wearing western-style clothes for once in his life. The items are stashed carefully in pockets and a couple are even tucked into his partially unbuttoned shirt. Whatever works for now is good enough. ]