bravenewworld | ☆ first investigation

Entry tags:

☆ first investigation | action/video

[It's funny that it's early Spring and he's finding he wishes he had a jacket to shrug into, but he never did bother to ask anybody what the weather in Union was gonna be like. A new face wanders into town and, pushing his sunglasses up onto the crown of his head, sets his hands on his hips and surveys the area. Beside and behind him, a Rhyhorn and a Scyther settle close but not too-close, and he looks between them with a smile.]

Union, eh? Our first time here. [He tosses his head toward the Rhyhorn with that comment, looking at the Scyther. Aforementioned Bug Type seems uninterested and idly slides its bladed arms together, looking the other direction. Taki just laughs, and pulls up his Warp Band, switching what side of his mouth an unlit cigarette sits in.]

Helloooo Union! Tell me somethin', where's a guy gotta look for someplace to stay for a while?

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[He tenses when he claps a hand on his shoulder, but after a moment he finds himself able to relax a bit. It's. It's really good to see Taki. They've been through a lot of shit together and he is his oldest friend.]

[But that's a lot of the reason why he wasn't ready to see him yet. Taki was smart, he would find out. How do you go about resuming a friendship with someone when you hardly felt like you were the same person. How do you go about bring friends with someone having to lie about what's under your skin?]

[All of that runs through his head. He stops when he gives him that actual smile, though.]

[...he can't help but return it.]

Yeah. It's ...really good to see you, too. What are you doing here?

[He squeezes his shoulder and then recoils his hand, bringing it to the base of his neck and then dropping it back to his side, his opposite hand going to his hip.]

Ah, work. You know how it is.

[Work, huh? He folds his arms. Fuji seems to sort of relax when it looks like his trainer isn't so wound up anymore. He will totally headbutt this guy again if he has to, though.]

Are you still with the Battalion?

[A nod, accompanied by a crooked grin.]

You know it. How about you, still doing photos?

[He pats the camera bag strapped to his side. It's not the same camera he's always had, but you know. Getting captured in the middle of a battle was a good excuse to lose your equipment.]

Business is pretty good in this town.

[His grin remains, and he nods.]

Good. I'm glad. 's there somewhere I can buy you lunch at, since it's been so long?

[Heh. Well, he wasn't going to say no.]

Sure. I know a few good places around here.

[He was. So glad to see you. It was kind of dumb. So he just keeps right on smiling, and nods.]

Lead the way.

[He figures. He's... kind of been dead as far as Caldera was concerned. While war was an ugly thing where casualties were expected ...it's never easy to lose a friend. He feels really bad about disappearing.]

[There's a noodle stand not far that Hayato is fond of. He'll point it out once it's in sight.]

I ate here my first day in town, it's been my favorite ever since.

[No kidding. Taki never had quite come to terms with finding Hayato on that list-- he'd been pretty broken up about it. Several of his fellow soldiers had taken him out for drinks to try and get his mind off it, and he kept his chin up, but... Hayato had really been his first best friend. The idea of him being gone, being a casualty of war...]

[He'd blamed himself for it, honestly. He knew that personally, specifically, there was no way he could save every person, but there had to have been something he could have done. Hayato was his friend, dammit.]

[So he nods, and as Hayato leads them to the noodle stand, he sighs a breath he didn't intend to be holding, feeling a literal weight off his shoulders with him being there. He was a soldier, he was no stranger to loss. But that he didn't have to make a grave marker in a few months' time to commemorate his best friend was beyond relieving.]

I await being astounded by Union food.

[He's not so sure what he would do if there was some kind of grave marker for him back home. That's another reason he didn't go back, aside from the obvious.]

[He slides onto the stool.]

Well. Astounded isn't the word I would use. It's good, but Union food is nothing like home. Knowing you, you might be disappointed.

[He orders something for the both of them. He orders the spiciest thing they have for Taki even if he knows it won't stack up to what Taki usually eats.]

[He would have waited until he was missing for a year. And he would have gone looking for him before he did it. Before he let it be made. He figured he'd be one of the only people with an opinion, since they'd both been orphaned at young ages, but he wasn't about to give in without waiting until there was almost no doubt.]

[He doesn't even slide onto his own stool, he steps over it and settles from above. Fuck you and your long legs, sir. He looks curious at Hayato's warning, looking over the menu despite him ordering something for him already.]

Oh? That doesn't instill me with confidence for the next few months I'm liable to be here.

Heh. It's an adjustment. I'm staying with a few other Calderans who might be arranging for some things to be sent from home. Mostly things to cook with.

[He's kind of excited about that.]

So, you're staying a few months?

[He brightens at that.]

You're staying with Calderans? [Leaning a little on the counter.] So is that an indication you miss home, or just a situation of circumstance?

[He leans back, frowning until one corner of his mouth is quirked at a bizarre angle.]

Eh, probably. I don't have a real clear objective, it's just information gathering.

A little bit of both, I guess. I was sort of coasting by on change I found on the ground the first day I got here. Major General Oakenshield offered me a place to sleep. I ...haven't exactly moved out yet. I'm paying rent there now.

[So, yeah. It just kind of happened that way.]

Information gathering? On Union?

Edited 2015-04-09 08:56 (UTC)

Oakenshield... Wait, Thorin Oakenshield?! You live with Major Oakenshield?!

[He may have gone the slightest bit starry-eyed just now.]

[And he is most definitely ignoring that question.]

[Wow, what a nerd.]

I mean, he's just Mr. Oakenshield now. As far as I know he's not with the military anymore, but yeah. Why, are you some kind of fanboy?

[Tease.]

[HE BLUSTERS.]

Excuse you, I am not a fanboy. I just know how to appreciate someone who's done something great in service. Ahh, I'll have to have you ask him if he minds visitors, I'd love to see how he's doing.

He probably wouldn't, but I can ask.

[heheh. Also they get handed their food and Hayato picks up a set of chopsticks to start eating. Almost as soon as he does, the standkeeper stops him, tsking and then handing him a pair of metal chopsticks.]

[He flusters at that and thanks him. The standkeeper says something along the lines of costing him too much money in disposable chopsticks orders.]

[Hayato is just going to. Not look at Taki and eat a huge bite of noodles.]

That'd be great.

[He might be a fanboy.]

[And... then that whole exchange goes down and Taki has no idea what's happening, and looks between the shopkeeper and Hayato a few times with a perplexed expression, slowly picking up his own chopsticks to try his noodles.]

[They're good! But not near as spicy as he was expecting, but passable. He smiles and nods to the shopkeep in gratitude.]

[He's totally a fanboy.]

[Hayato eats a few more bites before he looks at him again, acting like that whole thing didn't actually happen.]

See, it's not like home, but not bad either.

[He slurps another mouthful of noodles, chewing them and giving Hayato a perplexed look. Swallowing, he nods.]

Aaand I'm assuming the frustrated special-chopsticks are some kind of inside joke...?

[Goddammit. He blinks for a second and looks down at them, shrugging and quirking a grin.]

Something like that. I've broken a few of his chopsticks here on accident.

[Fuji butts into the back of his chair at that moment and Hayato nearly falls off his chair.]

Fuji. Hold on, I'll feed you when I get home.

[That's an odd reaction, and a... not-terribly-odd response, but a strange circumstance. He frowns, and then looks over their shoulders at Fuji, reaching out to set his hand against Hayato's shoulder to steady him.]

Fuji, is it? Like the camera. I've probably got something in my bag I can give him, if he's allowed.

[He frowns, looking at Fuji.]

Don't tell Goro. You know he will break both my ankles if he finds out I didn't bring him back anything.

[!!!! Fuji butts into Taki's chair.]

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