chippedsoul | The Journal [Inbox]

[Oh good, he's not really in trouble then. He drops the puppy eyes and crouches down to give the rabbit a little stroke between the ears, chuckling.]

No, I do. But it's true I had a difficult time deciding... Which is what made me think of that particular story. And I still maintain that is his full name... But you can just call him 'Jugemu' if you prefer.

I brought him along because I thought he might enjoy munching on some of the weeds in the garden.

[This poor rabbit, made to suffer by his owner's tongue twisting whims.] I may just call him Usagi. [Wow. He's not serious, probably.]

We could always use a little extra help curbing the garden. Especially with all the wildlife moving into it. [Seriously, how did they become a zoo?]

[Good question. For Ryunosuke's part, he has contributed one (1) rabbit to the zoo status of this place, and that is IT. So don't look at him!]

Usagi? Really? [He shakes his head, blowing past that.] Well, regardless... Yes, that was my thought as well. The only potential trade-off is that he might eat all the turnips, if we're still growing any. [A beat.] He... really likes turnips.

...Ryunosuke. He's your responsibilty. If you can't train him, then I'm afraid he can't stay around the garden or restaurant. [There's movement in the nearby bushes, maybe the sound of hissing as well. Looks like they have an audience with the snakes now.]

[Ryunosuke puts one hand on his hip and frowns.]

I’m sure he’ll be fine! And, I mean… Surely we can spare him a single turnip for all his hard work… Right?

[On the ground, Jugemu’s huge ears lift up, and his nose starts twitching with suspicion. Danger???]

Isn't eating the weeds already a meal to him...? [Is it really hardwork if the rabbit gets a meal out of eating the problem?] A turnip or two. Not the whole stock. [Control your rabbit, partner. The snakes will keep to the bushes, not really interested in going after Jugemu, yet.]

All right, enough of this rabbit nonsense. We still have fish to move.

[Yet!?!]

Alright, alright...

[Ryunosuke waves Kazuma's impatience off with an easygoing sigh. He rolls his sleeves up, and grabs the net, and gets back to work.

Part of him wonders if this might be faster-- and less stressful for the fish-- if he could just summon one of those forcefields again, like he'd done during the fight with the kapre. Maybe just scoop a bunch of water up with the fish, and hover it up to the overflow pond?

But, sadly, he hasn't been able to repeat that trick since the first time he'd done it... Much to his chagrin. So they work at it, manually, transporting koi with the nets until eventually the main pond is de-populated enough that poor Mr. Turtle isn't confined to his rock any longer. Ryunosuke pauses, sighs deep, and rubs the back of one hand across his sweating brow.]

That has to be good enough... Right?

[By the end of it all, they look like they've been in a storm, drenched head to toe.]

Yea...looks like it. Thanks. [He's just a little out of breath from all the lifting, but the fish all seem less agitated with more room to swim around. A few snakes have slipped some towels on a nearby bench for them once they were done.] There's a small fire pit over there. I can start us a fire, so we can get warmed up and dried.

[Ryunosuke is not pleased about how drenched he is at the moment, but the mention of a fire seems to cheer him considerably. That IS just about his favorite thing in the world, relaxing by an open flame.]

Sounds good to me.

[He stretches first, with both hands on his hips, leaning over backwards slowly and wincing as a sharp popping noise emanates from somewhere in his lower spine. He shakes himself out after that, moving to grab one of the towels first.]

You, know I really thought I'd be in my thirties at least, before my bones started making noises like that.

It helps not to slouch and work out. [There might have been a hint of laughter in his tone when he said that. Totally not throwing shade at Ryunosuke or anything. He picks up a towel in one hand, focuses on his other.

He could probably still make fire eventhough he's soaked right...? A few sparks appear in his hand and then eventually, a very weak flame forms. As quickly and carefully as he can, he moves the flame towards the wood in the pit.]

Where has your rabbit gone off to?

[Ryunosuke makes a dismissive groaning noise at the notion of ‘working out’. A bit of sport is one thing, but exercising just for the sake of it? Please. Think about who you’re talking to, sir.

At the question, he looks around for the rabbit, frowning uncertainly.]

…Good question. I lost track of him while we were working… [Raising his voice a bit, he calls out:] Jugemu…? Oh!

[Before he even finishes saying the name, the rabbit comes running up to the fire, sniffing curiously from a safe distance back.]

…There he is.

[Then don't complain about aches and cracking bones at a ripe age of 24.

There he is indeed, with a few snakes lurking behind him.] You're really committed to calling him that, huh...?

[The wood still hasn't caught fire, probably because the flame in his hand had gone out. A click of his tongue as he returns to focusing on making a flame.]

Huh? Of course I am. Why shouldn't I call him that?

[He's watching Kazuma try to light the fire, wondering if he should offer to help with his lightning, or if his friend would just take that as an insult to his pride...

Jugemu, meanwhile, is turning to eye the snakes warily, ears alert and nose twitching.]

You really have to ask that...? There. [Finally, he gets the fire on the wood.

Only to see it fizzle out.]

What the...damn it, the wood got soaked too. Do you know where we put the firewood?

[The snakes just be flicking their tongues innocently at dear ol' Jugemu. They're not doing anything at all. Just watching.]

[Ryunosuke sighs, managing to keep from sounding too put upon somehow.]

I'll go get some. Just a moment.

[Hmph. Jugemu is fully ready to fight those snakes if they want to start shit, but... Better to move closer to his human, he decides, just in case he needs backup.
...Except his human is walking off?!

The rabbit hops up next to Kazuma instead, hunching there and looking grumpy Ryunosuke is back in a moment with some properly dry firewood, anyway.small>

[Kazuma will spend the time waiting to dry himself a little more with the towel. He spots poor Jugemu getting closer to him, as he looks up to see what the problem was. He leans down, carefully picking up the rabbit and place him on the bench.]

They won't do anything unless I tell them to. [That's reasurring??? He turns his attention to Ryunosuke when he returns.]

Thanks for the wood. [Hands less soak, he can finally get a fire going for them to warm up around.]

[Jugemu DOES seem soothed by this reassurance, settling on the bench in a little loaf shape, all his paws tucked neatly beneath him.]

Ah! You're welcome.

[Ryunosuke says it with a good natured grin, drawing his towel closer and going to take a seat on the bench next to his rabbit. He gives the little animal a wry smile, and then a scritch behind the ears.]

Well, look at you, taking up a seat all to yourself.

[Cute loaf bunny....He glances down at the fire now properly burning wood and warming them all up.]

If it were winter, some yaki imo would go well with this fire. [Reminiscing those days Ryunosuke would just huddle up for his "warm breeze".]

[Ryunosuke lets out a piteous and hungry whine at the mention of yaki imo, which is probably also fairly nostalgic and familiar to those old days.]

Don't say that. I've already worked up enough of an appetite from all the work we just did.

[He nudges Jugemu over a little bit, and scooches more over to one side of the bench himself, leaving Kazuma a space if he wants to join them.]

Heh. [He will happily join them. Have a headpat as well Jugemu.] Anything you miss eating from home? I'm sure 76 or Susato can make it.

True, but I hate to bother them... [He tips his head back, staring distractedly upwards a moment.] Hm. At least it's a lot easier to get the right ingredients here than it was back in London.

[...Where it had been just straight up impossible to get some things. He still remembers the day Susato informed him she'd brought satsumaimo back to 221B, after her brief trip home. He'd literally shed a few tears of joy.]

They're the cooks, Ryunosuke. [It's their job to cook for others.] There were things we couldn't really get in Great Britain. I missed matcha tea, and just the lack of shoyu in my dishes was enough to make me crave it. British cusine I found was..well enough, just heavy.

[He flusters.] I know that, but...

[He's not a customer?? He's just a coworker. It feels weird to bother them for that sort of thing, and have them do extra work for his benefit. Not that he's ever had an issue with Susato cooking for him in the past, but... Somehow, it being her job makes it weirder.]

...Heavy is a good word for it. [It's weird to hear Kazuma say he missed having matcha, when HE couldn't get away from it if he wanted to.] I suppose you never got to try Iris's cooking, did you... She's incredible. I really hope you can try it some day.

[Coworkers need to be fed too!] Susato has told me her cooking is something I must experience. Perhaps I will, whenever I return to Great Britain...or home at all. [There's a bit of yearning his voice as he stares down at the fire. It's been so long since he's seen Britain, Japan even longer. He ponders if he'll ever be able to give up everything that's happened here and return home?]

[Ryunosuke glances over at him sideways, frowning sympathetically.]

...I'm sorry you've been stuck away from there for so long. Though... I've been wondering... Technically, aren't our waking selves still going about their lives? [He scratches his head.] I'm still not sure I fully understood everything those little Baku fellows told me when I first showed up here, but I thought that was the case.

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