chippedsoul | The Journal [Inbox]

Maybe. Quite possibly. Perhaps.

[ To their credit, the little gremlins at least learned to color-coordinate. It is still not something she would usually wear though, so she is once again considering an isolated life as a hermit--

For about five seconds. Then she decides she must be on her way, through the snow, before she can change her mind. ]

I assure you, I am not looking much better. So I can promise you, I will not laugh.

[It is rather chilly outside isn't it? Maybe there's a bit of the snake still in him that makes him a little more susceptible to the cold, even with the warm breeze that follows him. He lights one of the lanterns on the porch just to warm up the area a little while he waits for Susato's arrival. He still contemplates what to do with the ring. Wear it obviously, but...he can't help but wonder once more what his father would think of all this.

...Maybe, just like the friends he's made here and from home, their eagerness to still support him is enough for him to believe his father would feel the same.

The ring will already be on his right index finger when Susato arrives to his home. He tugs on his cloak, mostly due to the cold, and to make sure it hasn't gotten caught by his tail. That "ugly sweater" she had on is immediately the first thing he notices, but rather than laugh, he's just looks surprised, amuse. It doesn't look that terrible on her. Maybe one size too big perhaps.]

[ It's certainly an improvement over the other day, so she's got that going for her. She's close now, but even so, she takes one last look at his final message before taking a breath and tucking the notebook away. Bracing herself, all while knowing Kazuma is a man of his word, she climbs the steps to his place, the quiet clacking of her boots leaving footprints in the snow.

Right away, the subtle, warm breeze emanating from him is comforting, not at all suffocating like before. She smiles, quickly bowing in greeting. ]

Hello. [ It's hard to see the dark snake scale patches on his skin in the dark and in the snow, but she can definitely see... something. Funnily enough, she misses the obvious at first glance, which means the cloak was doing a good job. ] I quite like your cloak.

[ And then steals a glance at the ring, just barely shining red in the moonlight. It suits him even better than she imagined. ]

Oh? [He tilts his head.] I suppose, but I don't think it keeps the cold away as well as that sweater.

[It is a bit chilly to be staying on the porch, so he'll proceed to open the front door, so they could both come inside. It's oddly colder inside than out, probably from lack of use while Kazuma was away.] I'll start a fire. Please, take a seat in the main room. [With his back to her, the tail is more obvious while he puts some wood into the fireplace. Just a simple touch and a small fire sparks, spreading to the rest of the wood pile. His features become more visible, and now that they're inside, he removes his cloak. He look just like himself, though there were scales creeping up the back of his neck, and some on the back of his hands. In the darkness, his eyes seem to turn yellow for a moment, otherwise he was mostly human.]

[ Susato looks down at herself, clearly self-conscious, with a small blush to her cheeks that is thankfully difficult to see as they are. When he ushers them inside, she is thankful--mostly for the change in subject, but also to get out of the snow. ]

O, Okay.

[ Of course it's even colder inside. Susato can see her breath as she watches him light the fire--something to aspire to, for sure--and she's taking a good look at him for the first time in a while. ]

Does it hurt? [ She frowns, a worried expression suddenly written all over her face. ] You have patches on your skin... and a tail still.

[His fingers brushes over the scales on his other hand. He had expected the questions, but he still ends up feeling self conscious about his appearance.] Just the occasional irritable itch, nothing more. This too will eventually pass.

[He lifts the bag that he been carrying, looking through it's contents. He'll take out a jar and a small vial, setting them on the table. The vial had some of his white scales, the jar carried that familiar rainbow honey.] I thought your father would like to take a look at those scales, and some more of that honey for you.

[ Her shoulders fall slightly, feeling relieved; though she does still feel bad for calling out his appearance, if her face is anything to go by. Still, she is grateful for the reassurance, even though she doesn't know how permanent it is.

When he goes through the bag, she peers over him curiously, but does not expect anything. Her face lights bright, examining the jar of honey and the vial of scales one after the other. ]

I'm certain he would. I will give it to him straight away. [ Not literally, of course, but he knows what she means. And the honey... to be honest, she still wanted to pour some into a small decorative jar, for a necklace. ] ...Thank you. I wasn't expecting anything in return.

...Well, I didn't want to come back empty handed, after being away for all that time. [He gestures to her to take a seat. He'll join her once she's seated.]

Besides, I'd say same about this. [He raises the hand with the ring she had gifted him.]

[ Susato moves to sit as she's directed, rubbing her hands together and exhaling onto them for warmth as she does so. Compared to her nervousness initially, she wears an easy smile on her face when he shows it off. ]

Ah! And it suits you so well. [ It's a bit of a relief that it fits him too, if she's honest, though she had no reason to worry--and even though the answer is perhaps one she can guess, she can't helping getting a lump in her throat as she asks: ] Do you like it?

...It's beautiful. [He has to take a moment to make sure he doesn't sit on his own tail as he joins her on the sofa.]

I hope it wasn't too much trouble for you to procure this. [He gingerly fumbles with the ring, like he wasn't sure what to feel with the foreign object on his finger.]

...No. I simply had to work it off for a day.

[ Still smiling, Susato watches him, and--honestly she would rather Kazuma not worry about that at all. She talks it down, though she did learn a few things from working with those two unnaturally tall women, which she happily shares. ]

Apparently the ring is fashioned after a kind of currency in their world, the rupee. It comes in a variety of different colors, starting with green, blue, yellow, and...

Well. Red, of course. [ She waves a hand in his general direction. ] ...But you didn't call me over to hear me go on about that, so...

[ Anyways! ]

... H, How are you feeling?

[What do you mean that's not why he called her over-] I see...I'll take good care of it. [He folds his hands over his lap, thinking about how to answer her question.]

Like I've woken up from a nightmare, like a fog has lifted. I didn't have much sense of time while I was out there, so...have I missed much while I was away?

[ Look, she was starting to feel self-conscious, hearing herself go off, okay. She is far more interested in making sure he is okay--though of course, hearing his answer only makes her wince with guilt.

Well, no, she is glad that the fog has lifted. She only wishes she could have lifted it two weeks ago. ]

I'm sorry. But...no, aside from being forced into these sweaters, it has been rather quiet as of late. [ That, and it has started snowing, but Kazuma probably noticed that before she did, out in the cold forest. ] Ah--but father and I did start constructing a greenhouse, so we could have a place to keep those flowers I brought back.

[ Yujin has been doing the heavy lifting, but Susato has helped. It makes her feel useful. ]

[He shakes his head] That's nothing to apologize for. Honestly, it's good that things have been relatively calm.

[He tilts his head.] Is he now? Maybe I'll come by to give it a look. [He does have some plant tending experience thanks to his time in the Realm of Stories. He leans back, arms crossed as his tail lightly pats the sofa.] Speaking of constructing...I'm thinking I'll be able to open that pub next month. You said you wanted to help, right?

[ That's not what she was apologizing f...... you know what, never mind. She and Yujin would be happy to have his opinion on their progress, but anything else she might have told him regarding that or certain species of flying slugs causing trouble gets put temporarily on hold. ]

Oh! Yes, of course. Anything you need. Wh, where do we start?

Ah, well...the room and the area around it on the bottom floor needs to get cleaned up first. [He had a look and it could definitely use a dusting.]

Not tonight, but tomorrow perhaps. And...if you like, would you be interested in cooking for the customers?

[ She nods; he'd almost taken the words out of her thoughts. ]

I was about to suggest you taking some time to recover... You deserve some nights in an actual bed, for starters. [ But tomorrow is fine, at least. One night. ]

...I, I would be honored to cook for you, also. Are you certain 76 wouldn't mind?

[ She would not want to step on his toes. ]

[...That's right, he hasn't really "rested" for a while. He's been so set on moving forward that he hadn't really thought about stopping really. It's not it was the first time he's slept somewhere lacking the usual comforts afterall.]

Not at all. In fact...I think he would appreciate company. [He wears a worried expression on his face.] You saw the state of his hands, didn't you?

...Yes. [ Though he hadn't meant for her to see them. Susato expression falls just a bit; she had asked about it, of course, though she thought she was being respectful by not pressing the issue. ] I was more concerned about you at the time... Although, to his credit, he doesn't appear to let it hold him back.

Either way, I hope you'll both allow me to do what I can.

[ They don't have access to any recipe books or the like here, so... that's just another personal project she'll need more notebooks for. How many recipes can she remember, she wonders? From her time in Britain with Iris, all the way back to her childhood with her grandmother... ]

I'll believe you'll do just fine. [He has never disliked anything Susato made when they were together.]

He's managing, because it hasn't fully consumed him yet, just fluctuates. [Even if it improves, it feels like it gets worse the next time it spikes.]

I think...he sees something of himself in me, trying to keep me from going down the same way as him. But I want him to know, that it's not too late for him as well. Having this pub, letting him meet and work with new people...I would hope it's enough for him to see a different perspective. [A soft laugh escapes him.]

Ironic of me to tell you this, when I should take my own advice.

[ Fluctuates...? Is that how it is? Should she be expecting another vague note on Kazuma's doorstep sometime in the future, like a cycle? And now 76 as well...? Susato's mind reels, though her face remains neutral, or at least no more worried than his.

Her lips twitch with amusement at the end, that he would call himself out before she could. ]

It is smart advice. Perhaps both of you need the reminder, then... that it is not "too late"?

[ ...... ]

If you open this pub... work alongside people who care for you deeply every day... will you see things differently?

...Perhaps. [A light shrug.] I went into this simply just wanting something to do. There isn't exactly a high demand for attorneys.

...No, of course. [ She shakes her head. He is right, and it is something she thought about, even early on. Nier had once asked her what she was going to do. Only now did she have an answer for him.

For a moment it looks like she is about to say something else, her mouth slightly open--but if that's the case, she changes her mind. ]

Have you... decided on a name yet?

[He hums quietly, tail lightly patting the couch.] I had some ideas in mind. [He starts to go through his bag, taking out a folded piece of paper. In it was a list that he presents to Susato. A few of the names were already crossed out.

Wild Harvest
~~The Serpent~~
~~The Yard~~
Nature's Plate
Morning Dew ] What do you think of these names? [He's already leaning towards one name, but he like to see what Susato thought.]

[ Immediately, despite being crossed out, her eyes are drawn to the Yard. It would have made a nice tribute to Inspector Gregson, she thinks, and she actually chuckles at the idea of them serving his fish and chips... but in the end, she supposes it is not very fitting of Kazuma.

...... ]

Morning Dew... exactly what you'd find on flowers when you tend to them first thing in the morning. Rather like new beginnings, isn't it?

You did seem determined to do things differently.

[ And yet... it didn't seem to fit with him either, somehow. ]

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