thenearshore | family dinners [closed]

Entry tags:

family dinners [closed]

Who: Hakkai, Ken, Chikusa and Ayumu
When: August 29, evening
Where: The temple of Li Tieguai
What: Hakkai, his exemplar, and his two new nora have a nice family dinner together, probably.
Warnings: Everyone at this table is some variety of passive-aggressive disaster, except Ken, who just bites people. Specific warnings to be added as necessary.

[There was something appallingly normal about planning a Friday evening dinner party, Hakkai reflected, staring at the pot soaking in the sink. Still, Ayumu hadn't found her new god or goddess yet, he could hardly keep himself busy with prayers or grading all the time, and he was still trying to think of a reasonable next move with the information he did have. The symbols on his hasty rubbing, unfortunately, had led him nowhere; perhaps it was the damage that made them so hard to identify, or perhaps they never had been identifiable.

And so, at last, he had no excuses for putting off the dinner to properly introduce all of his current shinki. Ayumu and Chikusa knew each other well, and so did Chikusa and Ken, but he was hoping he could encourage them all to get along.

Possibly.

If he couldn't get them all to get along with him, fostering goodwill between the others might be a losing attempt, but at least it would serve as a distraction from his inadequacy with everything else he'd been trying to do, he concluded, and leaned back against the counter, listening absently for a knock at the front door. Ken and Chikusa should be arriving any moment now.]

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[Hakkai won't get to ruminate on his questionable life choices for much longer. There's a sharp knock on his door, knuckles against wood, signalling the arrival of his two shit teen guests.]

[Chikusa hasn't bothered to dress up fancy, as one might expect for a dinner where a general level of decency is expected. While it's something he knows that people generally do, it's also not really something he's ever had to experience. So he's wearing fairly casual clothes. There's a beanie, of course, dull gray with some sort of floral border. It goes well enough with the rest of his outfit with its simple black b-neck, jeans, and a light gray jacket. Slung over his shoulder is a bulky backpack.]

[It's probably been driving Ken crazy, honestly. Earlier in the day, Chikusa had finally gotten into making food. The idea of bringing food to a place you're a guest at isn't one he thinks he's familiar with, outside of the few times he's done it here in the Far Shore. Still, it makes sense, and no one has bothered to tell him that it's just for things like melon. Thus, he's prepared a good batch of gyoza that are in a nice box in his pack. The recipe had said enough for four people... So he'd made double that, since he figures Ken might eat a good chunk of it all by himself.]

[Ken hasn't been allowed to have any since he first started. Chikusa had smacked him away each time.]

[Since they're going to be having a full dinner, he can't exactly find it in himself to have much pity. Instead, he just slouches there and waits.]

.[Ayumu's closest to the door when the knock comes so she's the one to answer. Ever since Hakkai had introduced her to the costume and novelty shop Kitty's Closet, she's been slowly acquiring some of the cute oufits that has caught her eye. Presently, she's wearing a recent purchase. She has a warm, welcoming smile on her face as she greets the pair.]

Come in, come in! The kitchen's right this way.

[Ayumu starts leading the guests in the proper direction.]

I hope you two are hungry. There's a lot of food that needs to be eaten.

[With two cooks in the temple and at least one of them with a habit of cooking when stressed, it's only natural there'd be plenty to eat.]

[Ken is, indeed, in a bit of a sulky mood at having been tantalized by - and then denied - food for a good chunk of the day. Chikusa hasn't been particularly gracious about denying him, either. So he's slouching behind Chikusa, a brooding look on his face, as the door opens.

(It should surprise approximately zero people that he's wearing the exact same clothes he usually does - the Kokuyo uniform he first showed up in the Far Shore wearing. Chikusa has at least washed it recently, so it could look a lot worse, but it's nothing fancy and Ken has clearly made no effort whatsoever to dress up. Getting him to do that would have taken effort on Chikusa's part, and managing the gyoza - and keeping Ken away from them - likely burned through any energy Chikusa could have demonstrated in that area.)

When the door opens, though, and he sees what Ayumu is wearing, Ken jerks upright, sniffing the air for the scent of cat with wide, startled eyes. But he doesn't smell anything like a cat, so he presses forward slightly, scrutinizing the ears on Ayumu's head until he discerns that they're fake. Then he huffs, actually somewhat disappointed.

He'd thought he'd met another person like himself, or like Senri...but it's just someone wearing a costume.]

How come you're wearing fake ears, byon?

[That, Hakkai thinks, stepping out into the corridor with a faint smile to welcome the guests, is a very good question that Ken's asked.

He'll let Ayumu answer it. Instead, he nods cordially to both of them.]

Good evening. Chikusa, I can get that pack for you, if you'd like?

[There's a tired slump to the boy's shoulders, as there usually is, but the big, heavy-looking backpack is new. Hakkai wonders what he's brought.]

[In contrast to Ken's immediate reaction, all Chikusa does when Ayumu opens the door is freeze.]

[Unlike his partner, after all, Chikusa actually pays attention to the world. He also has met Ayumu before, and thus could tell anyone that she's not someone who naturally has cat ears. So he's already ignored that... in favor of staring at the bright pink outfit she's wearing.]

[Chikusa has wandered around a lot. Chikusa has also gone on the internet a lot. Thus, he is more than aware of maid cafes and certain people's... thing about maid uniforms. Perhaps making the matters worse is a certain conversation that he had recently...]

[It's only when Hakkai finally enters his line of sight that Chikusa can finally drag his gaze away. Slowly, he narrows his eyes at Hakkai in the same way as when he'd been offered the century egg.]

....He was right about gods and S&M...

[No answer about the bag.]

S&M?

[Ayumu's smile falters just slightly as she casts a questioning look in Hakkai's direction. This is another one of those odd terms native to this world that she doesn't recognize, isn't it? As for the other reactions, well, she supposes that's normal. This is the first time she's meeting Ken and she doesn't ordinarily wear things like this outside the temple. At home though, this is what she's most comfortable in.]

The cat ears are a part of the outfit, you see. At least, the girl in the picture was wearing them with this dress....

[She trails off a little, uncertain, worry and confusion surging up briefly in her bond to Hakkai. Should she have put on something else? Hakkai hasn't said a whole lot to her about the way she dresses at home.]

I think they're cute.

[Ken's also looking questioningly between Hakkai and Chikusa. As a teenager who never uses the internet or even reads books unless he absolutely has to, his education is lacking in certain areas.] What's S&M, byon?

[He scrutinizes Ayumu's outfit.] I thought maybe they were real ears, like when I channel...they look okay, I guess, but what's the point of ears that don't help you hear?

[This is actually a little bit more polite than Ken's usual, in acknowledging the aesthetic function. Hakkai is his god - even if he's one of two - and Ayumu is, as he understands, his fellow shinki, even if this is his first time interacting with her much. But at heart, he's a very practical boy.]

[Who was right? Who has Chikusa been talking to-- but really, that's not the important thing here. The flickers of worry he can feel from Ayumu to back up that look on her face are enough to fan his temper to real irritability.

He covers the irritation with a sweet smile, making eye contact with Chikusa for a long moment before his gaze flicks, meaningfully, to the dog collar around Ken's neck.

He looks up to meet Ken's eyes instead, after just long enough to make his point to Chikusa.]

Nothing important -- I'm sure Chikusa can explain it, Ken. Ears are just another way of decorating a headband, like bows, or silk flowers.

[In other words, it's aesthetic, Chikusa. She wears what she likes.]

[...Fine. Point taken. Chikusa's gaze also follows down to Ken's collar, staring at it for a bit longer than Hakkai does, before he heaves out a sigh.]

[THAT'S DIFFERENT, BUT FINE.]

I didn't think we'd be wearing anything....

[It's a mutter as he lets the backpack slide from his shoulder to thump against the floor. Judging by the sound of it, it's a bit heavy, and that becomes obvious when he slides it open to reveal at least a few different kinds of notebooks, a few canteens and bottles of holy water, a spellbook, and a good stack of boxes.]

[It's those last ones that Chikusa opens, the smell of hot gyoza wafting out, and he carefully takes one before just... thrusting his arm out awkwardly to hold it out to Ayumu.]

[There is no explanation here.]

Oh, I didn't expect anyone to dress up. I just haven't worn this one yet and today's a special occasion so I thought it'd be a good day for it. We don't often have dinner guests.

[She reaches out to take the boxes from Chikusa. Maybe she'd gotten a little excited over dinner. With her and Hakkai taking turns in the kitchen, there just isn't that much of a necessity for her to cook as much as it feels like she's used to. She seems to know an awful lot about cooking in bulk.]

This smells delicious. I didn't know either of you cooked.

[Her gaze shifts back and forth between Chikusa and Ken. Regardless of her mixed feelings about the circumstances that led them to serving Hakkai alongside her, it would be nice to find common ground.]

I dunno how to cook, but Chikusa can do anything, byon. [Ken says this with a touch of proprietary pride. Or maybe he's trying to flatter Chikusa, since he's noted that one gyoza Chikusa snagged out of the box and his eyes haven't really left it since it emerged.

Look, the smell of them has been driving him nuts for awhile now, and his stomach audibly growls even as they're standing there.]

It's true, we don't have people over as often as we could. [She seems to have the boxes in hand, and Ken is following the gyoza with his eyes as though Chikusa's about to throw it like a ball: Hakkai, cheerfully, reaches out to take it instead and heads for the dining room.

Here, Ken. Follow.]

Thank you for bringing these! They do look delicious -- although I'm afraid we had quite a bit of food already, so I hope you're hungry.

....Hestia is a hearth god, so- ah.

[Well, there goes the gyoza, and probably Ken with it. Chikusa doesn't bother trying to fight about that; he has like dozens with Ken having been put into consideration. So he just blinks slowly at his hand and then at Hakkai's retreating back.]

[Rude. Or something.]

[With that done with, he leans down to take his backpack and doesn't even bother zipping it up again. He'll just... trail behind Ayumu...]

....You need to teach me more.

[Even if she's forgotten, Chikusa will still remind her of this.]

beep beep group shitshow time

let's get this started

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investigations time with Hakkai

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