Private Channel

[impheired]

WELCOME TO YOUR PRIVATE CHANNEL, NINEHEADED. FOR SECURE COMMUNICATION, USE 009.21.328.89 *** NineHeaded has joined 009.21.328.89 <NineHeaded> this is kuzuryuu fuyuhiko. <NineHeaded> you're probbaly better off coming to find me than leaving a message on this piece ofshit. <NineHeaded> but whatever. if it's not stupid,i'll get back to you whenever i open my laptop again.

Comments

[hamham]

[You might just be saved! Because yes, they do need to thank the waitress and settle their plates, though he does seem to hesitate a little once she's left and they're ready to dig into their food.

.......gonna...eat a fry or two first.]

I hope this is an acceptable method of celebrating.

[Here, look, he'll change it for you. Is this okay, kyoudai? It's not exactly a party...you probably had parties growing up, right?]

[impheired]

[Eat your salad, Gundam.]

Hm? [Oh hey, thank you for changing the subject for him. Fuyuhiko stops before biting into his burger, quirking a brow slightly at the question.] Yeah, of course. Why wouldn't it be?

[hamham]

[He will! Just...give him a minute to recover.]

I wasn't able to offer you a proper gathering. [It's not said with any remorse or anything, since the were does seem satisfied with it, but still.]

After the ritual you and the others performed in my honor, and compared to what you surely experienced at home, something like this seems as though it might be lacking.

[Not only that, but it's his kyoudai's birthday! Gotta try and make it good...]

[impheired]

Heh, don't worry about that, I don't mind. [He finally takes a bite of his burger, chewing and swallowing it before continuing.] To b honest, I'd rather have something small and quiet like this.

[Remember how he didn't really do anything at all for his birthday last year?]

No matter the occasion, gatherings with my family always end up getting...rowdy. So this is a nice change.

[Speaking of traumatic flashbacks...]

[hamham]

[Okay but last year nobody knew about it, and he doesn't really seem like the type of guy who'd just broadcast that kind of information. Not because he wouldn't like a party (though apparently that might be the case?) but because Fuyuhiko just...isn't like that.

But Gundam knew about it and had the chance to throw him a party. But if this is good then he's happy. He takes a bite of his salad as the other explains.]

Mmm...and gatherings here tend to be no less rowdy, just likely not in the same manner as your family.

[Gestures at previous gatherings. Gestures to their every day life. Gestures at the people who would be available to attend a party for him. Gestures at the entire reason he decided to go with this instead.]

I'm relieved, in that case.

[impheired]

[He could take or leave a party. He wouldn't bitch if Gundam had gone that route, and obviously he's not bitching over the fact that he didn't. He's definitely not the type to broadcast it, though. Which is...why Gundam is the only one who knows still. And even that had been kind of an accident.]

......

[He's not so sure that's an accurate statement. GESTURES TO THE CHRISTMAS PARTY. That had some surprisingly Kuzuryuuian elements to it.]

Haaa...yeah, I guess you have a point. [He takes another bite of burger. Hey, let's not go any further down this road, shall we?] But yeah, nothing to worry about.

[hamham]

[They can certainly talk about something else instead, because he's satisfied with that answer. He nods, indulging in a few more fries and a sip of his soda.]

I suppose you wouldn't be interested in sharing a few drinks still?

[impheired]

[He always forgets that technically they're old enough to drink here. For as long as they've been here, that's still something he hasn't done, himself.]

...depends on what sort of drinks you have in mind.

[hamham]

Exactly what it implies.

[Fuyuhiko honestly. What kind of drinks do you think he's referring to? First of all they're "drinks", second of all what drinks are you uninterested in having? (Other than milk, but Gundam doesn't have a death wish so he'd never suggest that.)]

I do still possess that entire bottle of vodka back at the castle I need to do something with. I doubt any of us are skilled enough to try cooking with it.

[So drinking it seems like the next best course of action?]

Or if that isn't quite to your taste, we could visit an establishment that offers more variety. If you aren't interested, however, that's fine of course.

[But sharing drinks on your birthday seems like something to brothers should do? To him at least.]

[impheired]

[Ugh...listen. There was a slim chance maybe he wanted to go out for coffee? ...no, okay, he knew exactly what it was but he still asked anyway. Maybe to delay having to give an answer. Because this is the sort of thing two adult, male friends would do on a birthday. But...]

Yeah let's...definitely not cook with that. [Please let's not set the castle on fire? He likes it a lot.] But...maybe some other time. That's something we should do at night, right? I'm still having a little trouble drinking in my new form.

[It's hard to drink with a dog snout when you...uh. Don't want to lap things out of a bowl like a dog.]

[hamham]

Ah, right...somehow that slipped my mind.

[Of course he's having trouble with that...that cute snoot isn't very good for things that aren't dog-like. He doesn't look put out or anything about it, though maybe there's a tiny hint of disappointment in himself for forgetting about that fact.]

Some other time then, yes. I have that bottle tucked away as well, if you're truly worried about anyone deciding it would be a good idea to use it in their recipes.

[Or use it in other peoples' recipes.....]

[impheired]

Eh, I'm not too worried about it, but good that you did that. [He'd be more concerned if Ibuki were still here. She seems like the type to try and cook with fire.]

It's no big deal though, nothing to apologize for. I only got that form last month and since it apparently changes every couple of weeks, it's easy enough to forget.

[It cool, bro.]

[hamham]

[Yeah...Ibuki really is cause for concern...]

True enough. [Well now that that line of conversation is done...what next? Does he give him his gift now? Or should he wait until they're done eating? And if he's waiting, what should they talk about...?

Gundam takes a few bites of his salad to deliberate on the subject.]

[impheired]

[Probably wait, but it's up to you, Gundam! Fuyuhiko is taking advantage of the silence to make a little more work on his burger. He doesn't want it to get cold, after all. That's no good.]

Kinda hard to believe we've been here for a year now, isn't it? Feels like it hasn't been that long and that it's been way longer at the same time...

[hamham]

[The demon hums in reply at first, just taking a few sips of his soda before saying anything.]

Agreed...time moves far too quickly. It feels as though I haven't even properly adjusted to this new form yet, but at the same time it's almost completely natural to me now...

[It's amazing how quick humans can adapt to things...]

And yet, so much has happened, it seems almost impossible that it happened in just a year...

[impheired]

[Fuyuhiko laughs and then takes a sip of his tea.]

No kidding. Remember this time last year we were still living in that shitty ass motel? Some days I almost completely forget about that chapter of our monster lives...

[hamham]

[Man...that shitty ass motel. The demon can't help a snort of laughter of his own.]

I am still astounded that we moved out of our own accord, rather than being forcefully removed for causing them so much hassle.

[That motel owner had the patience of a fucking saint with these two...

...probably mostly Gundam. Though Fuyuhiko was definitely not without his own quirks.]

I still hold the memory of those first few grocery trips we took together fondly in my heart.

[Bet you can't guess why, rich boy.]

[impheired]

You caused them so much hassle. Don't you smear my good name by lumping me in with your problematic ass!!

[He was a good tenant? He cleaned up all your blood splatter and everything. Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu did nothing wrong (while living in the motel, at least).]

Why the grocery trips?

[Actually, he can't guess why. Is it because he yelled at you about milk? Are you into that?]

[hamham]

Hmph, are we not now forever bound together in blood, heart, spirit and action? I believe the phrase you mortals like to use is, "we ride together, we die together."

[We caused them.]

I simply took pleasure in your reactions to a number of things. From how adamant you were about not putting special preferences onto the list, to having learned the hard way how you feel about the forbidden white liquid. For someone who never had very interesting shopping trips, it was an enjoyable change of pace.

[Yes. Apparently he's into that.]

[impheired]

...tch.

[Dammit. You had to go and pull the brother bond on him. Asshole. He takes a few bites of burger to cover up the fact that he has no argument to that. And also to listen to what the rest of Gundam has to say. He gives a small huff of laughter.]

You really are easily amused, huh? But I guess I'm not really one to talk. It's not like I haven't found myself thinking similarly over the past year.

[You're a funny guy, Gundam Tanaka.

[hamham]

[Hey at least this means if you do something stupid, he'll take the fall with you??]

Hardly. It is just refreshing to interact with humans in a way that is atypical to how I've always interacted with them before.

[He's extremely easy to amuse. Don't listen to him.]

What has amused you in the past then, hm? You cannot mention it without elaborating.

[impheired]

Can't I, though?

[Apparently, he can, because the only answer Gundam gets is Fuyuhiko taking a very, very long drink of his tea.]

[What a piece of shit.]

[hamham]

That hardly seems fair if that's your plan. It would be like mentioning that I have a gift for you, but deciding not to let you open it.

[Wow is he really insinuating he might have a birthday gift for the yakuza heir and may hold it hostage?]

[impheired]

[Siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiip!]

Hmmm... [He puts his glass down, thoughtfully.] Surely you wouldn't do something like that on my birthday though, right? I mean...that was just supposed to be a general example, right? Not an insinuation?

[He's calling your bluff, demon boy.]

[hamham]

That is truly a good question. Hypothetically speaking, there may be a gift that has been sitting within my hakama this entire time that I have yet to give to you. I could, in theory, continue to keep it hidden. So it may have been an insinuation.

[He takes a thoughtful drink from his soda before setting the glass down.]

On the other hand, it is your birthday. I suppose social expectations would insist that I let you have it, despite whatever the situation may be.

[It's with a cheeky grin that he continues, fixing the were with a mischievous look.]

But then again, it is not often that I follow the social expectations of humans and demons are certainly not above bargaining and ransom to obtain what they want.