dottedline | IC Inbox for isleofavalon

Yeah. [ Now that they're not facing each other, Taichi's voice lowers a little bit. He's energetic a lot of the time, but.. not all of the time. Even when he's not sad, Taichi can be surprisingly calm often. ] Is that okay? We can go somewhere new instead.

[ It's the only karaoke place he's really familiar with.. but he has been feeling a little anxiety about talking to all of his friends lately. He doesn't want to worry anyone. He knows everyone is worried, but he doesn't want to be a burden and it feels like everyone's tiptoeing around him. Probably because he can't 100% keep himself together still, but he's an actor- he knows he can do this.

Azul hasn't been treating him differently so far, and moved on with him when he caught up on Hikaru's name. He appreciates it, but he wouldn't mind just being with one friend at a time until he's ready to stop acting like he's okay a little bit more. So if Azul wants to go somewhere else, he's okay with taking it slower. ]

[Azul's not treating Taichi any differently...simply because he just doesn't do that if there's nothing to be gained from it. There's no reason to baby Taichi (anymore than "arranging for a regular pick up of saltimbocca alla romana" and "somehow allowed himself to be talked into karaoke", anyway) so he won't. Simple as that.

But asking "is that okay" is pretty obviously a hint that maybe he doesn't want to go to Ren's karaoke place, and it's not like Azul himself wants to go to somewhere so public, so Azul digs out his phone to go looking for other options. There's ]

There's a smaller one on the other side of the city with decent enough reviews, if you want to try something new.

Something new might be fun.. I'll have to apologize to Ren-san later for cheating on his business!

[ He lets out a little whimper, but the carpet's already changing direction to the opposite of where they were going in a swoop of a turn, like it's annoyed they haven't made up their mind. ]

I think you have to tell the carpet where it is. This was Hikaru and Kaoru's so I'm not super sure how it works but that's gotten me around so far!

Edited 2022-06-05 21:59 (UTC)

[What even was that sound.

It's easy to direct the carpet, at least, and once it knows where they're going:]

I have to ask. Why me?

We're friends, right?

[ Taichi's answer is simple, and though there are deeper down reasons for certain, he didn't think about it consciously much before texting Azul. Azul probably won't accept such a simple answer though, so Taichi hums a little as he thinks. ]

You kept making me Hikaru's favorite food. I wish I'd known you could make it before he was gone... but, I'm glad I was able to taste it. It helped me feel closer to him, even though he's gone. I know everyone's worried about me and doing everything they can to check on me, but besides that, you treat me normally. I was apprehensive that when I got here, you'd look at me like I was broken or you weren't sure what to do with me, but it feels nice being able to try to do normal things. I want to be a good friend for Azu-chan, like you've been for me.

[That.

That is a lot. Literally no one has ever told Azul he was a good friend, at least not in so many words (and the Tweels are. Well they sure are). Someone just outright calling him a friend, and a good friend, is different and a little unsettling and oh God he can't even vent about this to Jade because then Floyd'll know and he'll never hear the end of it--

Azul may be having a moment. Or several.

Eventually:]

I didn't realize it was Hikaru's favorite. Hyodo just asked about it, calling it "salty boy" like you had that one time, and I figured it was related to that breakdown you had earlier. A friend getting another friend their favorite food to make them feel better...

[He shrugs.]

Yeah! Heh, I still can't say the name right. Saru... Saruchiimu... Saruchiimu-bōya...?

[ His point is made, so he doesn't even try the rest. Despite that there's a translation spell going around, Taichi is just genuinely bad at pronouncing anything that isn't Japanese. It's probably more obvious where he got salty boy from when he tries to say it, too. ]

My favorite food is hot dogs. What's yours?

Edited 2022-06-06 17:17 (UTC)

[That is an impressive mispronunciation, Taichi. Wow.

Favorite food...does he admit it?]

Anything fried, honestly. I'm on a diet, so I never get to eat what I actually like unless I'm at home, when Mom insists.

[Congrats, Taichi, you are the third person in the world to know about his diets.]

It sounds like your mother loves to dote on you. My mom does that more with my younger brother and sister now... Though I don't live at home anymore so that's probably why. Do you have any siblings? Oh-- when is your birthday?

[ He hops the conversation around briefly as the carpet starts descending slowly towards the ground. He needs to know the birthday! After all, that's a special day when people can break their diets, right? Taichi will get him delicious fried food. ]

Edited 2022-06-06 17:33 (UTC)

No, it's just me. [Thankfully] February 24th.

[You know, right in the middle of that apocalypse earlier this year.]

Ehh? I missed it! Then, tonight is Azu-chan's makeup birthday karaoke! I bet we can order some fried food from them. We can order a bunch of fruit and every fried item, then you can have one bite of everything and fill up on fruit. Then I'll eat all the rest of the fried food so you aren't tempted.

[ Unless he wants to be tempted but Taichi also loves fried food. Of you think about the order of things... He likes hot dogs first, meat in general second (the saltimbocca was really good), and fried foods third.

And the carpet touches down, hovering a couple feet above the ground so Azul doesn't have to get up from the floor. Taichi'll let Azul off first so he doesn't have to worry about it dropping with no one on it. ]

What's your favorite song? We gotta sing that for sure.

[That actually gets Azul to smile a little, before he catches himself. This is weird. Is this what Jamil feels like with Kalim?!

Off he goes!]

I don't really have one, at least not here. The music I know from home almost certainly isn't here since the music I like is all merfolk genres.

Hm... maybe next time we see Ren, you can hum some for him and he can transcribe it. I can sing, but I don't really know how to do stuff like that. I guess we'll have to find some people to play instruments though.. heh, unless merfolk songs can be played on Taiko drums.

[ He gives a sheepish grin as the carpet rolls up and he tucks it under his arm. Taichi gets out his phone to pay for the whole thing once they're in. He has.. quite a bit of extra money, not buying fancy expensive foods and stuff for Hikaru since he doesn't buy a lot for himself, and it's not like rent increased since Taichi was already paying Hikaru's half. Plus it's a birthday celebration now! ]

Hey, hey, do you have to be somewhere later tonight? Do you want to stay the night? We can go to bed whenever you want, I'll do my best to stay up if you're a night owl.

[Oh.

Huh.

...hm. Well, he is curious about Taichi's situation--he's paying for this entire deal, after all--so.]

I just need to do end-of-day things at Golden Silence, but I can ask Jade to cover for me. Why not?

[And he gets his phone out to fire off that text message.]

Remind me to thank Jade-san later.

[ They get lead back to a private karaoke room, so it's just the two of them. They can ask for the video file at the end though, so Taichi might do that!! He also did, in fact, order a fruit platter and one of every fried food on the menu. And a cola and a water for each of them. If Azul doesn't like cola then Taichi will drink them both like a fiend. ]

How much am I going to owe you for all of this, Taichi? You're paying for everything.

You don't owe me anything. It's your birthday celebration, so it's fine this once! Plus... Hikaru is- was what people call a "high maintenance" boyfriend, so I worked hard to take care of him.

[ He doesn't have to say the rest, he thinks. Azul is smart. He can do the math. Most spending on Hikaru, minus Hikaru, equals extra income. Though he also adds: ]

Let Lord Taichi treat you tonight!

[ He's also nobility, after working at it for a long time. ]

[Yeah, he can do the math. Ouch.

But also:]

Now, when you say "lord"...?

I, um... I was working on it in secret. I wanted to surprise him with a castle, since he was used to living in a mansion... And he has been living in an apartment with Juza-san and I since his twin went home. It's silly now.

[ Taichi looks for a song he likes in the booklet while they're talking. Something with repetitive lyrics so it's easy for Azul to catch on, since he only knows merman stuff. ]

[Ah.

God Azul is bad at this.]

Honestly, I think it's admirable that you worked that hard. Most people don't have that sort of work ethic, even for those they care for.

[ Taichi doesn't think he is. But Azul is right. Taichi doesn't always think he deserves the wins he gets, but the truth is, even if he has to work twice as hard to get to where everyone else is in a lot of things... he is always willing to put that work in. ]

Mm... I'm stupid, and clumsy, and slower than everyone else, so I know I have to work hard, but if I keep trying then I'll always move forward. I'll get there, and one day I'll do it. Hard work is a step toward being able to smile tomorrow, even if it's hard to smile right now. That's how I always try to approach things. But you know, right now only exists once.. so it's important to do other things than work hard too, like right now.

[ He smiles, though it's softer than normal. It's real, at least. Taichi loves acting, but he doesn't like to lie to his friends. ]

Pick out a song with me, let's start with a duet~

[How does someone so fucking earnest latch on to Azul? How did this happen?!

Azul stands to try and make sense of the songs but for a moment he looks like a very confused fished just hauled out of the water.]

...I don't know what any of these songs are, Taichi. [But fine, he'll pick one and pray it's not something stupid and weirdly sexual.] Any stories you heard about merfolk having amazing voices are lies, by the way.

Me neither.. music is a little different in my world. Apparently Single Fellas is called "Single Ladies" in some worlds and it's sung by a queen named Beyonce!? And there's no such thing as Break the Tub outside of Veludo's world! I just have the stuff on my phone, so I don't really know how to play my world's music... otherwise I could just sing one of my songs for you.

[ Wait, he's rambling, Azul just said- ]

...I still don't even understand how you talk under water, let alone how you would sing. [ There's no air underwater!! Though it's not really important, they're just here to have fun, after all. ]

[Taichi...]

And until I gained a set of human lungs, I didn't understand how humans sang or spoke on land.

[Just saying.]

Veludo?

How did you grow lungs anyway? That sounds so badass...

[ Taichi nods. Despite that Taichi does mispronounce things from time to time, Veludo is correct, despite how close what he says next sounds to a Taichi brand butchering of "Broadway." ]

Veludo Way! It's Japan's theater district in my world. I moved into Mankai Theater after.. after I quit God Troupe when I realized where I really belonged. GodZa is one of the top troupes in Japan, but I think Mankai is going to go so the way someday... Also, Mankai has a dorm so we all get paid in food and rent and bills! It's really cool. Mankai is on Veludo Way and has been there forever... We're the second generation. Ah, but there's lots of theaters and street acts everywhere, it's the mecca for actors!

Edited 2022-06-12 06:55 (UTC)

IC Inbox for isleofavalon

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject