kaliedoscopes

[The next reply will probably take a while because this is embarrassing!!! Maybe after lunch.]

[ And Hikage is quiet for a while too because he is supposed to be having sibling bonding time. ]

Edited 2020-07-11 17:55 (UTC)

[ Eventually though he does send along a picture of Marona surrounded by forest. It's probably different from before though it might be hard to tell given his suspect photography skills. ]

[Sibling bonding time, nature communing time, same difference these days apparently! Subete takes a moment to tap out a message when the picture first arrives--]

Oh, there she is. I was wondering when I'd see a picture.

[--since Marona being recognizable is worthy of note, obviously. He's changed locales, himself, following both food and a rough itinerary for the day. For once he isn't really bothering to attend to business and is just wandering. It's so strange to have so much free time, this really is what retirement is like. In the meantime...]

Supposedly they're only open in the summer here.

Edited 2020-07-11 19:43 (UTC)

I had to wait because she blends in with the leaves.

That's a lot of...what is that, exactly? [ He's still a picky eater, though he has been trying a lot more food lately. Even if by trying its more like sampling whatever Subete is having but it's progress. ]

[ A few minutes later he sends along two pictures. ]

Their kitchen barely had anything besides these ready-to-make pasta shells. At least I brought nori.

That she does. That's some camouflage.

[Given her fashion sense, she is pretty much blending in with the forest too -- it's not quite on the level of #findthatanimal but it certainly could be a challenge to photograph. He amuses himself with that thought while he finishes up lunch -- he has a waterfall to get to in the later afternoon.

Surely it's a completely different waterfall, and they haven't just missed each other by minutes or so.]

Fried crawfish. It's quite tasty -- I'm told they specialize in seafood here. I suppose they have to do something with all this water.

[Despite all his airs, he's a pretty good omnivore by nature. He might have started sending Hikage more pictures of food just because.]

[He's definitely distracted by the next pictures though!! After a few moments:]

I didn't know you could make stuff like this!! Save me some?

[ He's about to type that he wouldn't mind trying it if it's seafood, but then he in turn gets distracted by the second text. ]

?

We had a functional kitchen in Psychedelica, so I know how to make some basic things. I'm not sure how well these will hold up but there was some left at the house. These are all tuna because that's all Saphir had.

[ A slight delay and then- ]

I could make more another time if we have the ingredients and a kitchen. If you want???? [ No emotes, he's too flustered for that. ]

It's nice having a functional kitchen, isn't it? Even one with just tuna. Whenever we find a base, they usually come with a kitchen, so might as well get some use out of it.

[Guess who's a nerd and calling it a base because otherwise it turns into moving in together and that's like. Confusing?? It's fine, they're just retired agents establishing a rebel base don't question him. He's more focused on upcoming snacks, anyway -- small bites like this are right up his alley so he might be forgiven for jumping on the opportunity.]

Come to think of it, it's been 20 years since I've seen a real kitchen, too.

Edited 2020-07-11 22:14 (UTC)

[ That's a mood all around so Hikage has no problem with this word choice, even if they'e been sleeping in the same bed for over a month now. And though a base has probably come up a few times before, seeing it in text is different. ]

Yeah. [ To what exactly??? Maybe everything tbh. ]

[ He's still short circuiting so his texts come in split up because he didn't ask for...feelings(???) Over cooking??? Or a base??? Or from a sticker??? ]

I'll save you one.

Edited 2020-07-11 23:33 (UTC)

There's a lot we need to see still. And do.

[There's something strangely satisfying about making plans like this, even if they're still very much in the rough planning phase -- there's only so much you can get done in between settling into a new relationship and lifestyle and world and time and everything else -- maybe he should be a bit uneasier about settling down in this world. But: that's the thing, isn't it?

He has plenty of beef to pick with everything and everyone here still, and if that means embracing his current place in it all, there's really nothing wrong with that.

(Maybe it helps that there's so many different layers to what he's doing, or he's still just being a bit obtuse when it comes to things like this, or the life of texting is just easy to get caught up in. A little ironic, that.)]

[Amusingly enough, he opts for the simplicity of stickers here.]

Edited 2020-07-12 01:32 (UTC)

Hmm. I'll look forward to it later, then. I'll have a souvenir for you, too.

[Perhaps just as satisfying is the slow, sweet weight that later keeps gaining throughout the day. What a strange experience; almost as much as having the time to really roll up all that anticipation. And...]

I plan to take this world for all it's worth. But we should start with Japan; personally, I think there's plenty of potential there despite the differences.

[ Honestly Hikage prefers it like this anyway because then he doesn't need to stop and think either. And he gets to keep tsuning so win-win. ]

[ It doesn't take him long at all to lean into this train of thought, particularly with how it's worded. ]

Likewise.

There is. And it'll be easier there to find good sake and onsen when we want it. Do you want to go back to Japan when we're done here?

Well, I don't know if it'll be food this time. But look forward to it.

[He might be teasing or he might actually have misinterpreted the sticker. Such is the danger of yeeting stickers into the void. ☆ There's a traveling pause, or maybe just some more moments of appreciation -- he somehow always underestimates connections like these, even over text.]

Of course. Besides the leads we have, I wouldn't want to miss the rest of the summer back there. Tanabata is soon, after all, and we've certainly earned some more creature comforts.

[Unspoken: they've also earned some more time and summer festivals, regardless of the ones they've likely crashed already.]

I feel like I've only really appreciated creature comforts lately. [ Some teasing of his own but also genuine; his view of life is skewed and he keeps getting spoiled but he's really not complaining. ]

It's been a really long time since I've participated in Tanabata, I wonder if it's changed much.

That's what happens when you're playing catch-up.

[Maybe he's doing a little bit of spoiling but his variety of spoiling is also skewed very left of center so really where are they. Who knows. Does anyone care as long as they're enjoying themselves? There's an idle shoot of a waterfall in the distance that might look a touch familiar...]

It can't be all that different -- the festival is pretty old. Oh, but it's probably become much more commercialized. That might be a surprise, in a way.

[But probably not a bad way, all things considered. Considering who they are... Also can't believe he's getting called old twice in a weekend once he gets to Saphirsville later.]

If you say so.

[ But again, he's not complaining. The waterfall probably wouldn't have gotten much commentary except—huh. Tanabata commentary will need to hold until they're experiencing it firsthand. ]

...what waterfall is that?

Hmm? The Minnehaha Falls, of course. I'm told it's the representative waterfall here in the city.

[God they are being such tourists. Why does he sound so self-satisfied even over text. Maybe he's just enjoying taking the dumb nature photos.]

We were just there.

[ He's too surprised to even use a sticker! Where is he now though is the question... ]

Oh? Well, we are all tourists (except Marona). I wonder where else we've crossed paths now?

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