[ the humor isn't lost on him, though he feigns complete apathy towards it, as if he didn't hear the joke at all. hei glances over his shoulder to make sure tadashi doesn't need any help, then continues his trek to the rover. tadashi seems like a very reliable, thoughtful, helpful person: the type of person hei pretended to be as li. the kind of person with honor and integrity and all sorts of traits he can never embody.
[ Tadashi is alarmingly easy to rope into things, when he isn't the one initiating it. Hiro might be inherently curious, but it wasn't his idea to go sneaking into establishments for the pursuit of greater knowledge.
He left the door open when he left, so Li doesn't need to do anything once they get to the rover. Aside from side step the fat cat sitting in the doorway that stands up at the sight of Tadashi, and peers curiously up at the other man. ]
Watch out, Mochi.
[ He admonishes, and the cat scurries out of the way, having learned a long time ago that staying underfoot when the Hamadas were around wasn't good for his health. ]
[ mochi? hei had a fat cat of his own at home, who also happened to be his partner that he risked his life for. he has a (reluctant) fondness for felines, and he even stops in abruptly in tadashi's path and watch him scurry away. having a cat around was a sudden, unexpected paradigm shift in the atmosphere of the rover, especially since it wasn't a large, monstrous tracking cat.
things felt oddly domestic.
the bag he's holding makes a squishing kind of sound as he shifts it against his chest. mm, lothlo underbelly. ]
[ Tadashi offers by way of explanation, neatly side stepping Li with the practice that comes with years of learning to move around immovable objects. He walks toward the kitchen, and Mochi trots after him like a fat, squat little dog. He starts purring as Tadashi sets the bags down, sounding like a tiny motorboat, and rubbing his thick body up against his ankles. ]
[ he closes the door behind them, then lingers in front of it, watching the small creature shower its owner with affection. his expression softens, unnoticed, as he drops his arms to his sides and begins to make his way over. when he steps into the kitchen, a flicker of blue radiation shines from his skin like a halo, and suddenly more lights turn on in the rover and it shines far brighter.
he sets the bags down, turning to open the freezer. ] I see. [ he tries not to look too instantly enamored with the creature, putting on a show of disinterest as he kneels down and focuses on placing one of the bags in the freezer instead. ]
[ With his back to Li, he doesn't notice the flicker of blue. He does, however, notice the fluctuation in the rover's lights and Tadashi tips his head back to look up. Next to him, Mochi's attention whips around to Li once he crouches down, and instead of being put off by him, immediately waddles over. Apparently, coming down to cat-level means cat-interaction.
Oblivious to all of this, Tadashi is still preoccupied with the lights. ]
Is it brighter in here?
[ He's pretty sure something odd just happened, but Tadashi can't really be entirely sure. Maybe he was still over-tired. ]
[ hei's head turns, attention set on mochi now that he's placed one of the bags into storage. he moves to wipe his hand on his shirt, then turns it over and loosely holds it out for the cat to sniff. he doesn't want to startle it by immediately trying to pet it, and hopes the smell of shille lures mochi rather than repels him. ]
Yeah. [ did tadashi not read his file after all? not that he's surprised. tadashi seemed like the type that respected privacy to an extent. hei lightly nudges mochi's cheek with a knuckle, trying to get him to rub. or nuzzle. or do something cute and cat-like. very, very lowly, he whispers a small "hi" to him. ]
[ Mochi is starving from his run in with the portal, and he meows when Li reaches out for him. He pushes his head against the man's hand, and then pushes his nose into it, looking for food as cutely as catly possible. He didn't get fat just by sitting around.
Tadashi turns to look down at the pair of them. He hadn't actually gone out of his way to look at the files, even though he knew how to find them. Tadashi didn't come from a world where that kind of intel was necessary, and when he'd read one or two and realized this wasn't just a handful of details like facebook, he'd shied away from it.
I don't think it has. [ hei cups his hand around mochi's cheek as he pushes in, curling his fingers a bit to scratch beneath his chin and let mochi guide where exactly his hand goes. with a slow, weighted movement, hei closes the small freezer as the expression on his face subdued. he blinks slowly, running his hand between mochi's ears and over the top of his head before bringing himself to stand. he sets the other bag on to the counter, finding the small kitchenette of the rover already a bit too claustrophobic for his liking.
they needed more storage space. at the very least, something more adequate — this way would prove to be a continued nuisance and produce more waste than necessary. not that he minds having a reason to go out and hunt so often — and if he has to keep bringing back small parts of the animal rather than the carcass, he's not too inconvenienced. if anything, it keeps his hands and mind preoccupied. hei quietly rolls back the sack to pull the meat out, its smell already quite pungent. ] We'll brine this in the sink for a little while. [ he moves to turn the sink on, stepping a bit closer into tadashi's space. there really was a lack of elbow room compared to working alone. since the piece was tenderloin, he was going to make sure to sear it quickly and service it just as quickly after. it's fine if it's just for tadashi and mochi.
the bright lights surrounding them provide a relatively clear reflection against the rover's window, and a careless glance up gives hei pause. he was a lot filthier than he thought.
hei moves to rummage for some salt. ] Do you drink? [ the words roll out, directionless, as he keeps his eyes fixed away from his rovermate. eren and mikasa seemed too young to keep alcohol around, but hei finds it a useful tool for meal preperation. he ignores whatever hesitation he had to push through to even ask about it. it didn't matter here, and he wasn't tempted to break his promise to someone back home. ]
[ Li isn't very forthcoming, or concerned, about this turn of events so Tadashi doesn't press the subject. He does compartmentalize it, though, and set it aside to look at again later. Tadashi can't let an anomaly in technology go, but he understands the people around him don't share his passion. He's not about to bore or needle Li about things he doesn't care about.
While he's preoccupied with the cat, though, Tadashi sets to work on what Li brought back. He puts most of the bags into the cooler before coming back to the sink, and steps only a little to the side when the other man straightens and comes in to his space. Tadashi learned a long time ago to keep his hands to himself when a cook was in the kitchen (one too many wooden spoons rapped on the back of his knuckles), but it doesn't make him any less curious. He's leaning over Li's shoulder when the guy pauses to look at his reflection and Tadashi straightens up a little more. ]
Sometimes, with my class.
[ He props his hands on his hips, looking at the meat Li had brought back. Seeing a half-prepared chunk of meat wasn't that strange. Tadashi used to love going to the markets when he was little. He used to chase Hiro around with the chicken feet. ]
Hm. [ hei locates the salt after briefly having considered that he could technically create it with his abilities. this makes it far easier.
he turns his head quickly to look at tadashi, noticing his curious hovering with a sense of returned interest, himself. it might make things more uncomfortable, but a helping hand was always nice, especially a competent one. he shrinks a bit in response to tadashi's straightening, casting a flit of a glance across his broadened shoulders and wondering idly about his personal strength. he has a sturdy build, but it didn't mean much without technique. it's a rather empty thought to put his mind to as he sprinkles a good amount of salt into his hand and pours it into the gathering water in the sink. it does occur to hei that, perhaps, tadashi needs more engaging other than monosyllabic noises and grunts, so he offers up a topic change, uncertainly, as he scans storing space for alcohol. ]
You should — [ he shuts a drawer. no, not there. there probably wasn't any. ] invite your brother to dinner.
[ he's invested, ok. he gives a corrective look at him, as if to stop the thought from naturally progressing to him joining them tonight. ] Sometime.
[ Tadashi's face lights up at the mention of his brother. ]
Are you kidding? He'd kill me if he knew we were making full course meals and he wasn't getting any.
[ But he does note the belated sometime and takes the prompt for what it is. He doesn't know a lot of Li, but he can tell he isn't exactly social. Maybe he needed time to warm up to a crowd. Deciding not to just stand there uselessly, Tadashi reaches up into the highest cupboard over Li's head to see if anything is up there.
That one turns out to be empty for the time being. Tadashi isn't all that surprised. If they weren't offered any whitener for tea and had to hunt for their own meat, he doubts the people in charge would give them free alcohol. Tadashi closes the cupboard again and continues the movement to turn the water off in the sink. ]
[ hei takes in that smile and mentally absorbs it, finding that commonality as a source of relief that escapes him through a soft breath out. he visibly relaxes with the exhale, accepting tadashi into his space with conscious effort, then extends his arm out in front of tadashi to open a drawer on the counter that he was standing in front of. the back of his hand hits waist with a nudge, gesturing for him to step away as he goes for two knives. ]
[ Li doesn't say anything but Tadashi takes it as it is. He's learning to read Li's silences, even if they're a lot harder to parse than Hiro's are. Of course, he's had thirteen years with Hiro so it's not much of a comparison. The touch to his waist has him taking a half step back to give Li his space, and Tadashi tucks his hands into his pockets to settle himself with watching and filling the quiet with quiet, idle talk. ]
My aunt used to make these killer chicken wings. They were so spicy you'd feel like your face was melting.
Really. [ hei glances back at him while he withdraws the knives from their holding spot, setting one down on the counter in front of tadashi. he turns the other over, turning his gaze to fix on his warped reflection against the metal. ]
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naturally, he must be easy to rope into things. ]
You can help me make dinner for the kids.
bumped to day 113ish...
[ Tadashi is alarmingly easy to rope into things, when he isn't the one initiating it. Hiro might be inherently curious, but it wasn't his idea to go sneaking into establishments for the pursuit of greater knowledge.
He left the door open when he left, so Li doesn't need to do anything once they get to the rover. Aside from side step the fat cat sitting in the doorway that stands up at the sight of Tadashi, and peers curiously up at the other man. ]
Watch out, Mochi.
[ He admonishes, and the cat scurries out of the way, having learned a long time ago that staying underfoot when the Hamadas were around wasn't good for his health. ]
amber is messing with time again
things felt oddly domestic.
the bag he's holding makes a squishing kind of sound as he shifts it against his chest. mm, lothlo underbelly. ]
A calico?
that amber...
[ Tadashi offers by way of explanation, neatly side stepping Li with the practice that comes with years of learning to move around immovable objects. He walks toward the kitchen, and Mochi trots after him like a fat, squat little dog. He starts purring as Tadashi sets the bags down, sounding like a tiny motorboat, and rubbing his thick body up against his ankles. ]
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he sets the bags down, turning to open the freezer. ] I see. [ he tries not to look too instantly enamored with the creature, putting on a show of disinterest as he kneels down and focuses on placing one of the bags in the freezer instead. ]
I'll make something for him too.
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Oblivious to all of this, Tadashi is still preoccupied with the lights. ]
Is it brighter in here?
[ He's pretty sure something odd just happened, but Tadashi can't really be entirely sure. Maybe he was still over-tired. ]
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Yeah. [ did tadashi not read his file after all? not that he's surprised. tadashi seemed like the type that respected privacy to an extent. hei lightly nudges mochi's cheek with a knuckle, trying to get him to rub. or nuzzle. or do something cute and cat-like. very, very lowly, he whispers a small "hi" to him. ]
no subject
Tadashi turns to look down at the pair of them. He hadn't actually gone out of his way to look at the files, even though he knew how to find them. Tadashi didn't come from a world where that kind of intel was necessary, and when he'd read one or two and realized this wasn't just a handful of details like facebook, he'd shied away from it.
It seemed invasive. ]
It's never done that before, has it?
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they needed more storage space. at the very least, something more adequate — this way would prove to be a continued nuisance and produce more waste than necessary. not that he minds having a reason to go out and hunt so often — and if he has to keep bringing back small parts of the animal rather than the carcass, he's not too inconvenienced. if anything, it keeps his hands and mind preoccupied. hei quietly rolls back the sack to pull the meat out, its smell already quite pungent. ] We'll brine this in the sink for a little while. [ he moves to turn the sink on, stepping a bit closer into tadashi's space. there really was a lack of elbow room compared to working alone. since the piece was tenderloin, he was going to make sure to sear it quickly and service it just as quickly after. it's fine if it's just for tadashi and mochi.
the bright lights surrounding them provide a relatively clear reflection against the rover's window, and a careless glance up gives hei pause. he was a lot filthier than he thought.
hei moves to rummage for some salt. ] Do you drink? [ the words roll out, directionless, as he keeps his eyes fixed away from his rovermate. eren and mikasa seemed too young to keep alcohol around, but hei finds it a useful tool for meal preperation. he ignores whatever hesitation he had to push through to even ask about it. it didn't matter here, and he wasn't tempted to break his promise to someone back home. ]
no subject
While he's preoccupied with the cat, though, Tadashi sets to work on what Li brought back. He puts most of the bags into the cooler before coming back to the sink, and steps only a little to the side when the other man straightens and comes in to his space. Tadashi learned a long time ago to keep his hands to himself when a cook was in the kitchen (one too many wooden spoons rapped on the back of his knuckles), but it doesn't make him any less curious. He's leaning over Li's shoulder when the guy pauses to look at his reflection and Tadashi straightens up a little more. ]
Sometimes, with my class.
[ He props his hands on his hips, looking at the meat Li had brought back. Seeing a half-prepared chunk of meat wasn't that strange. Tadashi used to love going to the markets when he was little. He used to chase Hiro around with the chicken feet. ]
Karaoke was usually involved.
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he turns his head quickly to look at tadashi, noticing his curious hovering with a sense of returned interest, himself. it might make things more uncomfortable, but a helping hand was always nice, especially a competent one. he shrinks a bit in response to tadashi's straightening, casting a flit of a glance across his broadened shoulders and wondering idly about his personal strength. he has a sturdy build, but it didn't mean much without technique. it's a rather empty thought to put his mind to as he sprinkles a good amount of salt into his hand and pours it into the gathering water in the sink. it does occur to hei that, perhaps, tadashi needs more engaging other than monosyllabic noises and grunts, so he offers up a topic change, uncertainly, as he scans storing space for alcohol. ]
You should — [ he shuts a drawer. no, not there. there probably wasn't any. ] invite your brother to dinner.
[ he's invested, ok. he gives a corrective look at him, as if to stop the thought from naturally progressing to him joining them tonight. ] Sometime.
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Are you kidding? He'd kill me if he knew we were making full course meals and he wasn't getting any.
[ But he does note the belated sometime and takes the prompt for what it is. He doesn't know a lot of Li, but he can tell he isn't exactly social. Maybe he needed time to warm up to a crowd. Deciding not to just stand there uselessly, Tadashi reaches up into the highest cupboard over Li's head to see if anything is up there.
That one turns out to be empty for the time being. Tadashi isn't all that surprised. If they weren't offered any whitener for tea and had to hunt for their own meat, he doubts the people in charge would give them free alcohol. Tadashi closes the cupboard again and continues the movement to turn the water off in the sink. ]
How can I help?
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My aunt used to make these killer chicken wings. They were so spicy you'd feel like your face was melting.
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So you like things hot?