shallowish-blog

[shallowish-blog]

"You know, even though summer ends in September, it really feels like it already ends in August, doesn’t it? It’ll be gone before its time, and then we’ll be getting cold already, and have to wait another year for summer, which is bad because, like, summer is pretty much the best, right?” Is there even a point to this rambling? No, he’s just sad that the feeling of summer is going to leave soon. No more slacking off...

[shallowish-blog]

“Aw, cute,” Kashuu says, but he says it as if he’s talking to a child he’s proud of for learning a new word, not as a real compliment, even if he sort of means it that way. 

He leans in toward Issei with a staged, but impressed smile on his face, and then steps away again, turning his back to him so that he can start walking. Of course he knows where a nail salon is by now, so it isn’t something he has to think about twice.

“We can go there,” he speaks again with a laugh, gesturing for Issei to follow him, “but Aruji-chan, that’s the sort of place where you’d have to sit around and wait on me. Is that what you want to do?”

‘A date,’ he repeats, ‘Using my money.’

Sounds unfair. Or it would, had he not just said he wanted to grant Kashuu’s wish.

It just so happens to be that Kashuu’s wish is very, very flexible.

‘Alright. Where? The…’ He circles his hand at the wrist, as if searching. Then, he stops, as if he’s snatched the words he’s looking for from the air. ‘Nail salon?’

That’s what they’re called, aren’t they? He looks a little proud of himself.

[shallowish-blog]

It was never said that Kashuu expected Issei to believe it--just that he’d say whatever he wanted to for the sake of it, and it’s not hurting anyone, so he’s not technically in the wrong for it.

“Isn’t lying bad, Aruji-chan?” Excuse the hypocrisy--he’s mostly kidding anyway. “What now? What now...,” he trails off, grasping at different ideas but ultimately coming up with something basic. “Well, now that I’m your number one, you take me on a date using your money? How does that sound?”

It’s such an obvious lie that Issei hesitates to call him out on it. The other swords – they’d probably take Kashuu at his word. But this… it’s almost insulting.

(Almost, but not quite.)

Issei goes from looking nonplussed to surprised, and crosses his arms.

‘… actually,’ he confesses, ‘I lied. I wished… that whatever you asked for would come true.’

‘– what now?’

[shallowish-blog]

Of course Issei would wish for something like that. He’s not surprised--it’s practically his job to be so naturally...well, Kashuu doesn’t know what word he’s thinking of, but he can sum it up simply with “not absolutely about Kashuu only.”

“Me? Right, I did say I’d tell you.” To say the truth or to make something up? Decisions. “The usual. That Aruji-chan would realize I’m number one already? ♥”

It’s probably just an act, but Kashuu’s playfulness makes Issei smile anyway – he’s missed it. The expression on his face is unusually honest.

‘The usual.’

‘That everyone stays safe.’ Victory in battle, but it’s mostly the same thing. ‘What was yours?’

[shallowish-blog]

“Aruji-chan, Tanabata passed already, huh? But no one here really celebrates it...” It’s hard for him to forget one of these important dates, so thankfully that wasn’t the case. “Of course I do, though. Do you want to know what I wished for? I’ll tell you, but it’s going to cost you--you tell me yours first!”

@kashiwade

[shallowish-blog]

“So, that baseball bat actually works as a weapon?”

“It seems a little underwhelming..” Maybe it’s a modern thing? Must be a modern thing. “At least compared to a sword it is.”

@koshukeimajishan 

[shallowish-blog]

ok! i’m not off hiatus yet, but i told myself i’d make one of these checks a few days before it’s officially over so that i can be prepared to get active in the three day grace period. 

firstly, i’d like to apologize for any missed things, but i’d also like to formally mend that now with this check! if you liked any of my checks before, feel free to like this one too!

secondly, this is a starter call, but in the case that i’d like to plot some things out instead of having a hard time making up ideas, it also doubles as permission for me to im you to plot! i’d really love to plot things and write with new people, so don’t be afraid to like it!

that being said, i won’t cap it for the time being, and tl;dr: an ad for short starters and permission to im you for plotting purposes if need be. like away!! :D

[shallowish-blog]

“Yasusaadaa!” He doesn’t need to call him like that; they’re only a few steps away, but Kashuu gets rid of that space after speaking, grabbing onto Yasusada’s arm.

“Let’s make something in the kitchen while everyone else is on break. It’ll mean more if we can make stuff from scratch, you know?” Well, maybe that’s him being a little conceited. “I’d do it alone, buuuut....no.” That’s not a real explanation, but the truth is that if they get caught in a mess, he doesn’t want to be the only one in trouble.

@mibucan

[shallowish-blog]

Spider lilies. That’s close enough to his own choice! He never actually thought about types of lilies, though; Kashuu’s fine with the original, but in hindsight, maybe that’s not such an interesting answer...hmm...

“I like those, too,” he decides, although it’s more of a ‘I like almost anything Aruji-chan likes, besides math and hard work and whatever else it is he likes to make them do,’ thing than his actual opinion. He lets his gaze travel over the various floral arrangements nearby, but....no, he doesn’t spot the ones he’s looking for. 

“It shouldn’t be that hard to find... but there’s gotta be, like, a million flowers here. I guess we could ask one of the workers?”

They do. Issei’s in easy agreement with that.

‘Spider lilies,’ he answers, but it’s easy to add: ‘Though all of them are nice.’ He holds up a flower that could be a lily but isn’t, probably, scouring his mind for the name.

There’s more flowers here than he’ll ever have names for.

‘Do you even know where to look?’

[shallowish-blog]

“Ehhh, well, I’d rather not sing if I can help it,” Kashuu admits. She doesn’t seem like someone who’d hold it over him, so it’s not as embarrassing as he thought it would be. 

Talking, on the other hand, is no problem for him. “Yep! Though I’ve never actually acted before.. Talk show host? I guess they both talk a lot, but there’s no talk shows here....and I have a feeling there won’t ever be.” What would they talk about? Executions? Yuck.

“You were seriously an idol!?” Woow, Kashuu would have never thought he’d meet a real idol in the flesh. There was that time with Yamanbagiri, but...yeah, no, that doesn’t count. “I’ve never heard of any idol place here--wait, no, there was something once, but I think it’s gone now.” At least he hasn’t heard about it in a long time, anyway. “Oh, actually, I had to get used to everyday life when I got here! I’m, like, practically an expert by now, you know? How’s that going for you?” Though he’s far from an idol.

“Yes, you doooooo!” She giggles, glad the he doen’t brush her off as many other had done before. Was there some sort of stigma about being complimented by a stranger? She would never understand that..

“Is that so? Well, I bet you’ll do great a either of those! Do you now like singing? Or talking? Actually, you have to talk a lot to be an actor, huh.. Or is that talk show host?” After a bit, she starts to trail from their initial conversation and into one more to herself than him.

“Well, I was an idol, but I dunno if there’s any place for that here! Instead I’m learning the ropes of everyday life before I do anything toooooo big!”

[shallowish-blog]

“Ah, do you really think soooo?” Of course Kashuu’s super complimented, but he might want to play it off as the cool type for now...otherwise he’d totally lose this supposed idol status already! 

The thought of ‘putting it to good use’ stresses him out a bit. He knows all about idols and their singing...the thought of having to do that on stage when it isn’t his strong point to begin with is...uh, embarrassing.

“I’d rather be an actor or model, though, I think...” Now that he looks her over, that bright hair reminds him more of idols than himself. “Maybe you should, like, put your idol looks to good use instead?”

“Wowowow, youuuuu look like idol material!” She really didn’t know what that meant, but she’d heard it when those men in suits talked about tall people with a sense of fashion. “And you should put it to good use!”

{ @shallowish }

[shallowish-blog]

        If he’s been told before, Kashuu’s already forgotten, but hey, he can’t be expected to remember everything, right?

        “Aruji-chan, what’s your favorite flower? I want to find something with them!”

        “I like lilies the best, by the way.” Not that he has a particularly experienced opinions on flowers. Lilies just look nice red.

[shallowish-blog]

         So? Kashuu has a feeling that their respective ideas of what a date is are really different, but he isn’t particularly surprised about that, either.

        “It’s not, like, a date-date, though, so I’ll obviously go.” He wouldn’t ever say this out loud, but Kashuu doesn’t even think Aruji knows what a real date is. He personally only knows from being Okita Souji’s sword and from various romance-related shows he’s seen. “Just so long as no one interrupts us!”

‘It is a date.’

Issei doesn’t get embarrassed by that concept because – it’s just him. It’s just Kashuu. It would be a date, and his choice of words is right, even if he doesn’t mean it in the way that most people might.

It’s been too long, hasn’t it?

‘… so?’

[shallowish-blog]

    “Just me.” Of course Kashuu likes the idea of that. He loves spending time with Aruji, especially when it’s just the two of them, but with so many others here now, can he really get his full attention for the day?

    “Obviously I’d never hate that-- why would I? It’s juuust... you’re not gonna get distracted by the others, right? This is practically a date, Aruji-chan.” The only reason he doesn’t get embarrassed by that concept is because he said it first; if Issei had suggested that... no, Kashuu would have been blushing by now.

He’s not asking. Not really.

‘I meant just you.’

‘Would you hate that?’

[shallowish-blog]

      “Take me?” Maybe Kashuu could figure out the implications of his words if he tried, but he really doesn’t, instead continuing on as if that’s obvious.

     “I mean, yeah.... You don’t have to ask, Aruji-chan. Don’t we all go places with you?”

He rolls the thought around in his head before he answers.

‘Yes.’

And then he says,

‘Why don’t I take you?’

[shallowish-blog]

       “Going? I go a lot of places, Aruji-chan!” He knows exactly what he means, though, so he really shouldn’t play difficult.

      “Of course I am. I mean... it’s a festival! Are you going?”

‘Kashuu.’

Perhaps it’s not the most important topic on everyone’s mind, but he could hardly care.

‘… are you going?’

@shallowish

[shallowish-blog]

            Of course Kashuu recognizes him, but he doesn’t want to show it in his face. Instead he grasps the hilt of the sword-- his sword, but also Okita Souji’s sword-- and shakes his head, offering a smile in his direction despite his inner desire to run away. 

            “Noooope, it’s mine! It’s always been mine.” It’s not exactly a lie, although it isn’t the full truth either. “I don’t mean to insinuate anything, buuut... well, duplicates aren’t uncommon, you know? Maybe you’re looking for something else.” Maybe... maybe he can get away with that.

familiar faces

@shallowish

     Well, he’s pretty. At least, Souji thinks so, the young boy’s manicured hand just hovering over a memorable uchigatana, the only other thing which brought his attention to this particular person. His first few days in this vast city being rather lonely, he can’t help but admit he’s craving some sort of human interaction, even if it’s on an occasion like this. After all, he’s also rather lonely with but a simple wooden blade, as opposed to his former ones. “Say, you didn’t happen to pick that up off the street, did you? I’m not in the habit of accusing anyone of being a thief, but I’ve been looking for that.”