[Tachihara holds himself back while Sigma explains the facilities to them. He knows the man takes pride in being professional, so he won’t interrupt, but he’s never liked formalities much. He’d much rather just talk as though they’re lifelong friends.
But he knows Jouno will appreciate the formalities, too. ]
Do you have a lot of guests at the moment?
[More people visiting, more people to talk to. He’d like to try the public bath, too. He can do that when Jouno gets sick of dealing with people and decides to rest in their room.]
It really is even more impressive than I thought it’d be.
[ There's a twinkle in his eye at the compliment. He likes being professional because it helps his place seem even more impressive than it already is, thank you very much for noticing. ]
There are a few stragglers left from hanami season, but late spring to summer tends to be a slower time of year. Most everyone you may run into are likely here on business trips.
Luckily, that will make it much easier for you to reserve a bath at a good time.
[ There's a smile on his face even as he says it, carefully listening to the other amenities while he tries to piece together just what is off about this manager. The smell of paper is the strongest clue, and while it hardly pins him to the recent murders, it is suspicious. After all, why here...? ]
I'll bet this place is fun during hanami season. I should come back next spring.
[Crowds do not deter him at all, unlike Jouno. And right now he has no idea that Jouno is suspicious of anything, so he's just going to keep making friendly conversation.]
Do you have sakura flavored treats here then, too?
[ Tachihara had brought Jouno back some sweets, after all, and Jouno can only assume that it was when these two met. They’d been delicious —- he remembers that much clearly. ]
Ah, but Mister…? [ It’s the same polite tone Jouno always keeps, even though he fully intends to turn this calm conversation into some more of an interrogation in a moment. ] I do have one small question for you.
[ It's asked casually, as though Jouno is asking about something as simple as the weather. He doesn't expect an easy answer, and already his nails have shifted into claws, ready to swipe and tear. ]
[Tachihara's guard hadn't been up at all. He knows Jouno rarely approves of his friends, but he does usually approve of being spoiled, which this inn seems to more than provide, so he'd expected this to go pretty well. And then that question.
There's a hurried step forward as he turns more towards Jouno, ready to step fully in between the two of them.]
[ There's no heartbeat to quicken, but there's a quiet puff of simulated breath and a widening of his eyes before his expression hardens. He stops their leisurely pace, turning to face both the men properly with a much stiffer posture than before.
By the look of those claws, there's little point in outright denial. ]
[If Jouno says so, then Tachihara knows he's right. He's not the type to jump to conclusions. But that doesn't mean he's about to turn on Sigma, either.]
And you don't want me making friends with humans anyway.
Frankly, sir, my summoning is none of your concern. [ He's quick to respond, mostly to cut off any further explanation as to just what kind of non-human he is to Tachihara. He and his "friend" can have that discussion between themselves for all Sigma cares.
He's seen the immediate switch in how he's regarded with his own eyes one too many times. He'd rather not spoil the day any more than necessary. ]
And if you don't keep those [ The claws, he means ] to the privacy of your room, I'm going to have to ask you to leave.
[Being ignored is never a good sign. It means he'll be in trouble later, something he never enjoys. But he still wants to find a way to calm this situation down, even if he knows that won't be possible until Jouno gets his answers. He turns towards Sigma this time.]
[ Firm, final. One might not guess he has nothing to actually back it up, at least not here in a hallway. He has no way to quickly contact security, to evacuate guests, to defend *himself* even. But... ]
My office. Now.
[ And he's already marching off in that direction before there's any chance to argue. ]
[ It isn't a long walk, but it's a tense one. Sigma already radiated authority, being in his element and all, but now he radiated angry authority even with the steady pace he's keeping to not alert any nearby guests that something's the matter.
Once they finally make it to the room that must be his office, it's as seamless a mixture of modern and traditional as himself. An equisite painting of a koi pond reflects off his finely polished desk, a small fountain on the opposite side gently trickling along and helping add to an atmosphere of peace.
Or, would. If Sigma wasn't standing behind that desk looking professionally livid. ]
Now.
[ Turning his gaze right to Tachihara, ]
Do you want to start by explaining to me why you're really here?
[Tachihara has been trailing after Jouno, staying close to his side, knowing he's already in trouble. He's ready to just let him take the lead, no matter how much he dislikes it, which is why he's surprised when he's the one directly addressed.
He looks up at Sigma, looking like he wants to slink back from both of them. If his tail was out, it would be between his legs.]
I didn't even know you're not human until now, so I wasn't lying. [Wait.] About that.
[Obviously he's not a student, so he did tell a few lies, but no harm done, right?]
Tachihara-kun is telling the truth. [ Jouno puts a gloved hand on Tachihara's shoulder, squeezing it for a moment. There's an unsettling smile dancing across his lips as he focuses his attention on Sigma. ]
We simply came for a vacation, so imagine my surprise when I find something like you to be at the head of this all.
[ There's a possibility that Sigma is entirely innocent, and that whoever summoned him had done so with positive intentions, but Jouno is not a trusting man. ]
[ He looks between the two, considering. Tachihara certainly looks like he's being honest, insomuch that he looks confused and frightened about the past few minutes. Slow as he should be to trust, he feels he can make that call for now.
The other man, "Jouno-san" Tachihara had called him, is much harder to read. ]
You said recent happenings made me your concern. What do you mean by "recent happenings"?
[Tachihara knows what that hand on his shoulder means. It's Jouno letting both him and Sigma know who's on charge, and who he belongs to, but Tachihara has always liked the security that brings. His back straightens a little under that familiar weight.]
I was looking into old history and legends for a reason. You haven't heard any rumors about what's been happening recently?
[That seems unlikely, considering how many people you meet at an inn, and how many people like to gossip. He's sure Sigma is just trying to figure out how much they know before admitting anything.]
If you haven't heard, then it isn't any of your concern, but...
[ In charge of such a place, Sigma could be a valuable source of information, assuming Jouno didn't alienate him completely. Jouno can almost feel the phantom tip of Tetchou's sword in his side telling him to behave himself. ]
If you must know, there have been several incidents in the area as of late. Normally, I don't care much for the affairs of humans, but it seems they want to blame us, or at least, creatures like us.
[ A thoughtful hum escapes him, eyes not technically leaving the other man's face but not 100% focused, as if trying to recall something. There's no heartbeat to listen to, not even any breathing to be disrupted, just a quiet tap-tap-tapping of his finger against the desk as he sorts through whatever it is he's thinking. ]
My staff hears more than I do in regards to gossip. I can ask them to keep an ear to the ground for anything suspicious--if it's a threat to creatures like us, then it's a threat to me, and by extension the inn. You'll find we're quite protective of our home here.
[Tachihara tilts his head a little at that. He's so used to trusting Jouno to get the truth out of people, he's not really considering that right now.]
Staff often clams up if their boss asks them about gossip. But I'm pretty good at making friends.
[Because working with Sigma would make this job easier. Right??]
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jounosknot2023-05-18 03:27 pm
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But he knows Jouno will appreciate the formalities, too. ]
Do you have a lot of guests at the moment?
[More people visiting, more people to talk to. He’d like to try the public bath, too. He can do that when Jouno gets sick of dealing with people and decides to rest in their room.]
It really is even more impressive than I thought it’d be.
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There are a few stragglers left from hanami season, but late spring to summer tends to be a slower time of year. Most everyone you may run into are likely here on business trips.
Luckily, that will make it much easier for you to reserve a bath at a good time.
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[ There's a smile on his face even as he says it, carefully listening to the other amenities while he tries to piece together just what is off about this manager. The smell of paper is the strongest clue, and while it hardly pins him to the recent murders, it is suspicious. After all, why here...? ]
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[Crowds do not deter him at all, unlike Jouno. And right now he has no idea that Jouno is suspicious of anything, so he's just going to keep making friendly conversation.]
Do you have sakura flavored treats here then, too?
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[ Friendly conversation! Clearly nothing out of the ordinary or suspicious here.
He even turns to address Jouno, ] Ah, may I assume you're the one he was testing treats for?
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[ Tachihara had brought Jouno back some sweets, after all, and Jouno can only assume that it was when these two met. They’d been delicious —- he remembers that much clearly. ]
Ah, but Mister…? [ It’s the same polite tone Jouno always keeps, even though he fully intends to turn this calm conversation into some more of an interrogation in a moment. ] I do have one small question for you.
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Yes, of course. Ask away.
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[ It's asked casually, as though Jouno is asking about something as simple as the weather. He doesn't expect an easy answer, and already his nails have shifted into claws, ready to swipe and tear. ]
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There's a hurried step forward as he turns more towards Jouno, ready to step fully in between the two of them.]
What are you talking about, Jouno-san?
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By the look of those claws, there's little point in outright denial. ]
Are you threatening me, sir?
YOU DIDNT TELL ME IT WAS MY TURN!!!!
[ With claws out. Okay, it is more akin to a threat. Nonetheless, Jouno keeps his smile. ]
Your little friend here isn't human, Tachihara-kun.
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And you don't want me making friends with humans anyway.
[See??? It's fine!!!]
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He's seen the immediate switch in how he's regarded with his own eyes one too many times. He'd rather not spoil the day any more than necessary. ]
And if you don't keep those [ The claws, he means ] to the privacy of your room, I'm going to have to ask you to leave.
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I disagree. You see, due to recent happenings, your summoning has become very much my concern.
[ He has no evidence tying Sigma to the murders, nor does he entirely suspect him, but it would be stupid to discount someone new to the scene. ]
I can put the claws away if you'll indulge me. [ A smile. ] Or I can kill all your guests.
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Is there somewhere private we can talk instead?
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[ Firm, final. One might not guess he has nothing to actually back it up, at least not here in a hallway. He has no way to quickly contact security, to evacuate guests, to defend *himself* even. But... ]
My office. Now.
[ And he's already marching off in that direction before there's any chance to argue. ]
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By all means, lead the way.
[ He follows after Sigma, claws fading for now. ]
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Once they finally make it to the room that must be his office, it's as seamless a mixture of modern and traditional as himself. An equisite painting of a koi pond reflects off his finely polished desk, a small fountain on the opposite side gently trickling along and helping add to an atmosphere of peace.
Or, would. If Sigma wasn't standing behind that desk looking professionally livid. ]
Now.
[ Turning his gaze right to Tachihara, ]
Do you want to start by explaining to me why you're really here?
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He looks up at Sigma, looking like he wants to slink back from both of them. If his tail was out, it would be between his legs.]
I didn't even know you're not human until now, so I wasn't lying. [Wait.] About that.
[Obviously he's not a student, so he did tell a few lies, but no harm done, right?]
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We simply came for a vacation, so imagine my surprise when I find something like you to be at the head of this all.
[ There's a possibility that Sigma is entirely innocent, and that whoever summoned him had done so with positive intentions, but Jouno is not a trusting man. ]
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The other man, "Jouno-san" Tachihara had called him, is much harder to read. ]
You said recent happenings made me your concern. What do you mean by "recent happenings"?
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I was looking into old history and legends for a reason. You haven't heard any rumors about what's been happening recently?
[That seems unlikely, considering how many people you meet at an inn, and how many people like to gossip. He's sure Sigma is just trying to figure out how much they know before admitting anything.]
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[ In charge of such a place, Sigma could be a valuable source of information, assuming Jouno didn't alienate him completely. Jouno can almost feel the phantom tip of Tetchou's sword in his side telling him to behave himself. ]
If you must know, there have been several incidents in the area as of late. Normally, I don't care much for the affairs of humans, but it seems they want to blame us, or at least, creatures like us.
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My staff hears more than I do in regards to gossip. I can ask them to keep an ear to the ground for anything suspicious--if it's a threat to creatures like us, then it's a threat to me, and by extension the inn. You'll find we're quite protective of our home here.
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Staff often clams up if their boss asks them about gossip. But I'm pretty good at making friends.
[Because working with Sigma would make this job easier. Right??]
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