"You just wanna step in at the last minute so people are impressed with you," Tachihara teases. Not that Jouno is interested in impressing just anyone, but if the right people are watching...
Tachihara follows suit, letting his own ears and tail disappear as well. Blending in with humans is second nature to him, but Jouno without his ears just feels strange to him. There's nothing human about him. There shouldn't be anything human about him. Without him, Tachihara would never have learned how to be anything other than a human himself... Or at least an imitation of one.
He scratches at his hair where his ears just were, not fond of these constant changes back and forth. "I remember the barista there was nice."
“It isn’t my fault that I’m naturally impressive,” Jouno protests, as if Tachihara is off base calling him out like that. In reality, Jouno does seek praise from others, the more important, the better. He wouldn’t have agreed to help the military out if they hadn’t offered him the accolades he wanted in doing so, after all.
“They were. They even made one of Tetchou-san’s awful concoctions once.” Though Jouno thinks that’s more stupidity than being nice. Where Jouno and Tachihara could blend in to human society, Tetchou, Jouno thought, stood out like a sore thumb.
"I didn't say you weren't also impressive!" Tachihara says, quickly. But he does mean it. Jouno has proved himself to him more than enough times, and continues to teach him so much. "Besides, you've already proved you can easily kick my ass if I ever actually doubt you."
The itchiness of shapeshifting alieved, he drops his hands, and then lifts them up again to straighten his military uniform, rolling his shoulders to adjust how it sits. He prefers his kimono, really. "Is Tetchou-san around?"
"Of course I could," Jouno replies, head held high as if it was remotely impressive that someone of his age could defeat a youngster like Tachihara. Tucking a stray strand of hair behind his ear, briefly running his fingers over where his ears should have been, Jouno wrinkles his nose at the next question.
"No." It's a flat answer and it seems for a moment that Jouno actually isn't going to elaborate. It's short-lived, though, as Jouno can hardly stand to pass up a chance to complain about Tetchou. "Do you know how disastrous it would be to bring him here? He has no subtlety. He doesn't blend in with the humans at all." Shape-shifting only did so much. Tetchou's behavior was...
Well.
"It's a headache to try and keep him in line and personally, I think I deserve better than to spend my day fighting off a migraine." As if to exaggerate his point, Jouno rubs his temples with a frown on his face.
Tachihara tilts his head slightly. “Humans are not as suspicious as you think,” he says. “These days everyone has a weird uncle, or that cousin no one likes to talk about. They’ll probably just assume he’s someone’s cousin.”
At least that’s usually how humans seem to talk about each other. In the past strange humans might have been deemed threats, but these days people seemed to mostly ignore them. It had saved Tachihara when he’d first tried to blend in with them, before Jouno found and trained him. These days he prides himself on being able to pass as someone completely normal.
He continues easily. “I’ll have to go say hi to him later. It’s been a while since I last saw him.”
"Are they not?" Jouno questions curiously, thinking it over. "Perhaps they're even dumber than I give them credit for." Prey that didn't even realize it was prey -- there was almost no fun at all in tearing them down. Almost.
Jouno pinches the bridge of his nose. "If you insist. I'm sure he'd be happy to see you, too." Through all of Jouno's complaints, it was likely that he'd pick up a souvenir to take back to Tetchou before returning home. They rarely were apart for long.
No matter how much he complains, Tachihara knows that Jouno doesn’t actually hate Tetchou. It’s why he’s able to talk about him so casually like this. He keeps talking as though Jouno never said a single complaint at all.
“He’s helped me a lot, too. His training actually saved me in a fight recently, I’ll have to thank him,” he says. “It was this specific trick he used against me once… It was a rush when I realized I could counter it.”
"You don't want to learn to fight like a brute like that. There's no elegance in what he does at all. Nor is there any real brain to it. I could beat him if I really wanted to." Never mind that Jouno had not won a single fight against Tetchou in all their years of knowing each other. He was still convinced that he was stronger than the other -- after all, brawn wasn't everything.
They'd left the military facility by now, and Jouno could smell the fresh aroma of coffee in the air. They had to be getting closer.
"You should show me a few of your tricks sometime, then," Tachihara says. Not that Jouno hasn't. Not that he hasn't kicked Tachihara's ass more than once. But it almost feels lonely when he hasn't been taught that kind of lesson by the older kitsune for too long.
Tachihara doesn't smell the coffee yet, but he knows where they are, he knows they're getting close. He still has some money in his pocket, so he thinks he might get himself a pastry, too, once they're there. "Did you have lunch already?"
“When we get back to the forest,” Jouno promises him with a smirk. “I’ll show you how a kitsune should fight.” It wouldn’t be the first time that Jouno had instructed Tachihara, but Jouno took pride in the chances he could teach the other something.
“I didn’t yet.” Lunch most likely meant two different things to them —- Tachihara was more used to the human definition by now, whereas Jouno preferred snacking on what monsters were meant to eat. Still, Jouno would play nice in the human world; it wouldn’t due to cause a scene. “They’ll have food, won’t they?”
Tachihara definitely means human food when he talks about eating... It's more than his preference, since it's what he's used to as well. Jouno has never quite managed to change that in him, even if he has tried. He smiles. "Of course they'll have food. Pretty good food, too."
And then, since he does know Jouno doesn't eat at cafes very often: "I can recommend something I think you'll like, if you want."
Jouno considers it for a moment. "Alright." It isn't often that he lets someone else order for him -- Tetchou, for instance, would never be awarded the opportunity. Tachihara is different though. Jouno trusts him, enough so that he doesn't think that Tachihara would steer him wrong here.
Besides, he does have a pretty good idea of what Jouno likes, too.
He knows it's a huge sign of trust. Jouno is someone who knows what he likes, and would be disappointed to get something he didn't, especially if it's because someone caused him to miss out on a better option. But he's confident he can get it right. He smiles a little wider, looking forward to a chance to impress.
Once they reach the cafe, he'll try to find the quietest corner for them to sit in, somewhere they won't be constantly disturbed by other guests walking past to get to their own tables. He double checks the menu before ordering, in case the options have changed, before picking out something for them both. It shouldn't take too long for it to arrive, though their coffee will get there first.
"Your tastes haven't changed too much since I last saw you, right?"
Jouno is relieved for the more quiet table, though it doesn't help much considering how powerful his ears are. Even in this form, his senses are stronger than what they should be. Taking a seat across from Tachihara, he allows the other to order for both of them, smiling at the waiter all the while.
Once the waiter is out of earshot, he laughs, "I'm a thousand years old. I don't think my tastes can change anymore." Jouno is, if anything, pretty set in his ways.
The coffee is brought to them and Jouno takes a careful sip of it, pleased to find it tastes as good as he remembers. "Delicious." He breathes a pleased sigh, wishing not for the first time that it was easier to have luxuries like these back home as well. He may not understand Tachihara's fascination with the human world, but he does understand when it comes to coffee.
"The food people eat changes all the time, so you won't always be able to get the same things" he says. Though Jouno's favorite food isn't human cooking anyway. It's probably more a matter of savory versus sweet, and familiar spices if any... He wonders if he'll understand, if he lives to be that old. He can't even imagine.
He takes a moment to sip his own coffee as well. But now a different question has popped into his mind, one he's not sure he wants the answer to, but he can't resist. "Do humans taste different depending on what they eat?"
"That's true," Jouno hums in agreement, thinking about what a shame it will be if coffee ever goes out of style. Little cafes like this one were modern miracles when the baristas knew what they were doing.
"Mm?" The question catches Jouno off guard slightly, but he finds himself laughing despite it. "Have you really not eaten enough to tell? My, my, Tachihara-kun, you really are missing out. ... but yes, they taste differently depending on what they consume."
Another small sip of coffee, and Jouno adds, "We should really go hunting sometime. Feeding on them that way is different than feeding on them sexually. It's... fulfilling."
The laugh has him slightly embarrassed. He knows he's not much of a kitsune, but that fact has never really bothered him much, even if these days he does want to fit in with Jouno at least. It's complicated. "I've only eaten them with you."
Sexually is another matter. He's experimented a couple of times. Humans are fun to spend time with, and when someone was actually interested, of course he wanted to see what it was all about. But that's one area where he still feels awkward, no matter how good he is at faking confidence.
But this feels inevitable now, and since he has met enough asshole humans too: "If we're going to hunt, can I pick the target?"
"Yes, I suppose I can allow you that much." It's interesting, really, how little experience Tachihara has. Jouno felt protective of him, responsible for him. "I'll let you decide who so we don't wind up eating one of your little friends." Jouno always refers to them in a derogatory manner; it's clear that he doesn't think of any of the humans as Tachihara's true friends, no matter how much time Tachihara winds up spending with them.
Their food is brought to them and Jouno digs in, giving a small, delighted gasp after taking his first bite. Tachihara had done well, it seems. "What is this?" he asks. "We should take some to Tetchou-san." For as much as Jouno insisted he hate Tetchou, it was never long before he'd brought the other up in some way or another.
"Thank you, Jouno-san," he says, honestly grateful. He knows Jouno doesn't understand, but at least he's not trying to force Tachihara to change his mind about humans. Or maybe he's just playing the long game - kitsune, unlike humans, can afford to. But either way, Tachihara appreciates it.
And he appreciates that honest reaction more. "I think they do take-out. It might not stay warm until we reach him, though." Then again, they can be pretty fast. He hasn't run full sprint in a while. "Should I ask them to prepare some extra?"
As much as Tachihara loves to follow orders, he had a stubborn streak that comes out when they argue over humanity. Forcing him to change his mind is something that will take time -- centuries, perhaps. Jouno is well aware that his opinion isn't about to change over lunch, and while he doesn't mind making Tachihara uncomfortable -- delights in it sometimes, even -- he knows that it isn't worth ruining a good meal over. For now, he's content to let it go.
Mouth full, Jouno nods his head. "We should ask." Swallowing his bite, he adds, "Modern conveniences might not be the worst thing to happen to the forest. A refrigerator, for one, might be a pleasant addition..." Still, saying it doesn't make it possible. The forest will remain as it always has, a sanctuary away from the humans and what they invent.
Tachihara thinks about it for a second. "You might be able to set up a generator if you really want a fridge. There's a river not far from Techou-san's cave, right?"
Though that still involves introducing something human to the forest, even if it would be off the grid. He's not sure Jouno would even understand the concept - he's smart enough, but that doesn't matter if it's not something he's ever cared to learn about. The idea is definitely appealing to Tachihara, though, since it would mean he could bring human food with him. And maybe avoid eating anything else.
"A generator," Jouno repeats, the word sounding foreign on his tongue. He can understand the concept, he thinks; it seems pretty straight forward. "Mm..." He licks his lips idly, thinking it over. "It'd probably piss off some of the other spirits." Still, if it was in Tetchou's home, it'd be Tetchou's problem...
It's tempting.
"I'll speak with him about it when I see him next."
"Tetchou-san wouldn't say no to you about that." Or most things, really. Jouno can claim to hate him as much as he likes, but it's obvious the two of them are close. Not that he'll say that.
He eats another bite of his food before continuing. "And I can get you one, if you decide to go for it. I know who to ask, and I'll just make them teach me to set it up so no one has to come into the forest."
His human friends are useful, Jouno! Though it's more important to him that he's useful, and that Jouno is pleased with what he does for him. He's always trying to find new ways to impress.
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jounosknot2023-05-18 03:27 pm
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Tachihara follows suit, letting his own ears and tail disappear as well. Blending in with humans is second nature to him, but Jouno without his ears just feels strange to him. There's nothing human about him. There shouldn't be anything human about him. Without him, Tachihara would never have learned how to be anything other than a human himself... Or at least an imitation of one.
He scratches at his hair where his ears just were, not fond of these constant changes back and forth. "I remember the barista there was nice."
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“They were. They even made one of Tetchou-san’s awful concoctions once.” Though Jouno thinks that’s more stupidity than being nice. Where Jouno and Tachihara could blend in to human society, Tetchou, Jouno thought, stood out like a sore thumb.
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The itchiness of shapeshifting alieved, he drops his hands, and then lifts them up again to straighten his military uniform, rolling his shoulders to adjust how it sits. He prefers his kimono, really. "Is Tetchou-san around?"
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"No." It's a flat answer and it seems for a moment that Jouno actually isn't going to elaborate. It's short-lived, though, as Jouno can hardly stand to pass up a chance to complain about Tetchou. "Do you know how disastrous it would be to bring him here? He has no subtlety. He doesn't blend in with the humans at all." Shape-shifting only did so much. Tetchou's behavior was...
Well.
"It's a headache to try and keep him in line and personally, I think I deserve better than to spend my day fighting off a migraine." As if to exaggerate his point, Jouno rubs his temples with a frown on his face.
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At least that’s usually how humans seem to talk about each other. In the past strange humans might have been deemed threats, but these days people seemed to mostly ignore them. It had saved Tachihara when he’d first tried to blend in with them, before Jouno found and trained him. These days he prides himself on being able to pass as someone completely normal.
He continues easily. “I’ll have to go say hi to him later. It’s been a while since I last saw him.”
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Jouno pinches the bridge of his nose. "If you insist. I'm sure he'd be happy to see you, too." Through all of Jouno's complaints, it was likely that he'd pick up a souvenir to take back to Tetchou before returning home. They rarely were apart for long.
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“He’s helped me a lot, too. His training actually saved me in a fight recently, I’ll have to thank him,” he says. “It was this specific trick he used against me once… It was a rush when I realized I could counter it.”
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They'd left the military facility by now, and Jouno could smell the fresh aroma of coffee in the air. They had to be getting closer.
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Tachihara doesn't smell the coffee yet, but he knows where they are, he knows they're getting close. He still has some money in his pocket, so he thinks he might get himself a pastry, too, once they're there. "Did you have lunch already?"
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“I didn’t yet.” Lunch most likely meant two different things to them —- Tachihara was more used to the human definition by now, whereas Jouno preferred snacking on what monsters were meant to eat. Still, Jouno would play nice in the human world; it wouldn’t due to cause a scene. “They’ll have food, won’t they?”
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And then, since he does know Jouno doesn't eat at cafes very often: "I can recommend something I think you'll like, if you want."
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Besides, he does have a pretty good idea of what Jouno likes, too.
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Once they reach the cafe, he'll try to find the quietest corner for them to sit in, somewhere they won't be constantly disturbed by other guests walking past to get to their own tables. He double checks the menu before ordering, in case the options have changed, before picking out something for them both. It shouldn't take too long for it to arrive, though their coffee will get there first.
"Your tastes haven't changed too much since I last saw you, right?"
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Once the waiter is out of earshot, he laughs, "I'm a thousand years old. I don't think my tastes can change anymore." Jouno is, if anything, pretty set in his ways.
The coffee is brought to them and Jouno takes a careful sip of it, pleased to find it tastes as good as he remembers. "Delicious." He breathes a pleased sigh, wishing not for the first time that it was easier to have luxuries like these back home as well. He may not understand Tachihara's fascination with the human world, but he does understand when it comes to coffee.
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He takes a moment to sip his own coffee as well. But now a different question has popped into his mind, one he's not sure he wants the answer to, but he can't resist. "Do humans taste different depending on what they eat?"
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"Mm?" The question catches Jouno off guard slightly, but he finds himself laughing despite it. "Have you really not eaten enough to tell? My, my, Tachihara-kun, you really are missing out. ... but yes, they taste differently depending on what they consume."
Another small sip of coffee, and Jouno adds, "We should really go hunting sometime. Feeding on them that way is different than feeding on them sexually. It's... fulfilling."
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Sexually is another matter. He's experimented a couple of times. Humans are fun to spend time with, and when someone was actually interested, of course he wanted to see what it was all about. But that's one area where he still feels awkward, no matter how good he is at faking confidence.
But this feels inevitable now, and since he has met enough asshole humans too: "If we're going to hunt, can I pick the target?"
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Their food is brought to them and Jouno digs in, giving a small, delighted gasp after taking his first bite. Tachihara had done well, it seems. "What is this?" he asks. "We should take some to Tetchou-san." For as much as Jouno insisted he hate Tetchou, it was never long before he'd brought the other up in some way or another.
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And he appreciates that honest reaction more. "I think they do take-out. It might not stay warm until we reach him, though." Then again, they can be pretty fast. He hasn't run full sprint in a while. "Should I ask them to prepare some extra?"
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Mouth full, Jouno nods his head. "We should ask." Swallowing his bite, he adds, "Modern conveniences might not be the worst thing to happen to the forest. A refrigerator, for one, might be a pleasant addition..." Still, saying it doesn't make it possible. The forest will remain as it always has, a sanctuary away from the humans and what they invent.
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Though that still involves introducing something human to the forest, even if it would be off the grid. He's not sure Jouno would even understand the concept - he's smart enough, but that doesn't matter if it's not something he's ever cared to learn about. The idea is definitely appealing to Tachihara, though, since it would mean he could bring human food with him. And maybe avoid eating anything else.
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It's tempting.
"I'll speak with him about it when I see him next."
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He eats another bite of his food before continuing. "And I can get you one, if you decide to go for it. I know who to ask, and I'll just make them teach me to set it up so no one has to come into the forest."
His human friends are useful, Jouno! Though it's more important to him that he's useful, and that Jouno is pleased with what he does for him. He's always trying to find new ways to impress.