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[handfast]

ok

nicknames

rafayel - scaredy cat
fiammetta - old lady
tokinaga - mr know it all

Comments

[handfast]

Never spent much time around cats.

[ they tend to wander the city more and he rarely goes out these days. ]

Mostly I spend my time around a bunch of idiot dragons. [ but there's an affectionate note in his voice. ] Guess they also adopted me too.

[ordimame]

[remembering that time Hak said he was eaten by a dragon. . .]

If those dragons are anything like you, I'm not sure it's the same thing.

[amused, though. Lotte purrs a bit as he bats his head into Edamura's palm. demanding, in that way cats always are]

Did you have any pets back home?

[handfast]

[ a shake of his head ]

Never had time for it. [ ah but— ] Soo-won and I raised a falcon when we were kids though. He showed up here last week.

[ordimame]

He did?

[perplexed??]

From, like. . . just outta the blue?

[handfast]

From one of those boxes by the river. It had holes in it.

[ don't ask him how it works. but hak smiles, small but genuine. ]

It was nice to see him again.

[ordimame]

[. . . ah, right. that box. the box Edamura opened but is not thinking about]

Huh. Yeah, I guess it would be. Congratulations??

[is that what one says in these circumstances]

[handfast]

Thanks.

[ it is now. oh but wait—he glances back at lotte. ]

Make sure to keep an eye on your cat.

[ordimame]

[GRIP ON LOTTE TIGHTENS]

. . . right! Don't want to find out what happens when he stumbles across a hungry falcon.

[this cat is a friend not food]

A-- anyway. . . you know why I'm here, right?

[handfast]

[ KEEP THEIR LOTTE SAFE!! ]

Checking in on me to make sure I'm okay? You'll have to wait in line for that.

[ there's no line ]

[ordimame]

Dude.

I think I'm at the front of the line.

[don't give him that, Hak]

[handfast]

[ but moooooooooooom—

goes back to petting his cats. ]

It could have been worse.

[ordimame]

But only just barely.

[also scratching Lotte behind the ears]

Did you fight someone?

[handfast]

[ the sound that fills the air is the sound of two men silently petting cats. and then: ]

....Yeah. Seems like something that happens a lot in these.

[ordimame]

[mmm. . . based on what Yuma said, and Edamura's own experiences—]

Was it someone you knew?

[handfast]

[ another pause ]

Yeah.

[ so sorry getting him to answer is like pulling teeth. ]

[ordimame]

[BRO!!]

. . . I can tell you don't really want to talk about it.

[which means he won't pry any further. but he will offer, his tone light]

Something similar happened to me, so. . . I get it. That's all.

[handfast]

[ look................... ]

I'm just...not used to talking about this sort of thing.

[ about things that are troubling him, problems he can't solve. and especially not when those things involve deeply personal aspects of his life. ]

I'd rather just forget about it all.

[ but he definitely won't, not for a long time. ]

[ordimame]

[big mood, Hak]

So would I.

If only it were that easy.

[handfast]

[ wtf i thought i replied to this too, why am i losing notifs left and right ]

Maybe that's what we're all supposed to learn here. How to overcome any shitty situation.