[it's a call of doctor! that gets her to come out from the back where she's been organizing. Chiyo wouldn't call like that unless there's a problem - the crane woman is skillful, both with her stitches and with her shifts dealing with the front desk, so clearly, someone needs wrangling. she comes out, prepared to have to lay down the law, but she's caught off guard by who it is.
that's a face she thought had been lost to the unravelling of that world. that's someone she thought she'd never get the chance to see again, never again wave hello to, never again call out-]
it's just, after pestering people for the location after he'd heard a specific name, he doesn't end up making the best impression. maybe it's the lack of a proper response, the dodging of questions, and the series of rather...unhappy gestures he offers. maybe it's all the above. either way, he's irritated, and now she's calling for backup, for fuck's sake.
he's already turning on his heel to cut his losses and ditch when he hears his name, and then his head whips back around with wide eyes before it finally lands on the familiar face. there's a few seconds where he just stares, before he blinks and snaps himself out of whatever that was.
ignoring the indignant squawk he gets when he does so, he turns back and promptly hops over til he's standing in front of the taller woman, peering up with all 4 eyes before he lifts his hand...
and gives a small, hesitant little wave, like he doesn't know what else to respond with. hey. ]
[ he blinks for a moment at that smile, weirdly familiar, before giving a slow affirmative nod. most people aren't really glad (or something akin to it) to see him, and it has his hands sinking into his pockets.
at the very least, that crane lady isn't giving him the stink eye anymore.
he's been inside her apartment before, multiple times, but this is a whole other ball game. he opts to pop up beside her rather than follow behind, staring at his surroundings now that he's not distracted by an argument while attempting to keep pace with his shorter legs. it's...big. way cleaner than their homes before.
he still wrinkles his nose at the smell of antiseptic, though. gross! ]
[the break room is quiet for now, only the radio on a low volume - that's Kim's doing, and there's no reason to turn it off. instead, Dosei can take a chair if he wants, and so does Emily. it doesn't smell like antiseptic in here - it's just where people can chill, but she's around in case she gets called forward again.]
How long has it been since your arrival? Ah, wait, I should have asked -
[reaching into her pocket, she pulls out her phone, to the application that lets her take notes.]
Do you have one of your own, or do you need to borrow mine?
[to converse with, after all. she hadn't forgotten his muteness. or he can just gesture, and she'll piece it out.]
[ it feels a bit odd, the more he looks around. you can hear the radio, perhaps the softest shuffling of papers and chatter elsewhere. nothing like the quietness of before, where it wasn't half as lively, in a sense. he likes it, though. not that he'd admit it, as he hooks a chair with his foot and plops down on it.
he's listening, although confusion flickers over his face as she goes digging in her pockets, which swiftly turns to surprise. as usual, she's so...nice. he stares at it for a few moments, a bit lost, before he finally gives his head a rough shake and shoves his hands in his own pocket to pull out a dark blue phone. ]
dont need it
[ he likes this one better than the old one, honestly. bigger'n fancier. ]
like a few days or smthn better than before what about u
[ dosei lightly kicks his feet as he holds the phone up for proper viewing, tapping his heels against the chair legs every so often, morbidly curious creature that he is. ]
[which sounds strange to say aloud. four months since arriving here without a goal, unsure and unsteady, and now here she is with a clinic, with direction and projects to follow.
that, and people appearing after this long...it sparks a bit of hope in her, that perhaps...]
A good amount has happened since that day, however. You're fortunate you missed the rains.
[ huh. hadn't felt like that long to him, strangely, but considering the hellish experience of time loops hakagemachi has put them both through, he shouldn't be that surprised. he absentmindedly picks at the edge of his phone screen in thought, chitinous black nails threatening to scratch the glass.
the mention of rain, naturally, drags his features down into displeasure. ]
gross. had enough of rain the first time and lakes
[ especially lakes. the thought makes his eye twitch uncomfortably, as if remembering the cold, dark grasp of murky water and a chilling loss of autonomy.
no, there are other things to think about. after a few moments, perhaps even hesitant ones, he starts tapping again. ]
No, which is both reassuring and not. There's Majima, Izo, Gojyo, Soo Won, Samatoki, Jin Guangyao...I may be missing someone in that number. It's not everyone, but it's some of us.
[here, she pauses. thinks on the faces still missing, perhaps lost forever.]
Is there someone in particular you're looking for? I can keep my eye out and my ear to the ground.
[ ...there's something akin to disappointment settling in his stomach at all those names. sure, he knows a few of them, dislikes most, but some are total strangers. his face falls a bit, although he doesn't really seem to notice.
he tucks his knees up on the chair, opting to skirt his gaze elsewhere at that question. after a few moments, there's only the sound of the radio and his nails tapping glass. ]
doesnt matter probably not here
[ using people's names feels oddly...personal. it's this sense of familiarity he's not used to, which is why he avoids the question for now. ]
were gone before i left anyway
[ some of them, anyway. and then it was just him, an empty apartment, and a dozen fucking cats. ]
[it's soft, and genuinely meant. it's painful, to lose anyone you care for. even as she'd never wish a few souls here, their absence was something she carried with herself. even if he acts as though it doesn't matter...]
Tell me their name. If they somehow turn up, I'll let you know of it.
[ he gives a small, seemingly noncommittal shrug at that, doing his best to look like he really doesn't care- which is unfortunately not very good. he's always been bad at covering up how he feels.
there's an obvious hesitance at that request, his gaze darting to the side, then the other, then up....before he finally looks back at the screen casting a light blue glow shadows over his features. a few moments pass before he actually deigns to type anything, but he doesn't make eye contact when he flips it over. ]
rude reno its whatever tho
[ he feels the need to delete that as soon as possible, but shifts uncomfortably in place instead. ]
[she nods, lips silently forming the names as she says it to herself. she'll remember. she'll put it in her head and keep it there, easily accessed. she'll remember, for his sake.]
If I hear of them, I'll send you a message straightaway. It's a promise.
[one she gives easily, knowing how important it is to have people here.]
[ promise, she says. he nearly snorts, but tampers it down in the weird funk he's found himself in. the chair makes little screeching noises against the floor as he tucks his legs up higher, nearly grimacing at the silence that follows as he churns that around in his head before turning his phone back around. ]
sure i guess if thats what you wanna do
[ it's not a 'no', which is a significant improvement. he'd rather not stew on those thoughts for longer than necessary, so he hurries to skip to something besides his lack of familiar faces. ]
The Sutoku Alliance. Though that hardly matters in this clinic.
[he'd have heard the rumors. that this place treats people regardless of their faction association. nothing confirmed, but...she's not wearing a pin or anything.]
I take it you're otherwise, since I didn't see you in the crop of newcomers to our side.
[ sutoku, sutoku...which one was that again? it takes him a minute before it comes back to him, and he gives a small nod. from the minor tidbits he's heard about the other clans thus far, it sounds about right for her.
neutral ground, though...well, she was like that before, so it shouldn't surprise him. ]
nah i got the . tamamo clan
[ dosei reaches into his pocket and pulls out a little metal pin, shaped like a fox...or it would be a pin, but it just looks like a small magnet. pins, needles, tomato, tomato. ]
I know a few people there. If you need anything, go to them, and tell them I sent you. Aerith, Shylock, and Musashi - they're the most reliable ones. And they're my friends, so they'll know to treat you appropriately.
[especially Aerith, who she has a suspicion will bulldoze her way into Dosei's life in all the right ways.]
[ huh. well, at least one of those names is familiar- the others makes his eyes scrunch critically. he's not too sure how he feels about other people being reliable, but he doesn't protest all the same, just making a soft huffing noise as he leans back in his chair.
it takes him a moment before he starts typing again, memory hitting fully. ]
musashi thats the one with the gross office
[ and the one who was nice enough to get him an alternative tamamo pin, but he'll die before he mentions that. imagine admitting you say 'thank you'. ]
i guess as long as theyre not annoying
[ which is...about as closest to a yes we're going to get right now. ]
I can't promise you won't think they aren't, at least at first.
[she knows his attitude too well for that.]
But they're there to help if you need them. Especially Aerith - she's in this clinic with me as one of the nurses. And she grew the garden out in the back.
[they'll either get along like a house on fire or he'll act like a wet cat. they'll have to see.]
[ ok, well. that flusters him a bit, but he tugs his mask up a bit further up his nose and sinks further in his chair. part of him should be glad people accept miserable is his natural state of being, but you know....the mortifying ordeal of being known.
he wrinkles his nose at the garden mention, clearly unimpressed. emily is the one exception to his feelings towards doctors and such in general, so dealing with another doesn't seem to thrill him. ]
if she comes near me with a needle im kicking and running
[ not an exaggeration, he'd break a window if he had to. ]
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dosei.
that's a face she thought had been lost to the unravelling of that world. that's someone she thought she'd never get the chance to see again, never again wave hello to, never again call out-]
Dosei?
[it's really him? in her clinic, here?]
no subject
it's just, after pestering people for the location after he'd heard a specific name, he doesn't end up making the best impression. maybe it's the lack of a proper response, the dodging of questions, and the series of rather...unhappy gestures he offers. maybe it's all the above. either way, he's irritated, and now she's calling for backup, for fuck's sake.
he's already turning on his heel to cut his losses and ditch when he hears his name, and then his head whips back around with wide eyes before it finally lands on the familiar face. there's a few seconds where he just stares, before he blinks and snaps himself out of whatever that was.
ignoring the indignant squawk he gets when he does so, he turns back and promptly hops over til he's standing in front of the taller woman, peering up with all 4 eyes before he lifts his hand...
and gives a small, hesitant little wave, like he doesn't know what else to respond with. hey. ]
no subject
I can't believe you're really here...it's been a while, hasn't it?
[she beckons that he can follow her, if he wants - they can go into the break room for a bit of privacy.]
no subject
at the very least, that crane lady isn't giving him the stink eye anymore.
he's been inside her apartment before, multiple times, but this is a whole other ball game. he opts to pop up beside her rather than follow behind, staring at his surroundings now that he's not distracted by an argument while attempting to keep pace with his shorter legs. it's...big. way cleaner than their homes before.
he still wrinkles his nose at the smell of antiseptic, though. gross! ]
no subject
How long has it been since your arrival? Ah, wait, I should have asked -
[reaching into her pocket, she pulls out her phone, to the application that lets her take notes.]
Do you have one of your own, or do you need to borrow mine?
[to converse with, after all. she hadn't forgotten his muteness. or he can just gesture, and she'll piece it out.]
no subject
he's listening, although confusion flickers over his face as she goes digging in her pockets, which swiftly turns to surprise. as usual, she's so...nice. he stares at it for a few moments, a bit lost, before he finally gives his head a rough shake and shoves his hands in his own pocket to pull out a dark blue phone. ]
dont need it
[ he likes this one better than the old one, honestly. bigger'n fancier. ]
like a few days
or smthn
better than before
what about u
[ dosei lightly kicks his feet as he holds the phone up for proper viewing, tapping his heels against the chair legs every so often, morbidly curious creature that he is. ]
no subject
[which sounds strange to say aloud. four months since arriving here without a goal, unsure and unsteady, and now here she is with a clinic, with direction and projects to follow.
that, and people appearing after this long...it sparks a bit of hope in her, that perhaps...]
A good amount has happened since that day, however. You're fortunate you missed the rains.
no subject
the mention of rain, naturally, drags his features down into displeasure. ]
gross. had enough of rain the first time
and lakes
[ especially lakes. the thought makes his eye twitch uncomfortably, as if remembering the cold, dark grasp of murky water and a chilling loss of autonomy.
no, there are other things to think about. after a few moments, perhaps even hesitant ones, he starts tapping again. ]
is it just me and u
no subject
[here, she pauses. thinks on the faces still missing, perhaps lost forever.]
Is there someone in particular you're looking for? I can keep my eye out and my ear to the ground.
no subject
he tucks his knees up on the chair, opting to skirt his gaze elsewhere at that question. after a few moments, there's only the sound of the radio and his nails tapping glass. ]
doesnt matter
probably not here
[ using people's names feels oddly...personal. it's this sense of familiarity he's not used to, which is why he avoids the question for now. ]
were gone before i left anyway
[ some of them, anyway. and then it was just him, an empty apartment, and a dozen fucking cats. ]
no subject
[it's soft, and genuinely meant. it's painful, to lose anyone you care for. even as she'd never wish a few souls here, their absence was something she carried with herself. even if he acts as though it doesn't matter...]
Tell me their name. If they somehow turn up, I'll let you know of it.
no subject
there's an obvious hesitance at that request, his gaze darting to the side, then the other, then up....before he finally looks back at the screen casting a light blue glow shadows over his features. a few moments pass before he actually deigns to type anything, but he doesn't make eye contact when he flips it over. ]
rude
reno
its whatever tho
[ he feels the need to delete that as soon as possible, but shifts uncomfortably in place instead. ]
no subject
If I hear of them, I'll send you a message straightaway. It's a promise.
[one she gives easily, knowing how important it is to have people here.]
no subject
sure i guess
if thats what you wanna do
[ it's not a 'no', which is a significant improvement. he'd rather not stew on those thoughts for longer than necessary, so he hurries to skip to something besides his lack of familiar faces. ]
so what clan shit or whatever are you in anyway
no subject
[he'd have heard the rumors. that this place treats people regardless of their faction association. nothing confirmed, but...she's not wearing a pin or anything.]
I take it you're otherwise, since I didn't see you in the crop of newcomers to our side.
no subject
neutral ground, though...well, she was like that before, so it shouldn't surprise him. ]
nah
i got the .
tamamo clan
[ dosei reaches into his pocket and pulls out a little metal pin, shaped like a fox...or it would be a pin, but it just looks like a small magnet. pins, needles, tomato, tomato. ]
no subject
[especially Aerith, who she has a suspicion will bulldoze her way into Dosei's life in all the right ways.]
Just...try to be friendly to them?
no subject
it takes him a moment before he starts typing again, memory hitting fully. ]
musashi
thats the one with the gross office
[ and the one who was nice enough to get him an alternative tamamo pin, but he'll die before he mentions that. imagine admitting you say 'thank you'. ]
i guess
as long as theyre not annoying
[ which is...about as closest to a yes we're going to get right now. ]
no subject
[she knows his attitude too well for that.]
But they're there to help if you need them. Especially Aerith - she's in this clinic with me as one of the nurses. And she grew the garden out in the back.
[they'll either get along like a house on fire or he'll act like a wet cat. they'll have to see.]
no subject
he wrinkles his nose at the garden mention, clearly unimpressed. emily is the one exception to his feelings towards doctors and such in general, so dealing with another doesn't seem to thrill him. ]
if she comes near me with a needle
im kicking and running
[ not an exaggeration, he'd break a window if he had to. ]
but im gonna hold u to that
ill bite 4 now