008 | [action]

[screwthegods]

[Homura had never heard of the particular occassion being celebrated in the village that day, but he could still take advantage of it. The last time he went to such a festival had been under the false pretenses of the Malnosso's chosen life for himself and Ayumu. This time would be by his own volition, and hopefully hers as well. Not that he

Comments

[beholdmyscar]

[He's not expecting anyone to be at the door but, when he hears the knock, he opens it anyway.

And stares at the person on the other side.]

[screwthegods]

[Stare away, Sano. Homura isn't intimidated in the least.]

Is Ayumu home?

[beholdmyscar]

Who's asking?

[screwthegods]

Homura. And you are?

action | AUGH SORRY FOR THE TL;DR

[saintlyvice]

[Okita did tell him to come over more often, so here is Sannan walking over to House 50 under the pretense of going for dinner, but really to check up on Sano and make sure the house is intact inside. Obviously, neither he nor Heisuke are taking this whole situation well, so it's up to Sannan, now the senior officer, to play...well, he's not really sure what he's doing, but it makes him vaguely uncomfortable, especially given his still-recent gloom. But he'll do it, because that's just the way he is.

In any case, there's a stranger also headed toward House 50, someone who's already at the door. A guest, then? Of whom?]

Oh--hello.

[He bows slightly in greeting.]

Are you, ah...?

Re: action | pfft, don't apologize silly.

[screwthegods]

[Homura turns when he hears the man approaching behind him. He nods his head slightly to acknowledge the bow, then glances toward the door.]

I'm here to see Ayumu--or rather, to take her out for the evening. Did you need to speak with her first?

action | right ^^

[saintlyvice]

[For a second, Sannan has to remind himself that Ayumu is not doing any work for them here, save housekeeping duties and cooking, so there is a slight awkward pause as he tries to comprehend a few, normally simple words.]

...really?

[That...wasn't supposed to be said.]

I'm sorry, please forgive my rudeness. It's just been a while since anyone's, well...[searching for the right word, searching for the right--] relaxed--oh, and please, go ahead. I only came over to check on a few things, that's all.

Re: action | Sannan is so cute...andd jealous.

[screwthegods]

[Homura laughs at the man's disbelief.]

You don't need to apologize. Your group has been through a great deal lately.

[Not to mention that Ayumu isn't the easiest woman to get close to, as Homura well knows. He keeps that much to himself, however, instead choosing to confirm this man's identity.]

You were one of the ones who checked in on Okita when he was injured, yes? The one he attempted to coerce into bringing his pet to the clinic.

[ahappylie]

[Before Ayumu appears, but after Sano has let Homura into the house, Okita opens his door and Saizou comes squealing out of it, running full tilt towards the back door. Hot on his heels is his owner, wearing a warmer kimono despite the season.]

Saizou! Wai--

[He stops when he spots someone not usually in the house and smiles, bowing his head. In the distance, Homura might hear the sound of Saizou thudding against the door.]

Good evening, Homura-san.

[screwthegods]

[Homura looks up at the sound of pending chaos, grinning at both the man and the pet who is apparently eager to get outside.]

Hello, Okita.

[The outfit his friend is wearing looks heavier than normal, which makes Homura curious. It's been hot outside, and most people have been wearing lighter clothes, if not less.]

Staging an escape? Or is it just Saizou who feels cooped up tonight?

[ahappylie]

[He laughs, bringing a hand up to his chin.]

No, it's simply dinnertime and I'm a bit late in feeding him.

[Which is emphasized by the sound of angry oinking at the back door and hooves scraping on it. Speaking of dinner, why is Homura here? It's unusual, but not so much after all that happened in the AU-event.]

Are you coming for dinner tonight?

[screwthegods]

[Homura shakes his head at the insistent noises coming from the back door.]

He's rather demanding for a pet, isn't he? You should be careful, or people might wonder which of you is actually the master.

[At the question, Homura shakes his head.] Actually, there's a bit of a celebration going on in town that I wanted to invite Ayumu to.

[cookingninja]

[Once Homura makes his way through the gauntlet of Shinsengumi members, he'll find Ayumu in the kitchen, thoughtfully examining a small saucer containing a sample of the contents of the pot bubbling on the stove in front of her. She doesn't bother to look up when the door opens, but there is just a hint of amusement in her voice.]

Come to stir up the household?

[screwthegods]

You didn't seem inclined to stop me. [Homura grins as he makes his way into the room. He crosses the space, opting to lean against the counter next to where Ayumu is working.] How long have you known I was here?

[He asks not out of complaint, but simple curiosity. If anything, he's more amused than she is.] Your friends are quite interesting. Though I suspect I could have stirred them up more if I had just appeared in your bedroom. Perhaps I should try harder next time.

[cookingninja]

I admit, I was curious.

[She blows gently on the liquid in the saucer, then takes a small sip, frowns, and nods to herself.]

The fact that you have certain advantages is not a reason to abuse them.

[screwthegods]

No. But keeping you guessing might just be good enough.

[Homura laughs as he speaks, and watches Ayumu work on her meal. It really is amazing how she manages to do it. As someone never truly taught to cook himself, Homura really can't do more than wonder at her skill.]

There's a festival in town tonight. I was hoping you might be interested in going with me.