...Well, this is kind of awkward. [Closed]

[thewarisover]

Characters: Dojima Ryotaro (smokersona, Roy Mustang (thewarisover), Dojima Nanako (junesplz), Matilde (nailsandglass) and Seta Souji (setasouji) if he wants!
Location: Death City Heights!
Rating: G!
Time: July 20, evening.
Description: Roy's moving in. That is all.

Comments

[smokersona]

They were alike in that respect, at the very least. There was very little to actually move between the two buildings, a great majority of that being clothing, and the few cooking utensils acquired over the weeks. It was more in making certain the girls were settled into the place first, in taking stock of what was available and making those plans to make up for whatever may have been lacking (more clothing for the kids, for one, food for another). Every-day things. Almost like home. Almost.

He hardly needed to ask who it was at the door (the possibilities were few enough as it were, and all the better under current circumstances). The voice calling out only confirmed his guesses.

"Just on time," he said by way of greeting, once the door was opened. It was accompanied by something of a smile, that faint quirk of lips.

Eme, Celi: let us know when you wanna barge in on the dads? XD

[thewarisover]

The smile was a little... disarming? Not entirely expected. Or was it?

Clearly, he was thinking about everything too much. Roy ducked his head and stepped inside. The alchemist shifted his duffel bag unto his other shoulder and looked around, studying his surroundings.

One exit, three possible escape routes, furnishing isn't bolted down. Assets of note are...

Old habits died hard.

[nailsandglass]

Matilda hard the door being opened, and as always curiosity got the better of her. She was in the other room with Nanako, and she peeked out head out the door to see who it was.

It was a slightly familiar man. She didn't know who he was, but she had seen him over the network a couple times. Funny. She was usually good at keeping up with the network since it was just one more thing to read, but ever since Nanako had arrived she actually found herself spending less time immersed in books, and more time conversing with the other girl.

She remained where she was, watching the two adults and then looked back at Nanako, waving her over. "Do you know who that is?" she whispered.

[junesplz]

The other girl quickly walked over to where Matilda was standing and peered at the stranger who was visiting. It was rare for her dad to invite anyone over (besides that one detective friend) so it was no surprise that Nanako was brimming with curiousity. However, she was almost certain she knew why this man was coming over. "I've never seen him before... "but I think he's one of dad's friends."

She took a glance at the rigid man, wondering what he was like. He had such a stern expression. "I think he's the person that's gonna stay with us."

Timeskip, yay!

[thewarisover]

Drinking coffee with the girls had been a quiet occasion, and he had spent it observing his new partner in his element. It... intrigued him, how Dojima acted. How he cared for his daughter and the other girl living under his roof was obvious, and perhaps unsurprising. He was a good man, from what he could tell. A very good man.

Briefly, Hughes and so many other faces came to mind. Roy stuffed the memories away, and focused on his own two feet walking down the corridor. He was following Dojima now - the latter had intended to show him the rest of the area, including wherever it was that Roy would be sleeping in from then on.

OTL this is so late i'm sorryyyyyy

[smokersona]

Perhaps it was his way of making up for all those nights of returning home late, for the years of neglect in favour of chasing shadows and dubious paper trails. He didn't want to make those same mistakes, not there. Not if what his nephew said would happen could happen. The mere thought of Nanako enduring all that was enough to quicken his pulse in mingled determination and panic. He couldn't carry on his mistakes to that new city. The least he could do was offer the same to that other child as well.

It was going to be quite a job, he knew, two small girls and an introvert in his household the same apartment. He couldn't help but liken Roy to Souji, the quiet nature, thought and calculation and the ever-working mind behind the reticent front. He had no doubt that it would take work, and a good bit of it, to draw Roy out and into the household.

"I hope you don't mind," he said, as he paused by a doorway, hand resting on the knob. "There are only two rooms in the place, and I'm pretty sure the girls would want one to themselves."

It's cool. :3

[thewarisover]

...Ah. So they were sharing? Roy's expression was carefully schooled as he considered this new bit of information, and his partner. Not exactly an ideal setup, in his opinion, but it wasn't like he had never dealt with such an arrangement before.

"It's fine."

Who knows? Maybe it would help them both, staying in the same room. They were partnered, after all.

LATE AGAIN /sobsobsob

[smokersona]

It wasn't something he would have gone with had other options been present, granted. Dojima was a man of privacy, a man who enjoyed his space and the peace that came with it. Sharing a room put something of a hitch in that.

"Whenever I can next, I'll invest in a screen. Might not be much, but it'll serve until we can consider extensions."

While breaking down more walls wasn't something he looked forward to (just more roundabout reminders of that embarrassing night in his nephew's soon-to-be livingroom), he knew it would be necessary. In time.

Whenever you guys want it to be, yay!

[setasouji]

Now that Dojima, Nanako, and Matilda were in Death City Heights (on the same floor, no less), Souji had felt a lot of relief settle over him. He knew that he had friends and teammates over at Casualty Communal, but that didn't change the fact that he had worried about his newly extended family while they were in a completely different building.

Maybe that was what had him leaving his apartment with Yosuke, moving a few doors down to knock on theirs. He had talked to Roy once or twice over the network, but was interested in his new partnership with his uncle. Even if their conversations had extended beyond an exchange of information during the fog incident, or concerning Adachi, he still would have come over to check up on them.

After what had happened the first time Dojima and Nanako were in Death City, he figured he was entitled to his concerns about their second arrivals.

Add in the fact he hadn't gotten to interact that much with Matilda just yet, and Souji figured a visit was in order.

...I'm just going to jump in. Because I like making Roy's life difficult.

[thewarisover]

Roy happened to be in the common area at that moment. He had settled into his new room and unpacked his belongings - that left him with not much else to do beyond acclimatize himself to his new home. That included familiarizing himself with where everything was, especially food and supplies.

The man glanced up at the knocking at the door. He paused, wondering if he should leave someone else to answer it, and, after figuring that that might seem a little strange, eventually moved to see who it was for himself--

--And to say that he had not really expected Dojima's nephew to come around was no lie. Maybe he should have, given the situation.

"Ah."

The alchemist regarded Souji Seta briefly before stepping away, to let the other inside. This was the first time they were meeting face-to-face.

Roy's life is pain.

[setasouji]

Souji stood there for a moment, hands in his pockets as he regarded the man who opened the door in return. It was a fairly calm, neutral expression, but was judging at the same time that it was not. After their limited interactions before this meeting, he was under the impression that the man was capable, reliable. Now, he had to completely reevaluate everything, just on the basis that he had become his uncle's meister and was now living with his cousin and another girl her age.

He finally offered a pleasant, friendly smile after their silent exchange was finished, moving to step in. "It's nice to actually meet you, Mustang."

Once he was out of the way of the door, he toed his shoes off, reminding himself that he was not his uncle. There was no reason for him to loom and stare, even if he was acting as a concerned family member simply looking out for the well-being of his father-figure and little sister(s). Even if it was the first thing that popped into his head to do.

It'll get better! ...After a bit!

[thewarisover]

Old eyes, that one. The way he carried himself wasn't bad at all, either, but it certainly wasn't the way that someone his age should have. It made him wonder exactly what Souji and his group had seen or been through. Of course, if the Shadows and Adachi were any indicator...

"I'm glad you share my sentiments on the matter."

Roy was not one to buckle under pressure, especially if it was something as simple as scrutiny. He did have reservations about the situation (particularly the circumstances behind his new partnership with Dojima), but he had never been one run from such things. Souji was welcome to say whatever needed to be said, or do whatever he needed to do.

[nailsandglass]

It was a little later on in the day. Roy was still getting settled, Nanako was with her father, and Matilda had retreated to a small corner of the room that she shared with Nanako. Piled there rather messily were all the books that Alphonse had gotten for her, and ones she had taken out of the library.

It was still a little strange for her. She was...like the people she was staying with, but there was that constant reminder that she was still an outsider amongst them.

But for now? That was honestly okay. She was just glad to have found people some people who seemed to genuinely care about her.

[setasouji]

Not wanting to disturb Roy while he worked on getting settled, and wanting to give Dojima and Nanako a moment of peace that was so rare, both in Inaba and Death City, Souji made to follow after Matilda after a moment of consideration. Though she had been under Dojima's care since the end of the sandstorm, he honestly couldn't say he'd gotten a chance to know the girl yet.

Somehow, though, seeing all those books didn't really surprise him.

"You've got quite a few books there," he commented from the doorway, not quite stepping over the threshold. He didn't want to enter without her permission, but... Seeing her retreat back to her shared room with his cousin, and observing her interactions with his uncle and Nanako, he'd seen a part of himself.

She reminded Souji of when he was younger.

[nailsandglass]

Matilda looked up when she heard footsteps. It was Souji. She knew him by name, and knew a lot about him from Nanako who spoke quite highly of him but she had never really gotten a chance to formally meet him herself. From what Nanako described he sure seemed like an amazing guy. It reminded her a lot of the heroes from some of her stories. She put down the book she was reading to give him her full attention and stood up as was only polite, but she remained where she was. Curious as she was about him, and eager, it was still hard to fight the instinct to be cautious around strangers that had been instilled in her.

"Mr. Alphonse got most of them for me. The rest are from the library," she looked down and picked on up, "want to see?"