Tali shifted slightly, nodding ever so gently. What they were talking about was something he very much knew to be true, but also something he found extremely hard to do at times and easier in others. A shot in the dark… it was easy when you didn’t know someone. It was much harder when you grew to get to know them.
A leap of faith. That’s what Shou had told her, during his speech. Those were the words she’d taken to heart, quoted when they asked her why the hell she had done what she had. Maybe it was time to use them differently.
Osora didn’t let go of his hand when she pulled the door to the shop open, greeted by the familiar chime. “Reeha’s here.” She said simply, eyes flickering to the shoes kicked off on the bottom step of the stairs leading up from the shop.
Tali hummed, glad she hadn’t let go of his hand. He wanted to keep holding it. “Reeha? Oh this is my chance to meet her, get on her good side.” He laughed gently and allowed Toki to lead him, his shoulders slumped in exhaustion. He knew he would have to sleep soon… he didn’t want to but he would have to.
“Best of luck with that.” Osora said, slipping off her own boots and leaving them on the step as she took the next few. “She’s…something, for sure. Smart as hell, so watch out for that. Shoes off.” She instructed, turning around to look at him. Even two steps up, she was just a bit shorter than him.
He chuckled, obeying her words and removing his shoes. He carefully followed her up the stairs, amused by her height. He wouldn’t openly admit it but he loved short girls. They were so cute and fun to hold. “Smart huh…? Is she like us?” He asked gently. “She’ll definitely know I’m not exactly human. For sure.”
“She’ll figure something’s off, for sure. That’s her…thing. She’s essentially the smartest person in the world, that I know of.” She explained, continuing up the stairs. Laughter and upbeat music carried down the stairs, getting louder as she led him into the apartment. “Tadaima!”
Tali followed her willingly, his eyes slipping closed a few times as he yawned. He needed to get something in him quickly. Calories or sleep or something. He couldn’t afford to let them see his true face. “It’s nice up here…” he murmured gently, closing his eyes once more.
“It’s home.” Was Osora’s answer, as she tugged him into a sitting room. The room itself was connected to a kitchen, with nothing but a counter serving as a breakfast bar in between them.
“There you are!” A woman called from the kitchen, waving at them. She looked quite a bit like Osora, with visibly lighter skin and a few less noticeable features, not to mention the black hair the rest of her family sported. “Bring the boy, we’re all in here and want to meet him!”
He looked around the sitting room, humming softly. He was about to reply when the woman called for them. He chuckled when she mentioned him and shifted nervously. “A-all huh?” He asked shyly. However, Tali was not shy when it came to large groups of people. He was incredibly extroverted.
"Yeah, all!" Another voice called, this one in a strange blend of accents, Arabic and Japanese. "Get your asses in here!"
Osora huffed her usual breath of air that replaced laughter, shrugging a shoulder and leading him into the kitchen. Maki was sitting on the counter, in one of the only spaces that wasn't covered by cooking things and papers and little gears and metal things. The small two or three person table was occupied by a girl in a grey hijab, who looked about Osora's age, and an older woman that was most definitely related to the Tokino's.
"There he fucking is." The girl in the hijab said, by way of greeting. Her sharp grey eyes studied Tali like they could see right through him, flickering quickly over his features. "Where the hell'd you find this one, Scythe? Please tell me it wasn't another convenience store at three in the morning." Both the name and the reference were incredibly significant, to everyone in the room, but mainly Osora and Reeha. "Reeha Nakamura, Osora's best friend. I want a name."
Tali grinned with a charming air about him, dipping his head respectively when he was acknowledged. He laughed nervously, running a hand through his hair and lifting the bags of food in a sort of wave. “Oh no no, I’m not someone you can pick up from any old gas station.” He mused, glancing at Toki and smiling before he returned his attention to the woman at the table.
“Tali.” He replied smoothly, standing up straighter and shifting under her gaze. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”
((Omg so Ninja_Violinist drew Osora and I added the drawing to er gallery you should def go check it out))
"So you've been warned. Good." Reeha crossed her arms, watching him silently for a moment longer before speaking. "I've got a list of questions for you. Maki, toss me one of those strawberries!"
"Absolutely not." The woman who resembled Osora quite a bit scolded, shaking a wooden spoon at Reeha. "Eat dinner and then desert. Now, it's nice to meet you, Tali." Despite her insistence that Reeha not eat lay of the fruit laying out until after she'd eaten, the woman didn't comment when Maki tossed a strawberry to her anyway. "Tokino Koharu, Osora's mother. Please excuse Reeha, she's a bit…overprotective."
"She's got every right to be." The older woman chimed in, shooting a suspicious but not unfriendly look at Tali. "Osora just suddenly bringing home a boy, one who looks like that, mind you?"
(Yyeeeesss)
Tali tilted his head, nodding gently. “Ask away.” He murmured, smiling softly. When the other woman spoke, he smiled, recognizing her as Toki’s grandmother. “Hello, Miss Koharu! It’s a pleasure to meet you too!” He smiled softly and offered the food to her. “I’m not sure who’s is who’s.” He replied.
When Reeha spoke again he frowned. “Should I take that as a compliment or as an insult. Looking like what?” He asked, looking down at himself. “Is my hair messy?”
((Sksksk that was Osora’s grandmother speaking))
(Oh dang let me change.)
((Okey fixed.)))
((Ahgfdfhghgf I meant the one side eyeing him bUT I'LL STOP BUGGING YOU SORRY))
"Suspiciously good looking." Reeha supplied, munching on the strawberry and pulling out a notebook. She didn't look down at the questions written in it, just grabbed a pen off of the table and prepared to write. "Where were you born? When were you born? Do you have a birth certificate, and can I see a copy of it? Is that your real haircolor or is it dyed? Do you prefer American soda or Japanese, or other? If your house caught on fire what would you save first, or go back in for?"
Osora sighed, shooting him a look that was slightly apologetic as she released his hand and took the food to pass it out. If one was paying attention, they would notice the way her shoulders tensed just slihtly at the mention of a house being on fire, just the fire in general.
(OH SHOOT IM SORRY PRETEND I DID ALL THAT DO YOU WANT ME TO FIX IT?! It was my fault sorry. I’m a bit like, ditsy and awful at reading cues)
Tali blinked in shock and laughed, humming as he leaned back. “Oh. Suspiciously handsome. I was worried I had something in my teeth.” He chuckled.
“I was born in Korea, raised there until maybe five, eight? I can’t remember that, moved to Japan, lived there until eighteen, then moved on my own to America. I have no birth certificate, I was raised in a Japanese Shrine, I was abandoned at birth. This is close to my real hair color it’s… complicated. I like American and Japanese sodas equally. And I would save… whoever else is with me.”
((No don't worry! I'm exactly the same half the time. And anyway, you changed it once, it's fine dw!))
Reeha wrote down particular answers, adding bits that looked like taking notes. Others she skipped completely, as though fully assured that she could remember the answers. "No birth certificate. Sus. Good answer on the fire one, though you could very well be sucking up. Osora prefers Japanese sodas-"
"Actually, you know that's not true. I'm a fan of the seasonal flavors the Mountain Dew company puts out." Osora corrected, handing Tali his food and silver wear as she passed him to hop up onto the counter closest to him, plucking a shrimp out of the takeout box with her fingers to eat it.
Reeha ignored her. "And a Shrine? Fuck, which one?" She asked, the serious and suspicious look on her face switching to one of intent curiosity. The others all seemed used to her fast paced questions and switching of topics. The topic one was something they all did, and they knew the reasons behind her questions, too.
“No I’m not. I actually would do that. I’m no suck up.” He chuckled and leaned back, listening carefully. “Mm Mountain Dew is pretty good.” He admitted, grinning at Toki. He took his food and opened it up, smiling at the smell. Curry… he loved it.
“Oh. It was by the big forest one in Kumamoto. It was small. They called it ‘Earth’ or something.” He murmured, frowning. “I can’t remember now.”
Reeha snapped a few times before rubbing her fingers together, and then shaking her hand. "I know the one you're talking about. I just can't remember the name for the life of me. Goddammit." She made a face, adjusting her hijab as she muttered to herself. She drew Osora's grandmother into a discussion about the Shrines in that area, trying to trigger the connection needed to remember the name.
"Too much in her head." Osora explained, nudging Tali with her foot and pointing to the fridge in the corner of the kitchen with her chopsticks. "There should be a couple sodas in there, and more of varying kinds. Mind grabbing me one of the blueberry ramunes?"
Tali chuckled lightly, leaning against the counter and glancing up at Toki when she spoke. He blinked and nodded gently. “Of course.”
The skin-stealer carefully opened the fridge and looked around for the wanted drink. He grabbed her blueberry ramune but didn’t grab anything for himself, feeling like an outsider.
“Here, Toki.”
"I'm not accepting that until you grab something for yourself." Osora stated, raising an eyebrow at him as she leaned forward slightly, scooping a bite of rice and curry into her mouth.
"Yes, please, make yourself at home." Koharu insisted, motioning to the fridge and then around the apartment in a vague gesture. "What's ours is yours, even if these grumpy birds continue to be grumpy birds." She shot a look at the table with Osora's grandmother and Reeha, before bustling past Maki, who was on his phone, to offer a strawberry to Tali. "Here."
He groaned softly but reached into the fridge to grab a random soda for himself. “I don’t want to be a burden on you guys… please, don’t worry too much about me. I’m going to find an apartment to rent out so I’m not bothering you all.” He replied politely, bowing his head respectfully.
When he was offered the strawberry he took it hesitantly, smiling as he lifted it to his lips. “Thank you so much.”
Osora tossed a wadded up rag at him, once the strawberry was gone, shaking her head. "You're no burden. You're a guest to some and a friend to others, Tali. As long as you don't use up all the hot water while in the shower, you're fine."
Osora's grandmother muttered something in rapid paced Japanese, nodding in agreement. "You use all the hot water, and I will push you out of the window. Onto the sidewalk." Maki rolled his eyes, muffling laughter behind a fist pressed to his mouth.