"Wouldn't that throw anyone off?" Shou asked, raising an eyebrow almost playfully as he grinned. He lifted a hand, clicking his tongue a couple times, and the bee left Osora to return to his hand. "There are a couple good Megumareta in America. Ren's mother was one, a vigilante like us. Hey, Osora, does she seem a bit off to you?"
"Powerdrill? Yeah, actually. Looks almost sick." Osora said, resting her head on Tali's shoulder but keeping it angled to watch Shou.
“Mm maybe. Seems pretty normal to me now. Hard to throw the skin-stealer himself off.” He let out a gruff laugh and watched the bee. “Mhm. Too many for their own good… I’m worried we’ll all be exterminated or something.” He mumbled, shivering.
Tali fell silent again, letting the two talk to one another. He seemed oddly disconnected from them and he didn’t like it. It felt like he was being left out. He withdrew into himself and fell oddly quiet for a little bit.
"Yeah, she does, doesn't she." Shou mused, studying Powerdrill carefully. "I'll take her to Michael, see if he knows how to help her. So, where're you from man? Definitely not around here, least this neighborhood."
“I was born in Korea. Lived there for a while before I moved here to Japan, lived in a shrine for the longest time of my life. Got bored of being a deity and left, to America. It’s a rather interesting place I’ll tell you that, but it was nice nonetheless.” He suddenly nuzzled into Osora’s neck, sighing deeply. “I came here because, well, something told me I needed to come back. Ended up meeting Osora.”
Osora ran her fingers through Tali’s hair, the movement almost instinctual when he nuzzled her. “Ran into me, actually. On the street. Though that might have been more my fault than anything.”
“Doesn’t surprise me. For a ballerina, you’re clumsy as hell.” Shou teased, snickering. “What was America like where you were? I’ve been a few times, and I prefer Japan, but people have a lot of varying opinions on the country.”
Tali let out a soft, happy sound, his head pressing up towards her fingers. It felt good. He wanted more.
“It’s noisy, crowded, and people there are rude. But it’s also beautiful and relaxing if you find the right place. I lived in a small apartment in a small town. It was quiet and I got to know a lot of good people.” Tali smiled at that, humming softly. “I liked living there.”
"People here are definitely more polite. The locals, at least." Shou mused, nodding in agreement. "Americans are extremely entitled. No offense to Ren." He made a quick gesture with his hands, and Osora snorted. It was an inside joke between their group, that even accidentally insulting Ren was about the same as talking bad about a god.
"The one time I went to America, I crashed a train and was yelled at for fourty minutes by an American for getting his coffee wrong, despite the fact that I have never worked in a coffee shop ever, and we were in a bank." Osora said, rolling her eyes as she worked her fingers through Tali's hair happily. "Maybe I should have found a small town. There wouldn't be much crime of my type in them though." Maybe if she ever retired from hero work…
The skin-stealer laughed softly as they spoke, listening to their opinions and stories with amusement in his eyes. “Yes, Americans are like that. But in the smaller towns they are much kinder. But I do have to admit, there weren’t as many crimes… hardly any at all at times. Nothing big at least. Just drug busts. I wasn’t too interested in hero work…” he admitted sheepishly. He wouldn’t say it in front of the two crime-fighters in the room but Tali was definitely more of a villain.
"I don't think I could live in a small town, no matter the country." Shou said, shrugging a shoulder as he checked his buzzing phone. "I need the bustle of big cities. The noise."
"A small town might be nice, if I could bring myself to leave." Osora looked over at her friend, arching a brow. Her and Tali's joking traveling ideas were wonderful in theory, but there was a certain obligation she felt to this city. Something tying her down here, a rope she couldn't sever. "But this is what I'm good at. And drug busts aren't my area of expertise when it comes to crime. I'm betting there weren't that many, either. What things do Americans do for fun, besides be rude to strangers?"
Tali understood that. He needed it to at times. Cities were an easy place to find some idiot to rob blind or some businessman to fool.
“Ah, there weren’t very many drug busts at all. I just had to escape the city. I couldn’t stand the people anymore. And I think they were start g to grow suspicious of me too.” He laughed gently and leaned his head into Osora’s fingers. “They watched a lot of tv, but there really is a lot of things to do there. There were a lot of fitness places some Americans went too, and large theatres and small places where one could go paint or throw pottery. A lot of fast food too, though, not as good but convenient.”
"Our fast food will forever beat American fast food." Shou stated, moving to riffle through Osora's things. Not for any particular reason, it seemed, but she also didn't seem to care, perfectly content with petting Tali.
"Cinemas? Good to know they at least didn't skip over those." Osora said, harrumphing softly. "You really should be more careful with your….pastimes, Tali. If you aren't, you're going to get caught, one of these days."
Tali was perfectly content letting her pet him. “You’re right. But I am also partial to Korean cuisine. It was such a large part of my childhood”
Tali’s smile faded from his face moments after her words processed through his mind. He closed his eyes and sighed softly. “I almost want to be caught, Osora. I’m not even sure of who I am anymore, it gets rather tiring, you know. The more you wear the faces of others the more of yourself you lose.
Osora's expression was so soft, for someone who was so emotionless half the time. She moved her hands to cup his face, pressing her nose to his gently. "So find yourself. You can't do that stuck in a jail cell, though." There was something so sure about the way she spoke, like she had absolute confidence in his ability to find himself.
Shou watched the two of them for a moment, lips lifting in a small and conspiratory smile as he slipped quietly out of the room. He was going to go bug Maki, and leave them to themselves for a bit. But he was glad too see Osora so open with someone, in a way she hadn't been in a while.
The skin-stealer's hands rose to meet hers, resting softly over them. He soaked in the warmth he felt from her, closing his eyes softly. "What else am I to do with this power of mine?" He asked calmly, relaxing against her soft form. She was beautifully reassuring for someone who didn't quite express her emotions.
His eyes flickered open as he heard Shou leave, curiosity lighting up in his eyes. He didn't question the male, however, rather thankful to be alone again with Osora. He liked just speaking with her.
“I don’t entirely know. But we can figure that out together.” Osora said, her voice as soft as ever in the quiet room. Her eyes, that strange and slightly scary blood red, were warmer than seemed possible from her. She was making a promise, and she intended to keep it. “I save people, I help them, remember? You’ll just be a special case. Because you’ve got a little bit higher importance.”
He chuckled lightly, tilting his head as he studied the color of her eyes. Thought slightly unnerving, Tali found her eyes rather stunning. “A special case? I am a special case aren't I?”
“The most special.” She said with a quick nod, bumping his forehead with hers gently. “You don’t have to do this alone. I’ll be right by your side while you figure things out.”
“Why thank you, Osora. I’m flattered you’re so willing to help me.” He replied with a grin, smiling. “You’re the most special to me too, you know. You can tell me anything. I’ll help you through it all.”
"I'd rather not burden you. I've already shared a bit too much, Tali." She said, shrugging a shoulder. Her fingers traced his lips, the shape of his grin, and her own lips flickered briefly. Like she was trying to copy the smile, however she could, but couldn't. "But it's nice you think of me that way. Sweet. Just like you."
"You won't burden me, Osora." He reassured, holding still so she could freely explore his face with her fingers. He tried his hardest not to change his expression but it was hard when she was so cute. "You're sweeter, you know. You're always so kind towards me."
"Someone with a heart half calcified can't exactly be that sweet." She countered, still focused intently on his smile, even as it shifted just slightly. Her brow was furrowed a bit, face set with focus but softening occasionally. "And you can't make that promise. You've barely scratched the surface of trouble with me."
"Yes they can." He replied, watching her expression the best he could. He enjoyed seeing the small changes in her face. "You're like one of those butter mints. Sweet and they melt and become so soft and good." He hummed, now wishing he had eaten a little more earlier. "Well then help me to make that promise. Enlighten me."
"A butter mint? That's what I am?" She asked, pausing her efforts to arch a brow at him before returning to them, now finding it just a bit easier with her amusement at being called a butter mint. "And I would rather not drag you into this any more than you are. Besides. There's so much that can't be explained with words alone."
"Yes. That is what you are." He replied, his expression suddenly changing into pure amusement as he laughed. His eyes squinted slightly as he did so, the warmth that suddenly flooded his face was much more genuine. "You can drag me into anything. Ive drug you into my issues."
"Maybe I'll consider taking you on a minor patrol at some point, then." She said, eyes flickering to his for a moment and watching his face light up. How does he do it? It's like it's easy as breathing for him, but somehow, I've managed to forget how to smile. "Nothing big. I'm not getting you into more trouble than I have to."