["I" is eight different strokes in Japanese, Liem... and okay, Konoha doesn't know that, but. The point is, she was definitely expecting such an important word to be more complicated than what looked to her now like one press of a button. Wild. Still, even though she does look at "we", it's smart to think... too much at once was probably not a good idea. She smiles, grateful.]
Thanks, Mister Liem... I'll ask if I need up needing one.
[She didn't want to bother him too much, but if it was important...]
Besides, I didn't mean to make you play teacher today... we're going to cook together, right?
[It was "cook", right? (No, Konoha, it was probably "go eat".)]
[Based on the surprised lift of his eyebrows when Konoha asks if they’re going to cook together, this is not exactly what Liem had intended upon agreeing to meet here. True, they did exchange some cooking-related emojis, but he thinks some miscommunications may have happened along the way.]
Oh… That does sound nice, but I’m not sure where we could do something like that. I doubt the hotel staff would let us use their kitchen.
[Considering they’re kept busy all day preparing the free food available for the hotel residents, he’s betting the Valentia’s kitchen is a pretty busy place. Cooking there might be a bit hectic for their tastes even if they were allowed.]
I thought maybe you wanted to eat together. I suppose I didn’t catch your meaning quite as adroitly as I’d hoped.
[... Oh, his eyebrows went up. Up-up. There's a moment when Konoha just blinks in confusion, the wheels in her head moving just a bit too obviously, until finally, just a beat late-]
No, no, no, that's not your fault, Mister Liem!
[She jumps in quick to take the blame, waving her hands a bit in betrayal of her fluster.]
I was sending puzzle pictures and you had to send them back to me so quickly... I'd be more surprised if it worked perfectly the first time. We can just eat together, I have a little money...
[Though also... his comments about the logistics of cooking make her think, lip pursing and brow furrowing.]
I did ask to use the kitchen here, before, but the staff wouldn't let me, you're right... They said I could get my own place, if I wanted to do my own cooking.
[All right, so the puzzle pictures exchange didn’t go completely flawlessly. That’s fine; that’s one benefit of them meeting in person like this. Now they can sort things out and maybe have more success later on.]
I certainly can’t blame you if you’re trying to save money for that. Even I find the accommodations here a bit cramped.
[In his case, he mostly begrudges the lack of a private bathroom, and also the lack of closet space. Sleeping is tolerable, despite the thin walls, and hotel facilities are nice to explore, especially during the day when he wants to avoid going outside, but he can’t deny that he’d still like to find somewhere a little roomier. He can’t imagine how Konoha must feel here.]
We don’t have go eat if you don’t wish to. I just misunderstood—and besides which, it’s nice to meet again and see a friendly face.
[They're going to have to go over the differences between 🥩🍚🫃 and 🔥🍳🥩🍚. Because in Konoha's mind, one is definitely eating (until nice and full!) and one is definitely cooking. But, it's fine! For now... Konoha's expression gets. A little awkward.]
Saving money, right...
[Unconsciously, her fingers fuss at her tool belt- mainly at the pouch that looks like it might be a coin purse. Not a very big coin purse. ... She'd heard about their time at the hotel coming to an end soon, but surely... How could they bring them here without even asking, and then turn them out on the streets? It just wasn't right, and she didn't even know where to begin with it. So at first, she just smiles. Even brighter, as if she could blot out anything dark by just trying harder.]
No, no, let's go out to eat! Or, if you're saving money we can just grab something cheap at the market and eat it in the park... You should eat more, Mister Liem, get some more meat on your bones!
[Which might be rich, coming from a woman who's withers are growing sharper... but she can hide her weight loss beneath the horse blanket she's thrown over her back to hide her feathers with. Nevermind that it's too warm for blankets.]
I was going to eat anyway, it's not an inconvenience or anything...
[And she wanted to see a friendly face, too. Maybe that's obvious, in the way her tone tips the words into more of a plea than stalwart encouragement about his diet.]
[Liem can’t help the small smile that curves his mouth at Konoha’s obvious concern for him. It’s sweet of her to be worried about whether he’s eating enough, especially because he still suspects that being in this city must be harder for her than it ever has been for him. If not for the soul inside his augmenter, he’d probably be managing just fine.
As it is… he does look a little worse for wear compared to when she’d seen him last. It isn’t just his pallor, though he surely couldn’t get any paler now, nor is it just the feverish sheen on his skin; he’s lost weight over the last several weeks, as tolerating food has become increasingly more difficult. Though he was not a stout man to begin with, and his prudish layers disguise most of his body, even his face looks a bit more angular than usual.
But neither he nor Konoha can do anything about that.]
Visiting the market sounds nice.
[It’s early enough in the day that there should still be plenty of shadows, given the impressive heights of many of Karteria’s buildings. And he would rather not try to eat while trapped inside some crowded restaurant.]
Let’s do that, then.
[He’s already got his hat and everything. Not a single beam of sunlight will touch this pallid face.]
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FatherTalbott
PROFILE
no subject
Thanks, Mister Liem... I'll ask if I need up needing one.
[She didn't want to bother him too much, but if it was important...]
Besides, I didn't mean to make you play teacher today... we're going to cook together, right?
[It was "cook", right? (No, Konoha, it was probably "go eat".)]
no subject
Oh… That does sound nice, but I’m not sure where we could do something like that. I doubt the hotel staff would let us use their kitchen.
[Considering they’re kept busy all day preparing the free food available for the hotel residents, he’s betting the Valentia’s kitchen is a pretty busy place. Cooking there might be a bit hectic for their tastes even if they were allowed.]
I thought maybe you wanted to eat together. I suppose I didn’t catch your meaning quite as adroitly as I’d hoped.
no subject
No, no, no, that's not your fault, Mister Liem!
[She jumps in quick to take the blame, waving her hands a bit in betrayal of her fluster.]
I was sending puzzle pictures and you had to send them back to me so quickly... I'd be more surprised if it worked perfectly the first time. We can just eat together, I have a little money...
[Though also... his comments about the logistics of cooking make her think, lip pursing and brow furrowing.]
I did ask to use the kitchen here, before, but the staff wouldn't let me, you're right... They said I could get my own place, if I wanted to do my own cooking.
no subject
I certainly can’t blame you if you’re trying to save money for that. Even I find the accommodations here a bit cramped.
[In his case, he mostly begrudges the lack of a private bathroom, and also the lack of closet space. Sleeping is tolerable, despite the thin walls, and hotel facilities are nice to explore, especially during the day when he wants to avoid going outside, but he can’t deny that he’d still like to find somewhere a little roomier. He can’t imagine how Konoha must feel here.]
We don’t have go eat if you don’t wish to. I just misunderstood—and besides which, it’s nice to meet again and see a friendly face.
no subject
Saving money, right...
[Unconsciously, her fingers fuss at her tool belt- mainly at the pouch that looks like it might be a coin purse. Not a very big coin purse. ... She'd heard about their time at the hotel coming to an end soon, but surely... How could they bring them here without even asking, and then turn them out on the streets? It just wasn't right, and she didn't even know where to begin with it. So at first, she just smiles. Even brighter, as if she could blot out anything dark by just trying harder.]
No, no, let's go out to eat! Or, if you're saving money we can just grab something cheap at the market and eat it in the park... You should eat more, Mister Liem, get some more meat on your bones!
[Which might be rich, coming from a woman who's withers are growing sharper... but she can hide her weight loss beneath the horse blanket she's thrown over her back to hide her feathers with. Nevermind that it's too warm for blankets.]
I was going to eat anyway, it's not an inconvenience or anything...
[And she wanted to see a friendly face, too. Maybe that's obvious, in the way her tone tips the words into more of a plea than stalwart encouragement about his diet.]
no subject
As it is… he does look a little worse for wear compared to when she’d seen him last. It isn’t just his pallor, though he surely couldn’t get any paler now, nor is it just the feverish sheen on his skin; he’s lost weight over the last several weeks, as tolerating food has become increasingly more difficult. Though he was not a stout man to begin with, and his prudish layers disguise most of his body, even his face looks a bit more angular than usual.
But neither he nor Konoha can do anything about that.]
Visiting the market sounds nice.
[It’s early enough in the day that there should still be plenty of shadows, given the impressive heights of many of Karteria’s buildings. And he would rather not try to eat while trapped inside some crowded restaurant.]
Let’s do that, then.
[He’s already got his hat and everything. Not a single beam of sunlight will touch this pallid face.]