Gyeh. It was Tatsumi.
"Ohayo Tatsumi-san!" Chirped Tsuzuki opening the door just a hairline to talk to his colleague.
"Tsuzuki . . . ?"
"What brings you here. So early." Tsuzuki voice wavered a little in panic.
Tatsumi peered through the door curiously. Actually it was Watari's admonishment that everything was just fine fine fine FINE that had clued him off that something was not as it should be. Tsuzuki's current behavior was no denial.
The phone started ringing. Ah. That would be Watari calling to let Tsuzuki know Tatsumi was onto them.
"Tsuzuki-san. The phone's ringing."
"Uhn." Agreed Tsuzuki still keeping eye contact through the door crack.
"You should let me in and answer it." Obviously Tsuzuki couldn't think of a good enough reason not to, because he obliged (albeit irritably).
". . . "
"Yes, Watari, I know. Yes he's here right now. I'll call back later." He mumbled into the phone, keeping a suspicious watch on Tatsumi, who had taken note of the two bowls of cereal set out on the kitchen table. Shortly there was a thump from the bedroom.
"What was that?" Asked Tatsumi, rising to go check
"What was what?" Asked Tsuzuki, wide-eyed and innocent.
Thump.
"Oh . . . . THAT. That's just . . . Touda." Answered Tsuzuki shortly, with a dismissive wave of his hand.
"Tsuzuki-san, why is Touda in your bedroom."
"He's helping me move furniture . . ."
Tatsumi was not easily swayed. He knew every piece of furniture Tsuzuki possessed (and it's current resale value) and none of it required the aid of a shikigami to move.
". . . and then he's going to join me for breakfast?" Tried Tsuzuki seeing Tatsumi's eyes linger over the kitchen table.
"Tsuzuki. . . do you have someone in your bedroom?" Asked Tatsumi in shock. The whole setup was not unfamiliar event wise, why less than a month ago something similar had happened when Tsuzuki bought home a puppy from Chijou, and then it had been Suzaku was helping him clean his shower. A week before a stray cat on the premise Daion was fixing his plumbing. So naturally Tatsumi was suspicious . . . but in those circumstances he'd never gone so far as to set the table for them.
Hearing another thump from the bedroom Tsuzuki began to panic.
"I'LL JUST GO SEE IF HE NEEDS ANY HELP!" He cried jumping up and sprinting to the bedroom, and locking the door behind him mere seconds before Tatsumi made a grab for the handle. Catching his breath he caught site of Hisoka who was folding the futon.
"Hisoka." Stated Tsuzuki, calming himself. The boy looked up. "I may have . . . I don't think . . . We are . . . " Tsuzuki rubbed his chin thoughtfully, trying to come up with a calm way of saying, 'Ohhh? Didn't I explain? I was only temping as a megami . . . I'm really a SHINIgami. Yes! A god of death! So no one can know you're here until I sort this all out. Now go hide in the wardrobe while I summon a nasty snake man to cover my butt!' "I'll explain later! Hide!" He managed.
Satisfied, Tsuzuki flung the door open . . . and Tatsumi locked eyes with Touda who was reclined on Tsuzuki's futon reading manga. The favor was going to cost Tsuzuki dearly.
"Touda." Acknowledged Tatsumi with a nod. The shikigami looked from Tatsumi to Tsuzuki, to the wardrobe, to Tatsumi, and finally to Tsuzuki again. At Tsuzuki's mimed encouragement he nodded in return, before flipping to the next page.
Tatsumi was moderately surprised. While Touda was in fact not in anyway involved in rearranging the sparse furnishings, he was indeed present. Why, if he were any other person he might have even apologized to Tsuzuki for presuming. . . whatever it was he had presumed.
"Okay! You've said 'hi'. Let's go to work! Work work work!" Or not. Tsuzuki was never enthusiastic about work, much less getting there on time, or Enma forbid, early.
Tsuzuki meanwhile was making wild gestures behind Tatsumi's back aimed at Touda. This was not highly effective, since;
A.. Touda sucked at charades; and;
B.. Tsuzuki was not known as the worst mime in Tenkuu for nothing
Hence Touda interpreted it somewhat as;
There is a large rat in my closet.
Kill it in the bathroom.
Eat the telephone.
Fortunately, Touda, deciding this sounded far too much like menial labor for a shikigami of his caliber ignored the requests and went back to his manga, while Tsuzuki dragged the recalcitrant Tatsumi toward the front door.
"Tsuzuki!" He protested weakly. "What about your breakfast?"
"Nnnn. . . " Tsuzuki looked regretfully at the sugary goodness (with extra artificial colours, flavors and preservatives) that was his morning ritual before managing to force out, "Not . . . hun . . . gry."
Tatsumi looked horrified. He allowed himself to be pulled out of Tsuzuki's apartment with no further protest.
"Ohayo Tatsumi-san!" Chirped Tsuzuki opening the door just a hairline to talk to his colleague.
"Tsuzuki . . . ?"
"What brings you here. So early." Tsuzuki voice wavered a little in panic.
Tatsumi peered through the door curiously. Actually it was Watari's admonishment that everything was just fine fine fine FINE that had clued him off that something was not as it should be. Tsuzuki's current behavior was no denial.
The phone started ringing. Ah. That would be Watari calling to let Tsuzuki know Tatsumi was onto them.
"Tsuzuki-san. The phone's ringing."
"Uhn." Agreed Tsuzuki still keeping eye contact through the door crack.
"You should let me in and answer it." Obviously Tsuzuki couldn't think of a good enough reason not to, because he obliged (albeit irritably).
". . . "
"Yes, Watari, I know. Yes he's here right now. I'll call back later." He mumbled into the phone, keeping a suspicious watch on Tatsumi, who had taken note of the two bowls of cereal set out on the kitchen table. Shortly there was a thump from the bedroom.
"What was that?" Asked Tatsumi, rising to go check
"What was what?" Asked Tsuzuki, wide-eyed and innocent.
Thump.
"Oh . . . . THAT. That's just . . . Touda." Answered Tsuzuki shortly, with a dismissive wave of his hand.
"Tsuzuki-san, why is Touda in your bedroom."
"He's helping me move furniture . . ."
Tatsumi was not easily swayed. He knew every piece of furniture Tsuzuki possessed (and it's current resale value) and none of it required the aid of a shikigami to move.
". . . and then he's going to join me for breakfast?" Tried Tsuzuki seeing Tatsumi's eyes linger over the kitchen table.
"Tsuzuki. . . do you have someone in your bedroom?" Asked Tatsumi in shock. The whole setup was not unfamiliar event wise, why less than a month ago something similar had happened when Tsuzuki bought home a puppy from Chijou, and then it had been Suzaku was helping him clean his shower. A week before a stray cat on the premise Daion was fixing his plumbing. So naturally Tatsumi was suspicious . . . but in those circumstances he'd never gone so far as to set the table for them.
Hearing another thump from the bedroom Tsuzuki began to panic.
"I'LL JUST GO SEE IF HE NEEDS ANY HELP!" He cried jumping up and sprinting to the bedroom, and locking the door behind him mere seconds before Tatsumi made a grab for the handle. Catching his breath he caught site of Hisoka who was folding the futon.
"Hisoka." Stated Tsuzuki, calming himself. The boy looked up. "I may have . . . I don't think . . . We are . . . " Tsuzuki rubbed his chin thoughtfully, trying to come up with a calm way of saying, 'Ohhh? Didn't I explain? I was only temping as a megami . . . I'm really a SHINIgami. Yes! A god of death! So no one can know you're here until I sort this all out. Now go hide in the wardrobe while I summon a nasty snake man to cover my butt!' "I'll explain later! Hide!" He managed.
Satisfied, Tsuzuki flung the door open . . . and Tatsumi locked eyes with Touda who was reclined on Tsuzuki's futon reading manga. The favor was going to cost Tsuzuki dearly.
"Touda." Acknowledged Tatsumi with a nod. The shikigami looked from Tatsumi to Tsuzuki, to the wardrobe, to Tatsumi, and finally to Tsuzuki again. At Tsuzuki's mimed encouragement he nodded in return, before flipping to the next page.
Tatsumi was moderately surprised. While Touda was in fact not in anyway involved in rearranging the sparse furnishings, he was indeed present. Why, if he were any other person he might have even apologized to Tsuzuki for presuming. . . whatever it was he had presumed.
"Okay! You've said 'hi'. Let's go to work! Work work work!" Or not. Tsuzuki was never enthusiastic about work, much less getting there on time, or Enma forbid, early.
Tsuzuki meanwhile was making wild gestures behind Tatsumi's back aimed at Touda. This was not highly effective, since;
A.. Touda sucked at charades; and;
B.. Tsuzuki was not known as the worst mime in Tenkuu for nothing
Hence Touda interpreted it somewhat as;
There is a large rat in my closet.
Kill it in the bathroom.
Eat the telephone.
Fortunately, Touda, deciding this sounded far too much like menial labor for a shikigami of his caliber ignored the requests and went back to his manga, while Tsuzuki dragged the recalcitrant Tatsumi toward the front door.
"Tsuzuki!" He protested weakly. "What about your breakfast?"
"Nnnn. . . " Tsuzuki looked regretfully at the sugary goodness (with extra artificial colours, flavors and preservatives) that was his morning ritual before managing to force out, "Not . . . hun . . . gry."
Tatsumi looked horrified. He allowed himself to be pulled out of Tsuzuki's apartment with no further protest.