(insert inappropriate nicki minaj lyrics here)

[hoboagogo]

WHO: Shinjiro Aragaki, his pet snake Soba, and ANYONE!
WHERE: A big old Park in Heropa for the most part! Anywhere else will be specified.
WHEN: EARLY AUGUST, Pre-Swear-In.
WHAT: Open + Catch-all log for August! If you'd like a different or specific starter, just drop me a line here or at soozaphone
WARNINGS: None anticipated!

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It's bright, sunny, and hot outside in Florida today. For once, the near-daily, intermittent rain showers seem to have subsided, leaving fairly clear skies across the town. It's a great day for people to go running, biking, eat some ice cream, walk a dog, or for kids to play on a jungle-gym (desperately using this last week or so before school starts-) or even just sitting outside to read a book.

Or, for Shinjiro, it's a pretty good day to take a three-and-a-half meter python outside and let her bask in the sun and get some air back on her home turf-- as opposed to the more forested and (slightly) cooler climate of Virginia.

So he's staked out in a less-populated area in the large, green park-- away from walking trails and doggy-bag sites, just to minimize the chances of her lunging for someone's child or yappy dog or something. Back against the trunk of a thin tree, he'll spend most of the day hanging out and flipping through a book, or the network-- when he's not grabbing the massive snake by her tail end and dragging her back towards himself anytime she starts to slither too far.

And when he's not trying to desperately untangle her lengths of muscle and scales from a parkbench she's wedged herself into. (If she's not entrapped him to it with her.)

Or hopelessly staring up into a tree that she's climbed, once he realizes he'd gotten too absorbed in reading things, only to find that she's gotten herself up on a branch and has no plans of slithering back down anytime soon. But if you're lucky, she'll just be coiled up in a patch of grass in the sunlight, head slightly lifted as she stares out at where more people are hanging out, and tongue flickering in and out patiently.

Whenever it is that anyone happens over, though, it's a fair bet that he'll be cursing at the snake and doing his best to keep her relatively contained. Or at least away from eating someone's dog. (The pigeons, though, are fair game.)

Comments

[hoboagogo]

[There's a lot that can be drawn just from those short words. Ken practiced-- so he'd spent more time than just the hour or so it would take to make one batch. That he'd wanted to do it well, as opposed to just putting in the token effort: something he's already leagues ahead of Shinjiro on.

It makes his chest feel tight, and he's not sure if he feels thankful for the sheer normalcy, or guilty for quietly appreciating the simple care and thought from the last person he deserved it from. But his motions fill in the gaps where his words fail, and he nods slowly- before glancing up again.]

Thanks. I mean- [The words feel stupid in his mouth, but... he doesn't have any better ones. So with a short huff of air, he glances down, and amends.] ....No, just thanks.

[That's how interactions are supposed to go, right?

He opens up the bag, taking one of the paw-print cookies and snapping it with his teeth, holding one hand down as he eats it, and nods.]

Did you just look up the recipe, too? They turned out pretty good. And baking can be a bitch to get right sometimes. [After all, temperature and timing could be everything. He'll offer out the bag, and speak right before finishing the second half of the cookie.]

You want some?

[amadaman]

[He blinks. Then laughs a little.] I made them, you know? [But he shuffles over closer and takes one of the cookies to bite into it. It somehow tastes better knowing that Shinjiro seems to like it, and while he keeps his head down and close to the cookie he's nibbling, he does keep flickering his eyes up to glance at him.]

I asked some people to help me. [Kay, who brought cookies for him at Minato's party. Reika, who he just assumed was good at everything. Gamagori... whose omurice he didn't get to perfect but he'll work on it. He glances at the other cookies still in Shinjiro's hand, and at Koromaru who's so proud of the successful delivery, then back at Shinjiro.]

I also, um... there's cake. In the fridge.

[hoboagogo]

Mm. [True- Ken did make them, and the short noise as mostly acknowledging that fact, without offering explanation. It felt weird, just eating them in front of Ken, after all- seemed rude not to at least offer. But he'll keep that to himself, simply listening to Ken stumble through how it came to be.]

...I'm surprised you went that far. [Not because Ken isn't the type, but more because things had always been so strange and strained between them. Despite mutually acknowledging that they'd like to be able to work past it, the fact of the matter will always be that it's Shinjiro's fault that Ken has nothing resembling a family anymore. It's a hard step to vault over and build a sort of acquaintanceship on top of-- let alone a true friendship.

It feels- undeserved. He's grateful for it, sure. But there was no reason for Ken to go to any sort of length, especially for a day Shinjiro held no particularly strong attachments for anyway.]

You wanna wait on that one 'til everyone else comes home? [Not that- Shinji wants to make a thing out of this. But it's not like the two of them are going to finish off a cake all on their own.]

[amadaman]

Yeah. [He finishes off the cookie quickly -- none of them are particularly big -- and without anything to occupy his hands with, he clasps them in front of himself and tries not to fidget. The air between them is not as cold or heavy as it used to be, but comfortable? They're far from that. So, so far.

Koromaru nudges his way between them, first rubbing his head against Shinjiro's hand, then against Ken's leg. Ken, a little encouraged by that glances at Shinjiro again.] If they find out tonight, they won't have time to try to pull a party.

[That was meant to be a joke. It was an attempt. He ends up biting his lip for a moment.]

We agreed to try... but we won't get anywhere if we don't actually try, right? You came to my birthday, so.

[hoboagogo]

[Ken certainly has a point- and a way of saying things bluntly and outright. They'd agreed to try and- get away from their mutual past, be better teammates and, maybe, even friends. And there wouldn't be any progress made without trying, no matter how appealing the idea of just acting like nothing was wrong is.]

....Yeah. You're right. Thanks.

[It's awkward, but- honest, at least. And he's not sure what to say or do afterwards, after accepting the cookies and cake from Ken, and agreeing that they should actually try to talk and get along and actually know something about one another. So he glances down at Koromaru, who simply wags his tail encouragingly, tongue lolling out in a doggy-smile.]

Guess we got some time to kill before then. [Man, what do you do with a twelve year old.] You- ah...

[Shit, what to say. He brings a hand up to scratch at the back of his head, thinking for a second. What did Ken like....] How's that town-game you've been playing going?

[amadaman]

[Well, being asked about New Leaf is better than being asked about the selfie stick, at least. Ken, instead of standing awkwardly in the hallway, moves his way over to the couches. He doesn't say anything but Koromaru perks up and pushes his nose up against Shinjiro to get him to move, too. No more floor crouching for you!]

It's slowly recovering from Jaime-san's attack on it in June.

[Ken's joking though. "Jaime's attack" was one destroyed bush of flowers that grew back within the week. The two of them have a positive trade relation going where they exchange furniture and fruits and sometimes gossip about their neighbors.]

It's pretty fun, even though it doesn't really change from day to day. Do you want to try it sometime?