songerein | [Closed] Entry 006

[Life in the Asogi household has gotten a little more colorful as of late. Prof. Mikotoba being gone, and now possibly the Great Detective, Kazuma has invited both Susato and Gina to stay in his home. It's a bit of an adjustment, having been living comfortably on his own with the occasional 76. We don't talk about the shadow that sometimes lurks around.

But there's a lot of unused space in his home, and maybe he's learning to enjoy being in the company of others again. On this particular morning, he's invited the girls to join him in the kitchen in preparing some menu items. Cookies and candies. Before they arrive, he'll be standing by a kettle, waiting for it to boil so that he can prepare them both some tea. Some cinnamon apple spice tea.]

[ Susato doesn't see it as some mystery to be solved. She doesn't particularly want to entertain the idea at all, for the same reason she refused to entertain the idea that Kazuma was still alive, when Naruhodo figured it out. It would make his disappearance--Mr Sholmes', in this case--that much more crushing. Yet Gina's efforts, combined with Kazuma extending his invitation to her... It's difficult to say no.

Susato herself feels like she practically lives here already. She works here and occasionally spends the night, too. More and more of her things have found their way over here, and she certainly treats his personal kitchen like her own. She expects to do the heavy lifting when it comes to things like tea and breakfast, but when the bed is void of Kazuma's weight, she knows he's beat her to the punch.

No sign of Gina, or Toby for that matter, on Susato's way to the kitchen. Her eyes linger as she passes the door to the room where they presumably slept, but she'll wait for them to wake up naturally. (Did she imagine that scratching at the door though? Hmm...)

Seeing Kazuma, she waits in the door way of the kitchen, arms playfully folded, and hair in a lazy ponytail as she waits to be noticed. ]

Good morning. Rising before me now, are we? You almost make me feel like I am slacking.

[The new house was something to adjust to. Even if she always claimed that she was only crashing at the previous house, it had started to feel like home. But it was a home that was getting a lot emptier... concluding with the great detective's disappearance. The offer to move in with Kazuma seemed agreeable enough to Gina. Easier access to food, and maybe Susato will be happier - though in return Gina has to suffer watching them be all touchy-feely. The things she does for her friends!

On this particular morning, Gina was ready to sleep in a bit. But someone else had a different idea in mind. Toby was excited to start the day bright and early! And he kept on bugging Gina until she woke up too. With a tired groan and a wiry bedhead, Gina drags herself out of her room, with Toby bursting through the door the moment she opens it. She shuffles her way towards the kitchen wearily.]

Mornin'. [There are signs of life in her eyes as she looks towards the kettle in the stove.] Wot's in the works now?

[His home already felt like it was barely lived in before Susato started staying over. So the girls have free reign except for his room obviously. He was picking up the kettle as it started tooting when Susato speaks up first.]

Well, what sort of host would I be if I wasn't the first up and preparing the tea? [He sees she had tied her hair in a ponytail. A good look for her.] I did prepare some toast, if you like to prepare some eggs.

[He moves to start setting the table when Gina and Toby finally joins them.] Good morning, Miss Lestrade. And Toby. [He gives a bark for attention, tail wagging.] Breakfast at the moment. Afterwards, we'll be preparing a few treats for the restaurant, if you like to help out.

[ In all fairness, she will probably take a moment to do her hair in their usual loops before heading downstairs, or out anywhere. She's clearly not used to it, but at the mention of a task to be done, she sucks in a breath, and her hair automatically moves to touch and adjust her hair. It's already out of the way, but she finds herself pulling it tighter with determination as she approaches the counter, after which she hears Gina and Toby appear.

What a happy little yip. Toby will definitely need breakfast, too. ]

Good morning, Gina. Not to worry, we won't have you assisting on an empty stomach. [ Though, just to give her a heads' up: ] The treats will be the sweets for our goody bags.

[Indeed, Toby's hungry for food as well as affection!

Gina steps up to her place at the table as she looks over her two roommates. And if the toast is on the table, she'll help herself to get started.]

That sounds good to me. [She grins.] Once I get meself full o' some breakfast, I'll 'elp ya get packin' alright. Anytin' special about these treats?

[The not!sand toast is indeed on the table. He'll go ahead and pour her a cuppa since she's starting to tuck in. And a bowl of water for little Toby.]

Not really. Well, I suppose the cookies are shaped like a troublemaker. [Kazuma sounds like a mixture of annoyed and amused when he says that.] And an assortment of handmade candies with the leftover starfruits from the dream faire. You could help organize the candy or put icing on the cookies.

[ By now, Susato knows exactly how Gina likes her eggs (and Kazuma goes without saying). Seeing as how Kazuma already has the tea (and Toby) covered, Susato will just go ahead and take over the stove. For all the new-fangled technology they've been introduced to in the world, particularly in the kitchen, she moves pretty effortlessly, heating up pan and cracking the eggs with finesse.

A western-style breakfast today. She grins, speaking as she works. How hard is Kazuma judging her for the Reaper cookie idea for Halloween...? Oops. ]

I can help with the cookies once I'm done! I've gotten quite good at it. [ She can show them the tricks to make the eyes pop just right. ] Kazuma, do you have ham or bacon on hand?

[ Would a western breakfast be complete without it? Toby's ears perk up at the mention, as if the Chief Inspector can understand. ]

Shaped like me then, are they? [She jokes with a grin, before chomping into a part of the toast and continuing with her mouth full.] It's all soundin' quite tasty, mind. If I 'elp wiv the icin', do I get to lick some of it?

[She might sneak some no matter what he says. But she'll try to get permission at least! Gina offers part of her toast to Toby to nibble on, but both of them have their attention seized by the mention of ham and bacon.]

Oh, no. An actual annoying troublemaker. [Why Susato chose him when there are other, better spooky creatures during Halloween is beyond him.]

Bacon. [Table set, he's going to check on the cooking progress.]

[ He's not!dad's troublemaker, okay? Besides, she'd agree with Kazuma that he is annoying. He appears to take delight in it, in fact, but at least it keeps him from picking fights with 76, or Songerein as a whole. (Or the Ents.)

As Kazuma moves to check on her progress, she moves to the fridge to get out the aforementioned bacon, giving Gina a grin. ]

Licking off the icing that is leftover is the best part. But we may be getting ahead of ourselves.

[She smirks at Kazuma's correction, though she doesn't know the troublemaker in question. In any case, it doesn't matter to Gina as long as she gets to have some tasty cookies!

Gina's grin grows as Susato goes for the bacon. The moment the bacon's in Susato's hands, Toby starts following her around the kitchen.]

It is the most worthwhile part of it all, innit? [A delighted nod.] Yeah, yeah, one thing at a time. First we gotta stuff our faces wiv some breakfast! And then after all this cookie business is said an' done, I'll be off for some investigatin'!

[A sacrifice they must make for the safety of Reverin.] What are you off investigating today?

[He'll tend to finishing off preparing the eggs while observing Toby following after Susato.]

[ It's not even cooked yet! But Susato seems amused by her new shadow, hearing his little footsteps clicking against the kitchen floor. She rips open the packaging, pulling out a strip of bacon that she teases Toby with until Kazuma is ready for it to be added to the pan.

Soon, little guy. Soon. ]

...You still wish to find Mr Sholmes? [ Her too, man. ]

[Toby's tail wags with excitement as he awaits the destined Food!

As for Gina, she nods along firmly while fiddling with a coin in her hand.]

Course I do, Sooze. I ain't about to give up so easily. 'E musta done a good job of coverin' 'is tracks, to be gone like this. I'm sure that Sholmes is tryin' to put all me detective skills to the test! I'm even thinkin' of checkin' the old place later for any clues I coulda missed.

[Kazuma is quiet, while Gina talks about her grand plans to find the elusive detective. It does seem within the detective's nature to just disappear on a whim without a word and just pop up whenever he pleases, but he feels that's sadly not the case in this current situation.]

You haven't found his things? His journal perhaps? [He could just outright tell her, but he gets the feeling she won't think otherwise until she's uncovered the truth herself.]

[ It seems cruel to let Gina have that hope, but Susato remains quiet as well. It's definitely exactly like Mr Sholmes to disappear and reappear on a whim, but Susato knows better. ]

...I still have father's hat. [ Found Sholmes sulking in it. Definitely gonna hold onto it. ] But I haven't seen any of the notes or samples belonging to Mr Sholmes that he had me organize, from his adventures to the Wildlands.

[ ......Can't believe she's actually going to miss that. ]

[She keeps a thoughtful frown on her head and shakes her head, while moving her coin around some more.]

No. I 'aven't found a scrap o' anytin' yet. But that's to be expected, right? That Sholmes, 'e ain't about to make nuffin' easy. In fact, 'e might be carryin' that stuff wiv 'im, wherever 'e's ended up. Sholmes is thinkin' ahead. The great dee knows I'd 'ave the Chief Inspector sniff 'im out like that if any of 'is things were lyin' around!

[Gina firms nodly, having convinced herself of that for sure.]

Edited 2022-10-10 01:39 (UTC)

[Even the items he gathered here are missing? He's still doubtful, considering...his name is missing in the journal registry.]

And you've already tried contacting him through the journal? [As he sets the eggs onto the plate, he glances over to Susato with a questioning look. What should they do about this?]

[ This is like Iris and the topic of her father all over again. Distracted as she listens to Gina, Susato suddenly finds that the bacon she's pulled out has also made it into the pan at some point. After following Susato around the kitchen, Toby has now ditched her in favor of Kazuma, innocently begging on his hind legs as he works to distribute everything. ]

His page isn't there. [ Said in a voice of someone who's tried. She meets Kazuma's eyes for a moment, equally torn, but finally: ] ...Gina. I hate to say it, but this level of evasion may be beyond even him.

[Now she shrinks back in her chair as she's hit with that logic, and she folds her arms in defiance as she looks between the two of them.]

W-wot're ya sayin'?! 'Course it is. The bloke's 'Erlock Sholmes, ain't 'e? 'E pulls off all sorts o' wild things all the time! I'm sure that 'E... would find a way...

[She hasn't even used the journals much while she's still in the process of writing. But their words are still troubling. Such that Gina isn't immediately digging into her egg!]

It's all one big test! This is 'ow I prove I really am great dee material, see?

[...Yea, he isn't sure how to tell her without breaking her. Especially when she's still trying to fight back. Also sorry Toby, he's gonna have to wait on Susato. He will set aside a little bit of eggs in a small bowl for him once the bacon is ready.]

In that case, would you like us to join you? [So they're there for the inevitable, is what he's thinking.]

. . . [ Susato hesitates. Honestly, she wonders if she herself wouldn't have gone through the same denial, had her own father not left them first. Once the offer is out there, she certainly won't retract it. ]

We can make an adventure out of it. Visit all of his favorite places.

...I think he'd like that.

[Toby awaits his offering with bated breath! Or rather an excitedly panting breath!

As for Gina, she lowers her arms, feeling a bit relieved by Kazuma's offers. She's not sure about Susato talking as if he's already gone, but she does like the idea of adventure. ...And spending time with two people who are still here with her.]

...I wouldn't say no to that. Even Sholmes 'as worked wiv partners an' such, so it'll still be fair if I got some o' me own. Wiv some extra sets of minces on me side, we might be able to pick up more clues. [She smiles lightly.] An' it might be fun, too.

[Now she's ready to dig into her food!]

[A appreciative glance in Susato's direction.] Ah, be sure to save something for Fang as well.

[Poor girl is just too big to be inside now, but that doesn't mean she should be excluded from having breakfast. Once Susato has finished preparing the bacon, he'll join Gina at the table proper.]

Do you already know where we should start our investigation, detective?

Gina and Susato

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