✧ ex-gang

[reignitions]

[There's one thing Shio can say about his life now and that it's, for the most part, quiet.

Disbanding BLAZE was not the easiest decision (no matter how it felt at the time, grief is a bitch, etc), but... well, in hindsight, it's one he's glad he made now. Gen is moderately successful and that's good enough for him. Nobody causes trouble in this quiet little out-of-the-way noodle shop.

Even if that is partially by design.

He should be expecting one of his regulars in about three, two, one...]

Comments

[reignitions]

Still, it means a lot.

[Kuni's seen how tired Shio usually is after work.]

[threebetrayals]

[He shrugs.]

Give me your aprons tomorrow, too. They need hemming.

[reignitions]

Alright. I'll gather those up after breakfast tomorrow.

[threebetrayals]

Good.

[And dinner! He's still learning Shio's kitchen, so it's just a simple chicken and rice dish. He'll get more experimental once he finds the air fryer.]

Guess what I saw from the window.

[reignitions]

[Honestly, Shio's not going to object to simple. It's nice.]

What'd you see?

[threebetrayals]

Ryouta asking Jun on a date. While on a date.

[reignitions]

[A snort.]

Well, Ryouta's getting there, at least.

[threebetrayals]

I almost wish he wouldn't. This is far more entertaining than if he got his act together.

[reignitions]

[Shio snickers.]

You're not wrong.

[Oh, yeah--]

I swung by the curiosities shop earlier--or, well, tried to. The dragonblood's closed up for the week. I think we know who the IPC's going to be sending.

[threebetrayals]

Oh, fun. We get to watch the peacock swan around in his mating dance.

[reignitions]

At least it means we'll get extra entertainment for the week.

[threebetrayals]

Especially if he brings the doctor. I almost want to set up with a chair and tea and gossip like the aunties at my old apartment.

[reignitions]

I really hope he brings the doctor.

[He's grinning.]

If they end up swinging by Gen, I'll keep you updated.

[threebetrayals]

Do we want to bet on any proposals?

[reignitions]

[He pauses in his eating at that, looking thoughtful.]

Three different restaurants, with the gambler or the dragonblood doing the proposing, I think. Unless the doctor somehow beats one of them to it, but I don't expect him to.

[threebetrayals]

One restaurant, and the doctor does it because he knows the other two are thinking about it and he doesn't have time for them to fuck around.

[reignitions]

... Yeah, I could see that. [Heh.] Cut the gambler at least off from making a big show of it off at the pass.

[threebetrayals]

And he would, too. Were you around when he had that big fucking to-do fighting the trash can idiot and their friends?

[reignitions]

I don't think so--or if I was, I was busy on XRC business.

[threebetrayals]

[So Kuni explains that whole thing over dinner.]

This is also when we all learned that the gambler is an Avgin faeblood, by the way.

[reignitions]

[Long pause.]

... Faeblood explains a lot.

[threebetrayals]

Right? Anyone with truesight can see the peacock patterns on his wings, too.

[reignitions]

That whole thing sounds like such a mess-- didn't something connected to that whole situation blow up basically immediately after, too? I remember Kurusu bitching.

[threebetrayals]

Sunday and Maruki, yeah. I was on Fatui clean up for that mess.

[reignitions]

That bad, huh? Kurusu was livid for a good while after.