Ryslig | IC Network Contact

[hantale]

WELCOME TO YOUR PRIVATE CHANNEL, BAISEAL-LEAF. FOR SECURE COMMUNICATION, USE 015.43.187.59 *** BAISEAL-LEAF has joined 018.07.154.55 <BAISEAL-LEAF>> I think it's working... Test? <BAISEAL-LEAF> Yup, looks like it. <BAISEAL-LEAF> Hello, and welcome!

Comments

[hantale]

I can do Saturday! You know the way by now, just let me know when you're close.

[justbeingknife]

[ So come Saturday, he'd drop by with a bag of snacks in one hand, with a new knitted scarf and a pair of gloves along with his usual winter wear. The scarf had... little knitted ears on it, which Majima could stick his actual wolf ears into.

Cute.... ]

Fran, ya didn't doze off early, did ya?

[hantale]

[ Adorable. ]

On my way!

[ And, sure enough, eventually the kelpie was out to greet him and let him into the barrier. Inconvenient, but at least it was safe. They wave him over with a warm smile. ]

You'd have to show up pretty late to catch me asleep~

[justbeingknife]

Oh? Whenabouts do ya turn in?

[ Owing to his werewolfitude, Majima basically partied all night long. No one call him at sunup, though. ]

By the way, I got somethin' other than pastries this time. See, I've been convincin' this one fella to invest in some greenhouse growing.

[hantale]

I used to be up most of the night, honestly... Now I tend to sleep a bit before the sun rises, just because most of my plans are during the day.

[ As much as they'd love to be fully nocturnal anyway. Stores, work, and other things generally require daytime hours. Or at least being conscious in the evenings.

Fran blinks, nodding slowly as their brow perks in curiosity. ]

I see- What have they been growing?

[justbeingknife]

Fruits.

[ Majima still enjoyed fruits and vegetables and all that, it was just that... well, since becoming a werewolf, his interest in meat had grown considerably. But the melon he took out of the bag looked quite lovely, with a beautiful netted pattern over its green skin. ]

Ain't quite the same as in Japan, but I've tried one of these melons before, and they're real sweet. Wanna cut one open and see?

[hantale]

Oh-

[ Fran turns, gesturing for him to follow along as they made their way back towards the treehouse. In the middle of winter, there was little growth in the kelpie's gardens, by comparison, only a few winter berries and hard vegetables.
]

It looks lovely, at least! Did you want to save it for after dinner then?

[ It's a good thing he's fine with veggies, since that's all Fran cooks. ]

[justbeingknife]

Sure. What's the plan?

[ He'd just follow right along with Fran. ]

And what kinda stuff do ya grow? Usually, I mean.

[hantale]

I was thinking of a stew! Nice and warm, hearty.

[ And one of the few things Fran's actually good at cooking. ]

I grow berries, mostly! And hearty vegetables like carrots, potatoes, onions, and cabbage. They seem to do well in Ryslig, and don't need too much care.

Oh-! And pumpkin!

[justbeingknife]

Oh yeah? That does sound like all the basics. Uh, except for maybe the pumpkin? I dunno, didn't see a lot of those in Japan.

[ Once they got inside, Majima would look for the fridge to put the melon in. ]

Anythin' I can help with?

[hantale]

They're pretty sturdy plants, once they're ripened! Though you have to preserve them afterward, I've found.

[ Fran slipped out of their shoes, heading over to the kitchen and washing their hands after pointing out the fridge. ]

You could cut the pumpkin for me! It's pretty tough. Into bite-size cubes should be fine.

[ Meanwhile, they're getting started on the carrots and potatoes. ]

[justbeingknife]

[ With the melon stowed, Majima located one of the kitchen knives and a cutting board. ]

This's my first time eatin' the actual thing.

[ Pumpkin spice lattes probably hadn't been invented yet. ]

Anyway, uh. You were curious about the guys from my memory, right? The guy with the gun was my old boss. Sagawa.

[hantale]

In for a treat then! Pumpkin is quite sweet when it's cooked, it turns out~

[ One smallish butternut pumkin is slid his way, still easily more than enough for both of them. Fran pulls out some potatoes and carrots, working on those instead. ]

Mmh- I don't quite remember the details anymore. But I take it you didn't like him very much?

[justbeingknife]

That's putting it mildly. I hated the guy.

[ Majima washed the pumpkin, then set to work removing the stem and beginning to reduce it into smaller, more bite-sized pieces. Chop chop. ]

Never shut up. Practically made it his life's mission to jerk my chain, and he was a master at it. I'll give him one thing, though -- he was stubborn as a goddamn mule.

[ Was that... a compliment... ]

[hantale]

[ While the kelpie works away with a peeler, their eyes stay on the vegetables, but those long ears almost seem to twitch when he speaks. ]

Is that... A good thing? [ Really, complement might be a bit generous Majima. ] I assume some circumstance kept you two near each other for a while?

[justbeingknife]

That's right.

Story was, if I toed the line, he'd help get me back into the business. I could pay my brother back.

[ He made surprisingly neat work of the pumpkin, chopping it into even squares. What knifework! ]

You know anything about racketeering?

[hantale]

[ For a moment their eyebrow raises, not having heard that phrase before. Toe the line? It seems intuitive enough. Once all the vegetables were peeled, they began chopping, carefully at first, but not bothering to make the sections too neat. Approximations of bite-sized chunks to contrast Majima's neat squares. ]

Not really... I don't think it's really come up to me before.
What did you owe your brother?

[justbeingknife]

Everything.

[ He cleaned off the blade of the knife, looking for something else to do with his hands. Well, that wasn't all that helpful. ]

I was supposed to back him up on a job, but I got called off at the last second. I never did get to find out exactly what went down, but he ended up facin' off eighteen guys all on his own.

So now he's in prison, and I'm here. In a whole-ass new dimension.

[ Majima gave Fran a wry smile. ]

Sorry, uh. Seems like I should start at the beginning, but I ain't even sure where that is. There anything else I can... chop?

[hantale]

[ Fran dips back, checking beneath the counter for something else Majima can.... chop.

Half a celery is placed before him, the other half presumably already used for some other meal. ]

Fine slices for that, if you can!

[ In the meantime, they can get a smaller stock pot out and start working on the actual veggie stew. Very basic food, but it's hearty and tasty. ]

I think I see what you mean. So you worked for this man to try and make up for not helping your brother?

[ Part of them doesn't quite get it, and that's clear in their tone. But they want to. There's a lot to cover.]

[justbeingknife]

[ Of course. Fran's world was pretty different from 1980's Japan. ]

Yeah. Alright, let's back this all the way up.

[ Celery was oddly comforting to slice -- concrete, crisp. The dip of the knife worked away at the stalk. ]

They got the mob where you're from? Mafia?

[hantale]

Right-

[ Their head bobs, sprinkling some salt into the pot and then leaning back to face Majima. Most of the prep-work is done, stew is a good slow meal. ]

Mafia? [ Doesn't sound like it. ] I'm not sure... I only really learned about their cities from travelers.

[ It's going to be a long story, at this rate. Good thing they have all night, right?]

[justbeingknife]

[ Good, indeed. Although even if Fran only got the broad strokes, he figured that'd be more than enough. After all, what use was all this information now that they were stuck in Ryslig? ]

Alright. It's a type of criminal organization.

In theory, a local organized mob's better to have around than a bunch of loose cannons, or criminals imported from somewhere else. Because they have roots in the community, a stake. Of course, the police don't see it that way -- they still commit crimes.

Anyway, I was part of my hometown's mafia. Debt collection, protecting territory, that kinda thing.

[ The stew sure did smell nice. ]

[hantale]

Right-... Better the criminals you know than the ones you don't?

[ It made sense maybe? Fran wasn't incredibly familiar with how cities and towns tended to work with stuff like that. There's a few things that confuse them though, and it shows in the odd look he gets. ]

Not to interrupt but... Aren't those all things you could do legally?

[ It'll smell even better when Fran puts the rest of the aromatics in. The celery, onion, and carrots, prompting a light sizzle followed by the stock and spices. ]

[justbeingknife]

Okay, but we did it illegally. Y'know, by beating people up if they took out a bunch of cash and didn't pay up up.

[ Look Fran, stop telling him he didn't do crimes! He did!! Big crimes!! ]

I was good with my fists, so I fit right in. At least until orders came down for my brother and I to pull off a hit. We were supposed to kill a big crime guy from a different family.

[hantale]

Ah, I see...

[ It's kind of clear they don't, not fully at least. But they get enough to move on. ]

So, you were part of this organized crime group? And they asked you to do something very difficult?