Goro was exhausted. Asphodel might be able to work miracles, but for some reason their powers did not extend quite that far. His head still pounded even with the wound reduced to scarring, and he felt as though he hadn’t rested since before the… incident.
Chamomile Blue still didn’t feel like home, but it had to be better than another night in the hospital. At least he’d managed to procure a bandage from a nurse to hide the scars creeping along his hairline; until he could figure out how else to cover them up, he didn’t want to have to answer any awkward questions.
After all–to anyone with the required knowledge, they were clearly from a wound that should have been fatal. As long as they were covered, he could still downplay the nature of the injury.
However, when he opened the door to the condo, he was met with an explosion of tinsel and holiday decorations, and he felt his headache progress into the beginnings of a migraine. Then, the tower of tinsel on a chair moved, and he realized that was actually the one of his roommates he hadn’t managed to meet yet.
He was so, so tired, and yet he managed a weak smile rather than the scowl he’d much rather wear. First impressions, he reminded himself as he opened his mouth, willing himself not to say anything dangerous. “I see you’ve taken it upon yourself to decorate the condo. However, I do believe the tinsel is supposed to go around the room, not on your person.” The quip was weak. His voice was obviously tired. But it was all he could muster right now; at least his injury was an adequate excuse for his lack of enthusiasm.
✎ — Another day, another round of investigating that had ultimately led him no closer to uncovering the answers to the many mysteries that this city held. Even so, he wouldn’t give up. Whilst the constant lack of results may be disappointing, he had to find a way back to the others that needed him in his own world. With that in mind, sounding like a broken record by this point, he continued journeying back to Chamomile Blue.
Preoccupied with many thoughts regarding his old living situation and his new one, he almost didn’t notice the other standing in the doorway to the condo. Thankfully he did, upon snapping back to reality and realising that the door wasn’t usually open like this. Stopping in his tracks, Shuichi glanced up at his roommate who appeared to be standing there and staring at something inside the room. Before anything else though, he couldn’t help but notice a bandage wrapped around Goro’s head. Had something happened? It could just be a minor injury, but it immediately sparked a surge of anxiety in him.
“A-Akechi-kun, is that a bandage? Are you o-” Eyes glancing past the other detective to see why he was stood here, his words of concern trailed off as he took in the sight before him. It was… certainly a sight.
Although he couldn’t see everything from where he stood, it was evident that the condo had undergone some… drastic revamping. Christmas decorations were seemingly scattered everywhere, and then came the moving bundle of tinsel.
“Um… hello… Tinsel-kun?” Honestly, he wouldn’t be surprised if there actually was some sort of tinsel creature in this city. Obviously, that wasn’t the case, and this was most likely a roommate that he hadn’t met yet, but the fact that he’d be willing to accept that said a lot in itself.
Alright, this was fine. He could absolutely handle this situation.
He tells himself that as he inwardly panics. Kaito hadn’t actually gotten to genuinely meeting his roommates yet, with everyone having their own things to do, and this isn’t really the first impression he wanted to make but it sure was the one he got. Oh geez, what if he’s gone and already made someone angry? It doesn’t seem like it, but he could be wrong, or wrong about being wrong! Well. This was something.
“I-It wasn’t... exactly supposed to wind up all on me like this, but it kind of just...”
He trails off upon seeing someone else moving and hearing a second voice--oh no. Having one roommate walk in on this mess was bad enough, now they’re both here, and Kaito inwardly screams to himself about the fact. Maybe it makes it easier to just explain once and that’s it, but he hadn’t even had the time to decently form an explanation! He sure had to now, and... hey, hold on a second.
“’Tinsel-kun...?’ H-Hey, hold on a second, I’m not actually--” The android finally snaps out of his state of panic, moving around so he can pull the tinsel off of at least his head enough to not make it seem like he’s some giant sentient ball of tinsel. Because apparently that’s what he came off as. “I’m not just a ball of tinsel, honestly! I mean I looked like it, but...”
He purses his lips for a minute, thinking to himself, and then he takes note of what the second roommate said before, and--oh that is a bandage. Kaito wants to ask too, but at the same time he feels like asking anything now would be just look like he’s trying to dodge the subject at hand, and that’d probably not be a good idea. He’ll work with words tactfully! Probably.
“I, uh... I did decide to try and decorate, though, and I guess I just got wrapped up in this.” He lifts his arms, moving the tinsel with him as an incredibly sheepish laugh comes out. This is so awkward. “And, um... I’m definitely not Tinsel-kun! I’m Kaito. I-It’s... nice to get to meet you guys...?”
It would’ve been nicer if it were significantly less awkward, but hey.