Fifth Pattern ; voice

[hikaruorkaoru]

People come every month, right? That's what I'm getting from this place.

[Hikaru's been very, very quiet lately. Holed up alone in his apartment, working on designs and sewing new clothes with his lovely friend -- a sewing machine.

But it's nearly that time again, so... he's gotten a little restless.]

Could everyone keep an eye out for Hitachiin Kaoru for me? I know he's coming. ["He wouldn't make me spend Christmas alone."] I'm just worried, you know? That he'll end up somewhere remote. So, just keep a lookout, okay?

Anyway.

Someone told me that you guys have a pretty major Christmas party here, so I'm totally taking commissions for clothes.

No set price. Tell me what you want, and we can negotiate what I want in return.

Comments

[Video--Locked] oh god we're both too easygoing

[complicatedliar]

I wouldn't trust that Santa fellow anyway. No one gives away that much for no gain.

You make an event of giving alms? Curious.

Really, it just means gift giving here becomes more a matter of making things. Which I've seen go amusingly wrong.

[Video--Locked] haha, the downfalls of being easy to please

[hikaruorkaoru]

My family and a lot of the people we associate with have a lot of money. "Disgustingly wealthy" is a phrase I've heard before. [And he says it with a kind of amusement. He sees nothing wrong with being absolutely rich.]

So, especially during Christmas time, we give back to the community. Help out the less fortunate, things like that. It's really good PR for businesses, too, and Kaoru and I always get roped into helping out or attending.

[Video--Locked]

[complicatedliar]

Hmmm, interesting. The Allfather regularly employed alms givers. Well, and his version of helping those less fortunate is policing the other realms, whether they thank him for it or no.

[Though he wonders if this kind of scheme could help him worm his way further into the good graces of the sickeningly nice people here.]

Children do have a way of melting even the hardest hearts.

[Video--Locked]

[hikaruorkaoru]

People will shell out big time for kids' charities, definitely.

Re: [Video--Locked]

[complicatedliar]

[Dryly:] Or do so because children ask it of them.

[Video--Locked]

[hikaruorkaoru]

...Depends on the kids.

Re: [Video--Locked]

[complicatedliar]

True. One does not listen to brats.

[Video--Locked]

[hikaruorkaoru]

Sometimes they do. Brats just need to give good incentive.

Though even that doesn't always work.

Re: [Video--Locked]

[complicatedliar]

Or pretend to not be brats, more like.

[Video--Locked]

[hikaruorkaoru]

Yeah, but that's no fun.

Re: [Video--Locked]

[complicatedliar]

I'd argue there's little more fun than pulling the wool over the eyes of idiots.

[Video--Locked]

[hikaruorkaoru]

I was a very honest child.

[And a holy terror.]

Re: [Video--Locked]

[complicatedliar]

Oh, I see. Kept up with the habit since?

[Loki was... not. At all. Though he was actually quite a sweet child.]

[Video--Locked]

[hikaruorkaoru]

Nah. We learned how to lie.

[Not really until they were almost in high school, thinking about it like that. But they had learned.]

Re: [Video--Locked]

[complicatedliar]

How shocking. Whatever would have necessitated that?

[Video--Locked]

[hikaruorkaoru]

[A pause. He actually has to think about it.]

Wanting to make friends.

Re: [Video--Locked]

[complicatedliar]

[Oh. Ow. Interesting, though.]

What sort of lies were you using, to accomplish that?

[Video--Locked]

[hikaruorkaoru]

That we wanted friends. That they mattered. That they were more than toys. That we cared about anyone but ourselves and each other.

[He doesn't mind admitting it. After all, this isn't a friend. This isn't someone he wants to like him. This is someone who he has a professional relationship with. Not someone important.]

Re: [Video--Locked]

[complicatedliar]

Why bother making friends if you didn't actually want them? They're rather inconvenient.

[Video--Locked]

[hikaruorkaoru]

Because it was something new. We hadn't done it before.

[Way more complicated than that. But he's not getting into that.]

Re: [Video--Locked]

[complicatedliar]

Ah. Just trying it on for size. Did you find it to your liking?

[Video--Locked]

[hikaruorkaoru]

...It's okay. Still just us when it comes down to it, though.

Re: [Video--Locked]

[complicatedliar]

Except for here, thus far.

Shall you try to use those tricks in this place?

[Video--Locked]

[hikaruorkaoru]

Probably not.

Re: [Video--Locked]

[complicatedliar]

Not going to bother with the friend nonsense then?

Though people here tend to fall over themselves to make friends.