deercountry | (closed) january catchall

...

[ It's always a little sad to see just how deep this runs. Even though, now Daniel actually has some context for it, he can kind of understand where it's coming from in the first place. It's not like he hasn't seen this on a smaller scale back home. Maybe things aren't like this with Johnny, but when he ran into one of his other rivals again who has bullied him, hurt him, even tried to kill him - he remembers seeing the guilt in Chozen's eyes, the way he still carried all of that with him years later, it still influencing the way he saw himself.

He can see a little of the man in the other here in front of him now, Daniel thinks.

It's why he doesn't push too hard. He can't suddenly change Hakkai's mind on this, and he knows it. All he can do is continue to offer gentle encouragement. ]

You know, Hakkai.. [ His voice is gentle too as he speaks. The laughter is gone, but a smile lingers around his lips, affectionate. ] It's really hard to change other people's opinions of you.

[ Yes, that's Daniel's gentle way of saying 'sorry, dude, can't change my mind'...

Even though he's kind enough to not be that direct about it. ]

Will you at least allow me to be appreciative of everything you're doing here for me? [ Not that he isn't going to be appreciative regardless.

Just saying. ]

I might have passed out on the kitchen floor if you hadn't been here.

[More silence. Before he straightens up, turning his attention back to the task he'd abandoned briefly. The soup. Something to put a physical distance. Change his focus elsewhere.]

So it is.

[And, frankly, Hakkai doesn't tend to try. Those close to him are the only opinions that matter much, if at all. He knows what he is. So do they. It's all one big status quo he doesn't see a reason to unbalance. He's not so far down that mental rabbit hole not to catch on to what Daniel is implying, though.]

[It doesn't make sense. None of it does. This is a decent man who flat out refuses to see the truth in front of him. With the others - with Gojyo, at least - the playing field was more even. None of their hands were clean. Accepting it, going forward, it made sense for all of them. Not here.]

Fortunately, I cleaned the floor yesterday - so even if you had fallen unconscious, you'd be spared accumulated dirt.

[Well... he didn't entirely mean to sidestep the question. But what else is he meant to say?]

[ There's a huff of air, close to a laugh but not quite reaching there this time - maybe because it'd feel wrong to laugh after Hakkai's reaction. It'd sure be nice if Daniel could somehow instill a sense of self worth - or better self worth, anyway - into the other guy, but he's also old enough to know it isn't something that just happens like that, let alone so easily.

So rather than pushing, Daniel just smiles at the other. Still a little weak, since his body is recovering still, but at least it definitely doesn't look like the man is about to pass out and drop from the chair anymore. ]

What would I do without you? [ He lightly jokes.

(Collapse onto a dusty floor, apparently.)

Daniel shakes his head though, and rather than lingering on that, he asks: ]

You think I could have some of that soup? [ He could probably use a bowl of it right now for his recovery.. Eating more than that sounds like a challenge still, but soup? That's always great when you're sick. ]

Likely break your nose from falling onto the floor.

[He says it as smoothly and calmly as anything else. Like he may as well be commenting on the weather for all the concern in his expression. But that's just Hakkai. If he nags like that, people are more likely to listen to him. Or, at least, the people in the little group of travelers are more likely to listen.]

[Daniel isn't anything like them - certainly nothing like Sanzo. Now that's a hilarious comparison to think about.]

Oh! Yes of course, forgive me.

[And he sweeps off, just like that. To check on said soup and make sure it's ready for human consumption. Apparently it is, because he returns after a few moments with a small bowl. Mostly broth - with a few thick strands of noodle.]

If you can manage this, we'll try more in a short while.

Thank you.

[ It's said while actually looking at Hakkai - no matter how tempting it is to get some of that soup inside of him. Sure, Daniel is also aware he probably can't eat all that much, not when it seems that the origin of the illness at the party feels like it was food-related.. but on the other hand, he's feeling so lightheaded that he knows he has to get something decent and warm like this broth inside of him, even if the energy Hakkai gave him is helping as well.

But after giving the other that thanks and a brief smile, Daniel is grabbing a spoon to jam a spoonful of the soup into his mouth. He slowly swallows it, and-- god, yeah, eating is A Lot right now, but he can feel like it's helping at the same time.

At least he has the apparent good attitude to still be able to joke about the way he had trouble swallowing the soup just now. ]

I don't think I've ever felt more like an old man than right now.

[ Please, Daniel, you're only in your 50s... And relatively youthful-looking on top of that.. ]

You're hardly what anyone would consider an 'old man'.

[Except maybe Goku... But anyone over the age of twenty looked like an old man to him.]

[At least broth shouldn't be too much. It will definitely help. And shouldn't be too strong of a taste. He'll have to make sure the other man at least lays down after this. Just to make sure there really isn't any fainting in the kitchen.]

I do hope you're planning on resting after this, regardless of age.

[Or Else.]

[ Daniel is already halfway through his second spoonful of the mostly-broth soup when Hakkai speaks up with that second part, getting him to actually glance up at Hakkai as he's swallowing the soup.

.. yeah, he can kind of hear that 'or else' in the words. Not that Daniel thinks Hakkai would ever do something bad to him - despite the memories he's seen, he still has full faith in the younger man.

But he does imagine the other will be rather insistent about this one. ]

Are you saying I should nap?

[ More like.. urgently implying Daniel should nap.. ]

I think that would be for the best.

[It's less of an implication and more of an insistence. He won't force Daniel, but the disapproving stares will intensify greatly the longer Daniel resists. It's how he's dealt with three other grown adults before.]

[There's a reason they consider him the "mom" of the group.]

Don't you?

.. I'm slowly getting the feeling my own opinion on this one doesn't matter as much here.

[ Look, he can see what Hakkai is doing, so he's allowed to quip about it a little, right?

Especially since he's not planning on putting up some big protest here. This is Daniel going along with it, and he believes it's his god-given right to at least be allowed to quip in turn. This is how he copes with the idea of having to take a nap when there's still so much work to be done...

But he's way too weak to not buckle under the pressure of disappointed stares. It's something his wife figured out a long, long time ago. ]

I suppose I can take a small nap.. But I have to get up afterwards to clean up the dojo from today's training. [ Yes, despite being sick.

H-He can handle it. Clearly. Okay. ]

How astute of you.

[Yeah, Daniel doesn't get a say. None whatsoever. The disappointed stare will only get worse from here.]

[Especially when he states his intent to get up and clean. Excuse the heck out of you sir, why do you think you have this guy around?? His warm fuzzy personality?]

[Hakkai just stares at him.]

[Slowly, the disapproval on his face begins to shift into that sharp edged smile. The kind that comes with accompanying warning sirens.]

Oh, you intend to undo all the good that resting will do for you? I see.

[ H.. HAKKAI..??

Look, is Daniel used to his wife getting on his case about certain things? Sure. Even some of his students (okay, maybe one in particular more so than the others, but still) have a tendency to nag him. It's not like Hakkai's attitude is necessarily new in that sense.

But not many would give him this sort of smile during it, that's for sure. ]

Come on. [ At least Daniel doesn't sound offended in the face of it or anything. If anything, there's something more pleading in his tone. ] You act like some cleaning is going to kill me. And I can't let you do everything.

[There are several reasons why Hakkai is the Team Mother Hen. The fact he's the cook, the laundry guy, the one who keeps them all driving along... and that Look. He doesn't usually need more than that to wrangle the others. Minus Sanzo, who typically does things himself without any sort of nagging.]

You aren't.

[That smile does not waver.]

You're delegating to someone who isn't currently suffering the effects of severe food poisoning. If it isn't cared for, it can, and has, resulted in dehydration and further systemic infection.

I'm hydrating!

[ POINTS AT SOUP. POINTS AT THE BROTH IN FRONT OF HIM.

Yes, literally pointing. Though it's not the most energetic of points, given Daniel's current state. It's not even a real protest to throw off Hakkai's argument entirely, but there's just a part of Daniel that hasn't changed with age.

The dramatic Italian-American part, that is.

But even though he wanted to prove that point, it's followed up by a sigh rather than further protests. ]

Are you sure you want to do this? The kids made a real mess today.

[ And Daniel is nice enough that he does feel guilty leaving chores entirely up to someone else - even when Hakkai has already proven to usually truly not mind them. ]

Have you finished it? As well as the tea?

[Asked so pleasantly and mildly, there's... probably, definitely, suspicion or some other sort of accusation under there. Did you really - or even doubting Daniel actually did.]

[Hakkai's resting bitch face is clearly that bland smile of his.]

I sincerely doubt it's anything I haven't dealt with before. Besides - wouldn't you rather have it done properly the first time? When people are ill, they don't tend to complete their tasks as fully as they'd like to.

[ :) :) daniel let him do this :) :) ]

[ H-He's still working on it, okay! Daniel can't believe he's getting bullied by someone half his age here.. Look, he's already - demonstrably, thanks - putting another spoonful of the broth into his mouth.

He can't eat and talk at the same time, after all. And the problem is that Daniel always talks.

A lot. ]

.. there's seriously nothing I could ever say to convince you, huh.

Ah! You've figured it out. I knew you had it in you.

[And yes. That comes out exactly how it sounds. Complete with Hakkai's trademark blank smile.]

[Sorry, Daniel. This is the guy you've allowed to help out around the dojo.]

[ If Daniel had a nickel for every overprotective assassin that did this to him... ]

Alright, alright.

[ He doesn't necessarily sound happy about it, but not terribly upset either. At worst there's a hint of almost childish reluctance in the way he says it. ]

I'll finish this bowl up, and then head to bed. I don't have the energy to argue over this. [ Especially with Hakkai.. An unmovable wall.. ] Hopefully I'll feel better after some sleep.

What a well-thought out plan!

[Like he wasn't the one forcing it onto Daniel.]

I'll be here, finishing up, if you need any other assistance. And then move on to the rest of the duties.

[And just like that, he's cleaning up the cooking debris he's left. Washing up. Putting things away. Good grief it's like he lives here or something.]

[ .. truly. At this rate Hakkai almost knows where all the stuff in here is better than Daniel - something even Daniel himself thinks as he's sitting there and obediently finishing up his broth, watching Hakkai go at it like these chores are nothing to him.

It's not really an uncomfortable silence. If anything, Daniel kind of enjoys the sounds of someone else being present, doing their own thing. It's much better than when it's just him and his Omen in here, the house painfully silent.

Once he's done with his foot a few moments later, he slowly stands up, making sure to not overexert his body into another fainting spell right away. It seems that Hakkai's healing is holding up for now though, leaving Daniel mostly tired, but thankfully not quite as dizzy as he starts to make his way over to the door leading out of the kitchen.

He doesn't leave right away though. A hand latches onto the doorpost, just in case his head does get light again, and turns to look at the other. ]

Hakkai.

[ Daniel says his name first, then waits a moment to get the other's attention. ]

.. thanks for the help. [ Sure, it was.. kind of pushy help, but it's help all the same, and Daniel never ignores kindness. No matter the form it comes in. ] Not just with the chores, but for healing me too.

[ It feels like a strange word to use, considering the very normal world Daniel comes from, but what else is one supposed to call what Hakkai did earlier? ]

[At some point, Jeep has decided he's done with Hakkai's shoulders, and wanders over to inspect what Daniel is doing. He's very well behaved for a dragon (unlike some dragon Omens) and just curls up to observe. It's more comfortable on the counter than being moved around every time his person has to put a dish away.]

[... Said person who is totally not observing whether or not Daniel needs assistance standing up. Fortunately, it looks like his aid won't be necessary, so he returns to finishing up.]

[He pauses.]

[It's so very different from home. The question of whether or not his help led to some kind of domestication. Where it had driven Gojyo out for a short while. The thanks, afterward, had almost always been unspoken. Understood. He glances over his shoulder, expression neutral as possible.]

Of course. Do let me know if you require anything more.

(closed) january catchall

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