accidental video post :: for a smile they can share the night ...

[turn_a_blindeye]

[The interior of Kakashi's apartment. The PCD is on the floor, and shows Kakashi standing by a wall, his back to the PCD. He finishes hanging a photograph. The wall is full of photos of people who have been here--some still here, some not. Many of the photos are ones taken by Maes at various events.]

[Kakashi turns to get another frame from the nearby table, and stops, noticing the PCD is on. He picks it up, turning it to look at the wall of images. Some are still hung up with tape, or a pin through their top. Others are framed.]

Being here a while, I've seen a lot of these faces come and go and come again...

[Pan over. A sigh. There's a picture of a whole Team Seven, minus Kakashi.]

Hm. I should get one of your whole team, too, Gai.

[Pause. With amusement.] Speaking of, maybe your household is inappropriately named by now, huh? The House of Youth, or House of Gai might be more appropriate.

And Anko's household could be the House of Girls?


[[ooc: Someone's mun has been tweaking the map again.]]

Comments

[Offline]

[brig-gen-maes.livejournal.com]

Oh really? You think I need you to go easy, then? [He's teasing right back.]

Oh. Kimono. Thanks. And yes, Havoc is. It's... a little on the amusing side, seeing as he can't get a girlfriend back home. Roy steals them. There's Urahara too. He might think it amusing, and he's one to watch.

[Maes shakes his head.]

Let's not get killed over a calendar, please. I've also got a feeling that's not the most accurate title for Saul right now, which makes him all the more volatile and dangerous.

Let's see. There's the wizard, slightly grumpy, pretty quiet. Snape. I don't know that he'd be open to it, though. How about Hawke? He goes mostly naked all the time already. So now you've got nine of eleven if Snape goes for it.

[Offline]

[turn-a-blindeye.livejournal.com]

Mm hm. I don't want to tire you out too quickly. I have a whole bag of tricks you haven't seen yet.

But now that Roy has a girlfriend of his own, Havoc's got better chances. ...Urahara, yeah. That might be a way to get in good with him, too.

[Kakashi shrugs]

Nothing ventured, nothing gained. But yeah... I think he would break the camera at the very least, so we can't risk including him.

Somehow, even if Snape were less grumpy, he strikes me as the type who wouldn't be seen in a state of undress if his life depended on it. [A pause and genuine amusement.] ...How did I forget our resident nudist?

...and we could go for the perverts: Jiraiya-sama and Gojyo...again, with the ladies excuse. That still leaves one left, though, since I doubt Snape would say yes.

[Thinking.]

Mm. ...how old do you think that kid is who plays with the puppets? [That would make an interesting gimmick for a calendar page, to feature the guy playing with his puppets.]

[Offline]

[brig-gen-maes.livejournal.com]

Well then. We should make sure we enjoy all of your tricks.

[Maes chuckles.] Break us, break the camera, break my little house... Let's not anger Saul when it won't help anyone.

Oh, right! So those are good.

[He considers, glancing down at his book.] He's an adult. He makes a lot of jokes about things that are adult material. But he strikes me as very shy. I'm not sure there.

What about Ryuubi?

[Offline]

[turn-a-blindeye.livejournal.com]

...Yeah.

[A chuckle.] Your poor house. For it's sake, yeah, we'll behave.
.
[He nods about Gong-gil. The kid did seem shy...] I don't think I know much about Ryuubi, honestly.

[Offline]

[brig-gen-maes.livejournal.com]

[His teasing back hadn't gone as well as planned. It wouldn't surprise Maes to know that his touch was off. Oh well. He'd work on it.]

Ryuubi's a good man, I think. I've talked to him a few times and he seems a solid sort. I don't know if he'd pose for you. But he might be amused by the thought of it.

Wait. [He looked at Kakashi.] This is an awful lot of work, and I'm not even sure how things become calendars. I can print pictures, sure, but I can't produce dates.

[Offline]

[turn-a-blindeye.livejournal.com]

[Maes is just not a tease. He's still very much taken. But he was fun to play with that way up to a point.]

Maybe I should just put out an open casting-call for it, see what turns up? I'll ask specifically for certain people, but if I get more than necessary, extra never hurt.

[Kakashi blinked, then relaxed into a smile. He waved a hand, dismissing the concern.] Don't worry. I'll figure out something, even if I have to make it by hand for myself. If I want something badly enough, a little thing like your inability to date isn't going to stop me. [A playful twinkle in his eye.]

[Offline]

[brig-gen-maes.livejournal.com]

That works. But if you don't get your full eleven, well.

[With a chuckle, Maes shook his head.] I should know you'd find a way. You're a ninja, after all. You have to be resourceful. You'll make me December, right? That's my birthmonth.

[Offline]

[turn-a-blindeye.livejournal.com]

I'll get them. Trust me. You're not getting off that easily.

If you want December, it's all yours. January can be Gai, and I'll figure out the rest as I go. ...I think it'll be a good calendar. [In fact, he was very pleased with the idea of it. Now as long as he can get it together...]

[Offline]

[brig-gen-maes.livejournal.com]

Now now, Kakashi. Don't go getting too confident. People could still say no.

Oh good. And by then who knows, you might be stuck with August open for several months. You don't need little old me. Well. [Maes looked down at his stomach. He'd been working on it, but still.] Big old me. Speaking of! When are you going to have some time free? I know there's a lot going on, so no rush.

[Offline]

[turn-a-blindeye.livejournal.com]

You would like to think that. I have some things to bargain with.

[And someone could disappear before Kakashi got a photo of him. ...did he really want to try this after all? It wasn't so much that a month could be left open, but that a person could be gone.]

Well, I could zoom out to accommodate you on the page... [He shrugged. Naruto was gone. His team was still...around. There was the calendar, challenges (maybe)...but the apartment was done. He wasn't sure yet what to do with Obito. His other ninja allies had their own things going on. Maes pretty much could have all his time, if he wanted it.] But I'm free whenever. Not enough for you to distract me from this project, but ...I'm free.

[Offline]

[brig-gen-maes.livejournal.com]

Oh do you now?

[Maes gave Kakashi a half-hearted glare.] You're supposed to say that I'm not in that bad of shape, and I'll fit on a page. [With a happy nod, Maes set the book down and got up.] I'm glad to hear it. Can I get you anything, while you're here, though? We haven't sat down and chatted in... a while.

[Offline]

[turn-a-blindeye.livejournal.com]

Mm hm. I do. [A smile. Not telling anything.]

But I wouldn't lie~ [An attempt to look innocent, really.] You are a little soft around the middle. Even when we start getting you in shape, I'll have to make sure someone keeps you a little pudgy. Wouldn't want you to lose your charm.

'Get me anything'? Hmm. Maes, one has to wonder if you're just trying to get me out of my mask, talking like that. [A pause.] I'll just take a glass of water.

[It has been a while.] Anything in particular you want to chat about? I can't say my life has been especially interesting lately. [Other than the whole Naruto-Kyuubi thing...]

[Offline]

[brig-gen-maes.livejournal.com]

[Maes gives Kakashi an equally innocent smile.] I have my resources too. [Not like he'd block the calendar. Everyone deserved their fun when it didn't hurt anyone else.]

Oh, well thanks. I'm glad I have a charming tummy. That's what I've always hoped to have.

[Maes winks.] You know me. Scheming. Water it will be. [Maes quickly leaves the room and brings back a glass of water for Kakashi as well as a glass of fruit juice for himself.]

How's the moving going? Pup's settling in, roof's not collapsing? No leaks that you need help with?

[Offline]

[turn-a-blindeye.livejournal.com]

But your resources also like me.

It's something to strive for, in your line of work, I'm sure.

[Kakashi leans against the wall and waits, not much for sitting down. He accepts the glass when Maes returns.]

It's going alright. Shiori's fine with it. The cats are into everything, as usual. The roof holds up well enough for now and anything more with it might wait until summer.

[He sighs.] After all this time, it's odd to live in my own house again, without five other people just down the hall. ...And I still don't know what to do with Obito. Other than that, the move is going brilliantly. It's a place to live.

[Offline]

[brig-gen-maes.livejournal.com]

They like me more! Sometimes! When I'm not teasing them. Or when you are! [Maes grins.]

It's a cushy line of work. I get a soft chair and a big desk and a secretary. So of course I would get a belly. [Maes sits back down on the couch, not bothered by Kakashi not taking a seat.]

Good. I'm glad to hear it. I've never lived on my own, you know that? Aside from the times that Roy left here. It was cheaper to live in the military dorms than in an apartment until I was getting married and needed a place.

[Offline]

[turn-a-blindeye.livejournal.com]

[Kakashi chuckles]

Mm. Makes me wonder what kind of pudge your Colonel is hiding under his clothes.

[He's somewhat surprised by that, but then again.] Cheaper, and you like people. Your line of work demands that you like to be around them and listen to them.

I can only imagine the kinds of antics you saw while living there, if your military men are anything like our chuunin and jounin. I hope your walls were thick. [And he didn't just mean because of loud sex. Ninja, at least, liked their drink, and their fights, and pranks... The apartments were interesting sometimes, if you cared about those things.]

I have an apartment back home. But people come and go enough for missions that it's not like we all congregate for dinner, or something. It was nothing like most of the houses here, where everyone's into everyone's business.

[Offline]

[brig-gen-maes.livejournal.com]

Roy? Oh, no. He's on the front lines. And he's one of the freaks. [Maes snickered. It was fun calling the alchemists that and getting reactions.] But the alchemists don't sit back doing deskwork. They're in the hot areas. That's part of why I never studied it. Too often they have to deal with civilian targets.

Well. That, and I found Gracia fairly early on. I wasn't in the dorms too long after graduation. And the military dorms were strict. If you weren't an officer or belonging to an important family, you knew your place and stuck to it.

I like the meddling. I do like other people. People are... potential.

[Offline]

[turn-a-blindeye.livejournal.com]

[There's a moment in which a frown flashes over Kakashi's face, until he remembers freaks=alchemists. It has nothing to do with being a front-line soldier. He nods, expression returning to the pleasant neutral.] Yeah. You're really not suited to that kind of work. There's really no honor in most of their tasks, and you'd probably use your alchemy to develop pictures, or something. A noble calling, I'm sure, but not terribly useful to the military.

Ah. Gracia stole you from them. I see. She's a cruel woman.

Potential? You make people sound like an alchemic reaction or something.

[Offline]

[brig-gen-maes.livejournal.com]

[He sees the frown, and can't recall if he's teased Roy in front of Kakashi before. Maybe he should clarify.] The Alchemists are the freaks. I call Roy that all of the time. And then he tries to set me on fire. We have a very healthy friendship.

[Life just wasn't as much fun without your best friend trying to set your shoes aflame. Really. Somehow.] If I trusted my government and the people higher up in it, then maybe I would have been fine with going out to the front lines. But I've seen too many reports of slaughters. Plus... Let's face it. I may be excellent with knives, but my mind is far better than my combat capabilities.

The perfect woman. [Maes' voice is soft. Then he shakes his head, getting the lighthearted tone back.] I mean that people can be good or bad, depending on their choices. And I like people. I like talking to them, encouraging them, building them up, and maybe helping them look at life a little differently.

[Offline]

[turn-a-blindeye.livejournal.com]

[Kakashi nods, no hard feelings, just a slight misunderstanding, and then smiles.] Sounds about as healthy and loving as any friendship.

[Maes, you masochist. Then again, Kakashi can appreciate that about you. It takes a real character to put up with someone as grumpy as the Colonel...] Understandable. Maybe we should get you a nice desk and a cute secretary for here.

[What would it be like to feel that about someone? And have the luxury to enjoy that feeling for at least a little while, as Maes had? That's a curiosity and feeling Kakashi brushes aside. ]

Essentially, then, they are undergoing a bit of Maes-style Alchemy. You're finding out what makes them tick, and maybe helping to rework their components into something better. Always plotting, Maes-kun.

[Offline]

[brig-gen-maes.livejournal.com]

Oh good. I like having healthy relationships. [The nod and the smile tell him he's been clear, which is good.]

[It might just take a real character to put up with Maes too, but Maes isn't going to speculate on that.] I certainly wouldn't object! Though I have a feeling no one could be better than my secretary at home. She had photographic memory. All she had to do was read a book once, and then she would know it. She was underpaid, I tell you. [He pauses.] I need to make sure she got out all right. I ordered her home and fired her just before running into the trap. I didn't want it to backfire on her...

[Maes tilts his head before shrugging.] That's one way to look at it. Maes-style Alchemy. I like it. I should get a pocket watch of my own. You're always plotting too, Kakashi.

[Offline]

[turn-a-blindeye.livejournal.com]

[Probably. Or at least a little patience and a love of photography.] A photographic memory, hm? Yeah, it would be hard to top that in an aide. ...I'm sure she did. If she was as good as you say she was, undoubtedly she knew something was up. You don't strike me as the kind of boss to fire on a whim, after all.

Me? I'm innocent. [Smile] What are the pocket watches for? Edward had one, I seem to recall, but I never did catch what it was for. Is it just a badge?

[Offline]

[brig-gen-maes.livejournal.com]

Szcieska... [How to put this correctly?] She was a very sweet girl, very handy with the memory, but she was also very naive. I'm not sure she would know what was happening. She might have actually thought I was upset with her. I also wouldn't put it past her to blame herself for some imagined fault. She was fragile. But I didn't have a choice. I wanted her out of harm's way.

[Maes snorts.] You're as innocent as me. Those? They amplify alchemic reactions. All State Alchemists have them. Useful badges of office, those.

[Offline]

[turn-a-blindeye.livejournal.com]

One of those. I see. I'd like to say they may have not seen her as a threat, then, if she was so naive, but... [From a ninja's perspective, if she were the enemy, that would have still been grounds for her capture or death. Bad train of thought.] Those people do have a way of surviving, though, by luck.

Very innocent, then.

Any idea how that works? Or just more of your world's unexplainable magic-science?

[Offline]

[brig-gen-maes.livejournal.com]

They've slaughtered children, Kakashi. They've started wars so that they can have a higher body count. Whether or not Szcieska knows anything won't stop them if she's around the place still. Her only hope is if she left when I told her to.

Of course. Pure as newly fallen snow. [He shrugs.] Roy might be able to explain it to you. I didn't study it. The watch is round and has circles on it. Maybe the circles interact with other circles.