You could say that! Unless he has other important commitments that keep him from showing himself, but I don't know what could be more important than receiving love and care from me.
[He's only half-joking. But despite the statement, there's no bitterness as he watches over the three birds. Only love.
As for receiving love and care from Kleken, though...]
True, being suddenly touched by a tentacle is startling! Go ahead, ask how I know!
[Said with a brief reproachful glare. Then he continues:]
But you do have regular hands. And if you approach slowly, you should be able to avoid startling them too badly. I can guide you through it if you want.
[ And though there's a solemn tone to his voice, as if voicing the opinion in earnest, he does not have the slightest idea of what might go on inside of a bird's mind, nor does he ever attempt to. Mostly he just wants to avoid being seen as a food target by them, especially after a particularly traumatic experience when the resort had those seagull lifeguards around. Generous bribery with seed has seemed to work wonders in that regard so far, and he rather hopes it continues to should he find his way back here again. ]
[ He smiles innocently at the glare he's tossed, choosing to remain silent as Hiyori continues on so he can pretend entirely that he has no idea how the other man might know how startling a sudden tentacle touch might be. In fact, he moves onto the next part of the conversation just as Hiyori does, with a seemingly eager and interested smile. ]
I guess that could be it. I don't have the faintest idea whether Vil-kun is the type to shy away from love, so it's hard to say for sure.
[Rinne, on the other hand, is definitely the type to get awkward about mushy stuff. Hiyori's seen it firsthand. And it seems he passed that quality onto his offspring, hence why Hiro got extremely flustered when Baizhu planted a kiss on his feathery head...
But back to the issue at hand. Kleken is willing to be taught how to interact with the birds safely, and Hiyori couldn't be happier about it! He smiles and chimes:]
Great, then let's get to it!
[There is an issue here, though. Hiyori looks down at the birds, all three of them busy gorging themselves.]
But first, we'll either need to hide their food away or else distract them. And the first one seems a bit cruel, so I'll aim for the second!
[How does he get his bird's attention? There are a few ways he can think of. They each have their own interests, such as Hiro's shiny coin fixation. But one thing they have in common: they like his singing!]
♪~♪~♪
[Without any preamble, he bursts into song. He chooses Brand New Stars! A few moments of singing at top volume, and the birds start to react, peeking their little still-munching heads out of the bag. Seeing this, Hiyori smiles at Kleken in triumph.]
Works like a charm! ♪ Anyway, first you'll want to extend a hand. That'll show them you're friendly, and it'll give them a perch to land on.
[ Rinne's not the only one there, which is rather ironic given Kleken's penchant for romantic actions. Because as much as he craved and indulged in romantic actions himself, the idea of actually involving himself in a romantic relationship was enough to make him want to throw himself into the deepest ocean. And not in the romantic sort of way. ]
[ Kleken's gaze lands on the hungry little birds once more in study, as if he could tell from basic visuals whether one of them might be shy when it comes to affections or not. Of course, it's rather impossible to tell for someone like him, unversed in the way of these unique species of bird, but he likes to think that perhaps it might become obvious. Like a neon sign over their heads or something of the like. ]
I could take care of-
[ He had been about to make a vague little suggestion and try illusioning away the food, for all the good it may do when they're already tucked into it, but then Hiyori promptly bursts into song. Loud and startling enough that his tentacles all twitch for a moment, a subtle physical reaction of his surprise in addition to his glance over. ]
[ Well. The man's a good singer, that much one could say. Impromptu as it was, and someone without a very keen ear for this type of music, he can appreciate a nice voice and the other does have that. Enough so that Kleken offers a smile in return once he recomposes himself. ]
What a lovely charm that was too. It's rather easy to see why they were so distracted.
[ With the compliment paid, he looks back toward the row of heads peering back at them, holding out his hand with a palm up as directed. He looks more like someone offering another a bad deal than warm and friendly... ]
After delivering a mountain of food to the birds, Kleken has surely made a wonderful impression. Despite this, the birds merely blink at his outstretched hand. Something about the way he offers it seems to vex them, and Hiro lets out a squawk to that effect. "You okay, bro?" Hiyori merely shrugs, though, not seeming to regard this as an insurmountable failure.]
That's what I meant, but I guess you are still new to them. So, allow me to act as your middleman!
[He steps up to the open bag of birdseed and extends a hand of his own. Eyeing Hina warmly, he coaxes her with a sweet voice.]
Here, my lovely little birdie~♪
[Hina takes a moment to finish chewing, then hops out of the bag and into his waiting hand. Hiyori pets the top of her feathery head with two fingers.]
That's a good girl. Now let's go give thanks to Kleken-kun, who brought you such a generous gift! And we both know how important it is to say thanks, right? ♪
[Whether or not the tubby blue and green bird understands is somewhat unclear. But Hiyori starts to travel over, still carrying her in his palm. As her owner stands face-to-face with Kleken, Hina's gaze shifts to Kleken's outstretched palm. She's considering it, and him! ... probably!]
Now you should try enticing her in a sweet voice. You do lots of business, so you must be good at that, right?
[ He most certainly has done business, with individuals holding bird-like features even, but business with an actual bird was an altogether new thing. He can't read the facial nor body expressions of a bird, not very accurately anyway, and so he's left unsure in his approach. A rare place for him to be normally, but the resort was apparently intent on making it a much more common occurrence with each passing day. ]
[ He'd certainly never expected himself to be trying to win the favor of birds via bribery someday. ]
[ Hiyori had given him advice though, and so he puts on his default business smile. Which is about as untrustworthy as the rest of him is. At least his voice is a pleasant and soothing one by default as well. The words, on the other hand, usually weren't. ]
It's a pleasure to meet you, lovely Miss Hina. I do hope we'll get along.
[ There's a trace of a question in that last word, prompting out of habit though he has no idea how the bird might actually respond to such. ]
[It's hard to tell what's going on in Hina's little bird brain as she regards the octoman. Is she sizing him up? Assessing whether or not he's trustworthy?
Probably not. She is, after all, a sweet little pet bird, and in Hiyori's experience, pets tend to be easy to win over as long as you feed them, approach them gently, and act friendly. So far at least, Kleken is three for three.
A moment passes without any commentary from the birds or from Hiyori. He pets Hina soothingly some more and waits. Until finally, she gives a short chirp. Is it a good chirp? A bad chirp?? Her owner weighs in!]
She said, "It's nice to meet you too!" ♪
[Said with a triumphant smile.]
Or I think that's what she said. I don't know for absolute certain, but I can tell she's relaxed and in a good mood. So it was either that, or "Thank you for the food!"
[From her perch on his palm, Hina's still looking at Kleken. Given how comfortable she seems, Hiyori decides:]
If you want, you can try petting her. She prefers being touched on the head instead of her wings or back though, so just be mindful of that.
[ Given that the conman can barely tell the little chirps of the bird apart, Hiyori's interpretations are a welcome avenue of communication that Kleken nods along to as he receives. If Hiyori's translations seemed to have a certain favorable interpretation to them, well that was all for the better. ]
Both are welcome responses, if they mean she's pleased by the presence of my gift.
[ A generosity that had been prompted purely by the thought of Hiyori's reaction to his overzealous offering. ]
[ A generosity he didn't think would be rewarded with the offer to pet such a small and delicate creature, an action that somehow seems far more daunting than any other so far. Maybe he can most subtly and without insult navigate around this... ]
Oh, wouldn't that be far too bold of me to do on our first meeting?
[He smiles at the question. It's obvious Kleken is hesitant, but it has nothing to do with Hina herself, right? The world of pet care is new to him!]
You can be surprisingly shy at times, huh?
[A gentle tease. He strokes Hina's soft plumage with feather-light touches, purposefully demonstrating the proper technique in case Kleken decides he wants to try after all, but he won't force the issue.]
I'd say bringing an entire bag of food for them to eat is already "bold." But I won't expect more than what you're comfortable with. Giving love from a distance is fine, too~♪
By the way [he jerks a thumb at Hiro], did you know Baizhu-san planted a kiss on his head once? He got sooo adorably embarrassed!
[This triggers a round of squawking from Hiro ("Oi, oi, why're you tellin' him about that?!"), to which Hiyori laughs.]
[ The lie that's also true is offered quickly and said so dismissively that it's clear he's aiming for it to be understood as a lie. It helps in managing people's expectations of him more easily, anyway. If people think he's extroverted, it's easier for him to lean into the role, without anyone any the wiser that he only does well in one-to-one situations. ]
[ Overly complicated internal logic aside, he watches the way Hiyori handles Hina, inwardly taking notes on the gentleness of the action and the placement of his finger. Perhaps in private, he might try this for himself, but showing failure in front of others isn't something he's particularly keen on doing. Ever. ]
Love from a distance sounds quite comfortable.
[ A comfortable presence nearby... now that would be the ideal. ]
[ His gaze glances toward Hiro, letting his brow raise in amusement as Hiyori shares that little piece of gossip with him. ]
Oh? Is he fond of the doctor then? I hadn't known birds could be embarrassed, so it must have been quite surprising.
[You know what they say. Refuge in audacity. Thankfully Hiyori doesn't call Kleken on his double bluff. He will, however, compare him to a puppy!]
There's nothing wrong with that, per se. It is possible to become less shy, though. Like Mary! She's the adorable puppy Jun-kun and I brought home. She was deeply wary of other people at first, but with time, she's warmed up to others~♪
[But back to the bird world. Not to get too depressing, but if Kleken could mimic the way Hiyori stroked Hina after Hiyori leaves, well... he'd appreciate it greatly. She probably would, too.
He gives a satisfied hum when Kleken uses the word "love." Even if it's at a distance, he's glad to see Kleken showing love for his adorable bird children. And speaking of showing love to birds, he's all too happy to share the gossip about Baizhu and Hiro (regardless of how Hiro feels).]
It caught him by surprise, alright! I wondered if it might have something to do with Rinne-senpai's thoughts on kisses. Rinne-senpai had this idea about saving himself for marriage, after all.
[Hiro continues to squawk, sounding highly disgruntled, but Hiyori ignores him and keeps going!]
I wouldn't have thought birds had much concept of marriage. But if my birds ever did want to get married, I'd gladly fork over the money for a wedding! And the wedding singers would be— hey! Stooop!
[His arms raise futilely in self-defense as Hiro flies over and attempts to makes a nest of his head again, pulling on his hair with his talons. That's what he gets for embarrassing him!]
Perhaps I shall have the same emotional journey as her some day.
[ He heavily doubts as much, but it's quite amusing to pretend for just a moment that he might embark on the same emotional journey as a puppy. Or rather, to try and convince someone else that he might. Though he's rather sure Hiyori's too sharp to believe such a fantastical lie. ]
[ Rinne's thoughts on marriage delivered to him through Hiyori certainly answers some questions he'd thought to himself about the man and the ways they'd entangled with one another at the resort. At the same time, it left him with so many more. And unfortunately, those questions would likely remain unanswered in a way he'd rather not linger on. ]
My, what a grand wedding that sounds like it would be. I do hope I'll be lucky enough to garner an invitation.
[ As expected, Kleken doesn't do a thing to intercept the attack on the idol. Rather, it's while Hiyori falls under attack by Hiro that he shifts his gaze to Hina, cocking a brow and giving a small motion for her to come over to him and away from the madness of squabbling bird and man. Hopefully, while the others aren't paying attention, he can practice the gentle petting that he'd been shown earlier, just for a moment. ]
[Hiyori chimes back enthusiastically, face bright and beaming.]
Yes, perhaps you will! And I'd say having pets also takes you on a journey, so perhaps Splat and Eel will lead you to new places, too.
[He supports your emotional journey, Kleken.
He'd also support Kleken attending a hypothetical bird wedding, but unfortunately his hair is attacked before he can respond to that part. He shrieks (it's not a very manly shriek) and then helplessly swats at Hiro. You'd think he would've figured out how to deal with this sort of behavior by now, but apparently all he can do is flail around and grumble.]
Honestly, this is why you're the problem child—ow ow owww!
[Yep, that's his hair being pulled! He winces in pain, then whirls around to face Kleken.]
A little help, please! ... hm?
[He's seen Kleken pull wineglasses out of hammerspace before. He thought maybe he could produce something else that'll distract Hiro. But now he notices Hina, having hobbled her way over, seemingly being petted by him. She's not shrinking away; she's letting the man touch her feathery head, exactly as Hiyori encouraged earlier!
Seeing this, Hiyori's demeanor shifts. The request for help seemingly gets forgotten, and he's back to smiling sunnily.]
See? We should be more like that. Less fighting, more gentleness!
[He addresses the bird on top of his head. Hiro, however, only squawks in response: "Only one of us keeps pickin' fights here."]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
You could say that! Unless he has other important commitments that keep him from showing himself, but I don't know what could be more important than receiving love and care from me.
[He's only half-joking. But despite the statement, there's no bitterness as he watches over the three birds. Only love.
As for receiving love and care from Kleken, though...]
True, being suddenly touched by a tentacle is startling! Go ahead, ask how I know!
[Said with a brief reproachful glare. Then he continues:]
But you do have regular hands. And if you approach slowly, you should be able to avoid startling them too badly. I can guide you through it if you want.
no subject
[ And though there's a solemn tone to his voice, as if voicing the opinion in earnest, he does not have the slightest idea of what might go on inside of a bird's mind, nor does he ever attempt to. Mostly he just wants to avoid being seen as a food target by them, especially after a particularly traumatic experience when the resort had those seagull lifeguards around. Generous bribery with seed has seemed to work wonders in that regard so far, and he rather hopes it continues to should he find his way back here again. ]
[ He smiles innocently at the glare he's tossed, choosing to remain silent as Hiyori continues on so he can pretend entirely that he has no idea how the other man might know how startling a sudden tentacle touch might be. In fact, he moves onto the next part of the conversation just as Hiyori does, with a seemingly eager and interested smile. ]
Your guidance would be most appreciated.
no subject
[Rinne, on the other hand, is definitely the type to get awkward about mushy stuff. Hiyori's seen it firsthand. And it seems he passed that quality onto his offspring, hence why Hiro got extremely flustered when Baizhu planted a kiss on his feathery head...
But back to the issue at hand. Kleken is willing to be taught how to interact with the birds safely, and Hiyori couldn't be happier about it! He smiles and chimes:]
Great, then let's get to it!
[There is an issue here, though. Hiyori looks down at the birds, all three of them busy gorging themselves.]
But first, we'll either need to hide their food away or else distract them. And the first one seems a bit cruel, so I'll aim for the second!
[How does he get his bird's attention? There are a few ways he can think of. They each have their own interests, such as Hiro's shiny coin fixation. But one thing they have in common: they like his singing!]
♪~♪~♪
[Without any preamble, he bursts into song. He chooses Brand New Stars! A few moments of singing at top volume, and the birds start to react, peeking their little still-munching heads out of the bag. Seeing this, Hiyori smiles at Kleken in triumph.]
Works like a charm! ♪ Anyway, first you'll want to extend a hand. That'll show them you're friendly, and it'll give them a perch to land on.
no subject
[ Kleken's gaze lands on the hungry little birds once more in study, as if he could tell from basic visuals whether one of them might be shy when it comes to affections or not. Of course, it's rather impossible to tell for someone like him, unversed in the way of these unique species of bird, but he likes to think that perhaps it might become obvious. Like a neon sign over their heads or something of the like. ]
I could take care of-
[ He had been about to make a vague little suggestion and try illusioning away the food, for all the good it may do when they're already tucked into it, but then Hiyori promptly bursts into song. Loud and startling enough that his tentacles all twitch for a moment, a subtle physical reaction of his surprise in addition to his glance over. ]
[ Well. The man's a good singer, that much one could say. Impromptu as it was, and someone without a very keen ear for this type of music, he can appreciate a nice voice and the other does have that. Enough so that Kleken offers a smile in return once he recomposes himself. ]
What a lovely charm that was too. It's rather easy to see why they were so distracted.
[ With the compliment paid, he looks back toward the row of heads peering back at them, holding out his hand with a palm up as directed. He looks more like someone offering another a bad deal than warm and friendly... ]
Like so?
no subject
[He graciously accepts the compliment.
After delivering a mountain of food to the birds, Kleken has surely made a wonderful impression. Despite this, the birds merely blink at his outstretched hand. Something about the way he offers it seems to vex them, and Hiro lets out a squawk to that effect. "You okay, bro?" Hiyori merely shrugs, though, not seeming to regard this as an insurmountable failure.]
That's what I meant, but I guess you are still new to them. So, allow me to act as your middleman!
[He steps up to the open bag of birdseed and extends a hand of his own. Eyeing Hina warmly, he coaxes her with a sweet voice.]
Here, my lovely little birdie~♪
[Hina takes a moment to finish chewing, then hops out of the bag and into his waiting hand. Hiyori pets the top of her feathery head with two fingers.]
That's a good girl. Now let's go give thanks to Kleken-kun, who brought you such a generous gift! And we both know how important it is to say thanks, right? ♪
[Whether or not the tubby blue and green bird understands is somewhat unclear. But Hiyori starts to travel over, still carrying her in his palm. As her owner stands face-to-face with Kleken, Hina's gaze shifts to Kleken's outstretched palm. She's considering it, and him! ... probably!]
Now you should try enticing her in a sweet voice. You do lots of business, so you must be good at that, right?
no subject
[ He most certainly has done business, with individuals holding bird-like features even, but business with an actual bird was an altogether new thing. He can't read the facial nor body expressions of a bird, not very accurately anyway, and so he's left unsure in his approach. A rare place for him to be normally, but the resort was apparently intent on making it a much more common occurrence with each passing day. ]
[ He'd certainly never expected himself to be trying to win the favor of birds via bribery someday. ]
[ Hiyori had given him advice though, and so he puts on his default business smile. Which is about as untrustworthy as the rest of him is. At least his voice is a pleasant and soothing one by default as well. The words, on the other hand, usually weren't. ]
It's a pleasure to meet you, lovely Miss Hina. I do hope we'll get along.
[ There's a trace of a question in that last word, prompting out of habit though he has no idea how the bird might actually respond to such. ]
no subject
Probably not. She is, after all, a sweet little pet bird, and in Hiyori's experience, pets tend to be easy to win over as long as you feed them, approach them gently, and act friendly. So far at least, Kleken is three for three.
A moment passes without any commentary from the birds or from Hiyori. He pets Hina soothingly some more and waits. Until finally, she gives a short chirp. Is it a good chirp? A bad chirp?? Her owner weighs in!]
She said, "It's nice to meet you too!" ♪
[Said with a triumphant smile.]
Or I think that's what she said. I don't know for absolute certain, but I can tell she's relaxed and in a good mood. So it was either that, or "Thank you for the food!"
[From her perch on his palm, Hina's still looking at Kleken. Given how comfortable she seems, Hiyori decides:]
If you want, you can try petting her. She prefers being touched on the head instead of her wings or back though, so just be mindful of that.
no subject
Both are welcome responses, if they mean she's pleased by the presence of my gift.
[ A generosity that had been prompted purely by the thought of Hiyori's reaction to his overzealous offering. ]
[ A generosity he didn't think would be rewarded with the offer to pet such a small and delicate creature, an action that somehow seems far more daunting than any other so far. Maybe he can most subtly and without insult navigate around this... ]
Oh, wouldn't that be far too bold of me to do on our first meeting?
no subject
You can be surprisingly shy at times, huh?
[A gentle tease. He strokes Hina's soft plumage with feather-light touches, purposefully demonstrating the proper technique in case Kleken decides he wants to try after all, but he won't force the issue.]
I'd say bringing an entire bag of food for them to eat is already "bold." But I won't expect more than what you're comfortable with. Giving love from a distance is fine, too~♪
By the way [he jerks a thumb at Hiro], did you know Baizhu-san planted a kiss on his head once? He got sooo adorably embarrassed!
[This triggers a round of squawking from Hiro ("Oi, oi, why're you tellin' him about that?!"), to which Hiyori laughs.]
See? Like that!
no subject
[ The lie that's also true is offered quickly and said so dismissively that it's clear he's aiming for it to be understood as a lie. It helps in managing people's expectations of him more easily, anyway. If people think he's extroverted, it's easier for him to lean into the role, without anyone any the wiser that he only does well in one-to-one situations. ]
[ Overly complicated internal logic aside, he watches the way Hiyori handles Hina, inwardly taking notes on the gentleness of the action and the placement of his finger. Perhaps in private, he might try this for himself, but showing failure in front of others isn't something he's particularly keen on doing. Ever. ]
Love from a distance sounds quite comfortable.
[ A comfortable presence nearby... now that would be the ideal. ]
[ His gaze glances toward Hiro, letting his brow raise in amusement as Hiyori shares that little piece of gossip with him. ]
Oh? Is he fond of the doctor then? I hadn't known birds could be embarrassed, so it must have been quite surprising.
no subject
There's nothing wrong with that, per se. It is possible to become less shy, though. Like Mary! She's the adorable puppy Jun-kun and I brought home. She was deeply wary of other people at first, but with time, she's warmed up to others~♪
[But back to the bird world. Not to get too depressing, but if Kleken could mimic the way Hiyori stroked Hina after Hiyori leaves, well... he'd appreciate it greatly. She probably would, too.
He gives a satisfied hum when Kleken uses the word "love." Even if it's at a distance, he's glad to see Kleken showing love for his adorable bird children. And speaking of showing love to birds, he's all too happy to share the gossip about Baizhu and Hiro (regardless of how Hiro feels).]
It caught him by surprise, alright! I wondered if it might have something to do with Rinne-senpai's thoughts on kisses. Rinne-senpai had this idea about saving himself for marriage, after all.
[Hiro continues to squawk, sounding highly disgruntled, but Hiyori ignores him and keeps going!]
I wouldn't have thought birds had much concept of marriage. But if my birds ever did want to get married, I'd gladly fork over the money for a wedding! And the wedding singers would be— hey! Stooop!
[His arms raise futilely in self-defense as Hiro flies over and attempts to makes a nest of his head again, pulling on his hair with his talons. That's what he gets for embarrassing him!]
no subject
[ He heavily doubts as much, but it's quite amusing to pretend for just a moment that he might embark on the same emotional journey as a puppy. Or rather, to try and convince someone else that he might. Though he's rather sure Hiyori's too sharp to believe such a fantastical lie. ]
[ Rinne's thoughts on marriage delivered to him through Hiyori certainly answers some questions he'd thought to himself about the man and the ways they'd entangled with one another at the resort. At the same time, it left him with so many more. And unfortunately, those questions would likely remain unanswered in a way he'd rather not linger on. ]
My, what a grand wedding that sounds like it would be. I do hope I'll be lucky enough to garner an invitation.
[ As expected, Kleken doesn't do a thing to intercept the attack on the idol. Rather, it's while Hiyori falls under attack by Hiro that he shifts his gaze to Hina, cocking a brow and giving a small motion for her to come over to him and away from the madness of squabbling bird and man. Hopefully, while the others aren't paying attention, he can practice the gentle petting that he'd been shown earlier, just for a moment. ]
no subject
Yes, perhaps you will! And I'd say having pets also takes you on a journey, so perhaps Splat and Eel will lead you to new places, too.
[He supports your emotional journey, Kleken.
He'd also support Kleken attending a hypothetical bird wedding, but unfortunately his hair is attacked before he can respond to that part. He shrieks (it's not a very manly shriek) and then helplessly swats at Hiro. You'd think he would've figured out how to deal with this sort of behavior by now, but apparently all he can do is flail around and grumble.]
Honestly, this is why you're the problem child—ow ow owww!
[Yep, that's his hair being pulled! He winces in pain, then whirls around to face Kleken.]
A little help, please! ... hm?
[He's seen Kleken pull wineglasses out of hammerspace before. He thought maybe he could produce something else that'll distract Hiro. But now he notices Hina, having hobbled her way over, seemingly being petted by him. She's not shrinking away; she's letting the man touch her feathery head, exactly as Hiyori encouraged earlier!
Seeing this, Hiyori's demeanor shifts. The request for help seemingly gets forgotten, and he's back to smiling sunnily.]
See? We should be more like that. Less fighting, more gentleness!
[He addresses the bird on top of his head. Hiro, however, only squawks in response: "Only one of us keeps pickin' fights here."]