When Tali stuck his tongue out at her, Osora snapped a quick picture, making that his contact photo. “So shouldn’t you be sleeping, instead of hanging out with a strange woman in a convenience store?” She asked, raising an eyebrow without looking up from her phone.
I don’t know what I’m doing but I wanna use this character (OxO| Closed)
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He gasped when he heard the snap of the camera. “Hey! What’s that for?!” He asked with a huff, pouting. “Now I get to take a picture of you. And no, I’d rather be hanging out with a cute, strange girl than be sleeping.” Tali was serious. He didn’t want sleep. “Besides, I can just eat a ton of calories and it’ll work in the same way. I burn so many calories it’s ridiculously hard to not be hungry all the time.”
"I never agreed to any deal where you get to take a picture of me." She said, shrugging a shoulder and setting aside to pull her hair up into a short ponytail. Bits still hung out in the front, framing her face with a visible contrast to the darker tone of her skin. "If it's calories you're looking for, I recommend tempura and curry. There's a place over in Koshikawa that's got some of the best I've ever had."
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“You got one of me, it’s only fair.” He replied with a stupid grin. “Now come on, at least look into the camera.” He held up his phone and pointed to the small black circle on the back. “It’s right here, all you have to do is stay still.”
At the mention of curry he suddenly perked up. “Oh?! I fucking love curry… would you like to come with me?”
“I know where a phone camera is, you know.” Osora said, sighing slightly and looking up from her phone. “One picture. If I go with you, I have to get food for my family, because somehow that happens to be ever single one of them’s favorite restaurant.” Which meant getting Reeha food too, because she was as good as family. “Just a warning.”
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“Alright then, say cheese!” He grinned as he said the word, as if showing her how to smile. He laughed softly after he snapped a quick photo and placed it as her contact photo. “There. Now I’ll your number and your face to remind me of our encounter.”
The skin stealer stood straight and flashed her a confident look. “Not a problem. If you give me ten minutes top while we’re in the restaurant I can get the food for free.” He snickered lightly. “Most humans will give you anything if you offer the right things.”
Osora frowned slightly at that, shaking her head once. “Absolutely not. That would be one hell of a meal to pay for, with money or whatever other services you’re referring to.” She crosses her legs on the counter, eyes flickering to the door as she wondered how long Maki would take. “I’ll pay.” She looked back at him. She blinked suddenly, her eyes flickering past him at something behind him. “Goddammit Poe, get off of the display rack.” She sighed, sliding off the counter to scoop a small black cat off of a display rack full of candy. The cat meowed indignantly, cuddling against her chest anyway and looking at Tali. One yellow eye blinked at him, the other closed thanks to a large scar.
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He snickered and shoved his hands into his pockets. “Hey, I’m good at getting what I want. It’s not too hard. But of course there are always exceptions. Like you. I just can’t seem to get to you.” He hummed.
When she looked somewhere beyond him he frowned, turning to see what it was that captivated her interest. The cat came as a surprise to him. “Oh, a kitty!” He hummed happily and stepped closer, offering his hand for the cat to sniff. “My Shrine had a lot of cats. It’s was amazing. If I remember correctly my shrine was here, in Japan somewhere.”
“I’m not the kind of person that can be got.” Osora stated simply as Poe let out a ‘murp’ and wriggled our of her arms, using her shoulders as a ledge to hop up onto Tali’s shoulders. “Cats love shrines. A lot of free food for them to steal, and as I’ve never seen a god or spirit smite a cat for stealing their offerings, I’m guessing they don’t mind them hanging out.” She tilted her head, watching Poe for a moment. “He’s acting oddly friendly for a cat that once ate my exe’s pant leg the first time he came over. Do you remember where your shrine might have been?”
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Tali giggled at the cat, rubbing his head and smiling. “You’re such a soft kitty, pretty kitty,” he fawned over Poe, almost missing what she said. “Oh yeah, I didn’t mind them stealing my food, but I’m no god. I’m just… different.” He murmured, looking back at her as he scooped the cat into his arms, petting him with a happy smile. “Mm somewhere in Kumamoto… it was next to a big forest shrine. Mine was much smaller though, but still placed in the forest.” He hummed softly. “Kumamoto is a prefecture, right?”
“Where you’re thinking of, yeah.” Osora nodded, huffing a breath of air as she watched Tali with her cat. It sounded almost like a laugh, and the flicker in her expression supported that. “His treats are behind the counter.” She shook her head, grabbing her phone as it chimed again, the same sound as a clock. “Maki’s on his way. Hopefully with good news.” The last sentence was muttered to herself, as she typed a response. She was a bit more invested in her sibling’s love lives than she would admit, partly because of her own lack of one. It wouldn’t work out anyway. Nobody can handle who you are or what you do.
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Tali nodded gently, going back to playing with the cat. He had an unusual bond with the animals. Cats just found him appealing and he them. He swept around the counter and pulled the cat treats from their place, offering one to the kitty in his arms. “Here you are, pretty thing~” He cooed, smiling happily.
His eyes landed on her as she spoke. “Your brother I assume?”
“Yeah. He was supposed to open after school, but-“ Osora stopped suddenly, turning to look at the door. “Look at that, he’s here.”
And she was right. A few moments later, a seventeen year old boy with jet black hair ran up to the door, throwing it open and grinning wildly. “She said yes! I asked her and she said yes! Oh my god Toki I’m going out with her Friday!” Maki threw his arms around his smaller sister, lifting her up and laughing. “You were right!”
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Tali watched in amusement as the boy burst into the shop. He leaned against the counter, snuggling Poe quietly.
Tali had no siblings. He had no parents. He was found abandoned in a dumpster by some superstitious old woman who ran the smaller-level shrines in Japan. She had grown up in Korea, but loved Japan more and so moved there. She had been visiting family in Korea when she happened upon him. He was raised in Korea until he was six, then was moved to Japan.
Soon after he had turned seventeen himself, Tali realized he wasn’t a deity at all and left the shrine. He moved to America and found his talent to be very useful for getting what he wanted. He had been stealing to life since then, sometimes offering his body to compensate for the prizes he received.
He longed for someone to love him, for someone to touch and hold and kiss him. He needed it. He had been touched starved for so long he got excited when someone’s hand brushed against his.
That was why Tali was in Japan. He was looking for someone to date, to wife. And something half told him to return to where he had been raised for most of his child and teen life.
“I’m always right.” Osora stated, her eyes sparkling slightly as she set her hands in her brother’s shoulders. She squeezed once, letting him know that she hadn’t been startled too much, but he set her down anyway, knowing what that could do to her. That was the price of the things she had been through. Saving the city so many times meant hugs from her own family could send her into a fit of panic that nobody had been able to draw her out of.
“So, Usaki?”
Maki nodded, his grin brightening. “Yeah! God, Osora, her eyes lit up when I asked her? And that was the most adorable thing ever holy shit. So who’s the guy?” The subject jumping wasn’t uncommon with her family, as ADHD was an inherited trait for them, received from their mother’s side. Maki turned to face Tali, tilting his head. “And how did he manage to get Poe to do that?”
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Tali broke out of his thoughts when the boy mentioned him. He tilted his head and flashed a corny grin. “A friend of Toki’s. I’m Tali, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” He hummed happily, rubbing Poe’s head. “Does the cat normally not like people? Cats have always liked me. Maybe they think I really am some weird deity.” He joked, grinning at Toki. “Your sister is a very interesting woman, little guy. I quite like her but can’t seem to get her to like me back. Granted it’s only been a day.” He sat up on the counter and yawned, flipping sides so he was on the same side of the counter as Toki and her brother.
“He’s normally wary around people.” Osora said, moving to arrange a display. That same barely noticeable blush was back on her cheeks, which might have been part of why she’d do suddenly found interest in working.
“Kinda like my sister.” Maki joked, shooting Tali a supportive wink. It seemed they were close enough to feel comfortable butting into each other’s lives like that. “Pro tip, she’s a sucker for food and broken clocks. That’s how Shou won her heart.”
Osora nailed him in the head with a bag of crackers, which he caught after the obligatory ‘ow!’. “That wasn’t the reason and you know it. Just a bonus. Besides, we don’t need to talk about my dating life five years ago, or ‘pro tips’.”
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“Oh she is pretty weary isn’t she?” He replied simply, smiling at Maki and turning to watch Toki with soft eyes. He was determined to get at least something out of her. “But I think her beauty makes up for it. And not to mention her personality. She may seem cold but hell is she kind to those she is comfortable with.” He replied softly, watching her carefully.
When Maki offered advice he perked up. “Oh? Food and broken clocks huh?” He asked, feeling his heart drop when another name was mentioned.
And then Toki was speaking and what she said lifted his spirits and hopes. “Well, I offered her free food already, which she promptly accepted but declined me taking care of the check.”
“That’s my sister for you. Goddamn though dude.” Maki let out a whistle, ducking out of the way of Osora’s hand as she swatted at him. “That was the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard. Sonnet-level shit. Toki, why the fuck aren’t you dating this guy already?”
“Because I just met him.” Osora responded, her voice coming from somewhere in a back room. She returned a moment later with three large boxes stacked on top of each other, carrying them with odd ease. “You keep calling me beautiful,” She started, her words aimed at Tali. “And I feel liable to tell you that that really isn’t true. Another word not used to describe me.”
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Tali chuckled and moved over to Maki, ruffling the kid’s hair. “Slow down there, kid. It’s only been a few minutes since we’ve met.” He explained, laughing softly.
His eyes trailed to Toki, a soft sigh leaving his lips. And then she was staring back at him, and his heart jumped into his throat. “I think you’re beautiful! Just because you might not see it or believe it doesn’t mean that it isn’t true, Toki.” He reminded her, smiling kindly.
Maki grinned, swatting playfully at Tali’s hand.
“Dangerous words.” Osora muttered to herself, without really thinking about it. She set the boxes down on the ground, wiping her hands off on her shorts, before meeting his eyes again. “You’re allowed to think what you want, false or otherwise.” She said simply, shrugging a shoulder.
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Tali shrugged and set Poe down, moving to her side. “It’s not false, Toki.” He murmured gently. “You’re beautiful. Albeit a little stubborn but beautiful.” The skin-stealer folded his arms as he looked down on her. “I mean come on, I’m not just hitting on you I very much find you interesting. I would like to get to know you.” His eyes flickered over her face, a softness to it that hadn’t been there before.
She tilted her head back to look up at him as he approached, her brows furrowed as he spoke. He seemed oddly set in the idea that she was beautiful, which she found a bit strange. Even stranger still, was the softness in his tone and expression. “Chances are, you’ll find you don’t like what you learn.” She said simply, though the right corner of her mouth twitched upwards just slightly.
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“And if I do like what I learn?” He asked softly, leaning in closer so their faces were inches away from each other. “Will you agree to go on a date with me?” He grinned, showing off his perfect teeth. He laughed softly and stood back up straight. “And if not, then you can tell me to beat it and I won’t come around again.”
She blinked, shaking her head slightly to clear the haze that had clouded her mind at his close proximity. She really needed to fix whatever that was, or it could prove to be a bit of an issue. The light color to her cheeks had returned, her darker skin covering most of it, unless someone was specifically looking for the reaction. "We'll have to see if you're still around." She said, neither a definite yes or a definite no, but definitely not a no. "Hey, Maki, we're going to run up to Satou's, you want your usual?"
Maki, who had been looking between the two of them with his eyebrows raised, blinked at being addressed. "Huh? Oh, uh, yeah. You grabbing everyone some?" She nodded, and he grinned, blowing her a kiss. "You're the best~"
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Tali nodded softly, turning his face to watch Poe as if he hadn’t just asked her out and had gotten so close. “We’ll have to see~” He purred, glancing at Maki.
“What do you usually get? I really freaking love curry so I have my heart set on that but if you want to try and convince me otherwise, then go ahead and try.” He told Maki with a grin and a laugh.
"The Tonkatsu man." Maki said, bouncing on the balls of his feet as Osora returned to unpacking the boxes and marking the items down in a notebook before putting them on various shelves. "It's insane. Osora likes the Tempura better, but both are hella good. Get it with the curry, if you're really wanting curry. Best of both worlds."
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“Mm never had that. I’ll have to try it sometime. If I’m allowed to hang around for a bit I’ll go with you and buy you some, Maki.” He smiled and winked at Toki as she worked. “Need help there?” He asked softly, leaning over her shoulder to look at the notepad.
"Dude, even if she doesn't go out with you, I'll totally go for Tonkatsu with you." Maki said, slipping behind the counter to dig around one of the drawers for something.
"It's just inventory and restocking." Osora said, turning the notebook so he could see it better. A list of items and numbers next to them. "If you really want to help, just hold up things, tell me the name if you can." She offered, leaning to the side a bit and turning her head so she could look at him.
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“Niice. Let’s do it then.” He grinned and turned to look at Osora. “Your brother likes me already, that’s a step forward, right?” He asked with a soft laugh.
When she told him how to help he grinned. “I can do that!” Tali’s grin split into a mischievous smirk. He suddenly lifted her up bridal style, humming. “This one is a Toki.”