Vibin-

"You'd think with all the healthy alternatives I'd look more like you. I guess I'm doomed."

Such was a combination of genetics, and a love of taste. But he wasn't too worried about it right now. As long as he wasn't the joke because of how he looked, everything was fine. But he had noticed from a young age that he looked different from most other people in the country.

Oh well. It had never held him back before.

"Of course I do. Lying isn't one of my skills. If I were just saying something, you'd probably be able to tell immediately."

The only lying he could do is little ones, that didn't make any real difference. Something as serious as, 'is it okay for me to spend the night?', he couldn't lie about. He'd be too obvious. Kounosuke often wore his heart on his sleeve. It was just a part of the person he had grown into.

"Okay, I'll take your word for it then. Thanks for the reassurance." He wouldn't overthink it. It wouldn't do him any good to hyperfixate on a 'what if' scenario that would most likely never happened. It was obvious his own brain was playing tricks on him because of how he felt towards Kouno. He just didn't want to start a trail of bad luck.

"Don't you get lonely then? With all this open space, I'd feel like it. But I can understand always having a plan to have people stay the night and have that space provided for them." It was honestly very charitable and spoke a lot about Kouno's character. He was a giver and would do anything for his friends and loved ones. Mugs realized that he fit into those categories and it made him show the smallest smile.

"Oh?"

That amused him. Oh, if only Mugs knew about the tanuki's past. But there was no sense going into it. Sounded as though they'd both done some unexpected things in their earlier years. Laughing a little, he shook his head.

"I don't think anything could make you seem weird. I've always been different than everyone else. But the older I've gotten, the more I've come to realize that being weird isn't always a bad thing."

He'd always believed it was as a teenager. The way even his friends called his ideas strange. It wasn't his fault the whole souvenir thing didn't go as planned. Those were interesting days, but he wouldn't have gone back to them if given the option. Kounosuke was so much more mature now.

"Well...I'm sure if we continue to spend a lot of time together you will figure out just how weird I can be."

He meant that in both a suggestive sense but also in general. Mugs, prior to him running away, was really upbeat and positive. Always cautious but always seemed to look at the brighter side of things. Then life happened and it made him feel like he had a constant dark cloud over his head.

He really shut down for many years and isolated himself from people because he just didn't know who he could trust.

"I have, they are pretty good. I like to make kale chips myself. Any healthy alternative is fine by me."

Mugs took a look around and fidgeted with his fingers once more. He began to overthink about everything and wondered if it was smart for him to stay over. Realistically, he could have cleared a path for himself with his magic, but he didn't want to back pedal whatever was going on between the two of them.

He took a deep breath and his tone changed. It was almost like a whisper.

"I can still remember being young, and I'm a lot older than you are. I sometimes wonder what it'd be like to go back that far. But if I'm being honest, I wasn't such a great person back then. I don't think you'd like me at all if you knew what I was like as a teenager."

There were a lot of good times, but he couldn't deny that he'd been a lot more self centered. That wasn't to say he only thought about himself, he had his reasons for the way he acted. But it had been the wrong way to behave.

"Hmm..."

His favorite blanket was an easy one, he kept it on the side of the couch for when he lazed around. So he moved, grabbing it, and smiling. It was an orange pattern, with sunflowers designed into it. One of his favorite flowers.

"Who knows. I've dated a lot of bad boys. I tend to like the type cause a lot of them think they are top dogs...then they realize they aren't once having a conversation with me and...other things-"

Wait did he just say that out loud? Oh God...

"Oh shit I wasn't trying to be weird!"

He lifted up in his hands in protest. Kouno must have thought he was some kind of weirdo. He didn't want him to view them that way. But he would be lying if he didn't say he often thought about the kiss the two of them shared.

"When I'm not busy, I'm a similar way. I just kinda sleep when I fall asleep. Time is weird, but it fascinates me, too. I looked into temporal physics when I was younger, that was a really long time ago, hehe."

One thing he loved to take pictures of in the rain: flowers. The way the petals drooped ever so slightly with the weight of the water upon them. How the leaves dripped, and every plant seemed to perk up, thirsty for that freshness. Oh, how he loved the flowers. But he'd wait until it were sunnier.

Kounosuke didn't feel like packing on a huge raincoat, just to go outside. And none of his raincoats had a chance of fitting Mugs. A raincoat from Kounosuke would be like a giant robe on someone thinner.

"Maybe I am just a sucker for nostalgia. It was truly a different and more simple world when we were younger. I sometimes miss those days but also, there was a lot I needed to learn."

There he goes again, getting ready to start a tangent. He cleared his throat before softly nudging the other.

"I'm sure anything with you will be time well spent."

He began to walk away from the window and look around. He had to take his mind off of things.

"You tend to be a night owl? Does that mean you sleep a lot during the day?"

He was curious, as he rose from where he'd been sitting. There were days Kounosuke woke up with the birds, there were days he slept until into the afternoon. It really varied for him, and whether or not he had a job to do. Or inspiration for a specific thing that required a specific time.

"I have to be careful about sleep usually. A task can usually keep me up for a really long time. I guess it depends on my interest. Is that how it is for you, too?"

The tanuki takes a few steps towards the large window, crossing his arms.

"Yeah...I actually tend to enjoy naps a lot more ironically enough. Makes it feel like time never stops but also slows down time as well. Time kind of loses itself in nature so I just go with the flow and listen to my body."

He looked back at the other and smirked at that comment. It was definitely relatable seeing how often Mugs could just nap all day and wake up with it was already dark. It was quite embarrassing.

He followed suit and looked outside the window. Rain was a natural beauty of its own. Yet it could easily take away from other natural beauties.

"It's okay. I mean, we can still do some of the same stuff. If we are going full on sleepover, we can even make a little tent out of blankets and really get a vibe going."

Wait...that may have sounded too childish.

"Awesome!"

He couldn't have been happier about it. Any chance to have someone stay with him, even if just for the night, it was an opportunity he'd always take. It wasn't just because of his worry over the other getting sick from the heavy rain. It was his care for the person themselves. Kounosuke tended to fall in love with just about everyone, he had a love or life itself.

"We can have snacks, and stay up super late! Hehe."

Maybe he was being childish, treating it more like a sleepover in someone's teenage years. But people didn't understand how lonely he got, being in his big ol' house all by himself. It brought him down sometimes. Other times, he lazed around on the couch and nibbled on the aforementioned snacks.

It really depended on his mood, but he always loved company.

It sounded a lot like a sleepover to the porcelain. When was the last time he actually had one? With his brother? Bowl boy (reluctantly)? He couldn't quite put his finger on it but something about sleepovers made him feel more...vulnerable.

"Snacks are always nice. I also tend to be a night owl so I don't think I will have any problems staying up late."

This was true. From the amount of traveling he has done, he has learned to function with less hours of sleep than the average person and could rest himself with just magic alone. It really came in handy.

He looked at the other as he smiled, making him feel his heart beat unevenly once more.

"Well it's a little late for that."

He worried regardless of whether or not they were within the same vicinity. That was what you did for people you cared about. You worried about their safety. He did so for all of his friends, even those he didn't get to see very often. Maybe he worried a little too much sometimes, but he didn't let that show.

"You run the risk of getting sick if you walk out in the rain. I'd know. All I do is check the mail while it's raining and suddenly I can feel my nose stuffing up."

That wasn't entirely his fault. Kounosuke was prone to catching colds, and maybe that was why he worried more about people in seasons like this.

Damn, Kouno was both persistent and convincing. If it were anyone else, Mugs would be quick to make a comeback, even starting to put up his walls with some rather ill spoken words.

But this was someone he was truly fond of, broke bread with, and has shared a kiss with. (He still thought about it a lot but vowed to not bring it up, in chances for the friendship).

"Well, I won't argue with you then. It'd be rude in your household, after all."

What was this, sudden tone shift? He was trying so hard to not close himself off, but here he was beginning to shift and pull away.

"Fine. I'll stay."

He looked away and scratched his temple. A little blush formed on his cheeks as he did so.

"I uh...appreciate it."

"It did."

Music may not have been his passion, but it didn't stop him from loving it. Listening, playing, all of it was good. Maybe if he ever did get the chance to open a place up, he could have a piano there. Maybe he could employ Mugs to perform, a lot of fancy restaurants had that.

Not that the tanuki cared too much about a place being fancy. He wanted it to be a place people could relax.

"I couldn't do that at all, my voice is terrible, hehe."

Kounosuke looks to the right, which was where the biggest window in his living space was. Rain. Minasato was well known for getting a ton of rain in the spring.

"I completely understand. I am not really fond of my voice but the fact that you enjoyed it made me find a new peace for it."

His fingers began to intertwine with themselves as he continued to look downward. He could just feel the positivity and smile radiating from the other. It felt like the sun was shining directly on him and he was completely bare.

At the request, he looked up quickly, his expression seeming more concerned. Sure it was raining, but he didn't want to intrude on the other's space.

He stood up from the bench, hands finding themselves back in his pockets.

Kounosuke sat right down next to the other.

“Do you like the piano too?”

He hadn’t expected the other to do such a thing, but that was just the wonderful part of learning more about other people. Raising both arms, the tanuki plays a gentle little tune. It’s short, and sweet, as he looks towards the mug.

“I know I’ll never be a famous player or anything, but when I’m home like this, I like to spend a little while playing with it. Reminds me of all that quality time I spent with my mother.”

He turned to the other, still keeping his smile and nodded.

“Yeah, I do. Took me some time to finally get a hang of it but now playing it is like riding a bike.”

The other wasn’t expecting Kouno to begin playing for him right then and there. It was something that Mugs had already started to mentally prepare for since he saw the instrument. Seeing it in the other’s home meant it was there for a reason. Since Kouno was humble, Mugs then knew it wasn’t just for show.

“I remember when I first started I really wanted the fame. But it was just the younger version of me seeking attention and validation for strangers. When I decided to let go of that and just begin to do it for myself, that’s when things began to click and I could just-”

He began to play along with Kouno, matching the exact melody and acting as a second hand.

“My mother originally wanted me to be famous. She used to say things like, ‘oh, my little Kou is going to be a famous pianist’. That’s her nickname for me. Little Kou. I never became famous, but she wasn’t any less proud of what I decided to do.”

Seeking validation from strangers was pretty easy to fall into. For a lot of his life, Kounosuke had done the same thing, sometimes even making himself out to be a joke in hopes of making other people laugh. But he’d learned the hard way, that he didn’t like to be the joke. He wanted to be respected too.

Not that it stops him from joking around, even now. He’s still a very silly tanuki. Also, a very impressed tanuki when Mugs is able to follow along with him.

“Why don’t you sing a song to go with it? Your voice is so smooth, I bet you’d sound great, hehe.”

“Little Kou, that’s very sweet.”

His heart beat increased as yet another familiar word was tossed out into the open. Only this time it made him feel more fear than joy. He hadn’t sang for anyone before. He loved to sing for himself and for the nature that surrounded him, but he never had someone critique or hear him before. 

But he didn’t want to shot this opportunity down. He needed to be brave and trust Kouno. It was the thought of the song that counted, rather than the quality...right?

Even though he was unaware of how lovely his voice was.

The teen signs.

The porcelain’s eyes grew little wider as he noticed that familiar instrument. It had been some time since he had seen one so...up close. The last time he had laid his hands on one was when he was just a child living with both his brother and Elder Kettle. His brother was a natural at it, but Mugs didn’t stop practicing until one day it just clicked and he began to play with no stresses or worries.

To hear and see this piano and have it be connected to Kouno only made Mugs smile and walk closer to the instrument, taking a seat and getting a feel for the keys first. He listened to the words Kouno said but remained silent. 

Kounosuke sat right down next to the other.

“Do you like the piano too?”

He hadn’t expected the other to do such a thing, but that was just the wonderful part of learning more about other people. Raising both arms, the tanuki plays a gentle little tune. It’s short, and sweet, as he looks towards the mug.

“I know I’ll never be a famous player or anything, but when I’m home like this, I like to spend a little while playing with it. Reminds me of all that quality time I spent with my mother.”

He turned to the other, still keeping his smile and nodded.

“Yeah, I do. Took me some time to finally get a hang of it but now playing it is like riding a bike.”

The other wasn’t expecting Kouno to begin playing for him right then and there. It was something that Mugs had already started to mentally prepare for since he saw the instrument. Seeing it in the other’s home meant it was there for a reason. Since Kouno was humble, Mugs then knew it wasn’t just for show.

“I remember when I first started I really wanted the fame. But it was just the younger version of me seeking attention and validation for strangers. When I decided to let go of that and just begin to do it for myself, that’s when things began to click and I could just-”

He began to play along with Kouno, matching the exact melody and acting as a second hand.

"Oh, yeah. This piano has been in my family since before I was born. My mother passed it down to me when I got my own place."

A hand is set upon the top of it, rubbing gently. Kounosuke had a lot of fond memories with this piano.

The porcelain’s eyes grew little wider as he noticed that familiar instrument. It had been some time since he had seen one so...up close. The last time he had laid his hands on one was when he was just a child living with both his brother and Elder Kettle. His brother was a natural at it, but Mugs didn’t stop practicing until one day it just clicked and he began to play with no stresses or worries.

To hear and see this piano and have it be connected to Kouno only made Mugs smile and walk closer to the instrument, taking a seat and getting a feel for the keys first. He listened to the words Kouno said but remained silent.