recolle | Family Day Out! [Open]

Family Day Out! [Open]

WHO: Togusa and Hikari and you!
WHERE: Hollingberry Field
WHEN: August 4
WHAT: Stupid adorable family time with a cookout and baseball
WARNINGS: None

Togusa texted a few friends to see who was available, but his group is easily findable at the park. It's still early August, the summer can still be enjoyed for a few more weeks. So he wanted to get out and do something.

I: Baseball/teeball

The morning time is mostly devoted to baseball, or, in Hikari's case, teeball. Togusa has a stand all set up, and has given Hikari a bright yellow plastic bat. He's taken a knee to give her pointers on her level. There are plenty of other supplies, though, for the big kids to play, too.

Togusa shuffles back a little to make sure he doesn't get hit, and Hikari bites her lip as she takes her first swing. Bonk! Right into the stand, and the ball wobbles off to fall right at her feet. Togusa gives a very patient smile. "That was good, just a little higher. Try it again?"

II: Cookout

Togusa has taken over one of the shelters with an outdoor grill so that he can cook up food, because he hasn't done this in forever. He mixed up the burgers at home (soy sauce and garlic marinade) and brought them here to cook. He relented and grabbed a pack of hot dogs, too, Hikari's favorite.

Hikari can be found playing, she doesn't have the patience to sit and wait, but someone else totally has the patience. Daisuke is lurking under Togusa's feet, eyes locked on to his prize, and his tail twitches every so often. Waiting, waiting. Dad will mess up. It will happen. And then it will be all mine. Togusa thinks that pretending to ignore Daisuke and just continuing to cook will discourage him. How wrong he is.

III: Day turns to night

It's at the end of the day, and Hikari is falling asleep on the bench. Mission success, Togusa got the kid all tired out. He scoops her up into his arms as he continues to talk to a few last people, admittedly in quieter tones. But the little proud smile he has on his face never quite goes away. He's happier right now than anybody here has seen him before. Not even over anything huge or life-changing, but there's something deeper going on here.

He was worried his promotion to detective would leave him with less time for Hikari. After seeing Gabranth, the guy who at first looked like he had everything that Togusa wanted, but had no time for a family life? It only made him more worried. But it all comes down to effort, and insisting on making the time. He can still be the dad he wants to be.

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When James received the text asking him to come to a cookout, he figured he was better off going than snubbing it. Not that he really wants to be here, around a police detective, but he forces himself to stay relaxed and play it cool.

He sees Togusa playing with some kid (his daughter?) so he decides he shouldn't interrupt. He does, though, walk over to the pile of baseball supplies he has set up. He picks up a baseball bat and starts swinging it almost like it's a towel, in a circle off to the side. There's nothing to bat at, but at the least, he can twirl it idly and give himself something to do while he tries to make it look like he's not watching this little baseball lesson.

At first, Togusa doesn't spot him, and keeps on with the lesson. Hikari sucks her lip between her teeth, and lets out a sound of 'mmmmm' to get ready, before she swings again.

Bonk! This time, right on the money, and the tee-ball bounces straight over towards James, bopping on the ground before rolling to a stop at his feet.

"Great job!" Togusa takes the time to congratulate Hikari before he stands up and heads over. The proud papa smile doesn't diminish at all, and he is giving James a very similar look.

"James." A raise of his hand. "I'm really glad to see you, thanks for coming out." You know, after the last time we 'saw' each other...

Really, he should have expected this. He was, after all, standing within Togusa's line of sight. Him being noticed was fully a possibility that he should have anticipated (or at least prepared for) more. Now he's got a detective who knows he's here and who's paying attention to him.

His bat-swinging slows to a stop and he raises a hand in greeting back. It takes him a few moments to figure out what to say.

"Well, you texted, so..."

"Didn't know if you had the time," Togusa admits with a shrug. "But it's been a while since we've had any time where things weren't going wrong." Things are still going wrong, but, less so right now.

"I think we needed a day of some fun." He is keeping his tone familiar and relaxed around James. He tilts his head over towards the tee-ball station. "Come on, I don't think you've met Hikari?"

Togusa tosses the ball back to Hikari, who misses the catch, but chases to get it. Togusa chuckles lightly. "Wanna try again? Hit a few for my friend, James?" Hikari looks up at James. If there's anything she finds odd about his arm, she doesn't say anything. Doesn't seem to focus on it, is far more interested in his face. She nods eagerly.

It's been a while... yeah, intentionally, he thinks to himself. He hates this even more now because he has no idea how to interact with kids. Is he supposed to babytalk to her? What's the right level of interaction for someone his age to a girl her age?

At least Togusa offers up something for her to do, rather than force him to keep puzzling out something to say or do himself, but he still isn't quite sure how to respond.

"Uh, okay. I'll catch them, then, I guess."

He grabs a catcher's mitt from the pile off to the side and slides it onto his right hand.

Welcome to traditional male bonding activities, James. Something physical, and slightly interactive, but not directly interactive so you don't have to actually make eye contact or keep conversation outside of what is right in front of you.

Aint it great?

Togusa looks up when James slides on the glove, like he's catching something strange out of the corner of his eye. He can't dwell on it too long, though, and kneels to help set Hikari up again.

"Okay...ready?"

Tongue between her teeth, Hikari winds up and hits the ball again successfully. It bounces and rolls over the grass a little bit, and is a ground ball by the time it rolls to where James is standing.

Well. Not much to do there. James leans down and picks up the ball with his non-mitted hand, the left one. He tosses it back to Togusa--probably harder than he needed to. Rather than a light toss, it comes out more as a pitch in itself.

It's always a delight to hang out, and getting to go out together with the children. Koutarou has not been a parent for a long time, particularly not in comparison with his best friend, but he's hoping he's doing a good job.

Worries aside - because he'll always have those concerning both parenting and teaching - he's brought along both mushrooms and vegetables (what? you can't only eat meat). Playing baseball is difficult and he probably won't get a hang of it, despite martial arts reflexes, but teeball suits him just fine, though he takes a break eventually. "So, if I bet on Daisuke winning this competition of wills, what will I get when I win?"

Vegetables are a fortunate thing, given Gar's dietary preferences. He holds a half-frozen bag of his preferred brand of vegetarian tofu dogs that he'd purchased after being informed that they were going on this outing.

He greets Togusa with what appears to be a pained smile, though this is just his normal expression.

"Hi... Mr. Togusa."

Daisuke gets a more relaxed smile.

It's all smiles for Koutarou, the two of them needed a slower day like this. Togusa gratefully grabs the plate of vegetables, those will take longer to grill.

Togusa points at Koutarou before even looking at him. "I. Am going to win this. Daidai is not allowed, I can hold out." Oh, it's not about holding out, it's about slipping up, Togusa. And Daisuke knows it. The little white miniature schnauzer takes his time. He can't move too fast, it almost looks like there's something off with his front right paw. But he lurks. And waits.

Togusa's big lapse in attention comes when he turns to Gar. "Good to see you!" He looks at the package of tofu dogs, and hmms. "I can get these on, no problem. Might take a bit. Haven't seen any of these since back home..."

Daisuke pads forwards and sniff, sniffffffs at Gar. Something smells nice about this one.

"I didn't know tofu dogs were invisible, when they taste good."

Koutarou may not be vegetarian himself, but that doesn't stop him from enjoying the food and deciding to learn how to cook more of it after adopting Gar.

"Just don't let him lose any of them."

The second is directed toward his son, and is at the same time a jab at his best friend and the dog's current duel. If Togusa drops any of those hot dogs, they might be lost to the furry dog's stomach.

"Haha... Ahh -- they're usually, you know. In the back of the freezer."

Since no one usually wants them.

"You can take your time, Mr. Togusa... Thanks for cooking."

He lowers himself to one knee as Daisuke approaches and reaches out a hand towards the dog. Gar will ensure that all the tofu dogs are properly cooked by sufficiently distracting Daisuke. The very good dog gets a few enthusiastic pats as Gar smiles.

He will probably smell...

oddly like dog to the pup.

Daisuke is so very confused but excited because he is getting attention. His nose keeps jutting forwards, trying to sniff more and more of Gar, following his hand as he goes. It leaves him almost pacing back and forth until he finally settles down and just accepts pettings. A contented 'boof' is his only response. Has he solved the mystery? Who knows?

Togusa shifts things around to get the tofu dogs on the grill, he wants to make sure Gar has something he can eat as quick as possible.

"How's your summer going?" The question aimed at both Koutarou and Gar, frankly. as both of them are between classes, in their own way.

"Mm, I know." He does shop for them too after all. He's the parent and all. He may still not know all of Gar's tastes but he knows this much.

As the conversation putters along, Koutarou does a few quick sketches in his sketchbook to save the memories they're making in image. He's no good with cameras, but he can do this.

"It's coming along. Almost over on my part though," Koutarou does have to go back a bit earlier to prep for the new school year after all. He turns his attention over to Gar fully instead of splitting it between the two, for a while. "We should go shopping for anything you think you might need before it starts up."

Gar would honestly prefer to just sit there and pet Daisuke for the next three hours rather than making conversation with adults, but he should probably try to be at least somewhat sociable.

"Er. ...Right."

School was starting soon.

"...We're still doing school?" Under any other circumstances, this might be an odd question, but also, people were switching bodies at random, so. "I guess summer has been OK. Besides, you know. ...Everything that Retrospec does, all the time."

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Family Day Out! [Open]

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