Oh yeah, that’s just how a lot of people are around here! They wanna help! I kinda know what you mean though. Sometimes you wanna pay anyway because you feel like it’s the right thing to do.
[Of course ex-Burnish owned establishments, or those that employed a lot of Burnish in the past would wanna help, but there’s also a few business owners that realize the ex-Burnish are just trying to survive now and want to pitch in to help as well. Maybe that’s a sign that the anti-Burnish sentiment has died down at least a little bit.
Galo meanwhile is grinning like a fool because he’s just so excited to see Lio that he could burst. They don’t get much one on one time together, so tonight could be the perfect opportunity for them to catch up a little. They text fairly frequently, but it’s just not the same as seeing somebody in person.]
Sounds like a deal then! And the Snuggie offer still stands, by the way! It’s totally the best feeling ever to be curled up under a warm blanket while munching on pizza and watching good movies! Or really terrible cheesy ones that are so bad that they’re funny.
I could totally quiz you on them afterwards too if you wanna practice! I’ll just toss popcorn at you or make really loud buzzing noises if you get something wrong. Better than getting silly string in the face from Lucia!
Edited 2020-01-11 07:24 (UTC)
me sitting there thinking it sent for like 30 mins not realizing it reloaded to captcha
Anti-Burnish sentiment doesn't go way over a few weeks or a few months. They ought to be charging everyone to be safe, but I understand why they don't always.
[ he's seen the way people treat burning rescue; it's not unwarranted and he won't try to convince people from doing what they think is right if they're certain about it. he'll just have to make sure he's taking care of them too. whether it's money or time or doing the same thing galo's offering - stepping in when someone is hassled. it's less frequent every day but he hasn't made it this far without a measure of caution.
for now, things are easier. all he has to do is get pizza and bring it to galo's apartment. ]
I'll stick with your normal blankets, but thanks. I think the armholes would probably be too large anyway. Was the idea of book club too boring for Burning Rescue?
[ had to go with silly string quizzes to the face over movies instead of discussions??? ]
You choose the movie. Terrible cheesy sounds like a good option.
[It’s true, people are going to be shitheads about the ex-Burnish reintegrating into society at some point, if they haven’t already. But Galo and the rest of Burning Rescue are always going to be on the side of the ex-Burnish now that Kray’s crimes have been uncovered for the world to see. Plus, even before then they thought it was wrong of Freeze Force to arrest innocent Burnish for simply existing, even if it took Galo meeting Lio to set him completely straight about who the Burnish really are.
Even now life isn’t all sunshine and rainbows for the ex-Burnish, and it likely never will be, but Galo has faith that anti-Burnish sentiment will fade over time, even if he has to go educate people himself.
But maybe, just for tonight, the two of them can focus on relaxing and having fun, because if anyone deserves that much it’s the heroes who saved the world.]
Oh yeah, I didn’t think about that! You’re right, the holes might let too much heat escape. I’d have to make a Lio sized Snuggie! Or just wrap you up in a blanket burrito to keep you warm! If you start getting really cold you can always just sit close to me, I run nice and hot like, all the time!!
[Yes Lio, cuddle up to him, he’s like a human furnace.]
And yeah totally!! I only like books with pictures. Otherwise they just put me to sleep.
[He’s an idiot through and through, but at least he’s emotionally competent. He’s good at telling how people feel and trying to help them however he can, and that’s way more important than book smarts!!]
You got it! If you want cheesy we can watch an old Godzilla movie, or a really bad horror movie with blood that looks like ketchup. Or maybe a cheesy sci-fi movie. We can always change it up if you’re not into it! Maybe something that’s so bad it makes you laugh would be good too!
[He...kind of really wants to see Lio laugh. Like, gut-busting laughter. Welp, looks like that’s his new mission tonight. Hell, he’d even be satisfied with a grin and a chuckle. Anything to make Lio feel just a little bit lighter, if only for a short while.]
[ relaxing. it's not so foreign a thought these days, but it's still not as frequent as meis and gueira would probably like for it to be for him. they're good at convincing him, though, which means there's a faint delay between texts where galo's briefly left on read. it's not an argument so much as it is both meis and gueira joining forces, bullying him out of the resettlement center with the instructions not to come back until monday. they're both ridiculously strong on their own but united, even without their powers, lio doesn't stand a chance.
looking back at his phone, lio rolls his eyes to the sky, helplessly fond despite the offer to destroy perfectly good blankets. ]
Galo I promise I don't need you to make me a snuggie. Please don't cut your blankets up. If I get cold I'll steal two of your blankets while we're watching something.
[ or steal galo's heat; he's a criminal, right? might as well lean into it. if he's going to spend the evening over at galo's house then he may as well make an event of it, especially if galo's offering. the movie isn't so important to him; the entertainment will be fine, sure, but the movie he could take or leave. he's going for galo's company, for the loud, boisterous laughter, for the warmth that radiates from him as sure as any flame lio's ever summoned. ]
[Galo will have to thank Meis and Gueira for giving Lio the boot for the weekend, because he’s so stupidly excited that he’s practically vibrating right now. Reconstruction efforts on top of his normal duties means that Galo has been kept plenty busy himself, but even he is willing to actually sit his ass down and relax if it means getting to see Lio. And eat pizza. Those two things combined make for a perfect night, in his humble opinion.
Snuggie or no, this is bound to be good for them both.]
Okay okay, just blankets then. As long as you’re warm enough!
[Galo is more than willing to share his heat with Lio, so steal away! His BURNING SOUL will keep them both plenty warm!!
That question gives him pause though. He doesn’t want to be greedy, but he’s got a hell of an appetite, and he doesn’t want to end up getting grumpy because he didn’t get enough to eat. Hanger is a real emotion!!]
Uh Well I usually eat an entire pizza by myself so Maybe two? Three? I don’t wanna make you carry more than that! It depends on how hungry you are I guess! Besides, leftovers are always good for breakfast!
[That gets him wondering if Lio will want to stay like...all night. He really hopes so, even if he’s not used to hosting sleepovers or anything. He’d never kick Lio out in the middle of the night, so!! It all depends on what Lio wants to do.]
[ don't THANK THEM THEN THEY'LL DO IT MORE OFTEN. not that he's protesting the idea of seeing galo, because somehow, the golden retriever trapped inside a very large man is one of his favorite people to spend time with, but it's the principle of the thing. ]
I'm sure I will be.
[ one way or another. if that happens to mean sharing a blanket or two (or his absurd snuggie) then lio will just do that. galo's right; he does radiate heat; with the lack of the promare, now, he's one of the warmest people that lio knows. ]
Three to be safe, then. I can manage that. [ he blames the fact that he's walking on missing what galo says about breakfast, at first, but when he sees it, he has to read it two or three times, wondering if he's reading into things too much. ]
They are. Am I spending the night? I don't have anything to wear.
[Lio’s buddies know what’s up. They just gotta push their Boss in Galo’s general direction more often and watch the magic happen.]
Alright! Thanks Lio! You can get whatever toppings you want too! The only pizza I can’t stand is the kind with anchovies, but if you want them I’ll just eat a different one. The Inferno Margharita Megamax is the best!
[He’s a walking garbage disposal though, so he’ll be happy with whatever Lio picks as long as it’s fish-free. Three pizzas should be plenty for them to munch on all night and into the morning. Speaking of which...]
Sure, if you want to! I was kinda hoping you might, actually.
[Having fun until they pass out in the wee hours of the morning only to wake up to each other’s company again? Hell yeah!! Galo is totally onboard with this.]
And that’s not a problem! You can borrow one of my shirts if you want!
[Not like he really wears them much anyway.]
My pants are all probably way too big though, even the ones with drawstrings on them. But if you want you can just sleep in your underwear! I do it all the time!
[Yeah, that totally works! Lio in one of his shirts and his boxers or whatever kind of underwear Lio wears. Granted his shirt might be way too big for him and might hang off of Lio’s shoulder a little...hm.
It’s totally not weird to be picturing Lio in that stuff, right? Right. Probably. Maybe.]
I remember. Your friends have said the same thing. I'll make sure to get it. Your shirts are probably going to be pretty large, but that will work.
[ on the sidewalk, someone nearly shoulder checks him and it's not because they're an asshole that recognizes him for being the leader of mad burnish - it's because he's staring at his phone like a moron, ears warm, unable to stop considering exactly what galo sleeping in his boxers or briefs looks like. torn between irritation at being flustered and irritation at his own ridiculousness, he power walks the rest of the way to the pizza shop, hood tugged up tight over his ears to try and mitigate the biting cold of the wind. ]
We'll cross that bridge when we come to it I guess. I'll get the pizza. Should be there in an hour or so.
I’m totally up for it! I love these two A Lot :D
[Yes good Lio is going to wear one of his shirts and Galo is going to be stupidly happy about it.]
Yay! You’re the best, Lio! And okay, I’ll have a clean one laid out for you when you get there.
[Finally a use for all the shirts he doesn’t wear unless he absolutely has to. He probably couldn’t sleep in a shirt if he tried, which is why he just strips down to his underwear and passes out in bed on the nights when he’s actually home. He just sleeps in his rescue gear during long nights at the firehouse.]
Okay! Be careful out there, Lio! I’ll come rescue you if I need to, but you’ll probably be fine. In the meantime I’ll get everything set up for us! Just text me when you get close!
[An hour is more than enough time for him to get home, set out all the drinks and snacks and lay out a clean shirt for Lio on his bed. If Lio is going to be spending the night then he should sleep in the most comfortable spot while Galo takes the couch. His bed is only full size since he’s a bachelor, but it should be more than enough for Lio to have room to stretch out and get comfy.
The last thing to take care of is popping the movie in, which he’ll surprise Lio with when he gets there. He thinks he chose a good one, so it should be fun! He also cleared off the coffee table so Lio can have a place to work if he wants, and he even threw out all the old takeout containers and empty soda cans he’d left laying around from the last time he hung out at home. It wouldn’t do for Lio to see his apartment all messy and gross, after all!
As soon as everything is ready Galo will wait patiently for Lio, staring at the front door like a loyal dog waiting for its master to come home. He doesn’t really have a huge place or fancy furniture or anything, but he’s confident that Lio will still be able to have a good time regardless!]
Edited 2020-01-12 02:30 (UTC)
big same!! i am going to slide onto mhw for a bit, make dinner & draw some shit so i will be ssslow
[ it's sweet he makes the offer of rescue, and it doesn't come from a place of doubting lio can handle himself. it's just...galo. kind to a fault, sometimes. making his way to the pizza shop while he's not texting goes much quicker, dodging and weaving between people who mostly don't pay him a second look. it's still...weird, to be on a city street like this, walking to do something as mundane as get a pizza for a... hang out? co-working situation? hell, he doesn't know. there's not a name for most of what he's doing at this point but that's not important.
what is, is checking in on the owner, the pizza maker. burnish who had homes and businesses were some that were hurt in ways most difficult to fix; kray hadn't cared about keeping records of property, or goods, which meant jumping through countless hoop after hoop to get people back what they were owed. anything that happened even earlier was harder to prove but they would figure it out. there was no other choice but success.
the order of two inferno margharita megamax pizzas gets a laugh and a knowing for galo thymos, huh?
everyone in this city who knows him says his name the same way: this mix of fond and awed and a little reverent. lio gets it; he feels the same way.
despite purchasing three pizzas, he's only allowed to pay for one; lio's lips thin and he debates making it an order before changing tack; he shoves the wad of cash he intended to use to pay into the tip jar instead and flits out the door before anyone can stop him. the walk over is just as uneventful; lio's kept warm by the pizzas, but the wind doesn't get any warmer. by the time he's knocking on galo's door his hair is wind-ruffled and mussed, cheeks pinked with the chill. ]
Sounds like fuuunn I need to get back to mhw eventually...
[After fighting Lio on the rooftop of Foresight Pharmaceuticals Galo would have to be a complete moron to underestimate him now. Even without his Burnish powers he’s quick on his feet, skilled at reading his opponent and determined enough not to give up or back down easily, so even if somebody tried to start something Galo is certain that Lio could handle it. Small he may be, but he’s plenty fierce, and it would take an army of no-good punks to give him enough trouble to need rescuing. Plus he’s incredibly charismatic, so that’s just another point in his favor.
No, Galo offers because he’d do just about anything to make Lio feel welcome in the city, including rescuing him from thugs, even if he didn’t need it. Lio definitely has a lifelong companion in Galo, which is probably mostly a blessing but also sorry Lio you have a huge idiot that wants your attention more often than not now. Anybody who knows Galo knows how excitable he is, and once you’ve met him there’s no forgetting him, for better or worse. Lucky for Galo most people seem to like him, though his coworkers should probably all get medals or something for putting up with his stubborn, reckless behavior on a daily basis.
Luckily Lio seems to appreciate his boisterous personality, otherwise Galo doubts he’d subject himself to spending quality time with him. Lio is a pretty blunt guy sometimes, and he’d probably decline an offer to hang out and watch movies if he truly didn’t want to. Still, as Galo waits for Lio to show up he starts to feel increasingly worried that maybe Lio won’t want to do this again if it goes badly. Oh, Galo is plenty confident in pretty much everything he does, but this whole wanting to impress and entertain Lio thing has even his cocky self slightly nervous. It’s strange, because he doesn’t even bat an eye when he’s faced with a roaring inferno, but making sure that Lio has a good time so he’ll want to come back? That’s enough to give even Galo Thymos butterflies.
But he doesn’t have too long to dwell on it before Lio is knocking at his door, and Galo practically trips over his own two feet in his hurry to answer it. The second it opens Lio will be greeted with a bright, beaming smile, and the similarities to an excitable golden retriever will only grow more obvious by the second.]
Lio!! You’re here!! Oh, let me take those for you!
[Galo will take the pizzas from Lio before giving him a once-over, and he can tell just from a single glance that it’s still just as windy and cold out as it was when he drove home. Actually, Lio looks kinda cute like this, with his windswept hair and rosy cheeks, and it makes Galo’s heart flutter a bit. Good thing Galo catches himself staring before things get awkward, and he steps aside to let Lio in, because he certainly looks like he could use a blanket or two.]
C’mon in! Make yourself at home and I’ll get some plates!
[The place is pretty standard for a tiny apartment in the city, with a couch, a tv, a little table and of course a kitchen area and a bedroom. There’s not much in the way of decor aside from some firefighting memorabilia and a few movie posters, most of them Japanese. His love of firefighting is rivaled only by his fascination with Japanese culture, and it shows.
But Lio might be more interested in the stack of blankets on the couch than anything else, all of them intact and hole-free. There’s five total, because Galo wanted to be Prepared, and Lio is more than welcome to use them all. Meanwhile he sets the pizzas down on the coffee table before disappearing into the kitchen to grab some plates, calling out to Lio over his shoulder, as loud as ever. What is an inside voice??]
I’ve got soda and tea and coffee to drink! Which one do you want to go with your pizza?
Edited (Finds a couple of typos hours later ) 2020-01-12 06:40 (UTC)
it's such a timesink!!! also earrings lio is Important ok trigger promo art PLS
[ being invited into someone's apartment for pizza and movies, bringing his laptop to review the last set of housing contracts isn't quite where he saw their final battle leading to, but it's not bad, either. everyone else is settling into promepolis as best as they can, some faster than others. the resettlement center, which is effectively a repurposed hotel, is starting to show signs of change, touches of the people who live there daring to settle in despite years of being on the run. gueira bought a shoe rack he put it in the room they use as an office after tripping over meis' boots one too many times. some of the kids used their portion of the initial funds to put up posters in the hallway. someone had strung cheerful fairy lights up in the hotel's dining room.
lio hasn't used the shoe rack yet; if he's taking off his boots it's because he's in bed (and sometimes not even then). he doesn't need to use these things to appreciate it or what it means that slowly they're starting to feel like they can put down roots.
in front of him, the door opens up, the space filled with the broad line of galo's shoulders and too-bright smile. rather than risk staring and blind himself, lio pushes the pizzas into galo's hands with a quick flicker of a smile and ducks inside where it's warm. a full body shiver rolls through him at the last spiteful burst of cold as the door closes and then warmth of galo's apartment starts to bleed through cold leather. on his ear, the metal studs are still freezing; the one that's pierced is red, cold to the touch; lio places an equally cold hand on it to warm it up.
galo'd gotten there so fast - was he waiting by the door?
cute. ]
Thank you. Everyone there says hello.
[ a nod to the pizza boxes in galo's hands. burning rescue were basically celebrities there on their own before all of this happened, he's gathered. because of that and everything else, a lot of people have just sort of accepted that lio's a part of that same circle. they give him messages. meis and gueira ask after galo and the others. people recognize lio and the change is — good, of course it's good but it's weird, too, always being on for one reason or another. the tininess of galo's apartment feels more like a comfort. there won't be anyone coming in because it's just galo here. and lio.
spending the night, his traitorous brain reminds; lio fumbles his zipper the first time. once he manages it, sliding off his jacket and bag inside the warmth of galo's apartment feels like stepping outof armor. back in the kitchen, galo calls a question, loud despite the different room. lio heads over before he can find out if galo gets louder.
one slowly warming hand starts working to roll his sleeves up while he leans a shoulder against the doorway. ]
Soda, thanks. Can I— do anything? The top two are what you ordered. The third one is another one but with almost every topping, too.
[ lio was also a garbage disposal and so far fresh, piping hot food hasn't gotten old. what has gotten old: not longer being able to summon flames into any outfit he could imagine, or to fix an outfit when he spills something on it, or tears it. there was a level of impracticality to the mad burnish boss outfit, so he's compromised.
the jacket draped on the couch was still black leather, but thicker lined, less militant decoration and more sharp studs and belts. his boots are the same: thick-soled, with too many buckles, up to his knees. he's kept the leather pants, tucked into the boots. above both of those, is an outfit that doesn't make him feel entirely absurd, palatable by promepolis, but not comfortable to sleep in. he had to go to a mall to get it, facing the same budget everyone else had abided by, trying to find a balance between mad burnish flashiness and 'could be dragged into meetings for six hours' at any moment.
not bad, just....weird. ]
Earrings Lio is very important, and lord, that outfit, sweats profusely
[Galo isn’t exactly suited to performing normal, everyday duties all the time, but large-scale disasters and the like are far less common these days, and he ends up using his Matoi gear for heavy lifting more than fighting now. That’s good for the city as a whole, and Galo is glad that the ex-Burnish are able to settle in when things are calm and peaceful, but he’d be lying if he said he didn’t miss all the action he saw when Mad Burnish was still at large. Maybe he can convince Lio to spar with him sometime. Yeah, totally!! Even without their gear they can probably still have a good friendly fight, and this time no lives would be at stake!!
He’s totally going to do that now, but not tonight and not in his tiny apartment. For now he’s more than happy to play host to Lio, even if he’d be just as happy to come visit him at the resettlement center sometime. He’d love to see how everyone is settling in, and maybe he could even entertain the kids by being his normal exuberant self. This is nice though, a quiet (sort of, it’s Galo, after all) night with just the two of them. He’d even put on a shirt for the occasion after he got home and showered, though it’s tight enough that it leaves very little to the imagination. Just a standard black shirt, which is what he’d set out for Lio to wear later as well. They can match!! Sort of. He’s still wearing his usual bright FDPP pants, which he doesn’t have any spares of, but should totally try and order for Lio sometime.
For now though he’ll try and focus on one thing at a time, namely the pizza, and he beams even more when Lio relays the message from the pizza shop to him.]
Yeah? Those guys are the best! The freshest, tastiest pizza in town with the friendliest employees!
[He still remembers how awful it was to watch both the owner and the chef get arrested by Vulcan, but now they should be able to do business without living in fear. The fact that Lio can freely walk around now is also a comfort, and Galo is glad that he’s been accepted by just about everybody he knows. Galo wouldn’t stand for anything less, after all.
He rummages around in the fridge, grabbing out two sodas before shutting it with his foot, and when he turns back around suddenly Lio is there, looking like that, in that outfit, and Galo’s eyes go comically wide. Excuse him as he stares for a minute, suddenly feeling far too hot, because it’s so strange seeing Lio in a different outfit but damn does he look good. Black is definitely his color, and those pants...hoo boy...
Ahem. Anyway. Play it cool, Thymos.]
Ah...the plates are on the counter if you wanna grab those, but otherwise you can just settle in if you want.
[Because that’s what Galo is going to before he embarrasses himself even further. He’ll carry their drinks to the table and flop back down on the couch, trying not to let his eyes wander back over to Lio and make him feel uncomfortable but ultimately failing because he’s an obvious idiot and surely Lio is gonna call him out for staring at him like a weirdo.]
New outfit, huh? It’s nice. And cool. I like it. You look good.
[He...wonders if maybe he should’ve dressed up a little too. He’s always valued comfort over style when it comes to clothing, his flashiness all in his hair and his Matoi gear. Plus there’s no way he could pull off an outfit like the one Lio is wearing, so the best he could hope for is maybe some cargo pants and a nice button-up shirt or something.
But anyway, pizza!! He pats the couch cushion next to him in invitation, grinning at Lio once more despite the awkwardness just now. Just gonna try and pretend that never happened.]
I’ll start the movie here in a sec. I picked out a good one, so you’re in for a treat!!
Edited 2020-01-12 22:23 (UTC)
MB walking into target like [GRITS TEETH] i'm sure we can find something
[ it's been years since they could do something like walk freely into a pizza shop and make a purchase like that; the downside to being so recognizable when it came to mad burnish was that obtaining things like food came with the risk of being noticed. now, it's less an issue; if someone wants to start something in the pizza shop lio can still hold his own but there's a certainty that it won't be tolerated how it was. it still isn't the best situation but it's better than it's been. progress.
galo bends to fetch soda and lio forcibly looks up and away, focusing on the sink so he doesn't stare at poor galo, who's nice enough to invite him over and doesn't need to be ogled in his own home. don't be weird lio tells himself, obediently grabbing the plates of pizza and taking them out into the living room with the couch and the tv. galo's already sprawled on it, shirt stretched over his absurdly large chest; lio hands his slices of pizza over and settles on his half of the couch in turn. shameless, he goes for the blankets after making sure the pizza isn't going to get knocked over; he steals two of them and nestles himself into a proper blanket nest, carefully perching the pizza on top of bent knees. ]
Oh. Thanks. It's...been an adjustment. Needing to change clothes.
[ the scarves are discarded with his jacket, tucked off to the side and lio makes a faint face at the button-up shirt. he feels ridiculous in it, but with so many mouths to feed and so much red tape to go through, the lion's share of initial settlements went toward food, re-homing, and other important things. what portions went to clothing were minimal, for the time being, and while lio intends for that to change eventually it's slow going.
lio folds one of his slices in half neatly and takes a bite, a finger catching the dripping cheese, ferrying it into his mouth carefully, glancing over at galo. ]
Is it ketchup blood or Godzilla?
Just sneak leather and spikes in when they can because Aesthetic
Uhhh...like...three maybe? I dunno but nothing beats the Inferno Margharita Megamax so I don’t usually bother going anywhere else. Plus the owner is such a nice guy that he deserves all the business he can get!
[And he actually gave a Burnish a job and treated him fairly before Vulcan ruined everything. Galo still remembers the reactions people had to finding out that a Burnish made their pizza, but he has to hope that the public’s opinion has shifted since then or he’s gonna have to go around re-educating people more than he thought he would. The good thing about being a recognizable, unforgettable loudmouth idiot hero is that people do tend to take his opinion on things somewhat seriously, and if Galo thinks the ex-Burnish are good people then maybe others will follow suit.
But really, when Galo looks at Lio he doesn’t see an ex-Burnish, or the former leader of a “terrorist” group. He just sees Lio Fotia, a person he thinks the world of, and that holds true even now...even if he’s kind of starting to notice that Lio is very attractive. He’s always known that, of course, but now it’s like, super noticeable, especially when Lio sheds even more clothing and settles in on the couch. He has every right to ogle Galo as much as he likes, because that’s kind of what Galo is doing right now, even if he knows he shouldn’t.
It’s kinda hard not to though, because Lio just looks so cute as he wraps himself up in those blankets and starts eating his pizza, and Galo looks at him with nothing but genuine fondness in his eyes as he starts chowing down on his own pizza.]
Oh right, I guess you just kinda used your Burnish powers to change clothes before, right? That armor of yours was pretty badass!
[But he finds that he quite likes Lio’s current look as well, and Galo can’t help but wonder how he’d look in other clothes as well. Maybe a big, oversized sweater to keep him nice and cozy and warm...or Galo’s shirt, which he’s actually going to wear later, and Galo can already tell that he’s going to have a hard time keeping his eyes off of Lio once he’s in it.
Just like he’s having trouble keeping his eyes off of him right now, watching him eat his pizza in a super cute way that Galo has never really considered before because his technique usually involves shoving as much as he can into his mouth at once. At least he’s making an effort not to be a total slob in front of Lio right now though, and he licks his lips of any remaining sauce instead of wiping it off with his hand and licking it up like an animal...which is what he normally does...no wonder Aina always gives him a Look when they eat together.
Lio’s question finally snaps him out of his not so subtle staring, and Galo grabs the remote before switching the TV on and starting up the movie.]
Actually it’s something else! Here, I’ll show you!!
[Once the menu loads the secret movie selection is revealed...
It’s...Frozen. Like Disney’s Frozen. Like Anna and Elsa Frozen, and Galo looks absolutely thrilled about his choice as he gestures towards the screen, which is currently showing a preview clip of Elsa using her powers to make all kinds of objects with ice.]
I know you said terrible and cheesy, and I was totally gonna pick one like that, but then I remembered that I still had a copy of this that Lucia let me borrow, and one of the characters kind of reminded me of you! Except with ice powers instead of fire! Pretty cool, huh?
[That’s one word for it. Nevermind that he didn’t consider the fact that Lio might not enjoy an animated musical movie.]
Edited 2020-01-13 01:13 (UTC)
they're doing their best ALSO HOLY SHIT MY WORK HAS BEEN...BATSHIT i'm so sorry
He is. We're lucky there were people like him, and you.
[ people brave enough to do something even though they knew it wasn't allowed or they'd get in to trouble. people who wouldn't bow down to kray, or vulcan, or would play the game just well enough that they could do good from where they were. it was a delicate balance to maintain and lio respected that, just like he understood that there was only so much he could expect from anyone not burnish. they were lucky to have people like chief and galo to rely on, especially after so long with no one but themselves to.
there's a delicacy to how he's eating, even if he's starving. the last thing he wants it to make a complete and total mess of himself or galo's blankets, so each bite is careful, calculated, swiping up the remainder before it spills. it's easier to concentrate on the pizza than it is to acknowledge the softness on galo's face, in the set of his shoulders as he looks at lio on the other side of the couch. all those months spent being brave and diving headfirst into stupid situations that would potentially kill him, and now he's here. eating pizza because he isn't entirely certain how to approach any of this.
movies are easy, though. right? he's settled in on the couch with meis and gueira before, tangled in a knot of legs and blankets, catching up on things they missed. that was easy. ( this was, of course, nothing like hanging out with meis and gueira for a variety of reasons and so that comparison absolutely won't work. )
on screen, everything boots up and lio focuses as much as he can on the loading screen, only for it to be neither godzilla or a dumb horror movie. instead - of course. lio's lucky his mouth isn't full of pizza because the laugh is startled out of him, eyes wide. he's heard of it, of course. they had children in the settlement who were obsessed with it and a bunch of other cartoons like it. lio hadn't ever watched it but somehow, he's picked up a number of songs.
once he's sure he's not going to choke on his own tongue (wouldn't that be a fucking end to the leader of mad burnish) lio cuts galo a clearly amused look, shaking his head. ]
If I'm Elsa, then who would you be? [ anna and elsa are the only two he knows, honestly, but they're the important ones, he figures. ]
No worries! Hopefully the weekend will be more relaxing for you!
[D’aww Lio, you’re gonna make him blush. No but please praise him more, he loves it.]
You’ll always have me on your side, Lio!
[He means that wholeheartedly. You’re stuck with this dumb, well-meaning himbo forever now, Lio. All of the respect and admiration he’d had for Kray is a thing of the past, and instead Galo is now a full-fledged Lio Fotia fanboy, for better or worse. Not that Lio is anything like Kray, of course, but he’s certainly become the most important person Galo’s life in a very short time, and that’s an impressive feat.
Also impressive is the amount of restraint Lio has when it comes to chowing down on pizza. Galo was barely able to contain himself long enough to start the movie, and the second he pushes play and sets the remote down he starts shoveling pizza into his face like a man starved, though he does pause occasionally so that he can actually have a conversation with Lio. Just ignore the crumbs all over his mouth...and the grease all over his fingers...classy.
When he catches Lio shaking his head out of the corner of his eye he starts to worry that Lio isn’t pleased with his choice of movies, but then he turns to actually look at him, and that amused expression on Lio’s face immediately gets him smiling again. Exasperated fondness seems to be a common thing that people experience when they’re around him, and he doesn’t mind it in the slightest.]
Uhhhh...probably Kristoff? Or maybe Olaf! Both of them are good! If you don’t know them then you’ll see what I mean as you watch the movie!
[He’s never really thought about it before, but really, he and Olaf have plenty in common. Goofy, cheerful, well-meaning but also kind of dense; yup, he’s an Olaf alright. At least he’s plenty warm though, unlike the lovable snowman, so if Lio just so happens to get too cold while he’s here he can always scoot closer and share in Galo’s warmth!!]
You know, I wasn’t sure if you’d wanna watch this or not, but I figured it would be a fun way to help you relax and stuff. Plus if you’ve never watched it then you’ll get to see all the cool stuff Elsa can do with her powers!
[Lio is still cooler though, even without his Burnish powers. He’s the coolest guy that Galo knows, and he’s lucky to have earned his friendship...even if he sometimes thinks about Lio in ways that a friend probably wouldn’t, but shh.]
But if you wanna switch to a different movie eventually all you gotta do is ask!
Edited 2020-01-18 04:15 (UTC)
wow neat apparently my tag never submitted i'm sorry ;;
[ once he would have doubted that. sure, it was one thing to intend to stay together however possible; meis and gueira made the same promises when they first met and lio had doubt that then, too. they had more than proven they meant it, and looking at galo who is nothing but earnest sweetness at all points, lio knows he means it with every fiber of his being. lio is stuck with him. the thought is more of a relief than he cares to admit.
realistically he knows a bit of all of the characters - elsa has a sister, there's a deer, a snowman, and a... well, he's not sure what the other guy is, but he's blonde and nice apparently so lio figures that's probably who galo means. olaf. that's the snowman, he's relatively sure. most of what he's picked up was via osmosis from children, but as the movie starts lio settles in a little more comfortably and finishes one slice, moving onto the next. ]
I haven't seen it, but I've heard of it. Some of the children at the settlement are fans. [ to say the least.
delicately, lio folds the next piece of pizza and watches galo destroy his in impressive time, somehow still not making a mess even if he does have greasy fingers. that's the nature of pizza and for a while the movie is distracting. they make it through the start; lio finishes the rest of his and goes during a music break to watch his hands and put his plate into the sink, settling right back in to his blanket nest a moment later. he hasn't pulled his work out yet; his backpack is still off to the side, untouched, and the look on his face is more sleepy contentment than it is worried about not working, for once. ]
If the Burnish were able to summon ice I wonder how different things would have been. [ he doesn't mean to say it; musing on impossibilities does no one any good, but once it's out he doesn't take it back. ]
[Ever since Lio came crashing into Galo’s life he’s felt inexplicably drawn to him, and he really couldn’t imagine not having him around these days. They might not get to see each other everyday, but they still seem to find the time to at least text each other when they can. More often than not it’s Galo blowing up Lio’s phone with texts about anything and everything, but lucky for him Lio likes him enough to humor him when he can. God knows he’s probably sick of Galo finding new memes on the internet to spam him with, but until Lio tells him to cut it out the memes shall continue.
But this? Eating pizza and enjoying each other’s company while watching an animated musical movie? Yeah, that’s way, way better than just talking over text.]
Oh yeah? I bet you already know some of the songs then, huh?
[Spoken in between shoveling pizza into his mouth. Galo seems completely engrossed in the movie despite having seen it before, so while Lio is polite and takes his plate to the sink Galo just leaves his on the table to clean up later. It’s not until Lio settles back in on the couch in his cute little blanket cocoon that Galo turns his attention away from the movie, and honestly it’s nice to see Lio actually relaxing for once.
Of course then he says that, and the first thought that pops into Galo’s mind is that people might’ve been more accepting of ice powers over fire powers. He can’t be sure, obviously, but...]
Huh? Oh...good question.
[The real answer? People probably would’ve used any excuse to discriminate against the Burnish. It wouldn’t have mattered if the world had suffered through a Great World Freeze instead of a Great World Blaze, they still would’ve found a reason to blame the Burnish and cast them out of modern society no matter what. That’s a depressing answer through, so after taking a long sip of his drink Galo relaxes back against the couch and gives one that’s a little more lighthearted.]
Maybe we’d be Freezing Rescue instead? And Burning Force instead of Freeze Force...everything would’ve been totally opposite!
[Maybe...who knows? More importantly Lio looks almost sleepy right now, and Galo can’t help but smile at him, because he can only imagine how hard Lio has been working lately, and the fact that he seems to be able to relax in Galo’s presence is...really nice.]
You know if you’re feeling tired you’re more than welcome to take a nap here. I wouldn’t mind.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Continuation for Morosexual
Oh yeah, that’s just how a lot of people are around here! They wanna help! I kinda know what you mean though. Sometimes you wanna pay anyway because you feel like it’s the right thing to do.
[Of course ex-Burnish owned establishments, or those that employed a lot of Burnish in the past would wanna help, but there’s also a few business owners that realize the ex-Burnish are just trying to survive now and want to pitch in to help as well. Maybe that’s a sign that the anti-Burnish sentiment has died down at least a little bit.
Galo meanwhile is grinning like a fool because he’s just so excited to see Lio that he could burst. They don’t get much one on one time together, so tonight could be the perfect opportunity for them to catch up a little. They text fairly frequently, but it’s just not the same as seeing somebody in person.]
Sounds like a deal then! And the Snuggie offer still stands, by the way! It’s totally the best feeling ever to be curled up under a warm blanket while munching on pizza and watching good movies! Or really terrible cheesy ones that are so bad that they’re funny.
I could totally quiz you on them afterwards too if you wanna practice! I’ll just toss popcorn at you or make really loud buzzing noises if you get something wrong. Better than getting silly string in the face from Lucia!
me sitting there thinking it sent for like 30 mins not realizing it reloaded to captcha
[ he's seen the way people treat burning rescue; it's not unwarranted and he won't try to convince people from doing what they think is right if they're certain about it. he'll just have to make sure he's taking care of them too. whether it's money or time or doing the same thing galo's offering - stepping in when someone is hassled. it's less frequent every day but he hasn't made it this far without a measure of caution.
for now, things are easier. all he has to do is get pizza and bring it to galo's apartment. ]
I'll stick with your normal blankets, but thanks. I think the armholes would probably be too large anyway.
Was the idea of book club too boring for Burning Rescue?
[ had to go with silly string quizzes to the face over movies instead of discussions??? ]
You choose the movie. Terrible cheesy sounds like a good option.
Captcha, the bane of us all
Even now life isn’t all sunshine and rainbows for the ex-Burnish, and it likely never will be, but Galo has faith that anti-Burnish sentiment will fade over time, even if he has to go educate people himself.
But maybe, just for tonight, the two of them can focus on relaxing and having fun, because if anyone deserves that much it’s the heroes who saved the world.]
Oh yeah, I didn’t think about that! You’re right, the holes might let too much heat escape. I’d have to make a Lio sized Snuggie! Or just wrap you up in a blanket burrito to keep you warm! If you start getting really cold you can always just sit close to me, I run nice and hot like, all the time!!
[Yes Lio, cuddle up to him, he’s like a human furnace.]
And yeah totally!! I only like books with pictures. Otherwise they just put me to sleep.
[He’s an idiot through and through, but at least he’s emotionally competent. He’s good at telling how people feel and trying to help them however he can, and that’s way more important than book smarts!!]
You got it! If you want cheesy we can watch an old Godzilla movie, or a really bad horror movie with blood that looks like ketchup. Or maybe a cheesy sci-fi movie. We can always change it up if you’re not into it! Maybe something that’s so bad it makes you laugh would be good too!
[He...kind of really wants to see Lio laugh. Like, gut-busting laughter. Welp, looks like that’s his new mission tonight. Hell, he’d even be satisfied with a grin and a chuckle. Anything to make Lio feel just a little bit lighter, if only for a short while.]
no subject
looking back at his phone, lio rolls his eyes to the sky, helplessly fond despite the offer to destroy perfectly good blankets. ]
Galo I promise I don't need you to make me a snuggie. Please don't cut your blankets up. If I get cold I'll steal two of your blankets while we're watching something.
[ or steal galo's heat; he's a criminal, right? might as well lean into it. if he's going to spend the evening over at galo's house then he may as well make an event of it, especially if galo's offering. the movie isn't so important to him; the entertainment will be fine, sure, but the movie he could take or leave. he's going for galo's company, for the loud, boisterous laughter, for the warmth that radiates from him as sure as any flame lio's ever summoned. ]
How many pizzas?
no subject
Snuggie or no, this is bound to be good for them both.]
Okay okay, just blankets then. As long as you’re warm enough!
[Galo is more than willing to share his heat with Lio, so steal away! His BURNING SOUL will keep them both plenty warm!!
That question gives him pause though. He doesn’t want to be greedy, but he’s got a hell of an appetite, and he doesn’t want to end up getting grumpy because he didn’t get enough to eat. Hanger is a real emotion!!]
Uh
Well
I usually eat an entire pizza by myself so
Maybe two? Three? I don’t wanna make you carry more than that! It depends on how hungry you are I guess! Besides, leftovers are always good for breakfast!
[That gets him wondering if Lio will want to stay like...all night. He really hopes so, even if he’s not used to hosting sleepovers or anything. He’d never kick Lio out in the middle of the night, so!! It all depends on what Lio wants to do.]
sorry i'll be slow til prob 6pst; i'm worrrrking
I'm sure I will be.
[ one way or another. if that happens to mean sharing a blanket or two (or his absurd snuggie) then lio will just do that. galo's right; he does radiate heat; with the lack of the promare, now, he's one of the warmest people that lio knows. ]
Three to be safe, then. I can manage that. [ he blames the fact that he's walking on missing what galo says about breakfast, at first, but when he sees it, he has to read it two or three times, wondering if he's reading into things too much. ]
They are. Am I spending the night? I don't have anything to wear.
Ah the joys of adulting, no worries tho!
Alright! Thanks Lio! You can get whatever toppings you want too! The only pizza I can’t stand is the kind with anchovies, but if you want them I’ll just eat a different one. The Inferno Margharita Megamax is the best!
[He’s a walking garbage disposal though, so he’ll be happy with whatever Lio picks as long as it’s fish-free. Three pizzas should be plenty for them to munch on all night and into the morning. Speaking of which...]
Sure, if you want to! I was kinda hoping you might, actually.
[Having fun until they pass out in the wee hours of the morning only to wake up to each other’s company again? Hell yeah!! Galo is totally onboard with this.]
And that’s not a problem! You can borrow one of my shirts if you want!
[Not like he really wears them much anyway.]
My pants are all probably way too big though, even the ones with drawstrings on them. But if you want you can just sleep in your underwear! I do it all the time!
[Yeah, that totally works! Lio in one of his shirts and his boxers or whatever kind of underwear Lio wears. Granted his shirt might be way too big for him and might hang off of Lio’s shoulder a little...hm.
It’s totally not weird to be picturing Lio in that stuff, right? Right. Probably. Maybe.]
do you want to thread out the rest of this too?
I remember. Your friends have said the same thing. I'll make sure to get it.
Your shirts are probably going to be pretty large, but that will work.
[ on the sidewalk, someone nearly shoulder checks him and it's not because they're an asshole that recognizes him for being the leader of mad burnish - it's because he's staring at his phone like a moron, ears warm, unable to stop considering exactly what galo sleeping in his boxers or briefs looks like. torn between irritation at being flustered and irritation at his own ridiculousness, he power walks the rest of the way to the pizza shop, hood tugged up tight over his ears to try and mitigate the biting cold of the wind. ]
We'll cross that bridge when we come to it I guess. I'll get the pizza. Should be there in an hour or so.
I’m totally up for it! I love these two A Lot :D
Yay! You’re the best, Lio! And okay, I’ll have a clean one laid out for you when you get there.
[Finally a use for all the shirts he doesn’t wear unless he absolutely has to. He probably couldn’t sleep in a shirt if he tried, which is why he just strips down to his underwear and passes out in bed on the nights when he’s actually home. He just sleeps in his rescue gear during long nights at the firehouse.]
Okay! Be careful out there, Lio! I’ll come rescue you if I need to, but you’ll probably be fine. In the meantime I’ll get everything set up for us! Just text me when you get close!
[An hour is more than enough time for him to get home, set out all the drinks and snacks and lay out a clean shirt for Lio on his bed. If Lio is going to be spending the night then he should sleep in the most comfortable spot while Galo takes the couch. His bed is only full size since he’s a bachelor, but it should be more than enough for Lio to have room to stretch out and get comfy.
The last thing to take care of is popping the movie in, which he’ll surprise Lio with when he gets there. He thinks he chose a good one, so it should be fun! He also cleared off the coffee table so Lio can have a place to work if he wants, and he even threw out all the old takeout containers and empty soda cans he’d left laying around from the last time he hung out at home. It wouldn’t do for Lio to see his apartment all messy and gross, after all!
As soon as everything is ready Galo will wait patiently for Lio, staring at the front door like a loyal dog waiting for its master to come home. He doesn’t really have a huge place or fancy furniture or anything, but he’s confident that Lio will still be able to have a good time regardless!]
big same!! i am going to slide onto mhw for a bit, make dinner & draw some shit so i will be ssslow
what is, is checking in on the owner, the pizza maker. burnish who had homes and businesses were some that were hurt in ways most difficult to fix; kray hadn't cared about keeping records of property, or goods, which meant jumping through countless hoop after hoop to get people back what they were owed. anything that happened even earlier was harder to prove but they would figure it out. there was no other choice but success.
the order of two inferno margharita megamax pizzas gets a laugh and a knowing for galo thymos, huh?
everyone in this city who knows him says his name the same way: this mix of fond and awed and a little reverent. lio gets it; he feels the same way.
despite purchasing three pizzas, he's only allowed to pay for one; lio's lips thin and he debates making it an order before changing tack; he shoves the wad of cash he intended to use to pay into the tip jar instead and flits out the door before anyone can stop him. the walk over is just as uneventful; lio's kept warm by the pizzas, but the wind doesn't get any warmer. by the time he's knocking on galo's door his hair is wind-ruffled and mussed, cheeks pinked with the chill. ]
Sounds like fuuunn I need to get back to mhw eventually...
No, Galo offers because he’d do just about anything to make Lio feel welcome in the city, including rescuing him from thugs, even if he didn’t need it. Lio definitely has a lifelong companion in Galo, which is probably mostly a blessing but also sorry Lio you have a huge idiot that wants your attention more often than not now. Anybody who knows Galo knows how excitable he is, and once you’ve met him there’s no forgetting him, for better or worse. Lucky for Galo most people seem to like him, though his coworkers should probably all get medals or something for putting up with his stubborn, reckless behavior on a daily basis.
Luckily Lio seems to appreciate his boisterous personality, otherwise Galo doubts he’d subject himself to spending quality time with him. Lio is a pretty blunt guy sometimes, and he’d probably decline an offer to hang out and watch movies if he truly didn’t want to. Still, as Galo waits for Lio to show up he starts to feel increasingly worried that maybe Lio won’t want to do this again if it goes badly. Oh, Galo is plenty confident in pretty much everything he does, but this whole wanting to impress and entertain Lio thing has even his cocky self slightly nervous. It’s strange, because he doesn’t even bat an eye when he’s faced with a roaring inferno, but making sure that Lio has a good time so he’ll want to come back? That’s enough to give even Galo Thymos butterflies.
But he doesn’t have too long to dwell on it before Lio is knocking at his door, and Galo practically trips over his own two feet in his hurry to answer it. The second it opens Lio will be greeted with a bright, beaming smile, and the similarities to an excitable golden retriever will only grow more obvious by the second.]
Lio!! You’re here!! Oh, let me take those for you!
[Galo will take the pizzas from Lio before giving him a once-over, and he can tell just from a single glance that it’s still just as windy and cold out as it was when he drove home. Actually, Lio looks kinda cute like this, with his windswept hair and rosy cheeks, and it makes Galo’s heart flutter a bit. Good thing Galo catches himself staring before things get awkward, and he steps aside to let Lio in, because he certainly looks like he could use a blanket or two.]
C’mon in! Make yourself at home and I’ll get some plates!
[The place is pretty standard for a tiny apartment in the city, with a couch, a tv, a little table and of course a kitchen area and a bedroom. There’s not much in the way of decor aside from some firefighting memorabilia and a few movie posters, most of them Japanese. His love of firefighting is rivaled only by his fascination with Japanese culture, and it shows.
But Lio might be more interested in the stack of blankets on the couch than anything else, all of them intact and hole-free. There’s five total, because Galo wanted to be Prepared, and Lio is more than welcome to use them all. Meanwhile he sets the pizzas down on the coffee table before disappearing into the kitchen to grab some plates, calling out to Lio over his shoulder, as loud as ever. What is an inside voice??]
I’ve got soda and tea and coffee to drink! Which one do you want to go with your pizza?
it's such a timesink!!! also earrings lio is Important ok trigger promo art PLS
lio hasn't used the shoe rack yet; if he's taking off his boots it's because he's in bed (and sometimes not even then). he doesn't need to use these things to appreciate it or what it means that slowly they're starting to feel like they can put down roots.
in front of him, the door opens up, the space filled with the broad line of galo's shoulders and too-bright smile. rather than risk staring and blind himself, lio pushes the pizzas into galo's hands with a quick flicker of a smile and ducks inside where it's warm. a full body shiver rolls through him at the last spiteful burst of cold as the door closes and then warmth of galo's apartment starts to bleed through cold leather. on his ear, the metal studs are still freezing; the one that's pierced is red, cold to the touch; lio places an equally cold hand on it to warm it up.
galo'd gotten there so fast - was he waiting by the door?
cute. ]
Thank you. Everyone there says hello.
[ a nod to the pizza boxes in galo's hands. burning rescue were basically celebrities there on their own before all of this happened, he's gathered. because of that and everything else, a lot of people have just sort of accepted that lio's a part of that same circle. they give him messages. meis and gueira ask after galo and the others. people recognize lio and the change is — good, of course it's good but it's weird, too, always being on for one reason or another. the tininess of galo's apartment feels more like a comfort. there won't be anyone coming in because it's just galo here. and lio.
spending the night, his traitorous brain reminds; lio fumbles his zipper the first time. once he manages it, sliding off his jacket and bag inside the warmth of galo's apartment feels like stepping outof armor. back in the kitchen, galo calls a question, loud despite the different room. lio heads over before he can find out if galo gets louder.
one slowly warming hand starts working to roll his sleeves up while he leans a shoulder against the doorway. ]
Soda, thanks. Can I— do anything? The top two are what you ordered. The third one is another one but with almost every topping, too.
[ lio was also a garbage disposal and so far fresh, piping hot food hasn't gotten old. what has gotten old: not longer being able to summon flames into any outfit he could imagine, or to fix an outfit when he spills something on it, or tears it. there was a level of impracticality to the mad burnish boss outfit, so he's compromised.
the jacket draped on the couch was still black leather, but thicker lined, less militant decoration and more sharp studs and belts. his boots are the same: thick-soled, with too many buckles, up to his knees. he's kept the leather pants, tucked into the boots. above both of those, is an outfit that doesn't make him feel entirely absurd, palatable by promepolis, but not comfortable to sleep in. he had to go to a mall to get it, facing the same budget everyone else had abided by, trying to find a balance between mad burnish flashiness and 'could be dragged into meetings for six hours' at any moment.
not bad, just....weird. ]
Earrings Lio is very important, and lord, that outfit, sweats profusely
He’s totally going to do that now, but not tonight and not in his tiny apartment. For now he’s more than happy to play host to Lio, even if he’d be just as happy to come visit him at the resettlement center sometime. He’d love to see how everyone is settling in, and maybe he could even entertain the kids by being his normal exuberant self. This is nice though, a quiet (sort of, it’s Galo, after all) night with just the two of them. He’d even put on a shirt for the occasion after he got home and showered, though it’s tight enough that it leaves very little to the imagination. Just a standard black shirt, which is what he’d set out for Lio to wear later as well. They can match!! Sort of. He’s still wearing his usual bright FDPP pants, which he doesn’t have any spares of, but should totally try and order for Lio sometime.
For now though he’ll try and focus on one thing at a time, namely the pizza, and he beams even more when Lio relays the message from the pizza shop to him.]
Yeah? Those guys are the best! The freshest, tastiest pizza in town with the friendliest employees!
[He still remembers how awful it was to watch both the owner and the chef get arrested by Vulcan, but now they should be able to do business without living in fear. The fact that Lio can freely walk around now is also a comfort, and Galo is glad that he’s been accepted by just about everybody he knows. Galo wouldn’t stand for anything less, after all.
He rummages around in the fridge, grabbing out two sodas before shutting it with his foot, and when he turns back around suddenly Lio is there, looking like that, in that outfit, and Galo’s eyes go comically wide. Excuse him as he stares for a minute, suddenly feeling far too hot, because it’s so strange seeing Lio in a different outfit but damn does he look good. Black is definitely his color, and those pants...hoo boy...
Ahem. Anyway. Play it cool, Thymos.]
Ah...the plates are on the counter if you wanna grab those, but otherwise you can just settle in if you want.
[Because that’s what Galo is going to before he embarrasses himself even further. He’ll carry their drinks to the table and flop back down on the couch, trying not to let his eyes wander back over to Lio and make him feel uncomfortable but ultimately failing because he’s an obvious idiot and surely Lio is gonna call him out for staring at him like a weirdo.]
New outfit, huh? It’s nice. And cool. I like it. You look good.
[He...wonders if maybe he should’ve dressed up a little too. He’s always valued comfort over style when it comes to clothing, his flashiness all in his hair and his Matoi gear. Plus there’s no way he could pull off an outfit like the one Lio is wearing, so the best he could hope for is maybe some cargo pants and a nice button-up shirt or something.
But anyway, pizza!! He pats the couch cushion next to him in invitation, grinning at Lio once more despite the awkwardness just now. Just gonna try and pretend that never happened.]
I’ll start the movie here in a sec. I picked out a good one, so you’re in for a treat!!
MB walking into target like [GRITS TEETH] i'm sure we can find something
[ it's been years since they could do something like walk freely into a pizza shop and make a purchase like that; the downside to being so recognizable when it came to mad burnish was that obtaining things like food came with the risk of being noticed. now, it's less an issue; if someone wants to start something in the pizza shop lio can still hold his own but there's a certainty that it won't be tolerated how it was. it still isn't the best situation but it's better than it's been. progress.
galo bends to fetch soda and lio forcibly looks up and away, focusing on the sink so he doesn't stare at poor galo, who's nice enough to invite him over and doesn't need to be ogled in his own home. don't be weird lio tells himself, obediently grabbing the plates of pizza and taking them out into the living room with the couch and the tv. galo's already sprawled on it, shirt stretched over his absurdly large chest; lio hands his slices of pizza over and settles on his half of the couch in turn. shameless, he goes for the blankets after making sure the pizza isn't going to get knocked over; he steals two of them and nestles himself into a proper blanket nest, carefully perching the pizza on top of bent knees. ]
Oh. Thanks. It's...been an adjustment. Needing to change clothes.
[ the scarves are discarded with his jacket, tucked off to the side and lio makes a faint face at the button-up shirt. he feels ridiculous in it, but with so many mouths to feed and so much red tape to go through, the lion's share of initial settlements went toward food, re-homing, and other important things. what portions went to clothing were minimal, for the time being, and while lio intends for that to change eventually it's slow going.
lio folds one of his slices in half neatly and takes a bite, a finger catching the dripping cheese, ferrying it into his mouth carefully, glancing over at galo. ]
Is it ketchup blood or Godzilla?
Just sneak leather and spikes in when they can because Aesthetic
[And he actually gave a Burnish a job and treated him fairly before Vulcan ruined everything. Galo still remembers the reactions people had to finding out that a Burnish made their pizza, but he has to hope that the public’s opinion has shifted since then or he’s gonna have to go around re-educating people more than he thought he would. The good thing about being a recognizable, unforgettable loudmouth idiot hero is that people do tend to take his opinion on things somewhat seriously, and if Galo thinks the ex-Burnish are good people then maybe others will follow suit.
But really, when Galo looks at Lio he doesn’t see an ex-Burnish, or the former leader of a “terrorist” group. He just sees Lio Fotia, a person he thinks the world of, and that holds true even now...even if he’s kind of starting to notice that Lio is very attractive. He’s always known that, of course, but now it’s like, super noticeable, especially when Lio sheds even more clothing and settles in on the couch. He has every right to ogle Galo as much as he likes, because that’s kind of what Galo is doing right now, even if he knows he shouldn’t.
It’s kinda hard not to though, because Lio just looks so cute as he wraps himself up in those blankets and starts eating his pizza, and Galo looks at him with nothing but genuine fondness in his eyes as he starts chowing down on his own pizza.]
Oh right, I guess you just kinda used your Burnish powers to change clothes before, right? That armor of yours was pretty badass!
[But he finds that he quite likes Lio’s current look as well, and Galo can’t help but wonder how he’d look in other clothes as well. Maybe a big, oversized sweater to keep him nice and cozy and warm...or Galo’s shirt, which he’s actually going to wear later, and Galo can already tell that he’s going to have a hard time keeping his eyes off of Lio once he’s in it.
Just like he’s having trouble keeping his eyes off of him right now, watching him eat his pizza in a super cute way that Galo has never really considered before because his technique usually involves shoving as much as he can into his mouth at once. At least he’s making an effort not to be a total slob in front of Lio right now though, and he licks his lips of any remaining sauce instead of wiping it off with his hand and licking it up like an animal...which is what he normally does...no wonder Aina always gives him a Look when they eat together.
Lio’s question finally snaps him out of his not so subtle staring, and Galo grabs the remote before switching the TV on and starting up the movie.]
Actually it’s something else! Here, I’ll show you!!
[Once the menu loads the secret movie selection is revealed...
It’s...Frozen. Like Disney’s Frozen. Like Anna and Elsa Frozen, and Galo looks absolutely thrilled about his choice as he gestures towards the screen, which is currently showing a preview clip of Elsa using her powers to make all kinds of objects with ice.]
I know you said terrible and cheesy, and I was totally gonna pick one like that, but then I remembered that I still had a copy of this that Lucia let me borrow, and one of the characters kind of reminded me of you! Except with ice powers instead of fire! Pretty cool, huh?
[That’s one word for it. Nevermind that he didn’t consider the fact that Lio might not enjoy an animated musical movie.]
they're doing their best ALSO HOLY SHIT MY WORK HAS BEEN...BATSHIT i'm so sorry
[ people brave enough to do something even though they knew it wasn't allowed or they'd get in to trouble. people who wouldn't bow down to kray, or vulcan, or would play the game just well enough that they could do good from where they were. it was a delicate balance to maintain and lio respected that, just like he understood that there was only so much he could expect from anyone not burnish. they were lucky to have people like chief and galo to rely on, especially after so long with no one but themselves to.
there's a delicacy to how he's eating, even if he's starving. the last thing he wants it to make a complete and total mess of himself or galo's blankets, so each bite is careful, calculated, swiping up the remainder before it spills. it's easier to concentrate on the pizza than it is to acknowledge the softness on galo's face, in the set of his shoulders as he looks at lio on the other side of the couch. all those months spent being brave and diving headfirst into stupid situations that would potentially kill him, and now he's here. eating pizza because he isn't entirely certain how to approach any of this.
movies are easy, though. right? he's settled in on the couch with meis and gueira before, tangled in a knot of legs and blankets, catching up on things they missed. that was easy. ( this was, of course, nothing like hanging out with meis and gueira for a variety of reasons and so that comparison absolutely won't work. )
on screen, everything boots up and lio focuses as much as he can on the loading screen, only for it to be neither godzilla or a dumb horror movie. instead - of course. lio's lucky his mouth isn't full of pizza because the laugh is startled out of him, eyes wide. he's heard of it, of course. they had children in the settlement who were obsessed with it and a bunch of other cartoons like it. lio hadn't ever watched it but somehow, he's picked up a number of songs.
once he's sure he's not going to choke on his own tongue (wouldn't that be a fucking end to the leader of mad burnish) lio cuts galo a clearly amused look, shaking his head. ]
If I'm Elsa, then who would you be? [ anna and elsa are the only two he knows, honestly, but they're the important ones, he figures. ]
No worries! Hopefully the weekend will be more relaxing for you!
You’ll always have me on your side, Lio!
[He means that wholeheartedly. You’re stuck with this dumb, well-meaning himbo forever now, Lio. All of the respect and admiration he’d had for Kray is a thing of the past, and instead Galo is now a full-fledged Lio Fotia fanboy, for better or worse. Not that Lio is anything like Kray, of course, but he’s certainly become the most important person Galo’s life in a very short time, and that’s an impressive feat.
Also impressive is the amount of restraint Lio has when it comes to chowing down on pizza. Galo was barely able to contain himself long enough to start the movie, and the second he pushes play and sets the remote down he starts shoveling pizza into his face like a man starved, though he does pause occasionally so that he can actually have a conversation with Lio. Just ignore the crumbs all over his mouth...and the grease all over his fingers...classy.
When he catches Lio shaking his head out of the corner of his eye he starts to worry that Lio isn’t pleased with his choice of movies, but then he turns to actually look at him, and that amused expression on Lio’s face immediately gets him smiling again. Exasperated fondness seems to be a common thing that people experience when they’re around him, and he doesn’t mind it in the slightest.]
Uhhhh...probably Kristoff? Or maybe Olaf! Both of them are good! If you don’t know them then you’ll see what I mean as you watch the movie!
[He’s never really thought about it before, but really, he and Olaf have plenty in common. Goofy, cheerful, well-meaning but also kind of dense; yup, he’s an Olaf alright. At least he’s plenty warm though, unlike the lovable snowman, so if Lio just so happens to get too cold while he’s here he can always scoot closer and share in Galo’s warmth!!]
You know, I wasn’t sure if you’d wanna watch this or not, but I figured it would be a fun way to help you relax and stuff. Plus if you’ve never watched it then you’ll get to see all the cool stuff Elsa can do with her powers!
[Lio is still cooler though, even without his Burnish powers. He’s the coolest guy that Galo knows, and he’s lucky to have earned his friendship...even if he sometimes thinks about Lio in ways that a friend probably wouldn’t, but shh.]
But if you wanna switch to a different movie eventually all you gotta do is ask!
wow neat apparently my tag never submitted i'm sorry ;;
realistically he knows a bit of all of the characters - elsa has a sister, there's a deer, a snowman, and a... well, he's not sure what the other guy is, but he's blonde and nice apparently so lio figures that's probably who galo means. olaf. that's the snowman, he's relatively sure. most of what he's picked up was via osmosis from children, but as the movie starts lio settles in a little more comfortably and finishes one slice, moving onto the next. ]
I haven't seen it, but I've heard of it. Some of the children at the settlement are fans. [ to say the least.
delicately, lio folds the next piece of pizza and watches galo destroy his in impressive time, somehow still not making a mess even if he does have greasy fingers. that's the nature of pizza and for a while the movie is distracting. they make it through the start; lio finishes the rest of his and goes during a music break to watch his hands and put his plate into the sink, settling right back in to his blanket nest a moment later. he hasn't pulled his work out yet; his backpack is still off to the side, untouched, and the look on his face is more sleepy contentment than it is worried about not working, for once. ]
If the Burnish were able to summon ice I wonder how different things would have been. [ he doesn't mean to say it; musing on impossibilities does no one any good, but once it's out he doesn't take it back. ]
No worries!
But this? Eating pizza and enjoying each other’s company while watching an animated musical movie? Yeah, that’s way, way better than just talking over text.]
Oh yeah? I bet you already know some of the songs then, huh?
[Spoken in between shoveling pizza into his mouth. Galo seems completely engrossed in the movie despite having seen it before, so while Lio is polite and takes his plate to the sink Galo just leaves his on the table to clean up later. It’s not until Lio settles back in on the couch in his cute little blanket cocoon that Galo turns his attention away from the movie, and honestly it’s nice to see Lio actually relaxing for once.
Of course then he says that, and the first thought that pops into Galo’s mind is that people might’ve been more accepting of ice powers over fire powers. He can’t be sure, obviously, but...]
Huh? Oh...good question.
[The real answer? People probably would’ve used any excuse to discriminate against the Burnish. It wouldn’t have mattered if the world had suffered through a Great World Freeze instead of a Great World Blaze, they still would’ve found a reason to blame the Burnish and cast them out of modern society no matter what. That’s a depressing answer through, so after taking a long sip of his drink Galo relaxes back against the couch and gives one that’s a little more lighthearted.]
Maybe we’d be Freezing Rescue instead? And Burning Force instead of Freeze Force...everything would’ve been totally opposite!
[Maybe...who knows? More importantly Lio looks almost sleepy right now, and Galo can’t help but smile at him, because he can only imagine how hard Lio has been working lately, and the fact that he seems to be able to relax in Galo’s presence is...really nice.]
You know if you’re feeling tired you’re more than welcome to take a nap here. I wouldn’t mind.