[001]

[dolphinsensei]

[The video is completely accidental and the feed starts with a view of what looks like an alley, large bins, crates, cardboard boxes and whatnot. In the middle of it, stands Iruka, his back to the unassuming journal, hand stretched out to one side and fingers poised to yank out a few feathers.
Which iruka does.

And like a hen who's had a few feathers plucked, Iruka sort of just starts to thwack his head with his fist a few times, before biting down on it, an attempt to keep himself silent from the unexpected sting because well, clearly doing anything more like say, yanking the wing off would be stupid.

Iruka then just sort of tries to stick the feathers back in place but then they end up just drifting down to the ground. There is a sigh before the video freezes for a moment when Iruka sort of accidentally steps on the journal, frame freezing with the view Iruka's sweatpants clad ass.

When the video restarts roughly almost a minute later, the face that comes to view is one that scowling in concentration, breath misting from the cold topped with hair damp and standing in all kinds of direction. Iruka looks frazzled, possibly distressed and the flush on his cheeks deepens with each ticking second and the more he is exposed to the cold.

Iruka is also muttering to himself. Apparently, waking up with wings isn't his cup of tea.]

Little ingrates. Ball-less, fucking slimy, greaseball of a halfwit scumbag.

[The video freezes again when Iruka rotates it and taps on the lens before it cuts off completely.]

Comments

[dolphinsensei]

[Iruka mumbles the customary ‘pardon the intrusion’ before stepping in. It’s pleasantly warmer inside the apartment compared to outside. A short glance around is enough for Iruka to realize that it seems fairly big.]

I hope I’m not disturbing. Are you by yourself, here?

[God, it is so cold.]

[ura_no_ura]

[ The apartment is large and spacious, almost empty and unlived in, if not for the dog bowls in the kitchen, and a few little dog toys lying on the living room floor. Just as Kakashi closes the door and toes off his shoes, Pakkun comes trotting out of Kakashi's bedroom, barking a bit when he recognizes Iruka. He's followed by Akino and Bisuke, who each bark and wag their tails as they come up and sniff at Iruka.

Perhaps a touch worriedly. ]

Mm, it's just me and my pack.

[ Kakashi ushers Iruka in past the entrance, towards the couch. ]

Go take a seat. I'll get you some more blankets and put the kettle on for tea.

[ He'll also take the time to fill a basin with hot water for Iruka to soak his feet in. ]

[dolphinsensei]

[Iruka does just that once he’s reached out and and carefully places friendly pats on the summons’ heads, moving to sit in the available sofa and slowly shifting to cross his legs so he could trap more heat in. He bundles up even and more and it’s warm and now his head is starting to pound just as bad as his joints.

And all he can think of is that in the future, he needs to get out more. He needs to build some tolerance to the cold. He hopes that he doesn't get sick, that the exposure does not render him immobile. He needs to sort out his living arrangements. He needs to find a way to take care of himself better. He also needs to figure out what everyone – everyone being Konoha – is doing to get themselves out of this place.

And fuck, his head hurts. And how can it be possible to be shivering even more now?]

This is a really nice place, Kakashi-san…

[Iruka says out loud, though he is unsure if Kakashi heard him. The chattering and shivering is worse and a constant now.]

[ura_no_ura]

[ Kakashi did hear him, but didn't respond, because he was too busy taking care of gathering everything together for Iruka and putting water on to boil for tea. It takes a few minutes, but soon he's back with a thick comforter under one arm, and a basin with very warm (but not hot) water resting against his hip. Kakashi firsts sets the basin down at Iruka's feet, then stands up and shakes the comforter out over Iruka's shoulders, more or less bundling him in it. ]

Put your feet in the water.

[ With how much Iruka's shaking, Kakashi's pretty certain that hypothermia is definitely an issue. He's not entirely sure how to deal with this, though, and takes a moment to pull his journal out to leave Sakura a voice message. ]

[dolphinsensei]

[Sticking his feet into the warm water is almost agonizing and if anything, Iruka starts to shake even more. Trying to be proper and prim is near impossible, let alone trying not to make a mess. But it helps, gradually, after the initial shock of what feels to be boiling water.

Iruka is rendered speechless for a moment and whenever he tries to speak, they end up coming broken and stuttered. So it takes a while before Iruka can actually say something fairly intelligent. Or what he thinks is intelligent.

He doesn't realize that he is slouching heavily on the couch, drowsiness ready to swallow him. Iruka doesn't want to sleep though. He doesn't want to lose consciousness because somehow, in the middle of all this, propriety seems to take over. Somehow.]

You know, you’re fairly normal.

[ura_no_ura]

[ Fairly normal? What else is he supposed to be?

Kakashi quirks a brow, but really, he's a little concerned at how droopy Iruka's eyes are, at how he had stuttered to the point of not being able to get words out before, at how violently he was shaking -- and the way he's still trembling. He can only hope Sakura gets his message soon. ]

You didn't think I was?

[ He takes a seat next to Iruka. ]

dont ask.

[dolphinsensei]

[Iruka looks confused for a moment, like he isn't sure how to answer. And maybe he doesn't. But he does know that he has to answer because a question is being asked.

Whether or not the quality of his answer is even valid is up to anyone's guess. Iruka most certainly has no clue anymore what kind of bullshit is rolling off his tongue. And the more they roll out, the more sleepy he becomes with all the effort he is putting to stay conscious.]

I didn't really have an opinion to be honest? I mean, yeah so you were this enigmatic genius who people either thought was cool or people either thought was a show off or a complete weirdo. I think I fell a bit in between those who thought you were an enigmatic genius and those who thought you were a hobo of some sort. Come to think it, that's so strange, why did I think you were a hobo?

Looking at this place now, it certainly doesn't look like a place a hobo would reside in. Or a maniac of any kind. Maybe a creeper. Yes, a creeper for sure. I think it's the mask. And the uhmm... [Iruka looks at Kakashi, tilting his head to one side.] the hair maybe? I'm not really sure. You really do look more of like a perverted bum to me than a hobo.

No, I look like a hobo. Especially when the twentieth of each month rolls in and I'm running out of groceries. It's hard to be able to get missions when you're teaching in the middle of the term so my weekly groceries by the third week starts to get really tiny? But yeah, I think I look like a hobo then. I certainly feel like a hobo.

Do you think I'm a hobo?

[Iruka blinks very slowly, waiting.]

poor iruka he's so delirious

[ura_no_ura]

Well, you certainly look like quite the hobo right now.

[ Kakashi says this mostly to humor Iruka. Though his words somehow flow together rather well, it's clear that the other ninja is a little delirious, quite possibly due to the hypothermia or the injury to the wing. Kakashi's not sure which, and he can only hope Sakura gets here sooner. With the kettle whistling in the background, he rises once more, and heads to the kitchen to pour water into a teapot with some green tea, then brings the pot and two mugs over to the table. ]

How are you feeling?

[ Kakashi's still pretty concerned about the fact that Iruka's still shivering, though the shakes aren't quite as bad as they were just a moment earlier. He pours tea into a mug, even though it hasn't thoroughly steeped, and pushes it into Iruka's hands, which look a bit better than they did earlier, even if they're still a little ruddy. ]

[dolphinsensei]

I am fine thank you --

[Iruka says as he carefully keeps his fingers firmly wrapped around the tea cup.]

-- but I will have you know, I am no hobo. Maybe, sometimes I will look it, like how you look like a bum. But the fact is you are actually pretty normal and I am actually pretty interesting. I have many talents.

[Iruka nods slowly, as if to validate his point before he attempts to slowly take a sip of his tea.]

And I'm fine, thank you for asking.

[He says again, not realizing he has already answered Kakashi the first time. Iruka looks briefly confused for a moment but then shrugs it off and continues to slowly sip his tea.]

[ura_no_ura]

[ Iruka is far from fine and Kakashi knows it, but arguing with a delirious man would be a rather ridiculous waste of his time. Explaining Luceti to him, as well as the situation they're in, would be pointless as well, as Kakashi's not entirely sure how coherent Iruka's thoughts are, or how able he is to process information.

At the very least, Kakashi needs to keep Iruka awake until Sakura arrives.

Perhaps if he engages him on this "hobo" topic which Iruka seems to have latched onto in his current state, that would be enough to keep his attention. ]

Are you saying bums can't be normal, too?

[ Somewhat deadpanned. He kind of can't believe he's actually continuing in this line of conversation, but it's not as though he can really talk about anything serious with Iruka while he's still like this ]

[dolphinsensei]

I guess they can be in their bummy way?

[Iruka shrugs, like he has spoken very wise words.]

Do you think you're normal, Kakashi-sensei? I can tell you for sure that I am very normal. Nothing quite impressive, if you ask me. I'm so normal I could have been a civilian. Very boring, very common, I mean, look at this face? It's a common face, so I'm told~?

[Iruka smiles to emphasize his point.]

Ne? So, I am very boringly normal. What about you?

[ura_no_ura]

[ Normal is the kind of life Kakashi has always watched go on around him but could never really understand. The sort of thing that happens in movies or picture books or in lives that are not his own. There might have been moments, few and far in between, when Kakashi had wondered, perhaps even longed for some sort of normalcy, if only because it was something he's never had. And when you live as hard as he has, normal sounds pretty damn good.

He smiles. Reaches over and pours himself a cup of tea. ]

Saa... I don't know, what do you think?

[ Deflects, even though there's no real reason to, given how out of it Iruka is. ]

[dolphinsensei]

I think you're pretty normal~

[Iruka just smiles. Looking up at Kakashi and holding his tea cup. His fingers are getting some feeling again. They were starting to hurt. So Iruka's smile kind of falls off at the slowly building discomfort and he pushes the tea cup away.

Oh well.]

[ura_no_ura]

Mm, I suppose I am, then.

[ Kakashi agrees rather easily as Pakkun nudges against his leg and barks, getting his attention. To Iruka, all it sounds like is a normal dog bark. But Kakashi can hear what Pakkun is saying, which is that Iruka doesn't look so great. ]

Hmm, he's just a little cold.

[ Bisuke trots up next to Pakkun and barks, too. A few times in a row, and Kakashi sighs, then reaches a hand out to pick up one of Iruka's hands by the fingers, testing the temperature of the other's extremities. Still ice cold.

Releasing Iruka's hand, Kakashi nods his head in the chuunin's direction. ]

Alright, go ahead.

[ Without much warning, Bisuke jumps up onto Iruka's lap, followed by Pakkun, and Akino, soon snuggling up under Iruka's blanket. There's quite a bit of snuffling and barking as the dogs complain about how cold Iruka still is. ]

[dolphinsensei]

[Iruka is fairly surprised but is easily distracted by the warmth that makes him settle back into the couch, burrowing deeper once the dogs are are still. Iruka easily finds himself running fairly painful fingers through smooth fur. The warmth by his thighs feels divine, feels better than just a blanket.

Nothing can beat the warmth of a living thing, after all.

There is fondness in Iruka's expression as he pets Bisuke's head and neck, rubbing this way and that, without moving too much that it would make his cocoon of blankets fall apart.]

Thank you.

[ura_no_ura]

[ Kakashi just looks over Iruka for a moment in his rather disheveled state, and can only be glad that he isn't in worse shape, especially given the below-freezing temperatures outside. He nods, then takes a sip of his tea. ]

Mm. Just get yourself warm, and then I'll explain everything you need to know about Luceti.

[ There's a lot to hear, after all.

And Kakashi will spend the rest of the time waiting for Sakura, explaining. ]