Audience: Mineo Enomoto

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Comments

w3, sunday

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In garden.

[and that is where they'll be! they're crouched, pushing roses out of the walkway.]

[sengokus]

[mineo is here!! i'm going to be honest he probably has a glass from the kitchen that's filled with water, and the rose that ashiya douman gave him from their cyoa in it.]

Hi - sorry this is kind of our first time chatting.

[aside from trial stuff....]

But Molly told me this is yours. I got it from Ashiya-san before...

[well.]

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[this poor rose has seen some shit.

they freeze, for a moment, and then stand up.]

... It is mine. [they doesn't grab for it, though.]

[sengokus]

[IT REALLY HAS, MINEO HAS TRIED SO HARD TO TAKE CARE OF IT

but he'll wander closer...]

... should I put it somewhere? I don't know a whole lot about flower care, and I didn't want to just leave it lying around before I got it back to you, so....

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[they hold out a clawed hand - mineo can likely see the two thick gold bands tattooed around their wrist.]

Just give it.

[sengokus]

[he tilts his head at that but he will wander over to offer the rose in a glass out to pride]

Sure. Here.

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[they take the rose, and look it over. quietly, they reach to touch the petals - and nothing happens.

silence, for a long moment, and then they drop their hand.]

Was it like this when you got it?

[sengokus]

[ . . . oh. mineo falters a little, worried over the silence.]

Yeah... Ashiya-san said that they accidentally might've hurt it a bit when they were retrieving it. But they trusted me with it, and Molly told me it's yours...

[mineo has no idea what happened but here he is,]

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[very, very gently, they take the rose out of the glass of water, and hand the glass back to mineo. they just stare down at the rose in their hands.]

Well. Douman is already dead, so there's no way to retaliate. [they say, soft.]

[sengokus]

[ . . . . oh nooooo. mineo looks so guilty even though he technically was not involved - but he'll take the glass carefully.]

... I'm sorry, Pride-san.

It's really important to you, huh?

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Mm.

[a bit of a pause, as they drag in an unsteady breath.]

Why did you bring it back?

[sengokus]

.... because you were looking for it.

[and he bows his head]

I'm sorry I didn't get it back to you sooner, or in a better state.

[there's not much that he can personally claim credit for but - it still sucks, to know that he's failed someone even if he's just the messenger]

[probe]

Don't apologize to me. It's not you that destroyed it.

[mineo is a weenie, pride doesn't think he'd smush it and blame it on douman.]

[sengokus]

[he is a weenie but listen,]

No, but...

I don't like to see anyone upset about something either. Is there anything I can do to help, now that I'm here?

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[flatly:]

I don't want your pity.

[sengokus]

[blinking in surprise]

Well that's good, 'cause I don't really give out pity.

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I don't need anything.

[they have their pride.]

[sengokus]

If you're sure then. You can let me know if you change your mind.

[he tilts his head]

But... I guess I need to ask something then - I know that Takeru got something in exchange for returning an item last time.

Is the state of the rose why there's no exchange? Or is it because Ashiya-san wasn't the one to return it, and they went on the adventure?

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[there is - a pause, as pride slowly looks up at mineo.]

Both. [there is a very soft, very... simmering sort of anger in their tone.] I'm impressed that you'd boldly lie like that.

[sengokus]

[ . . . . he blinks in confusion.]

I did?

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You came here for a gift, not to return this out of the goodness of your heart.

[sengokus]

[that

startles him more than a little, making him blink owlishly a few more times]

Um... no.

[and he shakes his head]

I know that you can't really believe me because that's probably the easier thing to think about someone who hasn't talked to you before...

But I was asking because it's better to know if anyone gets trapped somewhere in the future. To be careful with what they find, and to get it to you as soon as possible before they.... [might die]

That's what I wanted to check.

[probe]

Do you expect me to be as stupid as everybody else who buys the hapless do-gooder act?

You return this, something - important. You can't fathom how important. [there's a glint of fangs from inside the hood.] And then can't wait more than two seconds to ask after what you're getting for it.

Leave me alone.

[sengokus]

[he flinches a little bit at that before rubbing the back of his neck]

That's not...

I'm not acting, and I don't think you're stupid.. I didn't mean to offend you, Pride-san, and I'm sorry that I chose a bad question at a bad time.

[but he can't really say sorry for asking it, when it feels like something important to know]

But I don't want you to think that I just came here because I wanted something from you either.

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[they just stonewall him, turning around with the rose in hand, wheezes i'm sorry mineo]