Audience: Mineo Enomoto

[probe]

Comments

[sengokus]

[don't feel bad mineo's an idiot and deserves this

but mineo pauses at that and just. ruffles his own hair almost in anguish]

... Ashiya-san....!! What the hell....!! That's so cruel!

[the clown is DEAD, mineo]

Ahhh, I should've hit them! Dammit! I - I'm sure you're getting tired of hearing it, but I'm really sorry, Pride-san... I'm glad you could press the rose at least. You must miss her...

[probe]

[they're quiet again for a moment.]

I am not the same without her. [they say, finally.] She would've been angry that I snapped at you.

[so.]

[sengokus]

[ . . . aw. his expression turns a little softly amused]

It's okay. I'm pretty good as a punching bag, and I should've known better too. So... I can take it.

... wanna talk about her? I never know if it's - better or worse. Talking about the people you miss.

[probe]

[do they want to? they're not sure.]

Don't tear yourself down, and maybe I will.

[sengokus]

[ . . . ? he tilts his head]

Me...? Tear myself down how?

[probe]

The - it's fine, I'm a punching bag, just walk all over me.

[that's actually a pretty good imitation of mineo's accent - which presumably is not like pride's faintly british one.]

Don't get me wrong. I don't care, other than thinking you need to grow a spine. [sniff. they raise a claw.] Don't - apologize. Either.

[sengokus]

Oohh, is that what I sound like...

[ . . . . he tilts his head a little, thoughtful.]

Mm... People have been telling me that I'm kind of a pushover... but I guess you just haven't said or done anything to me that I find worth getting angry over? [he's got a temper - he's pretty sure he's shown it in trial now and then]

If people have troubles, I'm okay with them venting at me. Otherwise they'll just keep to themselves and get all gloomy! That's all I meant.

[probe]

That's because you are one.

I'm not going to get... gloomy. [they say this, vaguely annoyed. and then they mutter something about envy.]

[sengokus]

[but pride DOES keep to themselves]

Ah - I think you're fine the way you are, for the record. Kinda stabby but so is everyone else here.

[he's adapted,,]

But I have a backbone when it matters!

[probe]

[wow don't call them out]

When does it matter? [... they sound genuinely curious, at least.]

[sengokus]

When someone's going to get seriously hurt, or if someone's spouting shit about something they don't know anything about.

[(mineo voice) say "justice" one more time]

And I just can't stand hearing people talk badly about others that I care about. That matters too.

[it just seems like his own ego rarely factors into it]

[probe]

I assume you only get angry when it's others. You seemed fine with boiling your own blood to prove evidence, if I recall correctly.

[they sound slightly amused at this.]

[sengokus]

[LOOKING AWAY]

I'm - sturdy?!

[WHY DOES HE SOUND LESS CONVINCED SUDDENLY]

[probe]

I.

[they just give him such a look.]

Sturdy. Yes, that will help when your blood boils.

[sengokus]

[wow he can't perceive bc of the hood!]

There's the medbay... it's fine... I didn't know if it was literal....

I wouldn't have died probably! [SO IT'S ALL GOOD,]

[probe]

[they sound very exasperated:]

What do you think boiling blood -- never mind. [sigh.] Sturdy.

[sengokus]

You know... when you're so mad at someone your blood boils? Thought maybe it just put someone into a blind rage or something. Metaphors and stuff.

[he's not smart enough to explain]

Well, it's gone now. You're probably right that I don't really take much offense when it comes to me, Pride-san... but I think I only recently became someone who had anything worth taking offense over.

[probe]

Hmph. [it occurs to them that mineo probably doesn't have magic in his world, so they won't argue.]

Only recently?

[sengokus]

[nodding..... though he looks a little less eager to talk about it]

... I was a pretty useless guy before I got here. That's all.

[he'll just show the back of his hand - the sloth tattoo. he always felt like it was too fitting, way too apt of a judgment]

But I won't talk about it if it'll just bore you.

[probe]

[they tilt their head slightly.]

If you don't want to talk about it, don't. [but they don't seem bored, at least.]

[sengokus]

[ . . . hmmm. well! mineo will pause for a second before nodding.]

... I don't mind. I just don't wanna talk about me too much - I wanna know about you too, you know?

Uh... Well - the reason I'm here is because I don't want to die. Before I came here... there's a case that's really important to me. A friend of mine - a guy who pretty much embodied what the idea of justice was to me - he got killed by a terrorist organization. But I... I wasn't making progress on the case, even after months. I used to solve a lot of cases - I used to be good at my job... but I think I got so -

[ . . . he shrugs.]

So rattled that I just - didn't.

Then... the same criminals who killed him killed me too. [he lets his free hand rest over his sloth tattoo, tracing the lines] .... I wasn't really a guy who was worth much before I got here - just dead weight.

I've been trying to be different here. [somebody worth something] That's all.

[probe]

[they listen, for what it's worth.

they hadn't bothered looking anybody up except for the other prides, so they can't help but be a little curious.]

Well. At least you don't want to be dead. [grumble.]

[sengokus]

.... I guess there are probably some people out there who do.

[in a broader sense - ]

But are you talking about someone here, Pride-san?

[probe]

[...]

I'm not particularly a fan of Trafalgar Law just giving up. [:T]

[sengokus]

Ah... You did seem close.

[and mineo frowns a bit at that]

... yeah. He made his decision but... it's a little confusing - at least, to me. I don't even know why he came here... but I guess his priorities might've - shifted?