mineo.

[enfangs]

Comments

[sengokus]

[ . . . . . . he just

scowls]

I didn't think I could want to punch people I've never met so much before.

[enfangs]

[he can't squish the bit of warmth that blossoms, although it's accompanied by a sense of relief that mineo didn't see certain memories.

he shrugs.]

Shitty workplace cultures. What can you do?

[except in this case, his "workplace" was the only home he'd known for over a hundred years, and his "coworkers" the closest thing to a (fucked up, disloyal) family.

he can't say he felt any real grief over their deaths, and that's as someone who cared more about his fellow demans than most of them ever did.]

[sengokus]

[ . . . . . he kind of gets it. sort of. it's hard to say, when even mineo's team - for all that they used to dismiss him - would still give him grief like a bunch of older brothers or uncles.]

.... I'm glad you got out of it.

Don't let anybody treat you like that again. Or if they do, I'll kick their ass before you can even get to them.

[enfangs]

[... and there it is, that warmth again. you deserve better, mineo had once said, and for all that white has always wanted better out of his life, the notion that he deserves it is something he still has to wrap his head around.]

Trust me, I don't plan on it.

[sengokus]

[he nods, more firmly and assured]

Good.

[ . . . . ]

But I can get... how the difference might be something that you need to sit with for a while.

[enfangs]

[NUDGES MINEO'S FOOT BUT, LIKE, AGGRESSIVELY]

Tch! You don't need to act like I'm fragile, you know.

[sengokus]

[NUDGES BACK IRRITABLY]

I'm not, stupid!

I'm just saying that there's nothing wrong with needing to sit with your thoughts for a while! You clearly have them, so you should get to have time with them!

[enfangs]

[well now he's angrily nudging back because mineo nudged back]

This coming from the nerd...!

[sengokus]

I'm not a nerd! You're just bad at handling your own emotions!

[enfangs]

[LOOKS AWAY

as in. more than he was already looking away.]

Shut up! So what if I am...?

[sengokus]

[ . . . . he just huffs.]

.... so I can either leave you alone with them if you need time on your own -

Or I can sit with you while you deal with them. It's up to you.

[enfangs]

[...]

You can stay. I guess.

[sengokus]

[ . . . . mineo will just nod then and lean back against the bench, glancing over at white]

... we don't have to talk if you don't want to.

But if there's anything you want another person to hear, I'll be listening.

[enfangs]

... A little surprised you don't have anything better to do right now, to be honest.

[when mineo hunted him down for the lecture, white can't say this is how he expected the conversation to turn out. then again, considering the kind of person mineo is (and why, as white's unfortunately reminded, he developed dokis in the first place), maybe he should've.]

dw my notif

[sengokus]

[he blinks at that, tilting his head.]

.... had to go check on something else first, for the investigation. Ran into a dead end.

[because mineo does tend to focus on work first - even if he was mad at white, he had to follow a lead.

but.]

But what's wrong with letting you have all my attention when we're together?

[enfangs]

[...]

What was the lead?

[sengokus]

... trying to find who cursed Aoi-san and Shi-san. If that person did it to protect Law-san, that means Ashiya-san might've killed Omi-san. If they didn't.... they really might've been Omi-san's killer.

Or just a chaotic asshole.

Just wanna know what we're still dealing with, I guess.

[enfangs]

Right, that... Well, if they didn't 'fess up then, they're probably not going to now.

[sengokus]

..... probably not.

But I have to try.

[he's too stubborn for his own good]

[enfangs]

[a snort]

Yeah, I know.

Doubt I'll hear anything, but if I do, I'll let you know.

[sengokus]

[he just laughs a bit quietly]

Give yourself more credit.

I think you help a lot more than you realize.

[enfangs]

[that actually gets white to finally look at mineo, as he blinks in surprise.]

[sengokus]

[he blinks back]

... So like, a whole lot more than you realize.

You know that you probably have the best relationship with some Avatars out of all of us, right? So whatever hints they give you are really useful?

[enfangs]

Wait, what the fuck? Really? I'm not even doing anything.

[he just messages them going "i'm here, be graced with my presence"???]

[sengokus]

.... I don't know if you have to be doing anything - I know that you're trying to help, at least.

[and he tilts his head]

And I think... combining that wanting to help and what you can do to talk to people is a lot more powerful than you realize.