elevelvetor | [ ic inbox ]

[... How's he even start it. Focus on the flowers. This one, then that. Five of these, three of those.]

Have you ever felt intense feelings in your memories, Miss Liz? The sort of emotions that swallow you whole and leave you gasping.

...In a way, I suppose.

[ Victory is like that. He probably doesn't mean that, from the look on his face, from the content of their conversation so far... ]

Are these feelings the reason for your upsetness?

They are.

[Four of

no, five of these, three of those. When he speaks, it's a try at impassiveness, though there's an undeniable tremor, a hesitance in his movements, a tightness of his eyes.]

They weren't kind ones, as I'm sure you can discern. I've never felt such strong feelings of hatred and anger before... except once, maybe, that came close. And the worst part, Miss Velveteen, is that I know there's more to this memory.

[More anger, more hatred confusion fear-- more of that invincibility, the one that felt less like the elation he feels with Robin Hood and more heavy.]

[ She makes a soft noise of understanding, not sure how to... there's nothing to fix, not exactly, but she still feels like she wants to do something— so she gets another sheet, marks it with stars, and writes as she talks. ]

My sincerest apologies, Akechi. I can't begin to imagine what that's like. [ Adonis flos 5, artemisia absinthium 7, ipomea batatas 3... Two of these are hard to come by, but she's certain if she asked her caretaker, he could direct her to some... ] These things are becoming quite troublesome for some of us, aren't they? While I can't say I've ever felt such things from my other self, she... has had little patience with something that seemed to embody those negative feelings.

[ What she fought... ]

I shouldn't be surprised to hear that there's something that's all of that personified, and yet... I am, because it sounds so unbelievable.

[A small snort. Unbelievable, after all they've dealt with. Are dealing with.]

But yes, they... really are. [... Mmm.] It makes quite a few things difficult, really. I wish he was normal. I wish I was normal.

[But his other self isn't, so he isn't.]

As do I. What I wouldn't give for the halcyon days of ignorance once more... [ She trails off, sweeping her gaze over what they've done, and smiles slightly as she gathers a few bouquets and pushes them back to him. ]

Straighten those up. I'll be back in a few minutes—there are a few things I need to ask my caretaker about. They're flower-related... Additionally, we have a small greenhouse for the more popularly requested ones out the door there [ she motions with her fingers to a side-door ] if you'd like to surround yourself once you're finished. I find it's a very calming place to be.

Oh. Yes, thank you. I'll certainly take up your offer.

[He'll straighten them as she deals with her flower things, and... he really will take her offer to heart, parking himself near some daisies to play with the petals idly. Flowers really are calming. Maybe he'll see if he can work here for a few days, just to see what it's like... that'd be a nice change of pace.]

[ She'll be a while, really—letting her caretaker know the bouquets are taken care of, that things are going well with teaching Akechi to make arrangements, that she needs a little more time away from the front because they're having an important discussion...

She will return though, arranging flowers in a fashionable bouquet and wrapping violet tissue paper around them, tying it with a pale yellow ribbon curled at the ends on a pair of scissors. When she peeks into the greenhouse, she smiles at how easy it is to find him, and brings out the bouquet from behind her back to present to him once she's close enough. ]

Pheasant's eye, wormwood, and sweet yam. [ Elizabeth touches the flowers in turn—five pheasants, with their small yet striking red petals; seven wormwood flowers, thin-stemmed and covered in small, pale yellow clusters of petals; and three sweet yam flowers, with their cup-like shape and white petals, dipping into purple near their center. ] "Do not be discouraged by hard times or painful recollections."

[It's a beautiful bouquet, but more than that the sentiment is

it makes his chest constrict and he gently takes the flowers, skimming his fingers across the petals in quiet awe. It's got clear thought put into it, and it's obviously for him and him alone; he's going to regret keeping them in his house with how his allergies are, but while he's still in the clear he buries his nose into the flower, smile hidden by the colorful bouquet. The feelings really do come out.]

... Thank you, Miss Liz. [Sincerely.] You're right, it would've been a bad idea to put together a bouquet with the sort of feelings I had. Even before I knew the meaning intended, I felt you'd done it with care.

[And that she was thinking of the best way to assure him, to put him at ease. It's nice.]

[ Ah, good, he likes it... She takes a seat beside him, idly shifting some of the flowers with a gentle touch. It's important that they don't crowd one another, after all. ]

It was a pleasure, Go-chan. I enjoy working with flowers, after all... and I enjoy the looks on people's faces when they're given them. [ It's a lot like acting for her, in a way-- ] And naturally I was right. I've been doing this job since I arrived here, so that would make this month... My ninth month of employment, I suppose. Though my caretaker continues to call me a novice when it comes to flowers...

[ she doesn't seem mad or distressed about that--she's fully aware she's still an amateur, compared to him and his photographic memory of flowers and the thousands of meanings attributed to them. ]

Shall we focus on the ones for your family? And perhaps make a sweeter one for Aki than what you were considering.

[mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm..!]

What sort of... feelings would you like me to talk about, with Akira?

What you like about him, why, how he stands out... Your favorite things... Things of that nature. If you appreciate him. I'm already aware of the extent of your adoration, after all.

[ that's been very obvious. ]

Whatever comes to mind when you think of him will suffice as well though, to be honest.

Akira's not a very stand out person. I'm certain he's the sort of person you could lose in a crowd if you weren't careful, but that's why he draws my eyes all the same; I want to keep him in my sights no matter what. He deserves the attention.

[... Hm. What else...]

His smile lights up every room it's in. His laughter makes me weak. Being the cause of those things, of his happiness and nervousness and so much more-- I couldn't be happier, when it happens. I just don't want to be the reason he's hurt or sad. He means a terrible amount to me. If I were truly an ace detective, if I were as popular as my other self... I wouldn't be able to be with him, I think, for his own safety.

[though maybe they shouldn't be together anyway.]

I love the way he makes me feel. Excited and nervous, all abuzz with energy I can't find a way to expel, warm and happy and on top of the world -- it's a little intoxicating at times, really, a sort of high I want to cling to no matter what. I admire him a lot. He's hard-working, he doesn't seem to care what people think of him and yet is so, so surprised when I speak my thoughts on him -- all good, of course, how bright and wonderful I find him -- and he's so kind, Miss Velveteen, I don't see how the world can't fall in love with Akira.

Your admiration of Akira Kurusu certainly is a secret to everybody.

[ Heehee. It's so nice to see Goro in good spirits though, considering the weight he came in with. ]

Truthfully, I'm rather charmed by him as well... Not in the same way you are, but all the same. I find him a fun and wonderful individual to be around. [ It's as troubling as Ryoji. ] Let's see, for such feelings... Gardenia, without a doubt, for "exhilarating emotions," and perhaps larkspur for the implication that such things could transcend space and time... Roses are an obvious choice, but perhaps rather than the normal variety, you could go for Japanese roses, or a cluster of musk roses...

[ ...she seems to have trailed off, lost in thought. ]

[shut uppppp. he's better about hiding it from people who aren't his friends... Goro'll wait a moment, fiddling with the ribbon on his bouquet, before speaking up once he realizes she won't continue.]

What are their meanings?

[ Michaelmas daisy might be nice as well, and perhaps honeysuckle, unless that would be too overbearing? Winter daphne for sure, howev... oh, she's being talked to. Give her a second to review— ]

"Beauty is not your only attraction" for the first, if I recall correctly, and a cluster of musk roses simply means "charming." My apologies for drifting off there.

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