elevelvetor | [ ic inbox ]

[ HMMMMMMMM................ ]

I don't mind it so much. It helps with sneaking out as well. [ ... ] Which would be more of a concern if my caretaker weren't already so laissez-faire about my life and how I choose to live it.

[ "Don't waste your youth," and all that. ]

I'll take your concern into consideration, however. Though I can't imagine wearing long-sleeves in the summer helps, pot?

Not from the heat, no, but it makes for adequate protection from mosquitoes.

[Sweet, sweet relief. Who needs bug spray.]

May I walk you home? If I'd known you lived so far away, I would have done the distance myself.

But then you'd need to travel an equidistant to return to your abode...

[ ... ]

If that doesn't bother you, I suppose I can't find a reason to refuse you. [ She'll peek at her fruits to make sure they're still bouncy (though she wishes they'd sleep?) and motion him along. ] Let us be off then, with haste! The night's only getting later, after all, and I'd hate to cause you trouble with your mother.

She sleeps like the dead, fortunately, and won't notice my absence if I return later than expected.

[Which is something that sounds clearly forced-casual, but not in the "ask me about it" way. He'll follow her though.]

Your... caretaker really doesn't mind your coming and going? I would think they'd be more concerned about you.

Let's say he has a laissez-faire way of raising his brood. As long as I'm not committing heinous crimes, he doesn't mind what I do. Even then, I'm almost certain he'd be happy to pay bail...

[ A considerate hum. ]

... I've only known him this year, however, and I made my intentions to move out as soon as I was able to clear since the beginning, so it might simply be that he respects my decisions as an adult, and he doesn't mind supporting me. Especially since I have next-to-nothing to do with the rest of his immediate family. Like a certain protagonist in a famous playwright's story, he scorns their traditions and savors rebellion where he can get it, even at his age.

[... How carefree. Or irresponsible, maybe, but Goro can't reason it that way with how she speaks.]

I see. [...] Will he be alone once you move out?

Yes, but he was alone before I moved in, too. I doubt he'll miss me much. [ A small shrug, mostly to readjust the wiggling bag. ] At the very least, if he does, he has my number and he can call me when he'd like. It'd be discourteous of me to refuse a call from him, so I'd answer in a heartbeat! ... Metaphorically, of course. It wouldn't really be that quick, I'm sure.

[Huh. Though he's got plans to stay in the dorms or find an apartment close to the university, the thought of how his mother might handle his going hasn't... really crossed his mind until now. Would she be alright on her own? Maybe he should stay after all; it wasn't that far from the university anyway, and if he insists enough she'll have to take his money, and--

Breathe, Goro. It'll be fine.]

I think most people would consider you lucky, Miss Velveteen, to have someone with that sort of attitude in your life. It's very carefree.

The further you get away from family politics, the looser the leash becomes.

[ Idly. Anyway, more importantly: ] Is your mother going to be alone if you move out?

[ ...... Right for the throat. ]

[He crosses his arms, hands resting tightly in the crease of his elbows.]

Yes, she will be.

[... And that's that! Thanks for coming.]

[ Cool. ]

Are you a momma's boy?

Is it that obvious, Miss Velveteen, or have your deductive skills gotten better?

[More like her bluff skills.]

She's all I have, in terms of immediate family. I never knew my father. [But he wants to, just to see what he's like.] But I have an aunt and uncle here as well, so it's my hope that she'll give in and accept their hospitality once I'm out.

[..... Does that give away his home situation too much? No, it shouldn't, his mom's just gonna be lonely.]

[ It was mostly a stab in the dark to keep conversation moving, but eh. Deductive skills, definitely, yep. ]

I see. [ It's too bad she's not really the type to follow the time-old tradition of exchanging backstories with complete strangers. That's for movies, and it's incredibly unrealistic. ] I'm sure she'll be fine. She's an adult, after all. Presumably she's had to deal with things on her own before she had you.

... Yes, you're right. I shouldn't worry so much.

[... Anyway. He sure did drop that on her. He kind of wants to find a dumpster to throw himself into.]

[ ....... Um.

The... comfort words. She might not exchange stories but she feels like she needs to know the comfort... words...

No, she's just going to take a fruit indiscriminately from the bag (a lemon) and bite into its juicy dancing mass. ]

[ ................................. ]

[ oh.

oh, this was a mistake. ]

[ Death is not a hunter unbeknownst to its prey... ]

[ Elizabeth's delicately spitting that stuff out and tossing the mellowed lemon away, jesus christ. ]

... Never bite into a lemon, Akechi. [ She sort of regrets her entire life. ] It's not as pleasing as biting into, say, an apple.

[......... What is she

oh she's

oh

oh my god she just bit into a lemon what kind of monster--]

I... I would think not, Miss Velveteen, they're different on every level...

[.... Um. Comfort words? Are they needed here. Not emotional comfort words, but.]

Would you like to get something from Denny's to cleanse your palate?

[ Her... plan succeeded? Sort of? They are off the weird topic, they're onto something better? ]

While we're in the area... That would be nice.

[ She likes lemons, but. This is too much. 2 Much. ]

[They are off the weird topic, and they are onto something better.

... For a degree of better.

Um. Okay. He's going to take the lead then, time to follow the siren's call of Denny's.]

You didn't think to check what you were going to bite into?

Not really. I just thought regardless of what it was, it'd give you something new to make a face over.

[ ...anyway, ]

Allow me to pay for our expenditures, by the way. This will be my forward payment. You will get the rest when I'm home and have access to some change.

[ Like she was gonna get fruit from him for actual free, whaaaaat, she knows how this shady deal business works. ]

[Oh.

Well, his smile's coming easy now, even if it's being directed at his feet.]

Thank you. But you don't need to pay me, I'm glad enough to just have them out of my hair for the moment.

[Yes, that's totally what the "thank you" was for, definitely not for the consideration of his feelings.]

[ ... Elizabeth is terrible at forming genuine bonds with people offline but she is not an asshole, essentially, she will gently bully but she won't go overboard. ]

Allow me to anyway. I'm very in the know of how after-dark business dealings work, Akechi. [ ~shine~ wait if that was true, wouldn't she have forked over the money the same moment she got her fruit...??? Anyway. ] Are you truly a detective if you've never had to break up one of these and become aware of such shady movements? For shame.

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1/?

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k we're good, actually

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