zerotohiro | Some Legends Are Told, Some Turn To Dust Or To Gold [CEREALIA INBOX]

Send me a message next time, even if it's short notice you can manage that.

[Rei exhales slowly, reaching an arm out for his shoulder. That girl. That girl...]

Because she also forgot to tell me. Despite promising. That girl...needs to be put on a leash, I swear. She's going to get herself killed again. [Sliding around to his back, she hugged him. That face was impossible to deny.]

I know why you wanted to talk to her. We did discuss that, you know. And she should. But you have to go about those things in the right way, and it sounds like Athena's big mouth caused the message to get lost.

I know. I'm sorry. [And he is. He'd been a little too focused on the goal to really think that far ahead. Perhaps that's just part of the fact that he's still growing up. But he's fine with this and he leans into that hug even while he's thinking. (It should be little surprise to Rei by now that this is how he functions best. Casual affection paired with letting him puzzle things out.)

Still, he makes a face at that. He doesn't really want to pin the blame on anybody even if he'd sort of thought the whole thing backfired spectacularly. Was it anybody's fault? Or did Occidi already have her mind made up from the start?]

I don't know if it was entirely Athena's fault. She thought she was doing the right thing and overreacted when Occidi destroyed the offering that Merlin made. It happens. [...did Rei know about Athena and Merlin? He's not sure, so he's carefully sidestepping that. People do crazy things when they like people sometimes.]It was just a combination of Athena reacting to Occidi destroying the flowers, Edgeworth asking what our part in all of this was and accidentally offending Occidi and I probably asked her way too many questions, too. [A huff.] I'm gonna go back to her shrine in a couple of days...I've got a new offering I'd like to leave to apologize. Even if she doesn't want our help, it's the least I can do.

[She's honestly just starting to treat him like Hotaru or Chibiusa, really. Sharp looks seem enough to get him to do what she feels is best, and he's really pretty good about actually listening.]

Athena's really clueless about how to deal with anything supernatural. And her boyfriend? [She knows. God does she know, and finds it terribly amusing] Merlin doesn't know much about spirits of any sort. We talk, quite a lot. He...doesn't know how to interact with them like some of us. Edgeworth-san is much the same as Athena. Ah...the closest thing their world has to the supernatural is Maya-chan. [Take that as you will. Maya Fey may very well be the most supernaturally ridiculous person Rei's ever met.]

My point is that they're touchy. But well thought out offerings may offset that. Caeli and I seem to have a solid understanding, after all.

An apology is wise, though. As is contrition if she shows up again. What do you intend to give her, if you don't mind me asking?

[Considering sharp looks and positive reinforcement is what happens in the Hamada household often enough, she's definitely got him pegged. He respects her opinion, too. That helps. His lips quirk up a little at the word "boyfriend" and also at Rei's descriptions of the two of them.]

I mean Athena's a lawyer. I didn't think she'd have that much experience but Merlin's a wizard. [He has no idea who Maya is, but he's nodding all the same.] We'll all just have to be a lot more careful next time. [He leans back a little to think out his offering, hands moving a bit as he describes.]

Well…Occidi didn't like that the flowers we brought were dead. So I started doing some research and planted some mint? You can grow new life from a sprig of it you can get at a grocery store, so I shoved it into a pot in my window. It's not growing really fast but…it's something? And it's meant for protection and won't require a ton of upkeep. And when Korra and I went to see Maris she brought some incense to light so I figured that might be okay, too? Sage seemed the most inoffensive so…[A shrug. He still doesn't quite know if that's the right way to do this, but he's definitely put thought into it.]

[Rei shakes her head.] Merlin doesn't deal with spirits of any sort. We've gone over it at length, and he's...smart but still kind of clueless.

[She'll leave it at that, and nod thoughtfully before giving him a very impressed look. Her lips peel back into a genuine, delighted smile.]

That is incredibly thoughtful of you. Mint is one of those things that will grow forever, given half the chance. Incense is another thing that should help, and sage is a fairly basic thing to use. Though, I'm not actually sure if a synthetic stick would be better or not. Ah...if she was bothered by dead plants, something maybe made from an extract might be better, so it's not harming anything and merely being used.

[...you know, it's sort of nice to know that Rei has strong opinions on everyone and that his is mostly positive. It's funny that people like Merlin get the words "clueless" attached to them, but he won't bring it up.

Instead, he's far too pleased that Rei approves of his idea, ducking his head in slight embarrassment.]

I've been trying to do the best I can to learn how everyone and everything works here. That includes all of the spirits and offerings and stuff. We have some shrines back home but I've never visited them. So...thanks. I didn't think about the synthetic part of it. If I can find something else I'll use it but I might have to take my chances. You really think she'll like it?

[Merlin is clueless. It doesn’t mean she doesn’t respect or care about him, but she’s rather brutally honest in her opinions. Particularly about Boys. And Merlin is one of those. For now. Soon he’ll just be a Wizard, but for now? Boy. Totally a Boy.

And, she has to admit that it’s kind of funny to see him preening at her compliments. She appreciates the affection he shows, after all. Friends are treasures, and he’s certainly that.]

I think that it’s possible she will but I won’t commit to a definite yes. [She’s smarter than that and doesn’t want to risk coming off as arrogant. Still, she feels like this is probably the way to go. It’s the only thing she can think of, at any rate, and with the clues they already have it’s what she thinks lines up best. And there’s always a chance she’s wrong, which she will admit.] I don’t really know for certain, because I’m not her, and we don’t exactly share an element. But if my experience with spirits of the Earth at home is any indication, she’ll think favorably of it. You did offend her, and reparations have to start somewhere, after all. It’s not like she can get more upset with you, really.

I didn't mean to offend her. [It's almost a whine but not quite. He tried really, really hard not to do that but at least he's making some progress.] But I'll let you know how it's received when I give it to her. Maris was kinda ambivalent to the offering Korra and I brought him, but he still showed up. As long as I never have to see my own skeleton again I think I'll take that as progress.

Please do let me... [She stops, trailing off. Because wait. wait. WAAAAAAIT. #recordscratch]

...See your own skeleton?!

I think I'm gonna have to pass on letting you see that. [There's a half-grin at his crappy joke.] I did mention she was pretty mad at our last offering, right?

[Or she was mad at them continuing to press for answers. One of the two.]

...Yes. But...wow. That's beyond what I was expecting. Did she actually hurt you?

That part didn't hurt, but she definitely was trying to literally freeze us out before then. I guess that was her last resort when we weren't leaving. She was pretty serious about doing things on her own.

Which...[A sigh.] is understandable. She thinks it's right. And that we're beneath notice.

You don't agree with her, do you? Or any of them for thinking like that? [He knows she doesn't but...the fact that it's understandable doesn't settle well either.]

That we're beneath notice? Of course not. They underestimate every single person here, and it's a line of thinking that reminds me of the enemies I had at home. [With not taking the girls seriously.]

Think about the common thread everyone here has, and tell me why I should agree with any of them.

Because even with everything we've done and everything we've been forced to do, we're no closer to getting answers than they are. [It's a pessimistic outlook, but he's a little discouraged by everything lately.] But other than that I've got nothing.

Everyone here is rather extraordinary, is more what I was getting at. [Don't get discouraged. Just get more motivated.]

[He stares at her for a second...and then sighs. But at least there's a tiny grin.]

Why do you always know what to say even when I don't want you to? [Thanks Rei.]

Some Legends Are Told, Some Turn To Dust Or To Gold [CEREALIA INBOX]

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