yogen | npc contact.2

[ He learns magic and uses it for something completely useless—- but she shouldn't be thinking that, not when it is impressive, when it's something wonderful she's never seen before, when he's doing it for her. It reminds her a bit of that virtual reality program, the meteor shower just for her because he couldn't stomach seeing it with her, and how here he suffers too just to try to bring a smile to her face.

Pointless, not worth the effort...

It's not a smile, but there's no furrow of the brows nor frown on her face when she watches the constellation walk and turn and shine, like when she watched the meteor shower, like when she watched his back in the times he refused to turn around.

... ]

Hiro would have loved that.

[ An objective truth, much easier to voice than one's own thoughts and feelings, of which she always largely keeps to herself. ]

( A flicker of slight disappointment, but he draws the constellation back and forms it into a small ball of light instead; this he tosses towards her underhand, and in its wake a curtain of the night sky appears between them. )

He DOES. I showed him when I first started learning how to do this type of thing—he was delighTED.

( In that quiet way he has, something Natsume's learned to pick up on. )

I have a few other TRICKS, but they're a little more dangerous; even this one can hurt you if you get in its WAY. ( ... ) I wanted to learn magic to help THOUGH, not HARM.

( It's just that Elsword magic harms when it heals. Everyone gets to experience the DPS/Healer life. )

I figured this was a nicer way of showing you it rather than cutting myself just to heal it UP, and making you worry I was going inSANE.

( Curtain Call fades quick, drenching them in the dark again—save, naturally, the window light—and Natsume will bring her a cup of ginger tea.

...And step away to a comfortable distance, nursing it. )

[ Maya takes a quick step back when he tosses the ball of light towards her, hands drawn up like she expects it to explode or for Natsume to rush her while she's distracted or any other flavor of murder attempt that doesn't happen. She can only hope Natsume didn't catch the surprise on her face with the nighttime between them, heart pounding, willing it to slow.

"even this one can hurt you if you get in its WAY"
"I'm going to toss it at you without warning"
goddddddd

She takes the cup in both hands, warming her fingers and so they won't shake. ]

You would be right. Don't you ever hurt yourself just to prove a point. That would just be stupid.

[ Some of you out there are doing this. It's stupid. ]

( When will Maya understand that there's only one four-letter word that begins with k that he wants to do to her...

If he saw her surprise, he won't comment on it; he'll sip his tea and smile around the lip of his cup instead. )

I try not to hurt myself anyWAY, but I'll be sure to be extra mindful from now ON.

( Only hurting yourself to go to the other school, yeah, reasonable use of it. )

I can also light a candle and summon a fireBALL, but until my control gets betTER, I'm not really supposed to do the latTER. If you're not careFUL, fire will burn you from the inside out—apparentLY.

( BUT IF SHE HAS ANY CANDLES SHE WANTS LIT, HE'S HER GUY. )

[ She would use a lighter like a normal person???? please ]

None of what you just said is reassuring, Sakasaki.

[ She's seen so many burnt corpses in the past month, she doesn't want the next one she sees to be him. Even when the purpose, somehow, is healing, how badly it could go wrong makes learning that sort of magic too dangerous— not just for himself, but for everybody around him, and it's this fact that displeases her the most. Runner up is the fact that she can't forbid it, because she is nothing to him and he has no reason to listen to her.

So she'll just have to settle for looking peeved. ]

( Yeah everyone would, even Natsume would, but also please, )

I never say anything reassuRING.

( By her standards. )

...SorRY. I only mean that it's something I have to be careful WITH, or else I'd show you—I'm sure it's much more impressive than conjuring a pale mimicry of the STARS. ( ... ) Or it would've BEEN, before the last two months hapPENED.

( Lucifer and whatshisface ruining everything. But he doesn't want to talk about them, that edges too close to— talking about the school, their circumstances, unpleasant things for an otherwise pleasant day. )

But let's... ( He trails off; it feels a little callous to just say, "Let's not talk about that," even if he doesn't want to, doesn't think they ought to, but he shakes his head and looks out the window.

...looks at her reflection in it, her peeved expression. She'd hate it if she knew, but she's cute when she's irritated; he doesn't necessarily like making her mad, but it isn't so terrible a thing to happen. ) Let's finish our TEA, Little Wolf, and then we can make our way to the music ROOM. I'll give you a reason to smile YET.

( Or at least make that face she always does. However adorable she might be when mad, he much prefers the usual expression she has around him. )

[ Her standards for assurance aren't all that high, she'd like to believe. People setting themselves on fire is a normal cause for worry.

She breathes a sigh as she lifts the cup to her mouth with both hands, watching her breath ripple the surface of her tea and scatter her reflection. ]

You've been plenty impressive already. [ quiet, though not mumbled, because she doesn't mumble. Doesn't sound particularly happy either, but that's also something she doesn't do: be happy, smile, give people indication she's not perpetually annoyed at things.

Natsume's given her plenty of reason to smile. It's just the face she always makes. ]

Well, you don't need to sound so down about IT.

( It's a light tease; she never sounds particularly happy about things, he won't take offense, but she deserves the tease...

It'll help distact him from the terrible way his heart flutters, give it time to slow down again, make sure he won't have an embarrassing tic to his step when they walk together. There is something freeing, actually, in liking someone and them knowing it; he's a little torn on if he likes it or not. Something to study more in depth. )

I'll do my best to keep up the pace THEN, Little Wolf. ( ♪ ) Without revealing all of my tricks, of COURSE... I have to keep some of them for next TIME.

( ...he watches the forest, mmm. )

You can decide if I get another one when this is THROUGH.

( Just like she gets to decide when she wants to be friends. )

[ Oh I never did edit happy Maya icons so she'll have to be grumpy for a little while longer. ]

...we'll see.

[ Making no promises, but it's not an outright no. ]

And we don't have to keep the same pace for it to be a good time. It'll become exhausting. Pick one thing each time.

( Her grumpy face is cute it's fine I love it

One thing each time... Today's like a sampler then, but just one thing each time is too lacking-- )

Two activities each time at LEAST. There's something to be said about moderaTION, but I wouldn't want you to get BORED.

( And there are only so many hours in a day; he wants to monopolize what he can. )

It wouldn't be boring if it's with you.

[ She honestly can't imagine being bored with him even if they're doing nothing but sitting around in silence drinking tea. There'd be the frustration, the annoyance, the exasperation, the worry— but never boredom. ]

( She really is so sweet. Even if it's objective fact, she doesn't need to say it. On the other hand, he knows she's saying it because she doesn't want to do more than two activities with him.

It can true and still be meant to dissuade; it isn't a bad thing. )

...I'll agree to "one thing at a time" only if we don't count having lunch, dinner, or tea as that one THING.

( So one thing, and then also eating together. The meal is a free bonus. )

[ "she doesn't want to do more than two activities with him" was almost word for word what i was going to write in brackets before but decided that was mean. It's true but she doesn't say it.

Think of it as a trade, she tells herself. A compromise. ]

Only if you're not the one cooking every time.

( One day he'll get her to two activities, it'll be fine. )

Oh? Are you offeRING, Little Wolf?

[ I hate how cute that icon is but it's just Natsume laughing at her ]

If you're the one doing everything all the time, it becomes awkward and one sided. This way is fair.

[ She's not offering, she's saying how it is, she hates the feeling of having to owe somebody. ]

( STOP HE'S DELIGHTED BT HER, this is as close to a "!!!!" icon as he gets...

This is fair, yes, but now he gets Maya food too... ideal. )

I'd be more than happy to eat something of yours--I didn't think of refusing you for a seCOND.

( it was just surprising, though her reasoning why is not. it isn't that surprising either if he thinks about it, though. )

Do you remember what my favorite kind of food IS?

[ The number of days she agonized over what the hell he meant by "two flavors" ]

You never gave me a specific food. Just contrasting flavors.

PreciseLY. You're a clever GIRL, so I thought you'd think of someTHING.

( He just likes food with contrasting flavors... but he'll give her something concrete to make if she's inclined. hmm. )

Sweet and sour pork would be easy eNOUGH, but I promise I won't complain about anything you make as long as it isn't too spicy or too SWEET.

It wouldn't be. Hiro likes his food mild.

[ And she does the cooking at home, so it would probably be something simple, meant to be only two servings worth. Sweet and sour pork... with cooked pineapples, because the pineapples were my favorite part of this dish, pineapple and sauce on rice.

Gonna make Natsume eat his vegetables like she makes Hiro finish all his vegetables or he doesn't get dessert. ]

( Jokes on her, he always eats his vegetables, and also Hiro's vegetables, but we're going to keep that from her. Responsibly.

...Well, it's not like they ever have particularly potent lunches, so Natsume's doing good on that part. But on the topic of Hiro...

...

No, he'll ask about it later. )

He never complains when we have lunch togeTHER, so I assume I'm doing well by his stanDARDS. ( lowkey he feels like he'd know if hiro was unhappy with a meal so he's just gonna keep thinking he's good. ) Unless he only airs his complaints to you the same way you complain to HIM.

( ... )

And Sato-san, since to my remembrance I never referred to you as "Little Wolf" whenever I spoke with HER, and yet she knew IT.

[ Hiro telling Maya everything EXCEPT the fact that Natsume eats his vegetables. ]

At least he's eating during the lunch hour, now. [ Instead of napping it away, like he'd do in the library towards the start of the year. But now he has Natsume and Stephanie to feed him.

... ]

Why were you talking to Nao about me?

( ... )

I talk about you to everyONE, Little Wolf.

Don't.

[ STOP THAT ]

( SAFE. )

It isn't as if I'm doing it for a frivolous reason; you simply come up as the source for some of my iDEAS. ( it's all very natural, and he has never not once ever just talked about her for no reason.

that isn't true he's going to finish his tea and go to wash his cup out, thinking about how Rika teased him for talking about Maya so much and how he consciously dialed back on it after she pointed it out. Another thing that Maya doesn't have to know. ) And other people will sometimes ask after YOU, because they'd like to talk to you but they aren't sure HOW... So on and so FORTH.

( mmmhmmm. )

That's simply how it happened with Sato-san as WELL. ( but. ) More importantLY, you talk about ME?

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