ic contact;

[condoner]

This is Tsunemori! I'm sorry, I'm not here right now, but please leave a message. I promise to get back to you once I'm able. Thank you very much! ( action → text → voice → video )

Comments

[zitteraal]

...I already ate.

[ That's a lie, but he's still self-conscious about his face, so there it is. ]

But you can eat. I'll watch. [ A beat later, and he realizes how PROFOUNDLY WEIRD that sounds. ] —Unless. That's an issue.

[ Ah yes, how to backpedal 101. ]

[condoner]

With how much you cover your face, I guess it might be why you've declined.

[ she takes a sip of her coffee, eyeing adolf to see what his reaction might be. and when she sets her coffee mug back on the table, she adds: ]

It's fine. I can eat it later, then.

[zitteraal]

My face isn't exactly something that'd facilitate your appetite.

[ He sighs a bit, and then adds: ] If you have things to think about, I can leave. It can't be all that pleasant, winding up back here.

[condoner]

Now, you can't just say something like that about yourself.

[ she really won't allow it! ]

I wouldn't pressure you to show me, but please know that I wouldn't judge you for anything. After all, we're friends.

[ yeah she said the "f" word. ]

[zitteraal]

[ she did it... why did she do this to him on this day ]

...It's just a general consensus. I can show it to you, but it won't be pleasant.

[ Friends... he's still wondering how this happened to him, and it shows in the slight furrow of his brows. ]

[condoner]

[ she inspects him with an arched brow. ]

Please don't tell me you're uncomfortable with the idea of being friends.

[ you can't escape this one, adolf. especially when she's a better profiler than she was before. ]

[zitteraal]

That's...

[ Cue him clearing his throat. ]

...Not the issue.

[ She's suddenly being so straightforward?! ]

[condoner]

[ do you like this new akane, adolf? ]

I'm glad to hear that.

[zitteraal]

[ Akane is suddenly threatening Vietnam's ranking of "most seme girl in Cerealia"...

So he heaves a sigh, deflates just a little. ]

If you're going to use the 'friend' designation, know that it goes both ways.

If there's anything you need, speak up.

[condoner]

I believe I've made my request already.

[ yup, she did. maybe about twenty seconds ago. ]

[zitteraal]

Is it...

[ He really needs this spelled out for him, jeez. ]

...The cake. [ Akane is too powerful... ]

[condoner]

I'll slice it for the both of us.

[ off she goes back in the kitchen to get a knife and slice the thing. she comes back with two plates later, and a thin slice of cake for both of them. ]

[zitteraal]

[ When she comes back, she'll notice that he's finally taken his scarf off, that it's sitting on his lap instead of around his neck. The left side of his face is mostly burned off, which isn't exactly the greatest thing to look at, as advertised, but he doesn't look as awkward about it as he could've.

He looks up, nods, and takes his portion of food. ]

...Thanks. [ That's almost inaudible, before he adds: ] How old are you, Tsunemori.

[ Asking a girl for her age, scandalous. ]

[condoner]

[ she doesn't verbally react to it, but rather, just commits the image to memory when she passes him. she's seen much worse. and even then, she kept to herself. so this is nothing. ]

I'm twenty-two now.

[ and it's not as scandalous as you may think, adolf.

she sits down in front of him and adds: ] You don't look bad at all, if that was what you were worried about.

[zitteraal]

[ 22 now. God, she's really not even that much younger than he is now— she looks steadier too, now that he thinks about it.

The comment about his face makes him breathe a little softly, as if he's just slightly amused by that assessment. ]

It still isn't 'good'. [ But he doesn't want to be a total wet blanket, so. ] Disappointed, are you.

[ A mean tease... ]

[condoner]

Disappointed? Why would I be?

[ okay, she doesn't get it. ]

[zitteraal]

You might have been expecting a grander reveal.

[ But he tips his head to the side once he starts eating, to keep his open jaw out of sight. ]

You're not fazed by much.

[condoner]

There's no reason to be.

[ that's all she says until she takes a small bite from her cake. ]

[zitteraal]

In general. Things don't seem to agitate you much.

[ He also eats his own cake, and vaguely hopes that it's to Akane's taste. ]

You're the kind of person that people want to try to rile up, probably.

[ Adolf... what kind of a thing is this to say to someone... ]

[condoner]

[ it's true... and it's so close to home because she just came back from cerealia after somebody attempted to paint her hue black.

akane nods, a smile on her face after taking a bite of her cake ]

It's definitely happened before.

[zitteraal]

[ He'd laugh if that didn't feel like something strange to do in reference of someone trying to be rude to Akane.

But at the same time, he isn't terribly surprised. ]

Recently?

[ Because he'd beat them up but no, he's actually a little curious. ]

[condoner]

That's right.

[ she looks away, trying not to frown too much. but her eyes really have drooped even more that her sadness is obvious. ]

I've been tested.

[zitteraal]

...Tested?

[ He stops mid-motion in drinking his coffee to flick his gaze back towards Akane, mildly questioning. Somehow, this reminds him of when Akane told him that she doesn't have it in her to be unjust. ]

Back in your world?

[condoner]

[ quietly: ]

In an attempt to cloud my hue, one of my colleagues murdered my grandmother.

[zitteraal]

Cloud your—

[ That term doesn't really resonate, but that last bit does. ]

—They killed someone close to you, to bring you down to their level?