ashiya douman scares me but not mineo why

[sengokus]

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W2 POST DEATH ANNOUNCEMENT

[commedia]

[Hey, Mineo! Guess what? If you're walking into the common room, you might see Douman just?]

[Kicking?? The hot tub??? With their clown shoe????????????]

[Douman lets out a pained noise, which is what one should expect, kicking a hot tub. Seriously, what is happening.]

[sengokus]

[what

WHAT IS HAPPENING]

A-Ashiya-san....?!

[HE'S JUST GONNA RUSH OVER TO HIM ALL CONFUSED HELLO]

What's going on?!

[commedia]

I...don't know.

[JUST GRITTING THEIR TEETH. HOLD ON.]

I just keep...doing this.

[sengokus]

[ . . . . . . . his brow furrows at that for a moment before - ]

Okay.

... there's something up with this hot tub and we have to come back to look at it tomorrow but is there - can you stop at all? Are you gonna kick me if I try to move you?

[commedia]

There's...what?

[Looking back at the hot tub?? Hello????]

[But at the question, they shake their head.]

I don't know. I might. Sometimes it goes away, but...

[And then they turn, cutting themselves off, before walking past Mineo to give a kick at the couch.]

[sengokus]

[ . . . . okay, worse - ]

Is... Is it not just the hot tub? Is it just - anything, Ashiya-san?

[commedia]

...Anything, yes.

[They close their eyes.]

I suppose this is someone's idea of a curse.

[sengokus]

[ . . . . ]

But why you, and why now?

[his brow furrows, already displeased]

Can we go to a different room maybe...?

[commedia]

I'm not sure. Someone wanting to get in my way.

[And a nod.]

Yes, let's. Though I've been kicking things in other places, too.

[sengokus]

.... Then maybe we can double up on your socks or something so it hurts less. I've got spare bandages at least.

[douman your toesies

but before they exit the common room he looks at the tv]

... you don't see anything playing, huh, Ashiya-san.

[commedia]

That's not half a bad idea.

[Their poor toesies...]

[They give Mineo an odd look, before looking back on the TV.]

No? Why, what's playing?

[sengokus]

[ . . . . . he just sighs.

and it's probably a testament to both his focus and his foul mood that he doesn't seem flustered at all, just agitated - ]

Two people getting it on in a hot tub.

[hence his insistence that the hot tub must have some secret

leaving the common room behind now though]

[commedia]

...Oh.

[Normally, Douman would probably smirk, but...its been a long week, and they just let out a huff. Fine. That's fine. Sure.]

[They follow Mineo out, and so far...no kicking urges occur.]

I think when I just see things on the ground...I just want to kick them.

[sengokus]

[it is. such a long week and mineo is just tired..... where are they even going - med bay now i guess.]

.... let's head to the med bay to get you some bandages and see if any new magical painkillers have been replenished, Ashiya-san.

That's a pretty rude thing to have done to you.... Make anybody mad lately?

[commedia]

Ah, Harrowhawk has been rather grumpy towards me as of late for some odd reason, but otherwise no! No, no, I do not think so.

[They have been a very nice polite clown!]

But I do not mind. This is to be expected, somehow.

[sengokus]

Expected...? Come on, don't just think that it's doomed for people to dunk on you.

[commedia]

...

[They just fall silent for a moment at that.]

History has its villains and its heroes, Mineo. If one is a villain...well. You can get the picture.

[sengokus]

But you're not a villain to me.

[STUBBORNLY.]

... It's been bugging me since we met! You keep saying that. But this isn't history, it's the present. You're a whole of a person, not just who you used to be.

So I don't think you should be judged like some great evil.

[commedia]

Am I?

[There's a sliver of a smile on their face, snakelike.]

Ahhh...but I did many evils in life, did I not? I may have helped people, but I harmed many people, too.

[sengokus]

But that's called living.

[and there's - an odd little sharpness in his tone. maybe it's because of the weight of the week, maybe it's because of something else, but he straightens his shoulders here.]

There's nobody who's a saint, who's ever lived a life without hurting somebody else. And there's nobody who's pure evil, who's never meant something to someone.

You're the one who says that history doesn't count for it all, Ashiya-san... But I don't think you should call yourself a villain just because you're resigned to it.

[commedia]

...

[Its true. Yes, that's true. But how funny it is, how funny it is to hear that, in this state, as this kind of person, how funny, how ridiculous, but...]

[They're silent for a long moment.]

I understand. I naturally want to reject your consideration, but...perhaps I'll let it go, for now. If you believe in that...then I will try believing in that, too.

[sengokus]

[ . . . well. even if it's a little bit of a reach up, mineo will flick douman on the forehead lightly.

and then pause - ]

.... I wouldn't have done that if I still regarded you as the Ashiya Douman-san from history!!

[ . . . ]

But you're the Ashiya Douman-san that's my friend.

And I know you've done some shit. I have too. I'll believe in what good you can do, and what you want to do, even more than that. I'll take on all of you, Ashiya-san, and I won't look away. I don't do that anymore.

Count on that.

[commedia]

...!

[The flick to the forehead makes them squint, shaking their head, but the words after...]

[A friend, huh...?]

[I'll believe in what good you can do, and what you want to do, even more than that.]

Mineo... [And a low noise, as they look away.] You really are a fool, huh.

[There's not much feeling in that insult, though.]

[sengokus]

[he just snorts a little bit at that before offering up a smile]

Yeah, maybe.

But I think the world's more interesting with fools like me in it, right?

[commedia]

Ahahaha.

[Now they're grinning.]

I can't say it isn't interesting, no!