messianic | IC

[Guren might be teasing, but Minato's completely, utterly sincere.]

It was. And then some, really... it was perfect, Ichinose-san.

Honestly--thank you for this. Having a wish granted like this... I guess it's kind of a nice feeling.

[In a lot of ways, that he wasn't ready for or expecting at all.]

Why are you talking like it's some sort of dream come true? It was so simple... you could have asked for this at any time, you know.

[He's embarrassed, even if he is happy to help. It's a quest, but the quest is hiding that it's a gesture he'd want to do for Minato, regardless. Granting a wish. He can't believe it's this easy.]

Because it was...

[Guren's really embarrassed, and that's cute too--but Minato doesn't want to undermine how much this really does mean to him. He's not good at asking for things, and he's used to being the one to take care of other people--which is how he likes it, and he's got no complaints about how he lived his life. But even so--]

Maybe it's a little sentimental of me, but I don't think there's anything that simple about going out of your way to make a nice meal for someone.

[The effort, the fact that he was in Guren's thoughts, even if it was for a quest--those sorts of things are things he treasures.]

[Hmm. Points... Points that Guren can't even tsun away. He rests his chin on his palm, poking at the shell of the lobster he's finished.]

Whatever. [He guesses!! He cares!!] If it gets it through your thick head that I mean it when I say we're family, then fine. It took some work.

[He had to look into what he could cook that wouldn't be disgusting and gray?]

[Wow!! Rude. But amusingly rude, and Minato just snorts softly in response.]

I believe you. You're too genuine about it to not mean it, and it must be important to you if you're willing to say it over and over even though you get embarrassed easily.

[Just coming right on out to point that out.]

We're definitely family, Ichinose-san.

Shut up!

[WHO'S EMBARRASSED EASILY... PUNK... He flings a stray piece of shell across the table at Minato, but settles after that, moving to stand up. To hide said embarrassment. And to clear dishes.]

Now that you get it, don't make me have to say it again. [As if he won't... but shhh.]

[Guren's embarrassed...so easily... it's cute, though.

Minato doesn't even bother to duck the shell; it bounces lightly off of his hand and to his plate, and he just looks vaguely amused.]

Okay, okay...

[He likes that he says it, though.]

Do you want help with the dishes?

[He's already standing to help out anyway though. He's a domestic kid, he can do that much.]

Sure.

[He won't refuse help, he guesses, and he's sure Minato would like it in a weird way to help out, anyway.] The trash is right there, and then you can grab the bucket of water over there.

[He nods his head to the side. No running water sucks, honestly?]

[No running water sucks a lot. But he just nods obediently, tossing the lobster shell and inedible parts into the trash and setting the plate aside with the other. And then he's fetching that bucket of water for cleaning up with.

They're starting to really learn how to live like this, huh...?

And as he scrubs:]

How have the other quests been treating you, Ichinose-san? [No spider bites?]

I've still got a lot planned, but I've been able to do a few.

[No spider bites... Thanks to Dex! It was close. Scrubbing these dishes, though, he glances to Minato.] What about you?

[Thanks, Dex.... protect dad, okay.]

It's been interesting.

[Which could mean anything, really, but--]

For the most part, these quests are pretty kind, don't you think? Like... the jorogumo is dangerous, obviously, but wishes and new skills...

[It's kind of oddly helpful.]

That's true. I don't know what it means, but even if it leads to something worse down the line, I won't refuse having something a little easier on us in the meantime.

[It seems... better, for now, even if he's paranoid and worried about it.]

[Of course he's paranoid and worried about it. For Minato's part...]

I like it.

[Of course he does.]

Quests that seem like they're encouraging us to work together or get to know each other... it makes me feel hopeful about what we're here for, I guess.

[He sets a scrubbed plate aside, contemplatively.]

You shouldn't get used to it.

[A little cold sounding, when Minato is trying to be so optimistic, but he has to balance it out here. He's thinking the same way— hopeful, encouraged. But he doesn't think that's a good sign.]

But I do think you're right. It's nice, for a change.

[It's fine. The reason he can be optimistic about things is because he knows Guren and Keith (and literally everyone else) will be realistic about them. So it's fine.]

I guess I just don't see the point in giving us quests like these unless somehow, the bonds between all of us really do matter in some way to the town.

[Whether in restoring color, or something else...

It's a nice thought.

He sets the other clean plate aside, satisfied, and reaches for their utensils.]

Oh, I think they do matter.

[He's been thinking on that for a while, and he's sure everyone else has come to realize it, too, even if it's less of a topic to talk about so much as act on.]

Our actions are bringing color back. That's all that can explain it. It's directly related to those quests, too. When these new ones first came out, I had gone over to show Dextera the sky before I even knew they were up. He'd told me he always wanted to see a sky that wasn't red.

When we were heading back inside, there were blue tulips on his front porch that weren't there before. It's some sort of magic at work.

[... That's all well and good, and he agrees with all of Guren's observations, but also like--]

... Tulips?

[GUREN...]

You granted Dextera-san's wish, and it made blue tulips appear? That's...

[Precious?]

... That's really sweet.

Yeah. He liked them so much, I thought he was going to cry.

[He says this so casually, like he's not moved at all... He loved the tulips too, don't worry.]

[Yeah, he knows...]

You liked them too, right, Ichinose-san? And you like making Dextera-san happy too.

Who cares if I liked them?

[Not!! Answering!!] The point is that answering the quest got us that reward. Maybe even the color of blue tulips themselves.

[... Hm.]

So that means you liked them a lot, right...?

[He's getting used to that tsun.]

But I think you're right. Maybe it went hand in hand, because of how you completed the quest? I'm not really sure, but it seems logical it'd be connected.

[He doesn't answer that, because Minato has it right, and he's sure he knows anyway. Denying it more would just invite even more suspicion into why he's so invested over denying care for some silly tulips.]

It has to be. Seeing it like that, after all of the color that's returned in the past two months... It makes sense.

So that's confirmation. We're definitely restoring color to this place, just by doing quests and getting to know each other.

[It's weird, but it's kind of nice in its own way too. Being able to make some sort of sizable, positive impact just by living here...

But at the same time?]

But... I guess it just makes me wonder--how did the color go away in the first place, if it's that easy to bring it back?

It's easy for us, but it might not have been so easy with the right circumstances.

[The dishes are dry, now, and he puts them away, eyes dimming as he thinks.] Even in my own world... With everything out to kill humans, and even the humans risking other human lives to grab power. It could have been similar to that. A disaster, and then nothing.

[Oh. That's...that's true.

He didn't think of it that way. Something terrible could've happened, and then there was nobody here to keep the color in place, or to bring it back.]

...Mm.

[Minato's quiet for a moment, tucking his hands back into his pockets now that the dishes are done. It's something to think about, at least; he'd like to believe in the best, but he knows when optimism doesn't have any place there. So really...he doesn't know what to say to that.]

Maybe it was something like that.

... Well. Thank you, Ichinose-san. For the dinner, and...for granting a wish for me. Thank you for thinking of me.

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