week 5, thursday

[reapertoire]

[ This is getting backdated since you don't know who is deda yet.

Between one blink and the next, Ranpo and Madara will suddenly find themselves in a greenhouse. If they try looking outside its glass windows, they'll notice that there is a strange haze that makes it impossible to tell the exact location, but the interior of the greenhouse is fairly bright, as if sunlight was shining through.

Everything in it seems fairly normal. There is a variety of plants, but primarily roses, as well as a small outside garden table. Still, strangely enough, there's also a... kotatsu? Well. Okay. ]

Comments

[rosemance]

[ anthy is sitting at the table. there's three bowls of ice cream on it. if they look on the ground, there's a fourth one, and the dog noise that's usually with max is eating some. yum. ]

[speckling]

[ pauses.

looks around, sees anthy.

processing...

okay! we're good, kinda. ]

Are those for us? You're such a hospitable Composer...

[ the "kinda" is because madara doesn't have much energy to his response. it's pretty neutral, taking a seat. ]

[deductionary]

[ ranpo looks completely unsurprised because there was a 50% chance of it being her or utena and like the asshole he is he actually probably figured it out w1 when maya was revealed, so! he'll give anthy a wave, but like madara, it's a lot less jaunty than it should be considering the events that have happened prior!

He does, however, go right for the dog noise to pet it again, because why the hell not. ]

Good to see you're well, Hime-san. [ it's pleasant, at least. looks up at her when he's done petting the dog noise and then sinks into a chair. ] I'm surprised you said okay to meeting us since you denied Glasses-kun for a long time.

kicks door down now that inves is over

[rosemance]

I eventually accepted his request. I've actually spoken to a few people this week. I guess word got around as to how to reach me.

[ whether she's pleased or annoyed by that is a mystery because she's smiling. ]

you free from them, but not us

[speckling]

[ word of "how" didn't quite get to madara but somehow, we're here anyway. sasuga, akira-san ]

Thank you for your prompt response to my request. It was an acceptance too, which is even better~

[ picks up his bowl of ice cream, just to feel the cool surface on his hands to ease him. he gives anthy a small smile. ]

I'll get to the point: those aligned with kissing your ass to "help" the Game aren't going to tell me shit. After seeing how they treat people I like, I won't bother. On top of this, the very small tidbit of secondhand info I managed to get does not make me happy if it's true.

So! Here I am, hoping to be "productive" and understand.

mod team suffers a lot

[deductionary]

[ that gets a small laugh out of him. ]

I'd have asked you to meet him if you hadn't - he was just about going crazy from being rejected by you all the time, Hime-san!

[ it's light, joking, but when he finally pokes at his ice cream, there's an overall seriousness to his tone. ]

They seem to think that you're in it for the drama. Did you ever say that to them explicitly? Because from what I know about you and Mayacchi I don't think that's kind of the case. [ shrugs ]

[rosemance]

I've never said that to them, no. You're not the first to ask me about that, but... I will say that the person who came up with that idea didn't discuss it with me first.

[ she's not going to name names since they didn't. ]

[speckling]

...

[ this shouldn't surprise him. that's very like that group as he's seen them, it's kind of funny. but his laughter is soft and broken, looking down. ]

You aren't who should receive my anger, then. I have another question... But give me a moment.

[ eats his ice cream quietly. ]

[deductionary]

[ sideways worried glance at madara. :( he cares, even if he doesn't like. usually show it because flippancy is his default mode of operation.

he looks like he wants to reach out and offer some kind of comfort? but again, inability to express emotions properly.

but since madara says that he needs a moment, he'll take that moment and give him a breather. ]

I'm glad that I'm not the only one who found that weird, it means that people are actually thinking for once.

[ a pause, and then his eyes narrow. ]

Ne, Hime-chan. I need to ask, for my own curiosity, but is this Game turning out the way you pictured for it to happen and is it too late for us to reverse course? I've tried to help but there's only so much I can do before they decide they don't want to listen.

[ it's accompanied by a literal shrug. ]

[rosemance]

[ she nods at madara before turning her attention to ranpo. ]

For a few weeks I had been... concerned for how this would turn out. I do think the Players have turned things around this last week though. You don’t have to worry as much as you would have a week or so ago.

[speckling]

[ you'll get there, ranpo. he's not asking to be comforted though. it's just a lot for a player, and anthy's calmness about it knocks him off guard.

but not in a bad way. this place is lovely, the ice cream is good...

and anthy is someone he wants to relax around and finally put his guard down. he's been on edge behind his smiles and mild shade-throwing.

she also answers his question "do you believe in the players?" really. "will we be okay?" is answered too. so he smiles again. ]

Anthy-san, what do you like the most about being the Composer? Are you enjoying yourself?

[ look ranpo can ask the important stuff, he can shoot the breeze. a detective he is not. ]

[deductionary]

[ breathes a sigh of relief. you didn't hear anything?

but anyway, when madara is shooting the breeze, he still has a rather thoughtful, calculating look at anthy. his next question: ]

What was it meant to prove when it seemed like you and Mayacchi were competing against each other? If you were to have the same outcome even by different means the differing teams would have been counterproductive, hm?

... unless that wasn't your doing.