Regrettable Man

Eye to eye, he struck another match– and after a slight pause… tossed it back onto the pile.

And then he lit two more and did the same before the other could act, just for good measure.

“You have my pity– that was a nice coat. Unfortunately, you’ve further incurred my wrath, fool. Getting between an author and his business is practically suicide– for your coat, that is. I can’t physically do anything.”

“ !!! No!! “

As the unexpected happened Sekine turned pale. The coat was, indeed, utterly finished, trashed even... But no! It was no time to pay attention for such meager detail! He really needed to get those matches off him before any more disaster occurred.

“ I do apologize  but-- “

It only occurred to him now - that the one whom he had pegged a child might indeed not be one but a short grown person. The way of talking had him reconsider it. A regrettable mistake and he was genuine apologizing of it it was but even so-- 

“ I can’t let you do that!! “

“This schlock can barely be referred to as my works now. The Little Mermaid and The Little Match Girl end in death! And so shall these!”

“ ..... “

He paused blinking as he realized what was transpiring before him. Eyes widened. This wasn’t right! It was another thing to express anger and other thing vandalizing books and surroundings like this! In public space no less.

“ Ah wait no you shouldn’t--- “ he  began as he pulled his coat off , “ they’re still --- ...!! “

Final stomps on the coat that seemed to have been early enough to extinguish the flames and Sekine finally turned around facing the child with a strict frown.

“ Hand the matches over “, Sekine said reaching his hand forward to receive them. 

There was the sound of clattering, like that of something fragile abruptly hitting the tile floor of the apparent department store. Naegi instinctively reacted and picked up the source – a pair of glasses, thankfully without a scratch tarnishing them. Smiling in relief, he stood up and presented them to the person standing closest. He presumed they were its owner.

❝ Ah – I picked them up before you, I’m sorry, ❞ he apologized regardless, tilting his head to the side. ❝ Here are your glasses. They look alright, I think. ❞

Hand reached forward grabbing to place the glasses back with the hand that remained free from holding groceries. Only then would he retract his the frown.

“ I don’t think that’s something there’s any point apologizing for “, he now turned the look back to the boy still wearing the frown. 

No matter how much he tried, he just couldn’t get this banjo to sound the way he wanted. And not for lack of effort, either. Crow had spent the majority of his day wandering the city and practicing with the unfamiliar instrument. For all of its similarities to a guitar, well, the sound was anything but, and the hedgehog was determined to find some harmony with the thing.

Currently, he was seated on a patch of grass in one of the Hive’s parks, strumming furiously, as though he might his old guitar. Instead of anything pleasant, the sound was high-pitched, erratic, and more than a little annoying.

Yet, for some reason, he was trying to sing with it all the same. After a few phrases, both he and the instrument fell silent, ears flattened to his head while he frowned.

“C’mon Scarlet, you can do better than that…”

Sigh. A musician who couldn’t play. A sad thought to have–exactly why he immediately pushed it aside when it started to surface.

He had to pause, however, when his tail brushed something behind him, making him quickly look back. Almost immediately he recognized the obtrusion as a passerby’s leg.

Today it was the latter.

If it hadn’t been pointed out the tail the tail might have gone unnoticed. He didn’t look down to the cause at first either. Instead he stared to the stranger’s direction, wondering what it was about. Only after a while did it sank to that why he was being addressed. His glance would drop lower to the direction of the tail and remain there for a second.

“ ....I didn’t notice it”, he said eyes still firmly panted towards the tail.

Longer time ago his reaction would have been even stronger, maybe even scared. However through various entanglements his brain had began to feel more at ease with supernatural matters... What kept him in his thoughts for those few seconds wasn’t the tail but the simple self-consciousness of his own thoughts. Not the most common trait for him.

He raised his glance though now directing his eyes to the one the tail attached to.

“ I apologize. “ 

Irony however is a cruel mistress as Tatara starts feel foolish himself. He tilts his head up, watching as the sky turn dark due to the smoke from the flaming buildings, reminding him of the familiar polluted air from his homeland. He takes a deep sigh, rather loudly but not intended, tilts his head back to face the other.

-- ah what was that? 

“ Eh? We’re going to -- ? it’s at that direction but.... “ he muttered nodding back to where he came from with a frown. Somehow he hadn’t expected an agreement but regardless Sekine felt slightly touched. 

“ ....are you saying we’re getting it now? I don’t mind of course in fact I prefer this setting but... “

“You know some people wouldn’t just thank the other through words.” He puts up a face again as Yan would take the event lightly where as Tatara would just shrug it off, possibly wanting to forget it all.

Yan, the name of his brother but now his name in this city. It’s been months yet he still can’t let himself get used to this new ‘identity’, perhaps it’s the name but perhaps it’s the fact he can’t be allowed to act as himself. It’s frustrating to think that you can’t even be true to yourself in this cruel world.

“I’ve been invited by my boss.” Takatsuki Sen, yet another fake name. He wonders if she came to a point where she had these thoughts as well.

His eyes would then get fixed on the mask, drowning out the sounds around him for a moment. The words would still if only barely sank into his consciousness and shake his attention back to what he was told.

“ Huh? ................oh. “

“ I..it’s normal I think? Are you saying -- should I do something then? “

Maybe he should get something for him then. Knit something? What kind of things would this man wear? Did he read...? Maybe get him something to eat...? He did recall their earlier conversation but somehow still found himself lacking rather frustrating amount of information regarding him, thinking about it he had never really even seen him eat so there was no way he could offer him something he liked. 

There was a sight before he would absentmindedly join into conversation again.

“ Ah.... As for me I .... “

He paused, frowning a little. 

“ .....well. I happened to be around. And there was the invitation, so I thought I should show up? “ he muttered. 

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“It’s that time of the month.” A pregnant pause. “I’m joking…” He unzips his coat, shedding off the bloody clothing, leaving him only in his black tank top and slacks. Never had he bothered with the mess he made after fights, but if the other is going to keep staring at his clothes the whole time then it’s better to lessen the distractions as they try to escape danger.

“Whatever you’re planning to do, leave it.”

Jokes never quite sank in the first place and even if they did they rarely elicited any sort of expression that’d point them out as funny. This one was no exemption. He observes it in strict, quiet fashion until the other man speaks again.

“ Eh... ? What...?“

He blinked until the rest sank in. He hesitated a bit but in the face of obligation Sekine soon realized he had no other choice but to reveal the not-so-dark secret of having a bet:

“  I.. bird ...I have one. 

Tatara’s eyebrow raises once the moon’s light shines down on the man’s face, revealing his identity. The event seemed almost fairytale-like 

“Sekine, you’re still alive.”

Not that it was bad or anything. In fact Sekine was pleased to meet the sight of him - surprisingly without his mask. He exhaled the remaining air before he stood up still shaken (more from the relief of getting to place where he could be at peace rather than from the run itself). 

“ Yes. I believe it’s thanks to you. I’m grateful still.... “

“ But... I didn’t expect meeting you here, Yan Lou-san. “

“Sekine." 

Even beneath the stench of corpses coupled with the blood smeared on his face, Tatara could still tell the other’s scent even a block away. War has always had a bloody end, and that kind of aftermath is what brings out the flesh eaters among the shadows. You can say it’s like a feast for them, scavenging for left overs or even perhaps burying their identities underneath the chaos. But Tatara has more pressing matters at hand than to bother with food.

As a voice interrupted the broken record Sekine’s hand sprang up on chest before he turned around to face the source of it. 

“ Oh...!  Yan Lou-san....“ 

Come to think of it a stranger wouldn’t call him by name. He realy was relieved though the sigh that escaped him expressed it as well.

“ I’m--- I just needed to get birdf--- “ he froze middle sentence,