cinnabar.

[nonbelligerent]

Comments

[globs]

[ having him describe their scroll from memory somehow feels very personal and embarrassing, and they look away, slumping over the table as the tips of their ears turn pink. ]

That doesn't mean it didn't happen. Besides, I'm not useful here, either... [ a pause. ] Why did you memorize that? That's creepy...

[nonbelligerent]

[honestly, it might be easier for cinnabar if shess talked about his own experiences—that he knows what it's like to be considered unwanted and useless by the world.

but shess vastly prefers not talking about himself, so.]

My apologies.

Are any of us useful so far? We haven't made much progress.

[globs]

You found out who killed the man in white.

[ they consider that progress. ]

While that was happening, I was panicking.

[nonbelligerent]

You had a lot going on. Unless you think you're going to panic over your poison-less state again tomorrow?

[globs]

Stop making excuses for me. It's annoying.

[ annoying because they don't know how to handle it. Nobody's ever said things like this to them before - it makes them feel weird. Like they can hope for mattering to someone. ]

What do you want from me, anyway? You're always talking to me...

[ ignoring the fact that Cinnabar asked to come talk to him sometimes before -- if their poison no longer affects anyone, then he doesn't have to bear that burden anymore. ]

[nonbelligerent]

That was not my intention.

[he tilts his head.]

Does my presence bother you?

[globs]

I didn't say that.

[ that is as close as they will come to saying they like talking to him. They do like talking to him... They think. He's respectful, and intelligent, and soft-spoken - not at all like that awful Phos or a lot of the other nosy people here. ]

[nonbelligerent]

[oh, cinnabar...]

Then there's no issue, is there?

[globs]

You didn't answer my question.

[ glaring at him over their shoulder. ]

[nonbelligerent]

You might not realize this, Cinnabar, but people don't usually need a particular reason to talk to someone.

[globs]

I'm not the kind of person people just talk to.

[nonbelligerent]

It's true you have poor people skills, but I've met worse.

[globs]

[ even though they just said it themself, having him tell them they have poor people skills makes their shoulders jerk a little, and they hang their head. ]

... I'm disgusting. I'm not fun to be around, and I make everything dirty just by existing... I'm weak, and I can't protect anyone. Don't kid yourself.

[nonbelligerent]

You haven't nearly killed me or threatened to.

[globs]

[ ok that's weird enough that it snaps them out of it somewhat. ]

... Does that happen to you a lot?

[nonbelligerent]

Not all the time, but it's not unusual either.

[globs]

What kind of work do you do where people are trying to kill you? You're way too gentle to be a fighter.

[ this is Cinnabar's impression, anyway. They will probably realize that was a little nicer of an admission than they'd intended to make in about 5 seconds. ]

[nonbelligerent]

[...]

I feel like a part of me should be offended, but thank you.

[globs]

I wasn't trying to compliment you...

[ b-baka ]

You're not going to tell me, are you?

[nonbelligerent]

It's not my work. More of a society thing.

[globs]

... Your people are all violent like that?

[ they seem rather shocked by the idea. Shess is so nice! ]

[nonbelligerent]

Unfortunately.

[shess is a very bad representative of his race.]

[globs]

...

[ they go quiet, pondering. In a world full of poison, surrounded by violent and aggressive people... ]

... It must be hard.

[nonbelligerent]

It's what I'm used to.

[globs]

In other words, it is.