A Deal Over Crappy Cookies PV Dealla Prince Closed

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By SK

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Something was off, and if even Dealla noticed, that was saying something. As a rule, anything as subtle as an awkward atmosphere went right over her head. It wasn't that she actively ignored it, no - she just didn't notice.

And yet, this time, she did.

There had been several strong indicators to get her to this point. First - what had gone down at that incredibly vexing Fight Club event yesterday really hadn't been subtle. Raincoat physically attacking Hanako? Not a sight she'd ever thought she'd see. Weren't the two like, joined at the hip, usually? Sharing a brain? Or at least the few brain cells they had? She'd lived in the same tent with them for almost three weeks, even Dee hadn't been able to ignore their odd... friendship. She supposed that was the closest description for them.

Second, and somehow even more glaringly obvious than the bout of fisticuffs yesterday, was the following: Raincoat had switched beds with Ileen that night, which was why Ileen had slept in the top bunk of Hanako's bed, although Hanako himself had, as usual, spent most of the night on the floor for some reason. Dee might have easily ignored that fact if it hadn't meant that Percival had spent the night in the top bunk of her bed instead. Even Dee wasn't able to miss that. Raincoat hated her, had skipped no opportunity to let her know. If he had seemed any more threatening than a barking puppy, she might have been worried about getting smothered in her sleep, but, well. He did resemble a puppy, and Dee had slept like a baby for the past three weeks.

The third indicator was a little more delicate, although still not subtle by any means, and Dee would likely have missed it if not for the incredibly broad hints described above. It was the last day, they were all packing because they were set to leave at noon, and Raincoat and Hanako hadn't exchanged a single word. Not one. Something was wrong.

It was something between curiosity and the urge to help make things right, because a world in which Percival would choose sleeping close to her over close to his best friend was a world that didn't make sense - it was like gravity had turned upside down, or magic had stopped working - that made her finish her packing with the packing spell instead of doing it by hand the way they were supposed to, snatch the box of cookies from the things flying into her trunk on a whim, and follow Hanako from the tent, only giving Ileen a reassuring smile as she walked past.

She followed the kid through the camp, idly wondering where he was headed, but he didn't seem to have a specific goal in mind. It was just away - from the tent, from people in general, maybe. Finally, he sat down on the grass in a rather secluded space off camp, his back turned to her, and Dee decided to give him approximately thirty seconds to wallow in misery which she used to pick a cookie from her box before she approached him, and put the cookie on his head once she was standing behind him.

Then she sat down next to him, her legs crossed as well, and took a bite of one of the cookies. Ileen had given them to her. "You and Raincoat seem off," she said easily, not bothering to beat around the bush. There was a spark of curiosity in her eyes, but she paused for a second, and changed course slightly. "Are you okay?"

@Hanako Tone

The lack of sleep he received may have helped him with his lack of reaction to the sudden weight on his head. Confused, he grasped the odd item with his unsanitary hand off his head. Inspecting it further, he identified the odd item as a cookie. “ What. Is. This” he muttered out, understanding well enough that cookies don’t just fall gently on people’s heads. “ Why is it in my hand- what do you want me to do with it? “ It was only after he said this did he made the effort to glance at the girl taking a seat next to him. A little too comfortably at that.

It was the Prince girl. The one Percival had rather strong emotions for- oh wow look at him. Just as he wanted to do anything b u t remember the blondie, someone else just had to remind Hanako of his existence. Whatever sense of comfort he may have gained a few seconds ago diminished and it showed clearly on his agitated face.

“ From my experience, nothing goes right the minute someone asks me if I’m alright. “ He admits, turning the cookie back and forth, unsure what to do with it. “ Why don’t you run off to that nice friend of yours...Lily- was it? Lyanne? “ A fair warning. It’s not like he was lying about that. Prince was not on his list of ‘ Annoying people ‘ and being somewhat kind to someone who Rainwood hated seemed to give him a sense of happiness he couldn’t help but enjoy.

“ Ahhh….wait … ahhaha.” His smile visually flattered into a sarcastic one. “ I don’t care~. That’s how it should be, isn’t it? Less problems for me and fewer problems for you~.” Despite how tired he clearly was, his sickeningly sarcastic enthusiasm didn’t seem to be much affected. It was an instinct to be as annoying (and hard to understand) as possible for those who he wants to get rid of. And Prince’s presence is one of them. “ I won’t get upset from any of your actions and you ~” he gave her an innocent smile. “ You blue-eyed paint throwing little bug will be spared from the ever-kind and lovely presence of me~” he tiredly sang out teasingly, his gaze drifting away from the girl to the empty plot of land in front of them. He felt tired again.

There were many things to be tired of. Too much going through his head at the same time that even being himself felt like he was going to pass out any minute now. People got tired of his personality - even Rainwood. It was an unstoppable future and one he cherishes greatly. But he would argue that there was no one who finds Hanako Tone more troublesome to talk to then himself. He didn’t even need to open his mouth to listen to his endless chattering. But people weren’t mind readers. At the very least, Prince wasn’t. Therefore he must use every last bit of remaining energy he had to piss her off just enough to get her to leave. Pretending to realize he had momentarily forgotten about her, he handed the cookie he left on his head to her - still genuinely confused as to why she did it in the first place. Some sort of joke to get his mind off whatever was bothering him? Was placing a cookie on someones head a new way to silently insult them? If she wanted to insult him, he was sure she would have no trouble doing it herself.

“ Would you take back your thing and skedaddle before I think of ways to ruin your day? While I do acknowledge your inner Hanako- you’re cramping my vibe here” he nonchalantly spoke, handing the cookie closer to her.“ I’m sure I can find a way to make you leave one way or another. I’m a pretty creative kid, you see~? “ he cheekily smiled, hoping that little stunt was enough to scare her away.

@Dealla Prince

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By SK

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Dee took another bite of her cookie. Hmm. They were still good, but not quite as good as when they'd been fresh. She should probably eat them soon. "It's a cookie," she replied at Hanako's odd question, raising an eyebrow in amusement. "People usually eat them." She took another small bite of the cookie. "Like this. It's not hard, I'm sure you can do it if you try."

She looked at the boy, an amused glint in her eye. He seemed entirely bewildered by being given a cookie, but other than that, not particularly upset - or at least he hadn't, but as he glanced at her, something on his face changed.

"What's so bad about people asking if you're alright?" she asked curiously. She couldn't remember a single bad conversation that had started with someone asking if she was alright. Granted, she usually was alright, so people rarely had reason to ask, but still. If she didn't want to talk about it, she could always just lie.

Hanako's next words, however, was when it got interesting. Dee blinked and tilted her head to one side, her curiosity piqued and yet entirely unfazed by the hostility. "You're not very nice, are you?" she observed. It wasn't a question, really. "I don't really mind much, but you seem to be very set on being unpleasant." She frowned in thought. "And why is not caring how it should be?"

He was an odd boy, wasn't he. From what she'd seen, he didn't seem to like anyone except Raincoat, and those feelings were mutual. Even more, he seemed hellbent on making sure people disliked him. What kind of reaction was this to being given a cookie? Most people would have said "thank you", at least. It reminded her of a movie she'd watched as a child, more than once, with a small blue creature whose only goal had been to cause chaos and destruction. In the beginning at least. Stitch, yes, he kind of reminded her of Stitch. Except less blue and with only two legs and two arms. And maybe less cute. She loved that movie.

She'd finished the cookie during his tiny rant and pulled two more from the box, one for her and one for her involuntary company. "No, I won't take back my thing. It was a gift, you look like you could use some sugar. In fact, here, have another one." She tossed it onto his crossed legs, entirely ignoring the fact that he hadn't yet eaten the first one. "You know," she added thoughtfully, skillfully ignoring the rest of his suggestions. Like she'd leave, she was way too intrigued. This was fascinating. "Have you ever thought about being nicer to people? It might be good for you."

@Hanako Tone

[font=PT Sans]
He looked confused at her first words. Did she gave him a cookie for him to ..eat? Part of him wanted to believe this was a prank. Maybe she’s say ‘ Hah! Sike. You don’t deserve one’ or perhaps the cookie had some sort of jinx to it. It’s not that he never had someone giving him something. Percival used to- . He paused for a while, before taking a hesitant bite of the cookie.


“ Maybe I don’t want to talk about it? Think about it? Maybe I was totally fine before you asked? Maybe getting asked that just forces me to think more? Maybe I think people who ask that are just purposely getting on my nerves? I don’t need to be fine. Why ask in the first place? I never talked to you nor do anything that would urge you to ask if I was okay when I’m perfectly fine with not being fine. You’re not an angel just because you checked on someone like me, you know. Save that saintess bull with others. I don’t need stuff like that.” he hissed, his dislike of her growing by the second. “ Did that answer your question, or did it made more?” he questioned sarcastically. He got that it wasn’t a usual answer to someone asking you if you’re alright, but did she have to question him more? Wouldn’t more people just took that as a hint and avoid asking further questions? Typical Ravenclaws. Always so nosey. It was like he had to spell it out for her.

Hanako’s head perked up at the mention of his goal to be unpleasant.“ ...You sound like I try really hard to be.” He showed her a cheeky grin. “ Why is that, Miss Prince? What if I’m just like this to the bone~? “ He asked, in his annoyingly playful tone. She was spot on if she was saying he tried very hard to be ...him. His response might’ve proven her point further but it wouldn’t matter because he would never admit the effort he put into this personality he created for his own safety. Forcefully grabbing people’s attention with his loud personality had served its purpose of taking their attention away from what he wanted to hide. But how long could it cause a diversion?

When she asked what he meant by ‘not caring’, his energy visibly disappeared. The previous fake grin he wore diminished at the question.“ ...Caring is troublesome.” he decided to admit after long contemplation. “ A lot of work. Too much energy. I rather preserve mine for something more useful. Less daunting than caring. Wayyy too lazy for that~ “ he yawned, as if even talking about caring had bore him. She didn’t need to know how much he repeated those words to himself so he would eventually believe it as well. There was more to say, but Hanako didn’t see the point of telling her anything. His problems weren’t going to magically fly away just because some nosy bird decided to ask him more questions than necessary.

Without prior warning, she had tossed him another cookie that he could barely save from touching the grassy ground. Shocked from her attack and her words, he stared at her as if she’d grown two heads. With the two cookies safely in his hands, he thought over her previous words. It looked like he needed sugar? Was that an insult? Of course not! He wasn’t that dumb. He’s just...confused. Just as he was about to suggest that she was worried about him, he shook his head. Stupid. How did his thoughts wander that far? She probably had trouble finishing those cookies and saw him as literal trash. Giving him cookie leftovers or something. Anything sounded more logical than someone- a stranger no less- cared about him. Feeling a spark of anger rush through him, he took an angry bite of one of the cookies, a sour face on his childlike face.

“ 4/10 “ he declared without remorse.“ It tastes too salty. It’s like you’re not even trying to impress me with its dough. What chips did you even use for this? Overall, it tastes pretty cheap. How can you even eat this? No wonder why you wanted to share.” The cookies weren’t actually that bad. He should know, his dad had made sure his tongue was sensitive to sweets and pastries. The cookies weren’t the best but exaggerating was necessary. It came to him that perhaps this girl hasn’t seen why he told her to go away. Here he was giving her a clear example of why she shouldn’t care. A foul mouth that had no problems with trampling on others even if it was uncalled for. “ Still want to give me another one~?”

It was then she suggested something so stupid that he almost burst out laughing.“ HAH!Don’t you think that’s what might’ve gotten me into this state in the first place? Do you hate me that much? Being nice, what a joke..” he chuckled, extremely awed by how silly this interaction was getting. Like a boulder had just crashed into him, he recalled his beloved grandmother saying the exact same line, immediately leaving him with an empty look.

“ I can’t change just like that.” He told her without an ounce of playfulness in his tone. It looked like he had said that many times. “ Besides, even if I could- what’s good would it do?” he didn’t want to know. It was poking him in the chest at how he was instantly reminded of his grandmother. The only one he let his guard down with. Without even thinking, words started to flow out of him like Daella had just disappeared. It was just him, his thoughts, and the grass he was touching as if it calmed him down.

“ I tried once upon a time. I got disappointed. I tried never to do that again. “ he was now sure there was something in those cookies. A truth serum? A whack potion of some sort? Something that made his body stiffen uncomfortably as vivid memories of the Fight Club came across his mind like another punch to his jaw? “ I got disappointed. See what I mean? Do you get why I don’t want to care? Why I’m fine with how I am?” unlike before, his voice had changed drastically. At this moment, he looked like a confused kid. Unable to pick up the answers he wanted, helpless. Soft tones, scaringly gentle that someone could think that he was one second away from a breakdown.

“ What makes you think…-”' being nicer would stop the hurt?' he stopped abruptly the second he felt something prickling his eyes, knowing full well it wasn’t the wind. Halting his movement, he moved his hands from the grass and onto his eyes calmly, completely covering both on them, the cookies unfortunately falling off and onto the grass. He could see nothing and she could not see his eyes. Perfect.

“ Once I open my eyes, you better be 5- no- miles away from me” he commanded, trying his hardest not to sound desperate but alas a few cracks could be heard if Prince listened closely- yet he didn’t seem to open his eyes anytime soon. He needed her to go away. Please, just this once just listen and do what he wanted. This wasn’t what he wanted to show her. It’s not who he is. He didn’t want to be like this. Silently, he begged for a quiet space once more. He couldn’t do this anymore. Space, time, space, time, space, time. The only remedy he needed to fix himself. He was full of mistakes he needed to fix.

After a full minute of only seeing darkness, he cautiously questioned “ Are you there?” .

It wasn’t ‘ Go away ‘ or ‘ You better be gone’.
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@Dealla Prince

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By SK

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Dee stayed quiet during his rant, breaking small pieces of her cookie and eating them one by one. She wasn't looking at him, so it might have seemed like she wasn't even listening, but she was attentive, her eyes, although directed down at her hands, curious - and mildly confused. "You talk an awful lot for someone who doesn't want to talk," she replied when he had apparently run out of words, for the moment, at least. His sarcasm, as well as his hostility, went well ignored. "And you don't seem fine. Fine being not fine, I mean, or whatever. You seem miserable. Why else would you storm out of the tent like that?" There was no pity in her voice at the word, she sounded rather matter-of-fact. It was a fact to her.

She raised her eyebrows at his accusations, a smile tugging at her lips. "I'm not here to be an angel or a hero or whatever. I'm here because you and Rainwood are acting weird and it gives me the creeps. It's like..." She paused, trying to come up with an accurate metaphor, and waved her hands emphatically. "Like gravity suddenly started pulling upwards. Or like the sky was suddenly green instead of blue. Or like I was suddenly bad at Potions. You know, basically against the laws of nature. Shouldn't happen." She paused for a second, then formed another question, a little more hesitant before. Oblivious and thick-skinned she might be, but she wasn't a complete idiot. "Is this about the Fight Club? I... saw your fight." She'd seen how Percival and punched Hanako, more like, but she didn't want to say that out loud.

Frowning, she dropped her hands back into her lap. "Anyway, you're a very bad actor if you think you can make people believe you're fine. And maybe I am getting on your nerves on purpose." She grinned at him, wide and toothy. "You're a lot more interesting than packing, at least. What are you going to do about it?"

His suggestion that maybe that was just his true self was met with a raised eyebrow and a thoughtful expression. "Are you, though?" she asked back. And what if he was? Stitch had been created to cause chaos and destruction, right? That hadn't stopped him from becoming nicer. Maybe Hanako needed just someone to help him get there. Like Stitch. She was starting to like the comparison more and more.

But then, his hostility seemed to vanish a little at the question of why he didn't want to care. His explanation, however, didn't make much sense to Dee, and she drew her eyebrows together. "Not caring seems like more work, though? Caring is something that... just happens. Isn't fighting that more exhausting?" Something less daunting, he'd said. Dee had never thought of many things as too daunting to try, she thrived off challenges. There was no goal too high, no dream too big, and fear of failure wasn't something she had encountered very often, yet, carried by her absolute confidence (some might say arrogance) in her own abilities. If someone told her she couldn't do something, she'd try her absolute best to prove them wrong - and usually succeed by pure stubbornness. "So you're scared," she stated. "Of what?"

Hanako scrambled to save the cookie she'd tossed at him, and Dee grinned at the sight. For someone saying he didn't care, didn't want the cookie, his instinct was still to catch it instead of just letting it go to waste. Didn't that count for something?

However, she made a face at his rather rude evaluation of Ileen's amazing cookies. Reaching over, she lightly tapped him on the head in reproach. "I didn't make them, Ileen did," she said, her voice indignant, "and they're amazing. Look, she even made them eagle-shaped!" Or something that resembled an eagle with a bit of imagination. She smile down at them fondly, remembering her birthday party, with all her friends around her. Distracted, she missed half of his next question, and then looked up, slightly surprised. "You want another one? Sure." Picking another cookie out of the box, she handed it over to the spiteful boy next to her.

Dee hadn't been prepared for the outburst that followed her question. It hadn't been a very serious one, only a innocuous question and a what seemed to her a rather obvious suggestion. She blinked. "No, I don't get it," she replied, tilting her head to one side. "You got disappointed once. So what? I got disappointed by the stupidity of your House yesterday. Will that stop me from suggesting better ideas in the future? No. Why would it? And why would you not want to change? You don't have to be mean all the time. Isn't that exhausting?" Her hands spread out, fingers splayed. "People change all the time without even trying." She shrugged, then grinned. "We just have to get your badness level down a bit, Experiment 626. It's unusually high for someone your size."

When he covered his eyes, Dee blinked. Was he crying? She hadn't meant to make him cry. Maybe he deserved a little break from her needling. His voice sounded a little unstable, too.

Biting her lip, she stopped the questioning for now, although she also ignored his request, instead looking down at her cookie box. Hmm, only three left. Hanako had dropped the others onto the grass - what a waste - so maybe Dee could spare him another one when he calmed down. She'd just have to convince Ileen to make her more soon. Although she would try herself, Dee's experience with baking so far had usually been very close to disasters, so she should likely just leave that to her friend.

The silence spread and stretched, and Dee's thoughts had started wandering away and to the next few weeks of summer. Her mother was coming to pick her and Ileen up later today, and she was looking forward to going home to Whitehaven. She was pulled back to the present when Hanako broke the silence. "Hmm?" she replied absentmindedly, then turned her head to look at him. "Yes, still here, don't worry."

@Hanako Tone

Reducio

[font=PT Sans]You seem miserable! She said. “ No I’m not” he responded too quickly as if rehearsed. Like he was prepared to sprout that out if anyone mentions the word ‘miserable’. He was not. But then why would be he here feeling sorry for himself if he wasn’t? He was not. But then why does he feel so awful. He was not. But then why would he storm out of the tent, like Dee said? He was not. He was not. Why was it more believable before than when he said it now? He was not.

It was when she mentioned the fight club that he glared at her sharply. “ You saw..” he gritted his teeth. “ Great. I came out to forget about that but you managed to make me remember. Thanks so much, savior “ he mocked. “ And what the hell do you mean that wasn’t supposed to happen? I’m unlikable! What’s more shocking is that Rainwood couldn’t figure that out earlier. Pitiful thing. So dumb that he needed an illegal fight club to realize that. It’s not shocking that it happened. It was shocking it took too long for it to happen.” He turned away grimly, tightening his knuckles at the memory. “ That’s all” he said finally, although with less bitterness to it.

"Anyway, you're a very bad actor if you think you can make people believe you're fine. And maybe I am getting on your nerves on purpose. You're a lot more interesting than packing, at least. What are you going to do about it?" The grin on her face made Hanako’s turn more sour than ever.


“ Sorry- do you not know when to quit or are all Ravenclaws inherently nosy as you. Don’t you have potion books to read? And what is that crap about me being a bad actor? I deserve an Oscar for my acting skills! So far as I’m concerned I managed to fool my own famil-” he stopped mid-sentence, his breath hitching in his throat. Just what was he about to say? Did he almost agree with her? Flushed and red at his mistake, he turned away from her once more, only hoping she hadn't caught on. He didn’t mean to mention his family at all. How dangerous. “ A- anyway, you’re wasting our time. There's no acting here. Only pure genuine unlikeableness. Just the way I like it” He insisted.

“ are you though?” she asked, regarding him being bad to the bone.

“ I said so before, didn’t I?” he snapped “ What? Waiting for me to write a few essays about why it’s true? Ravenclaws are so demanding. Be assured we’ll be here for a while if I had to do that. And it’s not because I’m bad at spelling. What's making it so hard for you to believe me, honestly!” he complained. He thought a few chats with him already told her what kind of person he was. Why isn’t she leaving as everyone else should?

"Not caring seems like more work, though? Caring is something that... just happens. Isn't fighting that more exhausting? So you're scared," she stated. "Of what?"

Hanako gasped at her statement. “ S c a r e d?! Are you crazy?! Hey, Miss Crappy Cookies, I’m getting real tired of you thinking you know everything about me. And I’m always tired.” he glared “ What do you mean ‘Of What’? I’m just here being one of the most confident people you’ll ever meet. What would I be scared of? What does that have anything to do with caring anyway! I’m just not wasting my emotions on people like you. The world would be a happier palace if no one cared about anyone else anyway.” he hissed back, deeply offended she even made that conclusion. He was merely preserving his energy, she was the one who didn’t get it.


"I didn't make them, Ileen did," she said, her voice indignant, "and they're amazing. Look, she even made them eagle-shaped!" Or something that resembled an eagle with a bit of imagination. She then smiled as if recalling a fond memory. Hanako could only respond nonchalantly with a deadpan face before she averted her attention back to him. "You want another one? Sure." Once again another cookie was tossed to the unathletic boy, almost touching the plain grass if not were for his swift movement.

“ H-hey I didn’t want any- oh forget it” he grumbled, angrily taking another bite of the cookie. Did she only hear what she wanted to hear? Why was she so unaffected by his words? Was he getting soft and had to take a while to think of meaner things to say about the cookie? Why did it feel like the result would be the same if he did?


The more she spoke, the more Hanako was convinced this may be more torture than getting punched by pretty boy Percival. With his hands still covering his eyes, he seemed to lose more and more control over his facial expression. His hands started trembling and his lips quivered despite the warm weather. The worst thing about this is that he didn’t know...why.

There were many things he didn’t know. Why Dee still chose to be here. Why he was allowed to be happy with Percival only to do a 180 under 1 hour. What Dee meant by experiment 626. Why Dee told him not to worry when he was basically drowning in it. Sure, Dee was most likely referring to his question of her still being there, but to tell him not to worry was most likely the worst thing he could say to her or the best actually. Within seconds just after she said not to worry, he began to wail uncontrollably.

It was a loud cry at the first second, followed by more with just a quieter tone as if Hanako was still attempting to halt his crying- obviously failing. He hugged his knees close, like a little armadillo hiding in its little sharp skin. “ You- *sniff* stop! J-just! nO! I don’t need this! I don’t *hic* deserve it! “ He was gasping for air at this point. Words didn’t even make sense to him while he continued to ramble. He only wanted her gone. She made him think. He didn’t want to think. “ I don’t - want this…I want.. “ what do I want? He allowed himself to ask in his head.

If not for him, then why was he so bothered by this? Perhaps if he were more emotionally stable- he might’ve been able to talk things through with Miss Crappy Cookies. Consider her options instead of directly attacking it as if the mere thought of changing was beyond his abilities. Instead, here he was spouting nonsense between hiccups and sniffles because he was too confused. The worst thing about this is that he isn’t even alone. There's a living person right next to him, witnessing the most pathetic moment of his life where he had no energy to do anything but cry. Flowing out all the things he has bottled up by habit until now.
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@Dealla Prince

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By SK

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It was a little amusing, honestly, how Hanako's every reply and answer boiled down to vehement denial of anything she said, a little less convincing with every time he repeated it. No, he wasn't miserable. No, he wasn't acting. No, he wasn't upset about Percival, and no, he wasn't a bad actor. Needless to say, Dee didn't believe him.

"No, I claim this extraordinary nosiness as uniquely my own," she replied cheerfully, taking the insult in stride. "Not saying that other Ravenclaws aren't nosy, but I think I have most of them beat." The corner of her mouth twitched upwards and she looked up at the sky rather than him. "It's your fault, honestly. If you were less interesting, I'd leave you alone. Be more boring if you don't want people to ask questions about you."

And then he slipped up. Only slightly, he stopped himself right after, but Dee was just observant enough to notice, anyway. She'd been waiting for it, really. Yet, in a very rare flash of tact, she decided against commenting on it, prodding even further. It did make her even more curious, though. What kind of family did he have that he couldn't even be truthful with them? Was he really acting like this towards everyone? What an exhausting way to live. "Uh-huh," she just made instead, the noise sounding utterly unconvinced. "If you say so."

Seriously, though, did he have to be so amusing? His reactions were somehow at the same time extremely predictable - denying everything she said was the core of it - and still provided a unique twist to them every time. Every reply just made her more determined to crack him, dig her fingers into the chips in his mask until it broke open further. "Oh, yes, an essay would be wonderful," she replied, grinning. "I'd like to read that, I'm sure it would be fascinating. Don't worry, you don't have to write it right now, handing it in after summer break should be fine."

Another predictable reply followed. No, he wasn't scared. The lengths he went to to assure his utter confidence of course proved the exact opposite, and Dee rolled her eyes at him slightly. And what was that, the world would be a happier palace if no one cared about anyone else anyway. "Oh come on, now you're just being ridiculous," she said reproachfully. "The fact that you're friends with Raincoat alone shows you don't mean that. Try to keep your lies a little more realistic, yeah?" But he was crumbling. Tossing more cookies at him seemed like the best course of action.

She wasn't sure what exactly she'd said that finally made his mask crack, but when it did, a flood came bursting through. Dee's eyes widened and she leaned away slightly. That- she hadn't expected that. The few tears before, those had been okay, but the outright sobbing? She was not equipped to handle that. Ileen was the emphatic one between the two, the one who understood people. Dee just tended to steamroll right over them. She didn't have the slightest clue of how to console a sobbing boy who kept insisting he was a horrible person and happy to be so. She just knew how to break him down.

After a moment of watching with wide eyes, she hesitantly reached out with one hand to lightly pet his head, the way one might do with a dog. Or... with Stitch. Maybe that would help a bit? Would it?

"I mean..." she started a little helplessly, then broke off. What was she supposed to say? His insistence that he didn't deserve her being here, prodding and poking at him, threw her off track. "You could..." She frowned. What had triggered this? She wasn't sure. Although, the reason he was sitting here at all was still Rainwood. Dee gave him a few more soft pats. "Maybe... fixing things with Raincoat would help?"

@Hanako Tone

Reducio

[font=PT Sans]And the conversation boiled down to this. Hanako wanted nothing more than to fly towards the alternate universe where this scene went the way he wanted to. They do say alternate realities could be anything. If there was one where Dee had left him earlier and he had no one but the grass and wind to accompany him, he would jump into it real quick. Anywhere but here.

What is the worst thing about this, he wonders? Oh, maybe it was him opening this usually tightly sealed box called ‘ emotions ‘ and seeing it pour out without any signs of stopping. This is precisely why he had it tightly sealed. Of course, he noticed how the box was overfilled. He kept tossing more things in it carelessly that it was impossible not to notice. He knew the result of it. One day- that box may spill stuff he never wanted to be spilled. But he also knew that he had no other way to keep himself in check. A little boy who told himself delusions to make sure he would stare at anything but the heavy box. His attention was directed to a portrait of a boy who was rotten to the core. He had nothing to give anyone but a hard time. He smiles genuinely from the fun that was fulfilled every day. More importantly, he didn’t have an overflowing box called emotions. He was free. Because to the boy in the portrait and the boy who looked at it, being free meant he had nothing to store away. At times, perhaps Hanako did know the boy he wanted to be was not him nor was he something he could magically morph into. Ever. Alas, with his tight grip on the saying that ‘ you are you who tell yourself to be ‘, it was easy to say ‘ this is me ‘.

So then the big question comes in. Exactly...when did he want to be that boy in the portrait? He was the perfect boy when he fought Percival back in the ring and when he pushed Prince away. Her question still rang loudly in his ears, ‘ and why is not caring how it should be?’

Good question! He doesn’t know! Because- if that's how it should be- why is he a sobbing mess right now? Was this the idea of freedom he wanted or did something go wrong along the way? Now with the overflowing box called emotions spiraling out, so did many unanswered questions he didn’t have an answer to.

Prince, who was so full of confidence and flair before, was now a bit lost at what to say to the crying boy. The helpless tone she used almost didn’t suit her character. He was almost certain the hand that patted his head softly did not belong to the same person that flaunted her nosiness a few minutes ago. As he was too engulfed in his own thoughts, he paid no mind to the contact. Some part of him may say he found at least a teeny weeny bit of comfort from her small gesture. “ Fix?” he questioned accusingly. “ How can - Should I - Why can I-” Unfortunately, he is in no state to give Prince a solid answer. But within a few minutes( the next post ), he would be able to gather his thoughts on her previous suggestion and express it without his clogged nose making his speech hard to understand.

For now, he was a sobbing mess that refused to take his hand off of his eyes. A small and ineffective way to shield his tears. With only the small hand of a nosy Ravenclaw on top of his head, giving him an unusual sense of ease.
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@Dealla Prince

Reducio

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By SK

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Silence lowered itself over the scene, Hanako apparently having run out of words to say, of retorts to throw at her. No more insults, no more spite, and Dee found this much more unsettling than the prickly jabs before. She was not a calming presence by any means, always better at getting people excited (or riled up). Words and banter and wit, that was her forte. Being a shoulder to cry on, or, Merlin forbid, providing reassurance? Not so much.

And yet that was what the situation had turned to. Hanako shaken by sobs next to her, and Dee at a loss for words. She decided to keep up the soft patting, carding her fingers through his hair gently. It seemed like the best thing to do, giving him some time to settle down, let the flood run its course. At the very least, she didn't have any better idea.

There were some words, finally, although chopped off and hard to understand, questioning her helpless suggestions, the only thing that had come to her mind to say. She blinked, then tilted her head to one side. "Talking to him might be a good start," she suggested, her tone sober. "Apologising, maybe. I don't know what happened, exactly. Were you in the wrong?"

There was no judgment in her voice, a hint of curiosity maybe. Mostly, it was a clinical approach to an emotional topic, a series of logical assessments that could trigger decisions. If you're wrong, you apologise. Easy. Not as messy as emotions, or as difficult to think through.

@Hanako Tone