The cherry blossom was beginning to bloom and when 11-12 saw it it made him feel warm inside and happy that spring was arriving in a prettier way. Then he spotted Tsuzuki and made his way over to him. Hopefully Bridget wasn't far away, maybe still inside the Mansion and perhaps would join them later - but for now 11-12 was on his own as he walked closer.
He notices Tsuzuki looks asleep or very sleepy, at least, so he very quietly approaches and sits down nearby, looking up at the tree.
A long moment might pass, then Tsuzuki twitches awake, lifting his head and looking around with a puzzled "Hmm??" Then he blinks his eyes open and smiles up at 11-12, as he sits up, crossing his legs under himself. "Hey there, 11-12, you came to the party," he says. "Hows it going?"
Tsuzuki chuckles, gently. "Yeah, I was up late last night, covering one of the spots on the watch that's opened up recently," he admits. "We had a lot of people disappear off the roster and I'm about to hold another drive to fill those slots."
He's sanguine about it, but underneath, he's worried about filling those slots.
"It is: but just for today, I'm putting that aside. It's hard to solve a problem when you're focusing on it so much you can't think about anything else," he says. Then looking up to the cherry tree, he adds, "Besides, the flowers won't last for long, so it's important to stop and take a break and enjoy them while we've got them."
"That's a good question: where I come from, in Meifu, we have cherry trees that bloom all year round. Everywhere else, they only last for so long, then the flowers fade and the green foliage takes its place," Tsuzuki says, looking up at the trees. "It makes the time we have them more precious that way, so their beauty doesn't get tiresome, so we don't get so used to having it around that we lose sight of it."
"Well, to be honest..." Tsuzuki starts, looking up at the tree, then back to 11-12. "I was, actually. There's times when I like things here better than in Meifu, in the spirit realm. Things are ...more real here, it's hard to describe, unless you've been there."
"I suppose you can get sick of anything - even good things - if there's no change or variety," 11-12 says thoughtfully. "I think I know what you mean by it being more real here."
After all, where he was from wasn't real at all. At least, not for him.
"Yeah, it's kind of strange to say, because this place is so odd, because it's outside of any world that anyone knows," he says, glancing around them. He looks back down to the picnic lunch. "But hey, it's a party: go ahead and help yourself. I got plenty here."
"Oh, not all of it: I made the tea and the lemonade and the chicken salad, but the rest of the stuff, the cakes and the deviled eggs, those came from the cupboard. I asked it nicely and it behaved this time," he says. Then a bit sheepishly, he adds, "I'd have made the eggs, but I over-spice things and they get too zingy for most people's tastes." He did learn a few lessons from Aramat, but sometimes he slips back into his old habits around the kitchen.
"Oh, it is!" he says, filling a glass of lemonade. "Though once in a while, it gets mischievous. I asked for red velvet cake one time, and it gave me a cake made from red velvet fabric, like a plush toy of some kind it. That was certainly weird: I think sometimes the house, or whatever spirits are here like to have fun with us."
He notices Tsuzuki looks asleep or very sleepy, at least, so he very quietly approaches and sits down nearby, looking up at the tree.
Reply
Reply
"Good. You look... restful. I didn't want to disturb you."
Reply
He's sanguine about it, but underneath, he's worried about filling those slots.
Reply
He'd offer to help but he's doesn't think he'd be very good at it.
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
After all, where he was from wasn't real at all. At least, not for him.
Reply
Reply
"Did you make this all yourself?"
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
Leave a comment