The witch is dead but so is he

[akai_pride]

He really doesn't know how he ended up here. This is not the nexus' fault. Somehow Nephrite (not Nefukichi-kun!) is working at Crown Karaoke on the half-charity of some crazy human boy who doesn't seem to mind if Nephrite shouts or threatens him or breaks the dishes (again). It's like nothing he could do could make that guy really mad, and it's

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[sculptingwater]

There's a startled noise from a book. That seems to be hovering. It jumps back when it nearly runs into Nefukichi Nephrite as he passes by.

A head peers over the book. "Eh?" One surprised Mizuno Ami stares. How did she end up here?! She reads often when she walks, so it's entirely unlike her to not pay attention enough to end up somewhere she didn't expect...and especially not in a different district! Isn't this--Crown?!

But...this person is... "Excuse me for intruding!" she blurts immediately (even though this is a place of business), bowing in apology for almost running into the new part-timer she doesn't recognize quite yet.

[akai_pride]

Nephrite.

"Watch where you're going!" he bellows at Ami. He doesn't even take a second look before the words come out. But when he does, the little twitch of his brow changes to some combination of shame, anger, and the confusion of which to feel and why. He stares at her, dumbstruck.

[sculptingwater]

"I'm very sorry!" she insists immediately in a small voice, bowing again. She looks up properly, and stops.

There's an awkward pause. She should turn and go now, but something keeps her from it. Isn't that...? No. But if it was the nexus, couldn't it be...? No.

"Um..."

[akai_pride]

It's a sailor senshi is what it could be. Nephrite's not sure if that makes him want to hide in the back room so she can't see a shitennou come to this, or reach his hand around her throat for being (oh so indirectly and illogically) the cause of all this.

"What do you want?" he asks her with ill grace.

[sculptingwater]

"Um!"

There's a moment, and she stares blankly. 'I should be going,', but the words don't come and neither does she go.

Is it...maybe? Somewhere in her bag still. But it shouldn't be there. But there's a small, laminated card with a cute black kitty with a crescent moon smiling from a pink background and the words 'year-round pass.'

"This!" she says finally. She offers an awkward smile and a little smile. "Um! It's all right, isn't it?"

[akai_pride]

Huh? What is she showing him--

Oh. He's supposed to be handling customers, too, while Motoki's gone. (This is quite possibly the worst business decision in Motoki's personal history so far.)

"It's fine," he says, turning his face away so he doesn't have to look at it - or her. "Year pass, right?"

He's pretty sure that's something new in the past few months. Motoki said something about it, but it seems like only a very few people have them.

[sculptingwater]

"Mn!" There's a nod, and the awkward smile widens into something a little more genuine. She nods a little. "Then, I'm going ahead," she says, steps (as carefully as she can around the wet floor without disturbing his work) towards that door that was once familiar.

Her hand touches the handle. What if the others are inside?

In the end, there's no one there after all, and Ami comes back up after only a moment or two, holding a tall glass of some blue liquid that's probably soda.

She waits for Nephrite to finish his work, standing properly off to the side.

[akai_pride]

He ignores it. It can't be for him, after all. He dusts the counter (knocking a ledger off and scattering a few papers). This gets picked up, hurriedly, hopefully before Ami notices. As Nephrite's halfway back up from the ground, though...

"Why aren't you drinking it? Didn't you buy it?"

[sculptingwater]

"Um! If it's all right! You've been working hard, so, I thought you might want something to drink."

She offered it out to him. "If you please."

[akai_pride]

What? Is she serious? A look tells him she is, but Nephrite gives Ami an entirely skeptical look anyway. Why on Earth would a sailor senshi of all people, offer him something? He's done nothing but fight her! And her friends!

He can't make himself say anything in the end, but Nephrite reaches for the bottle.

[sculptingwater]

She hands it over, then takes a step back, watching him almost expectantly. It's a nice gesture, but there's also something else.

But that can wait.

[akai_pride]

What is she waiting for? Why is she looking at him like that? It feels like he's supposed to do something he has no idea about. Long experience with Jadeite makes him eye the can suspiciously.

"Did you do something to whatever's in here?"

[sculptingwater]

The girl blinks in surprise. "Eh?" She shakes her head immediately, then giggles despite herself. "It's fine," she promises.

[akai_pride]

Is she laughing at him?! no... wait. He hasn't been living this life very long, but that doesn't quite seem like the sort of laugh Kunzite would give him with a sneer, or that Jadeite would give him with a snide remark.

Weird girl, Mercury.

"You shouldn't bother," he tells her, but he takes a swallow anyway- and immediately spits it out, all over the floor. It's not his fault. (It's not hers, either.)

"What is this?!"

[sculptingwater]

There's a squeak from the girl, and she backs up immediately with a few hasty steps. She stares at him wide-eyed. "S-soda!" she replies. So much for helping.

[akai_pride]

Soda. Well, even he knows it's not her fault. Sort of. Nephrite just... reaches for the mop. It'd be so much easier to be snappish and temperamental if he wasn't this frustrated and discouraged.

"If you came here for karaoke, aren't you going in one of the rooms?" Why is she---- Crap. Hanging around him means she knows who he is, doesn't it?

Crap. Double crap.