[closed]

[cardfortress]

Characters: Near and Nezumi
Location: Outside the Agency
Rating: PG for now, will edit if needed.
Time: Jan. 3rd, evening
Description: Random shenanigans, because unexpected/random CR is the best CR.

Comments

[cardfortress]

[Near is a cautious person, often to the point of paranoia: he checks and double checks where he's going before he does, makes sure to check the cameras before he leaves whatever place he is leaving, to be certain that no suspicious activity is happening in the area. But even with all the care he usually possesses, he can't predict that a very distracted someone will go around the corner and crash against him right when he brings his paper cup to his mouth, leading to a severe spilling of coffee all over his clothes.

Which is exactly what happens.

He takes a quick step backwards almost reflexively as he glances at the person who bumped against him, and it's somewhat comforting to see that the other man also spilled his own coffee over himself. There's nothing logical in that feeling, of course-- it's nothing more than schadenfreude-- but Near does allow himself the occasional lack of logic, in certain circumstances. None of that shows, however: his expression is as blank as ever as he stares at the stranger in silence, almost glaring at him.]

[speaksdaggers]

[Normally, he wouldn't be so unaware of his surroundings. And later, he'd probably find the situation oddly amused, and something of a wake up call.

Right now though, all Nezumi could really focus on was the fact that hot coffee burned - not that that wasn't absolutely fucking obvious anyway, but it never really seemed to hit home until you'd actually had it poured on you - and that coffee was getting on Virginia Woolf.

He cursed, loudly and sharply, his hands belatedly shooting up to hold the book above his head. He cursed again when he realised the damage had already been done, and tugged off his scarf to dab at the damp pages with a frown. Near and his glare barely even registered to him; not while the book was in danger of coffee damage.]

[cardfortress]

[Luckily for Near, the many layers of clothing prevented the coffee from burning him too much-- but the feeling of having wet clothes against his skin was just as uncomfortable as the temperature of the beverage he'd spilled all over himself.

He realizes that his stare (and his presence) went very much unnoticed by the other man-- Nezumi, wasn't that his name? Near is certain he's seen him over the network at least once-- so he decides to make himself known, if only to observe the stranger's reaction to his own words. Hadn't he just spent the afternoon thinking about how bored he was?]

I believe that, in such situations, the first words to come out of the guilty individual's mouth should be "I apologize" or a variation thereof, not that.

[speaksdaggers]

[Nezumi only spares Near the briefest of glances after he's painstakingly tested most of the damp pages - removing a glove and pinching them between thumb and middle finger to see just how extensive the 'damage' to the pages was. He wrinkles his nose slightly, before sighing and waving the book from side to side, as if hoping the paper will dry in the cold air.]

Yes, well. Whenever you're ready, do feel free to get on with that.

[cardfortress]

[The detective watches him, unimpressed. His eyebrows don't even raise or otherwise display just how unimpressed he is.]

You were the one not paying enough attention to your path.

[He tugs on his scarf, trying to adjust it so that none of the wet spots would be in contact with his skin.]

[speaksdaggers]

Unless you have the ability to put your eyes on stalks and look around corners for potential collision threats before you round them, I believe the correct phrase - although not entirely the correct context - is "it takes two to tango".

[With one last grumble, Nezumi gives up on rescuing the book too much. He'd just have to leave it surreptitiously on the counter at work in the hopes that the book restorer saw it and took pity on it.]

Thank you kindly for aiding in ruining the more intriguing half of my reading material for the evening.