seasonality ✦ tsuyukusa

[commandertoolbelt]

Comments

[branches]

[Rather than respond to the text Tsuyukusa just comes to the door, throws it open and just pulls Leo in for the sort of tight hug that belies he's had a stressful time of things.]

[commandertoolbelt]

[ oh. it surprises him, because in spite of how stressful the heist had been, it... really wasn't as bad as the rest of the things wiwaldi has thrown at them. leo had assumed it would be similar for everyone else.

returning the hug is more of a reflex than anything, but once it starts to sink in how wrong he was, he holds tsuyu a little tighter. ]

...Didn't realize you'd miss me that much.

[ maybe it's the wrong thing to do, but he can still attempt to joke, if there's even a chance it will help things feel more normal. he keeps his voice quiet, though. ]

What happened out there?

[branches]

[Tches softly. But then he does disengage so he can let Leo inside.]

Things weren't... things weren't actually that bad until Denji died.
[Y'know.]

[commandertoolbelt]

[ he follows tsuyu in, but that makes him freeze in his tracks. ]

He what? How did - what happened with you guys? We just stole a pen from some rich people!

[ how do these adventures range from heists to death!!! ]

[branches]

Some kid took his chainsaw and cut him in half.

But he got better, somehow. All we got out of it was some weird pen too.

[commandertoolbelt]

[ wow the whiplash ]

I- Well. Glad he got better.

[ even if his expression is still kind of ??????????? ]

Gods. I can see how that would make it worse, for sure. Sorry you guys had to deal with something like that, man.

[branches]

[Just wandering over to flop on the couch.]

I know I should be relieved it turned out fine but...
[The trauma of watching Denji get murdered so violently is not so easily forgotten.]

[commandertoolbelt]

...Yeah, I get it. No one gets over something like that easily.

[ hmmm so he's just going to come and sit on the floor so he can lean against tsuyu's couch - close enough if he wants leo, but still enough to give him a bit of space if he wants that instead. ]

How's everyone else you went out with?

[branches]

[Oh right, everyone else.]

Well Mabel killed a guy. But she and Futaba seemed to bounce back reamarkably well. I guess Futaba and Denji are dating so she was probably just relieved he ended up being alright. Aikawa is the same as he always is.

[commandertoolbelt]

[ the more he hears about this cyoa the more alarmed he is?? no wonder tsuyu had a bad time???? ]

Uh. Okay. As long as everyone's alright...?

[[ HOW DOES HE RESPOND TO THIS, HELP ]

[branches]

I'm just sick of feeling useless... If it weren't for how weird Denji was he'd probably still be dead... And I couldn't do anything about it. I couldn't protect Mabel either, she ended up saving me.

[commandertoolbelt]

[ stop this is hurting him ]

...Maybe you should try to look at it, like... you don't have to protect everyone all the time, you know? They can protect you, too, sometimes. I bet Mabel must have been glad to be able to help you.

[branches]

... I guess. But I mean, after everyone worked so hard to keep Denji from being killed... if I'd messed up and let Denji get killed after all that.

[In Tsuyukusa's mind he's in charge apparently.]

[commandertoolbelt]

And what, exactly, makes you think k it's all your fault? You didn't kill him. You didn't order him to get himself killed, and even if you did, why would he listen?

I know you don't like humans, Tsuyu, but give them some credit. They can make their own decisions, and that doesn't mean you're the one to blame for something bad happening.

[branches]

H-He listens to me! I think?? He's still calling me Tree Boss...

[But he realizes Leo makes a fair point.]
I just.. I want to protect people and I don't know if I've done that at all while we're here.

[commandertoolbelt]

Tree boss... Yeah, that sounds like Denji. Weirdo.

I know, man. Looking at how this whole thing has gone, though... I don't think we were supposed to be able to protect each other. There's Nier, I guess, but stories like drama, and this one's been blocking us from escaping its stupid plot every step of the way. I wouldn't say that's your fault, either.

[branches]

Y-yeah, but, I mean, other people have been helpful?? Like during the trials, getting people organized, finding information out through field trips and other things... I couldn't even help with the student records.

[commandertoolbelt]

Hey, even Otome and I were pretty limited in what we could do there - way more than I should be, especially. It's not your fault you aren't familiar with tech like that, you know?

And anyway, it seems to me like there were only a few of us that had any idea what was going on, ever. Even on our field trip - that stupid clue didn't really get us anywhere new, so if that's some kind of fault of yours, then it's on me, too.

Point is - you don't have to be on top of it all to matter, you know?

[branches]

I mean yeah, but I haven't been on top of anything, Leo. I... I know I was telling Mabel she wasn't useless but I don't... I get how she feels. If even she thinks she was useless what does that make me?

[Worse than useless.]

[commandertoolbelt]

Neither of you are useless.

[ tiredly, but. he means it. ]

Tsuyu, you've been trying to help people whenever they've been hurt, right? Learning from Otome, making your weird plant stuff, and - your medicinal teas? That's not nothing, you know. Maybe it feels that way, but I bet you anyone on the receiving end of all that appreciated it.

[branches]

Tch... it's not like anyone ever asked me for any of that. No one ever... No one ever relied on me or asked me for help. No one thinks I'm good for anything. That's why whenever I try to help at trial I get shot down.

[commandertoolbelt]

How many of them even know what you can do? I know because you talk to me and tell me things like that. I guess there's the profiles, but do any of us actually read those things...?

[branches]

I mean, anyone who I've ever used my herbal medicine on? That's a fair few number of people.

[commandertoolbelt]

Then they aren't giving you the credit you're due. Maybe because they keep finding things to argue with you about? I don't know, man, I'm not really an expert on people. But you're not going to convince me that you're useless.

[branches]

[Huffs.]

Maybe I'll find something useful to do tomorrow.