[ And that's part of why Minato drops into the farmhouse. Gotta make sure those plants get some TLC too! His garden's expanded from a tiny patch of spinach to a few cherry flowers, just to brighten the place up.
Today, however, it's real sheep hours. ]
-- Kotone??
[ Who else would dare to tackle him from behind like that while he's checking on one of the sheep's ears?
Minato glances over his shoulder, small smile on his face as he recovers from the surprise greeting. ]
[She latches on not unlike a barnacle, using her spot wrapped around his shoulders to peer curiously down at the sheep. Hey buddy! Ears all good? Almost time for shearing?
Without letting go, she tilts her head to get a better look at his face, her own smile softening in response to his own. He doesn't smile as much as she does, she thinks, which means these little gestures are all the more meaningful.]
I'm glad I found you this morning!
[Finally releasing her hold, she skips around him and crouches down next to the sheep, immediately burying her fingers in its fluff to give it a friendly scratch. Sheep are a little too farm-stinky for her to want to smoosh her face into it, so instead she looks back up at him with another smaller smile of her own.]
[ Maaaa, goes the sheep, its ears twitching as it bleats a greeting. Minato offers the fluffy guy a gentle pat on the head. Very polite of him to say hello too.
The smile on Minato's face falters for a moment, shifting into a slightly bewildered look. Was he feeling okay today? Had he recently given Kotone any reason to think otherwise?
...oh. ]
Yeah. I'm fine.
[ The confused expression is gone now, replaced with a more sheepish one. ]
...it's today, isn't it? I forgot.
[ It's his turn to study Kotone now, inspecting her own facial expression. He remembers... a year from today, they'd sat side by side as she shared her fears of suddenly disappearing. Now that he was here, what would happen to her?
Fortunately, business as usual continued on. Kotone continued to be Kotone. Minato continued to be Minato. ]
[Sorry Mr. Sheep, Kotone lets go of his fluff completely to all but leap back to her feet, mouth agape. How did he forget?! Sure, there hasn't been much reason to think of it, and maybe for her it's just because she'd made a big deal of it last year with Minato being here and Scott had been worried about her, but-!!
Maybe that's okay, though. That seems an awful lot like Minato, doesn't it? If he'd been freaking out, it would have been weird. Maybe she shouldn't have said anything at all. It's too late, though, so all she can do is puff out one of her cheeks in indignation and set her hands on her hips, feeling a little like a fool.]
And I brought you a present and everything, in case you were sad.
["Sad" is what she says, but she means reflective, melancholic, nostalgic, any and all of those emotions. The ones she feels when talking to Scott about it. No, sad isn't really the word. For as much as she doesn't want to live in Aldrip without her friends, she still won't hesitate when it comes time to go back.]
...I guess I haven't been keeping track of the days.
[ In fact, he might not even own a calendar here. Perhaps he simply didn't see the point of noting each day that went by. That's the funny thing about eternity, isn't it? Each day bleeds into the next, and then the next, and then the next.
The word "present," however, does catch Minato's attention. He cants his head at her with measured curiosity. ]
You brought me something?
[ Maybe Kotone's caught on regarding just how much he treasured every single gift, no matter how small. He'd kept everything everyone had gifted him during his year at Port Island. Out of everyone in Aldrip, Kotone probably knows that the best. She'd probably done the very same. ]
[Buddy, she's going to find you some more jobs to work so you have to keep a schedule!! Not that any of Kotone's seem to care whether she shows up or not, as per usual, but it's the thought that counts!
Realistically, though, she kind of sees his logic. When every day is a bonus they never thought they'd have, what is the point of counting them? Maybe if she didn't have Scott to remind her of things like holidays and anniversaries, she'd be the same way. Maybe that's why she can't be too mad at him -- or at least, not mad enough to withhold her gift.]
It's something small, but I hope you like it. [From her bag, she draws a little knit rabbit, dressed in a tiny version of a Gekkoukan uniform complete with red armband for SEES. There's a felt attempt at his hair covering one of the bunny's eyes, making it hopefully clear that it's meant to be Minato himself. A little sheepishly, she waves one of its paws as if its saying hello.] I made stuff like this in Sewing Club with Bebe... I thought maybe you'd like to have one.
[A beat of hesitation, then she offers it out. It's not that she thinks Minato will refuse it or laugh at her! But she just really hopes it makes him happy.]
[ He watches with muted curiosity as Kotone reaches into her bag, eyes lighting up when he sees what she's brought him. It's... cute, and the way the bunny's hair covers one of its eyes -- ]
Is that me...?
[ Minato takes the little bunny into his hands, cradling it in his palms. There's a smile on his face as he shifts it into one hand, index finger of his free hand brushing against the tiny SEES armband. His time in the Sewing Club has given him a somewhat trained eye for stitching and handiwork. Kotone's craftsmanship, in his eyes, is impeccable. ]
It's cute. Thanks.
[ Now that he's thinking about it, he hadn't really gotten the chance to really make much outside of assisting Bebe with his kimono. But he hadn't minded either, not when he was perfectly content to help someone out with their own project.
Ah. He should tell her how he feels about it too, right? ]
...I like it a lot.
[ Which is saying something, considering Minato's penchant for merely accepting things as they were, just because. ]
[She hums a quiet assent, mentally wishing the bunny goodbye and good luck when Minato takes it -- what! It's normal to be attached to little animals you make for people, right? -- and watches his face carefully. The way his eyes light up, the smile on his face... yeah, he likes it! Kotone's answering smile is wide and genuine as she clasps her now-free hands behind her back and bounces a little on her heels.]
You're welcome!
[And honestly, she'd have taken that exactly as it is. It's clear from the way he accepted it and is examining it that he likes it. If nothing else, she hopes it helps him feel less alone.
Then he actually comes out and says that he likes it, and her smile is so wide it hurts her cheeks a little as she laughs with more than a little surprise.]
I'm really glad. [And she means it, her own eyes shining with emotion.] You'll have to name him! You know, to really make him yours.
[ Fortunately, Minato's the resilient type -- the sort of person who's grown accustomed to saying farewells. Perhaps that's an especially useful boon considering how many people seemed to be disappearing lately. First it had been Akira, then Manjiro, Yosuke, Yu...
Kotone's shimmering eyes redirect his attention away from that melancholy. How could he not when she's smiling so wide with a laugh that's brighter than the sun? ]
A name?
[ He looks down at the little rabbit doll clutched in his hands. The little guy's outfitted in a Gekkoukan uniform, complete with a miniature SEES armband, a small tuft of dark hair covering one of its eyes -- ]
...Arisato Junior.
[ Minato holds the rabbit up to Kotone with a serious expression, though it doesn't take long to shift back to his earlier smile. Yet, it's a touch doleful as he considers where he should keep the little rabbit. Manjiro's bat, Yu's spare key to the dojo: these were all items left behind by those who were once here.
Should Kotone disappear into thin air as well, it seems he'll have something to remember her by as well. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
yayyyyy
Today, however, it's real sheep hours. ]
-- Kotone??
[ Who else would dare to tackle him from behind like that while he's checking on one of the sheep's ears?
Minato glances over his shoulder, small smile on his face as he recovers from the surprise greeting. ]
Morning.
no subject
Without letting go, she tilts her head to get a better look at his face, her own smile softening in response to his own. He doesn't smile as much as she does, she thinks, which means these little gestures are all the more meaningful.]
I'm glad I found you this morning!
[Finally releasing her hold, she skips around him and crouches down next to the sheep, immediately burying her fingers in its fluff to give it a friendly scratch. Sheep are a little too farm-stinky for her to want to smoosh her face into it, so instead she looks back up at him with another smaller smile of her own.]
You're feeling okay today?
no subject
The smile on Minato's face falters for a moment, shifting into a slightly bewildered look. Was he feeling okay today? Had he recently given Kotone any reason to think otherwise?
...oh. ]
Yeah. I'm fine.
[ The confused expression is gone now, replaced with a more sheepish one. ]
...it's today, isn't it? I forgot.
[ It's his turn to study Kotone now, inspecting her own facial expression. He remembers... a year from today, they'd sat side by side as she shared her fears of suddenly disappearing. Now that he was here, what would happen to her?
Fortunately, business as usual continued on. Kotone continued to be Kotone. Minato continued to be Minato. ]
Are you okay?
no subject
[Sorry Mr. Sheep, Kotone lets go of his fluff completely to all but leap back to her feet, mouth agape. How did he forget?! Sure, there hasn't been much reason to think of it, and maybe for her it's just because she'd made a big deal of it last year with Minato being here and Scott had been worried about her, but-!!
Maybe that's okay, though. That seems an awful lot like Minato, doesn't it? If he'd been freaking out, it would have been weird. Maybe she shouldn't have said anything at all. It's too late, though, so all she can do is puff out one of her cheeks in indignation and set her hands on her hips, feeling a little like a fool.]
And I brought you a present and everything, in case you were sad.
["Sad" is what she says, but she means reflective, melancholic, nostalgic, any and all of those emotions. The ones she feels when talking to Scott about it. No, sad isn't really the word. For as much as she doesn't want to live in Aldrip without her friends, she still won't hesitate when it comes time to go back.]
no subject
...I guess I haven't been keeping track of the days.
[ In fact, he might not even own a calendar here. Perhaps he simply didn't see the point of noting each day that went by. That's the funny thing about eternity, isn't it? Each day bleeds into the next, and then the next, and then the next.
The word "present," however, does catch Minato's attention. He cants his head at her with measured curiosity. ]
You brought me something?
[ Maybe Kotone's caught on regarding just how much he treasured every single gift, no matter how small. He'd kept everything everyone had gifted him during his year at Port Island. Out of everyone in Aldrip, Kotone probably knows that the best. She'd probably done the very same. ]
no subject
Realistically, though, she kind of sees his logic. When every day is a bonus they never thought they'd have, what is the point of counting them? Maybe if she didn't have Scott to remind her of things like holidays and anniversaries, she'd be the same way. Maybe that's why she can't be too mad at him -- or at least, not mad enough to withhold her gift.]
It's something small, but I hope you like it. [From her bag, she draws a little knit rabbit, dressed in a tiny version of a Gekkoukan uniform complete with red armband for SEES. There's a felt attempt at his hair covering one of the bunny's eyes, making it hopefully clear that it's meant to be Minato himself. A little sheepishly, she waves one of its paws as if its saying hello.] I made stuff like this in Sewing Club with Bebe... I thought maybe you'd like to have one.
[A beat of hesitation, then she offers it out. It's not that she thinks Minato will refuse it or laugh at her! But she just really hopes it makes him happy.]
no subject
Is that me...?
[ Minato takes the little bunny into his hands, cradling it in his palms. There's a smile on his face as he shifts it into one hand, index finger of his free hand brushing against the tiny SEES armband. His time in the Sewing Club has given him a somewhat trained eye for stitching and handiwork. Kotone's craftsmanship, in his eyes, is impeccable. ]
It's cute. Thanks.
[ Now that he's thinking about it, he hadn't really gotten the chance to really make much outside of assisting Bebe with his kimono. But he hadn't minded either, not when he was perfectly content to help someone out with their own project.
Ah. He should tell her how he feels about it too, right? ]
...I like it a lot.
[ Which is saying something, considering Minato's penchant for merely accepting things as they were, just because. ]
no subject
You're welcome!
[And honestly, she'd have taken that exactly as it is. It's clear from the way he accepted it and is examining it that he likes it. If nothing else, she hopes it helps him feel less alone.
Then he actually comes out and says that he likes it, and her smile is so wide it hurts her cheeks a little as she laughs with more than a little surprise.]
I'm really glad. [And she means it, her own eyes shining with emotion.] You'll have to name him! You know, to really make him yours.
no subject
Kotone's shimmering eyes redirect his attention away from that melancholy. How could he not when she's smiling so wide with a laugh that's brighter than the sun? ]
A name?
[ He looks down at the little rabbit doll clutched in his hands. The little guy's outfitted in a Gekkoukan uniform, complete with a miniature SEES armband, a small tuft of dark hair covering one of its eyes -- ]
...Arisato Junior.
[ Minato holds the rabbit up to Kotone with a serious expression, though it doesn't take long to shift back to his earlier smile. Yet, it's a touch doleful as he considers where he should keep the little rabbit. Manjiro's bat, Yu's spare key to the dojo: these were all items left behind by those who were once here.
Should Kotone disappear into thin air as well, it seems he'll have something to remember her by as well. ]