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[swordfucker]

Guren Ichinose | Red | #A5211F

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[swordfucker]

[He almost doesn't know how to handle such an earnest look like that. Guren drops his hand away, looking forward instead of at Minato, hesitating.]

It's not a bad goal at all. [It's a nice one. He can understand it.]

[messianic]

[Even if Guren looks away, Minato's entirely satisfied by that response; he nods peacefully, leaning back against the stairs a bit more.]

Good, then. That's what I'll strive for.

[In the meantime...]

...The other potions haven't been like this, have they? [POISON...] The ones I've heard about have been strange but harmless.

[But now he's concerned for his friends receiving potions from this quest.]

[swordfucker]

No, nothing like that. Dextera's knocked him unconscious, and that was the most worrying one there was.

[Everything else has been harmless.] Some are even useful. Asuka has one that I tested that boosts your strength for a bit, at the cost of getting a migraine for the rest of the day. Obviously it's not a go-to, but it's a good for emergencies.

[messianic]

... Okay.

[So it really is a random roulette, and Minato drew the very short straw. Being Minato...he just breathes out a sigh of relief.]

I'm really glad it was me and not someone else then.

[It could've been Dextera who ingested the poison, that's terrifying.]

Thank goodness.

[swordfucker]

[His response to that, of course, is to thump Minato harshly over the head. He doesn't care if he's recovering from poison, he earned this!!]

I don't want to hear you saying crap like that.

[messianic]

[GHEGH.

He wasn't actually expecting that one, so he cringes, wincing as he lifts his hands to his head and stares up at Guren with muted but sincere surprise.

Ow...!!!]

But it's true...

[Rude...]

I have spells to heal poison, so it ended up being okay. [Therefore, it was better that it was Minato.]

[swordfucker]

Don't give me that! What did we just talk about?

[Ugh, he's frustrated.] If you want to get stronger, then don't throw yourself into situations where you risk death. I don't care how well you can take it compared to others. [hypocrite]

You can protect them in different ways. If you use your body as a shield, then it's just going to last for that one time. Keep that in mind.

[messianic]

[Yeah... that's a bit too hypocritical for him to let go. He looks up at Guren quietly, brow furrowed.]

... I don't understand.

[It's said calmly, at least, but there's a certain firmness to his words, too.]

I agreed to give you the poison, and any other potions, because you're better equipped than me to deal with it. But I won't be ashamed, either, to be grateful that it was me instead of someone who couldn't heal themselves after--like Akechi-san, or Dextera-san, or Midoriya-kun.

[It's better, in that case, that it was him.]

[swordfucker]

That's not the part that bugs me. It was your quickness to sigh in relief because you could take it on yourself.

[He huffs out a sigh, looking the other way.]

You can be relieved at their safety, but don't tell me you're not self-sacrificing all the time. I get it, but that doesn't mean it's right.

[messianic]

[... He is, it's true. Minato blinks slowly...and then sighs, head dipping a little. He's self-sacrificing to the extreme, and explaining why doesn't seem like something he's that interested in doing.]

I don't know if I can help that very much, Ichinose-san.

[He admits that much softly; eager to please as he usually is, this is something that's ingrained in him.]

That's just how I am.

[swordfucker]

[Guren watches him, quietly, understanding.]

That's why you've got friends to yell at you every time you pull one of these stunts. You'll worry us every time.

[messianic]

[Hrm...]

I don't really like worrying everyone either, but...

[In the end, he's selfish, right?]

... it's better to have friends than to be alone, even if everyone has to put up with that.

[swordfucker]

Haha... That's right. I worry my friends all the time.

[He can picture them now, in fact.] You probably already knew that.

[messianic]

Mm, yeah... I definitely knew that.

[Because Guren worries him too, but... he knows that's how Guren is, always trying to protect everyone else even to his own detriment.]

If I said anything against that, it'd be really hypocritical of me, huh...?

[Instead, he offers Guren a rueful smile.]

So instead I'll just keep doing what I can to look after you, too, because that's...what family does.

[swordfucker]

Now you've got it right.

[Ugh, his heart. But hearing Minato say it like that... it's fine if he's not all the way tsun. He grins, messing with Minato's hair again and finishing that off with a small push at his head.]

That means you shouldn't give me any extra work either, you troublemaker.

[messianic]

[Messy... Minato just reaches up to immediately try to tidy his hair, leaning against the bannister of the stairs quietly and offering Guren another smile.

He gets it, he really does. It's in their nature to worry others, because they're self-sacrificing people, but...]

I'll do my best. And I promise I'll give you any other potions I find from dealing with the jorogumo.

[All of that said...]

And... I'm fine now. So you don't have to worry--really.

[swordfucker]

Good.

[For the potions, and for not worrying him. He shifts, standing up again, and places a hand on his hip.]

Just to put you at some ease, I'm not trying these things alone in my room or something. It's with supervision, just to make sure nothing goes wrong. So you rest easy, too.

[messianic]

... Yeah. That really does help.

[Minato nods comfortable, leaning against the stairs. And quietly:]

I'm going to go back to bed, I think. But... thanks for coming by to check on me.

[And for not yelling as much as Guren totally could've for that.]