destiny_key | Recolle

...Hey.

[ He might come off as cold in person, back slouched and huddled in on himself as if it were already the dead of winter, but Minato's gaze softens considerably when he see the dog, stepping inside and closing the door behind him so Sora can let go without Buck running out the door. ]

Both a dog and cats, huh? Is it alright if I pet your dog?

[ He barely sees Sora at all, not looking at him even once even as he addresses his cousin. He's absolutely certain Sora would take it as being rude, but there's also the thought that he would clam right up if he looked at his cousin and didn't know what to say or do. Rude might be better than uncaring. ]

Go for it!

[Minato's just... not what he expected at all. But then, Sora should know better than anyone how opposite a pair of twins can be. But that's fine.

And honestly, he totally gets how all-encompassing animal-vision can be. He lets go of Buck's collar, and the dog immediately goes to sniff Minato as thoroughly as possible.]

Well, it's just Meow Wow and Buck that live here. Mom won't allow any more than that. But I take care of lots of animals until I can find them owners, or until they're okay to go out on their own.

[Why yes, Sora is basically running an animal shelter out of his garage, why do you ask?]

[ Sora's heart is in the right place, and that's something Minato can appreciate a lot. He kneels down right there in the hallway, extending a hand low to the ground so that Buck and get to know his scent... and possibly the scent of half a dozen other dogs that's probably strong enough that even Sora can smell it on him, or see the fur around the ankles of his pant legs.

He glances up at Sora, quickly and briefly, just to see what his expression is like— smiling, excited, sort of like how Minako tries to be around him despite however standoffish he's acting, but he shakes that thought out of his head immediately. Sora's his own person; it wouldn't be fair to compare him to Minako. ]

...

[ He opens his mouth to speak, closes it. Doesn't really want to talk, but tries again. ]

Tell me about yourself? And Meow Wow, and Buck?

[ While he sits here and pets the dog; he thinks that should buy him at least ten minutes where he doesn't have to talk about himself. ]

[Sora's smile dies a little, not sure what to say to that question. He sits on the floor beside his dog, watching Buck while he tries to think about it.]

Oh, well, uh... I'm not really that interesting.

[Kind of a lame response, but it's a truthful one. There's not much to say beyond school, but that's... kind of a sore subject right now. He hopes his cousin won't take the poor answer personally.

He can talk about his pets for days, though.]

But, um, Buck's a pitsky, we think! Like a mutt-pitsky, haha. He came from a litter we found by the road a few years ago, and he was the last one. Pitbulls are so hard to find owners for, 'cause people think they're aggressive, you know? But they're really not, but we couldn't find anyone to take him. So I just... kept him.

[Sora takes a moment to look around the room for his massive old cat, but he seems to be in another room at the moment. Minato will probably have to meet him some other time.]

Meow Wow is, uh. He's a cat. He's huge and, like, ancient, and he doesn't really like anyone except for me. He just kinda... showed up one day. I was only like, ten, so I just let him in to feed him, and then he just. Didn't leave, I guess. It was weird.

[ That's surprising. "I'm not that interesting" is an answer he hears a lot, mostly from people who don't hold a lot of confidence in themselves— Sora didn't strike him as that sort of person, from the little snippets of conversation they've shared, anyways. But it's not like Minato could give any better answer for himself if asked, maybe mentioning his major and future career plans and nothing about him as a person and diving right into another topic instead, even better when it's animals.

He listens quietly, without comment, imagining animals just sort of coming to Sora and finding him when they need him. He'd always been of the opinion that animals can tell when somebody is a good person, and if a cat chose Sora and never left, that pretty much sells it to him. On the flip side, animals don't gravitate to Minato; they come when he has food to offer, or have known him for some time, so it's enough that Buck is happy enough to be scratched on the back as he stands so his knees don't stiffen up, letting the silence fall between them when it's his turn to pick up the conversation. ]

...Do you want to take Buck out for a walk? I don't really know what to do at other people's houses. Usually I only go between work and home.

Huh? I mean, oh, uh, we can, if you want?

[Sora laughs awkwardly. He can't say he blames Minato when he's pretty much the same way.]

I don't really know what to do, either. I don't really have a ton of people over... Except for people who are looking to adopt one of the animals. Or Minako.

[He copies his cousin and stands as well, and Buck, upon the scratches being finished, comes to sit at his feet. He'd kind of like to know more about Minato, too, but he doesn't really know how to ask. He barely said anything about himself, after all.

For now, he goes to find where he put Buck's leash, on the coat rack next to the door.]

[ Getting Minato to talk about himself isn't exactly like pulling teeth, but it feels like it sometimes unless he's with somebody who's willing to play 21 questions to get any sort of personal information out of him. And even if that's successful, nobody particularly cares to know about him, in his experience, just what he can do for others and what use he is— skills and knowledge rather than hobbies and preferences.

Walking a dog is none of that. It's just walking and watching, his idea of a good time in all honesty. While Sora gets his things, Minato mills around the front door, zipper of his jacket pulled all the way up so that it covers his chin and mouth if he keeps his head ducked, making it hard to tell if he's smiling and frowning or mumbling to himself. ]

[Sora bundles himself up pretty well, with a jacket and scarf and gloves. It's not that cold, but it's cold enough for him; even after all these years, he's not used to the winters here. Buck waits patiently, and when Sora's done he clips the leash onto the dog's collar and grins up at Minato.]

Ready to go?

[ Winters are cold basically everywhere Minato's lived before, but he still doesn't like it, nodding just once so that he can keep his mouth covered and not breathe in the cool air that would send him into a coughing fit after the warmth of the house, and needlessly worry his cousin or the dog.

He opens the door and steps out, leaving Sora to lock it behind him, and picks his way towards the sidewalk in slow careful steps. Buck will lead the way, he supposes, as dogs do when they have an established walking route. ]

[They walk in silence for a while, the sidewalks lit by only the streetlamps and the lights from houses they pass. Almost no one has their Christmas decorations out yet, but one or two homes have a string of lights or two that likely were just forgotten from last year. It's kind of nice to be able to go outside at night, now that the fog is gone.

It's a while before Sora decided to interrupt the quiet that's developed.]

So. Um... Why'd you wanna hang out tonight?

[ He liked the silence and wish it would last forever, but walking in silence isn't really the same as hanging out, of enjoying something together that isn't just faintly smiling at Buck's swaying tail, of learning more about Sora which was his reason but now that he's being asked, it gets caught in his throat instead of coming out.

Why reach out in the first place? Saying it's obligation as family sounds cold, but isn't untrue. It isn't the whole truth either. Part of him felt that obligation. Part of him wants to be the sort of person who wants to, even if he doesn't need to. It's hard to pick apart the difference, and Minato turns his eyes down and speaks to his boots instead of looking over at Sora when he finally answers. ]

...Dunno. Family is supposed to mean something, I think. But sometimes... I don't feel that anymore. [ Or anything, really. Love. Affection. Certain things meant for people in general that he'd bottled up and cast aside, knowing that it isn't healthy, not knowing how to get it back. ] Guess I wanted to see if I felt any different around you.

[Sora's eyes light up in understanding when his question is answered, followed by a sadness when he realizes the meaning of it. He feels bad now, that he asked that question, but someone just wanting to get to know him like this is a foreign feeling.

But he understands how Minato feels. He loves his family, but sometimes... He thinks about his brother, and he understands.]

Do you? Feel any different?

[A pause. He hopes he's not being taken the wrong way. It was never his intention to make Minato feel bad about it.]

It's not that I'm not happy to hang out with you! I think you're really cool! But, just, most people... I mean... I've never had anyone just wanna hang out with me before.

No. [ is the truth that comes out, because "yes" would lead to questions of what he feels or what is different. Instead, he feels just the same: uncertain, anxious, like he's waiting for something and can't tell whether he should be anticipating it in dread or excitement. He clamps down on all of that too, and pushes it aside, finally lifting his chin to look at Sora, surprise on his face more than anything. ]

I'm not cool. And you... seem like the type of person who gets along with people. Who has lots of friends, people who care about you.

[ People to hang out with, essentially, who are much cooler, much more fun and exciting than Minato is. ]

I... Not... really...

[He stutters on the words, because Minato's not wrong, but he's not right, either. Sure, he gets along with people fine. He tries to be nice to everyone, and most people are nice back. There are a lot of people he'd consider friendly.

But no one ever gets closer than that, either. People who care about him? Most of them are adults or older kids, and even they seem fleeting sometimes. Peers his own age feel more like acquaintances.

It's gotten better, since Retrospec happened, and there are people who might be considered casual friends, but the only close relationships in his life are his mother, Minako, and his animals. No one he can just hang out with. If those people exist, he can't see them.]

[ The glance turns into a focused stare, wondering which of his three-part comment Sora is disagreeing with. It couldn't be all three, because he... Well, truth be told, he doesn't know any of Sora's friends, and is only making assumptions from seeing his interactions on Retrospec, where everyone there is overly friendly that it's sort of unsettling. ]

Not really, huh?

[ He turns away again, eyes back on the swish-swish of Buck's tail, making the decision to take Sora's word for it. Better than projecting expectations on somebody, the same way he doesn't want expectations being pushed upon him. Kind of impossible when you share a name and face with somebody as indomitably bright and outgoing as his sister. ]

I'm the same way. Having only a few, close friends. [ He can probably count on one hand how many he would consider friends, though when he tries to think of names, they don't come. ] Not saying it's a good thing or a bad thing... but it's fine. Doesn't matter. Those things will come in time.

[ So don't worry? Here, like always, is where he's acutely aware of how lacking he is in consoling others, but he just tells himself that's not what he's trying to do. He's just stating an opinion, for Sora to take from it what he will. ]

[Sora doesn't say anything, thinking about Minato's words. He trains his eyes on following Buck instead.

But, really, Sora is nothing if not an optimist, and he wants to think that, maybe someday, things will get better. Truth be told, despite everything that's happening around him, he's lonely. He loves his mother and family, but what he really wants is friends. Real friends.

When his answer finally comes, it's short. He still doesn't know what to say. But Minato was truthful and kind, and he appreciates that. Maybe someday it'll come true.]

Okay.

[ The "okay" brings from Minato a sigh of relief, a deep exhale that lets go of some of his concerns— for as bad with words as he is, somehow, he was able to convey his thoughts to Sora in a way that wasn't upsetting like he worried it might be.

Okay is... Okay. Good. There's not much else he can think of to say in following up, so what he gives to Sora instead is a smile.

His first family member smile.

That Sora got before Minako.

Don't tell her. ]

[Sora's eyes light up at being gifted with a smile, and he grins up at Minato in return. Maybe this started out awkwardly, but he can't help but think he and his cousin have quite a few similarities. He wouldn't mind doing this again, actually.]

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