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Near ([info]blank_puzzle) wrote,
@ 2008-01-17 00:45:00

Previous Entry  Add to memories!  Tell a Friend!  Next Entry
o13.
[[Continued from here.]]

Near nodded agreeably; "building stuff" was pretty much his number one hobby anyway.

"All right. Well, there are more dice in the boxes," He nudged a box under the table with his foot, "So you can build something to go with the castle, if you want, or something entirely different." He shrugged. "It's up to you."

He wasn't intentionally being cold, but after last night's realization that there were certain topic areas and ideas that made Mello angry and uncomfortable, Near had decided that it would be better not to make any assumptions in the future. As a result, he was keeping a slight distance, but he didn't think that was being... Whatever it was Mello thought he was. He sighed, adding another few dice to his castle, and glanced over at Mello, curious as to what he would choose to make.

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[info]burnt_chocolate
2008-01-17 12:52 am UTC (link)
Mello growled faintly at the only very cursory handling by Near, reaching over and snagging the box of dice before dragging it out for a better look. The label on the box indicated that it was from a manufacturer, and there was an indication of weight beside an approximate, and dizzyingly high, dice count. Who the hell bought dice by its weight? Mello glanced up at Near's face, seeing that for the moment the other boy was focused dispassionately on his castle. Well... obviously Near did.

When Near lifted his eyes and looked at him, Mello looked right back, frowning slightly and remaining perfectly still, as if he were doing his damndest to visually pick Near apart and figure out exactly what was going on (or, frankly, what might have gotten his panties in a bunch) if he was being so aggravatingly distant and cold again. After it became apparent that Near was not going to give himself away just because he was being stared at, Mello huffed and looked down at the box of dice, pulling out a couple of them and starting to arrange them, boredly, in number sequences on the ground.

"So, are you being cold because you're a bit peeved that I had to wake up and put some clothes on? I can't have been that much of a spectacle." He nodded idly towards the screen that projected his current bedroom, stacking towers in weirdly solitaire-esque escalating number sequences. Just bored, not building yet.

(Reply to this) (Thread)


[info]blank_puzzle
2008-01-17 12:53 am UTC (link)
Well, that definitely got a reaction, and Near's metaphorical panties were definitely metaphorically bunched.

"What?" he sputtered. "That isn't-- I'm not-- I don't care whether you're wearing clothes or not," Near huffed, and then immediately realized it was the wrong thing to say. He took a deep breath, calming a little. "What I mean is that you can wear whatever you like and it won't affect my temprament any."

It was mostly true, anyway; while Near had certainly found Mello interesting to look at, it didn't mean he was going to allow that to interfere with his calmness. And anyway, Mello clearly held a disproportionate opinion of himself... "spectacle", indeed. He was just... interesting. That was all.

(Reply to this) (Parent)


[info]burnt_chocolate
2008-01-17 12:54 am UTC (link)
Mello couldn't quite help cracking a grin at Near's immediate, stumbling and passionate reaction. There, that was more like it. He didn't appreciate the annoying, clinical coldness that Near had been treating him with up 'til now, and even a remarkable fit would be preferable to simply being treated like a piece of furniture.

"You don't?" Mello queried lightly, completely ignoring the obvious backpedaling because that was clearly what it was: an after-the-fact attempt to save face for his initial commentary. The candid reactions were always the more interesting ones... "So, theoretically, I could just take off my vest and you'd be no more or less comfortable sitting next to me?" The suggestion that he would go ahead with it was a bit... weird, since that was a bit of an extreme leap into uncharted territories so far as simple teasing went. However, Mello rather enjoyed the fact that Near was reacting and he couldn't help smirking quietly to himself, reaching a gloved hand up and tapping it against the silver ring pull for his vest's zipper, cocking a brow at Near as if awaiting his reaction.

(Reply to this) (Thread)


[info]blank_puzzle
2008-01-17 12:56 am UTC (link)
Near had recovered enough --just enough-- to not be openly affected by Mello's remarks. ...Well, not much, anyway. He barely blushed, and kept his attention firmly on the dice castle in front of him, not wanting to actually be watching if Mello decided to call his bluff and disrobe (although he might peek a little).

"If you want to strut about in the nude, Mello, that's your business... although you might be rather cold," he added, which may have been just a remark or may have been an insult, depending on how you looked at it.

(Reply to this) (Parent)


[info]burnt_chocolate
2008-01-17 12:55 am UTC (link)
Mello knew well enough that he had Near cornered, in a sense. He pretty much knew that the younger boy was absolutely full of it and that he would very much behave weirdly if he were to take his vest off and try to carry on as per normal. The thing was, however, that Mello didn't know exactly what he should do with that revelation. So, Near was blushing (his skin was so pale that it was obvious whenever he did, even if it was very slight), and Near was blushing at the threat that he would take his shirt off. It wasn't a matter of modesty, or of distaste for nudity... or at least Mello didn't think it was, not considering Near's easy acceptance of being seen in the nude not very long ago. It wasn't the concept of a bare chest that bothered him, or got whatever sort of rise this was out of him: it was the thought of him-Mello- being shirtless and sitting next to him. Or, at least that was an option. Either that or Near, while being relatively unashamed of his own body, didn't much like other people being under dressed around him.

Mello would have been remiss if he didn't call Near's bluff, at least in part, unzipping his vest but leaving it on his body. It certainly was cold as hell in here, even for being indoors...

"Why don't you turn up the heater? You're in thin cotton at best- you must be cold, too."

(Reply to this) (Thread)


[info]blank_puzzle
2008-01-17 01:16 am UTC (link)
Bloody hell. Well, if nothing else, this situation had taught Near one valuable lesson: never play chicken with Mello. He did his best to ignore the now partially nude Mello beside him, keeping his attention on the dice.

"I did warn you," he sighed, resolutely not lifting his gaze from the little cubes in front of him. It wasn't as if he hadn't seen Mello without his vest on already, anyway. ...Or that he wanted to. But even if he did, he'd seen it already, so what would be the point? "I'm fine as I am," he continued. "But if you really must keep your shirt off, then maybe you should go find the thermostat and turn it up yourself." That sounded suitably uninterested, didn't it?

The truth was, Mello was only half-right. Near was not particularly comfortable being nude around other people, and slept without clothes on the understanding that people did not typically barge into his room while he was in bed. So, while he was not especially modest or shy, he was definitely unaccustomed to being unclothed around other people, and even more unaccustomed to other people being unclothed around him. The fact that it was Mello only made things even more bizarre-- Mello was probably the last person Near had thought would be wandering around half-dressed in his company. It was odd, to say the least, and what was even more odd was the fact that it seemed to make Near more vulnerable and uncomfortable than it did Mello... At least, so far as Near could tell without looking directly at him.

Which he wasn't. And didn't intend to. And wasn't going to. Absolutely not.

(Reply to this) (Parent)


[info]burnt_chocolate
2008-01-17 01:48 am UTC (link)
Well, Mello was satisfied with his bizarre little victory, However decidedly bizarre it was, and when he started stacking the dice again he smirked to himself while he was doing it, making simple straight up and down stacks.

"I think I'll manage." Mello replied cooly, glancing over at Near and, unable to help it, chuckling faintly at the extremely intense focus with which Near was eying his dice castle, despite relatively slow continued building progress.

Still. Though Mello didn't feel bothered one whit by being bare-chested in public, he felt just a little bothered by the fact that Near was bothered. What did that mean?

(Reply to this) (Thread)


[info]blank_puzzle
2008-01-17 02:09 am UTC (link)
Near gritted his teeth a little at this. Mello must have been bothered at least a little, surely? He glanced over at him, aware that it would look strange if he avoided him too much. That wasn't too bad; it wasn't as if he hadn't seen it before, after all.

"Well, as I said, it's your decision," he sighed, reaching under the table for another few dice, suddenly very glad Mello had not opted to remove his pants, as well.

(Reply to this) (Parent)


[info]burnt_chocolate
2008-01-17 02:59 am UTC (link)
Mello tilted his head slightly at Near when he looked back at him, smirking slightly at how completely focused Near was on his eyes even now. Not a single tick of the eyes downward. Way too focused for him not to want to prod him for it.

"I still have plenty of dice right here." Mello reached down into his box and lifted a handful that he then held out for Near, wiggling his fingers slightly and shifting the dice about in his hand gently.

(Reply to this) (Thread)


[info]blank_puzzle
2008-01-17 03:15 am UTC (link)
Mello really was quite infuriating-- Near knew exactly what he was doing, and wasn't going to fall for it. He took the dice from him, trying not to scowl or let his gaze drop below Mello's face.

"Thank you," he said calmly. "But those were really supposed to be yours. Weren't you supposed to be making something?" he inquired, gesturing at Mello's pile of unformed dice.

(Reply to this) (Parent)


[info]burnt_chocolate
2008-01-17 03:42 am UTC (link)
"I wasn't supposed to be making a thing." Mello wanted to make that very clear, just a little annoyed by Near's mounting annoyance. So what if he didn't like sitting so near him, eh? He wasn't even shirtless! His vest was only unzipped, and his skin was scarred underneath anyhow--

It briefly crossed his mind that Near might be uncomfortable with his mangled skin... but only briefly. Near would never be so shallow- there was a mutual understanding of respect here that told him so.

"So long as I'm entertained, I don't have to do a thing do I?"

(Reply to this) (Thread)


[info]blank_puzzle
2008-01-17 04:09 am UTC (link)
Near raised a brow.

"Entertained? I'm glad my castle is so fascinating to you."

He knew full well what Mello was talking about, of course, but he wasn't about to give Mello the satisfaction of commenting on it.

(Reply to this) (Parent)


[info]burnt_chocolate
2008-01-17 04:23 am UTC (link)
Mello scoffed lightly at Near's pretending at innocence, leaning over towards him and looking at him a bit more closely. narrowed proximity might bother him a little bit more so... Mello not so secretly hoped so.

"Not as fascinating as watching you squirm and try not to oggle me, of course."

(Reply to this) (Thread)


[info]blank_puzzle
2008-01-17 04:42 am UTC (link)
It definitely bothered him a lot more, but he was still trying not to show it.

"I am not trying not to 'ogle' you," he said through gritted teeth. "As I said before, I don't care one way or the other. I'm merely trying not to stare because I didn't want to be... rude," he said finally, aware that as excuses went, this one was somewhat sub-par.

(Reply to this) (Parent)


[info]burnt_chocolate
2008-01-17 05:17 am UTC (link)
"Hn." Mello settled back into his own personal space again, shrugging mildly as he went about working with his dice again, this time just arranging them all into a pyramid. For the hell of it, really.

He knew near was full of it, and Near had to know it as well... so he didn't need to say a word about it, merely smiling to himself as he reached over for one of his unopened chocolate bars and peeled it open. "Teasing you really should get old, shouldn.'t it?"

Oh, but it didn't

(Reply to this) (Thread)


[info]blank_puzzle
2008-01-17 05:18 am UTC (link)
"One would think so," Near sighed, happy to have Mello out of his personal space again.

Was Mello really going to leave his top undone like that all day?

(Reply to this) (Parent)


[info]burnt_chocolate
2008-01-17 05:23 am UTC (link)
To answer an unspoken question: probably. But only to prove a point. Really, it was much too chilly in here... how could Near stand to wear just pajamas all day long in this kind of chill? Mello bit into his chocolate bar and chewed on it slowly, eyelids lowering as he considered the castle and the growing pyramid he was working on. Dice were not the most sensible building materials... but they were fine enough, he supposed. Maybe Near just enjoyed the challenge of working with bricks that didn't fit securely together?

Either way, it was only acceptable as a pastime, really, because Near was so uncomfortable and he was amused by it. Possibly uncomfortable suggestions about sexuality and all, it was impossibly entertaining.

(Reply to this) (Thread)


[info]blank_puzzle
2008-01-17 05:30 am UTC (link)
Near was too busy Ignoring Mello to ask. Without Mello constantly talking to him, this was much more achievable, and Near found himself making much better progress on his dice castle.

Hopefully Mello will keep on being tolerable, yes?

(Reply to this) (Parent)


[info]burnt_chocolate
2008-01-17 06:11 am UTC (link)
Never. That was simply against the rules of engagement, as far as Mello was concerned.

"This is kind of boring..." Mello commented lightly, flicking the top die off of his pyramid and sending it clicking to the ground, missing Near's castle very purposefully because, though he was bored, he didn't intend to be a dick and mess-up Near's construct.

"So, you'll let me have my few joys, won't you?"

(Reply to this) (Thread)


[info]blank_puzzle
2008-01-17 06:15 am UTC (link)
Naturally, and Near didn't really expect anything less.

He sighed, deciding to give Mello what he wanted this time, maybe that would get him to shut up?

"What 'joys' would those be?" he asked, finally looking up at him properly, giving him the once over. "Or do I really want to know?"

(Reply to this) (Parent)


[info]burnt_chocolate
2008-01-17 06:48 am UTC (link)
Mello's brows raised immediately at the look he was given and Near's straight-forward choice of words, honestly a bit shocked that Near had just said that. Huh... so Near wanted to play, did he? That was going to be fun... Alright.

"You might, I'm not sure what your tastes are." he cracked a wry smirk at Near, tilting his head as if he was waiting for an answer.

(Reply to this) (Thread)


[info]blank_puzzle
2008-01-17 06:51 am UTC (link)
Near smirked right back. After all, avoidance had achieved nothing, so maybe confrontation would work?

"I'm afraid you'll have to keep wondering," Near said lightly. "Unlike you, I don't like to broadcast my preferences," he added, giving Mello, as well as both his clothes and his lack thereof, a good, long look.

(Reply to this) (Parent)


[info]burnt_chocolate
2008-01-17 07:01 am UTC (link)
Mello settled his hands on his hips -which was a little bit silly, given that he was seated Indian-style on the floor and couldn't look very saucy even if he tried his damndest- and let Near look at him. It was a bit odd, sure, but he was pretty certain that the shorter boy was just making a point, looking him over like this. Not really doing it because he wanted particularly to appraise him. After all, Near'd had plenty of time to do that while he was unconscious and broadcast on the surveillance screen for however many hours Near had been in this room before him.

"Unlike me? I haven't told you a thing." He leaned forward a little, and even if it was a bit brazen- reached out and made as if to twirl one gloved finger into Near's hair. That was impossible, really, since you could only ever really twirl hair with a bare finger... but the gesture was important.

"Have you been sitting there, pretending to stare down your dice, and all the while secretly drawing conclusions about my tastes?"

(Reply to this) (Thread)


[info]blank_puzzle
2008-01-17 07:11 am UTC (link)
Near gave him another smug little look.

"Mello, you speak volumes before you open your mouth."

Which he did, of course-- the clothes, the gestures, the way he moved. Intentional or not, it definitely sent a message, and while Near may not (was, was not, he corrected himself) have been interested in the message, that didn't preclude him from being able to decipher it.

He kept his gaze steadily on Mello, but let it drop to his chest once again before rising to his face. "And if you don't want people drawing conclusions about your tastes, perhaps you shouldn't walk around your shirt open."

(Reply to this) (Parent)


[info]burnt_chocolate
2008-01-17 07:22 am UTC (link)
Mello snorted lightly, incredibly amused by Near's words and actions and their vital, final culmination in that all too predictable maneuver to try and get him to zip-up his vest.

"And thus, we find your point." He said nothing of Near's remark about body language speaking volumes, because it should and it did, and Mello wasn't going to dignify that sort of commentary with either confirmation or denial. That would take all of the fun out of it, after all.

Never the less, he was just a tad bit surprised that Near didn't jerk away when he played with his hair. So he kept on doing it, in case that would eventually achieve the desired result.

"I thought you'd be more clever about getting me to zip-up my vest and save you further awkward avoidance of staring. I'll give you points for sneaking-in lots of looking by pretending to be more confrontational, but still..." He laughed, pulling his hand out of Near's hair and just patting him on the head gently.

"Overall, not so slick."

(Reply to this) (Thread)


[info]blank_puzzle
2008-01-17 07:31 am UTC (link)
"I think you misunderstand me," Near said, a little surprised. That hadn't been his intention-- by now he was almost used to Mello like this, and really, all he wanted to do now was rattle him.

He scooted his chair a little closer, definitely staring now, and refusing to exhibit any sort of discomfort at Mello touching him. It wasn't the first time, really, was it?

"You can take the damn thing off if you want. I'm afraid it's lost its shock value now."

(Reply to this) (Parent)


[info]burnt_chocolate
2008-01-17 07:53 am UTC (link)
"Lost its shock value?" Mello echoed, looking back at Near and refusing to look away. This felt... weird, though, as Near scooched closer to him. Weird, because it made his throat and his stomach tense-up and he was not unfamiliar with that sort of tenseness. What business did Near have, though, creating such tenseness? Ever the rational man, Mello's reaction was the least appropriate given the fact that he'd been cornered.

He shrugged off his vest and planted it squarely in Near's lap, frowning with tight resoluteness and looking him square in the eyes.

"Okay, I'll raise you that."

(Reply to this) (Thread)


[info]blank_puzzle
2008-01-17 07:58 am UTC (link)
It didn't make too much of a difference, taking the vest off, but still, it gave him a clearer view of Mello's shoulder, and the scar tissue there; Near wondered if it still hurt, or if he felt anything there at all. However, he couldn't allow himself to be distracted by Mello's... Well, by any part of Mello.

"You'll raise me that? What comes next, the trousers?" Near eyed them thoughtfully, fervently hoping that if Mello did decide he was taking those off, that there was some kind of underwear on underneath.

"I never agreed to any system of raises. You can strip off all you want, but I'm afraid my clothes are staying on."

Which was, Near realized belatedly, something of a moot point, as Mello had pretty much seen everything already. Still, he was curious to see what Mello would do next.

(Reply to this) (Parent)


[info]burnt_chocolate
2008-01-17 08:12 am UTC (link)
"Seeing you naked again won't be necessary." The words came out all blunt-edges and much too insensitive, really, and Mello knew it as soon as he said it... but he wasn't going to snatch that back. At least not just now. Near's eyes had lingered a little too long on his scars, and despite having accepted that he was going to have the blasted things for the rest of his natural life and every rational protestation that, no, he wasn't bothered by that fact, Mello wasn't exactly there yet. Near meant nothing by it, sure, he was almost certain of that, but looking counted and he was grumpy and cold from having to make this point here.

"I never back down from a challenge so long as it's well within the scope of my pride to meet it. I don't care one iota if you see every single inch of me. It doesn't mean a thing."

(Reply to this) (Thread)


[info]blank_puzzle
2008-01-17 08:18 am UTC (link)
Near flinched mentally, but refused to let it show on the outside... much; he didn't wince, but couldn't help the fact that his tone was a littler icier now, and his words a little more venomous.

"I have no particular interest in seeing you naked either, Mello," he said smoothly, and really, it was more truth than lie. "As you said, it doesn't mean anything. However, if you really want to strip off in the middle of my headquarters just to prove your point, I think I can take a few minutes to watch you make a fool of yourself."

(Reply to this) (Parent)


[info]burnt_chocolate
2008-01-17 08:36 am UTC (link)
That was the word right there, the veritable detonation sequence for the bomb that always sat ticking inside of Mello's ribs... Near insinuating that he was a fool. Few things could possibly sting more or incite so big a reaction as someone making him out to be of lesser intelligence, and that it came from Near well... that automatically doubled the intensity of whatever reaction he could have had.

In other words, Mello was so immediately and wholly furious that he got to his feet and ripped his vest out of Near's lap, eyes wild. He wanted to rip Near apart, honestly and truly, and it took a great deal of his will to keep himself from doing exactly that.

Still, even with all the willpower in the world, he couldn't ever convince his mouth not to start moving on its own vengeful course.

"Don't patronize me, you little shit." He bit out every word like they were as sharp and foul as rusty nails. "You play little kid games all alone all day every day and you act like I'm so wildly inferior? I'm probably the first person in 5 years who's spent any time with you without having to be paid first, am I right?!"

(Reply to this) (Thread)


[info]blank_puzzle
2008-01-17 08:49 am UTC (link)
Well, that had certainly got a reaction. Near realized (a little too late) that perhaps calling Mello foolish had gone a touch too far, but Mello's remarks had hurt him, and really, as far as Near was concerned, doing anything just to prove a point and not back down was foolish-- there should always be more than one reason for doing anything, that it should definitely be less flimsy than that.

He met Mello's angry gaze with steel of his own, refusing to back down himself.

"What's your point?" he asked calmly. "We both already know your social skills are superior to mine, although honestly, if your usual interaction with people involves taking off your clothes, I have to say, I think that's cheating. Much worse than paying people, really."

(Reply to this) (Parent)


[info]burnt_chocolate
2008-01-17 06:10 pm UTC (link)
It didn't phase him nearly so much as Near must have hoped, to hear insinuations that he was loose or slutty in some way. Mello knew that he was neither, and that being completely unashamed of himself was a trait he was very proud to possess (relatively new burn scars aside), so there was no use trying to make him feel bad for 'taking his clothes off.' Honestly, did Near not know that a man going shirtless was completely normal and in no way constituted genuine nudity, by popular standards? No, he wouldn't know that -he was self-proclaimed socially incapable, after all, and completely guilt-free about the whole affair.

"There are differences." Mello grated-out cooly. "Between teasing a sexually-repressed boy for the hell of it and talking to a normal human being."

(Reply to this) (Thread)


[info]blank_puzzle
2008-01-18 04:48 am UTC (link)
Near had been partly joking, and wasn't particularly impressed by Mello's latest line of discussion.

"I'm relieved to hear it," he said curtly. "I'd hate to think this was your normal method of interaction."

He refused to give Mello the satisfaction of questioning his remark about being sexually repressed. It was both beneath him and hard to disprove, and therefore, really better left alone.

(Reply to this) (Parent)


[info]burnt_chocolate
2008-01-18 05:15 am UTC (link)
Mello pulled his vest on and zipped it up in a few quick, fluid motions, lips pursed tightly together as he eyed Near darkly.

"Though it is not my usual taste in interaction." Mello breathed coldly, folding his gloved hands across his chest. "What business would you have being relieved or disappointed by my personal decisions and actions?"

(Reply to this) (Thread)


[info]blank_puzzle
2008-01-18 05:35 am UTC (link)
Well, at least Mello had put his top back on, which had been what Near had been aiming for from the start, wasn't it? Still, it felt like an oddly hollow victory, and somehow Near felt horribly disappointed.

He wasn't going to show it, though.

"Why do you care anyway?"

(Reply to this) (Parent)


[info]burnt_chocolate
2008-01-18 05:55 am UTC (link)
"I don't precisely care." Mello shook his head, curling his lip and gritting his teeth firmly together. This was ridiculous... Near was ridiculous. Why the hell wouldn't he care about something like that?

"I just feel that it is well within the realm of being my business, knowing who the hell you think you are to judge me or to feel so important that you'd think your approval or disapproval would matter to anyone but yourself?"

(Reply to this) (Thread)


[info]blank_puzzle
2008-01-18 05:59 am UTC (link)
"Did I say I imagined you cared about my opinion, Mello?" Near was quite sure he hadn't. Near cared about his opinion, of course, and while it was quite evident from Mello's reactions that he did as well, Near didn't really think this was the moment to rub his face in it (much as he might have wanted to).

It was, Near decided, to take the high road and be the bigger man, metaphorically speaking. He wasn't going to be drawn into another drawn out exchange of insults with Mello; it wasn't worth it.

(Reply to this) (Parent)


[info]burnt_chocolate
2008-01-18 06:21 am UTC (link)
Mello cracked an awful smirk, eyelids lowering as he eyed Near. His gaze was perfectly cold and distant, and though he was grinning it was definitely a grin borne out of wry amusement at the ability to place this retort and not reflective of any real pleasure or joy.

"Well, Near, you speak volumes before you open your mouth." He shook his head before smoothly turning away from Near, pacing around him in a gradually loosening perimeter, honestly contemplating just leaving and wandering wherever he could in this place.

(Reply to this) (Thread)


[info]blank_puzzle
2008-01-18 06:27 am UTC (link)
What was he getting at now? Near narrowed his gaze a little as he watched Mello pace around him.

He wasn't going to rise to the bait, though; if Mello wanted to draw conclusions from his silence, let him. He turned his attention back to the pile of dice on the table, and Mello could do whatever he wanted.

(Reply to this) (Parent)


[info]burnt_chocolate
2008-01-18 07:10 am UTC (link)
Mello came to a stand-still near the stairway, arms folded and head tilted slightly downward, going quiet in thought for a few drawn-out moments. Despite the fact that his social skills were proven to be superior to Near's, or even perhaps because of it, he did much more internalized thought than vocalization.

In the end, his internalized considerations seemed to convince him that, distasteful and annoying as Near could be, he would probably find more entertainment in sticking with him than leaving. So, he walked back towards Near again, behind and on the other side of him this time, before he seated himself casually in, as it turned-out, the desk chair that must have been provided for him.

(Reply to this) (Thread)


[info]blank_puzzle
2008-01-18 07:17 am UTC (link)
...Mello was coming back? That was... to be expected, probably, Near sighed inwardly. Much as he wanted to be the bigger man, if that meant striking up a conversation when it was the last thing he wanted to do, Near wasn't entirely sure he was up to the job.

Instead, he decided to just ignore him for the moment, concentrating on making another dice construction. If Mello wanted to talk, he could damn well make the first move.

(Reply to this) (Parent)


[info]burnt_chocolate
2008-01-18 08:04 am UTC (link)
Just sitting still behind Near was going to be mind numbing, in all honesty... but it occurred to Mello with rather a flash of brilliance that he knew where Near had put the playing cards when they had finished playing with them last time. He stood up again, boots clopping against the floor as he walked over and retrieved the cards from their proper place, opening the lid of the little box as he turned and walked back towards the desk chair again.

Once seated, Mello pulled off his gloves and began to shuffle neatly, eyelids lowered and focused with cold dispassion on the bending spines of his cards as he shuffled them together three, four, five times before, finally, leaning over an unused stretch of console and setting them out for a proper game of solitaire.

Just so he wouldn't have to talk to Near. Just because.

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[info]blank_puzzle
2008-01-18 12:16 pm UTC (link)
And of course, because Mello clearly didn't want to talk to Near, Near was certainly going to talk to him.

"You missed one," he pointed out, barely glancing up from his dice castle.

It was probably true, anyway. Statistically, people did tend to miss things, and he was probably helping Mello out. And if not, well, it would be a lesson to him to have more confidence in himself.

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[info]burnt_chocolate
2008-01-19 01:14 am UTC (link)
"How do you figure that?" Mello's voice was cold and flat, but he was still responding to Near's prodding. He looked over the card display in front of him and frowned a little... because unless Near remembered specifically having a card held aside from the rest of the desk when he put it away last, Near wouldn't know enough about the mechanics of solitaire to have any place saying such a thing

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[info]blank_puzzle
2008-01-19 01:26 am UTC (link)
"Solitaire is a one-person game, Mello; I've played it many times," he sighed, attention still on the construction in front of him. That much was true, at least, even if he couldn't see anything wrong with Mello's game.

Not from here, anyway.

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[info]burnt_chocolate
2008-01-19 01:34 am UTC (link)
"Then do you just have a pair of eyes in the back of your head? Or, more likely, a surveillance camera mounted somewhere that allows you to look over my shoulder and figure that you're supposed to be helping me play my game of solitaire...?"

He folded his arms across his chest and glanced sidelong over at Near, chewing on his lower lip slowly.

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[info]blank_puzzle
2008-01-19 01:36 am UTC (link)
Near just shrugged. Let Mello draw his own conclusions.

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Actual best savings accounts information
(Anonymous)
2008-08-25 11:03 am UTC (link)
Nice site
Thanks, webmaster.

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