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chaaamomilee · 13 days ago

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Cocktail Talks

- implied Rui Mizuki x MC

- TW: errors ahead, mention of curses, implied relationships

- also posted on ao3 :DD

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When you are no longer considered human, are you still off deserving love?

The browning petals of the white lilies placed on the far-end of the bar counter droop downwards— the bouquet of flowers, once healthy and a vibrant addition against the solemn dimming lights of the Obscuary bar, mirroring in something in Rui that has long since wilted; the cease of life.

He can deny it— hide it, or pretend that it doesn't even bother him even. But humanity had long abandoned him when he was placed under the curse as a reaper— he is not the same person whose hands once held students through their prayers nor the same person who expressed his love through the brush of a hand.

Now, all that is left of Rui is to take away lives with a mere of a touch.

What a funny turn of events for someone like Rui, he, who once radiated joy and sunshine to be cursed to rob life and someone's spirit.

"Tch, why are you still keeping those dead flowers, Mickey?" Romeo closed his eyes as he sat, leaning against the bar stool in front of Rui with Haru already face slumped down on the counter, "I find it hard to appreciate your tastes sometimes..."

"Eh, I think it's a nice touch to all this solemn vibe in the dorm." Rui handed him a small tumbler glass, "It's always so dark and gloomy here! I miss the sun sometimes..."

"You have all those anomalous plants to prune with your tainted hands." Romeo watched the glass slide smoothly on the counter and huffed out an irritated sigh, "The least you can do with this UDD of a place is to put some life in it!"

"Romeo... I didn't catch what you just said." Haru raised his head weakly, looking up at Romeo with drunken eyes, "What's a UDD?"

Romeo grimaced and immediately recoiled from Haru's sudden attention "What are you doing?! Get your drunken ass away from my face!"

"I think it means, Uninspiring-Dull-Depressive?" Rui said while he discarded Haru's used cup. The pair continued to banter leaving Rui with his thoughts.

If he's someone different and normal, he would have disposed of the flowers. But then, watching the flowers die on its own terms may be slightly comforting for someone like Rui. Living an ordinary life, dying an ordinary death, why ask for more than that?

A flower may be plucked from its branches, brought to another place by the wind but if attended to with the delicate care of someone's fingertips, it will die on its own. What's more beautiful than that for Rui?

Maybe there's one.

Rui would want to be able to touch the white lilies with his bare hands. Prune the dead leaves or maybe even plant a branch and feel the soil building up under his fingernails. Maybe he wanted to feel the warmth of nurturing a life without the barrier that threatens to disarm him every time he touches them with his hands.

"Rui, where did you get those flowers?" Haru questioned, his arms leaned against the counter while he eyed the vase before darting his eyes back to Rui, "Towa would want to eat them if he saw them."

"Harurin, don't joke like that!" Rui complained, a slight grimace on his face before he flashed Haru and Romeo a charming grin and a wink, "It's from MC, of course I'm keeping those flowers, it'd tragic not to keep gifts from a cutie like her."

Rui suddenly remembered how it meant a lot to him when MC handed him the flowers. She was busy looking over at the collection of flowers at the tiny flower shop they stopped by for their "supposedly date" last week that MC didn't notice how scared he was when he received the flowers or the slightest brush of her sleeves to his arm. However... she looks so happy... and maybe he's allowed to think that her joy was for him.

Rui would have wanted to give her those red roses but maybe, a flower that means hope and new beginnings is fitting for them.

They are just people who just wanted to be normal again after all.

"You are keeping too much memorabilia, Mickey." Romeo exhaled a frustrated huff, "Darkwick's are being more than incompetent and can't even find a solution for that BB's curse!"

"Oh..." Haru's eyes went slightly downcast and gestured for Rui to make him another glass, "It feels like I only met her a few days ago... she's a real trooper, you know? You can't find anyone like her around here."

Rui can't help but give them both a strained smile and wave them off with a wave of a hand, "Aren't you two acting so hopeless about it? You'd make my eyes misty."

Romeo's face turned flat and inhaled deeply before saying, "I'm just saying that we have to be realistic with the BB's situation. All this work to find her cure proves us to no avail."

He turned to Rui and said calmly, "What will happen then, Mickey?"

Rui closed his mouth, finding nothing in his head to answer Romeo's question. He should have said something hopeful, smile or wink. But the question—— albeit short and direct, can't give them any idea what the future will be. He shook the shaker a little harder than he would have intended before pouring it into a new glass and handed it to Haru.

Haru immediately gulped down the glass of cocktail before letting out a loud "aah" and wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, "Poor MC... I can't even think of the amount of stress she's thinking about at the moment..."

Romeo looked away and stared at the white lilies on the counter, "Unfortunately, we all know what will happen. It's either she becomes a test-subject or the Institute would rather have her dead."

Does being an anomaly—— a creature not entirely understood by the greatest of minds to be thought of as better as dead?

When he learned about her curse, a part of him felt like, he was finally connected to someone. That he wouldn't walk down the cobble roads thinking that he's all alone in this world.

But, that would be selfish of Rui to think that way. Their curses are distinctly different, he takes a life through his touch while she will become a flower someone wouldn't forget its eyes.

The day would come that he wouldn't recognize the eyes of the person who gave him those white lilies. The day would come that he would have to force himself to do something unimaginable for the greater good, and the day would come that Rui wouldn't be able to get the chance to at least brush his fingertips to the swell of her hand.

Rui knew himself that anomalies faced injustices from the existing system installed by the Institute. He has been dismissed—— once, twice—— he doesn't want to count anymore. He was taken in not as a human now but a subject limited to the damage he can done.

They would do the same to her.

If he gets the chance or at least it would be possible, he would take care of her everyday even when she's an anomaly. Wipe the blood dripping from the wide smile of her face with his white handkerchief and keep the other anomalous plants from reaching her space.

He would want to be a stable presence in her life— even when she can't recognize him anymore, he might be able to give her all the affection he can give. Rui wasn't able to receive them when he's cursed and unable to touch people.

But, keeping her would be selfish. Even if it means keeping her safe.

If they are any normal humans, maybe Rui would brush her hair from falling down her face, clasp their hands together and hold them together as if he never wanted to let go. Maybe he would also wrap his arms around her waist and bury his head to the crook of her neck.

Maybe the worst part of his curse is that, he still has so much love to give.

"Romi, you're so harsh." Rui forced a smile and turned on his back, his eyes catching the one petal from white lilies fall down with a inaudible thump.

To the cursed ones, he hopes that something considered so broken would still be held with love.

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#rui mizuki #player character (tokyo debunker)#haru sagara #romeo scorpius lucci #tokyo debunker #rui mizuki x reader

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