[SFW VERSION]
🌹 There's something wonderful in those who stare death in the face. Even in a world wracked by relentless calamity, flowers blossom between a sea of corpses, the shapeless crimson rivers marched over by mechanical instruments of mass...
[Eunhwa does care. She just... has a hard time showing it.]
Work too hard and you'll deteriorate. Are you trying to get weaker?
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Another one of these days. The days you're hanging your head, dragging your feet like you're walking on sandpaper, rarely ever opening your mouth to speak unless spoken to.
This goes beyond stress. This is feeling completely, utterly drained. No juice left in the brain tank.
Furthermore, your head is pounding, you'd really like to head to Café Sweety for a drink to cool off but Neon just had to throw in a quick request for you. As dangerously kind-hearted as you are, of course you said you'd help.
That leads you to the Armory manned by Absolute.
A chill breeze hits you on the way in, and for a second it's like your throbbing headache might have vanished until you continue forward to the front counter and the pain remains.
A bitter voice fills the quiet of the building.
"What do you want?"
Eunhwa. You look up just slightly to find her hard eyes boring through you, leering as though you were walking waste. You're too tired to even respond to her question. You just cross the room, stop at the counter behind which she stands, and fish around in your pocket for the slip of paper Neon sent you with.
"Get lost," Eunhwa says. "I'm not interested in idle chitchat. Take your sorry behind somewhere else."
Too tired to answer questions and too tired to react to her harsh comments. You're already past breaking point, so why even bother? Eunhwa takes note of this — the way you're carrying yourself, sluggish, the fact you're refusing to say a word to her. She stifles a scoff at your silence, chalking it up to you being in a bad mood.
You find the paper in your pocket and offer it to her across the counter. Eunhwa pauses, as silent as you are now, then takes the slip. Her eyes skim the note, squinting at the choppy handwriting. Doesn't take her but a few seconds to tough it out and piece it together.
"Alright. You wrote the model of a rifle on a piece of paper." She glares again but you don't care enough to feel pressured. "Are you a newborn fresh out of the womb? Because if not, I suggest you use your words before I kick your ass out."
"Neon," you say drowsily, "Neon wrote it. She sent me to get it for her."
"Oh." Eunhwa then narrows her eyes, trying to read your expression. "What's the matter with you? What's with that face?"
"I'm tired," you mutter and proceed to lean forward, laying your head down on the cold countertop. Feels nice on your cheek, but no amount of coolness can lessen the weight mounted on your shoulders. The exhaust, the stress, the... everything.
