[ Minato blinks as he's pulled into the apothecary, a scene not unlike the last time he'd been at Claude's establishment. He's ashamed to realize the familiar gesture does put him a little on edge, though a quick glance at Claude's expression reassures him today is a very different day. There's no deep crease in the man's brow, nor is there a calculating sharpness in his eyes, leaving him exhaling to release a breath he hadn't even realized he'd been holding in.
The door clicks shut behind Minato. Perhaps Claude had drawn him in to avoid holding the door open and making it work harder than necessary. On the other hand, Minato would certainly understand if the man wanted to keep the apothecary as closed-off as possible from any potentially unusual bystanders, given what had happened within the very four walls of the building.
He spares a quick glance at Claude to confirm the man's report. Indeed, that seems to be the case. He seems well. Good. Bad that his shop is partially in shambles. It's only when Claude gazes back at him does Minato avert his own eyes. After all, he's never really been fond of being observed. ]
...better.
[ It's the truth despite conveying little to no information. And while he doesn't mind sharing, he instinctively tries to slip out of Claude's metaphorical grasp. ]
...the last time I saw someone attacked with a gun, they died. So I thought, maybe you...
[ His voice trails off as he shakes his head. Claude's already said he was no worse for wear. Perhaps he'd managed to drive Miller off successfully or escaped to live another day after all. ]
[ That's the danger of guns, isn't it? The first time he'd been shown a proper firearm, he'd looked at it with deep envy; to have the sort of weapon that could mow people down in a single shot is something that he could only dream of. He'd had that impression for a while, that inkling that if he could just take something home with him, they could win the war in no time. He wants bigger, better, more effective weapons -- all in the service of peace, of course, but that could only be a good thing, right?
Only the more time he spent here, the more time he's shied away from using guns proper, the more he's turned around on how their efficacy can backfire. He's lethal with a bow and arrow to be sure, but he's the one who decides. You can't just kill someone on a whim, and you're unlikely to kill someone with an arrow by accident. But with guns, he had discovered, it takes just a squeeze of a trigger from even an unknowledgable hand, and you're dead.
It's a little ironic that it's only after he'd turned around on the idea had he personally found out just how lethal they could be. It took more than one gunshot to fell him (he can still feel the way his entire body was rocked with just the one bullet, more staggering than any other wound he's felt in his life, the smell, the noise, the speed) but it had done its job nonetheless. His smile barely wavers, though, something soft in his eyes as he looks down at Minato's concerned face. ]
I'll take a bow and arrow any day, I'll tell you that much, [ he admits, shaking his head. ] But I'm here now, aren't I? As hearty and hale as ever. I think that's the part that matters.
[ He will neither confirm nor deny his death. He knows what Minato's getting at. He's just hoping he'll stop -- not for Claude's own sake, but Minato's. Claude knows what it feels like, to be responsible for people getting killed. It's a sour, curdling sensation that lives within him, deep in the pit of his gut, something that he doesn't think will ever go away.
He doesn't want innocents to feel that too. He only thinks there's some that ought to feel it more. ]
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2024-10-20 07:45 pm (UTC)The door clicks shut behind Minato. Perhaps Claude had drawn him in to avoid holding the door open and making it work harder than necessary. On the other hand, Minato would certainly understand if the man wanted to keep the apothecary as closed-off as possible from any potentially unusual bystanders, given what had happened within the very four walls of the building.
He spares a quick glance at Claude to confirm the man's report. Indeed, that seems to be the case. He seems well. Good. Bad that his shop is partially in shambles. It's only when Claude gazes back at him does Minato avert his own eyes. After all, he's never really been fond of being observed. ]
...better.
[ It's the truth despite conveying little to no information. And while he doesn't mind sharing, he instinctively tries to slip out of Claude's metaphorical grasp. ]
...the last time I saw someone attacked with a gun, they died. So I thought, maybe you...
[ His voice trails off as he shakes his head. Claude's already said he was no worse for wear. Perhaps he'd managed to drive Miller off successfully or escaped to live another day after all. ]
no subject
Date: 2024-10-23 12:58 am (UTC)Only the more time he spent here, the more time he's shied away from using guns proper, the more he's turned around on how their efficacy can backfire. He's lethal with a bow and arrow to be sure, but he's the one who decides. You can't just kill someone on a whim, and you're unlikely to kill someone with an arrow by accident. But with guns, he had discovered, it takes just a squeeze of a trigger from even an unknowledgable hand, and you're dead.
It's a little ironic that it's only after he'd turned around on the idea had he personally found out just how lethal they could be. It took more than one gunshot to fell him (he can still feel the way his entire body was rocked with just the one bullet, more staggering than any other wound he's felt in his life, the smell, the noise, the speed) but it had done its job nonetheless. His smile barely wavers, though, something soft in his eyes as he looks down at Minato's concerned face. ]
I'll take a bow and arrow any day, I'll tell you that much, [ he admits, shaking his head. ] But I'm here now, aren't I? As hearty and hale as ever. I think that's the part that matters.
[ He will neither confirm nor deny his death. He knows what Minato's getting at. He's just hoping he'll stop -- not for Claude's own sake, but Minato's. Claude knows what it feels like, to be responsible for people getting killed. It's a sour, curdling sensation that lives within him, deep in the pit of his gut, something that he doesn't think will ever go away.
He doesn't want innocents to feel that too. He only thinks there's some that ought to feel it more. ]