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"Hey, Elise-chan?"
The ability hums from her position on the ceiling, glances over his study papers, and floats down.
"Yes?"
He has a mischievous smirk, and she knows he's going to say something useless.
"Did you know that you can't feel your tongue when you smile?"
Elise smiles and moves her tongue around. His laughter sounds out. No idea why he couldn't just ask when he makes her do stuff whenever—she lets the expression linger.
"Master?"
Mori sighs and looks over to his ability in nurse uniform. She has no doubt that he's forgotten the incident from so long ago, but she hasn't. It's stupid. She shouldn't say it. But if she can make the burden feel lighter for just a second?
"What do you need to say in the hell of our mind, Elise?"
"Did you know that you," she stares intently at his face, hoping to not miss a second of his expression, "can't feel your tongue when you smile?"
His lips quirk upwards, and realization crosses his face. It's beautiful, the moment of innocent grin; but she can't help but feel an overwhelming bitterness and pain, like the prickle of a berry too young and ripe on a tongue. She doesn't let him know that emotion. He'll just decrease her capacity to feel again.
Mori is in pain, and there's nothing Elise can do about it but be her bratty, childlike self. The battle with Fukuzawa had been a rough one on everyone involved.
"Did you know you can't feel your tongue when you smile?" she says it almost lazily, letting it roll off her tongue in a way that won't evoke suspicion.
His eyes that lost that sparkle gain a tiny flame in their center. Those heavy brows furrow into the fire and peer at her questioningly as the corners of his mouth raise.
She giggles, "Got you~!"
He grins just a bit wider, the memories of their "game" rolling around tart and sweet in his mind.
"Aww," Elise grins back, "Look how cute you are smiling!"
Cute—not a word anyone but her would dare to describe the rising leader of the Port Mafia as. But she would. Of course she would. He's her Rintarou.
"Smile more, silly. It looks good on you."
"I'll try."
"Elise-chan."
His voice is almost so soft that she misses it. Not that she truly could unless he willed it—an ability linked to someone else's emotions and whims would always know the aforementioned if the user wants them to.
"Did you know that you can't feel your tongue when you smile?"
You're awful at grieving.
She smiles for the man not allowed to show emotions. It's not programmed like her temper, but it's the same tart taste of such.
"I kin iph ai dou dis." (I can if I do this.)
She sticks out her tongue, unwilling to be the only one engaging this time. He chuckles. The sound gives them the taste of the fruit that they share, so bitter yet they insist it's only tart.