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Maybe he should point out that he either grew his own or got them in the one large crate that the grocery shop near home had, and never bothered to tell the difference between them other than ripe and unripe ones. Or maybe not. She probably wouldn't put unripe tomatoes into anything, anyway, right? "As long as they're red, I suppose they should be fine."

Oh, hmm. That tin can might find that information interesting. Perhaps it applied to that fellow's targets too. "That's alright. It's not expected that anyone reach that far with extremely thorough results. Though, it is kind of a pity, but I suppose there are reasons why they prevented it. Not just in the creation of super-beings that surpass even both sides of the spectrum." That... Ah, the ethics and the consequences were not one that he wanted to face, anyway. "What, you were expecting me to take you to the operating table after hearing that? Haven't you already gotten enough of it?" And he quickly plugged that noise hole of his with another cookie, lest anything else insensitive pop out.

"Um!" Maybe not that close! "Only in terms of human laws, though! I haven't ticked off any immortals yet, at least, I hope so... And I still have to work it off, thanks to a bit of a fallacy in that kind of imperfect judgement. And besides..." Still not wanting to dwell on the death toll of that incident, maybe the subject of inmate conversation was a better one. "People in the clink are interesting. And strangely, for all its rigid rules and punishments, there's still enough space for a wide variety of people to co-exist. And enough shenanigans to go on that last even when you're wandering outside. Oh, right." He turned back to Amarante, a hint of that innocently childish nature shining through. "That was in exchange for spiking his food the one time they tried letting me cook for the inmates. It was not a lot though, just an extra spoonful of that green.... green... What's that? That green root paste that makes your nose go runny when you eat it? I just thought it would go well with the noodles he wanted." Which also resulted in him getting attacked on first sight, and grudging apologies afterwards. A strange tale, even stranger still told by someone so tight-lipped about his background.

"Well, for starters, I've been sitting here for the good part of the day and not a single wound has been inflicted on me. I'd say that's a good start, isn't it?" Better than most already! People seemed to not understand that being a medic did not automatically mean that he was fine with being on the receiving end of weapons or damage-dealing objects, even if their reasoning that he was supposed to be 'tanking' the damage was logical.

Oh, that's a relief. At least someone was not dying nearly immediately from sugar overload. "So, your thoughts? Want it less sweet? Or sweeter?" Already thinking about how he should modify the recipe to better suit her tastes. Other than resisting dumping a large tin of sugar into the cookie mix, of course. "Switch with butter chocolate? Milk chocolate? Or...?"

"Aren't green ones sour...? And orange and yellow ones might not be as sweet." Blue tomatoes, though. That would be a sight to see! "... Can't say I'm an expert on that. I only know that the red ones are nice." Probably should try something else next time, then.

"In my defense, he did ask for a spoonful to dip his fish in. He just did not specify where I should have put it, or the size of the spoon." But even so, surely a tablespoonful of wasabi in a bowl of soup noodles was overdoing it. "Surprised that his pet had not noticed the smell... Ah, wait. Perhaps that kind of animal can't detect that smell. Hm." All the better, now to put that little bit of trivia to use! If it could not smell, then... Oooh, schemes were ticking! "... Forced? Why? Was it to help someone out around the house? ... N-Not that I'd want to get whacked over the head with a wooden spoon, anyway." He was a little glad then, that he had self-taught.

".... Ack!" Oooops, he only just realized his mistake. "U-Um... Sorry! T-That just slipped my mind! Whatever did I say that for..." Ah, no wait, she was getting the wrong idea! "N-No! Just um..." Don't panic! "I... I did that without thinking. That's it. I'm sorry about that." With that, he snatched up another cookie and handed it to her again, this time with his fingers trembling anxiously. "H-Have this one instead. I promise I won't eat it again." Hah, situation defused without his help! Not like he would have someone else admitting that to her... Ah! It's just absentmindedness! And of course the laughter meant he believed otherwise. But ignoring that issue had gone on long enough.

".... Amarante." Not the tone trying to figure out exactly at which points he had been mean, but the tone reserved for someone awaiting instruction. "I'm sorry. My actions and words were clearly out of line." Clearly and slowly, multitasking at trying not to let his mouth run and fending off his accusatory remarks. "I... I won't say it was easy, treating everyone with equal politeness, but if you think I'm being extra mean to you..." Oh, here we go. The denial of blame. "... Then you're absolutely right." Eh? "I cannot justify it, by right I should not be trying to, even. Yet... You got this close. I owe you an explanation, and not some half-hearted, vague answer." Well, she was only one of the four who managed to drill so deeply into his masquerade. Of which all three he had learnt to fear deeply, so surely letting her go any further would only lead him to fear her as well? "I don't wish to repeat the cycle over, so I thought rejecting anyone else who dug that deep would help. Clearly it is not helping this situation, as you've already brought up. Therefore, a change of plan is needed." Hands placed back down and cookie returned to the lid, palms now empty.

"You did mention before that opening up to you is an option, rather than keeping the information to myself. Would you really rather that over an alternative? It is not the trust that is a factor here, but rather the potential reactions, and the fact that I am directly defying the instructions of at least one person. And given that," he picks up the little pile of cookies to flip the lid over, revealing the remains of the crushed blue object latched onto it. "I am unsure about the consequences of that action. That does not mean I am not fully prepared to accept it, of course."

"..." Best to keep that joke confined to the operating theatre. There was a time and place for dark humor, as well as a person to tell the joke without ruining the moment. All three conditions were certainly not fulfilled.

"Don't ask me. Something about rehabilitation, or I think that's what they said. It isn't for all inmates, though. Subjecting humans to my cell is already pushing it, let alone animals." If it was not death by hypothermia, it would be death by disease or poison. "They could not risk it, and looks like it is for the better." Than dragging in another hapless weapon into the fight, anyway.

He'd remember that little titbit. Perhaps to tease her with if they ever found themselves in a kitchen and in need of cooked food. What's to say that they could not whip something up togeth - hey. Enough of that. "And that is probably why one should not be cheating at everyday life with magic, eh?" How many times had he given that scolding before too? Someone who was used to multi-armed maneuvering was certainly not going to be using that to aid in cooking. Who would like a batch of freshly baked cookies, with a side dish of lethal poison?

Ah, the last question he expected her to ask. Or was it the first? She would probably have pressed him on it anyway, given her inquisitiveness. "As promised, I shall answer. It starts with getting close, then I end up disappointing them badly enough to drive us apart, some way or another." And he did not want to repeat that with her, of course. Running into the other three was already quite awkward, if not outright painful at times.

"This? It's something I've only seen him use once. You could call it one of his 'eyes', of sorts." Somehow, the household was just becoming more and more eye-ccentric by the tale. "An eye capable of recording and transmitting information, if it had been in a better state." Like any data could escape out of the crushed silver and tangled wires in that lump of blue. "I should have probably checked myself better before leaving the house. That also means he's probably..." His head snapped up, eyes alert and staring at the scene outside the window. A useless maneuver, but just something to quell that sinking paranoia. "... Not too far away. He has probably heard a good part of my visit, so I cannot be certain as to what he does not know. Given him though, it's only a matter of time before he gathers all the information he wants."

"But if that's the case," his eyes narrowing as he stared longer at the crushed bug, "then I do not have qualms going against his instruction." For such words brimming with anger, the odd frosty tone really was not a match.

"..." That look on his face pretty much showed her just how amused he was with the matter of magical shortcuts. "The consequences if it backfires would be a lot larger than if you had done said chores by hand. Who knows, a spell or two gone wrong, and you'd have a crispy black circle instead of a cake. Or the batter all over the wall instead of in a cake tin." Or poison in one batch and chilli in another. It worked, either way.

Oh, so he failed to mention a name. She got it right on the mark, as expected. "Correct." Off the top of his head, perhaps he could recite if verbatim? "A specific one to keep all contact with people outside of his knowledge to a bare minimum, and not to divulge his actions to others. That said, it also meant that I had to report to him about everything about you. Which you have my sincerest assurance that I have not, in fact, which is probably why this is here."

"But, as to the point of disappointing people, I believe there was another instruction regarding that." He had to take a breath before proceeding, mind still stuck as to whether he should give the more objective reason or - objective it is. "I am also not to have relationships with others beyond acquaintances. I believe you know the reason for that, now?" Partly, anyway. The inability to give his personal answer also came into play. Maybe that was why that instruction was there? Or was there another reason? Oh dear, a lot more questions arose, now that he was going to be breaking those rules. Only one thing to do now, right? Solve them all! And what's the way to solve them all?

"Interrogation." He stood up from the bed, staring intently at the door. "I've got to ask him so many things now." But save that until he left for downstairs, so sit back down and pat her on the hand, try to reassure her, unconsciously thinking that he was not doing a good job at it anyway if his own hands were so cold all of a sudden... "Thanks, Ama. This visit has really opened up my mind quite a bit!" And maybe taken a large hit to somewhere else, but that was not of his concern currently. Yet.

Sharp as usual. He did not even need to refer back to memory at all. "Not mine, really. Someone else trying to cook." Like he would be able use his (magic?) on cooking, but someone less experienced would try cutting corners at every turn, be it magic or not. "Her curiosity, wondering what I spend so much time in the kitchen for." Ah, wait. Probably not someone he should be talking about, even if he promised to speak up from now on. Oops. "But I'd be lying if I said I have never tried using shortcuts too. That ended badly." A technique to breeze through operations was not that applicable to the stove, unfortunately, where time runs differently for the appliances even in impatience.

"Being friends was probably the highest level of familiarity he would allow. Notice that?" That was probably only because of pity from that robot or something, probably. "But no one more important other than those that already are." Other than those purposely deciding to dig a little deeper than most, of course. "But don't feel bad about it for me. Please don't. Just take it as what you'd usually do, okay?" He was going to break a rule anyway, might as well break it all the way, the punishment (if any, none if he could help it) would be pretty much the same anyway. Can't help but admire her tenaciousness, though. Even if orders were not the only thing standing in the way between him and full acceptance.

"Hmm." Should he drop a rather selfish request now? It would be strangely out of place, but then again this was her place, so... "Say, do you mind? Coming down with me, that is. Want anything from the counter? But um... She might come back before you could get back, and then there's the scolding incoming. I'd be more worried about that than getting slammed around by some..." He left the noun to a wild gesturing of his free hand. Already the defiance was beginning to show very clearly, having been nearly broken completely by her. It was better than feeling cooped up, however. That was something he did not like having to deal with over and over. "Or I could go downstairs and get you something, if you'd rather not leave the bed."

".... Siblings do tend to try and follow in their elders' footsteps." Carefully worded, not just because he was purposefully leaving out information, but treading carefully on figurative eggshells as well. It was going to be a bad end if he had to put Ama's willingness to follow through with instructions just when they were both about to leave.

Just like her. Okay then, if she was going to be so stubborn about it, he could not do much to help that, right? Might as well accept it. "Then thank you for that as well." Aww, so frostily sweet. Not something he was good at, and not something he should be saying with a straight face. Need to work on that.

"Um.... That's actually the best outcome I can see if an argument comes up. People can probably tell you how much of a temper he has." Can't tell if it was an amused huff or a fearful sigh. Both might be applicable. He led her off the bed and towards the door. "And wouldn't scoldings be more unbearable than physical punishment? Words do ring quite a while in ears even after they're said."

Somehow he found himself looking at the both of their hands locked together for the rest of the trip down. Hmm, there was still that slightly scared feeling from that, but a lot of that fear had since melted off thanks to defiance. Then all that was left was just the personal reason, then. To be honest, he found himself liking it a little. Social interactions much? To be looked into, then. Oh, shut up, he was not going further than that, not yet. Old men and their wanting to rush romances along.

"Well, you wouldn't need to see it, then. Even if he is waiting right outside the coffeehouse, I don't think anyone would have that little common sense to not cause a scene in public." Back on the ground floor, with the smell of coffee wafting from behind the counter. Mmmm.... Something cold, as usual, with lots of sugar. Miyabi might have told them about not letting Amarante behind the counter, so maybe less sugar than usual, then. "A takeaway for two, then? What would you - "

His words got cut short with a splash and a clatter of a cup bouncing along the floor, unerringly thrown by the person waiting for them at the table with a deadpan mutter of "There's your order."

"...." Nothing much else the doctor could do but wipe the cold coffee from his face, while his fluffy-haired opponent turned his wheelchair around to stare at him, then at Amarante, regarding them both with both contempt. Silence ensued for the rest of the staring match, only to be broken when Erhard bent down to pick up the cup and finally address that unruly roommate. "Is it possible if we take this outside? Throwing cups around is bad for her business."

"Oh, suddenly caring for 'her business' now, eh?" was the snappy reply that he got. "What, did you think, for a moment, that I did not notice? I thought you didn't do sappy, and now here you are, holding hands and everything! You, of all people, should know better than that!" And with a pointer finger shoved in his face, for good measure. "Do you have any idea how badly this is going to ruin everything?!"

The android's loud and ear-grating wrath had not run out of steam yet, though. "And you!" Immediately his head snaps to Amarante, unobscured blue optic absolutely livid. "Just who do you think you are, waltzing in and doing whatever you like with him? There's a very good reason why he's not interested in you, yet you are still so stubborn and blind! What do you have to say for yourself?!"