Before Us [Wriolette]

Chapter 5: Compensation

"Quite the astounding collection of waters he has gathered," was Neuvillette's initial reaction to his students's stash. The shelf that they were housed in was three feet high and 4 feet long, yet stuffed to the brim with cartons of tea leaves. Most of the blends were unique to one another, many of which could only be bought in other nations. In fact, there was such a variety paraded in the shelves that the white haired man had to do a double take to make sure his eyes weren't failing him. "There has to be at least 30 different kinds... I dare not take them from you," Neuvillette spoke, tearing his eyes away from the photo presented on Wriothesley's phone. Although the other man had an impressive showcase of water, he seemed to take no interest in it, "I said you could request anything, did I not? Do indulge yourself," his student assured with a somewhat cocky grin. The professor had not expected such a range of options when he had requested water from foreign nations, but he wasn't complaining.

Neuvillette had notoriously obsessed over water. If one was to ask Furina or Sigewinne which water he liked the best, they might faint on the spot. Actually, practically anyone who had ever conversed with the man would have figured out that he at least liked it. Neuvillette was one to boast his collection of water, especially when faced with someone who took the drink seriously. He took great pride in his already large collection of water, and when met with the occasion in which someone was interested in what he had to say about it, he would not let the opportunity slip by. A wide range of knowledge about the diverse flavors of water rarely proved helpful, but when met with the right circumstances, he could grasp the attention of any person, no matter how against the fluid they were. Or so he thought.

"Wriothesley..." he began, "how did you manage to assemble such an impressive supply...?" The other seemed caught off guard by the question, having expected a decision to be made over his Professor's box of choice. "Well... I have traveled many places over the years, and everywhere I go they offer entirely different brands of water," the answer provided so far was satisfying as is, but the Professor had more to say, "Each place I visit, I buy one batch of each, searching for a any notable difference in them," a subtle look of horror slowly crossed Neuvillette's face... "No matter what kind of water I buy, however, I can't shake the feeling that the only difference is the amount of artificial electrolytes or how many times they filtered it." No longer subtle, Neuvillette's sheer terror caught the notice of Wriothesley, who had no clue what he said wrong. "Am I to believe, Sir, that you have gathered an award deserving collection of water because you can't tell the difference between the flavors!?"  The white haired man had felt so insulted by the concept that he gripped the arm of the chair in an attempt to maintain composure. Wriothesley felt guilty over his words despite having done nothing to directly offend the other, "I'm sorry if I've insulted you in anyway, I was merely explaining my cause," offering a change of subject, he requested, "now, if you would, please circle the brand of water you would like." Neuvillette was still seething beneath the surface, but both for the sake of water and the fact that he was practically mad for no reason, he would have to control himself.

Leaning forward in his chair, he promptly drew a circle on the screen. With his vast array of water related knowledge, he quickly identified the highest quality of tea there was, "not that he'd know," he thought to himself. Neuvillette had selected the Acqua di Cristallo, one of the most expensive in the world. For having subzero respect for tea, his student had quite sharp senses when it came to quality.

Wriothesley retracted his hand and examined the water that his professor had opted for. "The expensive one, I see," Neuvillette sure must've had an eye for tea if he could deduce the quality just by looking at a photo. Especially at the speed that he did. Since we spent more time talking than examining the photo, he must have recognized it almost immediately. Quite impressive, honestly. Nodding in acknowledgement, Wriothesley remarked, "Our next class is in three days, you'll have the water by then," In attempt to make up for the confusing offence from a minute ago, he flashed a grin on his way out the door and waved goodbye. Without waiting for a response, he shut the door behind himself and promptly strode his way down the hallway.

On the inside, Neuvillette scolded himself for responding the way he did. It may sound silly but Neuvillette was quite protective over his water. He, of course, had heard people speak of water in worse ways before, but he supposed that his expectations for Wriothesley were higher than that. Relaxing back into the chair, Neuvillette simply envisioned the water he would receive in 3 day's time. Would it be tingy and sweet? Or like the Dazani (don't copyright me) water; bitter and disappointing to the mouth. That water is absolutely wretched, and there was no convincing him otherwise. Either way, water of that price will at least give him a chance to broaden his horizons in the world of water and it's relationship to price. "Sigh... I really should apologize to Wriothesley when I get the chance," he admitted to himself, "I acted far out of line, especially as his professor," accepting a truth he knew was within him the entire time.

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Meanwhile, Wriothesley was wandering through the halls, drifting generally towards the exit. However, he drastically picked up his pace when he received a call from Chevereuse informing him that they had a suspect in custody. Wriothesley had a feeling that Chevereuse knew he wasn't the guy they were looking for by the uninterested tone in her voice, but duty calls nonetheless.

***Its not 11:58pm... what do you mean????? hahahah also plot is wayyyyy easier to write than dialouge***