The wind stopped. Had it been blowing? Well, it was now notoriously absent, as was every noise for just a second.
Then the boy hesitated, clenching his teeth for a second and staring at Niko for a moment before the wind returned, and the flowers resumed their lazy dance. "Nevermind. I," he bit his lip, "don't need you to believe in me anyway. I'm not a god anyway. Let's just get this over with," he said, turning his back to Niko--
The wind blew, firmly, and almost angrily, if it was possible, hitting him on the face and forcing him not to look at Toshio for a second. Then Toshio was in front of him again, holding a small object... Just a tiny pot, made of clay, and inside it enough dirt to support a small flower of wispy white petals, not like anything Niko had ever seen.
"Listen to me, because I'll say this just once. You don't have to believe in me or in this, but if you won't, then at least do some of that courtesy thing you do for a crazy kid... This," he shoved the flower at him, "is going to protect you. There are bad times coming to Hiyoku, and people will want to hurt you, and manipulate you into becoming something that you are not, and if you're not careful, you won't have a choice on the matter."
He breathed deep. "This flower will save you from having someone steal your name and your life like that. Just once. There's only one flower like this. You don't have to water it, you don't have to take care of it... but you'll know it's worked, because it will die when that happens. When it does, you can come here and talk to me about crazy all you like... Now, please take it, before I change my mind."
Re: 1/2
Then the boy hesitated, clenching his teeth for a second and staring at Niko for a moment before the wind returned, and the flowers resumed their lazy dance. "Nevermind. I," he bit his lip, "don't need you to believe in me anyway. I'm not a god anyway. Let's just get this over with," he said, turning his back to Niko--
The wind blew, firmly, and almost angrily, if it was possible, hitting him on the face and forcing him not to look at Toshio for a second. Then Toshio was in front of him again, holding a small object... Just a tiny pot, made of clay, and inside it enough dirt to support a small flower of wispy white petals, not like anything Niko had ever seen.
"Listen to me, because I'll say this just once. You don't have to believe in me or in this, but if you won't, then at least do some of that courtesy thing you do for a crazy kid... This," he shoved the flower at him, "is going to protect you. There are bad times coming to Hiyoku, and people will want to hurt you, and manipulate you into becoming something that you are not, and if you're not careful, you won't have a choice on the matter."
He breathed deep. "This flower will save you from having someone steal your name and your life like that. Just once. There's only one flower like this. You don't have to water it, you don't have to take care of it... but you'll know it's worked, because it will die when that happens. When it does, you can come here and talk to me about crazy all you like... Now, please take it, before I change my mind."