NEW YEARS EVE FESTIVAL LOG (WOW GUYS, THIS TOTALLY ISN'T LATE OR ANYTHING...)

[asgardmods]

Who: Everyone!
What: New Years Eve! WUTWUT.
When: Err...New Years Eve. Wut...wut? (December 31st, Day 14, etc.)
Where: The Castle Plaza
Rating: Worksafe. If this changes, PLEASE INFORM THE MODS.

[Look down. Now back up! Where are you? You're in the Castle Plaza, with the Gods your Gods could God like.

[Lively, pleasant music hangs in the air around you as fireworks explode in the sky above. There is a tempting aroma teasing at your nostrils. Where is it coming from? Those long tables at the center of the plaza, overflowing with food you love. Craving anything from home? You'll be sure to find it there.

[Look around you. What do you see? Carnival games. Hundreds of Carnival games, including a dunk tank, and all for free! Carnival games not your thing? Why not give the dance floor a try? That music is awfully catchy, and just look at all those stunning lights!

[Enjoy yourselves, travelers. A New Year is upon us.]

Comments

[takebow]

[...Hey, don't turn this around!

She shrugs, not knowing where to start. For someone as... difficult to really know as him (and she thinks she knows him pretty well), it must be particularly weird to have whatever Minako is there. Or maybe it's nice? Maybe she's wrong; maybe having a twin or whatever is actually reassuring. Finally, she settles on:]

Well... What's it like for you, having her around?

[moribundity]

[ That's a loaded question, because it is weird. And it is nice. It's both.

And describing complicated feelings like that isn't his strong suit at all. His eyes widen slightly when he glances at Yukari. ] What's it like...?

[ The repetition feels cheap. He needs to give her more, but raking his brain for the words to put the feelings into makes him feel almost dizzy. ]

I don't know... [ Said softly. He's forgotten about takoyaki by that point. ] I like her. We get along.

[takebow]

[Yukari laughs softly.]

It's gotta be more than that, Minato-kun, right...? That sounds like a business partner.

[She pauses.] Do you think she's a lot like you? [Because she seems pretty different in some ways, but...]

...I guess you guys might understand each other on a level that I can't, huh?

[Sure, that's a little jealousy there, but not that much.]

[moribundity]

We share a past. And some other things. [ Music, love of food, but mostly it was the past, both recent and less than recent.

There's something in Yukari's tone that clues him off that maybe she might be worried. About what, though? That she doesn't know him well enough...? He shakes his head once or twice to clear it before looking around again. ] It's not a big deal.

[takebow]

It seems like a kinda big deal to me, Minato-kun.

[That in a rather familiar Yukari tone. But to leaven it somewhat, she lightly touches his arm with the hand that isn't already looped through his. It does seem to her, from him shaking his head, and the confusion before, that he's holding back somewhat.]

...You can tell me anything, you know. I won't... It won't be weird, I promise.

[moribundity]

I know... c'mon.

[ He sighs. It's not that he doesn't want to. He doesn't really know how to. Minato stops them and guides them over to a bench next to a cotton candy stand. This will be easier if he doesn't have to focus on putting one foot in front of the other and watching where he's going while trying to put his thoughts into words.

They sit. They adjust. He hesitates only a moment before taking her hand in his. It's a long time before he speaks, and in the mean time he's sort of just staring down at his lap, and the ground... not really seeing much.

When he does speak again, it's short and to the point, but his voice seems to waver. ] It's like having family again.

[takebow]

[She waits for it patiently, letting her mind wander. It's whiplash; about five weeks ago, in terms of time elapsed, she was bursting onto a roof only to find him gone, in Aigis's arms; about three weeks ago, she woke up here, to find him back, and in her arms. It's suddenly hard to imagine what those two weeks were like...

But it comes back to her a bit when he says that, in that unusually emotional tone. Because having him had been like having her family back, too. It promised reconciliation with her mother, and acceptance of her father being gone, and of course, him. And sure, that wasn't here, but hearing him say that makes her almost inexplicably happy, because if anyone deserved it it was him. He didn't even have a mother to reconcile with, but now he has Minako. (Though that's not really the same... she thinks.)

]

That's so nice... Haha, I'm really happy for you. You deserve it.

[She squeezes his hand to emphasize the point.]

...We're all really happy here, aren't we?

[moribundity]

[ Does he? The past ten years during which he'd had, essentially, no one would probably indicate that he deserves it. After everything that had happened during his year in Iwatodai, maybe he "deserved" something for all of that, too.

Maybe that's what being here was. Another chance to have some of the things he'd never got the chance to have before. Someone he can somewhat awkwardly maybe call a sister, who's been through everything he's been through, friends like Yukari and Ryoji...

A life.

If he tried to think of things based on what he thought he "deserved", he'd have become bitter and angry long ago. He doesn't really think like that. But that doesn't mean that having these things doesn't make him happy. It's like getting a wish granted that you hadn't even made yet.

Minato leans over and gives Yukari a quick peck on the cheek. ]

Yeah... [ Still a little tense, a little unsure. A lot of these feelings strong, and most of them are confused. It's still hard, but if sharing that much garnered such a positive reaction from her, maybe he can try to say more? ] Things I never knew I wanted... I've found them here. Back home, too, but... that didn't last. [ He regrets mentioning it almost immediately and gives Yukari's hand a squeeze. ] I hope this will.

[takebow]

[She smiles almost reflexively at the quick kiss. It's a good response; not a lot of words, but she gets the point, or she thinks she does, anyway. Typical for him. She tilts her head slightly and rests it on his shoulder...

That didn't last. No, it didn't. Of course not, and she shies away from the thought itself, though his hand there is a nice reminder that this isn't that anymore. Nothing lasts forever, right? But for years or for the rest of your life is the forever of right now. The horizon doesn't go on forever, either, but it's as far as you can see.]

It will, Minato-kun... It has to. I'll stay with you. No matter what...

[Her voice is quieter but full of resolve.]

[moribundity]

[ He hadn't meant just her. She's a big part of it though, and to hear that, even if there aren't any real guarantees with a promise like that, means something.

Her hair is still damp from the dunk tank when he feels it brushing across his neck when she rests her head at his shoulder, and it brings a random smile. ]

Even if I dunk you again? [ He teases, the joke coming easily as he glances at her from the corner of his eyes. ]

[takebow]

[She figures it probably includes Minako, too, and Ryoji... and just being alive, for that matter. But that's fine. She's looking forward to getting to know them, too.

She raises her head at that, though, and gives him a mock-annoyed look.]

...Don't test me, Minato-kun. I might even dunk you again.

[moribundity]

Fine... [ He looks away, feeling even warmer inside that he'd felt since before his ill-advised experience with the dunk tank. Upon looking up, he finally spots it - a takoyaki stand. ] I'll buy you food instead.

[takebow]

Ooh. Fattening me up so that the dunk tank splash is gonna be bigger and funnier, huh?

[She nods with a smile, though, and waits for him to stand up.]

Well, guess I'll bite. Uh, so to speak.

want to end it soon, maybe? with one or two more tags?

[moribundity]

[ He gives her a smile - that wasn't what he was thinking at all. Minato would say she's paranoid, if he didn't know she was joking. Instead, he just shakes his head and takes her hand again. ]

Don't bite off more than you can chew. [ Advice that is actually quite appropriate for takoyaki. Chewy octopus isn't for everyone, especially in large quantities. The double meaning is actually pretty amusing. ]

yes! eating takoyaki deserves fade to black

[takebow]

[She slips her fingers easily between his and follows suit, saying with a grin:]

Oh, I can handle it, Minato-kun.

[Two dunkings -- and a lot more for him -- but she thinks this is turning out to be a pretty nice night out after all.]