[closed] I should be sick, but that my resolution helps me

[takebow]

Who: Rion and Yukari
What: Somebody stole our Arisatos and now we're all sad.
When: Day 65, very early morning.
Where: Freya House common room.
Rating: will update if necessary.

[They'd spirited away Minato-kun for something. For some weird experiment, probably. Or one of those pranks.

Regardless of what it is, Yukari's been searching the town, full of concentration and ardor, but without any target or any results, for the whole day. Frustrating as it was, she'd simply bottled that up--every second might count, or he might come back on his own, but either way, she wasn't going to stop. She didn't want to ask anyone else for help, either; Aigis would be looking on her own anyway, and she didn't want anyone else to know she was even worried, even afraid, even terrified -- that it might not be what she was telling herself what it was.

No, she wouldn't go in, she wouldn't sleep, she wouldn't do anything until she'd found him. Except she'd started to feel lightheaded. And she needed to eat. And she needed to sit down.

And so, smarting from even that small increased failure, she gets back to Freya House late at night -- the early morning -- and finds herself sitting in the dark, eating something random from the refrigerator, staring at the few pinpricks of light around, staring at the different kind of colorlessness that descends at night.]

Comments

[derpiest]

[Rion nods again, then gets up for a moment just to turn on a light. It's just a kitchen light, and not very bright at all - but he needs something to be able to communicate with, and it's not like he can... talk.

Once that's done, he its back down, starts writing. Note that he's writing... upside down, so she can see the words without him having to turn his notebook or anything.]

They can't.

[takebow]

[She's belatedly recollecting things about him... He doesn't, or he can't, rather, speak...

Regardless, turning on the light breaks the spell a bit and she shifts her position, blinking -- her eyes were used to the dark -- before looking down.]

Right.

I've been looking everywhere, though...

I bet they aren't keeping them in the city.

[derpiest]

[Oh... she... doesn't know, does she.]

He's not in the city anymore. When they leave like this ... it's because they were sent back.

[There's no way for him to put that delicately, because - while it's not so bad normally - he knows exactly what it means in the case of Minato. He'd told him himself.]

[takebow]

[She clenches her fists.]

No. No, he's gotta still be here somehow. It could be a trick, just-- another one of the pranks they play... A realistic one.

[Her voice rises in stridency.] And you know, even if that's true, it doesn't even matter if he was sent back, if he was, they can take him again. It's the same thing.

[derpiest]

It's not a trick. That's what it means if you send them a message, and it doesn't go through...

And I know. They can bring him back. But I don't know if they will.

[It's hard, talking to her like this when he still hurts too - but she needs someone to talk to. Someone who gets it.]

[takebow]

You don't know that. Just because it happened that way before doesn't mean it's the same thing now. Th-That's exactly what someone who wanted to trick you would do! And -- Either way, I'm going to bring him back!

[derpiest]

[...Rion stops for a moment. He understands too well, and apparently they're thinking the same thing. He shakes his head for a moment, almost as if disagreeing, and then--]

No.

We're going to bring them back.

[takebow]

[She pauses, before firmly nodding.]

Right.

That's right.

[And now is she going to let herself relax...? She considers it for a second -- suddenly feels all the tension in her body, that's been building up -- but no, not yet, not while someone's here, because after all despite what they've just said she barely knows him. It's hard, but she keeps herself taut still.]

[derpiest]

They don't deserve what's going to happen to them. And they deserve each other.

[Yukari probably knows what he means by that, and hopefully she understands that he's not making it sound like... well, a romantic sort of thing, because that would be Real Weird and not at all what he means.]

I know you're closer to Minato than I was... and I guess I was closer to Minako than you were. I don't want anything to happen to either one of them. I don't care what we have to do.

[He shouldn't open up like this, but at the same time - he knows they were close, and she gets it. She gets it in a way that even Chie wouldn't completely understand (even if he knew Souji was gone, too).]

[takebow]

Nothing's gonna happen to them... Not when they come back here.

[But he's right. He's right about the rest of it. She turns to him and nods sharply, again.]

Yeah. I'll do whatever it takes.

[derpiest]

What happens when this place isn't around? When they send everyone home, after it's over?

[Because it will be, sooner or later.]

[takebow]

...I don't know. Hopefully that won't be for a long time. But if we save the world again, all kinds of worlds, I...

[Assume, hope, guess it'll work out?]

If we can do something like that, that these gods can't do themselves, then we can deal with that, too.

[derpiest]

...you probably won't be able to go home with him.

[He's not trying to be a downer, here, but.]

I don't think Minako will be able to go home, either.

[takebow]

We don't know that. Even if they're stuck doing whatever for now... Being here proves that they can come back, and if they can, I'm not gonna stop until they are. I'm not gonna give up on him again, not ever...

And her, too... W-We both cared about her just as much. [She means herself and Minato.]

[derpiest]

[...which is not what he interprets, and he shakes his head.]

I don't know, but we'll find a way. I don't care what we have to do. I don't care if I have to take their place.

[They're kind of fueling each other's crazy, aren't they? He looks up (presumably; Rion is tiny, at 5'0") at her eyes, and the boy looks determined as hell. They will do this. He seems so goddamn sure.]

[takebow]

[...Yukari's not so sure it should come to that. She wants him to live as much as the next person, but she wants to live with him. She's sure she doesn't want him to feel the same way about missing her that she does about him.

But she's not going to contradict him on it, either, because when it came down to it... She might, too.]

...Right. Whatever has to be done.

[derpiest]

[For Rion, it's a little different. One, he's not sure if Minako is as close to him as he feels like he is to her, and two - he thinks she's genuinely a better person than he is, that she makes more people happy. He wouldn't enjoy it, but it'd be a net benefit for the world if they traded.

Rion has Issues.]

We can do it.

[A tentative - yet determined - smile.]

[takebow]

[She's not in any mood for smiling still, but she does return the look of determination and even tries to offer a bit of a reassuring nod, inasmuch as that's possible.

Nothing else that she wants to say to that, so she simply lapses into silence. Come to think of it, she doesn't even know his name, does she...?]

[derpiest]

... I'm Rion, by the way. I don't know if you know me.

[After a moment, he adds-]

I guess this is all kind of weird to say, but... it's important. And I know you know it too.

[takebow]

Yeah... I do, Rion.

[She looks down at her feet.]

It's not weird. It's only natural, really.

...I guess you know me already though, huh? But, I'll say it anyway... I'm Yukari.

[derpiest]

I know. But it's nice to meet you.

[It's late. Maybe he should sleep - but he wants to keep talking, too, he just doesn't know what to say. Or write, rather.

Honestly, even with people around, he's feeling a little lonely. And she probably gets why.]

[takebow]

Yeah. You too.

[She shrugs. She doesn't know whether to depart or not now, either. It feels hard to move -- she's exhausted, she might fall asleep right here, but she doesn't really care.]

[derpiest]

You should try and sleep...

[Now that that's all taken care of (well, sort of--) - well, it is late.]

I know it's hard, but you should try.

[takebow]

...I don't want to. I really don't wanna try to go to sleep alone.

[derpiest]

[...Rion thinks about this for a moment. He understands, especially if they were... that kind of close.]

I could sleep with you. I don't know if it'd help, but...

1/3

[takebow]

Oh -- that's really nice of ...

[Wait.]

2/3

[takebow]

3/3

[takebow]

I mean, I--I didn't mean like that...!

[derpiest]

Like what?

[Now he's confused, because he hadn't meant it like that either.

Well, he doesn't think he did, because the other meaning has not even occured to him.]

[takebow]

O-Oh...

[...she feels like an idiot.]

Um... Never mind. W-What did you mean?

[derpiest]

Sleeping together?

In the same place?

[HE MEANT IT IN THE LITERAL SENSE GOSH YUKARI REAL PERVERT]

[takebow]

[SHE'S NOT THE PERVERT HERE

is she?]

... W-Well, thanks... I don't know if you wanna deal with that, though. Maybe I'll ask Aigis. It won't be any trouble for her.

[derpiest]

... deal with what?

[WHY IS THIS A PROBLEM YUKARI he's cool if you don't want to but if it would help...]

[takebow]

[Deal with her being a moron and crying probably. AS FOR WHY IS IT A PROBLEM WHY DON'T YOU GUESS GOD]

Just... me being difficult. Issues.

[derpiest]

Alright... I understand. But if you need someone to talk to or something like that, you can wake me up. It's fine.

[He's starting to get up now, but he feels worse for her than he does for himself. The fact that they were so much closer -- well...]

[takebow]

....Yeah. Thanks again.