retrospec | looking for someone.

[She waves back with a grin, walking to meet him halfway.]

It's really no problem! I thought something was weird about her living alone in a neighborhood like that, but...

[The only one she could really bring that up with was Raina, and well.]

And yeah, not yet. It's almost been a month, but people still give me weird looks. [Perhaps self-consciously, a hand goes up to her ear.] The ears are probably the worst part, though.

..."Neighborhood like that?" Jeez...

[He rubs at the back of his neck.]

Getting the feeling I know why she hid where she was from us, then.

[She gets a bit of a head tilt as he leads the two of them toward the door. There is no time to waste on Rainadventure.]

The ears? ...You know, come to think of it, I don't think I've seen you without a hat since the change.

[He has no idea what they look like.]

[And she'll walk with him, beginning to lead the way! Though at his question, she gives a soft sigh before lifting just a bit of her hat, careful not to let her hair spill down because it already takes so much effort just to stuff it in there in the first place.

That is a distinctly elfish looking ear, yup. After a moment, she tucks it back under her hat.]

The hair, and even the eyes aren't too bad? I'm used to stuff like that because of conventions and stuff, but...

The ears are way weird.

[The other two at least can be explained through cosmetics. The ears, as flesh and blood? Not so much.]

[Ah! Elf ears! Rean blinks owlishly at them for just a moment.]

Ah... yeah, I can see what you mean.

[And then, because he's Rean and he can never not shove his foot directly into his mouth:]

Kind of a shame, though. They're kind of cute, actually.

[Rean, please! She laughs, embarrassed, but not so much that she can't fire back:]

Aren't you supposed to save words like that for dates?

Huh...?

[...Oh. It just now occurred to him that what he said could be taken as flirting, and he blushes and holds up his hands protectively.]

Ah— I didn't mean it like that!

Besides... I'm kind of out for the count when it comes to that sort of thing, anyway.

Oh? You found someone?

[HELLO, HI, PLEASE DISPENSE DEETS.]

Ahaha... yeah.

[He rubs sheepishly at the back of his neck.]

Crow, actually. Which... probably isn't that surprising.

Oh, Crow?

[She leans back slightly, grinning. Yeah, Crow is cool people. She can approve of this.]

I had no idea! [She hasn't been around nearly long enough to see how shmoopy they are honestly.]

But wait, then what was he doing trying to hook you up with other people?

[She should fix that. Let her tease them all the time.]

Being an idiot, I guess. I don't know, really, but it sure as hell threw me for a loop.

[Sigh! Being in love with a moron is exhausting, Yuuki. Don't follow in his footsteps.]

[Just you wait, you guys are going to get all the teasing later.

She just laughs again, smiling brightly.]

I'm glad it worked out... eventually? [What even, you two.] I'll have to bug him next time I see him!

[He'll chuckle, too. Hard not to feed off her enthusiasm!]

Yeah. Me, too. And please do, he deserves it.

[...]

So, how'd you wind up crashing into my sister's window, anyway?

I was practicing flying when I first got my wings.

[Ahahaha...]

I was able to get some distance that time, but my maneuvering wasn't so great, so I ended up running into her window. Luckily she let me in before I fell, but she had like, a hatchet from a costume for self-defense.

[You know, in case someone manages to sneak up to the sixth floor window.]

[Rean's quiet for a long moment before bringing his hand to his face with a soft laugh.]

...and she calls me the nerd. Lord.

I'm glad you didn't wind up falling, though.

[And here her expression turns serious, because this question's been bothering her since she found out the identity of Raina's brother.]

So if you're siblings, does that mean...

She's one of us?

[She means a weeb.]

[And that earns a laugh for real.]

You know, she'd probably kill me for telling you? But, whatever, I'm in the doghouse enough as it is for dragging this public.

Yeah, she is, she just tries to hide it. She's the one who got me into some of the stuff I really like now.

[She just smiles impishly back. Thought so!]

That's too bad! I asked her about it, but she insisted she wasn't really into it at all- it'd be nice to have more friends around here who are into the same stuff, you know?

[But then, on a more seriously serious note:]

...Hey. I get it if you don't want to talk about it, but...

What happened, anyway?

[The little she does know is pretty concerning, least of all because she's turning now onto a street that will lead them to a rougher part of town.]

"Not really into it?" Ha. She's full of it. She's definitely into the same kinds of stuff you are... she's got more video games than I do.

[But there's that question, and... mm. Well, it's better to just answer as much as he can, he thinks. Besides, it's something to talk about and get his mind off of where they're heading, at least a little.]

...A lot of things. I'll try to give you the short version.

Both of us had a pretty hard time connecting with people growing up, so all either of us really had was one another. Then I ran off to college to get out from under our parents' thumb, and... well, for the first couple of years, I haven't been doing as well as I'd like. I didn't want her to worry any more than I knew she was already going to, so I kind of just... ghosted her. Which is awful, I know, but I can't undo it now. Once she graduated, I guess she finally got fed up and followed me here after I called home for Christmas.

But... she still really hasn't connected with anyone, and I have. And she's jealous, I know she is, and I can't really blame her.

So last month, during the whole hospital thing, one of those awful things got a hold of her and corrupted her. She lashed out and attacked Crow, and that set off something I apparently regained I hadn't known anything about... I'll spare you the details, but all three of us got pretty hurt from the whole thing and she and I only snapped out of it because Elliot came in at the last second.

She and I both ran off, and... I guess the whole thing's hitting her even worse than it did with me, because she's basically just locked herself up in there now.

[...]

Sorry. That wasn't really the short version at all, was it?

[She listens in silence as he explains. By the time he reaches the end, she just gives a quick shake of her head.]

No, I... I kind of get it. For a while, it was like my brother was the only other person I had, too.

[But they took a different route, surrounding themselves with friends, with guild members. Or rather, Kokichi had arranged as much on her behalf.]

It had to be tough for her to come all this way and end up in a situation like that. And if she's all alone... no one's really been there to talk some sense into her, either.

[Kokichi has her back there, too. She gives a thoughtful hum.]

Well, I don't know how much it'll help, but- I'd like to be friends with her too! I'll leave the talking to you, but I'll try to keep an eye out for her from now on. You can't just... live by yourself like that.

[For all their mischievousness, that was the real point behind Vivarium. Creating a place where people weren't alone.]

Yeah. Which is why I'm hunting her down now, to talk some sense into her, but...

It can't just be me, you know? We'll just be exactly where we were.

[...Ah. His eyes widen at her offer, but then he smiles.]

...Thanks, Yuuki. That's really kind of you to offer. I... well, I can't deny I'd appreciate it, but don't force anything just for my sake, you know? If it's fake, she'll know.

Still... I think someone like you would be helpful. You've got enough common ground to work with, but at the end of the day, you're pretty different, too. Good for expanding your horizons, y'know?

Who says this is for you?

[She smiles again, but there's an edge of seriousness to it.]

My brother's the one who helped me make friends when I was all alone. Maybe it worked too well - 'cause now, I don't want to leave anyone behind, stuck all by themselves.

[And she's determined, there.]

And from what I remember... that other me was the same. That's why we explored so many different "worlds" together - so no one was alone.

[...So no one had to deal with everything alone.]

looking for someone.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

1/2

2/2

no subject

no subject

1/2

2/2

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

1/2

2/2

1/2

2/2

no subject

no subject

no subject

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)