[ As with most things in Shinjiro's life, this situation is a hot fucking mess.
Had other snarls been smoothed over, certain puzzle pieces clicked into place, maybe he would have picked up quicker on the naked truth held before him out on a silver platter. But he barely knows this girl, and had banished what little information Mitsuru had shared with him all those years ago deep down.
Even so.
It's impossible to miss the tension that radiates through the stiff lines of her shoulders, and the glint in her eyes that looks suspiciously like tears. She's hurt; he's seen that look enough times on others - on Aki - that he recognizes it now. Way to go, asshole.
He sighs. Runs a hand through his hair as he tries to salvage things. ]
Look—sorry. It's... [ He breaks off, grimacing. ] There's been a lot.
[ Find out you're dead (though technically he saw that one coming), find out the world's about to end, find out one of your classmates and comrades sacrifices herself so the world doesn't actually end. Just another Tuesday. ]
So....Ikutsuki's a rat bastard, huh? Knew we shouldn't have trusted a guy with such shitty jokes.
[ It's pretty pathetic by way of olive branches, but it's all he's got at the moment. ]
[ she actually does laugh at that, relaxing just a fraction. don't mind if she takes your hand and starts walking again, shinji. chroma, plus she's the one with two eyes she's willing to use. ]
Hah, I wanted to smack him for some of those gags! Really wish I had, too... Just tell me if we need to turn anywhere, okay?
[ He'll BEGRUDGINGLY allow the handholding this once, though in all honesty she could do whatever she wanted right now and he'd let her get away with it, he feels that bad. ]
Maybe he'll show up here and you can give him a good kick in the ass.
[ He's long since given up trying to understand the whims of this place, and how and when its mysterious ghostly fingers pluck people from their existences. In any case, it doesn't matter all that much; he'd rather Ikutsuki never show his ugly mug around these parts and besides, they got places to be. ]
Right, and then a left.
[ Easy enough to follow, though admittedly he says it by rote, still too busy mulling over everything else that'd spilled forth from her. ]
You... [ ugh, why is trying to suss out what to say impossible ] doin' okay here? [ Lifting their conjoined hands, he raps her gently on the head above one ear. ] Still got your soul in there?
[ this is all so very shinjiro, and it gets her to grin. genuinely, even. she enjoyed their time together a lot, at home. ]
Maybe we'll see how he likes a Bufudyne to the face. And... I've still got my Personas, so you know, probably? I still feel like me, anyway... [ minako chuckles a little, placing her free hand to her head on the other side, as she hangs the turn. ]
I'm not a zombie, senpai, if that's what you're asking.
[ She seems to be in good enough spirits despite everything, and a small knot in the pit of his stomach loosens. It's pretty much the same as he remembers from before, a near unshakable good cheer and a brightness that draws everyone to her. Impossible to forget, even though he'd known her for all of three weeks before.
[ So she doesn't remember. Not surprising considering the mix has been 50/50 so far, but it leaves him stumped on the chronological timeline of everything. In any case, if she doesn't remember then there's no point elaborating further. ]
A place I was at before this. Don't worry about it.
[ And because he really doesn't want to talk about it, he immediately changes the subject. ]
How was everyone doing? Before you [ hm ] were brought here.
Fine, I think. [ even though she knows that didn't last, and she feels a spike of guilt as if there had ever been another option ] You'd been... in the hospital, for a few months. They released you a few days before I... [ yeah. ]
After I sealed Nyx--everyone but me and Aigis forgot. It was like the Dark Hour never happened, but... like I said, you all remembered, at the end.
[ she laughs, but it's strained. ]
It's almost funny, really, senpai? I lasted just long enough for you to all get to the roof. I didn't even get to say anything to any of you.
[ Another puzzle piece slips out of place, edges lining up imperfectly and leaving a gaping hole. Mitsuru had said he'd died that night, on October 4th, but now he's hearing something different. Had he kicked it afterwards then?
Ugh. There's a reason he's never been the thinker of the group. ]
[ It's definitely not a string of words he's expecting, the foundation built on very solid emotion that he hasn't had directed at him in quite some time. It makes him freeze up and makes the tips of his ears go red, even as he casts about for something to dispel the suddenly genuine sentiment that blankets him. ]
That so? [ Ugh, don't just knock a guy off-kilter without warning like that. ] You better show me what you learned then, see if you actually paid attention.
[ Not quite a full acceptance of the ready friendship she offers, but neither is it a complete rejection. ]
It's always too easy to embarrass you. But I'd like that--we haven't cooked together in ages. You even tried to help Fuuka get better, which was... kind of a trainwreck. [ listen. she loves fuuka dearly but helping her find a way to learn cooking that worked for her was. exhausting ]
[ Even the scant few days he’d spent in everyone’s presence had told him far more than he wanted to know about their particular skills (and also lack thereof). Nightmares of yet another fire swim briefly in his vision; he shakes it off with a quick flick of his head. ]
Whenever you get settled then. I’ll cover groceries.
[ Not that he has more than a handful of chroma to his name but it’s fine. ]
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shinjiro / unevoke
[ As with most things in Shinjiro's life, this situation is a hot fucking mess.
Had other snarls been smoothed over, certain puzzle pieces clicked into place, maybe he would have picked up quicker on the naked truth held before him out on a silver platter. But he barely knows this girl, and had banished what little information Mitsuru had shared with him all those years ago deep down.
Even so.
It's impossible to miss the tension that radiates through the stiff lines of her shoulders, and the glint in her eyes that looks suspiciously like tears. She's hurt; he's seen that look enough times on others - on Aki - that he recognizes it now. Way to go, asshole.
He sighs. Runs a hand through his hair as he tries to salvage things. ]
Look—sorry. It's... [ He breaks off, grimacing. ] There's been a lot.
[ Find out you're dead (though technically he saw that one coming), find out the world's about to end, find out one of your classmates and comrades sacrifices herself so the world doesn't actually end. Just another Tuesday. ]
So....Ikutsuki's a rat bastard, huh? Knew we shouldn't have trusted a guy with such shitty jokes.
[ It's pretty pathetic by way of olive branches, but it's all he's got at the moment. ]
Re: shinjiro / unevoke
Hah, I wanted to smack him for some of those gags! Really wish I had, too... Just tell me if we need to turn anywhere, okay?
no subject
Maybe he'll show up here and you can give him a good kick in the ass.
[ He's long since given up trying to understand the whims of this place, and how and when its mysterious ghostly fingers pluck people from their existences. In any case, it doesn't matter all that much; he'd rather Ikutsuki never show his ugly mug around these parts and besides, they got places to be. ]
Right, and then a left.
[ Easy enough to follow, though admittedly he says it by rote, still too busy mulling over everything else that'd spilled forth from her. ]
You... [ ugh, why is trying to suss out what to say impossible ] doin' okay here? [ Lifting their conjoined hands, he raps her gently on the head above one ear. ] Still got your soul in there?
no subject
Maybe we'll see how he likes a Bufudyne to the face. And... I've still got my Personas, so you know, probably? I still feel like me, anyway... [ minako chuckles a little, placing her free hand to her head on the other side, as she hangs the turn. ]
I'm not a zombie, senpai, if that's what you're asking.
justtt kidding
[ She seems to be in good enough spirits despite everything, and a small knot in the pit of his stomach loosens. It's pretty much the same as he remembers from before, a near unshakable good cheer and a brightness that draws everyone to her. Impossible to forget, even though he'd known her for all of three weeks before.
Speaking of before— ]
Did you end up going back home, when you left?
[ She must have, if all of that shit went down. ]
she IS too cute to be a zombie tho
[ whaaaaat's going on, shinji. ]
it's true
He pauses briefly, confused by her response. ]
The city. Duplicity. You left a long time ago. Thought you got sent back home.
no subject
no subject
A place I was at before this. Don't worry about it.
[ And because he really doesn't want to talk about it, he immediately changes the subject. ]
How was everyone doing? Before you [ hm ] were brought here.
no subject
After I sealed Nyx--everyone but me and Aigis forgot. It was like the Dark Hour never happened, but... like I said, you all remembered, at the end.
[ she laughs, but it's strained. ]
It's almost funny, really, senpai? I lasted just long enough for you to all get to the roof. I didn't even get to say anything to any of you.
no subject
Hospital?
[ Another puzzle piece slips out of place, edges lining up imperfectly and leaving a gaping hole. Mitsuru had said he'd died that night, on October 4th, but now he's hearing something different. Had he kicked it afterwards then?
Ugh. There's a reason he's never been the thinker of the group. ]
no subject
I was really happy when I heard you were discharged--I worried about you the whole time.
no subject
[ — I die is what he wants to finish it with, but thinks better of it. He can reconcile that later. ]
Sorry for all the extra grief. I'm not a very good role model, huh.
icon is just, like. the spirit of this
I care about you. We're friends, it was never about... looking for examples to follow, or whatever. And I'm still better because I knew you, okay?
hmm, this is why you don't do tag bombs and confuse yourself
That so? [ Ugh, don't just knock a guy off-kilter without warning like that. ] You better show me what you learned then, see if you actually paid attention.
[ Not quite a full acceptance of the ready friendship she offers, but neither is it a complete rejection. ]
no subject
It's always too easy to embarrass you. But I'd like that--we haven't cooked together in ages. You even tried to help Fuuka get better, which was... kind of a trainwreck. [ listen. she loves fuuka dearly but helping her find a way to learn cooking that worked for her was. exhausting ]
no subject
[ Even the scant few days he’d spent in everyone’s presence had told him far more than he wanted to know about their particular skills (and also lack thereof). Nightmares of yet another fire swim briefly in his vision; he shakes it off with a quick flick of his head. ]
Whenever you get settled then. I’ll cover groceries.
[ Not that he has more than a handful of chroma to his name but it’s fine. ]
no subject
anyway. ]
No, but she did think a ladle was a tablespoon, so. You know.