adsum | npc contact.1

[ Hiro nods at her indignation because yeah! Algebra's being greedy, trying to be two subjects at once. There is zero chance of Stephanie's grades improving if Hiro were to help, so instead he slides the poster over slightly and points at losing arms and fighting bears. ]

Neither!

[ leave him alone!! ]

Rokuro cheats at this too— I already know how this is going to go!

How is this going to go, I like to play fair, it's only unfair when you don't play, Fujioka-kun! I even helped you in your game, are you really abusing my help... and won't even play with me?

( :( )

[ He frowns, looking down at Komaeda's hands when he slowly lets go. But yeah, that's what he's saying. If he hadn't died— if he hadn't closed his eyes, just for a moment, he hadn't meant to fall asleep. Didn't even have the strength to open his eyes when he felt the warmth that enveloped his body, somebody yelling, somebody talking but he couldn't make out the words, but he had thought it was—-

... ]

I was always the one who had to take care of everyone and everything, all the time. I wouldn't have been foolish enough to think somebody would be there for me when I needed them.

[one has friends, npckun. one gets to enjoy their presence.]

Not at all. Some people are beginning to start collections, I've heard. They might be delighted.

[whatever she needs to say, to convince them to come out of their shell at least once.]

( knock knock knock

it's probably, like, 10:30 at night, dark outside and eerily quiet in the school now that nobody has to sleep in here anymore.

knock knock knock

there's a bit of a pause, and if the door's window isn't covered up, somebody might be trying to peek through. )

Kamo-kun, are you there?

Really?!

[ The incredulity in their voice suggests more "why the fuck" than "wow, that's great" but they're not going to question people's bad spending habits. Maybe they can hang out in the dorms... it can be for business. ]

I guess I could take a business trip sometime...

[ People get paid to go on business trips, so it counts as work. And good relationships— doesn't have to be friendship— can go a long way to encourage repeat customers and attract new ones. ]

During the day. I have to be back here before night.

( he sighs, shaking his head, he's looking around the art room in search of a chisel... where is it! )

Is that why you're like this, why... you do everything alone, keep secrets... because you don't want to rely on others because you're afraid of it?

( that boy who got up, who persevered through the cold, the waging war of his body pushing him down, forward, wherever it wanted him to drop, that hope. it may be true that his end was unfortunate in one way, just like that child admitted — the past can't be changed, but... it's all too confusing, how did the rock come back with him, how did he have his blood on his body. )

...It showed in your actions, you led us to a cottage not too far away from that ice covered river, you held Adams-san hand, and used her cane. You had something to take care of, even while we were there... it's not like any of us mattered, but... it would make sense.

( who was waiting there, the young child that cried upon seeing his mangled body... that was someone he wanted to get home too. komaeda can't understand the feelings behind coming back home to loved ones, or well, his smile was brief when he was able to return to his ultmates back home — yet, that's not the same thing, he doesn't understnd, doesn't want to understand. )

The way you held onto her, that bit of extra support... that push... what do you think hope is if not having those around you to help your foundation, to give you a chance to reach the pinnacle of your hope... you are no Ultimate, but even people like you can impress me if your efforts is a beacon to others.

Yeah, that was the "everybody disappearing" part. I really don't know what happened, exactly, but lots of people were gone for days and then came back all... I don't know. There's a giant wolf head hanging in our dorm. Crazy stuff.

( there's a flashlight in hand as komaeda squats down in front of the door, the bulb pointed underneath to try and flash the light inside of the room where the other is supposed to be. he flicks it on and off, some tries stay on longer than others which represents the dash, but any quick clicks would be the dot. what he's asking is "we've came to steal you away," which probably will be ignored if neither of them know — anyway, that's what he's doing with his ear pressed against the door to hear if someone is coming.

there's a blue cat tail (yes, the one) attached to komaeda's pants that glows and sparkles within the darkness. sometimes a few movements winds up with him hitting amami in the leg with it, but he doesn't notice so he doesn't end up apologizing to the other as he hunts out npc-kun. )

[ I was imagining Amami outside in the courtyard looking in and npc-kun would've lost their shit if he didn't speak up and use that name they've only ever given one person. The flickering lights is enough to give them pause, and they would never ever in a thousand years have opened the door even if it were a very rich ghost wanting to come shop, but if it's Tarou-nii...

...

They lift Yacchi off their lap and sets it on the counter on top of some sheets of paper and an open book next to it, crystals from the suncatchers set along the back edge to provide light. ]

Yeah! Did something happen? It's late.

[ tap tap tap over to the door to open it ]

[ How it's going to go is that he's terrified of what sorts of dares Komaeda would give, and truths would be undoing all that interrogation he had suffered through.

But damn it, he's right and Akki feels like an asshole for never having paid him back for his help in the game. What did he even help with... Can't remember, but it was a game created between the three of them, and everybody had something to contribute or was supposed to. ]

...I'll play any other game.

That game was something you wanted, and if you didn't... you wouldn't have used me for it. This is the game I want... to play truth or dare.

( be fair, akki, that's kind of mean and selfish to change games, and komaeda knows he can be pretty weak-willed, he's even talking to him right now. luckily for akki, komaeda was asked to be nice, and so he'll try and do just that for now. he's smiling at the other, waiting for him to comply to the rules of what they're about to do. )

We can play a game of your choosing afterwards! So truth or dare!

Why before night? No one would mind you staying later.

[is there some level of shyness they have? it'll be alright - she has a concept of them perhaps staying to dinner, and then not feeling lonely, and slowly opening up. it'll be fantastic, and this is unrealistically optimistic of her.]

[ He swallows, trying to imagine. What it would be like if there were others there, what he might have felt when he first saw home in the horizon again, whether he was able to... ... But it didn't happen that way, and he can only ever feel as if that were another person, a Rokuro who had succeeded where he himself had failed.

It's kind of funny, being jealous of yourself.

Back then, what was he trying so hard for? A baby brother, whose name and face he had told Stephanie he didn't remember and he hadn't been lying— it was only a few nights ago that he could remember, waking up in the middle of the night with his face wet and chest feeling hollow. And he'd close his eyes and try to go back to sleep, have that nightmare again and again, never once being able to reach that cabin or that person on his own. ]

I'm not afraid of it... [ mumbled, decidedly not looking at Komaeda because maybe the reason for needing to do everything himself boils down to pride, a stupid reason. What he says, though, ] I just never had anybody to rely on.

[ Which is maybe even more stupid, because he remembers Rika asking time and time again for him to open up a little and accept her help, he remembers Komaeda offering— maybe for the sake of hope, but it was his hope. He remembers Akki, and why he had tried to set him on fire...

...

He remains quiet. ]

( he's crouched, so he'll look up absolutely beaming. )

We're going to test the durability of your hope.

( the tail sways back and forth, glowing a teal-ish blue color within the air, and it sparkles every so often, and the light is slightly reflected on the floor. the door is open though, so komaeda crawls inside like the roach he is until he's standing right behind npc-kun — with his hands on the youth's shoulder, he slowly begins to push him forward so he can get him out the room.

if god is binding him to this room, then komaeda will just struggle. )

Hope shines the brightest when there's darkness everywhere, so let's go. You're the missing piece.

Ah, Komaeda-kun, you make it sound like we're doing something suspicious.

( amami, for his part, looks pretty sheepish about the whole thing. this is what he gets for coming over here with a freak like komaeda, but, well, they do seem to get along? so... he's just going to stand here while those two greet each other, offering up a wave when they acknowledge him. )

You should have said something if you were staying in the school too. We could've stopped by to visit earlier.

( he thought they were like the rest of the non-transfer students here — that they went home in the evening like a normal person. )

Wha- hey! My hope is just fine!

[ Imagine if all the bones in Komaeda's body shatter because he's stealing npc-kun away from their store

That doesn't happen, though, and the shopkeeper is easy to push out for all the initial confusion over the visit, although they do glance over their shoulder to see if Amami will close the door for them or if they have to double back and close it themselves. ]

Visit me lots during the day, but it's night now!

[ IT'S DARK OUT, STOP, even if Komaeda is decked out like he's going to a rave, and Amami is a comforting presence, it's still NIGHT and it's still DARK and they're still digging their heels into the ground trying to be as difficult as possible. ]

( should have killed him right here, right now. it's fine, because if the bones won't shatter, that can be a stroke of good luck for him! in return, getting npc-kun out successfully causes komaeda to feel something burn in his throat, clogging his airway, and he's quick to take a step back, cough into his hand, and a small amount of blood splatters onto his hand. the only light he has is the moonlight, flashlight, and his tail, and so he uses the bulb's light to glance into his palm, and quickly close his fingers together to keep any blood from slipping through. )

...

( anyway, he balls up his hand, pointing the light at npc-kun — )

It's just the dark, besides, you have the beacon of an Ultimate lighting your path, so we can follow behind him diligently. Don't embarrass him, especially when he's managed to bring us along...

( komaeda sighs as he looks towards amami, and then glances to npc-kun to look at the back of their head. he shuts the door behind him with the same hand that's holding the flashlight, and then back to amami. )

Lead the way.

Edited 2021-09-06 23:31 (UTC)

( akira 🤝 rokkun
never knowing who rika is talking about

anyway, she knows he's lying. that was a rhetorical question. she'll ignore it, though, because he's at least had enough mind to play along. )

Ahh, I wanna see a movie!!! ( she groans, loud and pained, slumping onto him. ) ... not that great. Almost burned to death. Got in a fight with a ghost. You know, the usual. What movies did you see?! Were they super romantic?!

C'mon, don't put it like that. ( "embarrass him," like that's possible. it's amami, he can embarrass his own damn self.

looks like the whole stealing them away bit has been successful though. so he'll make his way over to npc-kun with a slightly concerned glance to komaeda, but ultimately just puts his flashlight in their hands. his eyes are more-or-less already adjusted to the dark, and he really only brought it for their sake anyway, so. )

It's fine. Tomorrow's Sunday, so everyone will probably be sleeping in. You won't have to worry about missing any customers.

( because clearly their job is their excuse for everything, so lets nip that one right in the bud. with that, he'll hold out a hand for them to take. )

Here, so we don't get split up.

( as komaeda searches for the chisels, his hands pushing through papers, a light hiss when his pinky hits against something rough, and he doesn't move his arm much from the pain. though, nothing must hurt as much as this does for the other.

it's hypocritical for komaeda to stand here, to say anything like this to rokkun, to think he has any right when he himself has his own difficulties he can't overcome. an ultimate himself, and yet he hates his entire existence despite loving a group that shares a title with him. he can't even expose himself to others without a smile, he's unable to cry properly because what's being sad when his entire life is depressing, what is crying if it's not just for hope — it's always been like that, the way he's shed his tears.

yet, he won't admit it to himself, and perhaps this is unfair, considering when komaeda lived in world of no talent, no hope, and he was a normal individual; he was happier there. he had friends, he counted on others, and they depended on him — they appreciated his company, all because of a world where he threw away hope for other's happiness. he would never do that, he can't subject himself to a world that disgusting, it bothers him so much it feels painful — at his world destroyed, he had made sure that no one saw what he dreamt, the only place he felt safe from the shock of his death.

in a way, rokuro's memory is a place where komaeda would understand that he wouldn't want anyone to see, but it was looked upon — they invaded a personal space. once komaeda pushes himself away from his search, unsuccessful it seems, he digs his hands into the pockets of his attire, and he leans forward to to look up from where the other had turned his head. )

You have plenty to rely on, you should hold onto what you have before it's gone forever. ( ...

he wishes he could understand those words for himself, but he gives this advice the best way he can. ) There's always a test run, Rokkun, you're desperate, add it to what you know best.

[ "embarrass him," like that's possible, npc-kun is perfect in every way and could never

They clutch the flashlight in both hands like a lifeline, and is quick to take Amami's hand and hold on tight in the same way they reflexively return hugs, not really thinking about and is more preoccupied with staring at the flashlight. Glances over at Komaeda. Loops their flashlight arm around his hopefully non-bloody one so they can see and keep both people close. ]

So we don't get split up...

[ The light sweeps back and forth as they walk, a brisk pace to make the trip as short as possible, every corner and nook and cranny shone on to make sure there's nothing lurking there. ]

[ Maybe they'd stay for dinner, and maybe they'll forget about loneliness, but what they know for a fact is that it'll be hard to enjoy anything with that fear in the back of their mind once the sun goes down. Of having to walk back alone, in the dark. ]

I go to bed early so I can be awake early, so...

[ The sun sets at like 7:30? that's a reasonable bedtime hour ]

Ah— there's no need to pull, I would have followed, as long as hope is our guide.

( caught up in this loop that he can't possibly get himself out of, and he accepts it because...he'll have to unclip his arm to be freed, and he doesn't want to wake add to put it back on for him. they win this time! as they make their way through the dark, he closes his eyes as he lightly hums to himself.

mumble, mumble, i wish i meet the biggest hope glisten than other which mumble, mumble i want to see a desire that glistens more than anyone else...♪

he stops. )

Have you been to the beach before?

( he's looking at npc-kun to draw their attention from the darkness, and instead on the light of conversation. )

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