adsum | npc contact.1

( i'm so glad amami is now in the middle of the poly soap opera )

No. It was Sakku — ( back up. he doesn't need a nickname anymore, he lost the privileges. ) Sakasaki.

( she wrinkles her nose, a little. best to stay away from him, is what she means. )

The robot was a pretty big inconvenience, though. I... probably could've made it up to the scene, if it didn't stop me. ( does she blame herself for not being able to save at least one of them... absolutely. ) Well, it's whatever. We can nap at the nurse's office together, now.

Natsume...?

[ He frowns a little, but also, the three students were already dead by the time Rika was aware of things, there was nothing she could do at that point. Nothing anybody could do, unless they could turn back time.

Well. Like Rika says, it's whatever. ]

Do you want to?

[ With the nurse right there? In an open office anybody can come in and out of as they please? ]

...

( but if she got up fast enough, she could've at least caught natsume in the act!! ... maybe. )

You don't? ( pouts... listen, she's been napping in there just fine this past week? )

[ ... ]

What about the elevator?

[ It has what the nurse's office doesn't have: privacy ]

( counterpoint: the nurse's office has beds? )

You wanna nap... in the elevator? ( that does not sound comfortable. )

[ There's a wooden chair in the elevator ]

Well, it sounds stupid when you say it like that...

( perfect for two injured people who need comfort. )

... if you wanna make out or something, though, we can go to the elevator, sure. ( she's not sleeping on the chair tho thank you )

[ sighs ]

Yeah, okay. Let's make out in the elevator.

( ... )

If you're gonna sigh about it, you can kiss my ass instead. Asshole.

I'd rather- [ something something her ass but never mind, he takes it back ]

...sorry. I'm just frustrated with everything. With myself.

( no please continue she'd love to hear it )

... Rocchi. ( sighing, she slowly slides off her desk and steps closer to his; wedges her way between his legs. ) I'm frustrated, too. Like, really, really mad. We don't have to talk about things if you don't want to, but...

( grabbing his hands, she wraps them around her waist, settling them on her lower back. there, close. she's not good at talking, either, but if there's anything their relationship has always been, it's physical. if he can't tell her how he feels with words, he can at least do it with touch. )

At least don't shut me out completely, 'kay? ( she's here, and she will be, if he lets her. she'll gently place her hands on his shoulders and smile, shuffling closer. careful not to squeeze her side, though. )

[ His hands are tense, arms stiff as she guides them around her, because when he's frustrated, what he really wants to do is hurt and make hurt, to shut people out and be by himself and scream until the storm has passed.

But here is Rika, smiling, gentle, and he can't seem to get his heart to settle even as he pulls her close and tucks his face against the crook of her neck.

It's only the eye, but he'll take it until the winds come back. ]

( she knows him just enough to realize that — he's the kind of a guy who'd much rather grind things beneath his heel until he felt better, lash out, suffer in silence. honestly, she... can relate to that, too — she's always had to swallow her own hurt alone, the comfort of another person about as unknown as it is to him, stuck in a place she hated, with only the vulgar yells of drunk men to keep her company.

but... she learns, slowly, hesitantly. tips her head to the side, to rub her cheek against his head, eyelids fluttering shut. )

Ah, hey. Look. ( right, that reminds her...

she reaches up to pull the choker she wears around her neck down, revealing the long scar to the side of her throat. maybe it'll make him feel better about his own... listen... )

[ What the fuck, Rika.

How is that supposed to make him feel better, instead of worried, sick, feelings that borderline concern that he has to hold fast to and not know which way to let it go. He thinks to the robot, to the three hundred students in this school, to the lines on Rika's wrist and the switchblade in her hand and despite wanting to reach out and run his thumb over that scar, his arms are lead and his face is closer and so, instead, he turns his head and places a kiss on her neck.

The last time he did that feels a lifetime ago. ]

"Things will heal"... or something... is it?

( listen, she doesn't expect him to worry about her, nor does she think before she does things, so —

it's a matching scar? maybe? she hasn't seen the one on his neck, but... it seems heavily bandaged, and he still sounds hoarse, so it's easy enough to figure out something must've happened to his throat.

thank god he can't see her face — cheeks flush, knees going weak, and she huffs, a little flustered, but doesn't move away. )

Yeah. You just gotta give it some time!

...I don't have a lot of time. There's less than a year to go.

[ And that year's made even tougher now. It sucks, but he can't seem to find much else that's good about all of this, even his self-proclaimed extra free time to hang out. ]

How would you spend it?

You focus on the wrong thing.

( sure, his time here might be down to, what, a few months at best? but... if he graduates, there's a life ahead of him, where he can do and be whatever he wants. he'll be all healed by then, too. he'll be free of this school. he... will make it, and she's determined to help him. )

Once you get out of this place, you have allll the time in the world! ( she smiles, turning her head to press a small kiss to his temple. ) And you can be the captain of the university soccer team. And show me something cool when I get out of here.

( it's... so hard to stay positive, but when she's doing it for someone else, words come easier. )

Hmm... I'd make the best of it, I guess. This place sucks, but you still only get to live through high school once, right? So you gotta experience it to the fullest, before adulthood takes you. ( the highs and lows of highschool life. thank u riverdale )

I guess...

[ He's thinking about some of these older men around here who maybe only lived through high school once, maybe, but they sure are squeezing out as many years as they can. He's practically an adult anyways, a senior in high school and a reluctant father of one rat baby that he's pretty sure is dead by now. ]

I'm not going to captain a university soccer team, though. I wanted to go to school for architecture— did I ever tell you?

( yeah komaeda's one of them, twenty-something year ass??? then again, there's certainly worse... looks at sidney, clamor and lucifer... y'all good... )

Oooh! That makes sense! Your drawing the other day... ( it was really pretty, she remembers.

anyway wilbur jr is not dead, thank you. he's thriving, in fact. ) Whatever Rocchi's got planned, I'm sure it'll come true. He's suuuper strong and doesn't give up easily, so!

( unlike her, whose dream is to marry rich and live abroad... but, listen, she supports her more ambitious friends, it's fine. )

Buuut, in the meantime... the fundraiser is coming up, and I'm still the organizer, so... will you drop by?

[ Wilbur Jr needs to be fed and pooped every two hours, there's no way he's still alive. ]

Oh, you guys have a date and everything planned already?

[ He missed a lot when he was out those few days... Kiyotaka must have worked hard. Thanks, Kiyotaka. ]

( i would tell you how he's alive but that'd ruin the thread surprise so for now you will just be left guessing )

... sort of... I still have to take care of some things, but... ( SHUT UP WHERE'S HER THANKS!!

anyway she's too depressed to work right now. but she will get over some of it in a few days and finally finish everything up, so. for now, she just kind of slumps against him. recharge her. )

[ hm

He puts his arms back around her, setting his cheek against the top of Rika's head and holding her close. ]

...Whatever Rikkan's got planned, I'm sure it'll come true. Because she's super strong, and never gives up. Plus, you have me. I'll help.

( rikkan... she closes her eyes, lips pursed tight, and nods, holding back the surging wave of emotion. chiaki... she would've loved the host club... and the love spell booth? she'd be all over that... clenches fist )

Thanks, Rocchi. ( she smiles, a little, nuzzling into his shoulder. ) No take-backs, though, I'll put you to work for real!!

[ He immediately wants to take it back. ]

You said "some things" like you were almost done, though?

[ He was thinking phone calls or moving desks around. Last minute prep, you know. ]

( WHY IS HE SO MEAN )

Pretty much. I'll let people set up their own booths, so... it's mostly just preparing the classrooms, and stuff. ( she'd love to zoom through that herself, but... broken ribs... you know... ) Can you even move things around as you are?

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