adsum | npc contact.1

( 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?

[ HE'S NOT MEAN HE'S CRIPPLED ]

Of course I can.

[ said a little defensively, like he's not crippled— maybe only a little, enough to get out of work. He can do it, but he shouldn't. ]

This... is all going to stay inside the school, right? Or have you invited the public too?

( BEING CRIPPLED IS MAKING HIM MEAN!! )

Are you sure? If your wounds open... ( she's not even sure what kind of injuries they are, but. she's gonna assume they can open.

hers can't, but getting internal bleeding is just as bad... probably... )

Hmmm... I thought of students and their parents, if they wanna come, but do you think we should invite anyone else?! Sponsors?! Oh my God... should we invite some bigwigs... who's gonna sacrifice themselves... ( get on their knees for the big ceo money... holds head )

No— [ hastily, ]

I think just students and parents should be fine. Depending on how "family friendly" your booths are, maybe siblings. You don't need bigwigs when you have children begging their parents for things, and they're obligated to say yes because it's for charity.

No, no, you're right, we should invite some bigwigs. I mean, parents will only give us so much money, right? I dunno if it'll be enough to even begin the dorm construction...

( what big companies even exist back in time like this... um... sony????? she's not sure. also he's sus? )

[ Microsoft, General Electric, and Cisco, according to Google. ]

And what's your draw going to be to get those bigwigs to come out here...? We're in the middle of nowhere. In a forest.

[ They could write letters but it'll be pity money. ]

( INVITES BILL GATES )

The draw is seeing the cutest idol, Rika-chan, in a maid dress!!

( fistpumps!

... listen. pity money is still money. she's a beggar, not a chooser. )

[ hmms ]

Do I get a sneak peek at Rika-chan in a maid dress?

( HMMMM )

Maaaybe... if you ask super nicely. No sighing. No hmming!

[ Sometimes when you're crippled, breathing sounds like sighing or hmming, it's fine. He has to consciously stop himself from doing either, lowering his face so his mouth is right next to Rika's ear. ]

You'll show me first, won't you? Not Rika-chan the idol... I want to see Rika in a maid dress. The Rika I don't have to share with the world.

( she's calling the police, actually. )

Um — ( the rika he doesn't have to share is a gloomy, depressed girl who doesn't think anybody wants to see that side of her. but... maybe it's fine. maybe she doesn't have to always put on a show — it's certainly hard to get your act together, when you shiver as his breath hits your ear.

player... demon... )

... then, a day before the fundraiser, in the elevator. ( her dress will be all done by then, and, hey, maybe murder clean-up will be done, too. )

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