npc contact.1

[adsum]

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[adsum]

[ It's with some hesitation, and he does look uneasy, but Hiro eventually holds up two fingers.

He would kill Kouji all over again, as many times as he had to. ]

[closewithnewintown]

[jerry.jpg]

Then it hasn't helped at all! That is... the opposite of helping!

[adsum]

[ Oh... That's right. You're supposed to get counseling to learn regret enough to not murder again. He does feel that— regret, remorse, guilt, all of that. He hated doing it. He hates having to live with doing it. He hates himself for doing it.

But that doesn't change the fact that Kouji Seki must die. ]

[closewithnewintown]

... What'd he even do?

[because - and this is very important - she will absolutely be down for the murder if the answer to this is bad enough for her specifically.]

[adsum]

[ He does some vague hand motion.

Kouji did stuff. You know. Crimes. ]

[closewithnewintown]

[she sighs, frustrated.]

Is that what life means to everybody here? To just take it over... [waves hand vaguely]

[adsum]

[ The vague hand waves mean a lot to him. Enough that he can't talk about it, even if he could. He passes his piece of paper over to Stephanie, "helping" facing forward, and point at the "sorry" on her picture. It's what he told her before all of this— before Kouji, even— back when Aiko died and he gave her knife back. No explanation; just a sorry. There's no reason for Stephanie to accept a plain sorry now, anymore. ]

[closewithnewintown]

... I'm not the one you need to give apologies to. [but, you probably won't apologize to a person you don't feel sorry about.] But, as much as it's worth... I do forgive you. And I'm really glad you're my friend.

[adsum]

[ He's not going to apologize to Kouji. But, and it's worth much more to him that she knows, the forgiveness despite it all is something he takes to heart, the declaration of friendship despite all he's done and is.

He doesn't smile, and looks more like he wants to cry all over again, but he points to himself, places a hand over his heart, and points at Stephanie. ]

[closewithnewintown]

[it's fine; she's smiling enough for the both of them, looking and feeling happier than she's been since The Before Times.]

I love you too, Hiro! [...] Okay, I know hugs are off the table, but maybe...? [a nice christian side-hug? one of those?]

[adsum]

[ Wait— that wasn't supposed to be love, and he's Unsure about the alternative to hug but

she's smiling? she looks so comparatively happy?

he has no choice but to nod ]

[closewithnewintown]

[listen. you hear your story, and she'll hear hers.

she smiles even wider, somehow, and puts her arm across him, bringing him in for a tight, but brief, squeeze.]

Are you gonna go to the fundraiser thing? I wasn't gonna go, but if you're going, I'll go.

[honestly it's because she knows komaeda will be there and she doesn't wanna deal with his shit right now.]

[adsum]

[ Oh, um. Maybe his face is a little red when she pulls away, but he's not looking at her and if he can't see her she can't see him, this is how it works.

The fundraiser is a welcome distraction, and he nods that he's going to go— because he promised Komaeda he would, and even though he doesn't want to deal with Komaeda's shit either, he was promised free things in return and so, you know, he's gotta. ]

[closewithnewintown]

I'm not sure how much money you need to fix up a whole building, but whatever it is, I'm sure Rika's crazy enough to get it.

... It'll be nice, having a place to sleep... I don't ever want this place feeling like home, but... A place to actually be alone would be good. Right now I'm just putting a chair against the door.

[and maybe checking the ceiling tiles for weaknesses she knows how these freaks are]

[adsum]

[ It's going to require thousands upon thousands of dollars and the fundraiser may raise maybe a fraction of that and the rest will have to rely on Komaeda apparently regaining his fortune. Would people sleep in Komaeda funded dorms? Maybe murder is forgivable in exchange for a bed.

Hiro sort of just nods along... there's nothing he can do about that. Maya would never approve a sleepover, so he doesn't bother asking. He does take that paper, though, to scribble on a blank spot on the paper ]

careful in dorms

[closewithnewintown]

[. . .

she picks up her backpack.

opens it.

sticks her head inside it.

screams.]

[adsum]

[ WHY

Hiro scrambles up to his feet, dropping his pen and paper and possibly kicking over his abandoned bento in the process (he's so sorry, Maya) so he can sort of... worriedly hand over Stephanie's shoulder like he doesn't know what to do but he's there just in case there's something he's supposed to do in a situation like this. ]

[closewithnewintown]

I hate this place nothing is ever good and everything is terrible why can't one thing not completely and totally suck just once at all ever!

[she removes her head from the backpack, leaning back until her head bonks against the wall. hold on give her a second]

Fuck!

[okay she's good now.]

[adsum]

[ Oh. Her voice echoes a little in the emptiness of the auditorium, but... it's fine. Screaming's supposed to help, is what Hiro understands, even if it's never helped him. He gives her another moment to make sure she isn't going to start screaming again, and then slowly sits down next to her, just far away enough for him to have space to place a hand on her shoulder and give it a small squeeze, light enough that if this is wrong and she starts screaming he can immediately take his hand back and never do that again. ]

[closewithnewintown]

[she just. sighs. looks over at him with a rueful grin.]

Sorry. I'm just... Ugh. This place... Just. Ugh. [sticks out her tongue] I better figure out how words work again. Somebody needs to be chatty enough for the both of us.

... Is it ghosts? It's gonna be ghosts, isn't it.

[adsum]

[ Ugh is a pretty good word, don't discount ugh.

Ghosts, though... Hiro gives Stephanie's shoulder another squeeze then takes his hand back. ]

[closewithnewintown]

[oh no that means yes doesn't it that's a yes to ghosts]

I don't wanna deal with sad ghost people... I just want to sleep in a bed...

[adsum]

[ He's sorry... he doesn't know how to help. Maybe the ghosts won't be sad?

He sets his head back down on his knees and does his best to look empathetic. ]

[closewithnewintown]

[she pinches the bridge of her nose.]

Sorry. Again. It's... been a lot, these past few days.

... Thanks for the warning. Really. I'll be extra careful.

[adsum]

[ It sure looks like she's been through hell and back, despite saying that she hasn't been through half what he has. He remembers walking in on her asleep, and remember his bento, reaching for the box and handing over to her what hadn't spilled out onto the floor.

If she came here right as lunch ended and was asleep, she wouldn't have had time to eat yet. Eat, sleep, those are the things that will make things better, especially when you don't know how to deal with ghosts. ]