adsum | npc contact.1

[ Google says it's going to take months and if chunks of muscle are missing then you can graft from another muscle in your body like the back or inner thighs with some scaffolding help and anyways, that means Rokkun is still a cripple who can't do much, so Komaeda can find him in the art room sitting in front of a canvas and doing his wrist stretches. ]

( how much money does rokkun have, please king, just get those skin graphs already! sadly, komaeda can't even help him because (his money and will are already taken) rokkun is too busy helping himself, sighs... hate idiots like that.

it's a success, kind of an awkward situation to be in, but one that makes him take a step inside and stare without saying a word. he's too busy figuring out what to say next, or should he just offer this little bag in his hand, and hope that it says enough for him. there's so many routes to take, and yet, he thinks back to those memories and wonders if the choices he took were the right ones. how does he do this? how does one engage properly. )

...

( he exhales, walking up behind the other, and if he isn't noticed... he'll smack him against the back with his organic hand. )

Are you ignoring my existence now, I guess... that would be the proper response.

( throwing accusations already? yeah... )

[ ? That's his college fund, he can't afford life-saving surgery.

There's no way he doesn't notice somebody entering the room, seeing Komaeda out of the corner of his eye when the door opens but he doesn't want to look up immediately and look desperate or anything. It earns him a smack on the head, but that's still preferable than being ignored himself. Probably.

He leans his head back, looking up at Komaeda's upside down face. ]

Your words and your actions say different things.

( this is how he can survive to college? i'm making sense and making pennies!! rokkun will thank me!! )

...Do they? How unfortunate. ( it's fine, he'll repent that smack because he's pulling his hand away with a small flinch, and his fingers curling into his palm; nails digging into the skin to stave off the pain. that's what's unfortunate, that his arm is still sore despite it being a couple of days. )

I must have learned it from you... your words and actions hardly ever add up.

( he's taking a seat in the desk next to him, but he's not scooting it over closer to be overwhelming. he's giving rokkun his space, without him even saying that he needs it, and look at there... has komaeda ever been so considerate? he sets the little bag in his mechanical hand on the desk, not trying to place any focus on it while pale green eyes look towards the floor first, then to his fist as he slowly tries to open it, then closes it after so the red crescent marks in the palm aren't visible. )

Anyways. ( yes, he did. ) How was break, did you enjoy your freedom?

[ The consideration is suspicious, and a little... upsetting, but he'd loathe to admit it, because for as much as he says Komaeda is inconsiderate, Rokkun's words and feelings don't always add up either. He watches Komaeda sit, looks at his hands, at any new little movement, and then looks back at the WIP he has in front of him so it's not like he's staring. Perspective grids in light pencil, in preparation for whatever he's going to fill the space with. ]

I had physical therapy every day, and spent the rest of my time outside. You weren't too bored, were you?

[ Mister If I Spend More Than 5 Minutes In The Sun I Will Die ]

It sounds like fun, I'm sure they're proud of how far you came... it won't be too long.

( komaeda knows it from personal experience, sometimes cancer and dementia bites you in the ass, and some days aren't like these days. his eyes follow where rokkun's goes, he stares at the rough draft of grids, not really understanding it aside from blocks? guess it's a architect thing, but his eyes look away from it, watching him instead. )

I wasn't bored at all, you know I enjoy every day of my life with a smile! ( and he grins to prove that, he does keep going of course. ) We had the fundraiser before break, I heard that went... well. ( yep, dementia rights, YEP!!! sadly cain said komaeda had to retain a bit of it, so he's pretty uncomfortable when he mentions the... fundraiser, sends a shiver down his spine. ) Did you know Legion...? They went insane, caused a bit of trouble for a few of us... oh, we found the principal, apparently... then a few people went missing... they came back, afterwards.

( he did too, but he doesn't think he needs to bring that up yet... wait, there's a better way to phrase this. )

We solved a lot of mysteries... remember when you asked us about that?

[ It wasn't fun and there's nobody to be proud of him, but he also hopes it won't be too long. He wants to play """soccer""" again...

So he's surprised to hear just how eventful Komaeda's break was— and then thinks to himself that maybe he shouldn't be surprised, because Komaeda is always out there doing things and spreading hope, while he himself is content to sit and draw and wade in rivers looking for rocks. ]

The fundraiser... yeah...

[ He also sounds pretty uncomfortable, not because of the fundraiser itself but because he'd met up with Rika beforehand and things happened and now she hates his guts.

Well, anyways, never mind, he's going to smile and move along-- ]

Your mystery club's finally gaining traction, though? That's good to hear. What sort of mysteries did you solve?

( komaeda handshake rokkun
fundraiser fears. )

There were places we couldn't get to, and now they're available to us...

( various locations that he doesn't even know where to start, there's been a lot of hard work split between everyone, but that's not because of just komaeda's hope. there's a few notable people that deserves their praise, their hope too making this all happen.

he glances towards the door of the art room, like he's trying to see if anyone might come, would someone interrupt if he talks about it? there's so much he wants to mention, but if he even allowed to do that? how difficult. )

How long have we known each other?

( a drastic switch, or maybe this is his way of answering his question? )

[ All he's hearing is that Komaeda and co have learned the art of lockpicking and are getting into places they shouldn't be. The student council room? They should know better; if Maya catches them, it's all over for them.

That question, though... It's not with those exact words, but he's always hearing some variation of denial of how much time they've spent together, how long they've known each other, that he can't even pretend it's a rhetorical question. ]

A while. Why?

I don't know our anniversary, so I thought you'd tell me. ( he's going to pick up that little bag, and with all that movement, the smell becomes more apparent. it's nice, maybe a little feminine, but he holds it out towards rokkun to take. )

I was wrong, it seems.

( what the fuck, why don't he believe they solved mysteries. why does he hate komaeda's efforts, he's a bully, he's so mean! anyway, they were thrown in the student council office, lied to... and then locked inside. )

After all this time, even if you won't tell me... I think it's a shame you never introduced me to your siblings.

( he sighs rather dramatic, why is rokkun so complicated, why does he have so many things going on with him. he shifts back and forth between the topic of conversation — the fourth floor, the youth within the student store, there's a lot to bring up... then there's some other thoughts he has. anyway, gift first as the ice breaker. wasn't i supposed to give him a jacket, that can be a surprise in his locker or something idk. take this potpourri and be happy! )

[ The scent hits him, and immediately he's reminded of Natsume asking him for perfume ingredients. It felt a little weird back then, but being on the receiving end... isn't so bad. But what is this. Is this a bribe.

He takes the bag and holds it in his hands and doesn't exactly know what to with it, but thinks maybe he can keep it in his locker that's probably musty with old clothes and half empty water bottles and used tissues or whatever I said he had in there last time, it hasn't been cleaned out at all since then. ]

New Year's Eve. If you want to know something, stop with the mind games and just ask.

[ Which is to say, yeah it sure is a shame he never introduced Komaeda to his siblings and never will. ]

( it's simple, nothing too big, but for komaeda it's something that he likes, and that's why he offered it. there's meaning behind it, but he watches the way rokkun gives no response to it, not even a mere thank you — not that komaeda needs it, he knows that it's a very wonderful gift. unless it was that bad, terrible even that the other doesn't want to comment on it. )

If I ask you things, will you answer honestly?

( he's asked things, but they've always been vague, and while they might have been satisfactory answers to rokkun, they were nothing to komaeda. in a way, listening to rokkun and explaining his words to others has always brought upon confusion, that he's literally destroying his brain engaging with this man, but luckily for komaeda, his brain is already nearing its end. so it's fine. )

Even if what I ask might give you reasons to hate me?

( interfering in a person's life could be the first step, because komaeda would find that a reason to be hated. )

I could never hate you.

[ It feels like something he's said before, and he thinks maybe he's said it to himself too many times, for all Komaeda does and is and Rokkun still can't help but look at him.

Honesty on the other hand...

...

Rokkun turns away from his paper to fully face Komaeda, locking eyes with him like that alone is convincing of his honesty. ]

And I won't ever lie to you.

Rokkun... ( ... ) That begs the question of whether you'll tell me what I want to know as I ask...

( he doesn't know if he's supposed to be comforted by this, actually, he finds himself inhaling slowly, his chest raising before going back down. to have rokkun look at him like this is different from the memory, the teenager looked at everyone once from the group, but his sights were set on something else. he's always been focused on one thing that motivates him, and komaeda has called that a type of hope he wanted to see as well, and that one the group witnessed was well...

... )

I want to watch you draw as we talk. ( there's no reason to look at him, especially when he has something to do. ) Make a silver and brown fox, and then we can enjoy the start of our time together.

[ Is this the start of their time together, as if the past semester didn't count? ]

I don't draw animals.

[ Can't. Even worse that Amami levels of can't. Even if this is the roadblock he has to get over in order to enjoy the start of their time together, it just isn't possible. ]

I've told you I plan on becoming an architect. I draw buildings, and this one is going to be the Monastery of John the Evangelist in Saransk.

( the start of coming back from BREAK. )

Where we hid in the bleachers of some place, right?

( fill in the blanks, because wasn't that created in the 2000s or something, i'm crying, literally insane. )

Are you giving up on me already? ...Draw a silver and brown fox shaped building.

( no. no more monastery, this time they're fox buildings, and it's what he wants!! )

[ STOP, LINEAR TIME IS HARD OKAY

maybe they were in the middle of construction in 1999 and they were hiding in the construction site or something, let him have this

Rokkun looks down at the perspective grid he's already painstakingly measured and drawn. He could do... a fox from behind... thank you perspective for being forgiving. Only he doesn't color his work either, so Komaeda's going to have to stretch his imagination to generous amounts. ]

...You know I won't give up on you.

[ Ugh, this is going to be such an ugly building. ]

In exchange, do something for me.

( crosses the theory that rokkun's a time jumper off everyone's list so that he can have the construction. )

I'm aware, and that's because you won't give up on hope.

( so it's like not giving up on komaeda.

the brown and silver fox that were there probably doesn't mean much to rokkun, especially when they found him after. then again. if that was his memory, everything that they went through... there has to be something related to him right? he doesn't like to draw animals, sure, why is his tulpa so complex and insane, who made him like this. )

Depends on what it is, what do you need?

( he cants his head to the side, leaning forward so that he can look at the base of his grid. they'll be foxes on that soon enough. )

[ I hope Komaeda likes lines, because that's all Rokkun's going to draw for the next two hours. Tilt his ruler, draw a line, shift and tilt the ruler, draw another line.

It's actually kind of nice, being able to turn his brain off and not look at Komaeda. ]

...Be with me on new year's eve.

( they have a whole lot to talk about so two hours of lines might be worth it, because he'll watch, and not know a damn thing aside from the grid. he's never actually sat down and watched him do this, nor has he seen him place """soccer""", and so he's quiet at first until he hears the other's request? )

That's in about three months... ( he blinks, a little confused, well it would make since when that's their frienniversary. he doesn't know what fox buildings has to do with that, but... ) What should I bring? A card game sounds exciting...

( and maybe a few friends, isn't that how people spend their new years? everyone likes uno, he's already making a mental list as the other draws. )

Yeah? Bring whatever you want.

[ He sounds a little distracted, but that's just what happens when you try to talk to somebody whose mind is elsewhere. A promise three months away means Komaeda has to live that long, and if he sounds excited and looking forward to it, that's even better. ]

I could bring a few people along so there's someone to play with...

( the people that rokkun tends to exchange conversation with, anyone that he likes... he knows the people he were with would probably come too. he can be distracted, that's fine, it's not like komaeda really sees him like that at all. instead, he'll reach out for the potpourri to open it, allowing the aroma to waft within the room. )

Do you have things in mind you want to do then if it happens? ( might as well ask him since he brought it up, but all of this for a fox building...? it doesn't add up, actually. ) ...Maybe it'll snow.

[ He goes "mmhmm" without knowing what he's "mmhmm"ing to, but it's fine, because it's not as if Rokkun has any obvious friends that would make the guest list. There's kohai he's surface friendly with, there's Akira who's nervous around him, there's... ... Komaeda. That's it.

Either way, the scent from the potpourri catches his attention and distracts him from the mental math he has to do for measurements, and he looks back up, trying to drag whatever Komaeda said last out of his short term memory. ]

Snow...? Maybe. I don't really care what we do. I just want you there when the new year turns.

( amami-kun, hinata-kun, sakasaki-kun, adams-san, some other people... fujioka-kun, maybe chiaki's gorinto. )

Rushing the time, I only have so much of it, as you know. ( rokkun knows that he's sickly, aware of what problems he has from his cancer to his dementia... he doesn't expect his life to be that long, but if he finds it nice to talk about... then they can talk about it. the new year, komaeda doesn't really talk about it, and he knows that on new years day is... hinata's birthday. how to work with that... )

Did you know smelling this means... you have to enjoy it for a hundred years? ...I like it.

( because maybe he too will be able to live that long, enjoy it for the respective time, and how he's exposed two people to it. a very important thing to komaeda. )

[ If Amami comes Rokkun's going to shove him off a cliff, please,
Hinata is fine, though. Hinata can live and that'll be Rokkun's birthday present to him. ]

It's nice. Did Natsume make it for you?

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