adsum | npc contact.1

Sounds like your class must've had a pretty amazing trip.

( because that's... the natural conclusion, right? )

But you're not wrong, sights like that really are special. Is that why you wanted to go so badly?

( to the pool! which it will soon be clear they are headed to through process of elimination as they walk past everything else. all the way up to the front doors, to a building that's probably pitch-black inside. it's fine. they have two flashlights and a glowing cat tail, they'll be fine. )

[ It sounds pretty, they suppose, if you're seeing it in a photograph or in a movie, outside maybe if it's by a campfire. Maybe they're going to see a movie in the dor—

NO no no no no nonono ]

I can't—-

[ nope, they're turning around. At least on the rooftop there's some moonlight; in that building, they can't even see past the door unless a light's shining straight down it. ]

( with his arm linked to theirs, komaeda blinks a few times as he watches them. )

Can't... swim?

( ooOOOoooOOoooOOOo. his grip is tighter. )

( and see, amami kinda can't let go here. too much looked-away-for-two-seconds-and-they-disappeared trauma with younger siblings in his past to do anything but hold their hand tight even as they try to turn. )

Hold on, what's wrong?

( at least he sounds genuinely concerned. )

[ Oh I hate that if Amami and Komaeda are both holding on tighter, there's no way for npc-kun to even turn around, or get themselves out of their grips without dropping the flashlight and right now that flashlight is the only thing keeping them from losing it.

ugh... UGH!! They try to pull their hand and arm free, digging their heels into the ground as much as they can. ]

Let me go! I want to go back! Don't—

[ the flashlight drops from their grip, and a muffled whimper escapes ]

...don't... please don't...

( when they keep pulling at their hand, amami clues in that there's something wrong for real. he still doesn't let go, because the very last thing any of them needs right now is for kamo-kun to go running blind and alone across the campus in the middle of the night, but he'll turn to face them. drop down to their level at the same time as the flashlight. which, he's going to take a moment to grab that before anything else before he meets their eyes. )

Hey, hey, it's alright. You don't have to go in, we're not gonna make you. It's okay, Kamo-kun.

( he's obviously worried, but tries to keep his voice calm. holds the flashlight for them to take back with their free hand, if they can be calmed down enough to do so. )

( from their fretting, komaeda releases their arm so they can regain their composure as amami speaks with them on a similar eye level. he stares for a moment, looking back and forth between the two, and komaeda's mind reels back to the few warriors of hope who would cry for attention, or because one of them were a "fucking idiot" by breaking a "demon" they wanted to hunt. komeda's typical response to that whether they were real tears or crocodile — there, there.

the words are in his mind as he lifts his hand, setting it on top of npc-kun's head once, then a second soft pat, and keeping his words to himself since it's not his place to speak over an ultimate. )

...

[ They reach for the flashlight but fumbles with it, fingers shaking, shoulders doing the same, but it isn't until Komaeda pats their head that they jolt in surprise and the tears start to fall.

There's those words in the back of their mind: it's not crying if nobody sees. But the hitch in their breathing can still be heard in the darkness, and the whimper that escapes when they squeeze their eyes shut. The flashlight falls a second time, but this time, they didn't drop it; they let go of it to reach for Amami with both hands, to hold onto him instead, to choose him over the light. ]

( the flashlight drops, and amami doesn't hesitate as he wraps his arms around them in return, pulling them into a tight hug. one arm holds them close, the other gently rubbing their back to try and soothe them, even as he breathes out a bit of a sigh. )

Sorry, we should have asked if you were okay with it first, huh. That was my bad.

( can't go back in time to fix it though, even if the guilt tugs at his heartstrings pretty bad. over their shoulder, amami will peek up at komaeda — easy to identify since that little blue cat tail of his is still glowing and sparkling. )

Why don't we come back some other time, Komaeda-kun? If Kamo-kun is okay with that.

...Ah. It was my fault, scum like me shouldn't have said a thing.

( he pauses, eyes looking off to the side towards the ground, his arms cross as he can feel his lips purse into a straight line. why did he even think to subject himself to this when an ultimate was nearby, he's better off just doing what he's told and carrying on. )

Why don't I just go? It'd be better that way...

( he feels like a disgrace, like he's made an ultimate look bad by even going as far as to thinking he could bring some sort of hope from this. he clicks off his own flashlight, the glow dissipating into the darkness, and the only light left comes from the one on the ground, shining at their clothes and feet. it is pretty late, and he can't even sleep in his own dorm room because he doesn't want to wake up his roommates which one is an ultimate... so he'd feel wrong for that as well. )

[ Selfishly, self-indulgently, npc-kun thinks they'd be content just to stay like this for the rest of the night, held in the safety of somebody's arms until the sun comes back up, but,

Amami and Komaeda had wanted to surprise them with something. The two had gone out of their way in the middle of the night to come see them. They trust Amami, and don't want Komaeda to go. If the flashlights are all shut off, he'd be the only bright thing here. ]

No... We're here, so...

[ So let's get it over with, is the implication, because it being night must be important if they're all out this late, and they do NOT want to have to make another trip all the way out here again. ]

I'm okay. [ They say, not letting go of Amami. But to Komaeda, ] Don't leave me.

( it's not like komaeda knows npc-kun is talking to him, he works more directly, but how the scene looks before him — he could obviously be talking to amami. )

You heard the child, don't go anywhere, Amami-kun...

( how bold, and yet komaeda doesn't correct it at all, it's a very sensitive place he has with amami — ultimates who don't know their talents think of themselves differently from those that do. arguing would serve no purpose, and it's only them that can hear this conversation, so he'd rather not spoil this anymore than he already has. eyes glance towards the dormitories, wondering if hikaru will let him in if he knocks lightly enough. )

To be in the embrace of an Ultimate, it must be reassuring — ah, when you both return, tell me how it is.

( for amami, at least, it seems pretty clear. then again, even in the dark, he's in a position where he's close enough to tell the way their head turns to acknowledge the other, and he grimaces when komaeda tries to brush off such a simple request. just in case he tries to go anywhere, amami will reach out with the hand that's closer to take komaeda's wrist so he can't wander off anywhere. )

Don't be difficult. You can stay a bit longer.

( jeez, it's like trying to herd a cat or something, always running in the opposite direction of where you want it to go. and as for the matter at hand: )

Are you sure, Kamo-kun? We can go back to the dorms instead, you know. I'm pretty sure we have hot chocolate there, maybe someone's picked up some wood for the fireplace.

( if not, he's adding that to his list now. )

I'm not a child...

[ But they are, not only in age but the fact that they take so much comfort in hugs, in having somebody physically and undoubtedly there. If they're embarrassed about it, though, it's not enough to make them let go.

npc-kun wipes their tears on Amami's shirt (sorry. they distinctly remember doing this more than once before.) before lifting their head— still not letting go— and turning to look at Komaeda.

...

tilts their head up to look at Amami. ]

What were we going to do?

( his eyes dart down to where amami holds, and he even tugs just a little bit like he's silently requesting for him to let go — besides, an ultimate shouldn't touch trash like him. komaeda isn't stressed out, but his heart is skipping a beat, and there's only so much he can take before he wedges himself out of the male's grasp. )

...

( don't expect much out of komaeda when he's almost made an ultimate out to look like a fool, and he guesses as long as npc-kun doesn't look at amami differently... it's fine. but then he wonders if he looks bad now.

...

it's his fault, again.

...

he takes a few steps away, but he doesn't leave, exactly, no he stands off in the darkness with the light from his tail signaling his location. with his arms crossed, komaeda glances off to the side trying to recalibrate his feelings on the matter... he should have expected he would mess this up. )

( you think amami is letting go? for real? no. keep dreaming. komaeda is stuck next to them, and if he keeps stepping away like that, amami's gonna end up in this awkward leaning position where he's half-way attached to ko like a leech and halfway making sure he's holding onto kamo-kun to give them some security. well, in the end he'll just yank komaeda back, pretty hard so that he'll hopefully stumble a couple steps closer than he really needs to be, actually.

as for the question... )

It's a pool, so... Swim, I guess?

( he doesn't sound too sure of that answer himself but, well, that's the assumption he'd made. and kamo-kun can wipe their face on his shirt as much as they want. they have laundry machines now, so he'll hardly complain. )

There's no reason we can't come back another time if it scares you. We'll find another adventure to take you on instead.

[ UNSURE... Swimming in the dark is how murder happen. Besides, they can't...

...

Anyways, if Amami manages to reel Komaeda in close enough, npc-kun will let go enough to reach out and grab the leg of Komaeda's pants, they're helping. ]

Swimming isn't an adventure. It's cold and wet. It's hard to move and hard to see and hard to breathe.

[ It's sort of the opposite of adventure, where you're just there and nothing is happening but you feel like you're dying anyways. ]

( not him pulled at all ends, caught by amami and now in npc-kun's grasp, he can't help but sigh — wheezily. )

...Swimming is actually fun when you have others to share it with. I thought... ( it's almost embarrassing to say, but a smile picks back up on his face. ) an experience like that would be rare to go on together, so we could make do with what we had.

( they're in a school, unable to leave anytime soon. )

So bringing the beach to us seemed like the easiest alternative.

( they're helping! a bit of a grin starts to creep its way back onto amami's face. it's a team effort now, and he tugs at komaeda's wrist in a "get down here," kind of way. join them. )

Not a fan of swimming, huh? That explains it. But the water's warm enough, and it doesn't look like the "beach" is too busy either.

( campus belongs to them and them alone once the teachers go home for the night. if there's no transfer students in the pool, pretty sure that means there's nobody at all who's going in there. while that does make for a potential murder hotspot, the fact remains that the idea that he could ever let anything happen to kamo-kun? impossible. doesn't even cross his mind. )

Don't you think it's kind of exciting to be able to see something nobody else has before?

( go where no-one before you has gone, and all that. it could be an adventure. "amami it's just the pool." could be their pool. )

[ "I won't let anything happen to Kamo-kun" he says to himself as they plan to toss them into the infinite deep end

npc-kun bites at their bottom lip, not really convinced. Maybe it's because they've never been to the beach before, doesn't know how pretty it can be, doesn't know what to expect besides water and ...water. Water and darkness. They wouldn't be able to see anything in there.

Can't help but feel as if they're disappointing the two of them, though. And they hate being a disappointment.

... ]

Promise you won't let go of me. Both of you.

[ They're going to have to swim as a chain but it's fine, it's fine. ]

( he feels himself yanked again, and he doesn't have that much strength to keep himself up — so it's easy to make him crouch down, his other hand sticks out to press against the ground to make sure he doesn't fall over. his fingers dig into the dirt absentmindedly, and he looks towards npc-kun trying to mold his features within the darkness, and the flashlight below them shines at their pant's leg, and feet, the only light that matters. )

Hm... It sounds scary because you're afraid of the unknown, of being left alone, and that's why you hang onto us so tightly, but we'll always be a reach away.

( they'll remain in grabbing distance for the night, there won't be a moment they'll be out of their eyesight considering the worry they have. komaeda's aware how this stems from their youth, how they don't want to lose anyone else, or run around in a big world — darkness — searching. )

You have to see it, and if you hate it... we can turn back like Amami-kun said. I can also fix us a meal, I'm pretty amazing.

( ... )

Right, you don't have to worry. We'll be right here the whole time — we won't leave you alone.

( he'll give them a little squeeze with his one arm when he says that, as if to make his point.

but also, it looks like komaeda has remembered his place is, in fact, being a part of this conversation. so amami will let go of his own grip on ko's wrist, picking the flashlight up one more time. he'll kind of hold it up for a minute, looking to kamo-kun with a softer smile. )

Anyway, it looks like your hands will be full, but you can let me know if you want to hold onto this again.

[ It's true, but he doesn't have to say it, the little frown on npc-kun's face like they want to argue this point but doesn't. ]

I want to eat imoni.

[ Because it's dark and they can't see shit and it's already hard to breathe in the darkness so how are they going to make it when there's pressure from all sides and nobody will hear them underwater no matter how hard they yell? ]

And we can set the flashlight on the side of the pool, so we can see.

[ They're going to swim— no, actually, they're going to cling to the pool's edge only in this beam of light and nowhere else, thank you. ]

...It'll be fulfilling.

( komaeda will probably have to google that to learn how to make it, if only he had his phone... there's no point in saying yes or no, because what he makes in the end will be what they eat. as for everything else, his eyes look to the side once amami lets him go, and he opens and closes his hand once that freedom is his again. )

I don't really need to see, but we have two so... one could go in a plastic bag just for you to hold onto.

( whether that keeps the water out or not... he doesn't know, but they didn't need it when they were on the beach. )

Underneath the water is all sorts of things: starfish, clams, and ah... the shells, they could be as big as your hand, and some have the ocean hidden inside... that way you can take it home, and remember your time there.

( okay, good luck with that koma-moni, amami will make something edible in the back while they do that. anyway... )

That sounds good to me for the flashlight.

( it's a flashlight, which means it's not plugged into anything, which means the worst that can happen if it gets wet is it sputtering out and they only have one dry flashlight. they can live with that as long as the remaining light stays safe. with that decided, he'll look back to kamo-kun, all expectant but still patient. )

You ready?

( he's not against scooping them up to carry, but he'll give them a chance to be all independent (or cling to komaeda at the same time) if they want to do that instead. )

npc contact.1

full navigation

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)