loveedition | starsand // starnet DM / open post

[ Right. Focus. Focus... on her. On what she wants, on carving out her own happiness. She decides to head in, trying to regain some brain cells of her own.

What, more than anything, does she want right now?

...of course, that was the first thing to come to mind. ]

I won't lie and say I feel fine... but, it's a little better?

[ Okay. She'll let Yuuto focus on Inaba. Ryoko has no idea of how much she actually read of what she wrote, but she'll retain her trust in Yuuto.

...which... leads her to ask. ]

Um... about spending time together. When we do that, do you mind um... helping me shop? There's something I'm looking for.

[Yuuto reaches up to brush any snow off of her head before they enter the cafe. As nice as privacy is, he doesn’t want to be best friends with a popsicle. He doesn’t expect her to be fine yet, but hearing that the tears helped is nice-

Until she asks to spend time together.

Oh right. He hasn’t told her. And doesn’t plan to.]

Yeah, I’d love to help. But it would have to be tomorrow? Or… spontaneously next week…

[ ...

Where on Earth is he going this time? Well... ]

It wouldn't, no. I have a month to spare, so if you'll be back before the 24th of December, I'd--

...[ She clears her throat. ]

Available. Before then. I meant available.

[She didn’t ask questions! He wins! He fooled her!

This victory feels kind of bad, actually!!!]

Yes, I’ll be free before then! Is it a Crimhoss gift?

[ Crimhoss... At least Chris Mass sounded close enough? ]

Yeah. I need to get a good Christmas gift...

[ No. There's no sense in lying about it. Seeing how excited her friend was for the holiday season, how hard she's working, how amazing it is when she lights up talking about Christmas, and how considerate she's being...

She can't help herself anymore. ]

I want to take a step forward. It's scary, and I might mess things up, but... even if I don't say what I need to, I can at least get a gift that says it for me.

[ It's vague, but on the other hand. Saying it out loud is scary too. ]

Is it a gift for Aisaka-san?

[ Ryoko's quiet. And then, she laughs, slightly. ]

You know, you're no fair, Yuuto.

You got to say it to her before I did.

[Gears... turning...]

Ah- You figured out that you love Aisaka-san.

[ She wants to deny it. If not that, she'd want to tell him that she doesn't know what kind of 'love' it is. The same that she feels for him, the same that she felt for Yuki.

No, she's certain. It's what she reached for with Fauna. It's what she hoped she would've felt for Kakyoin. Instead... ]

Yeah. I did.

[He smiles. Knowing full well that Ryoko has struggled with this topic for a long time and relieved to hear that she has an answer. It makes going away so much less terrifying.]

I'm glad... I'm happy for you, Ryoko.

Mm. I'll help you shop for her.

Thank you.

[ With that... kind of difficult revelation out of the way, with her words and her concerns and anxieties out in display... she places her hands on her cheeks and gives them the tiniest slap.

...They're indoors, and it'd be rude to disrupt the other patrons. ]

Okay! Okay, I'm leaving that at the door! I'll face the rest of it later! Don't mind beam!

[ ...except she hasn't "aimed it" anywhere?! ]

Edited 2022-11-17 13:14 (UTC)

[Yuuto has to look back at the door and use his brain, before he understands. Right- They've both hurt enough for one day. He would rather find joy in the answer that Ryoko found than he'd like to overthink the lingering sadness.

So he nods, grinning back.]

Mm! Let's get our drinks and enjoy the snow... There's still some time before bed!

[ Hooray drinks!! Especially hot chocolate sans-chili powder. It wasn't particularly awful, but it just wasn't the same. So, when she sips-- ]

Aaah, that's really nice!

Is hot* chocolate really that uncommon where you’re from?

[To Yuuto, the ‘hot’ means spicy. He’s followed her lead with his drink and looks perplexed by the taste.]

No wonder you laughed at me for thinking pumpkin spice was spicy…

It's not uncommon, but it's... it's a little lost in translation. Hot Chocolate is called that because the temperature of it is hot, not the spices. Like how a hot pepper doesn't necessarily need to be cooked for it to be hot.

Eh~ But then it’ll become cold or warm chocolate if you don’t make it at the right temperature…

[Well. He’s at least trying to understand the ‘hot chocolate’ of Ryoko’s world.]

I’ve been to a lot of other worlds, but I guess I never tried their hot chocolate… I must have been missing out. This isn’t bad. Just plain.

[Then again, Yuuto did ask for expresso in his. He really doesn’t want to fall asleep.]

You really want to live here? Even though we make ‘pepper chocolate.’

That's why you have to drink it hot. It doesn't taste as good... oh! You know what, we need to try topping it off with whipped cream next time! There's different ways to make it less plain.

[ Hot chocolate isn't really her specialty, but she could figure it out. ]

Yeah. If something like that was enough to scare me off, I feel like that'd be insulting to everybody.

Whipped cream? That sounds fun... Maybe I could do something like latte art with it.

[Tail wagging-]

I'm glad that you want to stay... You'll be my first friend who isn't temporary. Making hot chocolate, going for walks, watching the seasons pass... I'm really excited to do those things with you, Ryoko.

Mm. I'm excited too.

[ That... for some reason, hurts to hear. The first one that isn't temporary. Her.

No, she's going to smile through it. ]

If that's okay. But, please, can I ask one thing of you?

You could ask a million things of me!

...if... if things get really bad for me... like, if it feels like I'm at my absolute lowest... please, try to send me back.

[ She exhales, taking another sip of her cocoa. ]

If I turn, I don't know if anyone here could do anything about it. At least, as much as I don't want to go back... the other magi will know what to do.

[And he stops drinking his in favor of looking worried,]

What would they do that we can’t?

[ She hesitates. She really shouldn't give him more to worry about, but she knows that... if her gem wasn't purified recently, she would have come close.

Even sprouting a Nightmare seemed bad, but they may be able to do something about that. If it was a Witch... ]

If I became a monster, would you try to save me? Even after I turn?

[... It must be serious if she doesn't filter these thoughts for him. After all, Yuuto is also at risk of becoming a Distortion. He only lets himself think of that briefly, in order to empathize with her, before focusing properly on his friend.]

Mm, I would. And I'm really stubborn.

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