loveedition | starsand // starnet DM / open post

If it gets that bad, then you have a lot of other characters to turn to for help now! You aren’t alone.

I’m looking forward to seeing where the future takes you. If you need anything along the way, then please let me know.

Of course.

...ahh, you know, you might have a knack for this. This is a good start for your oden preparing skills.

Really? The great oden master Ryoko approves of my oden?!

I didn’t have time to let it sit and soak up the broth, so the fish cakes and tofu aren’t as flavorful as they could be… But I worked hard on the broth!

[His mind goes to “Akutagawa likes my cooking too,” and then “I should make him and Ryoko oden together!” Until finally:]

Oh right. Were you dating Aisaka-san?

[Gotta!!! Bring Akutagawa that tea!!! It’s his favorite.]

Of course! After a lot of hard work--

[ rhgkdhfgdhj ]

N-no?! Nothing like that! Really...!

Ehehehe. I thought so… Akutagawa and I weren’t sure.

[Well. Yuuto sorta figured, but he saw where Akutagawa got the idea too.]

Ah right. Do you mind if I text him and tell him that you’re okay? We were going to check on you together if you didn’t reply by the evening…

O-Oh. No, it's nothing like that.

[ She laughs it off. That was an understanding she absolutely had to avoid. Especially right now. Thank goodness Taiga wasn't there, that would've been a hell of a thing to deal with. ]

U...Um, sure. I... I guess I'm really surprised. I didn't expect him to worry about me so much.

[Yuuto takes out his Starnet device so that he can begin to text Akutagawa, but pauses when he hears Ryoko's observation. It doesn't surprise him. He loves his partner dearly, but even Yuuto can tell that Akutagawa is a hard read.]

He's never had this kind of peaceful life before, so maybe he still comes off as 'severe.' But he really is thoughtful and observant. Did you think that he didn't care about you?

[ ...there's a lot she could say. They've since had a chance to speak, and it was amicable. Even so, the conversation after... everything happened still tugged at the back of her mind. How angry she had gotten.

...maybe it was because when she had thought about it, after talking to Inaba, the situation hit far too close to home. She didn't want to think of any of them not trying... much less herself. ]

I couldn't tell. I mean... I suppose I've met people like that before, but... mm. I guess... I know you wouldn't be in love with someone that was actually awful.

[ Maybe? ]

[Yuuto sets the phone down for now, concerned. He knows that he can’t force people to like each other, but he’s protective of the ones he loves. He’s already gone to bat for Inaba and now he’s feeling protective of Akutagawa too, but-

It does sound like Ryoko is still trying. He pouts a bit at her comment.]

Of course I wouldn’t! Akutagawa is… nnn. [He stops himself. Right after a break-up is not the time to try to sell Ryoko on his boyfriend.

Yuuto circles back to the part that matters.]

Anyway, I’ll text him. He’ll be glad to know that you’re okay. He feels really strongly on things sometimes, so… [Yuuto doesn’t want him strongly worrying if he doesn’t have to.]

I hope you can get along…

...if it helps you feel any better, I don't necessarily dislike him. I kinda had the same experience with your brother honestly, and I like him well enough. Maybe given everything, first impressions are just kinda tricky?

[ But, either way. ]

Th-Thanks. I'll do my best, anyway. Let him know I appreciate his concern too.

Edited 2022-10-18 22:10 (UTC)

Eh..? Dimitri..?

[… Nope! Can’t argue that! Makes total sense that Dimitri might be rude to someone! It’s kind of how he is…

Yuuto laughs meekly.]

I’m very sorry about him… But maybe second impressions will be better! I think we’ve all been under a lot of stress lately… so we’re probably seeing a lot of the worst in each other, right? It took you and I a while to get comfortable with each other too.

[And then Yuuto went crazy and got on first name basis within a few months. He doesn’t want to waste their limited time together!]

Mmm. Honestly, all of us...

...

I think we could use something like Spirit Day to cheer us all up. I know it's for the spirits and kami, but being able to lift them up should help us too, right?

I bet it'd help me out just to serve oden again.

I agree! Maybe the Fallen Stars can hang out together? It could be a chance for everyone to get to know each other again and become friends. As long as things are peaceful, you all should enjoy them?

Right!

...and, uh. I'll be counting on my friends to pull me away if I wind up getting out of hand again. I'll do my best to show a little restraint for once...

Mm… Well. Um…

[There are some nervous tail swishes now,] What if um. We made plans to walk around the festivities together? For a bit? Then you’d have to take it easy..?

N-Not to blackmail you or anything!!! Is this blackmail? Am I threatening you?!

I mean it in a good way! A not weird way!!

What's the weird way supposed to be?!

[ ...actually, she waved that off. Don't tell her. ]

But... that's okay. I can make some time for that. Someone has to make sure you're not off doing who knows what while Akutagawa-san is fighting.

I-I mean… I was going to watch his matches. I think it’s kind of cool that he can fight.

[Yuuto frowns to disguise his shyness.]

I asked if I could fight too, but I got shut down. I wanted to help the Facility kids too. They’re my family…

--Would you really need to prove how strong you are to them, though? Considering they are your family, they'd already know.

Oh... Well. They don't know that they're my family..? I don't think they know me well at all. Except that I got kidnapped...

But don't they at least know you're a kami? You're meant to be pretty strong then, right?

[ She thinks so? ]

Nn, well... [He doesn't want to unload too much Facility information on her right now. It's hard enough without the added grief.]

For those kids, defeating other kami is the goal. I'm sure they're convinced I'm an easy target after all that happened while I was there. [Yuuto brushes off the memories with a sigh,] Point is! I could be doing more.

Mmm.

No, it's probably okay. Really, it's to convince them that we're strong enough, but not all of us have to show that off? It's showing our hand too quickly. With a bit of coordination, we could...

[ She trails off?! She's thinking about this in her head now. ]

You don't even know what my power is and you're trying to make a plan using me?

[Before she can panic about the implications, Yuuto smiles and waves his hand to signal calm. He's half-joking.]

Satou-san thinks the same thing. I think it could be true for some of the other Fallen Stars too. A lot of you have abilities that could be a real threat to those kids. It wouldn't be good to have those people targeted early. [There's someone is particular that he's thinking of, but her ability isn't even well known among the Fallen Stars.]

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