yogen | when the bubblegum pops

Entry tags:

mo dao zu shi: meng yao

when the bubblegum pops

Who: Rantarou Amami & you

What: September catch-all

When: September & some backdates

Where: Various locations

Warnings: TBA

01.) the world lights at your smile
•　open — 08/27-31, around the school

( it's true that, the morning after he opens his eyes in the courtyard once more, amami doesn't waste any time on checking up on the people he feels like he needs to speak to. at the same time, it's a pretty short list, and half of them are gone. how much of a difference does it really make if he comes back one week or the next anyway? if he doesn't go out of his way to find someone though, it's still entirely possible to see him around the school — borrowing a sketchbook from the art room, taking some notes in the music room, or moving what seems to be an obscene amount of money into his locker. noticing the presence of anyone he hasn't seen in a while, he'll offer a wave and a warm smile in the midst of whatever he's doing.

on the 27th in particular, he can be found rummaging through a locker that some might recognize is clearly not his. the first twenty minutes or so are spent haphazardly scribbling notes down from a series of stickies pinned up against the locker door. the remainder of the time is spent picking out belongings from the locker one-by-one to take a look at before he decides whether he should drop them into a backpack that's half-slung over his shoulder. to his credit, he doesn't seem to be interested in too much of it, putting the majority back in after a cursory glance, but it's entirely possible that it could stand out to someone familiar with locker 097. )

02.) and shines at the sound of your laugh
•　open — anywhere, any time

( have an idea? feel free to throw anything else my way, or if you're unsure, you can hit me up via pm or at kagehira! )

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[it's been a few days since...everything's happened. she wanted to give him space, let him breathe, since it must have taken such a deep toll. but today, she thinks, she might find him somewhere. tucked in her bag is an extra sandwich, made for him - he might not even be hungry, but it would be something for him to have in case he was forgetting to take care of himself.

it's simply a desire she has, to listen to his voice again and see if he's mending. not healed, not after all that, but mending. so it is that the tapping of her cane travels around, and she looks for him. asks others where he might be. it's after classes, and she still hasn't managed - to corner him at the dorms might be too public a place.

one more time, and then she'll give up for the day.]

( yeah, it might not be a surprise she hasn't found him so far — he's spent most of the week in one of his lesser known spots.

so helena will find herself tap tap tapping her way into the library, where he's been sighted somewhere towards the back surrounded by a veritable mountain of textbooks, wearing a pointedly annoyed expression as he flips through a book, sighs, sets it aside, and repeats the process with the next. who knew catching up on classes you skipped the majority of the first term for would be so hard? especially when you're less the type who's inclined to calmly sit and do math homework when there's exploring, investigating, and chatting with keigo and rika that you'd much rather be doing.

it's probably the sighing that helps her identify him when she approaches, rather than anything else. )

[definitely a sigh she knows and can tell. emerging from behind book mountain is Helena, with a small smile on her face and a curious tilt of the head.]

Which class is giving you trouble?

[he's not a nerd like her that got desperate and read her textbooks over summer break. he actually lives his life - but here, she might be able to help some.]

( it does catch him by surprise, hearing her speak up — he'd been so focused on trying to focus, that he'd missed the approach. he gives a look to the open book in front of him, and looks like... )

Oh, uh, chemistry. I haven't started on the book for lit either, but I'm thinking I might just wait 'til the next one to start fresh for that class.

( he does not know why chemistry was his chosen science, because he's way more of a physics guy, maybe even biology, but for some reason... yeah, chem's what he's (trying to) focus on for the day. a pause, and he'll lean back in his chair to glance in her direction. )

What are you up to here, Helena?

( she may be able to tell, if she's been attentive to anything she may have overheard of his voice in the past couple days, that it sounds lighter. just a bit for now, but it's something. )

Looking for you, actually. I hadn't seen you in a few days - I was hoping you were doing okay.

[no sense hiding it, not when it's been her day's mission. and with the way his voice sounds, she thinks it's alright to admit this.]

It's been quite an eventful few days. I can't help but worry about everyone else in the wake of it.

Me? ( man pointing at self image. )

You don't have to worry about me, I'm fine.

( two people died; he's one of the murderers, remember? )

I do appreciate the thought though.

You said that exact same thing before, when you were in the infirmary, and as we both know, decidedly not fine at that moment in time. So forgive me if I don't quite believe you immediately.

[her hand rests on the table, a marker in space to guide her.]

I'll simply repeat what I said before, I can't help worrying about my friends.

And I was fine — comparatively.

( kamo-kun was literally fighting for their life and losing in the bed next to him, so excuse him if he didn't want to make it the amami show. there's a grimace, but it's followed by a bit of a huff meant to dispel his distaste for that comment. )

I mean it though. I'm doing better, so it's okay, and...

( ... )

You did hear what happened, didn't you?

Of course I did. All of us did. It would be impossible to escape from what happened, really.

[she's not ignorant of any of the facts. and that little smile on her face seems to say you essentially told me, anyway.]

Would it?

( y'all were kind of running around like some headless chickens for at least a little while there. he's tapping his pencil against the desk now, restless, maybe a little anxious. while it's true that he knows helena's smart enough to solve it, practically told her outright himself, yeah, he also knows that what he did isn't something typically regarded positively by most sane people. so, well, the doubt that lingers is still enough for him to question her on it.

a few moments, and the tapping stops, holding the pencil maybe a little bit tighter than he entirely needs to. )

Most people... wouldn't want to call me a friend after all of that, y'know.

( if she needs an out, he'll offer one... )

[she's not the type to brag about what she did, especially when it was something so delicate. it would be asking for praise when the only thing she had wanted was to turn the tide, to change the look in people's perspective. to make them turn, and listen, and not regard the parts that painted him worse. and it had worked, and so she never will bring it to light, when he's been recovering.

instead, she reaches into her bag, and pulls out a small paper wrapped package, the exact size of a sandwich. it is a sandwich. one of the kinds that can be eaten regardless of temperature.]

I don't think you can eat it here, but I don't know if you had lunch yet.

[it is her answer to his question.]

Oh.

( oh. he'd been expecting her to take the out, so when she reaches into her bag, that's confusing. when she holds out the sandwich, he just kind of blinks at it for a long moment. catches himself quick enough, mind you, but it's certainly a noticeable delay before he accepts it. glancing to the side, back to her, his expression is a little sheepish even if she can't see it, but maybe it leaks into his voice too when he manages to think of something to say. )

Did you... bring this for me?

( is that presumptuous of him to ask? it could've been a coincidence after all, something convenient she happened to have. but she said it was him she was looking for, and didn't seem to hesitate in handing it over... )

Thanks, Helena. That's really thoughtful of you.

[she nods when he asks, to make it undeniable. she brought this for him - made it for him, actually, and it's an entirely opposite reaction. she hears that emotion, knows it might surprise him. but two things are in his favor - she likes him, thinks he's a decent person, and the faker had been out to kill him. automatically, she would have supported him. that he saved Keigo as well? even better. she wouldn't have easily forgiven him with that death.]

You're welcome. I merely thought...you've been doing a lot of looking after other people. But sometimes the reverse is nice too, right?

[that, and she's older. she can still pull that.]

... Yeah. Yeah, it is.

( listen, he might not wholly expect it — might not understand why he's receiving it, but far be it from amami to be outright ungrateful when kindness is offered to him. setting the sandwich aside for a moment, there's a smile on his lips as he replies, even if it still doesn't sound like he entirely knows what to do beyond it. well, aside from repaying it, of course. )

I appreciate it, but you're the same, yeah? Let me treat you too some time. I'm a good cook — promise.

( but also... it'd be rude not to eat it, and he doesn't actually enjoy the studying here all that much today, even if the library is usually a place he's pretty fond of for leisure. for now, he'll take a break. stacks up his books so that he can move a couple of them to the backpack he's got with him, and pull himself to his feet. )

You're probably a far, far better one than me. I know enough to not starve should I be left alone for a while, and that's the extent of it.

[she hears that motion, and tilts her head a little.]

Where are you going?

Well, I'm pretty sure you're not supposed to eat in the library, right?

( it's a pretty standard rule, and amami likes libraries, so he tends to respect those when it comes down to it. )

Oh! Right, right. Do you mind if I accompany you?

[if he's actually going to eat it, that makes her happy, and she can probably get some kind of snack for herself to make it less awkward. but privately, she's just happy that he's eating something at all. it's easy to forget, easy to let that part of yourself slide by until it was actually a problem, but it doesn't need to be.]

Yeah, of course. I'd appreciate the company — after so long looking at these books, I could use a little conversation to refresh.

( his brain feels like he's melting, but he'll swing the bag over his shoulder and start his way towards the entrance, pausing just a moment to look over his shoulder make sure that helena won't be left behind. )

And these aren't even the sort of books that are fun to talk about.

[she's tapping away, following him at his pace! no worries there.]

If you want those, you have to really hunt through the stacks - I'm a professional by this point at that very thing.

Oh yeah, no kidding. If you talk to Komaeda-kun though, I'm sure he'd help you find some, no problem.

( or maybe if she said that amami told her to go to him? anyway, point remains: komaeda's got a lot of luck when it comes to finding a good library book. anyway, once they reach the doorway, he'll take a quick glance around. )

Where do you suppose we should go? Anywhere in particular you like to sit?

The roof, though that's a little far just for lunch. Still, it's the best place on campus to feel a breeze, or just to be able to think.

[or play your record and pretend for a little while that none of this was real.]

Where do you normally go?

( well, the obvious answer is the student store, but he'll think it over a bit more. )

Roof's fine. I'd rather be outside, but I'm not a big fan of the courtyard when I can avoid t.

( got some reasons for that but, anyway... )

The roof it is, then. Let's go before you get too hungry.

[she has the path up through the fourth floor memorized by now, but tapping her way through is a comfort, a familiar thing. and to go with a friend, it's even better.]

I think I'll make it.

( said with a bit of a smile, but yeah, he'll follow along after her lead. )

How's this week been on you though... You getting by?

That's a good term for it. Mostly I've just been focusing on classes and tutoring some people...it keeps me busy if I'm not trying to write.

[and it means she has pocket money to give to npc-kun...who deserves all the money in the world.]

I would try to cook more, but I'm no good with knives. Everyone would get too impatient with how slow I can get.

when the bubblegum pops

09/23, where in the world is amami rantarou

library :)

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