i don't want to survive, i want to live

[mermaidcursed]

Who: Yes
What: Movie Night + Slumber Party 
When: 9/11, Saturday Evening
Where: Dorm Common Room 
Warnings: A ridiculous amount of Fluff, probably

( it starts out small. a need for comfort food, and a need for something heartfelt but silly and fun, something genuine and kind. ... and, well, she did find a weird. bootleg vhs set of her favorite movie series, hamster space wars. but the dorm is only barely furnished- and it's not like they can just go out and buy a tv or anything. honestly she completely doubts there's even anything beyond the woods. but she remembers a teacher playing the thing and other stuff in the first month of all of this. 

it's so long ago...

but there's a television and a vhs player in the school. and nene... nene's tired and sad and is currently out of fucks to give, so at some point in the day, after everyone else has left, nene has returned to the school and, uh. "borrowed" both things. it's fine. they just have to get it back in by sunday evening. don't worry about it. like, it's definitely heavy but she's a tough cookie who tills soil and everything, and also sara and noah both witnessed everything and are accomplices by default, so they had to help carry things too. 

(they were completely happy to help on both accounts, she asked very nicely.) 

so the "borrowed" television is set up across from one of the larger couches, and the vhs on top of it. she had cookies in the oven, donuts and hot chocolate made and popcorn popped. the common room paintings are covered with sheets of cloth. all that was left was something cozy- but at this point, nene's made so many little cushions and blankets and even cozy pjs that that's super easy. all that was left was letting anyone who wanted to come know too. so at some point in the halls, nene walks down calling out: )

Cartoons in the common room! Bring blankets and stuff! 

( and, so everyone knows what their characters are getting into: hamster space wars is a movie series about different factions of hamsters that have been trying for cross planetary peace for ages now, with a villainous faction having sabotaged the final negotiations so they can control the war from the shadows to make the most money and also get the most seeds (Very Decadent). the first movie follows the main hamster and his little group trying to escape the villains after having witnessed the sabotage, and are trying to avoid assassination and end the war for good. the sequels follow allied factions, with hamster galactic wars being the Thrilling Conclusion. 

it's heartfelt. it's silly. it's very cute. nene loves it. )

Comments

[commences]

( it's their cart now... and komaeda will push it so npc-kun can have a little ride. )

I'm paying you with my labor.

( see!! )

[adsum]

[ our cart...

There's a little happy smile on their face that Komaeda doesn't tell them to get out ]

Hmmm... I'll think about it! Once we get the machine back, I'll decide how many pulls that labor is worth! Maybe I'll be extra generous if you can push me real fast!

[commences]

( ...when they ask for the cart and npc-kun replies our cart...

it is harder to push the cart, but he's doing just fine until he hears that pushing even harder will make them happy. he's silent, thinking on their request, and there's a few bumps as they go over the threshold of the room. )

It depends... can you hold on?

[adsum]

Yeah!

[ Except they don't so much hang on as they lower themselves as much as they can so they don't tip the cart off balance and make it harder for Komaeda to steel. Besides, Komaeda's the one who has to hold on so the cart doesn't go crashing into the wisteria tree. ]

[commences]

Let's gooooooo!

( who says komaeda has to make sure it doesn't steer into the wisteria when he's just going to push them out of the dorms, and hope his feet onto the bar below so that they can roll down the hill and pray that they don't hit the wisteria? use the hills and the bumps to accelerate the cart, it rocking back and forth with the wind going through their hair, and maybe smacking them in their eyes.

the rocks underneath them shooting off as the cart collides into them, the drumming sound of the body shaking within their "car"t, it being music to their ears aside from the wind rustling the petals and leaves of the wisteria. it's not that dark, but at least the moon will be their guide for now — )

[adsum]

[ Oh no it's night. They (I) were so excited about the cart ride that they had forgotten, until the two of them burst out of the front doors and start hurtling towards the building down the campus.

Okay... okay... It's not that dark, but it's still night. They'll be okay. They squeeze their eyes shut tight and focus on the crunch of rocks below them, the wind whipping past them, at the speed of the cart so they'll be able to tell the difference if Komaeda were to have let them go.

There is no steering. There is just bracing themselves for impact. ]

[commences]

( komaeda's like a dog, holding on with a smile as he watches with interest, wondering what will happen next — like if a wheel will pop off, or if something will crash into them, knocking them off course. he's more relaxed than npc-kun considering his life is always like this — ups and downs as they migrate through the slopes with ease, cart still shaking back and forth, and there's a moment where it alllllllllllllllllmoooooooooooooooooooost topples too far left, but that's komaeda leaning in the direction to turn it on their ride.

the plain of the courtyard is their playfield now, the wisteria tree before them as the carts wheels roll onto the petals, leaving behind tracks in their wake. they zip right by the wisteria, only an inch away from crashing into it, but komaeda's coat brushes up against it, along with the side of the car which gives off a nasty metal on wood sound, but nothing too troublesome. it causes it to shake though, the wheel twisting that causes the cart to turn a different direction, actually circling around the tree, once, then twice, enough to make a person dizzy if they aren't ready.

komaeda pulls back his leg, kicking at the wheel to pop it back into place properly, and they set off straight again after one more lap around the wistera —

... )

[adsum]

[ whyyy

it's that first initial lean that has npc-kun turning around in the cart, eyes flying open and looking up at Komaeda because if they do end up falling over then it's Komaeda's job to keep them from dying.

The courtyard is a blur in front of them, wind against their back and eyes fixed on Komaeda's face because they need something to anchor them within the darkness. Going backwards is scary, but at least they don't have to see where they're going. They can only see the tree when it's too late and they're already scraping the trunk, the loop-de-loops forcing them to turn around facing forward again and oh the building's fast approaching, they're going so fast

there's a way to stop, that requires going fast. npc-kun leans back, as far away from Komaeda as they can so the cart will be more balanced at the ends, and leans into the loop. ]

Powerslide!

[commences]

( what if they powerslide, and komaeda just so happens... because of his luck... just...

...

...

...

...

...

...

flies off AFTER the cart abruptly comes to a stop! )

[adsum]

[ Nooooooooooo they've killed Komaeda!!!

After checking that the cart is still okay and will work for the return trip, npc-kun scrambles to their feet and runs to where Komaeda is and immediately sticks their hands in his pockets because this is how they revived him all those times before. ]

[commences]

( he's in the bushes! that cushioned his landing.

...

...

...

not how the pockets keep him alive.

there's nothing in his pockets! but a stickbug crawls on npc-kun's hand??? )

[adsum]

[ why isn't the res working

npc-kun shakes their hand over Komaeda's face so that it falls on his face.

... ]

[commences]

Hey... stop trying to shake me off....

( which is the stickbug talking, but actually komaeda moving his lips talking for it. )

[adsum]

[ flops on Komaeda so they can wait for their heart to stop hammering from cart ride adventures, and in the meanwhile busies themselves with trying to wipe the stick bug on Komaeda's face, come on, let go ]

[commences]

( not the stickbug... it holds on, until, until... plop... onto komaeda's face.

and komaeda... smacks it away.

gross. )

He was your friend...

[adsum]

[ HE WAS THEIR FRIEND WHY'D HE SMACK IT AWAY-- ]

Hello! Congrats on surviving!

[commences]

( THAT WAS NPC-KUN'S FRIEND? )

...The bush looked out for me.

( looks around! raises hands up. )

We made it!

[adsum]

[ hands up in the air!!! ]

We made it! Now you have to get the machine on it and wheel us both back!

[ uphill......... even if it's a gentle slope uphill ]

[commences]

( they can think about that once they get it, so he's going to get up from the bush (bringing npc-kun along), and he'll push the cart into the building. )

Are you going to stay with everyone? I think they like you.

[adsum]

[ They'll give Komaeda a break and not insist on riding the cart inside the school, but...

... ]

I don't know. It's hard keeping up with so many people. I think I'll get tired very quickly.

[commences]

You're doing fine... ( is that fine for komaeda to say when he's tapping out as soon as he brings the rock gacha to them?

yeah. )

You'll have the time of your life, and then forget that you're tired!

[adsum]

[ No, don't just leave... at least play a few rounds of gacha while you're there

Still, they feel a little better about themselves, hearing that they're doing fine. ]

...You look like you're always having fun. I want to be like that.

[commences]

...

( is he having fun? he's silent at the compliment? would he call it that? this isn't about them. )

So I think you're on the right path, just play with them... they're all busy bodies who want attention and to meet more people... you'll do well, and fit right into their standards.

( him driving the cart into a wall so that it clatters and echos in the hall, he's doing so well here. )

[adsum]

[ ...

npc-kun redirects the cart so Komaeda stops walking into a wall ]

Why don't you think you fit? You give people attention. You play with them.

[ Their experience is a universal experience ]

[commences]

I've been told that I don't.

( he doesn't belong because of his mindset, sara has tried to kill him because of his actions to help the group, or maybe a selfish request on her end.

they deal with him because if they thin the group, then problems will come... he remembers natsume mentioning that. people forget his actions to accept him, and that's why hinata's even willing to exchange words with him.

... )

They're fun, but hope isn't a game, P-kun. K-kun ~

( ... )