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

[crystallomancy]

( If Natsume can earn friends by talking so can Mr. Shopkeeper. )

Hmmm... ( ... ) Be sincere with people and offer empaTHY. Listen to them when they TALK, and let them get to know you TOO. That last one's particularly imporTANT... You can't make people be friends with YOU, but you can do your best to show them why they should at least consider being SO.

[adsum]

Hmm.

[ Sincerity... empathy... listening... letting people know them...

They think maybe three or four of those things they can passably fake, but wow is making friends tough. ]

Why should people be your friend?

[crystallomancy]

Because they like you and find your presence worth something in their LIFE, be it because you make them happy or feel SAFE, because you're someone they can talk TO, or... because they just like YOU. Humans aren't logical creatures; they yearn for company as any other social aniMAL. Sometimes it isn't terribly deep why they befriend people aside from "it felt RIGHT".

( don't think so hard about it, bud. )

[adsum]

[ Oh.

These are all very good answers and now npc-kun can't admit they were going for a snide "why should people be your friend, specifically" ]

People really are complicated... This is kind of a discouraging answer, but thanks.

[crystallomancy]

( ? Natsume's great to be friends with. Look at this stellar advice, maybe 10% of which he takes himself on a good day, why wouldn't you want to be friends with. )

People are eaSY, as long as you know how to read THEM. I assumed you were asking for real friendship purpoSES, like a handful of the people here champION, but if you'd just like to use them in some way or anoTHER... ( Manipulate them or be able to snake oil salesmen them easier... ) Then it's simPLE.

You just tell them what they want to HEAR, whether or not that's how you really FEEL.

[adsum]

Oh, I do that in my job every day. I'm a very good salesperson.

[ People are out here buying stupid boring rocks; how many salespeople can say that? ]

...but it has to be real friendship, or there's no point.

[crystallomancy]

( No, they're only doing that because shopkeepkun has a cute face. )

Then I guess you'll just have to deal with the fact that people are complicaTED. ( c: but not unkindly said. okay— ) You'll just choose truth aGAIN, so I'll go ahead and ask you a quesTION.

( :|a ............ )

Are you having FUN?

[adsum]

[ Is that why people buy rocks out of pity, because they're cute

... ]

...Yeah, I'm having fun. Are you?

[crystallomancy]

( ... )

...Surprisingly SO. I don't usually participate in this type of THING.

( Mostly by choice—he doesn't want to become too friendly with people, because he thinks he doesn't need friends, but he can't lie: it's a lot of fun, acting his age and letting his airs fall off of him for a little bit. He won't admit it, but

there's a certain niceness that comes with being Natsume, instead of Natsume Sakasaki. )

I probably won't be participating for much longer eiTHER. ( He can't be Natsume forever, after all! Gotta resume being better-than-everyone and too-good-for-merely-hanging-out at some point tonight, go visit Haruka and then go to bed or something like that. ) Are you staying the NIGHT, or are you going back to the SCHOOL?

[adsum]

[ They don't either, and being around so many people while not peddling rocks makes them a little antsy, but ]

Maybe... yeah. Helena and Subaru says it's okay if I stay. Because tomorrow will be Sunday, and this is where most of my customers are.

[crystallomancy]

( ...........Natsume realizing this means they're gonna stay in his room huh. If it's Helena and Subaru, huh.

That's fine, that's fine. No one asks him about this stuff I'm crying )

It's best not to walk around on your own at night anyWAY. You never know what might hapPEN... ( ... ) And the gnats come out in full FORCE.

[adsum]

[ Yeah ('': ]

I don't like the night anyways, so... [ No problems here about being outside alone at night, it's not going to happen, even going out into the hallway makes them nervous which sucks if they have to use the bathroom even though it's right across the hall.

scrunches their nose at gnats, though ]

That's gross. Why would there be so many gnats? They go towards light, or rotting stuff.

[crystallomancy]

Who KNOWS? A friend of mine told me THAT.

( kazukisan my adored.

though rotting stuff... hmmmmmmm... )

We have a gnat problem ordinarily anyway—they insist on trying to come inSIDE, but it's only really been an issue during the hot MONTHS. ( ...dammit he wonders if it's because of [redacted] ) You've never noticed THEM?

[adsum]

[ shakes their head, and they're glad for it ]

I don't go outside at night. Not even around the school... If there's nobody else with me, I'd stay in the shop until morning.

[crystallomancy]

Not a fan of being on your own in the DARK?

( ...feels kind of mean to say that considering the other redacted he knows but uh anyway, )

A— ( what is subaru to him, not a friend but not something distant either, and he pauses, mouth shutting as he works through it. subaru is... ) Someone I know is much the same WAY.

( there. safe option. )

[adsum]

[ how many redacteds are there ]

Yeah... It's scary, not being fully aware of everything around you. I don't like it.