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npc contact.2
As the game progresses, different npc faculty and students will become available for threading. To request a thread, please comment below with the name of the npc and the ic date in the subject header. Threads may be cut short due to mod availability, so please have a reason in mind for the interaction.
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as long as keigo keeps petting his head he seems content?]
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leans in to smell Subaru? What does he smell like, can a normal person's nose even tell ]
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more seriously he smells faintly like whatever shampoo he borrowed to use lately from natsume so it's probably fruity, though keigo can remember he generally smells like the outside when they've hugged. like how you "smell like sunshine"? that kind of thing.]
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... ]
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he just...
...
ah fuck it, he's pulling back with keigo in his arms so subaru's the one who's holding them close, they can situate themselves however needed for comfort but he's done being the spoiled kouhai they don't wiggle around enough for his energy levels. maybe it's easier if they're in his lap given how short they are? whatever, subaru gonna nuzzle them again, voice scratchy at how hard he's trying to be Quiet.]
Whatcha thinkin' about, Keigo?
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I was thinking you remind me of home. Way waaaaay back when things were... [ ... ] Happy. [ happier? happy. ] When I was never alone, and never doubted I was loved. That far back.
[ When they were maybe three. And maybe biased, trying desperately to hold onto what good memories they could of that time, however vague, and letting everything else wash away. ]
What about you? What are you thinking about?
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Well, now you've got me thinking of home too. Before I was just wondering if I weirded you out by saying you smelled good, Natsume gets onto me about that, too.
[smelling people... just saying how he feels.... yeah]
Was it really that far back? Way, waaaaay back. [...] I'll trade a story with you, of when things were "normal" for me in exchange for your "happy".
[he knows a few, like the shadow game they used to play with their older brother. the songs they were taught. how the rocks they sell belonged to their brother, and the "happiness" those simple stones contain. someone had to give them that thought, be it an aside or directly told, and it blossomed over time.]
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[ Not weird enough to be a deterrent, but still weird. ]
But okay. You go first.
[ They're actually going to pull out of the hug and scoot back a little, because they like looking somebody in the face when they tell stories, so they can see the other person's expressions and gestures that paint a more vibrant picture than words do alone. ]
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but a "normal" story... subaru gets himself comfy, picking at a stray thread off his pants. the sort you get from moving around too much. he's still smiling, and while it's not forced it's definitely not beaming. more fond, like dappled sunlight.]
Dad was always a busy guy. [he thinks he's mentioned that, or at least alluded.] He was an idol, someone who shined and sparkled for so many people on a stage bigger than you could ever imagine. But when he came home, he was just... Dad. It wasn't often, [he gets why now, he does remember saying that,] so I was always super, super stoked.
[the way only a kid who doesn't get to see their busy parent often does, never resenting the busyness and simply being happy they came home at all.]
We didn't have much of a yard, but it was the perfect size for a kid, a dog, and a dad to play catch in. Daikichi, [he grins, biting back a laugh,] kept trying to jump for the ball, but was always a little short. It was fun playing puppy in the middle, and Mom'd join us from time to time, too.
[when she had free time, when she wasn't working into the night to make ends meet. he remembers the hidakas had helped, or seiya mentioned something like that, but all he remembers is sitting in front of the television, waiting with dinner from the fridge, for the familiar click and sigh of his mother, tired but happy to be off. not at home, because you can't call someplace you stay for a month or three if you're lucky home, but a shelter nonetheless.
... normal, when it was four and not three.
subaru rests forward on his knees, cupping his cheeks in his hands to keep the smile up and not from falling away. there's no tears, because he's long since dried them due to necessity, but a yearning for those days once more despite his easy-going and light tone as he sighs.]
Maaan, I miss playing baseball~. It's so fun, chasing the ball around. ☆
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...That sounds nice.
[ Normal. Mundane. The sort of life they yearn for. It makes them smile, a little nostalgic, a little jealous. ]
Were you bad at catch? Since you had to chase the ball so much.
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[that's all.........]
The moment one's pass or thrown, I've gotta be the one there to catch it! It's so fun~.
[that's..... that's all.......]
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...
...
reaches for a sheet of construction paper to wad up into a ball and toss it in the air to see what happens ]
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anyway subaru tilts his head (like a dog) at the paper at first, but when it crunches into a ball he gets what they're doing and is at Attention (like a dog), waiting until they toss it up before hopping up to catch it!!!! in his hand (not like a dog)]
If you wanna really see me gun it, get someone with a good arm to throw one of the less tattered baseballs. ☆
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I've got a good arm. I don't have any baseballs right now, but I am very good at throwing rocks.
[ They can probably find one the size of a baseball... harder to throw than one that fits in the palm of their hand, but you make do with what you have. ]
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...
...
...
he's gonna squeeze their bicep.]
I'd believe it. Rocks are fun to throw, I could probably catch anything you swing.
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...
...
yeah, there's not much there. It's subjective, okay? They're good at throwing, in their own personal opinion, which is the only opinion that matters. ]
Yeah. Maybe we can play catch someday. I've never played.
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I'll toss underhand for you.
[like you do for a kid. there's no judgement, just like the star thing, because he has plenty of "first time" experiences with friends. he only had friends over for the first time last year, for example, same with a sleepover. the one they had earlier this month marks his second one ever.
he had technical ones with his unitmates and his class, but not with friends for fun...]
Your turn.
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My turn...? Oh.
[ Right. A happy memory. It takes longer for them to think up on, not having any one scene particularly in mind, just a nebulous "I used to be happy" somewhere far down the line. Happy... happy... ... ...
hm.
...
...
... ]
...it's not something I remember, but Aniki tells me that when I was born, dad called to say he's coming home as soon as he can. It was the middle of the night, and we were all already asleep... me, and mama, and my big brother and sister, all piled together in the same bed. And when it was morning, dad was there asleep with us too, still wearing his work clothes.
[ It was maybe one of the few times their entire family was there in one place all at once. It's a happy memory. One told to them again and again and again any time they asked, embellished with details that maybe change slightly here and there between versions of the story, but enough that they can close their eyes and see and feel it happen and it feels real. ]
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You sure have a big family... I'm kinda jealous, I'm an only child~. Sorta! Daikichi's my brother, but it's not the same.
[you can teach your dog tricks, and you can teach siblings tricks he guesses? but there's a difference. he just knows it. because sally~ has a little sister and the way he talks about her makes subaru feel like he's missing out, but at least he has shinonon to fill the void......]
This is the first time I've heard you mention a sister, though! What's she like? Did you play fun games with her too?
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She's the best! She would talk to me all the time, and she'd tell me all about what she's doing and the people who've caught her attention and fun things that are going on at school or around town. She gives reaaaaaally good advice, and I could come to her with any problem and she'd make it better.
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(no one tell him.)]
I wanna meet her! She sounds like a ton of fun~. [...] But I guess she's not around a lot, huh? Otherwise, I definitely would've met her by now~.
[how often he goes to their shop, and stuff... maybe he should offer to take over for a day so they can do things that aren't peddle wares. would that be alright? he thinks he'd like to choose the rocks people get...]
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Mmhm. [ is all they say about that, but more like a confirmation of fact. Of course they miss her too, but her voice is in their head all the time, different from a brother whose face and voice and everything they haven't known for years. ]
She lived with mama, while it was me and Aniki. And dad. [ like an afterthought ]
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So you guys were split, huh...? That's rough. But I'm glad you still got to see her, or hear from her at least -- having someone like that in your life feels like it'd make things a lot... easier.
[in a lot of different ways. someone you know will always be there, to talk to you and recognize you, to make sure you know you exist. whether it's a friend or a sibling, stuff like that is important.]
A lot less lonely, anyway~.
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[ It was a lot less lonely, especially after their brother died and it was just them in an empty house. A voice isn't really the same as the person being there, but if they close their eyes, they can feel her presence and it's good enough even if they can't remember her face. ]
You're an only child... but you had a lot of friends, right? There's always people following you around school.
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smiling! but keigo can't tell if it hits his eyes since he's got them firmly down. this is foolproof. even his voice won't falter, light and casual.]
Nope. Not until the past couple years, anyway. I moved around a lot, so I didn't really get to make any friends~.
[...]
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