yogen | npc contact.2

-—in the Sawtooth Mountains, and they followed the lives of Akai and Makuyi and the rest of the pack as they have new litters each year, and—-

[ npckun pulls Amami into the elevator and presses the button to the fourth floor and faces the door, chattering on and on about this wolf pack nature documentary they'd been watching.

They don't even see Rokuro and Komaeda back there. ]

( oh, cute, they are having such a time, and amami's pretty sure he remembers this one actually. he's so busy watching them go on that he almost misses the two freaks hiding in the corner of the elevator too — just catches them out of the corner of his eye though, and after a moment of surprise he brightens visibly. there's a smile, and he gives a half-wave of his hand to greet them (mostly rokkun) before glancing back to kamo-kun. can't let them think they're being neglected. )

Right, right, I remember that one. They were named in Siksika and Sioux, yeah? It's a library, so I'd say there's a pretty good chance they'll have some decent documentaries there.

[ WHY IS HE WAVING can't believe Amami's out there stealing his brother and has the audacity to brag about it ]

( komaeda's going to wave back because OO!!! an ultimate, they've been noticed until amami turns away, and komaeda frowns a little because it was so short-lived. he'll look at rokkun...

looks at the red button.

...
...
...
...

brain thinking about it.

there's too many people in here komaeda might go insane, actually. )

I hope they have it! I want to see the part where they finally get close up shots of the wolf pups coming out of the den for the first time and they're soooooo cute!

[ The elevator feels like it's taking forever to go up two floors. ]

Even if they don't, maybe they'll bring it in for next time if we ask.

( movie night can be every night if they will it to be. but it's fine, because now that they're off the stairs the time cube has released them and the elevator doors will open soon enough. though when amami steps out, he'll pause, using his free hand to hold the door from closing with a look to the other two. )

Your stop?

( he might not be in on what the plan necessarily is anymore, but he can at least assume that this is? probably intentional. komaeda will handle it. )

Amami-kun! You're such a gentleman...!!

( ecstatic, he's going to get up, and he's thinking of darting past rokkun — he really is, but he stops, and holds out his hand for the other to take if he wants it. if rokkun takes it, komaeda's going to pull them both out so he can explicityly direct his attention towards the ultimate here. )

How did you know... You must be the Ultimate Mind Reader, because you're always on my mind. Yes, it's our stop... I was bringing my boy friend ( too many people got excited and then my brain got big to add a space. ) here to witness your glory days, Amami-kun, but where are you two headed?

( do they all have the same idea? of course, he directs his attention towards the shopkeeper next. ) P-kun, you ignored me... but it's fine, I can live with a broken heart...

Edited 2021-10-07 03:26 (UTC)

[ That's Rokkun losing his mind and taking Komaeda's hand without thinking, letting himself be pulled out of the elevator and staring at npckun all the while— but they aren't looking at him, they look at Komaeda instead, the hand not holding Amami's reaching for Komaeda's free one like they're all joining hands in a circle or something except Rokkun would never take Amami's hand to complete it. ]

I wasn't ignoring you, I just didn't see you! Tarou-nii and I are going to the roof for breakfast, but you're not invited because it's just me and him today.

[ Imagine Rokkun looking angry at "Tarou-nii" I really do wish he had angrier icons but he seethes and sulks instead. ]

( "but you're not invited," inner wince at that one. ice cold, kamo-kun, but it's fine. amami laughs it off, if with a little embarrassment. )

Haha, sorry, Kamo-kun. It looks like these two had the same idea we did.

( for their date? he guesses. that would explain a lot, actually. )

It's not like we can block them off from the roof, y'know.

( or, what he's trying to say, without breaking his agreement with them, is that they're perfectly fine to come along too. he kind of glances to rokkun, but also, rokkun is presumably not looking too happy about the situation, so maybe he's not going to complete the circle. he'll pocket his other hand for now, looking a bit sheepish about the whole thing. )

( npckun can have the mechanical hand, which komaeda holds onto them gently while making sure his organic one keeps rokkun close by. he'll squeeze gently so that he doesn't... get stressed out, because he's known him long enough for when he seethes and sulks. )

Hm... we'll be on the other side, so we won't bother the company that you two will be sharing! ...I bet if Amami-kun made it, it has to taste wonderful.

( maybe they should have gotten something to eat, komaeda is hungry, but that's for another day. ) Make sure you eat it all, P-kun...

( but the thing is, he's going to look back to watch rokkun... he smiles softly maybe thinking... what he does for hinata to make him cheer up will help, but... maybe hinata's simple for komaeda's smiles so who knows. ) If the lilies are out, those would be nice to see together...

( come on, don't be emo... )

[ It's like every word that comes out of Amami's mouth serves only to infuriate Rokkun further, and he has to clench his teeth and unfortunately dig his nails into Komaeda's organic hand to keep his shit together and not lash out in front of somebody who is maybe possibly his kid brother.

Not emo. He's angry, and he lets go of Komaeda's hand completely.

... ]

Rantarou, can I talk with you for a minute? [ """talk""" ] Nagito, we'll meet you two upstairs.

( ohhh yeah, that's not a happy expression at all. still, it's not like amami's trying to piss him off, so if rokkun wants to """talk""" then amami will go along with it. meeting the other's eyes for a moment, he gives a kind of resigned smile before glancing back to kamo-kun, opening his hand to let theirs go too for now. )

I'll be right there, 'kay?

( okay, well now he has marks on his hand too, thanks for that rokkun, but it's a simple warning that komaeda doesn't ignore. his one hand holds onto npckun's, making sure they don't wander off or anything. )

I told you last night not to leave me...

( and here he is, leaving! yet, he looks off to the side, and it's hard to really do anything when amami is also willing to engage with him. )

...What do you want to do P-kun, this was you and Amami-kun's day... after all.

( can't believe this asshole leaves all these marks on komaeda, and then does this!! wtf. )

[ 3 AM Rokkun was not thinking right, and neither is 6:whatever AM Rokkun, because okay, maybe he totally ruined everybody else's day, but he needs to take Amami aside, deck him across the face, and then he'll feel better. He can't even look at the shopkeeper who he's sure has a nervous expression on his face, and he'd bet his college tuition fund that the kid is stuck to Komaeda's side, slightly behind his legs like he would do when he was very young.

Not thoughts he wants in his head right now, so he waits until the other two are down the hall and walking up the stairs to the roof before rounding on Amami, arms crossed in some attempt to keep the bloodlust contained but it's a losing battle. ]

Do not call him that ever again.

( the anger is pretty much radiating off of rokkun in waves, yeah, and amami's no stranger to that kind of feeling. the words shouldn't really come as a surprise to him, but he can't say that he'd been expecting them either. in the end what he offers is a slow blink, and with a tilt of his head, the light smile doesn't fall from his features. his brows do draw together more apologetically though. if it were anyone other than rokkun, maybe he'd have a different response, but... knowing the situation, it's not like amami doesn't understand where the sentiment might come from. )

Hey now, no need to be so serious. It's what they asked me to call them, I think they'd be pretty upset if I stopped and they didn't know why.

( the not knowing is the key part here, but anyway. )

Still, it's good you were able to show.

[ The hurt shows on Rokkun's face and he wishes it didn't, wishes he could wipe that smug grin off Amami's face but for all his anger and frustrations, it's the hurt that rises above his neck and threatens to drown him.

He would have been angry but able to accept it if Amami had found out the same way Komaeda found out, inadvertently stumbling across a memory nobody was ever supposed to see. But for his brother to give away that name— and it really does feel like giving away, from the hands of the brother who bestowed it upon him in the first place, to the hands of somebody else— somebody Kogamo clearly cares about, somebody who is taking care of him, who he calls a brother, who is doing what is supposed to be Rokuro's job but he's been... replaced. He isn't needed anymore. Kogamo is happy— thriving— without him. It's all Rokuro had ever wanted and he should be happy about it but instead, the hurt feels like drowning.

He squeezes his eyes shut tight, wills himself to not cry, and opens them again. ]

Why is he here?

[ How is he here? Why? ]

( buddy, he's a transfer student, and checking the calendar, the one time he guessed at what he's doing here he got rejected on it. he can't make solid or positive guesses for this trick question... )

I'd tell you if I knew, believe me, but I thought it was important for you to know that they are.

( because, even if they've started off on the wrong foot here, he'd still like to be optimistic. to think that things will turn out, or at least begin to turn at all. he's kind of counting on them to... that look of hurt after all, it's like a knife to the gut, and amami doesn't want to leave this misunderstanding here if he can help it. )

Listen, I know it... it probably looks pretty bad, yeah. I'm on your side though.

[ Yeah, it looks pretty bad!! He would love it if Amami were to drop dead right here and now. If he were really on Rokkun's side he would give his brother back— is what he would say if he didn't recognize what a childish notion it is to demand someone return the affections of another person. ]

There are no sides to this, Rantarou. He can't be here— I'm supposed to have graduated so I can go back and keep him from dying in the first place!

[ But if Kogamo is already dead, what the hell is he working so hard for? ]

( from "don't you ever call him that" to "there are no sides" kinda feels like a disconnect, but it's that last bit that really catches amami. he kinda looks at rokkun for a moment, visibly surprised, but listen — he's taking this seriously too. with a hand to his chin in thought, he might not know the objective details going on with that kind of statement, but he can draw one thing from it. )

Go back, huh?

( meeting rokkun's eyes, he's a little expectant. )

Then we'll just have to find a way for you to bring them with you when you do.

( if one of them can get a second chance, then who's to say both of them can't, together? )

[ There are no sides because he's right and everything else is invalid. ]

It's easy to make empty promises.

[ He has... no idea, does he? Not like Rokuro, who has been trying again and again for years and years, who's going to try one last time. Kogamo being here puts a wrench in his plan, one that feels like a mountain despite it realistically being a hurdle, and he thinks maybe it's because when he thinks of his brother, he sees the toddler with soft mochi cheeks making a game for himself of chasing his brother's shadow.

It's that child he needs to return to, it's that child that needs him. He doesn't want to have missed him growing up, to see him become somebody strong willed and independent because he had no other choice, for them to have died so young when he was supposed to be there to protect him.

...it's still his responsibility to protect him. ]

I'll be the one who's going to save him from this place. To save everyone... [ Whoever is left, anyways. He's not so stupid nor optimistic to think everybody will make it to graduation day. With that thought, ]

Rantarou. Promise me you'll take care of him. If you let anything happen to him, I'm leaving you behind.

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