yogen | npc contact.3

[ Looks at the calendar... He would do this in the middle of finals week, wouldn't he. But he goes poking his head around the school and it doesn't take very long to find her sprawled out in the middle of the auditorium, lying on her stomach with her feet kicking idly in the air, writing on some papers in front of her.

Humming. ]

( What, he's not at risk of failing, he doesn't care what week it is...

He'll go over and drop the blanket next to her then, it's supernaturally warm, like it's just come out of the dryer but always. )

Hello THERE, Kudo-chan. I'll get straight to the point and tell you I want to talk about something imporTANT... Something that concerns the two of US.

Hm?

[ The papers get flipped over to the blank sides, and Chiaki props herself up on her elbows, like a seal. Is this blanket for her? Hers now, tugged over to drape over her shoulders. Or if it's not for her, she's borrowing. ]

Sorry, but I'm not interested in you.

Nor I in YOU. I'm glad we got that out of the WAY.

( ...she can have it for now, he's pretty sure Nene would be upset at him if he gave away the gift she made for him even if it was for a good reason. He'll sit though, looking at her blank pages then back to Chiaki. )

Do you remember when I told you you'd been here beFORE, and that you had DIED?

( yeah this is going to go well, he can already tell. he's doing great. no way to knock sara about this though. )

[ Nice. Hers now. ]

Sure do.

[ Their first meeting... Kinda fuzzy, actually, for all that was going on that first day. She does remember a taste of justified violence, though. ]

You going to tell me something that'll make me spear my pencil in between your eyes?

( He'd kind of prefer if she didn't, actually.

But he sighs and props his chin in his hand, finding comfort in the way his elbow digs into his thigh. )

ProbaBLY, if you care enough about it or even believe me when I tell YOU. ( ... ) Do you want to know what hapPENED?

[ hmmmmmmmmmmmm

she gives the pen a little twirl in between her fingers. she's listening. ]

You said I went all humpty dumpty on the stairs.

( ........................i mean she DID? )

That was only part of IT. On June 22nd, you were approached by your soon-to-be kilLER, only a few short days after the love of your life had been summarily murdered by the same perSON. They hadn't been in their right mind at the time, BUT... Well, ( ... ) that's no exCUSE, to some peoPLE.

RegardLESS, the two of you chatted on the way to the stairWELL, where—on the way down—they struck you in the back of the HEAD. How lucky that you kept your pinky on the railING, ( he says, softer. ) You would've tumbled much quicker otherWISE.

The two of you FOUGHT, and I promise that you did some number on them; it isn't as if you were completely overWHELMED. But they did manage to catch you off-GUARD, and though you dragged them down the stairs with you when you FELL, they managed to get off a little better than you in the injuries departMENT.

( ...he had wanted to cushion her fall. "You did well, preventing your tragedy," but he almost hadn't. )

Then they tossed you over the stairwell railing and you died of a broken NECK. You were found by a ten year old who screamed bloody murder after trying to open the stairwell door and discovered your body blocking IT. Everyone did very well in investigating your untimely deMISE, and your murderer was brought to justice a scarce few days after you DIED.

( ...

There are some interesting small details there that a normal person wouldn't be privy to, but he'll let her soak all that in first. )

[ There's a bit of a face she pulls as "the love of your life," but then he keeps talking and he can see the reactions flit across her face, quick and dark. He says it like it's a documentary— either he saw it first hand, or spoke with somebody who did, or...

...

She sits up on her knees. And whams! her fist into Natsume's ribs. ]

( Ohhhhhhhhhhh thank god it's just her fist, he can recover from this, he's sucking in a breath and clenching his teeth so he doesn't make a noise but he's scooting away, holding his ... left side, he wouldn't have let her have his blind side.

Breathe. Breathe. God, that hurts. )

...Yes, thank you for figuring it out before I had to tell YOU.

( Somehow, that's easier. Better. Natsume squints at her, pained, and after a moment of catching his breath a little, lowers his arm. )

I'm sorry it had to hapPEN, but I wasn't keen on losing my life THEN. ( Or now, actually, despite confessing to her. ) I thought I should be open about it THOUGH... and because I didn't want us to get too friendly and someone ask you if it's odd to brush elbows with ME.

( her ... murderer.

Better from the horse's mouth or however that idiom goes. )

[ Natsume lowers his arm only to have Chiaki move forward and whack him again— shoulder, this time, rather than pummeling that same rib until it snaps. ]

Are you stupid? You're very stupid.

[ punches him once more. upper arm. very methodical punches, less anger behind them and more...

... ]

What's wrong with you? Look at me and clench your teeth.

( What does she mean, what's wrong with him? And he isn't stupid, he just...

He clenches his teeth and closes his eyes. )

[ Something's wrong with him, and he's very stupid, and he's not very good at taking direction if he won't look at her while she draws her fist back for one more blow. She at least would have the decency to look her victim in the eye when she kills them, watching as the light dims and

...

There's a sharp pain at the center of Natsume's forehead, the flick making his bangs fly up and resettle. ]

You're sooooooooo annoying! Open your eyes and tell me you're sorry!

( Wow, she almost sounds like Sena-senpai. He still recoils back, eyes snapping open to shoot her a sharp look.

...He rubs his forehead, frowning. )

I'm sorRY.

( That it had to come to that. That he has her blood on his hands, metaphorically. That he's burdened her with something she was probably fine not knowing, really.

...For valuing his life over hers and for being willing to do it again if she really wanted to try and kill him. )

Edited 2021-12-09 19:54 (UTC)

Say it like you mean it.

[ Even if it's just pretend, because she knows he isn't. Because people who are sorry don't say it like a story, emphasizing the larger context rather than saying straight up: "Hey, sorry I murdered you" ]

Also, how are you going to make it up to me?

( ...How is he going to make it up to her? How do you make it up to someone you killed? He can't ask Hiro because Hiro's avoiding Kouji, Sara's predicament probably did not involve murdering the person she wronged, Fujioka-senpai is functionally useless... )

I'm sorRY, Kudo-chan. From the bottom of my HEART, I'm sorRY. ( ...He bows his head a little too, still thinking about it. How can he? ) And... I don't KNOW. How would you like me to make it up to YOU?

Seppuku.

[ ... ]

( ... )

Is that what you really WANT?

No, I'm just testing my limits. Would you, though?

[ Because that's not a no from him ]

( Natsume, thinking about his virtual world )

Not in real LIFE. It'd be stupid to give it up so easiLY.

[ If she knew about that, she would want to be the one doing the stabbing ]

It's easier to take somebody else's, huh?

[ She settles back with a little humph!, pulling the blanket back around her shoulders. He is never getting this back, sorry Natsume, sorry Nene. ]

I don't remember any of that, you know? It doesn't feel like "real life" to me, so it's hard to feel slighted. But I'm mad at you on my own behalf; I'm sure I didn't want to give up living either. So you're going to give back everything you stole from me, and then I'll forgive you. Deal?

( Ow. ...He deserved that, though. )

...DEAL. What's first on your LIST, Kudo-chan?

[ She picks up her notebook and slaps it down in front of him. ]

Civics! After that is statistics, and then earth science!

( ................. )

You're going to make me tutor YOU.

Yes!

[ If he's to give back the life he's stolen from her, then she can't let finals kill her ]

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