yogen | npc contact.3

What a waste of pie...

[ They're thinking warm, freshly baked apple pie. Like damn, they could have eaten that, Subaru ]

Are you sure you'll be okay? People can be mean for a lot less.

There's no point if they've done enough to pass, and if they didn't...

[...]

Anyway~. Have you been lonely? I've got the rest of the week off, so I've got time to [kill] waste.

[maybe it'll be easier to act normal than he thinks...]

[ If they didn't...

...

Their hug loosens a little, slack. ]

Kind of. I stayed at the shop since it's the one place nobody else can get into unless I want them to, but the store was closed, mostly.

[ Actually, they should have just smuggled Subaru into their shop and hid him there, huh. Except he'd go stir crazy with boredom, even if it's just sitting around doing nothing like they're doing now. ]

[oh, that would have been so smart. he would have gone stir crazy, but maybe he could've spent at least an hour or two with guaranteed safety.

...

though, even within the first hour...]

What a neat trick you've got up your sleeve. ♪ I didn't wanna draw anyone's attention here, even if there'd be no point in targeting you, so I'm glad you would've been safe no matter what. [but it does mean they were alone... with all the sounds of the practicum around them.

not knowing if the people they cared about were in danger, or the danger themselves. having to think of the worst and hope for the best. the aching, nagging fear of being alone in the back of their mind.

...

keigo might've slackened, but subaru'll pick it up and hug them tighter, even if it draws a sharp breath from him.]

Sorry. You can punch me if you want, I'll even clench my teeth for you.

[ It was bad. But staying in the dorms felt like it would be worse, with all the empty rooms to count and guess how many would return at the end of the day. At least in the shop they can stare at the ceiling and remind themselves of when they first got here, the warning they received, the resolution that they made.

... ]

Okay. Clench your teeth.

[...

he'll lean back a little to face them, though it's hard to maintain eye contact. but subaru will, and he'll clench his teeth this time -- unlike the last time he apologized.]

[ socks Subaru in the ribs

not hard, but it's clear it would have been if they were capable ]

[wheezes

he doesn't double over, since keigo's right there and he can lean on them instead, and even if it wasn't hard it was to his ribs. those are sensitive right now. he just got them fixed.

... well, if keigo lets him lean he will.]

How'd y-you guess that was my weak point, huh? They're still... still sore from earlier.

[ They do let him lean, anger ebbing away as he does.

... ]

Who got you in the ribs? I bet you deserved it.

[oh good he can use pain as an excuse not to answer right off. subaru smiles, but his eyes slip closed as he leans against them. comforting, normal despite the topic... hurts a bit but it's fine he can deal with that for them.]

Mean~. I totally didn't deserve it, promise. [...] Doesn't matter who did it either, okay? They won't do it again.

[well. can't. but won't is a good word, too.]

You threw pie at people. If you did that to me, I'd punch you.

[ He deserved it, don't lie to them ]

Oh, no, we tied 'em up and I smashed it into their helpless faces!

[he absolutely deserved it.]

But no one's got a sense of humor, Keigo. One of 'em even...

[...]

Would you really punch me if I pied you? It was just a buncha whipped cream.

[ They look down pointedly at Subaru's ribs. Yeah, yeah, one of 'em even punched him in the ribs in retaliation, they can see that. ]

Yeah, 'cause you're wasting food! [ ... ] Don't even try it. I'll deck you so hard, I'll knock that idea right out of your head.

Whipped cream isn't food, but roger that! ☆ I'll just kiss you instead.

[better. also, he ran out of whipped cream yesterday, so no pies to pie anyway.

...]

Forgive me for making you worry? I don't want you to hate me, Keigo.

Wait—

[ Forgiveness can wait ]

Whipped cream isn't food?

[ Is he being serious? is this another Fun Fact they can take to Amami like "hey guess what" and show him how smart they are ]

It's got no nutritional value, so it's not food.

[spoken like someone who's used to hearing about dietary plans. not for him, but others.]

It's a topping, like salad dressing~. And you wouldn't count that as food, right?

It's food! Sweets and fats aren't good for you in excess, but they're still necessary for survival.

[ Like... it's not nutritious but it's still nutrition. ]

Ama-chan'll tell you the same thing.

[i'm SORRY but tarou-nii is on his side this time]

[ Two against one is no fair. ]

I'll get Komaeda on my side, and...

[ ...Sara sounds like she would have strong food opinions and could swing either way, too risky ]

And Helena.

[ She's sympathetic towards them, usually.

But then that's about the extent of their friendships, but you know what, tieing is good enough. ]

Damn, Lena'll definitely go against me if she thinks it's fun enough... Natsume'd be on your side 'cause he'd wanna go against me, Hina-chan might agree with me... Hiroppi would totally have your back, Harupyon might too if she could argue anything, but they're kids when it comes to taste.

[.........]

You're pretty kiddish too. ♪

[ Mentally counting in their head... six against three, they're winning, it'll be fine even if they ask Sara and she doesn't agree with them. ]

-—am not! I'm speaking from a dietitian's viewpoint, not 'cause I'm some kid arguing candy bars are a valid dinner!

[ Which Hiro and Haruka have probably argued in the past, but unfortunately they have responsible older siblings who veto that idea. ]

That sounds exactly like what a kid who's arguing that candy bars are a valid dinner would say, Keigo!

[he's gonna cuddle them, bygones are bygones as far as he's concerned right now.]

Make a good enough argument and I'll whip one up for you, how about that? Then we'll see what you think. ♪

[ They like this better too, letting Subaru hug them and savoring it instead of hugging back and threaten breaking his ribs. ]

Dark chocolate has lots of healthy minerals and heart-healthy fatty acids and antioxidants content higher than even blueberries and acai berries! Spread into a thin layer and sprinkled with any variety of tree nuts and dried fruit, laid on top of a layer of greek yogurt on plain crackers and frozen overnight and you have dinner-worthy chocolate-yogurt bark that hits four out of five major food groups!

[ Okay so maybe this is stretching the definition of a candy bar a little BUT it contains chocolate and you can cut it up to be bar shaped and so it counts. ]

You are such a smart cookie~. I didn't understand half of what you said just now, but you sound like you know what you're talking about so I've totally been won over~.

[it sounded sweet enough to him... he can't make that but he can make whipped cream that'll be fine.

...

that does mean going back outside though, and subaru rests more weight on keigo. hold him up.]

... I'll make your prize later, okay? I just wanna spend time with you.

[like this, so if he starts to crack again it can't be seen]

[ None of that was difficult to understand, they're going to think this is why Subaru chose the practicum over exams now. ]

You have to understand it to make it. How about I make it for you later? It'll be good as a snack after running around a lot, like an energy bar.

[ Can't hold him up, though. They're going to sink to the ground, what if we just lie here and stare at the ceiling for the rest of the afternoon, they did this a lot the two practicum days. ]

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