この気持ち…伝わってるといいんすけどね (12/31)

[commences]

Who: Hajime Hinata & friends
What: Happy birthday, Hinata-kun!
When: December 31, 9PM~
Where: School roof
Warnings: N/A, TBE

( there's various hidden signs that point towards the elevator, and if anyone catches sight, they'll see an arrow that points up, indicating for them to take it skyward. if they get off too early, there's a sign on the floor that reads, "next stop!", so if they dare, they can go back into the elevator and do as the words command. upon making your way to the rooftop on new year's eve, the setup is immediately apparent.

a number of glittering, sparkling decorations line the area — streamers, balloons, music, and a brightly colored sign the reads: happy birthday hinachan. at the heart of the setup is a bonfire that reaches almost shoulder-height — properly set up to make sure it doesn't spread anywhere further than its containment area, it sets a festive tone.

"borrowed" desks are also covered in an array of treats and appetizers courtesy of nene and amami, as well as enough love setsugetsukka to "make 3 people black out," which is probably enough to share if nobody gets too ambitious. the cake at the center of it all is the real star of the show however, almost as big as a person all on it's own.

to top it all off, even under the dim glow of the stars, nobody is short of a little light when natsume and noah's dazzling light show begins. once the main event has closed, a variety of firecrackers are brought out to celebrate with as things begin to wind down. varieties include the classic sparklers, these little spinny bitches, funky little sparkshowers, some little baby rockets, with the larger varieties spanning a couple feet at most. on the opposite side, there's a little table where a birdhouse is kept, and inside stuffed with all sorts of cotton and wood shavings are two birds huddled together inside, and a few treats that people can feed them if interest. if keigo looks at your character from afar, it's fine, that birdhouse they're living in was made by them, after all.

and at the centre of it all will be one boy with a bag over his head, kidnapped by rokuro arata, who sits him down and lets komaeda undo his blindfold — happy birthday, hinata-kun! )

Comments

[filialdeception]

That is certainly true.

[ He'll step over closer as well. ]

Well, I can see why they are concerned. Birds can be rather easy to spook...though, I do hope you have a chance to enjoy yourself at the party as well.

[ A slight tease, if anything. He considers Rantarou's willingness to watch out for the birds as evidence of his kindness. Never a bad trait, as far as he's concerned. ]

[sisters]

It would be hard not to with good company.

( the birds? meng yao? yes... though he gives a little smile with the words, which might give away his leaning towards one or the other. )

But yeah, I'm not much of a party guy anyway, so this kind of thing suits me.

( that first one, he'd been more scoping out what kinds of connections he could make here — good ones, apparently — and the follow-ups have been spent more on spoiling others than anything to do with himself. at least it leaves little room for doubt in where his priorities lie. for this one in particular though, he's gonna glance around to see if there's any spare chairs he can snag for them. might as well make themselves comfortable, right? )

[filialdeception]

[ It sure does, and he can already feel a smile coming along as he reaches that conclusion himself. ]

I suppose that it would be.

[ But, he also does nod to his answer as well. ]

Though I am always and forever grateful for opportunities such as this, I can't say that I've become adept at getting too immersed within them. I prefer moments like these, where within this happy moment there are people to talk to at our leisure.

...That being said, are you looking for something for us to sit on? If there aren't any around here, I could always go and see if there are chairs elsewhere.

[sisters]

( there's something that sparks through his expression bright and soft before passing, replaced quickly by a bit of sheepishness as his glance around gets called out, but he brings his hands up in front of him in a reassuring gesture. no need! )

Nah, I wouldn't want to send you on a wild goose chase or anything. Besides, there's always the ledge if you're okay with that.

( glancing over, he can see why someone wouldn't be with it having no railing and all, but it might be a nice view from up here. amami more or less trusts everyone on this roof not to just shove him off of it anyway. except maybe kamo-kun — and that's only if he lets the birds get spooked, which isn't really part of his plan right now anyway. in any case, he'll make an absent gesture towards it as if offering for meng yao to lead the way, but doesn't take any steps over himself, just in case he isn't up for that spot. )

[filialdeception]

[ ...He can't help but think that's simply adorable. The soft expression and sheepish one; regardless, Meng Yao will end up nodding. ]

Yes, I am. It won't be too much trouble, and it'll even give us a nice view.

[ Meng Yao is also confident enough that he can be sure to keep them both from falling to the ground or anything if they end up falling over or something. When the gesture is given, he will take lead, moving to seat himself down at one spot at the ledge when he gets close enough. He'll wait for Rantarou to come closer and take a spot nearby him, before speaking up again. ]

We've come rather far, haven't we?

[sisters]

( oh, good — he was kind of hoping this suggestion would fly. settling himself comfortably next to him, amami feels a little of that nervous energy buzzing under his skin as meng yao voices the question. he kicks his legs, hanging over the edge. he feels like a kid. he grins. )

In some ways, it doesn't feel like much has changed at all, huh?

( yeah, he's taking it like that. and just like the way they met — it's the simple things they bond over even now. )

Not that I'm not glad for how things have or anything.

( he wouldn't have thought that something as simple as being friendly and trying to get a read on the guy sitting next to him would ever come as far as it has. who would've, right? but all the same, here they are — and to his surprise, it ended up being neither his sharpness nor his reliability that amami has ended up most grateful for. either way, he finds that with their backs to the small celebration behind them, it's a nice moment all their own here. amami looks over with the same warmth of those firecrackers being played with reflected in his eyes. )

What do you think?

[filialdeception]

[ Meng Yao blinks a bit at the question, for a moment draw into the reflection of the other's eyes, and then he can't help but actually laughing a little. ]

I actually do agree.

We've made significant progress, but at the same time there are things that never change, and that will always stay the same. I find I am grateful for both things, since one of them remaining as it is will be how easy it is to talk and spend time with you.

[ Then he'll look back, ahead of them, seemingly focused on the view, but he'll move a hand to see if he can rest it upon one of Rantarou's. ]

Before we met, though, I believe things felt different. Around that time I had been still trying to get used to the technological advancements and such. I don't think it was wrong to say I felt a little lost, until I'd the chance to meet more people.

[ ... ]

In the end, I suppose it is a matter of perspective, isn't it?

[sisters]

( his find will find amami's easily — though there's a moment where he seems to pull away, glancing down, before reaching back to take meng yao's in turn. he laces their fingers together before resting them against the cool cement, following meng yao's gaze into the distance as he thinks of his response. )

Yeah... Back then, you know, I hadn't really met anyone either. ( it was probably easy to tell; scoping the place out with sharp eyes of an animal moved out of its element. ) But always stay the same, huh... That's a nice thought.

( and he means it genuinely, even as something bittersweet begins to creep into his tone, leading into a moment of quiet thought. always — he can't help that it brings to mind those photos they had found, the wishes, the doll, and the many, many pebbles between them all like packing peanuts.

always...

it's nice, he thinks, the idea that they could have been like this before, too. )

I sure hope so. Well, more than that, I hope that even if they do change, we can always remember the way they are now.

( not only spending their time grateful for the present they have, but moving forward while keeping it close. having that past to cherish, even if it means moving further away from it... he doesn't particularly want to do even that, but for a-yao, amami thinks, it's something that he wants: a future to look forward to, even when it means moving forward from "always". there's a soft huff of an exhale, watching the warm lights that come from those still in the dorm. )

... Let's do our best to, yeah?

[filialdeception]

[ Meng Yao listens to Rantarou make his reply, almost kicking his feet a bit, before stopping, feeling like that is far too childish for him to do, but of course it being something he doesn't judge the one beside him for.

Some things really don't change. And as they sit, and he listens to more of what the other has to say, he listens closer and closer out of habit of watching, listening closely to others to discern how they feel. Though this time it isn't so he can placate, not necessarily.

But it is something he wants to do. Or rather comfort, as he hears the twinge of bittersweet slip around the edges...Meng Yao ends up using the fact that their fingers are intertwined to give a light squeeze, and then he's looking back over at Rantarou. ]

We'll remember. Something like this...we wouldn't forget it. It's far too important.

Truthfully, it's hard to imagine myself forgetting much of anything.

[ Even if it is possible with what this place is capable of—to a person with perfect memory. That possibility scares him, about as much as dying, and losing Rantarou. He knows he's afraid of a lot of things, including what the future looks like. But, he doesn't regret meeting him, and everything that has followed. ]

Yes, let's. I'd say in general as well, but I have full confidence that we would never do less than our best. Don't you agree?

[sisters]

( there's something that twists in his stomach at that — meng yao's confidence in his own memory, feeling juxtaposed to amami's own anxieties, which are proving more and more justified with each passing day. but he's right about one thing: this, at least, is far too important to forget. far too precious to let go of.

besides, it's hard to stay so uncertain with the squeeze of his hand. despite his doubts in himself, in what he might be capable of alone, amami does believe in the person beside him. he offers a soft hmm as he thinks it over, closing his eyes in consideration. )

Yeah... I'll do everything I can to make sure we remember this time.

( and it's only once he's said the words that he manages to look to meng yao beside him, flashing a smile to accompany the words that he hopes reassures of his determination. no matter what it takes — he's tired of places like this toying with them, and he's not going to let them take this from him as well. )

[filialdeception]

[ It is reassuring. Enough so that Meng Yao thinks that it manages to be so for the both of them. The road ahead of them is going to be filled with more challenges, that is a fact.

But the fact that they'll also be able to face it together, with determination not to let the darkness of this school swallow them...he thinks that it can make what they will be fighting to achieve possible. ]

It's a promise, then. Another nice way to wrap up the year...besides the party in general, of course.

[ He says, meaning for it to be light-hearted. He's the type of person to take things so seriously, though, so. ]