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

[adsum]

[ the universe is DYING why are you LAUGHING ]

Oh...

[ They relax in his arms, visibly relieved to hear about baby stars, the affirmation that the world will never go dark. ]

I want to see that someday. A new star.

[starrypoint]

[...♪

maybe subaru has a use for natsume's vr system after all.]

Not tonight, but tomorrow, I'll show you one. 'Kay?

[adsum]

Yeah! It's the new year tomorrow, so we can get up early and watch the sun rise together and you can show me all the new stars!

[starrypoint]

It's a date! But for no~w, my sparkling Keigo, wanna shoot off some fireworks with me? Maddy showed me a pretty neat trick with them, I think you'll like it!

[they will definitely be just as amazed as he was...!!!!]

[adsum]

[ He'd better not be planning on unleashing those spinny bitches near their feet. They don't trust Subaru but they trust Komaeda, so, ]

Okay! Are they the sparklers, or?

[ Actually they only really like the little handheld stick sparklers, the others are too noisy and have too great of a chance at going awry and catching people/birds on fire ]

[starrypoint]

[????? PLEASE TRUST YOUR OWN BOYF A LITTLE MORE? PLEASE!!!]

Nope! It's the spinny ones! Let's shoot 'em off the roof, you'll get to see it best like that!

[like shooting stars... yeah. dragging them along...!]

[adsum]

[ npckun: better not be those spinny bitches
Subaru: picks up a spinny bitch
YEAH WHERE'S THE TRUST ]

Okay... but can you direct them like that? You're sure they won't come flying towards us? You'd have to give it a nudge towards the edge of the roof before lighting it and hope the irregular ignition doesn't change the trajectory too much.

[starrypoint]

When Maddy and I did it, they went just fine~. I'll protect you if anything happens.

[he'll get burn scars to match amami it'll be fine,

since he's done this with komaeda a little bit ago it's easy to do, pulling out one of those longer lighters they use for grills from his jacket (its his now) and leaning down to light it, nudging it quickly off the roof and watching it go.

it spins bright sparkling yellow and through the air, skirting blue when it closes on the snow.]

[adsum]

[ Whoosh! off the roof it goes, and despite themselves, npckun feels their feet picking up to follow after it, with the same sort of thoughtless wonder as if chasing after a butterfly or a kite in the sky, eyes focused only on the bright light and not the darkness solid beneath their feet and then no longer solid beneath their feet ]

1/2

[starrypoint]

[they'll drop a moment before the back of their jacket jerks them to a step, suspended in darkness and subaru partway off the roof himself using the small lip as his sole support. his heart is going a mile a minute and he's sure theirs is just the same, but they sure are heavy like this and subaru is only one person.

he is only one person, but there are so many people here who can help.]

I gotcha, I gotcha...

[just to keep them calm, to keep him calm, never afraid of heights until now-- he whistles something familiar to two people at this party, a signal that sounds like a bird shared between three thieves in a far of city, and then tries again a little louder. hard when he's halfway off the building himself, but it's fine, it'll be fine--]

2/2 !

[sisters]

( it takes a minute, but the sound of soles hitting hard against the ground quickly grows louder as it approaches behind them. another moment passes, and subaru will feel the same grip on the back of whatever he's wearing in turn. )

Seriously? What do you think you're—

( the words come to a sharp cut stop as amami, presumably, comes to realize what the situation at hand is; while his grip fumbles for a moment, with an adjustment, he's able to get a better hold on subaru. something more reliable as he heaves with every ounce of his strength. with any luck, slowly, the two of them will find themselves being pulled back up onto the surface of the roof, and subaru had better make sure he doesn't let go during that process no matter what it takes. as hard as he's trying now, if they don't get kamo-kun's feet back up on solid ground? subaru's aren't going stay up there for long either. )

[adsum]

[ They can barely hear him with their heart pounding in their ears, the buzz of white noise between them, frozen in place and not daring to move a muscle because if they wait (all they ever do is wait) somebody will come help, morning will come, and the danger will pass. There's never anything they can do, suspended in nothingness with shaking hands at their back, slipping, a learned helplessness that never struck them until just now.

A step back, feet kicking nothing but air, but then their heel hits a window ledge and finds some footing there; Subaru will feel the weight ease a little, and then return as they're lifted up, inch by inch by slow, agonizing inch.

...

...

...

Their feet do eventually find their way back on solid ground, quickly followed by their knees as they give and npckun lets themselves sink to the ground, staring at concrete and shoes and the way their hands are shaking, buzzing down to the wrists. ]

I— ...I'm sorry.

[ to the ground, to no one, to everyone ]

I'm going back now.

[ They are NEVER stepping foot on the rooftop ever again. ]

[starrypoint]

[lord knows amami wants to hug them, but subaru is closer and he wasted no time in pulling them into his arms; don't fight, he won't let go, he's shaking and burying his face against them and he shakes his head at the apology, at the want to "go back" -- away from everyone else, away from the rooftop that'd given them so much wonder, away from subaru.]

Don't leave me, please.

[it's wavering in a way neither of them have heard, and there's a reason subaru won't show his face. it isn't shining, it isn't bright, it isn't ready to laugh in relief he almost saw another light in his life blip out and even if he could save this one, because he isn't small and young and powerless and unable to truly understand the weight of crimes framed or not--

he can still feel the weight, the panic, the desperation as he'd waited for amami to find them. a shaky inhale, controlled the way someone does when they've got practice not crying,]

Don't leave me, Keigo, please.

[sisters]

( lord knows he's not fond of this, no. he's managed to pull them up, sure, make sure they're alive, but he doesn't get the chance to see if they're okay after. subaru has his arms wrapped around them in an instant, and with the knowledge that somehow... somehow this must be his fault, amami can't help that something bitter turns in the pit of his stomach when he's denied this.

...

he swallows down the sigh though, because... as little as amami cares for subaru's response in this moment, he's not going to prioritize that fact over kamo-kun's wellbeing. and besides that fact, he knows that subaru has always been better for this... has always known what they needed when they panic, far better than amami himself. the bitter thing turns again, but amami crouches down next to them. not necessarily to touch, but so that his voice can be heard — gentle and warm, calm and washed clean of any of the frustration audible just a moment ago. )

You don't have to apologize. Are you okay, Kamo-kun?

[adsum]

[ They don't fight the hug, but they don't respond either, no matter how many they want to squeeze Subaru back or throw themselves at Amami and tell him it was their fault, it was them, don't be mad at Subaru, don't-

don't cry, don't cry

White noise and existential dread, the same as any time they think about their contract and what it really means to die. Last time, and next time, it'll be by their hand, with ample time to prepare themselves, but to happen out of nowhere, to become nothing without even realizing...

...

They push off from the ground and get up on their knees, pulling Subaru up with them if they must. ]

I wasn't thinking. Sorry, I— [ their eyes flit up and catch Amami's, and they correct themselves ] ...thank you. It's almost ten. I need to go back.

[starrypoint]

[they'll have to pull him up -- it's a little weighty, but he'll help out since he knows they're weaker than him, and

them not responding to him in any form hurts in a way he hasn't felt in a while, like watching his best friend's back while he walked down the hall in acceptance of their disbandment but worse. neither of it was subaru's fault, it was something else in the mix, and he squeezes tighter for a moment like he doesn't want them to leave (he doesn't he doesn't he does) before his arms drop and he settles for dipping his head down and away, unsure of what to do or say.]

...

[sorry, maybe. but it isn't his fault no more than it is amami's or komaeda's or keigo's, in his eyes. goodnight, then, but he doesn't want to say goodnight.]

See you tomorrow, Keigo. [he offers instead, voice soft but not wavering like it had before. a little more solid, but only because his lack of volume hides the upset cracks.

amami can take them back, like he always does.]

[adsum]

[ ... ]

Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow.

[ They breathe out, and place a tentative smile on their face, that open mouthed closed eyed grin so they don't have to see. ]

I have the pen light Sou gave me, so I'll go back by myself. You two stay here and enjoy the party. Tell everybody happy new year for me.

[sisters]

( oh no they don't.

standing up properly, amami will hold out a hand for them to take. they might not accept it, and it'll hurt if they don't, but he's not about to let them go through something like this and then close themselves off so completely. )

I'm coming with you. A pen light isn't gonna light up that much, and it'll only take a minute to walk you back.

( and that's only if he doesn't manage to convince them to stay. either way, good luck peeling this leech off you. )

[starrypoint]

[...]

You know how Ama-chan gets. Let him do that at least. I'll, uh... save you some cake.

[you being keigo or you being amami... anyway he's gonna. not gonna look at either of them as he steps back and at least makes headway to the cake. to do that, presumably, and not just go to sit at the other side of the roof where he can't watch them cross the courtyard.]

[adsum]

[ No good, huh. They let the smile drop from their face and stares at Amami's outstretched hand. For a moment they consider not taking it— out of stubbornness, maybe, or just some childish need to be contrary— but the alternative would make them miserable so they do turn away from Amami's hand, only to run after Subaru and give him a quick hug from behind before he gets too far away, before rushing back to Amami's side and grabbing his hand in both of theirs, pressing up against his arm. ]

Okay.

[ They're ready now. Don't want to be That Person who ruins a party just because they're in a mood. ]

[sisters]

( the hesitation stings a little bit too, on top of being turned away from — he's probably dropped his hand back to his side by the time they've made their way back to him, but his expression is plastered over by something bright and easygoing as they take his hand in theirs. they can make their way inside at least, tap their way down a couple of the stairs before amami speaks up proper. )

So, it alright for me to ask what happened back there?

[adsum]

[ The grip on his arm gets a little tighter at the question, because it was a stupid thing they did, careless, thoughtless, they're never going back onto the roof ever again. ]

We were playing with fireworks. I... forgot where we were, and followed it. I... mm... [ ... ] It was an accident. It won't happen again.

[ Gonna go back to Constant Vigilance mode. Be more careful with their words and actions, consider everything first and orchestrate what they need to do. Being with people makes them forget, makes them feel safe and comfortable and happy and they do stupid stupid things they wouldn't have if they were reserved and careful. ]

[sisters]

( it's easy to tell how much it stressed them, and of course it did — they almost died, after all. still... amami's expression softens as he glances down to them.

actually, by the time they reach the end of the hall, amami's just going to sit them down at the top of the stairs instead of actually continuing to the first floor or anything. he doesn't want the night to end off on a note like this for kamo-kun, and honestly, he's not sure he'll be able to enjoy it himself if he lets it. instead, he'll open his arms some in hopes of offering a hug. subaru might've had that covered, but maybe kamo-kun could use one themselves, too. )

It's alright, so c'mere. ( let them hug and talk. he knows kamo-kun is all about 40 minute hugs. )

I'm sure it must have been scary, right? But the important thing is that you're safe. I'm sure you'll remember next time.

[adsum]

[ They fall into his arms, letting themselves sink and be enveloped by that warmth for as long as they can before it gets too awkward to keep silent, like a child being told not to touch the stove again when the blisters on their hand is more than enough already. ]

I'm not going up there anymore.

[ No more heights for them. They're placing a strict 10ft height limit on anywhere that isn't indoors. ]

[sisters]

( amami squeezes tight as they let him wrap his arms around them, giving it a moment so that all of his relief can pour into that feeling of keigo safe and sound in his arms proper. his hold softens a few moments after though, and he listens attentively to their decision. )

Yeah, that's fair. ( they're a kid, after all. there's no reason to force them if it's scary to them now. )

I won't make you, but maybe we'll put up some railings soon. Nothing to worry about then.

( he hadn't really considered the lack of them to be much of an issue, but reconsidering it now, keigo aside, they do also have a blind girl here. railings really could be something that they end up needing. )