[Maple... Shin's still remembering that incredibly awkward conversation at Disneyland. Maybe he should have considered it a sign of things to come... like the world itself has been trying to warn him and he's been sticking his fingers in his ears about it.
He slowly shifts his weight trying to get a better position because one of his legs is starting to cramp up a little... He leans forward...
And that's the last straw for this particular piece of ceiling. Light as Shin is, it's probably got woodworm all throughout it or something, and he's not weightless.]
Waugh!
[He's crashing down into the room in a cloud of dust and wood dust and lying there stunned. It's probably only last minute hard-earned parkour skills that have him winded on his front instead of accidentally killing himself in the most embarrassing way possible.]
Well if you can't remember then there's no point in talking about it...right?
[ See how its annoying? If there was something she might want to talk about...with a person she might know...well if he can't remember there's no point! Please stop this silly charade. ]
Miss Namida was my temporary doctor...but that's not important. Didn't you two break up-
[ She lifts her own mug of tea to her lips, just before Sou falls right onto the table, covering them both in dust and woodchips. Sara...slowly...puts her tea down on Sou's prone lifeless body. No...no she will not acknowledge this. Not right now. She's going to pretend this didn't happen. If she says one word to Sou, she'll won't be able to stop something snide and snarky, and Sara doesn't want Midori to know they're fighting. ]
Anyway. [ Anyway. ] When someone says you'll die together, do you stay in a relationship after that?
midori looks down at the person on the table, and it's not hard to mistake that person — briefly what heart he has left skips — yet he keeps that inside, and it's not visible on his face. rather, it's a long stare as he tries to control himself the same way sara seems to. ]
That isn't surprising, she's good at her work. She's solved so many cases, cured so many diseases. Could you tell me what you were inflicted with?
[ he looks up at the ceiling, and then down to the body... shin... his precious little meow meow interrupting his date, and you know what, he thinks that's fine. if anyone could be so inelegant, but wanted, it was shin tsukimi... though the scarf he wears is a different color, one that midori doesn't recall on him. but on another...
...
he sets the mug down on top of shin's head, following sara's motions. ]
Hm? In my company, the idea of human and artificial intelligence is against the rules. Our goal is to spread love throughout the world, so we work on various ways of doing that. Maple had been one idea... but "dying together" is way too intense...
[ he's going to reach for a splenda packet to open, and while watching sara sheepishly, he holds his hand out to pour it into his tea, but accidentally (purposefully) drizzling the white confection on shin's head, until he looks to see if the packet is empty. ]
[HE CAN'T GET OFF THE TABLE YOU'RE PUTTING CUPS OF TEA ON HIM??? He can't see them but they can't really be anything else from the weight and warmth, he's just going to lie here and wish he could keep falling even further, all the way into the basement.]
Ugh... No way.
[And now something's going into his hair... You've got three seconds before he decides that you know what, it's fine if your hot tea goes on the floor and/or you two. Don't say he didn't warn you (he's not warning you).]
[ Sara watching Midori put more sugar into his dust and wood chip filled tea like....
Its not even proper tea any more thats like sugary asbestos and Shin dust with a little water. ]
This is... [ So many emotions can be contained with a single glance, but Sara's can communicate an entire sentence. Why are you here and for the love of god get off the table . She flicks a woodchip out of her hair and onto Sou. What to say, what to say...he's obviously not her boyfriend, duh! Way to old for her. So um...friend? No. Rival, enemy? Uh...um... ]
My long lost brother.
[ This is the worst thing she could say in this situation he's still mad about Kanna and she's rubbing it in. With Midori of all people! It's just...the first thing that she thinks of when she thinks about Sou! He's so obsessed with Kanna so why wouldn't she think about it! Maybe if she takes her tea back fast enough she can skip the part where he throws it at her. ]
He likes to climb in vents. Its a surprisingly popular hobby here. [ Along with listening in on conversations Sara didn't want him around for!! ]
My condolences, I've lived alone all my life, so I wouldn't understand, you're correct.
[ why is he here? it's brave of him, even now, midori could reach out and do what he failed doing before — killing him with a snap of his neck, and that would be because of love.
he reaches out towards his head, but instead picks up his tea to take a sip of the beverage. it's perfect, this is the best green tea he's had in a long time now. taking another sip, he glances down at her "long lost brother", and they look nothing alike. they only have green haired children in that family.
...
however, he can only sip so much until the doctor part of him tells him to check on the person before him. he has to play the part as he sets his cup to the side. ]
So this is your big brother? He must be good at his job, watching over you [ he looks up above them, then down at the body on the table ] as he was.
[ holding up a three fingers, he places them in front of shin's face if he tilts his head up. ]
How many fingers am I holding up? [ then to sara: ] Hm... Miss Sara, can you fix him a cup of chamomile?
[It really is brave of him... Despite the fact that they're not getting along and for good reason as far as he's concerned, he wouldn't wish Midori on his worst enemy... especially given what's already happened that she's told him about. He turns his head away from the fingers to shoot Sara 'why are YOU at the Devil's sacrament' and 'brother??? seriously???' kind of looks at her in turn, before levering himself up (ow) and rolling off the side of the table and coincidentally and 'accidentally' elbowing Midori's cup onto his shoes as he does so.]
Don't bother, I'm fine. I don't have a concussion... whoever you are.
[He's not calling him Hiyori if he can help it... but also that amnesia, sure seems to be going around, huh? Once upright he stalks around the room hunting for his beanie and when he finds it ruffles the dust and sugar out of his hair as best he can with a hand and attempts to pat it out of the article too before pulling it back onto his head. He swipes down his front to try and get more dust off... it's not all that successful, although it does get more onto the carpet.]
[ She! Said! She'd! Be! Here! She's just not a freak who hides in vents!! What had Shin imagined keeping an eye on someone entailed? Locking them up in basement and hitting them? (Tempting. Good thing she gave her gun away to Komeada). ]
Well he's long lost so I don't expect much from him. [ She presses her fingers together as Sou rolls off the table. ] You know...long lost, raised apart, all that. Practically strangers!
[ Tea...yes actually, please don't leave her alone to get grilled about her fake brother backstory. There's still hot water in the kettle, so Sara gets another mug and drops a teabag in it. Offering it towards Sou is kind of an apology, even if its just doing what Midori told her Now don't leave!! ]
Er...[ What should she call him..? Pensive. 1). Commit to the bit. 2). Call him the stolen name when he might not want it.
...At least the former mostly damages her pride. ]
Here, nii-san. Please stay out of vents? The dust can't be healthy.
[ he's even looking at her and ignoring his fingers... they're a mess chief, a mess. midori has to hold back shaking his head.
...
not his shoes that he's been taking care of, he looks down at the spilled tea, and he will excuse it. instead, he'll pick up a few napkins to start wiping his shoes, and the tea from the floor as he picks up the cup he was using.
he's disheartened... all that sugar, wasted. though, nothing breaks his heart more than their half-ass story, and sara's commitment to playing the role of a family member. he can't say anything though because of his amnesia, but... ]
You'll worry her sick, nii-san!
[ he follows, smiling as he finally cleans up the mess on the floor. watching shin, he wonders what he should have expected for them being here so long, has the other always been so... uncoordinated? falling from crawlspaces which happen to be the alternate route from getting to point a to point b, he thinks creating a monster that runs through the vents might be fun. ]
So do tell... what's the story? Separated at birth? One of you strangled the other in the womb? Sunset, [ to shin, before looking to sara ] Sunrise?
[ you know, how some twins have a chance of killing their other twin in the womb... then the twin just grew up here? you know, he's making up narrations so sara can choose how she wants to paint their relationship. ]
[The crawlspace already has one critter in it, Midori! Shin would like not to have to keep an ear out for two... he has to take enough detours in there as it is sometimes.]
I'm not going to die just from a little dust...
[He does cough a little, though... it's fine, he was breathing through his scarf for most of it... now is not the time to be worrying about his lungs. He takes the cup of tea... he saw it being made, so it's probably not poisoned. If he was here alone his first instinct would be to leave immediately... it still is.
Having a reaction in front of Midori is a death sentence, so Shin hides his wince at 'strangled the other' internally, burying it down where the rest of him is so it can't freak out and ruin things. He can go 'nii-san???' and die later. His thumb rubs across Nene's scarf, the weave of it.]
Nothing that complicated... Our parents just divorced early on, that's all. Right, Sara?
[Take the cue, for once. Neat, clean, simple, and doesn't require him to have to wonder if that's even logistically possible, in this afterlife. He hasn't noticed anyone aging, but it's been only eight months. He takes a sip of the tea... the warmth is helpfully grounding at least.]
Seems like you're just as bad at math as anyone here... we'd have to be the same age to be twins.
[Strangled in the womb? The same womb, four years apart? Shin knows customers kept asking him how school was going, but that's a bit much for Midori. It's probably more of his usual messing around... he's enjoying this, isn't he?]
[ Sara, much less prepared for Midori encounters as always, does wince at the mention of strangling. It's hard to keep the guilt away, when she can imagine Sou glaring at her from where he stands by her side. It's almost like Midori knew...but Ranger wouldn't tell. Sara has to trust that. ]
Not very interesting. [ She echoes. Short and sweet. No better way to give the hint to drop this plot thread. Unlike Midori, Sara and Sou can let their annoying plotlines die in ditches! ] You know, you get separated. You meet. You both die. You end up here. Pretty typical.
[ She is actually pretty flattered to be assumed to be in her twenties. Twins... She must seem mature! Even if its a compliment from Midori, she'll take it. ]
Well Midori probably takes the practicum every year so he doesn't need to study. [ Nods nods. ] I don't know if people grow here...I don't think so! Did you know Seiya is like 800 years old? He's like a scary old guy in a grumpy teen body.
It has nothing to do with the subject, it's because this place has a time discrepancy. I wasn't aware you two had a gap in age, but there's a childish charm to you both.
[ cannot believe shin has the nerve to make midori look dumb, so we're going to fix it. it's with a gentle smile that he places the wet napkins into drier ones, so they can be sat towards the side.
the idea isn't insane, which it could be possible, ah... what happened to his shin that had imagination and creativity? ]
But my condolences if you're having trouble with math.
[ just going to throw that in there, considering he used "anyone here". shin really let himself go, but he's content as he will be about anything else as he sits back down to watch them both.
his gaze unnerving, until he blinks, like its set on a timer. ]
We can talk about it over tea, you should sit with us, niichan. [ there's a little gasp, eyes widening at someone so old though, he focuses on sara. ] Finding older men interesting? I learn something new about you every day.
[If he doesn't have this much nerve how else can you get on it? The part of Shin that is now an adrenalin junkie is going 'hey this is kind of fun' and the rest of him is hissing 'what are you doing???' at it but actually getting a hit on Midori feels amazing. There's a small quirk to the corner of his mouth at Midori's comeback because even with that accidental opening knowing he got that mark kind of undermines it, turning his head towards Sara.]
Hm. The practicum does suit him, huh?
[He's not going to push his luck too much, but he doesn't need to prove his math scores here. Childish charm, ugh. That gets so much worse, knowing everything... his eyes narrow at the last sentence. Don't fall for it Sara, it's flattery but it's a trap!]
...Guess I have a little time before I need to get back to the office.
[Which sets up a way out for him in advance. He sits on the couch's armrest, legs crossed, hands around the mug and spine curved. His eyes are sharp, looking sidelong. That gaze... just let it roll off like oil on water... you've seen scarier, come on.]
So which highschool were you going to when you died? Maybe I know it.
[There's vicious jabs and then there's pointing a harpoon at someone.]
[ She wants to be mature, not childish...and shes not into Seiya! The older guys Sara finds somewhat interesting have white hair and...nevermind.
There is something about lording all the yogen lore they know over Midori like so much bait on fishhooks. Gonna ask what the practicum is? No? Good! Bet he doesn't know not to take books out of the library...maybe they can get Haruka to steal his hands. ]
Well...he'd cheat either way.
[ It's been a while since she's felt this kind of solidarity. Taking on Midori alone had been....fine...but Sara's shoulders loosen when Sou does his terrible little sit on the couch near her. She'll sip her own tea forgetfully, then make a face when she tastes the dust. ]
Bleh...highschool? [ ??????????????????????????????? Why is Sou asking...oh. ]
[ ranger spent three days telling him everything, it should be suspicious he's NOT asking! he docks one mark off the kids because they're just as bad at this as they've ever been. ]
Oh... you died going to high school? You even appear to look over twenty... No wonder you're so worried about math...
[ he gasps, finally making sense of it in his mind. shin looks to be on the older side considering him saying that he's older than her. or that's the narration he places onto shin because of his inquiry.
he looks to sara like he can't look this man in the face for his failures, especially because people don't age too... damn. ]
But I didn't die in the same way that you did. I'm a successful medical practitioner, the last thing I remember is looking into something for the company, and then I fell asleep. Oh, did you know that scientific researches shows that 1 out of 8 people die in their sleep which is also mostly nearby 4 AM?
[ there's something about paranormal activity that happens around then. ]
[Ugh, why is it always like trying to catch smoke with him!]
Jeez... your listening comprehension is as bad as your math. They'll let anyone through medical school, huh?
[But he's gotten annoyed, and that's basically the same as a loss... He's kind of stuck in this fencing match now. Thanks for the new fact that's going to camp unwanted in his brain, he'll put it with the others.]
That's kind of a rude question, isn't it?
[He can't help but think of Sara's reaction to his own speculation on the matter.]
[ She doesn't think to question the lack of queries. That damn trust acting up again... She didn't think Ranger would be this attached to the guy who's only goal in life seemed to be betraying everyone he ever met. Learn something from poor Hinako. ]
You died alone, huh?
[ She puts her tea down on the dented table with a click. Midori's eyes always make it hard to focus, like he blinks out of sync just to distract Sara, so she fiddles with her hand, staring off at a wall before she turns back to him. ]
That's sad. I'd feel sorry for you. [ Alone in a coffin with no way out...how terrible. Nicer to imagine dying at 4am... If Midori gets to pretend, why can't she? Not the death Sou had suggested, but something a little more pleasant. ]
Maybe I died in a blaze of glory...and rescued three people. Then nobody ever saw me again after that, and nobody felt sad.
Ahaha! It's rude for you to talk to someone you're unfamiliar with like that, isn't it?
[ which means, he doesn't understand the way shin's speaking with him. normally people try to act nice, but it seems the other has been itching to catch hands. luckily, he's not showing off that ability at this time, and only giving his concerns as he looks at shin finally.
he knows it still gets under his skin, oh my.
playing around, he'll pass it off as bad manners. ]
Isn't better to die alone, one shot, one kill. I wouldn't want to take four people with me...
[ but it's the opposite, always has been. he managed to take some, but not all, he didn't get the one that he wanted to die, he didn't get to see sara in her glory. they're all incomplete, and if only there was a way to fix them. he leans back in his seat, his true death isn't one he's fond either, but thinking about it would do no good. he must remain composed, and he shows no worry on his face.
he wants tea again... ]
Dying alone, dying and no one grieving you... we're quite the same, aren't we? At least niichan had a whole school to die with.
That, coming from Sara... Shin shifts on the couch a little, getting a better position, looking away. That's... more honest than you should be, with Midori. That's giving him too much... you should lie like you're a rug or you want to mess with Youtube surveys by pretending you come from outer space. In Shin's mind, at least. There's no way to signal it's a bad move that Midori won't also pick up on... He's already capitalizing on it.
Speaking of... he's going to ignore those and drink more tea. Midori knows full well what he meant, so it doesn't matter.]
At least it wasn't painful... Didn't know it was coming, either.
[His tone is conversational. He can't imagine getting shredded is very pleasant. Nor the anticipation, trapped in a box, knowing it's certain death... He knows the size of those coffins, and he knows certainty closing around your neck. He sees what angle Sara is going for, and if nothing else trusts her nose for weakness.]
[ And when...pray tell has she been good at lying? Anyway, it's been almost a year since she last saw Midori and he interrogated her true nature. Enough time to do some things she wasn't proud of and think...well...that other Sou probably was right. It does make it easier to remember all the things Midori said and did if she just accepts them. Less scary to look at him. She's trying to be better, thats what should really matter...
She still doesn't look very happy saying it. Ugh...where did the tea go. She doesn't want to stand up and make more. ]
Dying is pointless anyway. There isn't a good way to die. It's more about...regret. [ She does chance a look at Shin at that. He hadn't wanted to die, but saving Kanna and trying to escape would have made Sara feel content that she had at least tried. ]
It would be pretty annoying to die pointlessly for someone who didn't deserve it.
[ Joe or Midori's feelings...she wonders who she's talking about. ]
[ she looked at him while saying it, so he can connect two and two without even needing the background story. honestly, he knows what happened to shin in his timeline, which was... so unfortunate. to think he'd get himself killed by a risky move, and then he couldn't even come up to see good ol' midori again. this is how they meet when he's an utter embarrassment, and he's hiding behind sara to lead the conversation.
midori doesn't hate it, he does wish they could play together like normal.
that said, he wants tea, there's no tea because shin ruined it!! luckily, midori looks around for a moment in the room that they're in, before coming to his conclusion. ]
Or do you not regret killing him yourself?
[ they're talking about death and she looked at him, what is he supposed to say? ]
[He's not hiding behind Sara, he's trying to back her up... he's not liking the undercurrents already forming beneath this conversation, though.
The return look Sara gets is a little needlelike - who's she referring to as someone who didn't deserve it? - but flicks away with it's own regret. He's eating his own words here, isn't he? But they can't afford to present anything other than a united front, or it's cracks a crowbar could be fit into. There's nothing stopping them from discussing things later, outside of the awkwardness of it.
...He's made sure he can't be strangled again. He finishes his long sip while this has been going on and then holds his cup upside-down and shakes it.]
Well, looks like there's no more tea... It's about time we headed out. Let's go, Sara.
[He leans over to put the cup on the table, and then hops down from his perch, grabbing Sara's wrist and tugging towards the door. Not tightly or even effectively (he can't), but enough that it's clear he's pressing the eject button on this conversation, and for the sake of everything just play along and come with.
The way things are going, they're going to lose more than they gain staying here... best to cut their losses. And... also quit while they're ahead, because Midori just revealed something.]
[ Regretting his death...but she didn't kill him. It was not killing him that had been the problem. The way he says it, so self assured that Sara had to have a hand in Sou Hiyori's passing could only mean...he must be from that same time. A time where she must have faced Midori down with very difficult thoughts in her mind. She's desperate and fearful to know the difference but here really is something Midori doesn't know, so she keeps it to herself.
She didn't think it was bad to keep Sou alive. The cost might have been to great, her reasoning flawed but at its heart he'd deserved to be alive as much as anyone else. The fact he'd died and ended up here was a tragedy. But if she had killed him, with a vote or just with her own hands...could she have avoided causing him so much pain? ]
I don't know which is better...huh?
[ Sou is tugging on her wrist. Not enough to move Sara, but she looks over at him. Go...but they promised to watch Midori. Every second they don't have eyes on him is seconds he could be using to murder Joe. ]
Do you want more? I can- [ It's hard to communicate with a look, but Sara tries. She's torn...do they really need to leave right now? ]
Is that an uncomfortable question? We're all dead here. I would have asked you the same.
[ he looks towards shin as he seems ready to leave the conversation, which seems a little odd for him. perhaps they've found an inch in his words and are taking a mile. that's probably it, needing to regroup, talk over the information, and come to a conclusion about him.
truly understandable. ]
Do you regret her death... if you wanted to kill her? You said you two were long lost siblings, and met here. Normally, family wouldn't want anyone to hurt their loved one. They'd want to make sure they'd have a painless death.
[ it's simple, it's normally how things go when people care about each other. they'd rather kill them themselves than let someone else do it. ]
After she was done, you were next.
[ insane, they're his desperate, little participants though. ]
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We Don't Talk About Sou Hiyori
He slowly shifts his weight trying to get a better position because one of his legs is starting to cramp up a little... He leans forward...
And that's the last straw for this particular piece of ceiling. Light as Shin is, it's probably got woodworm all throughout it or something, and he's not weightless.]
Waugh!
[He's crashing down into the room in a cloud of dust and wood dust and lying there stunned. It's probably only last minute hard-earned parkour skills that have him winded on his front instead of accidentally killing himself in the most embarrassing way possible.]
puts down elden ring 4 this
[ See how its annoying? If there was something she might want to talk about...with a person she might know...well if he can't remember there's no point! Please stop this silly charade. ]
Miss Namida was my temporary doctor...but that's not important. Didn't you two break up-
[ She lifts her own mug of tea to her lips, just before Sou falls right onto the table, covering them both in dust and woodchips. Sara...slowly...puts her tea down on Sou's prone lifeless body. No...no she will not acknowledge this. Not right now. She's going to pretend this didn't happen. If she says one word to Sou, she'll won't be able to stop something snide and snarky, and Sara doesn't want Midori to know they're fighting. ]
Anyway. [ Anyway. ] When someone says you'll die together, do you stay in a relationship after that?
[ GET OFF THE TABLE SOU. ]
I HAVE BEEN CRACKING UP OVER THIS THREAD
midori looks down at the person on the table, and it's not hard to mistake that person — briefly what heart he has left skips — yet he keeps that inside, and it's not visible on his face. rather, it's a long stare as he tries to control himself the same way sara seems to. ]
That isn't surprising, she's good at her work. She's solved so many cases, cured so many diseases. Could you tell me what you were inflicted with?
[ he looks up at the ceiling, and then down to the body... shin... his precious little meow meow interrupting his date, and you know what, he thinks that's fine. if anyone could be so inelegant, but wanted, it was shin tsukimi... though the scarf he wears is a different color, one that midori doesn't recall on him. but on another...
...
he sets the mug down on top of shin's head, following sara's motions. ]
Hm? In my company, the idea of human and artificial intelligence is against the rules. Our goal is to spread love throughout the world, so we work on various ways of doing that. Maple had been one idea... but "dying together" is way too intense...
[ he's going to reach for a splenda packet to open, and while watching sara sheepishly, he holds his hand out to pour it into his tea, but accidentally (purposefully) drizzling the white confection on shin's head, until he looks to see if the packet is empty. ]
Oh. Whoops. [ ... ] Is this your boyfriend?
SAME
Ugh... No way.
[And now something's going into his hair... You've got three seconds before he decides that you know what, it's fine if your hot tea goes on the floor and/or you two. Don't say he didn't warn you (he's not warning you).]
no subject
[ Sara watching Midori put more sugar into his dust and wood chip filled tea like....
Its not even proper tea any more thats like sugary asbestos and Shin dust with a little water. ]
This is... [ So many emotions can be contained with a single glance, but Sara's can communicate an entire sentence. Why are you here and for the love of god get off the table . She flicks a woodchip out of her hair and onto Sou. What to say, what to say...he's obviously not her boyfriend, duh! Way to old for her. So um...friend? No. Rival, enemy? Uh...um... ]
My long lost brother.
[ This is the worst thing she could say in this situation he's still mad about Kanna and she's rubbing it in. With Midori of all people! It's just...the first thing that she thinks of when she thinks about Sou! He's so obsessed with Kanna so why wouldn't she think about it! Maybe if she takes her tea back fast enough she can skip the part where he throws it at her. ]
He likes to climb in vents. Its a surprisingly popular hobby here. [ Along with listening in on conversations Sara didn't want him around for!! ]
no subject
[ why is he here? it's brave of him, even now, midori could reach out and do what he failed doing before — killing him with a snap of his neck, and that would be because of love.
he reaches out towards his head, but instead picks up his tea to take a sip of the beverage. it's perfect, this is the best green tea he's had in a long time now. taking another sip, he glances down at her "long lost brother", and they look nothing alike. they only have green haired children in that family.
...
however, he can only sip so much until the doctor part of him tells him to check on the person before him. he has to play the part as he sets his cup to the side. ]
So this is your big brother? He must be good at his job, watching over you [ he looks up above them, then down at the body on the table ] as he was.
[ holding up a three fingers, he places them in front of shin's face if he tilts his head up. ]
How many fingers am I holding up? [ then to sara: ] Hm... Miss Sara, can you fix him a cup of chamomile?
no subject
Don't bother, I'm fine. I don't have a concussion... whoever you are.
[He's not calling him Hiyori if he can help it... but also that amnesia, sure seems to be going around, huh? Once upright he stalks around the room hunting for his beanie and when he finds it ruffles the dust and sugar out of his hair as best he can with a hand and attempts to pat it out of the article too before pulling it back onto his head. He swipes down his front to try and get more dust off... it's not all that successful, although it does get more onto the carpet.]
no subject
Well he's long lost so I don't expect much from him. [ She presses her fingers together as Sou rolls off the table. ] You know...long lost, raised apart, all that. Practically strangers!
[ Tea...yes actually, please don't leave her alone to get grilled about her fake brother backstory. There's still hot water in the kettle, so Sara gets another mug and drops a teabag in it. Offering it towards Sou is kind of an apology, even if its just doing what Midori told her
Now don't leave!!]Er...[ What should she call him..? Pensive. 1). Commit to the bit. 2). Call him the stolen name when he might not want it.
...At least the former mostly damages her pride. ]
Here, nii-san. Please stay out of vents? The dust can't be healthy.
no subject
...
not his shoes that he's been taking care of, he looks down at the spilled tea, and he will excuse it. instead, he'll pick up a few napkins to start wiping his shoes, and the tea from the floor as he picks up the cup he was using.
he's disheartened... all that sugar, wasted. though, nothing breaks his heart more than their half-ass story, and sara's commitment to playing the role of a family member. he can't say anything though because of his amnesia, but... ]
You'll worry her sick, nii-san!
[ he follows, smiling as he finally cleans up the mess on the floor. watching shin, he wonders what he should have expected for them being here so long, has the other always been so... uncoordinated? falling from crawlspaces which happen to be the alternate route from getting to point a to point b, he thinks creating a monster that runs through the vents might be fun. ]
So do tell... what's the story? Separated at birth? One of you strangled the other in the womb? Sunset, [ to shin, before looking to sara ] Sunrise?
[ you know, how some twins have a chance of killing their other twin in the womb... then the twin just grew up here? you know, he's making up narrations so sara can choose how she wants to paint their relationship. ]
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I'm not going to die just from a little dust...
[He does cough a little, though... it's fine, he was breathing through his scarf for most of it... now is not the time to be worrying about his lungs. He takes the cup of tea... he saw it being made, so it's probably not poisoned. If he was here alone his first instinct would be to leave immediately... it still is.
Having a reaction in front of Midori is a death sentence, so Shin hides his wince at 'strangled the other' internally, burying it down where the rest of him is so it can't freak out and ruin things. He can go 'nii-san???' and die later. His thumb rubs across Nene's scarf, the weave of it.]
Nothing that complicated... Our parents just divorced early on, that's all. Right, Sara?
[Take the cue, for once. Neat, clean, simple, and doesn't require him to have to wonder if that's even logistically possible, in this afterlife. He hasn't noticed anyone aging, but it's been only eight months. He takes a sip of the tea... the warmth is helpfully grounding at least.]
Seems like you're just as bad at math as anyone here... we'd have to be the same age to be twins.
[Strangled in the womb? The same womb, four years apart? Shin knows customers kept asking him how school was going, but that's a bit much for Midori. It's probably more of his usual messing around... he's enjoying this, isn't he?]
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Not very interesting. [ She echoes. Short and sweet. No better way to give the hint to drop this plot thread. Unlike Midori, Sara and Sou can let their annoying plotlines die in ditches! ] You know, you get separated. You meet. You both die. You end up here. Pretty typical.
[ She is actually pretty flattered to be assumed to be in her twenties. Twins... She must seem mature! Even if its a compliment from Midori, she'll take it. ]
Well Midori probably takes the practicum every year so he doesn't need to study. [ Nods nods. ] I don't know if people grow here...I don't think so! Did you know Seiya is like 800 years old? He's like a scary old guy in a grumpy teen body.
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[ cannot believe shin has the nerve to make midori look dumb, so we're going to fix it. it's with a gentle smile that he places the wet napkins into drier ones, so they can be sat towards the side.
the idea isn't insane, which it could be possible, ah... what happened to his shin that had imagination and creativity? ]
But my condolences if you're having trouble with math.
[ just going to throw that in there, considering he used "anyone here". shin really let himself go, but he's content as he will be about anything else as he sits back down to watch them both.
his gaze unnerving, until he blinks, like its set on a timer. ]
We can talk about it over tea, you should sit with us, niichan. [ there's a little gasp, eyes widening at someone so old though, he focuses on sara. ] Finding older men interesting? I learn something new about you every day.
[ ... ]
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Hm. The practicum does suit him, huh?
[He's not going to push his luck too much, but he doesn't need to prove his math scores here. Childish charm, ugh. That gets so much worse, knowing everything... his eyes narrow at the last sentence. Don't fall for it Sara, it's flattery but it's a trap!]
...Guess I have a little time before I need to get back to the office.
[Which sets up a way out for him in advance. He sits on the couch's armrest, legs crossed, hands around the mug and spine curved. His eyes are sharp, looking sidelong. That gaze... just let it roll off like oil on water... you've seen scarier, come on.]
So which highschool were you going to when you died? Maybe I know it.
[There's vicious jabs and then there's pointing a harpoon at someone.]
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[ She wants to be mature, not childish...and shes not into Seiya! The older guys Sara finds somewhat interesting have white hair and...nevermind.
There is something about lording all the yogen lore they know over Midori like so much bait on fishhooks. Gonna ask what the practicum is? No? Good! Bet he doesn't know not to take books out of the library...maybe they can get Haruka to steal his hands. ]
Well...he'd cheat either way.
[ It's been a while since she's felt this kind of solidarity. Taking on Midori alone had been....fine...but Sara's shoulders loosen when Sou does his terrible little sit on the couch near her. She'll sip her own tea forgetfully, then make a face when she tastes the dust. ]
Bleh...highschool? [ ??????????????????????????????? Why is Sou asking...oh. ]
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Oh... you died going to high school? You even appear to look over twenty... No wonder you're so worried about math...
[ he gasps, finally making sense of it in his mind. shin looks to be on the older side considering him saying that he's older than her. or that's the narration he places onto shin because of his inquiry.
he looks to sara like he can't look this man in the face for his failures, especially because people don't age too... damn. ]
But I didn't die in the same way that you did. I'm a successful medical practitioner, the last thing I remember is looking into something for the company, and then I fell asleep. Oh, did you know that scientific researches shows that 1 out of 8 people die in their sleep which is also mostly nearby 4 AM?
[ there's something about paranormal activity that happens around then. ]
How did you die?
[ that's you sara. ]
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Jeez... your listening comprehension is as bad as your math. They'll let anyone through medical school, huh?
[But he's gotten annoyed, and that's basically the same as a loss... He's kind of stuck in this fencing match now. Thanks for the new fact that's going to camp unwanted in his brain, he'll put it with the others.]
That's kind of a rude question, isn't it?
[He can't help but think of Sara's reaction to his own speculation on the matter.]
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You died alone, huh?
[ She puts her tea down on the dented table with a click. Midori's eyes always make it hard to focus, like he blinks out of sync just to distract Sara, so she fiddles with her hand, staring off at a wall before she turns back to him. ]
That's sad. I'd feel sorry for you. [ Alone in a coffin with no way out...how terrible. Nicer to imagine dying at 4am... If Midori gets to pretend, why can't she? Not the death Sou had suggested, but something a little more pleasant. ]
Maybe I died in a blaze of glory...and rescued three people. Then nobody ever saw me again after that, and nobody felt sad.
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[ which means, he doesn't understand the way shin's speaking with him. normally people try to act nice, but it seems the other has been itching to catch hands. luckily, he's not showing off that ability at this time, and only giving his concerns as he looks at shin finally.
he knows it still gets under his skin, oh my.
playing around, he'll pass it off as bad manners. ]
Isn't better to die alone, one shot, one kill. I wouldn't want to take four people with me...
[ but it's the opposite, always has been. he managed to take some, but not all, he didn't get the one that he wanted to die, he didn't get to see sara in her glory. they're all incomplete, and if only there was a way to fix them. he leans back in his seat, his true death isn't one he's fond either, but thinking about it would do no good. he must remain composed, and he shows no worry on his face.
he wants tea again... ]
Dying alone, dying and no one grieving you... we're quite the same, aren't we? At least niichan had a whole school to die with.
[ ... ]
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That, coming from Sara... Shin shifts on the couch a little, getting a better position, looking away. That's... more honest than you should be, with Midori. That's giving him too much... you should lie like you're a rug or you want to mess with Youtube surveys by pretending you come from outer space. In Shin's mind, at least. There's no way to signal it's a bad move that Midori won't also pick up on... He's already capitalizing on it.
Speaking of... he's going to ignore those and drink more tea. Midori knows full well what he meant, so it doesn't matter.]
At least it wasn't painful... Didn't know it was coming, either.
[His tone is conversational. He can't imagine getting shredded is very pleasant. Nor the anticipation, trapped in a box, knowing it's certain death... He knows the size of those coffins, and he knows certainty closing around your neck. He sees what angle Sara is going for, and if nothing else trusts her nose for weakness.]
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[ And when...pray tell has she been good at lying? Anyway, it's been almost a year since she last saw Midori and he interrogated her true nature. Enough time to do some things she wasn't proud of and think...well...that other Sou probably was right. It does make it easier to remember all the things Midori said and did if she just accepts them. Less scary to look at him. She's trying to be better, thats what should really matter...
She still doesn't look very happy saying it. Ugh...where did the tea go. She doesn't want to stand up and make more. ]
Dying is pointless anyway. There isn't a good way to die. It's more about...regret. [ She does chance a look at Shin at that. He hadn't wanted to die, but saving Kanna and trying to escape would have made Sara feel content that she had at least tried. ]
It would be pretty annoying to die pointlessly for someone who didn't deserve it.
[ Joe or Midori's feelings...she wonders who she's talking about. ]
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[ she looked at him while saying it, so he can connect two and two without even needing the background story. honestly, he knows what happened to shin in his timeline, which was... so unfortunate. to think he'd get himself killed by a risky move, and then he couldn't even come up to see good ol' midori again. this is how they meet when he's an utter embarrassment, and he's hiding behind sara to lead the conversation.
midori doesn't hate it, he does wish they could play together like normal.
that said, he wants tea, there's no tea because shin ruined it!! luckily, midori looks around for a moment in the room that they're in, before coming to his conclusion. ]
Or do you not regret killing him yourself?
[ they're talking about death and she looked at him, what is he supposed to say? ]
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The return look Sara gets is a little needlelike - who's she referring to as someone who didn't deserve it? - but flicks away with it's own regret. He's eating his own words here, isn't he? But they can't afford to present anything other than a united front, or it's cracks a crowbar could be fit into. There's nothing stopping them from discussing things later, outside of the awkwardness of it.
...He's made sure he can't be strangled again. He finishes his long sip while this has been going on and then holds his cup upside-down and shakes it.]
Well, looks like there's no more tea... It's about time we headed out. Let's go, Sara.
[He leans over to put the cup on the table, and then hops down from his perch, grabbing Sara's wrist and tugging towards the door. Not tightly or even effectively (he can't), but enough that it's clear he's pressing the eject button on this conversation, and for the sake of everything just play along and come with.
The way things are going, they're going to lose more than they gain staying here... best to cut their losses. And... also quit while they're ahead, because Midori just revealed something.]
There's something I need you to look at.
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[ Regretting his death...but she didn't kill him. It was not killing him that had been the problem. The way he says it, so self assured that Sara had to have a hand in Sou Hiyori's passing could only mean...he must be from that same time. A time where she must have faced Midori down with very difficult thoughts in her mind. She's desperate and fearful to know the difference but here really is something Midori doesn't know, so she keeps it to herself.
She didn't think it was bad to keep Sou alive. The cost might have been to great, her reasoning flawed but at its heart he'd deserved to be alive as much as anyone else. The fact he'd died and ended up here was a tragedy. But if she had killed him, with a vote or just with her own hands...could she have avoided causing him so much pain? ]
I don't know which is better...huh?
[ Sou is tugging on her wrist. Not enough to move Sara, but she looks over at him. Go...but they promised to watch Midori. Every second they don't have eyes on him is seconds he could be using to murder Joe. ]
Do you want more? I can- [ It's hard to communicate with a look, but Sara tries. She's torn...do they really need to leave right now? ]
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[ he looks towards shin as he seems ready to leave the conversation, which seems a little odd for him. perhaps they've found an inch in his words and are taking a mile. that's probably it, needing to regroup, talk over the information, and come to a conclusion about him.
truly understandable. ]
Do you regret her death... if you wanted to kill her? You said you two were long lost siblings, and met here. Normally, family wouldn't want anyone to hurt their loved one. They'd want to make sure they'd have a painless death.
[ it's simple, it's normally how things go when people care about each other. they'd rather kill them themselves than let someone else do it. ]
After she was done, you were next.
[ insane, they're his desperate, little participants though. ]