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[It's going to be packed forever. The bird people that Kaneda brought home left once, then came back almost immediately. Something about their actual home being too quiet, or whatever. Ken doesn't really mind anymore, but Jaime's right -- it's not a place for privacy. He nods and keeps one arm around Jaime as he starts to walk, taking sure steps toward the nearest strip mall he knows has a few dining places.]
It's almost just like last year, huh? Except you have the normal amount of beard this time.
It's almost just like last year, huh? Except you have the normal amount of beard this time.
That's what I mean! Give her my shirt to do whatever to it. You know...improve the masterpiece.
[Now he's got the idea in his head...what better way to let Mabel express that kind of creativity with a piece of clothing that can ONLY be improved upon?
Also a torn shirt isn't a masterpiece you idiot.]
[Now he's got the idea in his head...what better way to let Mabel express that kind of creativity with a piece of clothing that can ONLY be improved upon?
Also a torn shirt isn't a masterpiece you idiot.]
... Wait, so you're telling me that you're going to give her one of your old shirts to decorate and """"improve"""" a """"masterpiece"""" and that's your gift?
... How are you not falling over yet? [isn't your big head too heavy from being filled with so much ego. You even made him develop an ability to speak multiple quotation marks!!!]
... How are you not falling over yet? [isn't your big head too heavy from being filled with so much ego. You even made him develop an ability to speak multiple quotation marks!!!]
Hey, that was a normal amount of beard! I'm, you know... working my way up to it. I'm glad we both stayed the same this time, though.
[It's hard, being in another body that doesn't feel like your own. Jaime remembers staring into the mirror and being struck with that odd sensation that he looks like his father, all grown up. It's not that he didn't like it, but after a while, he just wanted to be himself again.
Whatever it is that's bugging Ken, he's certain that it's a good thing that he doesn't have to deal with being in the wrong body - or in the wrong time - on top of it all. He waits until they're a couple blocks away before finally looking down at Ken and asking, quietly,] So, what's going on?
[It's hard, being in another body that doesn't feel like your own. Jaime remembers staring into the mirror and being struck with that odd sensation that he looks like his father, all grown up. It's not that he didn't like it, but after a while, he just wanted to be himself again.
Whatever it is that's bugging Ken, he's certain that it's a good thing that he doesn't have to deal with being in the wrong body - or in the wrong time - on top of it all. He waits until they're a couple blocks away before finally looking down at Ken and asking, quietly,] So, what's going on?
[Ken's answer to the first comment is a quiet laugh of agreement. Being taller and in a different body is one thing, he thinks, but this time, it wasn't just a few people who had their memories altered. It ran deeper than physical differences this time, and he isn't sure what would've happened if he got pulled backward or forward in time. Especially the former.
But then, at the question, he quiets, not looking up at Jaime but not looking away, either. He continues to watch where they're going for a few more steps before he casts his eyes down, lips curling down in a small frown.]
I'm not in trouble or anything. So you don't have to worry about me getting hurt. I just... if everyone who's affected by this is experiencing their future, or going back to their past, then there's someone I want to help, but I can't do anything about it because it's in their world. [His hand curls into a fist around Jaime's shirt.] And I think they're going to die.
But then, at the question, he quiets, not looking up at Jaime but not looking away, either. He continues to watch where they're going for a few more steps before he casts his eyes down, lips curling down in a small frown.]
I'm not in trouble or anything. So you don't have to worry about me getting hurt. I just... if everyone who's affected by this is experiencing their future, or going back to their past, then there's someone I want to help, but I can't do anything about it because it's in their world. [His hand curls into a fist around Jaime's shirt.] And I think they're going to die.
[His brows furrow at that. Kaneda may have the confidence for an ego that never died, but he'd at least read up on how to give a gift.]
Gift? No....my real gift is candy, dumbass!
[He huffs a little, swirling that spoon into the bowl.]
The t-shirt's just....I wanna see her do something with it.
...
And I can stand just fine, for the record!
Gift? No....my real gift is candy, dumbass!
[He huffs a little, swirling that spoon into the bowl.]
The t-shirt's just....I wanna see her do something with it.
...
And I can stand just fine, for the record!
Edited 2016-04-02 19:57 (UTC)
[It takes a moment, tapping his spoon on the side of he disposable cup as he thinks.]
Hey.
[There it is, the smile forming, like the previous awkward faded away.]
So where you taking her, anyway? You said something about an afternoon outing.
[His sherbet's almost finished as well, rounding it off with one more spoonful.]
Hey.
[There it is, the smile forming, like the previous awkward faded away.]
So where you taking her, anyway? You said something about an afternoon outing.
[His sherbet's almost finished as well, rounding it off with one more spoonful.]
Hello?
[ it takes a few tries for Hinami to actually say it, not sure if this...call? transmission? is going to actually reach anyone. she had almost not believed it when she discovered that the number was there, nothing more than a faint memory to her now, two years past. in the first hours of her arrival, she couldn't believe any of what she barely remembered was real.
and the person calling ken most certainly is hinami, it's clear to tell. she's lost some of that childish roundness to her face, changed from a cute young girl to lovely a young woman, only a few years shy of being truly grown. but there's a shadow of sadness now, of stress, of tiredness that no amount of sleep will drive away. she doesn't even have the earthy, flowing clothing she'd always loved. what's visible is instead a plain, worn garment that looks like something given to prisoner's when stripped of their belongings. ]
...Ken-chan?
[ it takes a few tries for Hinami to actually say it, not sure if this...call? transmission? is going to actually reach anyone. she had almost not believed it when she discovered that the number was there, nothing more than a faint memory to her now, two years past. in the first hours of her arrival, she couldn't believe any of what she barely remembered was real.
and the person calling ken most certainly is hinami, it's clear to tell. she's lost some of that childish roundness to her face, changed from a cute young girl to lovely a young woman, only a few years shy of being truly grown. but there's a shadow of sadness now, of stress, of tiredness that no amount of sleep will drive away. she doesn't even have the earthy, flowing clothing she'd always loved. what's visible is instead a plain, worn garment that looks like something given to prisoner's when stripped of their belongings. ]
...Ken-chan?
Someone important to you.
[It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that one out. Jaime wants to know who, but has the good sense not to ask. He's been through this often enough to realize that knowing another's future is sacred, that sometimes, it's better not to know.
Jaime wishes Ken didn't know. Maybe one time, he really did believe that knowledge ins power, but he's beginning to think it's nothing but trouble, that fate is immutable -- but he can't believe that, not fully. That would mean giving up hope.
If he gives up hope, then who's around to help give Ken some?]
I'm sorry. [He places one hand on Ken's shoulder, squeezing it in reassurance. You'd think he'd know how to help people with this kind of news by now, but he still doesn't.]
You can't do it yet, anyway; traveling to different worlds isn't impossible. But I get that doesn't help you or them now.
Do they think they're going to die too? They might know better than you do.
[It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that one out. Jaime wants to know who, but has the good sense not to ask. He's been through this often enough to realize that knowing another's future is sacred, that sometimes, it's better not to know.
Jaime wishes Ken didn't know. Maybe one time, he really did believe that knowledge ins power, but he's beginning to think it's nothing but trouble, that fate is immutable -- but he can't believe that, not fully. That would mean giving up hope.
If he gives up hope, then who's around to help give Ken some?]
I'm sorry. [He places one hand on Ken's shoulder, squeezing it in reassurance. You'd think he'd know how to help people with this kind of news by now, but he still doesn't.]
You can't do it yet, anyway; traveling to different worlds isn't impossible. But I get that doesn't help you or them now.
Do they think they're going to die too? They might know better than you do.
[... Ah.
Ken isn't sure if this is an effect of what's happening to his housemates, or Hinami had gone and come back again. But, he supposes, it doesn't matter; this Hinami is clearly older than the one he knows, but she has some sort of memory of him. That's all he needs.
He smiles at her softly when he responds.]
Hey, Hinami-chan.
Ken isn't sure if this is an effect of what's happening to his housemates, or Hinami had gone and come back again. But, he supposes, it doesn't matter; this Hinami is clearly older than the one he knows, but she has some sort of memory of him. That's all he needs.
He smiles at her softly when he responds.]
Hey, Hinami-chan.
'Cause we're not back home? And we might never go back home anyway! So there's no point.
Uh, yeah. Sure.
[Unfortunately, Dipper doesn't yet know about the tiny grunk situation. It's not going to be a restful night for either of them.]
[Unfortunately, Dipper doesn't yet know about the tiny grunk situation. It's not going to be a restful night for either of them.]
[Ken isn't very convinced about that. Still he has no arguments other than "but you might." It's all up in chance now, isn't it? He lets out a sharp breath -- almost a gasp -- but he quiets after, silent for a few seconds, then steps forward to raise his arms and pull Mabel into a hug. He's holding her too tightly for it to be just a friendly gesture.]
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
[Ken only finishes his before Kaneda because he had less of it and started early. He hums at the question, then pulls out his phone to start flipping through the pictures. He slides it over as he answers.]
Froyo. Uh, frozen yogurt, [he says as he shows the screen, which shows Noodle and Penny showing off their monstrous cups of frozen yogurt with a gazillion toppings, grinning from ear to ear.] I thought it'd be fun. She can pick her own toppings.
Froyo. Uh, frozen yogurt, [he says as he shows the screen, which shows Noodle and Penny showing off their monstrous cups of frozen yogurt with a gazillion toppings, grinning from ear to ear.] I thought it'd be fun. She can pick her own toppings.
They're the ones who told me. Their enemy back home trapped them, and was choosing which one of them he was going to...
[Ken shakes his head. He doesn't want to reveal that it's the twins, and he doesn't want to say the words. He's still in a bit of denial, or at least wanting to.]
[Ken shakes his head. He doesn't want to reveal that it's the twins, and he doesn't want to say the words. He's still in a bit of denial, or at least wanting to.]
[Them. Plural. That's always fun, isn't it? Learning that there's more than one?]
But it hasn't happened yet.
[Jaime knows a little something about holding onto hope, but Ken, Ken's had to face down another's hopes and shoot it down for the greater good. Would he really be doing Ken a service by providing him with false hope?
But hell, Jaime's got false hope of his own too, hope that Minato and Shinji will come home with him, hope that they still have time to save Wally. It helps about as much as prayer does, which is intermittently and depending on his mood.]
People have gotten out of worse scrapes before, Ken. And the people you know are stubborn.
[Not that stubbornness tends to save them in the end, but it at least opens up the possibility.]
I know that doesn't make things better now, from where you can't help stop it, but it's not a done deal either.
But it hasn't happened yet.
[Jaime knows a little something about holding onto hope, but Ken, Ken's had to face down another's hopes and shoot it down for the greater good. Would he really be doing Ken a service by providing him with false hope?
But hell, Jaime's got false hope of his own too, hope that Minato and Shinji will come home with him, hope that they still have time to save Wally. It helps about as much as prayer does, which is intermittently and depending on his mood.]
People have gotten out of worse scrapes before, Ken. And the people you know are stubborn.
[Not that stubbornness tends to save them in the end, but it at least opens up the possibility.]
I know that doesn't make things better now, from where you can't help stop it, but it's not a done deal either.
[He nods, tense. Jaime is right. It hadn't happened yet. It's not a done deal. He knows that.
He knows that.]
But I think they gave up. They told me there's nothing they can do, and they're going to hope they can stay here forever. It's not that I don't understand.
[This is why it had to be Jaime. Jaime knew everything about SEES, was the one Ken told the most about them to. Sometimes he regrets burdening him like this. Other days, he's glad to have someone outside who understands and cares about them like Jaime does.]
We decided to fight that day even if it was impossible. Mochizuki-san said over and over that we couldn't defeat Nyx, and we'd only die in fear, and he wanted to give us a way out so we could live normally until we died. But we didn't want to give up.
But -- but I can't tell them that. We couldn't defeat Nyx, either. She wasn't meant to be defeated. And the only... the only reason I'm alive now is because Minato-san gave up his life. That sort of thing doesn't just happen all the time. There was nothing I could say for them.
He knows that.]
But I think they gave up. They told me there's nothing they can do, and they're going to hope they can stay here forever. It's not that I don't understand.
[This is why it had to be Jaime. Jaime knew everything about SEES, was the one Ken told the most about them to. Sometimes he regrets burdening him like this. Other days, he's glad to have someone outside who understands and cares about them like Jaime does.]
We decided to fight that day even if it was impossible. Mochizuki-san said over and over that we couldn't defeat Nyx, and we'd only die in fear, and he wanted to give us a way out so we could live normally until we died. But we didn't want to give up.
But -- but I can't tell them that. We couldn't defeat Nyx, either. She wasn't meant to be defeated. And the only... the only reason I'm alive now is because Minato-san gave up his life. That sort of thing doesn't just happen all the time. There was nothing I could say for them.
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