week one | overflow

[showhost]

you're all animals


Embrace Space | Property Damage, etc
Truth Booth Voting | Match Ceremony Submissions

Comments

[newlugers]

[ he is, in fact, in the bedroom, because it seems like the only sensible place to stalk off to and brood in even if it's shared. Ryuji and Wednesday coming back should buy him some time to get his head together, he thinks. It does, but not as much as he'd hoped. Steve's towards the back of the room, leaning against the wall with one hand; when he hears someone enter, he curls it into a fist and bangs the plaster. ]

I don't wanna talk about it, okay?

[singurarity]

[ The noise is loud, but she'd sort of expected some manner of lashing out, so Ritsuka doesn't do more than flinch initially in surprise. All the same, it isn't going to stop her from walking towards his voice. ]

Okay. I wasn't going to make you.

[ Not that she thinks she can, but. The point still stands. ]

[newlugers]

Ritsuka?

[ dammit - he should have looked to see who was coming before getting snippy. She doesn't deserve it. The Steve of a week ago wouldn't have even considered apologizing, but going through hell and then dying can change a man's outlook. He belatedly glances over his shoulder at her, but looks away just as soon, shaking his head. ]

Sorry.

[singurarity]

It's okay. That... sort of thing that we're definitely not going to talk about would have made anyone upset.

[ Nailed it. ]

I don't have to stay for very long, either, if you want to be alone. But I didn't want to just leave you alone without trying to see how you were doing.

[newlugers]

[ her clumsy avoidance of the topic would be enough to get a chuckle out of him if he wasn't in brooding mode. ]

'm fine, [ he mumbles. ] It's not like anything's changed.

[ he's just been continually trying to not think about this. ]

[singurarity]

Nothing, huh. I think if a bunch of people found out something about me I wasn't ready to talk about, I'd need to distance myself a little.

... Avoiding this is hard. [ A thoughtful pause. ]

Um, are you a dog or a cat person?

[newlugers]

What?

[ it's so out of left field that it actually gets him to look at her properly this time. ]

What's that got to do with anything?

[singurarity]

You said you didn't want to talk about it, so we're not talking about it!

[ Obviously. ]

[newlugers]

[ he comes so very close to telling her to buzz off for that - as if he can get over this by talking about pets! - but he manages to have enough emotional maturity not to. She's just trying to help. ]

I don't wanna talk about that either, [ he grouses, but relents. ] Look, I just... You can't help me. Nobody can. I don't want everyone to sit around feeling sorry for me, 'cause it just pisses me off.

[singurarity]

Well.

[ Hm. She considers what to say, then sort of quietly shrugs her shoulders. ]

I'm glad you came here, at the very least.

[newlugers]

Huh? Why?

[ very earnestly - maybe even a little suspiciously, as if she's setting him up for a joke. ]

[singurarity]

If you'd stayed there, we never would've met, right?

[ simply. ]

I sorta feel like I would have lost out on something without ever knowing what it was.

Not to mention if this wish thing is valid, maybe it gives you more of a chance. But that's just my thoughts on it.

[newlugers]

[ wtf is this cute response. Steve breathes a laugh at that, shaking his head in something akin to disbelief. ]

I didn't know you were such a cornball, Ritsuka.

[ the words are without venom - he obviously just doesn't really know how to respond, as evidenced by the awkward moment or two of silence before he adds on: ]

Well, you're getting the Steve encore performance. Congrats.

[singurarity]

Well, I'm glad being a cornball made you laugh! There's some use for it.

[ With a laugh of her own. And a clap for his "performance." ]

[newlugers]

Yeah, yeah, don't get used to it. [ waving a hand good-naturedly before lifting it to briefly rub one eye. ] Thanks.

[singurarity]

Don't mention it. I'll let you be now.