interstellar5555 | Locked in a Room

You were there too, huh. [He doesn't sound thrilled about it. That just means Nariko went through some kind of similar hell, just like he did. And the rest of Flashstep, for that matter.]

You know, when you say it like that, that makes me think that I should be a little scared of you if you're going around trying to throttle people. [He teases, trying to lighten the mood a little as he follows her into the kitchen. He's not saying no to Nariko making him food, no way.]

I don't think you'd ever do anything to make me like that, though. [She lets go of him as they make it to the cupboards and she begins rooting around for ingredients. They usually had someone come in and cook for them, and now they're in one of the in-between periods so she'll have to do this herself and risk blowing them both up!]

I mean, I was angry for myself, but then to put Richard and Kido and Maxxie - everyone through all of that. I was terrified out of my mind, so it must have been just as bad if not worse for everyone else! [Just talking about it makes her emotional, though it's difficult to separate anger and fear in that moment, both are equally present.]

It's stupid now, but in that moment I couldn't stand it. They didn't care and I just ... [She had wanted them to suffer, to make them feel as small, unimportant, and helpless as she had. But she can't really say that out loud.]

I have to at least try and look out for my own. I guess that's all it is.

Well, I bet they appreciated you trying to rip them a new one and everything. [Maxxie wouldn't even talk about it much with them. He knew it was bad.]

But they were seriously scary! I don't even know if I like the idea of sharing a building here with them around. [He finds a seat at the table in the kitchen, to get out of her way and let her work. That's the beauty of someone else making food for you- you don't have to do it yourself.]

[... They'd just found it all so funny, but Nariko didn't really want to elaborate too much on that, part, it'd been humiliating enough in the moment. And while he talks! She puts the cocoa powder in the pan, finds the milk and vanilla extract ... She's not actually making a meal, but he'll be able to drink this!]

I don't either. They're assholes and they shouldn't have been able to get away with that crap. [She shakes her head.] If they're willing to go that far we just have to be careful.

[Obviously Santiago wouldn't be helping them out any.]

We'll get 'em back. [He winks from the table. He's confident in Luci's plan, and is definitely taking part in it.]

Is that what you were doing in there? Writing something for the whole album thing?

No. [She taps her foot, literally watching the pot, waiting for it to boil.] I really - I don't know. I'm still worried about Luci's plan but I'll be there.

[Where in the world are the ladles?]

Everything I've come up with so far has been weird, I'm not even sure I should let everyone listen to it. [She's not usually so cagey about it, but, man.] Mostly a lot of guitar stuff, which isn't exactly surprising. My dad always played for me when I was upset.

[ ... Right? Yeah, that sounds like a thing her dad would do. That was why she loved guitar so much, even though singing would always reign supreme. Hm.]

C'mon, it can't be that weird. It's not like it's some weird ass John Cage stuff, right? I'm sure it sounds fine.

[He tries to be encouraging for her. Music was one thing you didn't chide people for, not for creating it and expressing yourself.]

Lemme hear it. I'll tell you if it's way too weird or something.

[Her concoction is still boiling and doing its thing, so his offer is perfect timing wise. Getting the opinion of someone outside of her band could be incredibly helpful ...]

If you really don't mind. [She's got it on her phone, but are you prepared, Yosuke? You've got to be sure.]

[He smiles and nods back at her, absolutely ready to listen to her music. He doesn't mind listening to new stuff either, and it might make her feel better to get some feedback about it. That's what helped you grow as a musician too.]

I'm gunna get put to sleep if I wait any longer.

[He's ready!]

[If he's sure then there's no reason to argue or feel bashful about it. Being a musician means opening yourself to criticism, and he can't possibly be worse than her bandmates (not that they've ever been cruel to her in the first place). She unlocks her phone, gets to the music app and then lets it play.

And while that goes on she notably turns around to regard the stove again. The song is obviously rough because the guitar comes very easily, but it's very obviously something she's done on her own, so it's both emotional and yet oddly plane. And the words, too - it's less an amalgamation of languages and more the occasional humming along, a formation of syllables that don't quite make it to real words.

Excuse the songstress while she looks for some mugs and the whipped cream.]

[His head quirks to the side while he listens. It's definitely not bad, even if it's not the type of music he generally listens to. He does his best to listen with some kind of critical ear, but overall what he actually notices is the musicality of it. It's not that he can't place an emotion to it, it's just emotional in general. When it ends, he looks back up to her.]

Woah, that was pretty good. But...where'd it come from? That felt super deep. I was sorta expecting something angry because of the crap Predator pulled on us, but it totally wasn't like that at all.

[While the song plays on Nariko finds mugs and fills them appropriately, and even manages to locate maraschino cherries. Of course she's glad that he didn't hate it, but her expression is mixed nonetheless.]

I guess I should be angry. I was when we got to the end of all that. [Yosuke gets a mug of hot chocolate set in front of him. It's chocolate-y but might be a little too sweet if one liked milder things.]

I'm upset about it all, but I guess I've been focused on other stuff.

[She picks her phone back up.] Thank you for listening to it, though. I don't usually come up with that kind of thing so I was really worried about it.

[He takes a sip, and immediately pulls it away from his mouth. It was hot, and he hadn't remembered that little tidbit about hot chocolate. He blows on it a little, to try to cool it down.]

Hey, anytime! But...what kind of stuff have you been focused on instead? Didn't you guys already have your new album come out?

Yes. [... Right, their album. In all this commotion she'd completely forgotten about that, even though one of the interviews that'd been canceled was specifically to promote it. She's just full of weird surprises tonight.]

It's not anything important [Important enough that she didn't care so much about Predator now that it was over and she was safe at home.] just something ridiculous that happened.

[That vision, those bells, and the overwhelming sense of being in love. How strong it made her. That was why the song itself was so emotional, she'd put all of the confusion into it. Nothing else had really made her feel better.]

What, you have band drama too?

[That's something ridiculous that could easily happen, but he really wants to ask her if she's been having some of the same problems that it seemed like some other people he's talked to have had. The visions, all of that- but he hasn't worked up the courage or steered the conversation in a direction where he feels he can bring it up.]

[A snort.]

Aside from Bird Lord being Bird Lord? No.

[And the only drama there is that she knows he isn't taking care of himself, and there's nothing she can do about it. In the end Koumei is older and far more hardheaded than she can really manage.]

Yeah, Monsieur Bird Lord.

[That gets a small laugh out of him. He can't forget to make fun of Koumei for that later, maybe when this mess gets sorted out.]

Hey, Nariko...can I ask you something?

[Oh, how did she forget about that part! So amazing. And it's nice to have something to laugh about, too.

But then! Ahh, a question? Not that fun ones ever start with asking to ask a question but she'll try to roll with it.]

Sure. [It can't be that bad.]

By, ridiculous crap, did you mean... [He's been called out on it already. Talked with bandmates. Even if he promised Koumei to keep it quiet, he needs to know, to be sure.]

Like, has anything strange been happening to you lately?

[His voice is cautious, not quite fulling asking what he wants to know but hoping she'll pick up on it. Wondering if she'd even tell him the truth.]

[The shift in her expression might be enough of an answer. No one shuts down in that particular way unless there's something that they're scared to talk about, something inherently strange. But does she trust him enough to say anything? Just because he's asking doesn't mean he won't laugh at her if she explains the whole thing.]

What would you mean by 'strange'?

[She's kind of stalling to try and decide how to deal with this.]

[He can read the expression on her face, but that doesn't stop him from getting a little awkward about it.]

Oh, you know, nothing too big...just remembering weird stuff all of a sudden. Or just having weird dreams and stuff.

[He hopes that sounded like something he could later blow off as stress or something normal...even though nothing about what's happening was normal and he was finally starting to get it.]

[She's ... Quiet. There's no immediate danger in telling him, really, but it feels scary. But also? Nariko's kind of emotionally worn out and the energy it takes to stress about this one little decision might wear her back down into exhaustion again.]

I'm not sure you'd call them dreams so much as visions.

[But, yeah, she's having them.]

I see.

[Count yet another on his tally of people who have been having the strange visions, just like half of the other people he's talked to. His bandmates, some of his friends in Pride, people he knows in Virgo.]

It's cool, it's not like you're the only one here...I just wanted to ask to make sure I wasn't going crazy.

You aren't. Everything's a mess and I don't think any of us know how to fix it.

[And in the meantime it's scary, and weirdly isolating. After all, if it'd been anything else she wouldn't have hesitated to tell Yosuke it was just ... It felt like something they weren't supposed to ever talk about.]

I'm sorry, it's not that I don't trust you it all just makes me uncomfortable, y'know? It's like my skin isn't mine anymore.

Yeah, I know what you mean...I understand.

[He hadn't tried to think of it in those terms. But once she says it, he shudders a little.]

That's creeping me out, don't put it like that!

Locked in a Room

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you wanna end this one here?