exsiliumlogs | (no subject)

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Date & Time: 06.18 and on;
Location: Asch's basement, outside, anywhere;
Characters: the Dan, their uncles, anybody else involved?! I am losing track. people. six degrees of separation. tag yourselves!!
Summary: as usual, anti-spam mingle log due to numerous interactions between numerous people. action, voice, text, video, post-its.
Warnings: bombs?!

They thought that trips to Alaska and getting shots would be the beginning of a relaxing break. Instead they got quarantines and bombs and people getting mad at them. Big. Sigh.

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[Wait, what?

Shintaro's mind blanks the moment Kido reacts in a way he wasn't expecting. He blinks, and any questions he was prepared to answer or even ask Kido are out the basement door he was just about to close. He doesn't even glance between the two girls.]

... Huh?

[... They know each other? Did Kido just call Ayano her sister?]

Heh, still a hero... [Well, even if she wants Ayano to be careful, she has to approve of cool actions like that.]

We're all here so don't worry. I'll let the others know you're here so they don't worry, though. Kano might've run out to look later otherwise...

It was just you and Shintaro missing, actually. Took you long enough. He didn't do anything uncool like throw up, did he? Thanks for taking care of him, Sis.

[She's just teasing, Shin, don't worry.]

Kano and Seto too, then? And I met Kaede-chan, as well. I see you have been taking care of things, Kido. [ Approving Sis smile GET.

She turns to Shintaro for a moment. ]

He didn't throw up! But I think Shintaro needs to do more exercise. But don't worry, I made sure things were safe on our way back. He did find me, though, so please go easy on him.

Wait.

[His brain is finally catching up. He must be tired, he thinks in some nonchalant part of his mind, that he was comprehending information at roughly the same speed that Momo did. He holds up his hands in a "hold up" gesture, taking a step back from the girls like they're speaking some foreign language or something. (If only he knew Hibiya, he could've asked if it was a language related to the Indian culture.)]

You know each other?

[Kido is busy enjoying the approving smile when she realises Shintaro has a question. She blinks at him like he just asked something really, really stupid. Because he did.

She jerks her thumb at Ayano.] She's my sister. Ah, mine and Kano's and Seto's. I don't randomly call people 'Sis'...

[A beat.] Oh, she founded the Dan, too.

Member number zero and all! But Kido is the leader now, so you better listen to her.

[ Everything makes sense, right? It's not like she needs to explain anything.

Ayano you huge baka. ]

Uh, no, that doesn't make any sense at all.

[Guys he's tired his head hurts he just ran like a lot. What's going on?

He rounds on Ayano.]

Oy.

[Hey don't 'oi' at her sister that's her job.]

It makes sense. [Right explain better.] We're all orphans. But her parents helped us out. They knew about our eyes and took us in.

[Blah blah eye researchers and mom died in a landslide sis jumped off a roof things got weird-]

Geez, Shintaro, you didn't listen much to Sis when she talked, huh?

Ah, it's not that!

[ Now Ayano is the one rising her hands. ]

I really didn't want to bother Shintaro with things like that so I didn't really talked...much about that.

Uh, I somewhat assumed he already knew.

[Kido's last comment causes Shintaro to jump. Flinch, almost, but he tries to hide it as he glances the other way. Immediately uncomfortable, he wants to press himself against the wall behind him. "Didn't listen," huh...?]

... I see. [His voice is quiet as he responds, staring at the end of Ayano's scarf like it's the most interesting thing in the world.]

So... you knew each other. [It's hard to process anything past that.]

[What's with that reaction? Things took a sudden, weird turn. It feels...tense? She doesn't really get it. What's so bad about knowing her?

She sticks her hands in the pockets of her hoodie.] ...It's fine. It's not like you could've known if Sis was being an airhead about it. But, you're number seven now so you're part of us, too. Don't worry about it.

[That seems encouraging, right? Even if she isn't sure why he seems upset now. If it's because he didn't know about her life, well... this makes up for it, kinda.]

We know each other, yes. [ Oh no the mood. It is ruined. ]

Don't worry Shintaro, we're going to have the time to talk about this all more calmly.

[ While they, you know, bomb then. ]

[He has a feeling even if Ayano talked about this more, he would only be more confused. He lowers his gaze even more as he nods. If Kido knew, she might be revoking his membership right then and there. He's almost convinced of that.]

... You said there was space, right, Kido?

[He forces himself to look at the Leader though. Ayano said to listen to her. It'd be easier not to ask questions right now. He glances at Ayano's scarf, not willing to meet her eyes.]

It's fine.

[She frowns. He's still acting so weird.]

Yeah, there's space, but... would it be better to go upstairs and talk about this? If we need to take care of something, it's better to do it sooner than later.

[She looks at Ayano. Ayano knows him better. She feels so clueless right now.

Really, she just doesn't want Shintaro moping and making Ayano sad for no reason.]

[ Ayano nods silently. This isn't the way she wanted things to go, but then again, she didn't really do anything to make it different. ]

We should probably talk, yes.

[ Welp it seems the time to skirt the subject has finally ended. ]

So- let's go.

[He looks alarmed. His instincts tell him to get out of the conversation. What's the point in knowing? Even if he knew anything, once any of them left this world, none of it was going to matter. Even if he knew Ayano's or Kido's past, there was no point. So why?

But he can't say no. Even if the word crosses his mind, his mouth won't open, his jaw straining to stay shut. He can't say it, so he slumps his tensed shoulders and sighs]

... All right. Let's go. [He'll start up the stairs again.]

[Kido follows. Well, leaving it to Ayano probably isn't the best idea but Kido isn't sure what's important and what will help to know. Where does she even start? With her eyes? It's safe to tell Shintaro anything now, she knows he's a good member and won't hurt any of them.

Thinking about it... there are parts she can't explain. What happened two years ago. If they get into that, then...

She winds up just sitting down in a chair, arms folded.]

...It's all because of these eyes so I guess I'll tell my part there. Me, Kano and Seto all went through the same basic ordeal.

[Pause.] Ah, to explain the context, my dad slept around and that's why I was born. He was a really careless idiot. Eventually he ran out of money and burned the house down. That's how I died the first time. Since you've seen me die all of this is anticlimactic... [Does she sound irritated? Yes. She doesn't even get to make this a cool story geez.] Anyway I saw these gaping jaws and not too long later I woke up. Everyone else was still dead and I had these eyes. Since Kano and Seto were the same we stuck together and, well, we couldn't control our powers back then so it was obvious to someone like mom. Ah, Ayano's mom I mean. So they took us all in. You know her dad, right? They're researchers.

But Sis being sis, raising us was probably a huge pain for her. [She doesn't really know what Shintaro knows about Ayaka and Kenjirou or that whole situation so Ayano can step up to the plate there.]

[ Hearing the explanation of how she got her eyes again makes Ayano cringe a little. Could Shintaro deduce she was going to do something along those lines? Probably. She's not sure if she should mention it, because it's not that simple; if it was just for the eyes...then it wouldn't be an issue. ]

I don't think I mentioned any of that to Shintaro...at that time I was worried to burden him any further with my own life so...

[ Yeah, she had kept the whole deal away from him in an attempt to keep herself focused, or so she would tell herself. ]

Shintaro and I were classmates, and I've known him since we were little. A-and it was not a pain! Furthermore, I feel like I must apologize for being a lacking Big Sis!

[ Cue a little bow because yeah, sorry kids. ]

To think Shintaro would be dragged into the Mekakushi Dan...I should have introduced you guys w-

[ "While I was still alive."

y e p ]

[Kido's explanation leaves him with more questions to ask than questions answered, though it's mostly because of how quickly it was given to him and the lack of time to process it, on top of the stress caused by bombs falling from the sky and the red-scarfed girl still standing there.

(Kido had died once? Kano and Seto too? Jaws? Does that mean Momo, too? (Something stirs in his memories for a moment but he doesn't have time to really realize what that is before he has to move on to the next thought.) Kido and the other two had lived with Ayano. And... her parents? Momo's teacher?)

He can't bring himself to look at either of them though as Ayano's words, too, sink in.]

... A burden? Not really, it's not like... [It wasn't like he asked, when he had noticed.]

So... that's why you knew so much about your eyes? You had someone who knew about it and was researching it?

[Kido can more or less piece together their relationship, she thinks. Ayano must've cared for him a lot and Shintaro probably felt the same way. But they're both idiots, so... they never expressed anything before...

It's hard to talk about any of it without stumbling over that single fact: Ayano threw herself off a roof. That happened. She's even aware of it but she's smiling brightly like normal, apologising like she did something wrong.

Well, she kind of did, but... no, she'll see they're reliable now and things will be okay.]

Mm, yeah. Between that and talking it out together, we figured out a lot. That's why I wanted to find others and bring them in to help them, like your sister.

[But somehow their eyes don't feel like the important thing here. Kido knows she's seriously the last person in the world to give any sort of advice to two idiots but might as well.]

Anyway.. Oi, you two. I don't know what happened but... Shintaro's a reliable guy even if he's a hikiNEET and sis, well, you never failed us. It's just my opinion but you're both pretty dense. You can be open with each other now instead of acting weird.

[She sits back, arms folded, as if some miracle is going to happen due to her inspiring words.]

[ Well isn't this all...revealing? Ayano just shuffles her feet in silence.

But it's obvious she can't keep quiet forever. ]

So I guess...if you want to ask me anything...I'll answer truthfully.

[ Yeah she really can't have this conversation like if it was any other. Not right now. ]

[in any other situation, he might have had the mind to turn to Kido and ask her if she expected people to be able to have heart-to-hearts when there was someone watching. But here now, with Ayano on one side and Kido, her sister on the other, Shintaro feels like his lips are glued together, afraid to speak.

He had a lot of questions to ask, most prominently being "why?" Why did she jump? What had she been crying about? If he had spoken to her, would things have turned out differently? But he realizes as the questions rise that it's too late to ask any of that now. He could find out, but once their time in this world ends, Ayano would still be gone and what would he be left with? More regret? His eyes sting and his chest tightens more, so he looks away. He's a little glad that he didn't cut his hair since his bangs fall over his eyes now.]

I don't... really have anything to ask... [He bits the inside of his lip. A pause, then] But...

[He isn't the only one wondering that. But Kido thinks about it differently. Even though now she would like to stay here with her family all together, if they wound up back home, wouldn't it be nice to have some closure? To be able to smooth down some of the sharp pains in her heart.

Right now, it's easy to fall back into the old feeling of 'family' but when she thinks for too long, alone in her room...

Kido glances at Shintaro. Is it better or worse to have her here? Well, it can't be helped.]

...Go first.

[Whatever he's got to say, he can't get out of it. Maybe because she doesn't know how to put it into words, either.]

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