shinobu

[preowned]

meme

Comments

week 6, tuesday

[wisterin]

[ What's up, Tsuru? Wherever he's at in Campsco on this day after so much doxxing, Shinobu will raise a hand. ]

Tsurumaru-san, I'm yeeting something. Please catch!

[ yeet ]

[preowned]

[ hewwo?

but he catches it. ]

Oh, nice yeet.

[wisterin]

They can take as much as they want from me, but they won't take away my ability to yeet.

I hope you use it.

[preowned]

[ he looks at it, and smiles at her. ]

... thank you.

[wisterin]

Make it meaningful. You've been away from them for so long. Even though it feels like it's about to end, sooner is better than later.

[ She wants to repay the kindness he's shown her. ]

[preowned]

[ he supposes it might be better to see them before whatever the... final part of all this is. and it seems like ookurikara is uh. having a Time over there, so maybe tsuru can try to smooth it over even a little.

maybe.

but he bows his head. ]

Thank you, Shinobu.

[wisterin]

Aren't we friends, Tsurumaru-san? I'd like to think we are.

[ Even if there time together hasn't been very long, she feels like they've connected enough, and she wants to be able to do something for him.

Even if she could visit someone, she feels like this could do both sides more good. ]

[preowned]

We are friends, yes.

[ he says that so easily, and will even reach out to place a hand on her shoulder. ]

And I do appreciate your companionship.

[wisterin]

[ She smiles up at him, something more genuine than her usual ones. ]

It's something I wanted to give to a friend, as a friend.

[ There are only so many things she can give that are meaningful, and that's one of them. ]

[preowned]

I won't let it go to waste.

[ he pockets it.

... ]

There wasn't anyone in the living side you still wanted to see?

[wisterin]

I'd be upset if you did.

[ At least she's honest. ]

There are a few I'd like to talk to again, but I think it's better this way.

[preowned]

[ he remembers that she said she'd worry about them wasting too much time with asking her questions about murder, so he'll nod. ]

... you'll see them again soon, at least.

[wisterin]

Mm. I suppose so.

[ She has faith and belief, but she's also realistic. She's contradictory. ]

I'd like to be able to use words to communicate, in any case.

[preowned]

[ he... looks faintly amused. ]

Ah... yes. That part does make it rather difficult.

[wisterin]

It's a preference. After weeks of being silenced, I've become a little more fond of talking.

[ It's not like she can't or she won't do charades, but she's tired. ]

[preowned]

... mm.

This place was not very kind to you.

[wisterin]

... No. It really isn't.

[ She will be a good girl and be honest and admit to it. ]

But it's not kind to anyone, including you.

[preowned]

I didn't really get to feel the same levels of stress as you all did.

[ he imagines being in trial is very... frustrating, and he can't really say he understands. ]

[wisterin]

[ Shinobu is so tired of comparisons. Where he is a different from the others in how this place has affected others, so is she. She has both killed and died for the rules of this godforsaken camp, and she doesn't understand tsukumogami completely, but even spirits feel. Tsurumaru must be feeling something because of how he ended dying and having to watch and watch and watch. ]

It does not matter who has suffered more or worse, Tsurumaru-san. Have you suffered? Are you suffering?

That's what matters. Not who's in more pain.

[preowned]

[ he thinks that, once again, they really would have needed someone like her on the other side longer. but, there's a small selfish part of him that is grateful he got to know her better than he had before he died. ]

I know you're right. [ there's wry smile. ] But some habits are hard to break.

[ and sometimes you tend to put others first before yourself. ]

[wisterin]

[ She understands. She's not so wholly different in that aspect. ]

That's why there are others to nudge you gently. I don't always want to be receiving from you, Tsurumaru-san. Will you let me be selfish in that regard?

[ Is it too much to ask for to want to feel like she can be on more even footing with him? ]

[preowned]

[ ... if he's honest, this isn't really what he's used to receiving in these places. and he doesn't think that's a sad thing, but to be expected considering everything else.

it's a nice feeling. maybe he's the selfish one. ]

I will allow you anything that you want, that won't hurt you.

[wisterin]

[ Shinobu smiles, and it's something more genuine that she's been able to put forth in weeks. That is, in part, because of him. ]

I don't know if there's anything I can do now that would hurt me more.

[ Not anything she hasn't already done. ]

And even if I could and would, it wouldn't be because of you.

[preowned]

... well, if anything like that does happen, you are always free to come find me.

[ even if they don't talk about it, sometimes it's nice just to be besides someone while you're hurting to distract yourself from your thoughts. ]

[wisterin]

[ It's times like this, after he says things like he just said, which make Shinobu wonder how different things could've been if he weren't here. Or if he hadn't been the one to die first. Would their friendship have been any different? Would living have been different? Would death have been different?

She's not one to linger too long on these kind of what ifs, preferring to see reality, but the fleeting thought only hurts a little. ]

I feel like I can trust that with you.