[ It's like a god damn romance novel. He stands by the edge of the boat, leaning on the railing as he looks out to the sea. The wind gently blows through his hair and clothes. The sea tosses up droplets of water as the boat glides through it. A blanket and pillow have been abandoned on one of the benches on the deck, underneath a makeshift awning that the other passengers threw together the day before. The sky provides the only illumination, a soft light across the deck and sea. The sea is calm, rocking the boat in a slow rhythm.
And, like many nights since he gave his life to save Cocoa, Minato couldn't sleep. Tossing and turning in the shared room with Gundam turned into tossing and turning on the deck of the ship until he finally gave up for the night.
He turns to face her when he hears his name, giving her a nod as both a greeting and as an answer. ]
[He does cut a pretty striking image against the waves, huh? It's easy to imagine him as a lone hero like this, the star of a classic opera.
She smiles when he nods at her, though, taking it as invitation to join him at the railing.]
It's really beautiful out here, huh...?
[She leans against the railing and fluffs her hands through her hair to let the wind catch it. It's a little chilly for her out here, but she was right to think being outside would help. Even if the rigging sounds the same, creaking in the gentle breeze, when it's just part of the background to a literal sea, it doesn't grate at her nerves as badly.]
I can see why so many composers wrote music about the ocean... doesn't listening to the waves like this just fill you with inspiration?
[ Inspiration? He looks out to the sea again, trying to remember where his thoughts had been wandering. His friends back home, mostly. Iwatodai was a coastal city itself. Nowhere near as flamboyant as Lyrabar, but there would be boats in the bay that he would watch sometimes on his way to or from another place. Now he's sort of on one of those boats.
It's closer to nostalgia than anything, but that's kind of like inspiration, he thinks. ]
[The fingers of one hand dance across the broad wooden railing, tapping out the opening notes to the melody as she hums.]
It's a peaceful, soothing song, like sitting on the beach and letting the tide roll in... or being on a boat like this, I guess! Even when it hits crashing waves, it lulls back to something more serene. Kind of like... the feeling that even if things can seem scary, it'll all be okay in the end.
[She lets her fingers rest against the railing again and glances sideways to Minato.]
[ He says it without thinking, but it's the truest answer out there. He doesn't make music, or care for animals, or create moving poetry, or gather trivia. But when he's with them, he does. They encourage him and push him to be better than he could be alone. ]
[What a touching answer... her free hand goes to her heart as she gives him another smile, brighter than before. Thanks to the Tomb of Horrors, she already knows the most valuable thing to him is his friends; his answer doesn't surprise her. But it's nice to hear such a genuine sentiment out loud.
She watches the ocean waves ebb and flow for another long before seconds before finally adding,]
[She rests her chin in her hand, elbow against the railing so she can watch the waves carrying the ship forward. She hums quietly to herself, a thoughtful up-and-down note as she tries to figure out how to put her feelings into words.]
It's like... being around you gives me courage. I can talk to you about anything, or do anything with you, and I know you won't make fun of me or shut me down. Like...
[She lets out a little pouting noise of frustration and stretches her arms out over the railing as if she could grasp what she's trying to say out of thin air.]
You're really calming to be around. Being around you soothes my heart, you know? It makes me feel like I can do anything.
[ Ah. He's heard something similar before. Goro's Persona double called him soothing a few months ago. He nods. He doesn't really understand it, but it's easy to accept. ]
[Another thoughtful hum as she rests her hands back on the railing again, tapping out a few nameless rhythms.]
I'm a little jealous! Even before a recital, I'd get so nervous I'd feel like I was about to throw up. I definitely feel a lot more at ease when you're beside me.
[ Nervous? Really? She's so outgoing. It's hard to imagine her being that nervous in front of a crowd. Is that why she asked him to go along with her to play at those inns in Lyrabar? ]
Then I'll keep playing with you.
[ His playing is probably dragging her down, really, but if she prefers the company then it can't be helped. ]
[He gets a smile for that, a bright, genuine smile. She's been wondering how much he actually likes playing with her, and how much is just him going along with what she says because it's easier than arguing. Hearing him offer to keep playing with her? She can't help but smile.]
Thanks... maybe the people here didn't appreciate it, but I know if we keep working together, we'll be unstoppable!
[She returns her gaze back over the ocean again and tilts her head, resting it gently against Minato's shoulder.]
Speaking of playing, though... did I ever tell you I once performed in front of a king?
Mmhm, a European king. He didn't really look like a king, though, just an average guy...
[She sounds proud, but also more than a little embarrassed as she laughs through her nose.]
After the show, he actually knelt down and took my hands. "It is as if a god dwells within your fingers," [she quotes in her best dramatic kingly impression.] I was totally speechless! All I'd done was perform like I always did.
[She opens her mouth to protest that no, she's just a Piano Freak-- but you know what? Ever since she came here, no one's made fun of her talent, or called her a loser for doing what she enjoys. So many it's time to start letting that nasty nickname go.]
Haha... thanks.
[She nestles herself more comfortably on his shoulder and sighs.]
There was a representative from Juilliard there, too... and a lot of famous pianists.
[She trails off, exhaling another sigh through her nose.]
Do you ever... think about what you would have done after high school, Arisato-kun?
[ "Be homeless" seems like a tactless answer. And he never seriously thought about college before. Hell, he didn't even think he'd go to high school when he was younger. ]
Not really.
[ He shifts a bit, trying not to disturb Kaede as he thinks. What would he do if he got back to his world, and Nyx was defeated? He's no Super High School Level student -- he doesn't have Prodigy back home. But people seem to like him nowadays anyway.
Maybe, if he went to college, Mitsuru would let him work for her... It seems the easiest route to take. ]
[She's quiet to let him think, closing her eyes. Being this close, she imagines she can hear his heartbeat, a rhythm as steady and reliable as he is.]
Oh!
[She opens her eyes when he speaks again, though she doesn't shift away.]
Working for a friend sounds really fun! And you guys would probably keep doing SEES stuff too, right? I guess when you're busy protecting people, you're not really thinking about stuff like university...
[ Nod. He's not sure it would be fun, exactly -- she did make them all attend cram school for a week during their summer vacation -- but it wouldn't be bad either. ]
It slips the mind.
[ He doesn't really want to think about higher education anyway, so it's even easier to forget about. ]
[He's so admirable, thinking more about protecting people than about what he'll do after that. Not that it matters much now, with the Hunger having destroyed their worlds, but if they can manage to go back...
Her fingers draw back from the railing to tug her blanket more securely around her shoulders.]
Hey, Arisato-kun... When we defeat the Hunger and everything goes back to normal... do you think the Director will send us back?
[It's a soft question, quiet enough that he could probably pretend not to have heard it over the sound of the ocean waves. But ever since he explained the concept of different timelines as real things that exist, it's so hard not to dwell on what will happen after they've succeeded. If things are destroyed, she'll... definitely die, won't she? No matter what.]
[ Is it possible? He doesn't really think so, even if most of the Reclaimers are banking on it.
Either way, he doesn't think anyone in SEES would want the Hunger to continue consuming worlds. If it can be fought, countered, even just distracted for a while, he has to try. For them. ]
...Y-yeah. It only makes sense that we'd all get to go home once this is all over!
[She swallows hard and closes her hands into fists to hug her blanket around herself more tightly. She's certain they'll defeat the Hunger, but less certain about what comes afterward. If destroying the Hunger can restore timelines, then it only makes sense that everyone will want to go back to the way things were. That's their goal, after all!
It's just there are no diamonds to bring people back to life in the real world.]
W-Well... [she forces a smile, injects some of her usual cheer into her voice.] Let's not worry about that for now! All we have to worry about right now is making sure Dour-kun gets back to his family safely, right?
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And, like many nights since he gave his life to save Cocoa, Minato couldn't sleep. Tossing and turning in the shared room with Gundam turned into tossing and turning on the deck of the ship until he finally gave up for the night.
He turns to face her when he hears his name, giving her a nod as both a greeting and as an answer. ]
Yeah.
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She smiles when he nods at her, though, taking it as invitation to join him at the railing.]
It's really beautiful out here, huh...?
[She leans against the railing and fluffs her hands through her hair to let the wind catch it. It's a little chilly for her out here, but she was right to think being outside would help. Even if the rigging sounds the same, creaking in the gentle breeze, when it's just part of the background to a literal sea, it doesn't grate at her nerves as badly.]
I can see why so many composers wrote music about the ocean... doesn't listening to the waves like this just fill you with inspiration?
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It's closer to nostalgia than anything, but that's kind of like inspiration, he thinks. ]
Yeah.
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[The fingers of one hand dance across the broad wooden railing, tapping out the opening notes to the melody as she hums.]
It's a peaceful, soothing song, like sitting on the beach and letting the tide roll in... or being on a boat like this, I guess! Even when it hits crashing waves, it lulls back to something more serene. Kind of like... the feeling that even if things can seem scary, it'll all be okay in the end.
[She lets her fingers rest against the railing again and glances sideways to Minato.]
What inspires you, Arisato-kun?
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[ He says it without thinking, but it's the truest answer out there. He doesn't make music, or care for animals, or create moving poetry, or gather trivia. But when he's with them, he does. They encourage him and push him to be better than he could be alone. ]
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[What a touching answer... her free hand goes to her heart as she gives him another smile, brighter than before. Thanks to the Tomb of Horrors, she already knows the most valuable thing to him is his friends; his answer doesn't surprise her. But it's nice to hear such a genuine sentiment out loud.
She watches the ocean waves ebb and flow for another long before seconds before finally adding,]
You know... I think you're pretty inspiring, too.
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Yeah?
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[She rests her chin in her hand, elbow against the railing so she can watch the waves carrying the ship forward. She hums quietly to herself, a thoughtful up-and-down note as she tries to figure out how to put her feelings into words.]
It's like... being around you gives me courage. I can talk to you about anything, or do anything with you, and I know you won't make fun of me or shut me down. Like...
[She lets out a little pouting noise of frustration and stretches her arms out over the railing as if she could grasp what she's trying to say out of thin air.]
You're really calming to be around. Being around you soothes my heart, you know? It makes me feel like I can do anything.
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See? Like that. I just said something really embarrassing, and you don't even react.
[She reaches out and-- pokes his cheek with her index finger.]
Are you as composed on the inside as you are on the outside, Arisato-kun?
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Yeah.
[ Obviously. ]
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[Another thoughtful hum as she rests her hands back on the railing again, tapping out a few nameless rhythms.]
I'm a little jealous! Even before a recital, I'd get so nervous I'd feel like I was about to throw up. I definitely feel a lot more at ease when you're beside me.
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Then I'll keep playing with you.
[ His playing is probably dragging her down, really, but if she prefers the company then it can't be helped. ]
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Thanks... maybe the people here didn't appreciate it, but I know if we keep working together, we'll be unstoppable!
[She returns her gaze back over the ocean again and tilts her head, resting it gently against Minato's shoulder.]
Speaking of playing, though... did I ever tell you I once performed in front of a king?
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[ Wow! He can definitely see being nervous about that. ]
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[She sounds proud, but also more than a little embarrassed as she laughs through her nose.]
After the show, he actually knelt down and took my hands. "It is as if a god dwells within your fingers," [she quotes in her best dramatic kingly impression.] I was totally speechless! All I'd done was perform like I always did.
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Kaede is certainly good enough for that kind of reaction. Damn, though. He must have been a romantic. ]
You're talented.
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Haha... thanks.
[She nestles herself more comfortably on his shoulder and sighs.]
There was a representative from Juilliard there, too... and a lot of famous pianists.
[She trails off, exhaling another sigh through her nose.]
Do you ever... think about what you would have done after high school, Arisato-kun?
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Not really.
[ He shifts a bit, trying not to disturb Kaede as he thinks. What would he do if he got back to his world, and Nyx was defeated? He's no Super High School Level student -- he doesn't have Prodigy back home. But people seem to like him nowadays anyway.
Maybe, if he went to college, Mitsuru would let him work for her... It seems the easiest route to take. ]
Maybe work for my friend.
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Oh!
[She opens her eyes when he speaks again, though she doesn't shift away.]
Working for a friend sounds really fun! And you guys would probably keep doing SEES stuff too, right? I guess when you're busy protecting people, you're not really thinking about stuff like university...
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It slips the mind.
[ He doesn't really want to think about higher education anyway, so it's even easier to forget about. ]
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[He's so admirable, thinking more about protecting people than about what he'll do after that. Not that it matters much now, with the Hunger having destroyed their worlds, but if they can manage to go back...
Her fingers draw back from the railing to tug her blanket more securely around her shoulders.]
Hey, Arisato-kun... When we defeat the Hunger and everything goes back to normal... do you think the Director will send us back?
[It's a soft question, quiet enough that he could probably pretend not to have heard it over the sound of the ocean waves. But ever since he explained the concept of different timelines as real things that exist, it's so hard not to dwell on what will happen after they've succeeded. If things are destroyed, she'll... definitely die, won't she? No matter what.]
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[ Is it possible? He doesn't really think so, even if most of the Reclaimers are banking on it.
Either way, he doesn't think anyone in SEES would want the Hunger to continue consuming worlds. If it can be fought, countered, even just distracted for a while, he has to try. For them. ]
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[She swallows hard and closes her hands into fists to hug her blanket around herself more tightly. She's certain they'll defeat the Hunger, but less certain about what comes afterward. If destroying the Hunger can restore timelines, then it only makes sense that everyone will want to go back to the way things were. That's their goal, after all!
It's just there are no diamonds to bring people back to life in the real world.]
W-Well... [she forces a smile, injects some of her usual cheer into her voice.] Let's not worry about that for now! All we have to worry about right now is making sure Dour-kun gets back to his family safely, right?
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...
Dobhar-chú.
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