estoria | [ CLOSED ] and it's funny if I don't forgive it will kill me

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[ CLOSED ] and it's funny if I don't forgive it will kill me

Who: Yu Narukami

covenantal & Minato Arisato

moribound
When: OOC: 12/5 ; IC: 4/17
Where: Some restaurant, and then Yu's apartment.
What: What is initially just an apology meal on Yu's behalf before shit abruptly gets kind of Real.
Rating/Warning: Eventual references to gore and character death.

[ Minato had been one of the first people Yu had contacted to apologize for his, ah, indiscretions during the past few days. Many people he'd made a move on had been similarly effected, so it hadn't really been quite so bad, even if they'd also been strangers. But Minato, upon reflecting once he'd come back to his senses, had seemed both entirely normal and entirely freaked out by what had happened. And Yu had felt awful about it.

Amongst a number of other things he couldn't quite put a name to. Those things he'd think on to himself, and wonder at for a long time.

But they wouldn't be the focus of the lunch he invited Minato out to as an apology. When he texted his friend and offered to treat him to lunch, he was gratified to get both a quick and affirmative response. At least he'd be able to make this apology in person; he couldn't meet up with everyone he'd have to say sorry to, or he'd be spending all day running around the city.

He'll be waiting at a table for Minato to arrive, his attention directed out a window as he thinks about everything (everything, ugh) that's happened the past few days. ]

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Hey. [What Yu might not know is how game Minato always is for lunch with his friends, feelings or no feelings. That he appears calm and collected as he waves at Yu before taking a seat is little indication of how he feels about everything that has happened between them lately- Like Yu Minato's not terribly inclined to talk about his most private feelings, and they're better off talking about that apology while eating, even if he's not sure that Yu has anything to apologize for.

Or was he apologizing because the kissing wasn't entirely brought on by the book? No matter, he'll just call out to his distracted friend again before checking out the menu.]

Something on your mind, Yu-san?

[ Yu only smiles a little when Minato approaches, sitting up and pulling his attention away from whatever distant thing it'd been on. ]

Hey.

[ Being called out so directly makes one corner of his mouth quirk, and to his credit, he doesn't fiddle with his menu or his cup of coffee, or otherwise fidget. He folds his hands on the table and nods. ]

Yeah. I wanted to apologize for what happened the other day.

I understand. [It's normally easy for Minato to tell his friends that they have nothing to apologize where he's concerned, but it's different this time since Yu wouldn't have invited him out for lunch if it had just been the book and the faint sensation of warmth in his cheeks is a good indication of how he'd like to know what his friend feels about that day too, much as they want to pretend that nothing happened.

He leans back against his seat and tucks his hands into his pockets in contrast, opting to leave the menu until they're done talking for a bit.] Those things you said...do you think you said them only because of the book, or did you feel something else too?

[ Minato isn't the only one with faint warmth in his face as soon as that topic comes back up, though Yu handles it different;y. He remains sitting forward, his expression thoughtful and serious. ]

You mean what I said about a connection?

[ Now he looks down, eyes narrowing in thought. He's been thinking about that and one other thing almost to exclusion of all else since he came back to his senses. Leaving the kiss aside entirely... he'd be lying to himself if he said he hadn't noticed something. That day, back at the hospital, when he'd seen Minato again... ]

I meant that. [ He lifts his gaze again. ] Not in the way the book was making me think I'd been feeling it. But I had been feeling something. Seems like you had been, too. [ He hasn't forgotten what Minato said. Has, in fact, been dwelling on it.

I've felt something before. ]

Yeah, that. [So it's true after all... Minato feels a brief but inexplicable chill that makes him shiver before he leaning forward with one hand as support, clearly curious to hear more about it.]

I've been thinking about it too. The most likely explanation is that we're both Wild Cards, but I wonder how true that is. [He understands having a sense of familiarity with another who possesses the same power, but that doesn't explain why he had enjoyed the kiss for however short a period that was.

Minato's lips are slightly pursed after having that thought, and there's just a bit of hesitation on his end before he asks the question both of them probably have in mind.]

...Did you enjoy what you did personally, even after the book's effect was over?

[ Ah. They really wasted no time getting to the heart of this particular question, did they? For the first time Yu looks away in a way that could be construed as uncertain or uncomfortable, his gaze skittering off to the right as he wraps both hands around his cup of coffee, lifting it to his mouth for a sip as he thinks his answer over.

He knows what the answer is. It's just that the answer gives him much more trouble than he would have thought. The same is true for two people he knows, and that makes it even harder. He's not been sure what to do about it, or what to think of it, really. ]

... I can't say I disliked it.

[ He could say that about most of the kisses he'd gone through, to be fair; but the one with Minato had something more to it he couldn't, and wouldn't, deny to himself. Yu looks back at his friend, lowering his mug. He can't quite help the question he asks next. ]

I'd been wondering what you thought of it.

[ Was it just his book-addled imagination after all, or had Minato leaned into him that day? ]

[There's really only two ways in which Minato deals with things he's uncomfortable with; the first involving going around in circles and the second consisting of being direct about how he feels so he doesn't have to keep dwelling on it.

The funny thing about this conversation is that Minato's not sure which really applies here, as he observes how Yu's looking away and taking a sip of coffee before answering. Contrary to appearances he couldn't say that he was unfamiliar with the idea of kissing, having done that with many girls in the past- he already knows his own answer too, but what's giving him trouble is that his interest in girls had come from mutual understanding, while there was clearly something more than that influencing the way they felt about each other.

It's just too bad for Minato that he has nothing to fiddle with when he responds, so he can't exactly look away or rub his head without immediately making it obvious that he has lingering feelings from that day. As such he settles for leaning in further still while looking up, which must seem awkward given how much Yu's towering over him now.]

I didn't mind it that much, actually. [Pause.] What really bothered me was that I didn't know why I did those things...and uh, sorry about running off, by the way.

[ You might think the opposite of them, really; that given their appearances and dispositions, Yu would be the one with experience, while Minato might not be. But it's the reverse entirely. Yu had never kissed anyone before a book had convinced him it would be a great idea. He's still sorting out how he feels about the fact that his first kiss came under the influence of some kind of strange mind altering affect, and not even something as comparatively innocent as alcohol, at that.

Of course, he'd had interest in others before, and realized they were likely interested in him, too; he'd always just thought it through, and decided it was for the best if he didn't act on any feelings he might have.

The questions he's been posing to himself now are: is that still true? And does he even have romantic feelings? What are these feelings?

Yu shakes his head. ]

Don't be. I can't say I blame you, with the way I was acting. [ For the first time, he makes a face. ] If they were going to rewrite me as the protagonist of a romance novel, couldn't it have been a good one?

[ I didn't mind it that much. This is a strange conversation they've having, about how they didn't mind kissing each other. He pauses for a beat, thinking back over what Minato's just said. ]

You didn't know why?

[To be honest Minato's pretty surprised that Yu doesn't appear to have anyone in mind, considering he was the type of guy that would interest a girl- Kind, understanding and patient, along with being polite.

(Not that he was thinking about these traits deeply so much as it was plain from the way Yu acted, really.)

The combination of Yu's face and his quip amuses Minato just enough to make him laugh a little, glad for the distraction from the fact that he's only admitted to not minding being kissed by a guy he only knew for a month or so, when everyone else he knew had taken a much longer time to make a move on him.] You think so? I get the feeling girls love that kind of stuff, but don't tell them I said that. [He's been on the Internet long enough to have seen what girls tend to read after all, and shirtless boys sounded about right.] And yeah...I just felt that it was right without thinking any further about it.

[ Yu looks a little amused himself at that, huffing through his nose. ]

Some people did. But don't worry, your secret's safe with me.

[ The only people that'd really liked his, ah, new outlook on life had been book-charmed themselves. Others ... not so much. He still feels he'd been a little too cheesy, but hey, that's just, like, your opinion, man.

Still, he's again not entirely sure what to say to that. In fact, for a moment he says nothing, and wonders from the way his face feels a little warm if he's flushed a bit. Minato felt it was right? To ... what, kiss him back the way he had? To lean into their kiss? What exactly did that mean? This conversation is going places he's not exactly sure how to handle. If they'd known each other longer, or he was more sure of his feelings, he thinks he'd know what to say or do. But they really haven't been friends that long, and he isn't sure he feels that way about the other boy at all. But there's no denying that he liked it too, and that there's something to this connection they share.

Maybe with others he'd simply make a declaration of what to do from here. But Minato isn't other people. So instead, he asks a question, honest and plain: ]

What do you think we should do?

[ He would be content with doing nothing. They're friends; nothing more would suit him fine at this point. What he wants to know, genuinely, is if Minato is interested in pursuing something out of this. ]

Huh? [He can't say the question surprises him, but there's something about the way it's asked that makes Minato straighten just a little. He gets the feeling that Yu doesn't know what to make of his feelings currently, enough to ask him what they should do, and he's likewise fine with that since he has just as many conflicted feelings with Mitsuru.]

Let's think about it first. It's a little too soon to say what kind of feelings we have for each other, even if we both didn't mind the kiss. [He's just as honest and plain with his words, as Yu deserves that much, neither rejection nor acceptance until they could be more confident in their feelings towards each other.]

[ Yu's eyes search Minato's face for a moment, his expression inscrutable; and then he nods, the look on his face relaxing slightly. ]

Agreed. I think that sounds like a plan.

[ Deep down, it pleases him to know that Minato hit on the answer that would satisfy him most in this situation. Any other answer would likely have left him dissatisfied or uncomfortable in some way. But this is a conclusion he can feel confident moving forward in. Even if he's not sure of his feelings now, he'll have time to figure them out, and he feels reassured that he and Minato will be able to remain friends in the same way they have been up until now while he does so. Finally, he smiles a little. ]

It was a pretty ridiculous few days. Are you sure you're not disappointed you missed out on the fun, Minato-san?

[ With a light edge of teasing. ]

[That smile comes as a big relief to Minato too as it meant he'd done right to suggest they have some more time to think about it, and most importantly he'd always want to remain friends with Yu no matter what happened between the both of them. It's rare that he feels a special connection to his friends, Social Links notwithstanding, and in spite of nights spent sometimes debating on his existential state with regards to people from his future he really does want to be Yu's friend for as long a time as they can possibly hope to get here.

What Minato's considerably less sure about is whether he actually wants to address Yu seriously about his teasing, noticeable in the way his eyes dart towards the menu in an half-hearted attempt to dodge the question.] I was affected by the books too, but I'm not sure if 'disappointed' is the right word to use. [Waking up clad in a snuggie isn't his idea of cool for one, and what made it worse was that he'd picked up a book on purpose because he didn't relish being the only sane person in the entire city.] Embarrassing is more like it... [He grimaces in spite of himself, already feeling like his reputation can't be salvaged.] Who'd ever heard of a wizard wearing a snuggie to fight against dragons?

[ Yu feels the same. Kiss they mutually enjoyed or no, Minato has somehow become a valuable friend to him in a short amount of time, someone he truly enjoys spending time with, and that's a bond he'd hate to lose. This is an outcome he's happy to have. No matter what the capacity, he wants to have Minato at his side for as long as they're both here.

The smile on Yu's face briefly flickers into a grin at what his friend says. ]

Is that true? I didn't know. Sounds pretty formidable. I'm sure I would have been intimidated if we'd run into each other again.

[So it's one of those conversations now, huh? Minato sees the grin and returns it with a perfectly straight face, almost as if they were discussing something more serious than half-naked Casanovas and comfy wizard wannabes.]

You could have looked like a dragon for all I know. I ran into Dipper-san and he was convinced I was one, which kind of explains the snuggly- got to look dressed to kill somehow. [There's a wry undercurrent to his deadpan tone, which suggests that Minato thinks he'd have had more luck making people laugh to death first.]

I hope he's not feeling too bad about what he tried to do, no harm really.

[ That's alright. Yu knows that look. That's the look he gives his friends when he's messing with them a good deal of the time. The mention of Dipper gets his smile to twitch into grin territory again. Book-addled Dipper trying to fight Minato, whom he thought was a dragon, because he was wearing a snuggie...

Actually, he laughs. Yu's never loud when he laughs. It's always kind of a quiet, breathy sound, half-surprised like he doesn't expect it to come out of him; it's rare, after all. But the mental image is too much. ]

We were all acting pretty crazy. Hopefully he won't take it too hard. I'm sure I would have been hard-pressed not to challenge such a scary-looking foe myself.

Yeah, he was kind of mad that I chose to bail on our fight. [That had been annoying to him in his wizard persona, but now that he's back to his usual self Minato finds it amusing enough to laugh softly as well, almost like an echo to Yu's own.]

Dipper-kun even used an Ultra Blizzard, so I must have looked pretty fearsome if he had to cast the most powerful spell he knew. [He'd add a roar somewhere in there, but that would be giving away the subtle joking they're currently doing with each other.] He was so convinced he was a dragon slayer that he thought he had some scales, when all he had were candy wrappers...it's really been a crazy time for everyone.

Ultra Blizzard... not even Super Blizzard? He must have been really serious. [ Delivered with only a light smile, and no particular inflection. Two can play the deadpan game, though in Yu's case, it's more of a relative deadpan. ]

It could have been worse. Most people have been understanding about the strange behavior we all engaged in... [ Here he has the good grace to look away for a beat, his expression wry. Minato wasn't the only person he macked on by far. ]

Yeah. [Minato stares at Yu when he looks away.] I got off lightly, all things considering...guess you can't say the same about yourself. [Otherwise they wouldn't be sitting here for lunch.]

[ Yu sighs. ]

It'll be alright. I can't say I've dealt with a situation like this before, but it's nothing I can't handle. I've actually got a few leads I want to pursue based on what happened.

I wonder if it could be related to those noises. [Minato normally looks well enough in spite of his persistent air of lethargy, but he is feeling a little under the weather lately and he's learned early on that there's little that can be said to be a coincidence in Cerealia.

...such as how he feels his stomach rumbling soon after, which reminds him that it'd be rude of them to sit here all day without ordering something. Okay, so maybe that one's not a coincidence.]

Let's eat first though. It's kind of hard discussing theories over an empty stomach.

The scraping sound from beyond the wall... [ It's getting hard to miss. Yu nods, pensive--

At least until Minato interrupts his train of thought, and his expression softens. Yu lifts a hand, flagging down a waiter. ]

Sounds like a good idea to me.

[It doesn't take long for Minato to reach out for a menu, looking through the contents to find something that will suit him. He spends only a while thinking of what he wants, settling for fried chicken and some orange juice in the end since neither were things he actually had often in Iwatodai.]

All of this looks like food from our world...you'd think there would be more cuisine from other planets in a city like this.

[ They have American food here... interesting. Yu considers the menu with some interest before ordering a chili dog and a soda, for the fully authentic American experience. (That's American, right?) Being used to cooking for himself, these aren't the kinds of items he's used to having. He'll pass his menu to the waiter and shrug slightly at the comment. ]

It is pretty strange. But most of the people here are human, and more than that, a lot of the people I've spoken to are Japanese. What are the odds, when you think about it?

A little too high. I've noticed that too, and I wonder if it's just a coincidence. [It doesn't take a long time for the waiter to return, and the dishes set before them look tantalizing enough.]

It looks good...let's eat.

Edited 2015-12-28 15:48 (UTC)

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