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[jivitadana]

Who: Seta Souji [eatsyourscience] and Arisato Minato [jivitadana]
Where: Third Floor, Room 5 and elsewhere non-descript
When: Tuesday, April 8, 2014
Rating: PG and upwards for conversation about violence and death
Summary: Souji and Minato deal with the aftermath of the past events.
The Story:

Everything had settled, like dust coming to rest, snow or leaves falling gently to the ground. It was somewhat quieter all around again, how it used to be before in the Mansion whenever it was free of events. Everyone who had arrived suddenly just as suddenly disappeared. Everything looked like it was back to normal.

Minato had given himself time to process everything over the past week or so, but he wasn't so sure a week was really enough. How could it have been? After everything, how could it have been?

Besides, he lost a day in there somewhere in that week.

But he couldn't remain where he was, in this state or haze of guilt, helplessness, and regret. He also couldn't avoid what was the inevitable for much longer. He had to talk, and he thought he should be the one to initiate it. It was only right and fair.

The communication device was on the sink counter. Minato got himself out of the tub, fully clothed and dripping wet. He unplugged the drain, then spent the next who knew how many minutes watching the water level slowly descend until hardly anything had remained. The rest would dry up on its own. It was after that Minato had sent a simple text message to Souji, intentionally absent of video or sound, just words across a screen that wouldn't ever be enough.

Can I talk to you?

Minato had always asked it of Souji out of courtesy, already knowing the answer before he even asked it of his friend. And yet this time, it was more like a request, not quite a plea, but something close. And if Minato had to live with rejection, then it was all that he deserved. He left the decision up to Souji who should be able to choose who he wanted to talk to and how he should live his life.

Comments

[eatsyourscience]

I'll be right there.

Souji doesn't hesitate in his response and he heads to Minato's room right away, leaving a half-folded origami crane behind on his table. He does snag one of the finished ones, though. A peace offering, of sorts. Or an offering to signify that he wanted peace. What had happened was--he didn't especially want to think about it. He'd found himself dreaming about it.

They could talk. They'd talk and feel and express whatever they needed to. But Souji wanted to move on from there when they were done with those things. Lingering only wasted time, and he didn't want that, not when he and Minato had another chance to spend time together.

He knocked on the door and, when it opened, held out the folded crane, a blue one.

[jivitadana]

Minato did his best to dry himself off with a towel. His T-shirt and jeans were still soaking wet. He could change later. He didn't think Souji would actually mind. The most important part of this was that they were going to talk, that Souji had agreed to meet with him at all.

He let Souji in, though he blinked when he first saw the blue origami crane. He was almost afraid to accept it, but Souji had offered it, so he did take it, cupping it in hands for a moment. He did set it aside on his desk though before he ruined it by getting it wet.

Souji could make himself at home, like usual. It was a while since he had spent time like this with Souji. He should make the most of it.

"I'm sorry."

That was one way to start.

[eatsyourscience]

Souji came into the room while Minato put the crane on the desk. He sat on the edge of the bed and rested his his elbows on his knees.

He shook his head slightly, looking up at Minato, taking in how his clothes and hair were soaked.

"Thank you." He wanted to say that Minato didn't need to apologize--that it wasn't his fault. But he knew that, for Minato's sake, he needed to accept that apology.

[jivitadana]

Minato shook his head. "Thank you too." Souji didn't have to come here at all. He could be anywhere. Anywhere but here.

"... How have you been?"

He tried to make the conversation a bit more normal, though they were really far from normal. He wasn't sure if they would ever get back.

[eatsyourscience]

Souji appreciated the effort on Minato's part and he knew he had to do his own part.

"Okay."

But Minato wouldn't take that at face value. He had to say more than that.

"At the party, I talked to a couple people. One was a friend from home. The other was Mochizuki Ryoji."

[jivitadana]

Minato was listening. He did his best not to drift out of his own head and feel like he was floating out of his body.

But when he heard that name, Minato blinked.

"... You talked to him?" Souji saw him? How?

[eatsyourscience]

"He was one of the...guests." Souji smiled a bit. "You had told me about him last time--I'm glad I got to meet him."

[jivitadana]

Minato never really had to explain about that part of him to anyone. But if anyone knew, then it was going to be Souji. Everything else escaped him for the moment.

"I'm glad you got to meet him too."

Souji should have understood how important Ryoji was to Minato, to his past and his future.

"Was... he okay?"

Of all the things, Minato should not have been asking Souji a favor. But he had to find out, and Souji was the only one who could answer.

[eatsyourscience]

Souji nodded. "He was checking out girls and enjoying the food. He seemed well." Souji was glad he could relay that to Minato. Maybe it would lift his spirits.

[jivitadana]

That sounded like Ryoji. He must've been fine if he was being normal like that. As he should be. Minato nodded, grateful that Souji had been willing to tell him.

While they were on this vein, Minato could continue with it. There was that looming issue hovering over them that they would have to discuss at some point.

"I met one of your friends. Hanamura Yousuke."

[eatsyourscience]

"I saw him, too." Souji looked up and smiled, his expression soft. "What did you think?"

[jivitadana]

"Typical Magician."

But that wasn't a bad thing. Minato wasn't sure if he had an advantage of knowing at least two Magicians before and had them to compare with Souji's friend, but in any case, he always did like Magicians. They got close to Fools in a way no one else did.

"He's a good person. And has good taste in music."

[eatsyourscience]

"So he tells me." Souji smiled, glad he could tease Yousuke even in his absence. "Did you meet anyone else?"

[jivitadana]

Minato knew it would eventually come to this. They had to talk about this eventually.

He nodded, and then made sure they were both sitting down somewhere, like the bed.

"... I ran into your Mirror."

[eatsyourscience]

Souji went cold and resisted the urge to get to his feet.

"...What did he do?"

[jivitadana]

Minato shook his head, and didn't think Souji should worry so much.

"We talked a little. He told me how he felt. So I wanted to help him."

[eatsyourscience]

"What happened?" No matter how much Minato tried to brush it off, Souji only got more worried. Any meeting with his Mirror couldn't have ended well.

[jivitadana]

Minato knew part of it was his own fault. He should've been more careful, and really, maybe he offered the invitation himself instead of the other way around.

"He said he wanted to kill someone." And that he knew Minato wouldn't mind dying, but Minato kept that to himself. "He didn't though."

[eatsyourscience]

Souji stared for a moment at Minato.

"...Did you die?"

[jivitadana]

Minato didn't and couldn't lie. It was going to come out at some point.

He nodded. He had. He quietly described the injuries he had sustained, that stab wound to the stomach, the laceration up his back, the cut from his eye down his cheek. And in the end, he had taken that last breath, only to wake up exactly where he had been the day before.

[eatsyourscience]

Souji has never been the type to anger easily or often. He could count the number of times he'd raised his voice in anger on one hand. Usually, he didn't have a problem rationalizing situations and behavior, calming himself, responding with a level head. But this? There was no way he could be calm about it.

"Why didn't you stop him?"

He kept his voice low and neutral, but his clenched fists gave away his frustration. He wasn't even sure if he was more angry with his Mirror or with Minato.

[jivitadana]

Minato on the other hand was calm. He was also apologetic underneath his already soft-spoken tone.

There were so many reasons why. Minato didn't have to give all of them to Souji. Souji had known Minato well enough too.

"Because I would have done it on my own after what I did to you."

[eatsyourscience]

"Stupid." Souji mutters it as he bows his head and rubs at his eyes with one hand, so it's muffled, nearly inaudible. The next thing he says is clearer, though he doesn't lift his head.

"How is that supposed to help?"

[jivitadana]

"It doesn't." Not in the long run. Soaking in the tub for hours also only numbed anything Minato had felt, but that ended up just as ineffective. It still hurt. He didn't think it would ever stop hurting.

He hesitated for a moment before he sat on the floor beside Souji who was still sitting on the bed.

"... I'm sorry."

[eatsyourscience]

Souji doesn't respond for a long moment and silence settles between them, brittle and impenetrable at the same time. Then he takes a breath and lets his hands fall away from his face.

"I can't make it so that you won't feel like this is your fault." Only time and Minato himself could do that. Knowing Minato, it would be awhile.

"There will be events when either of us might do something like this again to the other. If we give up because of it, then we lose and Wonderland wins."

It felt like an over-simplification, but it was true. There weren't many things they could control here; their own relationships had to be one area in which they forced their autonomy.