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[Miu says nothing for a while, not sure if she's angry or upset. She wants to be angry. She wants to hit him for being stupid about this, for taking it out on her. At the same time, maybe she should just let him. She feels like she's hovering some line between being completely despondent and being motivated to--

To what? Finding her other had been the only motivation in her life, one of the only things she'd done for herself and of her own volition. It would've been easy to sink back into herself and let her life be dictated by the will of other people, but she didn't really have that luxury here.]

...I don't want to go back anymore. Maybe they'll decide to keep me here now. Not that it matters. [She laughs, but it's humorless and bitter.] I'm alone again. You hate me now too, even if it's stupid.

And I'm stupid too, still, because I still don't want to leave you.

[ His head lowers even more now, until the shadows cover his eyes well enough. His hands on his lap fidget slightly, as do his legs like he can't quite sit still, like he wants to run but it isn't like there's anywhere to escape too. She'll be able to see his board from here now as well, if she chose to look, but the angle should be off enough that it's difficult to read from the canoe. ]

Before I arrived here, I was forced to participate in a killing game. 16 students locked in an area together, given motivations to take another's life until there would only be two survivors in the end.

[ His voice is flat, void of anything. ]

Tell me why I should trust anything you say.

[She looks up as he speaks, shocked. There was a lot of different theories she'd toyed with trying to figure out his background based on the hints she'd managed to get, but nothing could've prepared her for that. He's not lying or exaggerating, she can tell that much, and her heart feels like it's going to jump out of her chest.

He'd said he'd manipulated someone to kill for him. Who...? And how long had the game gone? Had he 'won' or...? A lot of things seem to click into place with this realization and again she says nothing for a long moment. What can she say? There's no easy way to answer any of this.

Miu stands and walks to him. He said to stay off the bed, but she comes close anyway, standing before him close enough that their knees are almost touching. She's not even sure why she moved except for a deeper need to be closer, physically if nothing else. In truth, she wasn't fond of physical intimacy in most forms, but it was getting easier to accept and like it when she could actually choose it now.

But this isn't really the time to reflect on things like that. Miu doesn't reach out for him this time, but she looks down at him quietly for a few more seconds before she finally answers him.]

I can't. [Another little laugh and she shakes her head.] I can tell you I'm sorry. I can't promise this place won't decide it's sick of me and throw me out again, but... I came back. I came back to you. [Granted, she'd appeared where she did as a result of him having her amulet, which she'd figured out quick enough. She looks at her amulet and shakes her head.]

Even without this, you would've been the first one I ran to. Despite everything, I was... really happy, relieved, I guess, that I ended up here. Because you were here. [Miu pauses and drops her hands to her side again.]

That's the truth. I can't make you believe it, but it is. All I can do is keep saying it and showing you until you believe me again. I don't want to leave you. I'm not going to, if I have any say in it. [Miu pauses again and gives a helpless shrug and a shake of her head.]

[ He still isn't looking at her, eyes on the floor and on her feet when she steps over to him. The tenseness in his body should be obvious, and he's almost ready to bolt and just leave her here in his apartment if necessary. If she had touched him, that would have been it -- so she's lucky she didn't go that far. ]

Don't make it sound simpler than it is.

[ If anything, knowing what she does know, the hard wall he keeps around his heart may make a lot more sense. It may explain why even Saihara never sounded certain of what he knew of Ouma either. ]

We both already know that even those who are supposed to be family can let you down, people are people after all. Don't make promises you may not be able to keep, Hinasaki-chan or I'll get really pissed.

I wasn't. I said it, didn't I? I can't promise this place won't choose to do something different, but if I do have a choice, my choice is to stay. I don't want to go.

[She's quiet a moment before speaking softly.]

Please. Let me stay.

[She has a feeling that Kokichi's not sure which he wants more either way. He'd stopped her from leaving earlier, would he shove her away now? He knows--she knows he has to know--that his rejection would hurt worse than anything else he could ever do to her. It probably wasn't as dramatic as placing her life in his hands, but it might as well have been.]

[ He stays quiet, resisting the urge to curl up and instead keeping his head down. For a long minute, it's almost like he's probably going to say no, especially as he stands up and pushes lightly at her stomach with his fingertips. ]

Wait there.

[ If only because she might have taken off her shoes and stockings, but her skirt and probably underwear and whatever else will be wet as well.

He only has to go to the end of the the room to grab something out of his closet, throwing spare clothes at her. ]

[She steps back and lets him pass, watching him quietly. She's not sure what to expect, but she catches the clothes with only a slight fumble of surprise.]

Ah... [Oh. There's a hint of a relieved smile and she turns silently to go into the bathroom to change. It'll give them both a few minutes alone to breathe, at least. Miu takes her time to splash water on her face and let the world shift a little back into focus.

Perhaps she wasn't fully forgiven, but he was giving her spare clothes and letting her stay, so that was something, right? It had to mean something was at least stable again between them. Or starting to be. It still felt like walking on eggshells, but she coul breathe easier.

They're the same height and their builds aren't that different from each other, so his clothes fit fine enough if a little loose. She hangs her clothes to dry in his bathroom, not sure where else to put them, and reemerges feeling a little more human now that she's dry and warmer.]

[ He doesn't give her a smile in return, but she probably wasn't going to expect one either. He breathes out when she's gone though, flopping back onto his bed and rubbing his face. He still can't work out how to feel about it, but if she's going to be around he'll need to figure out something to do. ]

Hinasaki-chan, now you almost look like a member of my organisation.

[ It's the first thing he says when she steps back in, though there isn't the same warmth or teasing tone as before. ]

I'll assume that's a compliment and say 'thanks.' [She won't say she feels a little like a clown in them, that'd be rude and their both still a little too raw to start the sarcasm, maybe.

She takes a seat on the edge of the bed, resting her palms against the sheets as she leans back and looks at him. She still doesn't touch him though, being mindful of his space, and her attention soon turns to his chart. She recognizes a lot more of them than she thought, eyebrows raising at Kaito and Iruma's "dead" and her own "lying bitch." Shuichi's hearts and "trustworthy" somehow manage to not surprise her at all though.

Miu can't help but wonder if that's how it's been all along, or if he added it after she'd gone.]

How long...?

Edited 2017-12-26 19:58 (UTC)

Who knows? [ He hums it back, feigning innocence, like he doesn't know what she means.

It actually is a little, almost like he'd almost considered her that close. It's a little shaky now, even if he knows it isn't her fault -- he's still blaming her for chasing after an unrealistic dream to begin with.

His eyes shift towards the board, following her line of sight. ]

How long what?

[There's no answer to his question right away, because there's a million more behind it and she's debating which she should start with, which she might actually get an answer for.]

How long was I gone? [Is what she'll finally go for first.]

A few days, I think. I went to your apartment and you weren't there. Your amulet was on the floor.

[ At least it'll explain why he had it to begin with. ]

Oh. [She winces, an apology on her tongue before she stops herself. She's got nothing to keep apologizing for.

Her gaze wanders over the board again.]

Momota-san and Iruma-san... [Hesitation, just a moment. She doesn't want to believe it and maybe later she'll have a more emotional reaction to it all, but she feels numb still. But maybe that just makes it as good a time as any to ask about it.] Were they classmates of yours' that... died during that... game?

[ He freezes as she questions it, though the board had been more to put his own thoughts into action, he'd normally not let anyone but Saihara come in here. Simply because it was safer that way. Saihara was the one who knew everything, after all. ]

Yes. [ It's all he says, not moving, like ice rather than a person. He doesn't want to talk about it in detail if he can help it. ] But Iruma-chan doesn't remember.

[ He feels like that should come as a warning, so Miu doesn't tell her either. ]

['Iruma-chan doesn't remember' implies that Kaito does, however. And Kokichi's short response is enough of an indicator that Miu can tell he doesn't want to go into detail, which... Fair enough.

So she won't push.] ...Okay. [It's going to be strange, facing Iruma with that knowledge. She can't imagine how he's been dealing with it.]

Can I lay down? [It might be annoying to be this overly cautious with him right now, but the last thing she wants is for him to kick her out--or hell, run off himself.]

[ Well he does, but he's not bringing that up either. ]

You weren't supposed to see it. [ He murmurs it, like that helps take any of this back. ] Lay down if you want, you're dry now, right?

'Lying bitch,' huh... [Yeah too late for take backs now. Well, whatever. There's a nod--yeah, she's dry-- and she shifts so she can lay down, turning to face him and tucking her hands underneath her head, feeling the exhaustion of--everything, really, creeping up on her.

Miu studies his face a moment before she reaches out, hesitates, then drops her hand to the bed, fingers curling into the sheets instead.

Honestly, she expected there to be more awkwardness than this. Not that there isn't some, but she doesn't feel nearly as bad as she expected to. The realization makes her sort of laugh and she turns her face away towards the bed, a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth]

[ His eyes flicker towards her. ] Was I wrong? [ His voice is dry, though he doesn't twist as much as she does.

Thankfully it isn't as awkward because she isn't asking about the wrong things, she isn't pushing him to speak past what he offers up. ]

No. I guess not. It just means I'll have to work harder to change it.

[Easier said than done, though, if only because he seems stubborn enough to hold onto that title for her.]

I have to... find something to do with myself now, I suppose... [She mutters more to herself than to him]

Good luck, Hinasaki-chan.

[ It's said flatly though, because he isn't confident in her when he doesn't believe in himself.

He doesn't say anything to the rest though, presuming that if she's talking to herself she won't an answer. ]

Thanks for the vote of confidence. [Her tone is equally flat, sarcasm dripping.

She shakes her head, but falls quiet for a little while, just enjoying the feeling of not being alone, of there being someone beside her. Even if, right now, that person might not like her very much.]

...Hey. Can I touch you? [That's sounds weird when it comes out of nowhere, but her fingers twitch against the sheets again. It's fine if he says no, she half-expects it, but that desire for some physical connection is still rooted deep in her heart.]

[ He'd rather be alone at the moment, just because he's had no chance to actually let himself come down from this and let his thoughts carry him. He's had to keep himself together, more effort taken on that.

Her question should be more of a surprise than it is, but his body tenses again at the question of it. ]

Only if you're willing to see more than you should.

I won't see anything if you don't want me to. [She'd promised that too, once upon a time, that she wouldn't use her powers to see into his mind to learn the truth.

It occurs to her that she should start teaching him ways to block these things, just in case someone with her similar abilities but far less kind were to appear.

Still, she tentatively reaches out, just to touch his hand at first.] I just... want to do this. It's weird, because usually I don't want to touch people or have them touch me, but... With you it doesn't seem so... Bad. I guess. [Which implies that usually it is bad.]

[ He holds his breath when the contact comes, eyes shutting like he expects her to look anyway. She might have said otherwise, but right now he's not exactly stable to not have thoughts and memories bleeding out. ]

Careful, Hinasaki-chan, or I'll have to take that as a confession.

[iu keeps her own mental guards up to keep it all form leaking through-- she does ease it up a little, so tht she can get impressions of his feelings though. It is, however, for purely good reasons though. If he becomes too uncomfortable or panicked, she wants to know so she can put a stop to it before it escalates.

Still, he has her laughing softly.] It's not like that. I like you, despite... Everything. I like you, you're... special. And I don't want to let it go. But it's not like that... [She isn't naive enough to confuse this for something like 'love,' because it's really not like that. She just doesn't know how to actually describe whatever it is.

Her gaze falls to their hands, her thumb idly rubbing a circle against the back of his.] No, it's just... I was-- [How does she describe this?] ...Talked into a lot of bad situations. 'You're so cute, Miu-chan, if you do this or this, I promise to make you famous, I promise you a role in this show; if you don't I'll make sure you never get work again'... Things like that. [A pause and she shrugs with a slight shake of her head.] That's showbiz.

But I can trust you enough to know you won't do that. So, being like this is... I don't know. It's nice. [There's a 'ha' noise.] ...Sorry... It's stupid, I guess.

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