Catch-All for Minato

[specialdog]

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[specialdog]

Hmmm... Denied! ♪

[ She takes her jacket back and puts it on. Feels weird without it... Then she starts walking--waiting to make sure he walks with her--to lead him back towards the residential area of the village. ]

But let's get you somewhere warmer to rest so that you don't catch a cold.

[compendiem]

[ ): Maybe Minato should just sleep in the boutique from now on, never be without warm clothes. He trails behind her instead of beside, knees stiff and hands stuffed into his pockets, with that slouch and forward lean that always makes it looks like he's about to fall over. ]

I probably... I don't think I want to go home. [ if he can call it that ]

...Kazuaki tried really hard today, didn't he? Everybody did.

[ not him ]

[specialdog]

[ Akane is fine with walking ahead of Minato, and politely keeps her pace slow enough to not completely lose him.

She tilts her head to look at him over her shoulder. ]

You can come to my place, then.

[ But she's... Silent about that last part. Giving him the chance to say more about it, if he needs to. She's not eager to jump to his defense when she would have preferred he was more useful. ]

[compendiem]

[ What more is there to say? He's lost, frustrated, doesn't really want to be anywhere, but at least Akane's house is better than his- Kazuaki would be worried, he think, but at Akane's place, he wouldn't have to face that worry, of somebody else who wanted to do better for his and everybody else's sake and Minato can't return the favor.

So he's silent, nodding once while maintaining his slow shuffles following her. ]

[specialdog]

[ She turns back to face forward. ]

Do you think we could have done better if you were helping?

[compendiem]

...No.

[ It'd be a repeat of the week before, where he didn't really understand what was going on, spent much of the time comforting Mary when she turned out to be the one involved. If he were awake today, he'd have spent most of his time hanging out with Futaba, probably. ]

Investigating and solving this sort of thing, it's not something I'm very good at. Knowing how other people think... That's important, but it's hard for me.

[specialdog]

Hmm.

[ Hard to say how she feels about it with a non-response. Probably not great, since she didn't jump to comfort him or assure him, but--at the same time, Akane is the type to lash out when she's mad. And... She's not doing that, either. ]

It's hard for me, too.

[compendiem]

But you did it anyways.

[ Minato slows to a stop, looking at her. ]

You try anyways. And you're always smiling... I really admire that about you.

[specialdog]

[ She doesn't stop. Or turn around. She's still moving slow, so she's not going to leave him behind, but...

That's not something she can face head-on. ]

It's not enough for anyone here.

[compendiem]

Maybe, but it's better than nothing.

[ The words are mumbled behind Akane's back, and after a moment, Minato steps forward again, picking up the slack so he can stand shoulder to shoulder with her. ]

And you're always looking out for me, too. So I wanted you to know that I appreciate it.

[specialdog]

[ She's happy about it. Even if it... Doesn't show. ]

I'm not doing much.

[compendiem]

[ Not much is still better than nothing, but Minato doesn't repeat himself, letting the silence settle between them as they continue off to the houses.

The first time Minato stepped into Akane's house, Milla nearly took off his head, he muses to himself. That alone is enough to make him hesitate once they stand in front of the building. ]

[specialdog]

[ We'll just say that Milla isn't back yet because that's easiest. And thankfully there hasn't been much of an opportunity for Akane's room to get as disgustingly messy as it is back home, so it's. Just a basic house.

Akane immediately makes a beeline for the bed, just so she can plop down and sit on the edge of it. ]

... If you're upset about it, don't do it again. You don't have to do a lot. Just get enough rest, at least.

[compendiem]

[ It's so tempting to just flop down face first on the bed and never get up, but Minato lingers by the door after he shuts it behind him, thinking over her words. ]

I would sleep and sleep and never wake up, but that doesn't help anybody. I tried... this week. I'd finally won the jackpot. All I did was put me and Shess in danger, though, so it wasn't any good at all.

[ His best efforts are no good. Him doing nothing is no good. It's really difficult, navigating the day to day. ]

[specialdog]

... I think it's fine to do the things you want to do. If you just want to play and gamble all week, then fine.

As long as you take care of yourself, too.

[ and Shess, or whatever, who cares. ]

[compendiem]

...Just do what I want, huh? What should I do if what I want is to change?

[ To be practical and useful and all the things he isn't? ]

[specialdog]

[ She flops back to lay down, her knees still hanging off the edge of the bed. ]

Why do you want to change?

[compendiem]

Because that's what people do, isn't it? They change. Otherwise, it feels like I've been stuck for the past ten years of my life.

[ Just sort of ghosting in and out, doing what he wants but what he wanted to do was nothing. And then he turned out like this, letting himself sink down to sit on the floor, back against the wall. ]

[specialdog]

[ Akane lets out a small puff of laughter. ]

Even when you change, other people are still the problem.

[compendiem]

[ He looks up at her when she laughs, wishing he'd chosen to sit by her side so he can see her face. ]

...People get tougher the older we are, huh? But if I stay the same, it'll be even harder to catch up to them.

[specialdog]

What do you think is so good about them that you need to catch up?

They need to change, too.

[compendiem]

[ What's so good about them? Nothing much comes to mind, just that they're so different than how he is, how he thinks. If he's the outlier, then clearly the problem must be him. ]

It's hard to change so many people. Even one person is hard. But if it's myself, I can at least make the effort.

[ He sits up a little straighter, though he still remains seated on the floor. ]

Are you dissatisfied with people, Akane?

[specialdog]

Dissatisfied--I don't know if I'd say that... I'm just not good with people, so it can be tough sometimes...

[ They're variables she can't control, here. Just like before. But she isn't the problem! Other people are the problem. ]

[compendiem]

[ Just like him. Except Minato likes the fact that they're all so different and unpredictable; it makes them interesting, if inexplicable. ]

I wouldn't have imagined, if you haven't told me before. You seem to get along well with everyone.

[ But mostly because they get along, sort of, and with everybody else during the trial Minato was asleep so he doesn't see any of it. Rose colored glasses, if you will. ]

[specialdog]

[ She sighs, mostly because she's not willing to explain the details to him, and it's... Complicated. It's always hard to decide whether she's telling him about the world she ran from or the world she ran to. ]

... There's a lot of people here who don't like me so much.

[ Minato, look at the cr chart. No one likes Akane! ]