this is okay.

[pinnedbangs]

Who: The Okumura Twins + Roxas + Tobias + HEY YOU, YEAH YOU!
Where: Anywhere in Goldenrod City
When: July 11th - July 15th
Summary: Rin and Yukio take a detour to visit some friends and make memories
Rating: G
Log:


A. July 11th - late afternoon

[It was a long way back to Goldenrod, but eventually they made it before it got too dark. First stop? Honeyed Soul. Rin had a few ideas he wanted to try and start creating before he met up with Roxas. Maybe, if he was lucky, there would be a few coworkers still awake and ready to take on a potential new menu item?

Or Yukio could just sit pretty and taste test everything. If he felt his stomach was up to it.]


B. July 12th - sometime in the morning

[Rin's out and about and ready to meet up with someone in PERSON. It was exciting - and it had a way of making friendships feel a little more real. Just like when he met Al in person for the first time. That had been really cool. Rin taps out a quick message to Roxas, something like:

where r u?
ur not sleeping r u?

...Hopefully Roxas isn't away in dreamland...]


C. Anything goes!

Comments

[codeforhope]

Am I?

[He hadn't thought about how old Rin was- he just assumed he was probably close to his age.]

[pinnedbangs]

[NOT AT ALL... Well, to Rin 18 seems like a far away age. If Chihiro were any older, he'd feel like a little kid. More so than he already is.]

Well, yeah? I always thought you were my age. [Exactly his age, no more and no less.]

[codeforhope]

[Hm...]

How old are you?

[pinnedbangs]

[He catches himself from blurting out 15...] Uh - 16. I'll be 17 in December!

[Just in case that makes a difference to Chihiro...]

[codeforhope]

[It doesn't seem to, because he just smiles, his head tipping to the side a bit.]

I see. I was before I came here, actually...but it's been over a year since I first got here, so I'm older now. It's a bit strange how time works here, isn't it?

[pinnedbangs]

[.................aw man.]

Yeah, it's really weird. I think this is the only place I'll actually be older than my brother by more than just a few minutes.

[codeforhope]

Oh...are you and your brother twins?

[pinnedbangs]

Yes?

[...He thought she already knew. Then again she never met his brother so...]

[codeforhope]

[It's a small wonder they haven't met, yet, unless his brother just isn't in Goldenrod often.]

I see...it must be nice to have your brother here with you.

[pinnedbangs]

[They travel together. In fact, his brother is in Goldenrod at that very moment. Probably wondering where Rin is.]

It is! It was weird not having him around at first. [wait] --Not like we're always together but he was always where I could reach him.

[...Okay, that was really sappy.] Do you have siblings?

[codeforhope]

Oh, no...it was just my father and I, back home. I didn't mind it too much, though. It could be a little lonely sometimes, but it wasn't so bad with him there.

[pinnedbangs]

[That sounds like a good thing. At least Chihiro wasn't entirely alone growing up.]

That's like Yukio and me. We lived with our dad too - but our place was a monastery. So there were other priests around since our dad was in charge and all.

[codeforhope]

[Chihiro watches Rin out of the corner of his eye as they talk, continuing to walk down the sidewalk once again. He doesn't mind taking their time getting to his house, though.

But as he says that, his expression falters somewhat, his gaze turning back to the ground for a moment.]

Mm...can I ask...you something?

[pinnedbangs]

Go for it!

[codeforhope]

Do you ever think about going back home?

[pinnedbangs]

[...Oh. They walk in silence for a moment until Rin finally breaks it with his answer.]

Sometimes. I like it here... but there's something important I have to do back home. Nothing I do here can prepare me for it. ...I miss my friends too.

[It hits him that it's really been quite some time. That didn't make his goal any less real to him.]

...How about you?

[codeforhope]

[Now it's his turn to be silent, his eyes hooded as his grip on his bags tightens slightly. His shoulders rise a little and he keeps his gaze angled toward the ground, the rain falling filling the silence until he finally speaks.]

...no. I think...I would rather stay here.

[pinnedbangs]

[A noncommittal grunt is his only answer. He doesn't want to pry into Chihiro's world. There's a reason she didn't want to go back. Whatever it was, it wasn't a world she was looking forward to.

It's quiet between them for a short time.]

Hey. Wanna know what's the best thing about this world?

[codeforhope]

[He looks over again, nodding slightly. He's almost surprised that Rin didn't ask further...but he's glad he didn't, too.]

O...okay. What is it?

[pinnedbangs]

[He looks at her with the fondest smile.]

...Meeting good people like you.

[codeforhope]

...!

[...it's like Rin flipped a switch, just how quickly Chihiro's demeanor suddenly changes, and before he realizes what's happening there are tears welling up in his eyes and everything's going blurry and-

He has to look away, not wanting him to see.]

[pinnedbangs]

[ . . . Shiruku, what should he do? Rin looks between pokemon and trainer, hoping one of them will have an answer. No? ...None? Uhm.]

...Fujisaki?

[codeforhope]

[He lifts a hand to his face, pressing one of his sleeves to his eyes to keep the tears from spilling over. He's smiling though, even if it's a little weak. All the while, Shiruku just looks on apologetically, her antennae drooping.]

Oh...t-thank you...you're a good person too, O-Okumura-san. I-...I'm sorry...

[pinnedbangs]

Uh... [OH MY GOSH, HE MADE HER CRY.]

That's not - I ... [He's been upgraded from "nice" to "good", but at what cost? What does he do?]

You're welcome? You don't have to apologize for that.

[codeforhope]

N-no, it's...

[He shakes his head a little, moving his hand to his other eye as he speaks, his voice long since having gone a bit soft.]

I'm just...v-very glad to have a friend like you.