may catchall

[nmc0204]

⭐ Who: Ryoko and y'all
⭐ When: All through May, with prompts specifically during Golden Week and her first day of school at Promised Morning
⭐ Where: Primarily Yumemigaoka tho I might add a Dream Sphere prompt or two down the line
⭐ What: Ryoko's life has flip turned upside down and now she's getting used to it. Between starting as a new student at Promised Morning and suddenly having another Dreamer to feel responsible for, she's got a busy month ahead. I'll also put closed starters here if requested!
⭐ Warnings: Keepin this to edit them in if it comes up

Comments

[unlivinglegend]

[smol... not that hes towering at 5'7 himself. His expression drops when she points.

No. No they might both be new to this school but he's the senpai here. He nods to himself... and goes for it, shouldering a path.]

[nmc0204]

[ And Ryoko immediately clicks into the plan here, falling into step behind him and following the path he's making.

She adds a few polite "Excuse me"s and a few more, much less polite "I SAID EXCUSE ME"s as they elbow their way through with an utterly mutinous expression on her face the entire time. ]

Is it really this busy in here all the time?!

[unlivinglegend]

[neku doesnt throw elbows but his glare seems to work nearly as well.]

Golden Week. But it was always pretty busy last time I was here too so...

[mnemon]

If this means we're fighting for our lives every morning just to get to school, I think I'm changing my mind about transferring already.

[ said as she politely and strategically applies the point of her elbow to the small of someone's back to ever so gently encourage them out of the way. ]

Doesn't it start later in the day for school? Will it be less busy then?

[unlivinglegend]

Less casuals but all the others going to school will be here. So... you'll know the faces of the people you're tossing elbows at least.

[mnemon]

If we're all going to the same school, then we're all going in the same direction and I won't need to elbow anybody.

[ she might do anyway, though. for fun and enrichment. ]

[unlivinglegend]

True, I guess.

...

But I mean, you could.

[mnemon]

...

I could...

[ neku don't encourage this ]

[unlivinglegend]

Not to say you SHOULD. But I mean, I'm not your mom.

[mnemon]

I never said that I would. [ but, you know. She was thinking about it. ] But if it's necessary, I can defend myself.

[ From the existential horror of early morning rush hour.

At last, there's a break in the crowd. Ryoko steps into it, meaning to keep going but then something catches her eye - and she reaches out to grab Neku's elbow to still him. ]

Look. [ Said with an inclination of her head in the appropriate direction. ] There's a bigger station map over there - it might be worth checking.

[unlivinglegend]

Huh? Oh, perfect.

[He changes course and ends up standing in front of the sign, looking up.

Eyes a little glazed.]

[mnemon]

[ Casually skimming over the station names, not even noticing his inner turmoil....... ]

What station is it that you come from, by the way?

[unlivinglegend]

Uh....

[He turns around, looking at the signs to get an idea from where he came.]

The Koubai station coming from the DU building. This IS Kihada, right?

[mnemon]

[ Immediately, without missing a beat: ] No, we're in Akabeni.

[ . . . ]

No, I'm just kidding. It's Kihada.

[unlivinglegend]

[His eyes widen for a second before it clicks]

Ha ha.

[He snorts in amusement, running a hand through his hair]

Honestly I've... forgotten a lot.

[mnemon]

[ The softness of Ryoko's mouth that had been suggestive of a smile turns into a thin, glassy line in a snap. ]

... A lot?

[ Said with the tentative tone of a person who knows they shouldn't ask questions... but... ]

[unlivinglegend]

Mm.

[He nods, staring at the map with a glassiness that isn't exactly normal]

Well, if you're going to that school I'm guessing you're a Dreamer too. I was... in the Sphere for... a while. By myself. Scrambled my head a bit.

[mnemon]

Ah.

[ The noise comes out involuntarily – the kind of sound you make when you've seen a ghost. She finds herself staring at Neku maybe for a second longer than is really proper and she makes herself look away, returning her gaze to the map as well. ]

... It happened to me, too. I didn't get stuck, but...

[ She pauses and swallows. ]

Nobody found me in time.

[unlivinglegend]

[ "Say you're sorry. Say something comforting. Something."

But that's not what comes out. Instead, in a rush comes... anger. Not at her. For her. For himself]

You got screwed. Someone should have... someone should have been there..

[He glares at the map with an iciness that could kill a Torment. He knows it's not fair. Crimson herself could have reappeared and tried to save them and it might not have mattered.

It was just... bad luck.]

[mnemon]

... yeah.

[ She's had a lot of time to think that to herself since she'd woken up that first day with nothing at all behind her. When she'd realized what had happened, she'd been so angry she felt sick – it'd been why she'd avoided the DU for so long. Why should she give the people who failed her the time of day?

But as the months had gone by and the not ever knowing ground down on her, the answer had presented itself. ]

But. That's why I'm going to be there.

[ So it didn't have to happen to anybody else. ]

[unlivinglegend]

[That makes him pauses, something about her words hitting him very directly.]

...yeah. Yeah, you're right.

[mnemon]

[ She huffs a little noise that sounds suspiciously like a laugh. ]

Somebody has to be. And if I can work my way up to being right about the train route to school, I should have it all worked out.

[ If it sounds like she's trying to diffuse the weird sincere moment they just had... you'd be correct!!! ]