[CONTINUE] Week 1 || Act: mingle

[foundationmods]

Monday comes onto the snowy town once more, though it still looks as if it's 'night' as ever.

Then again, you are underground. That's just to be expected, considering no natural light can get down here in the first place. The Monsters around you are just as friendly as ever, despite this being your second 'time' trying this monday.

...Though....are there a few less Monsters here than there were before? ...Nah. You must be imagining it.

You still have a mission - and after the events of the last trial, you want to do your best to stop whatever is causing this.

But, hey. You really do have nothing but time now to figure it out.

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inn!

[dereban]

[She knows that he might not really want to talk to anyone - and hell, that's understandable. But she's not the type of person to leave things alone.

Which is why when she sees him, in spite of it being late, she has a coffee in hand before quietly speaking up, a little awkward.]

... hey.

[She does not know if he'll respond, and if he even wants to, but an attempt is going to be made.]

[finalring]

...Hey.

[ he'll give her a curt nod and a side glance. perhaps he's not completely against talking to her but he is...a little more cagey than usual. ]

[dereban]

... Are you doing any better?

It's okay if you're not.

[Her voice is softer than usual, clear worry in her dark eyes.]

[finalring]

I'm fine. Thanks.

[ he gives inaba a distant smile. perhaps it's one that she knows all too well, as a fellow liar. ]

Things became really heated in that meeting. I'm glad to see they cooled down.

[dereban]

...

[She's quiet for a good few moments before leaning in close on her tiptoes to reach for his cheeks and tugging at them.

Imagine how this may look to other monsters.

She doesn't care.]

Don't lie to me, you idiot. I just said it's okay if you're not, didn't I? Anyway, I probably should apologize a little for what happened, anyway.

[finalring]

Ow?!

[ somehow, solomon doesn't know whether to be angry at inaba or just ashamed that he's being seen like this.

so he's both. definitely both. ]

Y-you really don't show respect to your leaders?!

[dereban]

[Inaba eventually lets go of him and falls back on her heels before smiling something a little cheeky.]

I was never respectful to Gotou, so I can't be entirely bothered to do the same for other people.

[Her smile drops after she says that, into something a little softer.]

But that's just me. [If she acts in that way, nobody can see her weaknesses. She has to be the 'strong' Inaba Himeko. Otherwise-] Well, I guess some of the others might, too.

[The gremlins in particular, honestly.]

But it isn't wrong to feel things, or to dislike things, or - a lot, actually. A bunch of us - myself included - are paranoid as all hell. Worried all the time... maybe even scared.

And I think that's fine. I... [She hangs her head slightly, taking a deep breath in, then out.] This is my personal thoughts, so take it with a grain of salt. But I think I'd prefer honesty than everyone putting up walls. Than having people going back to putting up walls. But I might just be projecting my own loneliness and worries.

I guess I just wanted to say that you don't have to hole yourself up to just only... want to talk to one person.

[A little antsy, she lifts her heels up and down, a bit of a nervous tic.]

That's all.

[finalring]

...Talk about a time to open up.

[ that is what solomon says after a few seconds of silence, green eyes wide as he listened to inaba say her piece. in comparison to her, he's nearly speechless, unsure of what to say.

he takes a deep, shaky breath, and smiles sadly. because he doesn't know what else to do. ]

I don't have much practice opening up to others. [ ... ] Humans are meant to be social creatures...but maybe I've failed at that sort of thing as well. Even now, forming bonds is difficult.

[ even with those he's closest, such as gilgamesh, and especially now. all because of that lingering fear of pain and loss that he wants to avoid at all cost. ]

But it's moments like these that make me wonder....if I've even changed at all from who I used to be.

[dereban]

Ahaha...

[She laughs a little awkwardly, rubbing at the nape of her neck.]

I can't say that I'm good at this shit either. I'm not an expert at forming bonds. I'm just an expert at getting others to worry.

[Any closeness she may claim to have with anyone in particular is still filled with a massive gap - a distance that she feels that they won't be able to reach. Because of her fears and anxieties.]

I will say this, though: [She's nervous just talking about this. Her habit of chewing on her nail shows in times like this.] Um... someone once said that "growth isn't linear". That might apply to everyone, I think...

But I get it. How hard it is to form bonds. Even more so in a situation like this. Maybe it'd be easier, if everything wasn't trying to collapse on top of us. But we never get that luxury. It's kind of unfair, to be honest. That's my thoughts on that, though.