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[pishirogane]

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[pishirogane]

Yes... I would abhor being touched, and to even go further, I don't think I would be able to reach even that barrier. Holding hands would be difficult enough.

[topgun_textiles]

[Kanji sighed in empathy, and nodded. He led the way back.]

Seriously! I couldn't even get people to hold my damn hand if I so much as begged 'em!

But knowin' this planet like I do, how eagerly people offer stuff'd just weird me out. Still kinda does.

...I dunno, is it us, or the product of the country we grew up in? I've been wondering that, lately. Like...

[He shrugged.]

I'm- I'm opening up a lot about what makes me feel good, but would I have gotten to a level of comfort I am now if I was still in Inaba?

[pishirogane]

... I think it's a mixture. Where we've grown up, public displays of affection are discouraged, even frowned upon by some people. However, as both of us grew up, negative interactions as individuals also discouraged a willingness to open up to people and consequentially, affected our abilities to physically interact with people as a whole.

[She tilted her head, thinking.]

I... don't think so. Perhaps? At least you wouldn't be as open.

[topgun_textiles]

[She was right. Compared to everyone else who just needed an open ear, maybe a shoulder to cry on, both Kanji and Naoto were those two stubborn asses who had been forced to grow up early, and had mile-high walls that needed to be scaled before anything else.

...Souji really was a fuckin' saint.

Kanji draped an arm over Naoto's shoulders.]

Yeah, true. It took me two years to tell someone I love 'em. How the hell would I open myself up enough to be...

[He thoughtfully looked skyward.]

...Yeah. Vulnerable's the word. For people like us, goin' down to skin n' open heart's a whole huge thing.

[pishirogane]

[She leaned against him.]

It is... I'm glad I could be open like this at all. And with you? I appreciate what Senpai did, but I think you understand my predicament better.

[topgun_textiles]

[Who was on top of the world? This guy, right here. He looked back down to her.]

I-I feel the same way. I didn't think anybody'd really get what was eatin' me, let alone just... look at me, and see somethin' of some kinda worth.

[He wouldn't admit that, even here, he got comments and critiques when he posted that image of himself with his natural hair. It was like they were saying, 'I like you better when you're trying to be someone you're not'. It made the heart sink. But it also made him doubly determined to march to the beat of his own drum.]

So... uh, m-maybe this sounds weird, but thanks for lookin' at me.

[pishirogane]

Mmm... if anyone did before me, I would've missed out. Fortunately, I didn't though it did take a while.

[A pox on those who gave Kanji such comments. As long as he could be himself, that's just how she wanted him.]

Thank you for being patient.

[topgun_textiles]

[Perhaps his mother pushing for him to be more patient overall had helped him in more regards than just grousing over packages arriving in the mail or being too excited for upcoming events to keep still. Once he'd started slowing down and listening to people, and fighting not to lose his temper even in the worst parts of his life (sans a few mistakes back when he met everyone) that led him to know all the wonderful people that surrounded him now.

As for the woman at his side? Goddamn... who knew he'd meet someone who not only seemed to want to understand him on first sight and quickly grew to become one of his best and closest friends, but this stubborn, clever, secret nerd managed to up and casually hold her hand out, only for him to happily plop his heart right in?

He smiled warmly.]

'Course. Y-you always were with me.

[pishirogane]

... I wish I could've been with you more.

[But she had made her farewells... and left Inaba. It was the only place that had come to feel like home god knows how long and she just left. It was for work, but when she had said goodbye, she knew she said it in a way that she wouldn't return soon.]

[topgun_textiles]

Don't worry.

The way I see it, this place tells me that I gotta make that phone call and hitch a ride on a train. And it's gonna happen, Naoto. I promise.

[pishirogane]

I'll hold you to it.

[And now, she had all the more reason to help everyone leave this place.]

[topgun_textiles]

[He laughed quietly. She better! But let's get everyone home first, once the natives here actually explain their energy crisis.

Until then, they had a cable car to catch. Did she have a ticket or a way to go? Kanji rubbed his chin when they arrived.]

Hmm... uh, how do we know which one's ours?

[pishirogane]

[At the cable cars, Naoto raised her communicator.]

I have the information here. However, they didn't give a car number; just a confirmation we have space reserved.

[topgun_textiles]

Yeah? ...Maybe we jus' pick one that's empty n' call dibs.

[He shrugged. Jeez, even dinner reservations had specific tables set aside. But maybe they knew how many cars they had and just went with that as the hard limit.]

I dare someone to try n' kick us outta one. I mean, it's the freakin' holidays.

[pishirogane]

I'm sure they'll note which cars are occupied.

[Everyone handled their reservations differently.]

No, we have it for a few hours and can request more time. It's why they require reservations.

[topgun_textiles]

Hours? [He whistled. Maybe they just went really slow, but he'd been in Prismatica long enough to know.] Y-yeah, that makes sense...

Talk about gettin' caught with yer pants down.

[He nodded over, and moved to get the door for her.]

A'right, let's take this one, then. A-after you.

[pishirogane]

Yes... I didn't ask for details.

[Just like him, she can figure. At the door he selected, there was a sign that denoted vacancy. So, they must be able to say it was occupied once inside. With a glance up at him, she nodded and stepped inside.]

[topgun_textiles]

[He climbed in after her, but he suffered the tall person's problem: With a grunt, he took his seat and gingerly rubbed his forehead with a hiss.]

Urrgh, even on an alien planet, huh...?

[But he shrugged it off by picking up a brochure. Catering...? How does one order food on this thing when you're in the air? But the table in the center looked strange. Tech-y.]

[pishirogane]

Ah, Kanji-kun...! [Poor tall people problems.]

Do you need ice?

[They could probably order some before ordering food; get drinks started while taking care of the bump. Either way, not the most romantic start to their ride.]

[topgun_textiles]

N-no, nono, I'm- I'm good! Head's hard. Don't worry about it.

[God, it stung like a motherfucker, but the scar spoke of the fact that he'd had far, far worse.]

...But this is why I say you're the perfect size, ya know? Trains, planes, cable cars. No need to squish yourself into 'em.

[pishirogane]

I'm still going to worry about it.

[Scar or not, that still sounded painful.]

It's good for fitting in, but it's terrible for crowds and shopping.

[topgun_textiles]

[He had strangers asking him to get things off the shelves on most of his shopping trips, so me understood that. But Kanji lowered his hand and rubbed his chin.]

Got me there with shopping, but you got the advantage when you're tailin' a suspect; was she there a second ago...? No. No, it's my imagination...

Then, with the click of cuffs, it's all over.

[He swept a hand across to add mystique toward the title.]

The Shirogane Shadow.

[pishirogane]

Perhaps tailing, but confronting a suspect? There's no intimidation from my height.

[And she looked up at him, face slightly flushed and with a small pout. If he could only share.]

[topgun_textiles]

[His heart tied into a knot. That pout... y-you're not intimidating anybody NOW, looking cute like that, but...!

He leaned down and kissed her forehead.]

Says the woman who intimidated the hell outta me for months.

[pishirogane]

[That just added more color on her face.]

But I didn't do anything. I just happened to approach you instead.