sure, okay, but - in the true thematics of this game, isn't the point of an isekai to write your own story? it's not like he can read iris's mind, though, so it goes unaddressed, especially when she's calling him something so sweet and sincere.
ichiro ducks his head, a little embarrassed at that. ] Nahh, nah. Iris, please. [ he's not!! at all. he's just a person, ultimately, someone who's just trying to be better when he knows he's been worse. ichiro's been trying to work on himself for a long time, now, and he's still young - and he still has a long, long way to go.
a little joking on himself, this time: ] You should see me when that rat bastard from Yokohama's around, I'm pretty sure you wouldn't think I'm that great.
[ listen he is. aware of his worst quality and it is his rage. he thumbs her cheek one more time, just because his hand's still there, and because the continual admittance that he's a good person is both embarrassing and flattering and bad for the whole hey-i-still-have-a-huge-crush-on-you thing but that's fine. ]
ichiro's stomach twists up when she says that. i think you're great, no matter what, because, well. after his talk with manwol and the others, today, will he still be? his hands are officially going to be implicated. he's going to have to lie, if iris asks.
he hates that. he hates it so much. his expression flickers just a little, and he's the one to glance away from her. hopefully it looks a little more shy than it does guilty, as he takes in the rest of what she said, though his hand stays where it is, especially with the squeeze.]
...from what was in your memories, they probably deserved it. [ iris can come to chuuoku and get them fired any time. ] ... thank you, Iris. I - I really hope I don't do anything to change that.
[maybe they did but ichiro should really recognize that iris is a rather horrible and brutal person please,,,
. . . but she catches that. she catches it sharply, and her brow furrows for a moment. iris is not a fool, and she can't help but wonder what exactly might be going through ichiro's mind - but she also supposes it doesn't matter much to her.
she keeps his hand on her cheek and shifts just so that she can rise, just enough to press their foreheads together.]
Someone told me that this is a good luck charm once.
[a little forehead bump for good fortune. but more than that - ]
As long as your kindness guides you, you will never disappoint me.
[ ohhh this is so unfortunately intimate. the forehead bump is such a sweet gesture, and not one he's really had many times in his life, and there is in fact a brief moment where his heart does like three backflips when she comes that close, but he keeps it together.
his voice quiets to the intimate little space between them as she says so. as your kindness guides you.
...can he be kind, like this? he thinks of lux and dimitri's grim faces. he thinks about leo. he thinks --
... he doesn't know what he can do, really. but he can try to do it as himself, the person he's worked so hard to become, and maybe that's the best that ichiro can do.
he smiles at her, now, peering from underneath his lashes, at such a close distance. still a little puppylike, though maybe not nearly so bad as hours before. his cheeks are a little pink, and his eyes are soft, if still carrying that usual determination that seems to color his every action. ] ..if it's a good luck charm, then lemme give some good luck to you, too. Okay? Give and take.
[ not just one sided. he doesn't just want to take from iris, who has given so much.
besides. he might need a little good luck, anyway. ]
[that manages to make her smile easily - and she'll wait for him to be the one to pull away from the touch. she doesn't seem to mind it, when it's something like this.]
I have no reason to deny a little luck - may good fortune find us both, then.
[ . . . . ]
Don't forget what I said. You always need to come back home to me.
[ okay what if he just doesn't, then! we're gonna stay like this for a minute. maybe it's a little selfish, but he does well with affection, and his heart swells with it.
... always come back home, iris says. he closes his eyes. ]
...yeah. [ yeah. he came back before. he's come back again. he has to come back from this, too.
has to bring everybody back. has to plug up the bullet holes with bandaids, until they can find their way out of here. ] ...I'll do everything I can. I'll come back to you, no matter what.
[oh - well sure. she doesn't mind it. she'll stay for as long as he wants, so he can pull away when he's ready. she thinks it's nice to see his face a little more peaceful, after the expression he was wearing earlier.
. . . ]
I'll be waiting then.
[she'd said earlier that he has to come home, because all of winter is waiting for him, and she still think that's true.
but if he doesn't mind getting specific then neither does she.
anyway. after a little longer, he nods just a tiny bit, the motion only bare enough to be felt, and then pulls back a little further. they're still close, his hand still on her cheek, and this feels like it should be something -
but it's enough, the way it is. ]
...thank you. [ ichiro says, finally. he doesn't specify what for, but - well, at this rate, it'd be a long list. ]
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sure, okay, but - in the true thematics of this game, isn't the point of an isekai to write your own story? it's not like he can read iris's mind, though, so it goes unaddressed, especially when she's calling him something so sweet and sincere.
ichiro ducks his head, a little embarrassed at that. ] Nahh, nah. Iris, please. [ he's not!! at all. he's just a person, ultimately, someone who's just trying to be better when he knows he's been worse. ichiro's been trying to work on himself for a long time, now, and he's still young - and he still has a long, long way to go.
a little joking on himself, this time: ] You should see me when that rat bastard from Yokohama's around, I'm pretty sure you wouldn't think I'm that great.
[ listen he is. aware of his worst quality and it is his rage. he thumbs her cheek one more time, just because his hand's still there, and because the continual admittance that he's a good person is both embarrassing and flattering and bad for the whole hey-i-still-have-a-huge-crush-on-you thing but that's fine. ]
no subject
[plainly. but she will let his thumb brush against her cheek, not flinching back or looking away. she meets his gaze with a little bit of a wry look.]
I think they would've preferred if I slapped them instead of removing them from their posts and costing them their salaries and reputations.
[she will bring her hand up to where ichiro's is resting on her face, and give his hand a little squeeze]
And so, since you're not as calculating or cruel as I am - I think you're great. No matter what.
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ichiro's stomach twists up when she says that. i think you're great, no matter what, because, well. after his talk with manwol and the others, today, will he still be? his hands are officially going to be implicated. he's going to have to lie, if iris asks.
he hates that. he hates it so much. his expression flickers just a little, and he's the one to glance away from her. hopefully it looks a little more shy than it does guilty, as he takes in the rest of what she said, though his hand stays where it is, especially with the squeeze.]
...from what was in your memories, they probably deserved it. [ iris can come to chuuoku and get them fired any time. ] ... thank you, Iris. I - I really hope I don't do anything to change that.
no subject
. . . but she catches that. she catches it sharply, and her brow furrows for a moment. iris is not a fool, and she can't help but wonder what exactly might be going through ichiro's mind - but she also supposes it doesn't matter much to her.
she keeps his hand on her cheek and shifts just so that she can rise, just enough to press their foreheads together.]
Someone told me that this is a good luck charm once.
[a little forehead bump for good fortune. but more than that - ]
As long as your kindness guides you, you will never disappoint me.
no subject
his voice quiets to the intimate little space between them as she says so. as your kindness guides you.
...can he be kind, like this? he thinks of lux and dimitri's grim faces. he thinks about leo. he thinks --
... he doesn't know what he can do, really. but he can try to do it as himself, the person he's worked so hard to become, and maybe that's the best that ichiro can do.
he smiles at her, now, peering from underneath his lashes, at such a close distance. still a little puppylike, though maybe not nearly so bad as hours before. his cheeks are a little pink, and his eyes are soft, if still carrying that usual determination that seems to color his every action. ] ..if it's a good luck charm, then lemme give some good luck to you, too. Okay? Give and take.
[ not just one sided. he doesn't just want to take from iris, who has given so much.
besides. he might need a little good luck, anyway. ]
no subject
I have no reason to deny a little luck - may good fortune find us both, then.
[ . . . . ]
Don't forget what I said. You always need to come back home to me.
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... always come back home, iris says. he closes his eyes. ]
...yeah. [ yeah. he came back before. he's come back again. he has to come back from this, too.
has to bring everybody back. has to plug up the bullet holes with bandaids, until they can find their way out of here. ] ...I'll do everything I can. I'll come back to you, no matter what.
no subject
. . . ]
I'll be waiting then.
[she'd said earlier that he has to come home, because all of winter is waiting for him, and she still think that's true.
but if he doesn't mind getting specific then neither does she.
she needs him to come home.]
no subject
[ haha not
anyway. after a little longer, he nods just a tiny bit, the motion only bare enough to be felt, and then pulls back a little further. they're still close, his hand still on her cheek, and this feels like it should be something -
but it's enough, the way it is. ]
...thank you. [ ichiro says, finally. he doesn't specify what for, but - well, at this rate, it'd be a long list. ]