10

[lemonscarf]

[Action]

[Ryoji is no cook and he prefers mooching off his much more culinary adept friends -- but even he stops by the grocery store, every now and again. He's on his way home from there now, a bag of instant food on his arm. He's cutting through the alleys in the town square to get back to his apartment; there's a test coming up, and Minato

Comments

[Action part 1]

[sugame_no_uo]

[Ever since Ginko's Mallynap, Moro has been quietly sprawled in hiding in alleyways, avoiding confrontation as her condition started to deteriorate.

She didn't even notice Ryoji wandering by, despite that scarf being the most eye-catching monstrosity ever.]

[Action part 1]

[lemonscarf]

[Well, it's hard not to notice a woman sprawled out in an alleyway. Especially when that woman is someone he knows.]

... Moro? [yyyeah, as soon as he notices her, he's going to kneel down by her side.]

[Action part 1]

[sugame_no_uo]

Matsu.

[Her response is tired and quiet, as she turns her head a bit to look at him.]

[Action part 1]

[lemonscarf]

... right. I'm sorry. [There's a fuzzy memory that's not-quite-his that makes him want to brush the hair out of her face and touch her forehead, although he's not sure why. He knows that it's something people do when they find a sick person, but he's not sure why they do it.] You shouldn't be outside...

[Filtered forever]

[truthatjunes]

...What is it, Ryoji-kun?

[Filtered forever and ever?]

[lemonscarf]

... I have a friend. She's... [He pauses, trying to find the right word.] ... sick. She's sick, but she can't stay at the clinic. She's not comfortable around people, so I don't think it would be good for her to stay my apartment or Minato's house...

... would it be alright if I brought her to your house? Just for a little while, until she's feeling better.

[Filtered to infinity]

[truthatjunes]

[Can't stay at the clinic? That's weird... But Ryoji must have his reasons.]

...Alright. But you have to take care of her.

[Filtered to infinity]

[lemonscarf]

[Oh man. This is a relieved, if wane, smile.]

Thank you, Souji-kun. I will.

[... ... ... you're probably going to have to teach him how to make non-instant soups, though. But I wouldn't trust him near any form of steak. That's just disaster waiting to happen.]

[greaterdays]

[action ii: return of the action]

[lemonscarf]

[Knock knock, Nanako! You have guests. Ryoji's familiar, but the woman -- who by this point, is leaning a little on his shoulder -- probably isn't it.]

[greaterdays]

[action 2: the squeakquel]

[lemonscarf]

Nanako-chan! [He smiles down at her, before gesturing to the woman.] This is Matsu. She's a friend of mine.