awashlogs | Event Thirteen.

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Event Thirteen.

To love a human face was to discover
The cracks of paint and varnish on the brow;
Soon to distrust all impulses of flesh
That strews its sawdust on the chamber floor,
While at the window peer two crones
Who once were Juliet and Jessica.

t's a regular morning here in the Town. The sun isn't shining at all, snow is falling like crazy, and...there may be the sounds of shouts coming from the well, thoroughly muffled.

Okay, so it's not a regular morning at all, but you'd better go help those people! The newcomers are here again. Of course, once you get to the well, you'll notice that there's actually no real help you can offer -- it's totally frozen over.

As for the newcomers, well... hopefully being suddenly dumped into freezing cold water in the middle of November in a dark, damp well is your idea of a good time, because that's your life now!

And that's not even taking into account the mirrors in everyone's homes that are about to wake up and start chattering...

Welcome to Awash's thirteenth event log, everyone! Further information on this event can be found here at the OOC post. Please keep in mind that while this is a general event log, it is also an intro log; be sure to pay plenty of attention to our newcomers!

If there are any questions, please ask them here. Thank you!

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[... Oh dear.

Shiho glances over at the mirror, and Minato does too, frowning immediately at it. Of course, all they have to do is glance at it for it to start talking...

Ruining the moment, mirror!

"It's nice for you to talk about change when you're the one who's always changed to try to fit in... isn't that a little hypocritical?"

It's Minato's voice, as soft and placid as usual, but... not Minato's usual words, that's for sure.]

Oh... it made its way out from under the bed.

[It's not hypocritical at all? There's nothing wrong with wanting to fit in, but she doesn't know if she should say it in case he didn't want her talking to the mirror.

So she ignores it in favour of the more important of the two Minatos as far as she's concerned.]

At this rate, we need to start burying these things in cement and throwing them into the harbour.

[Oh.

Shiho's statement startles him enough that he snorts softly in amusement, expression relaxing again.]

That'd be a pretty good way to get rid of them, I think.

[A beat, and softly:]

I don't mind if you end up listening to it...you already know me, I think. But I was having fun talking with you, so I didn't really want it to interrupt. That's all.

[The mirror, having been silent for a bit, pipes up with, "It's okay if you don't stick around, anyway. Nobody ever really does."

Minato's expression just...softens a little more. They're sad, aren't they...? These mirrors.]

[Shiho gives him a brief flicker of a smile when she hears that almost-laugh, knowing that she was responsible for making him relax.]

All we need to get is cement. [But it's impossible for her to tune the mirror out, just like it's impossible for her to stop reading someone whenever she touched them. But she's capable of making a choice of how to react to what she hears. Even if it's petty and maybe ultimately useless, a part of her wants to disagree with everything Mirror-Minato is saying.]

...You were here first, right? I'll talk to you instead. [And she's already decided to stick around.]

[... Honestly, Shiho's remarkably kind. He supposes he shouldn't be surprised at how understanding she is... but it still makes him smile a little as he nods, moving over to finally scoop up that mirror.

He glances at it, expression quietly contemplative...and then tucks it under his arm.]

I guess since we don't have any cement, we can just take these home for now, huh? Maybe they'll have a bit more mercy on us for awhile.

Mine’s been pretty noisy all day, but maybe now that they’ve met they’ll calm down a bit. [Her own mirror nets itself a quiet smile that she then turns to him.]

So... where were we? I’m walking you back, right?

Could be. I wouldn't be surprised if mirror Shiho-chan has a similar effect on mirror Minato.

[As Shiho does on him, he means...

But he leaves it at that, nodding.]

That sounds right to me. Let's start walking.

It's kind of tough right now, isn't it? [Not necessarily just because of his own mirror, but:] It's hard to see people struggling with these.

[She hopes he means that mirror Shiho, gloomy and quiet as she is can make mirror Minato happy. Her own glance at him softens.]

That would be nice. They could be friends. [After all, as a child at that age, she’d been convinced she would be friendless for the rest of her life.

The mirror stays held at her side as they start walking, her finger running gently, soothingly along the back.]

It is. Some people... really don’t like seeing them, I think. Though I’ve also met other people who didn’t seem that bothered as well. Still... giving us something that magnifies every bad thing we’ve ever thought about ourselves and then showing that to people is kind of rude of them.

[That is 100% what he means--it's nice to think of them as friends, right? Even though they don't really exist... well, he doesn't want any aspect of himself, or any aspect of Shiho to feel alone.

For now, though, he just tucks the mirror into his pocket, handle first, and lets it chill there.

Onwards towards Bluo...!!]

Yeah, it really is... when things like this happen, I always have to wonder why, you know?

[He tilts his head, contemplative.]

What's it accomplishing? It must be for some reason.

It's probably to get us all closer. [Most of the things that happen seem to have that goal in mind.]

But I don't know why they want us closer. For the colour to come back? [This is all confusing.]

Something like that... sometimes, I think it's just about strong feelings, you know?

[Like, yeah, they need to bond and get closer, but...]

I can't tell if this place thinks that bonds where one person hates the other and where one loves the other are different or the same.

Well... they did used to separate this place by colour and they believed a chicken held the secret to love.

[So it being confused by the two feelings is definitely something that Shiho can see happening.]

...I guess our bonds are strong though.

[... Yeah. Okay. That's fair.]

Good point.

[These townspeople were, uh. Something.]

I'd say so, though. Maybe that's why they bring in the sorts of people we are...? No matter how you look at it, we're a good fit, right, Shiho-chan?

[He doesn't even mean that the way it comes across, probably, what a failure.]

[why is he like this]

W-Well... yeah, we kind of are. But we're not exactly the same sorts of people in the first place. I mean... you're a lot nicer.

And a lot more embarrassing. [But maybe that's why they do fit so well? Where she's fussy and demanding, he tends to be accommodating and easy-going... STILL. WHY IS HE LIKE THIS.]

[SHIHO DESERVES BETTER THAN THIS, HONESTLY.

He looks a bit amused at her analysis of his traits, though after a moment--]

I think you're really nice, though.

[Minato has... mostly seen Shiho at her absolute sweetest here, let's be real.]

Though I'll admit I'm probably a lot more embarrassing.

[He should go look on the forums where she's pretty much always mean.]

I'm... really not. [She knows she's not nice. People tell her she's scary, okay...]

And it's fine even if you're embarrassing. I guess. It's... kind of nice, sometimes. [To have someone tell her so sincerely that she was nice and that he believed in her... was sweeter to her than anything else.]

[Minato's biased, he can't be stopped. He's seen Shiho trolling people on the forum, but it doesn't change his opinion at all...]

... Well, that's fine.

[Firmly!]

I'll remind you of it whenever you want. [That's probably not the solution here, but he seems pleased with it...]

I'd be happy to remind you of all of your good traits whenever.

[Minato is too strong.]

That's-... [UNFAIR]

You say that like I have a lot of good traits or something. [Or maybe she's just a little curious to know what he thinks her good traits are.

Beyond her cuteness that is.]

[Shiho, that's such a dangerous, dangerous opening to give Minato.

Because he'll never really miss those chances.]

Of course you do.

[He blinks, tilting his head a little, as if the thought of Shiho not having a ton of good traits never crossed his mind.]

You're so clever, and always on top of things here. You're a really, really loyal friend, like with Kaoru-san. And you're so talented, even beyond just how you can use your power--I always think it's really impressive just how creative and smart you really are, you know?

[Anyone can have really, really strong powers--but it still takes intelligence, wit and smarts to be able to use them as effectively as Shiho does.]

But even more than all of that... I really love Shiho-chan's confidence, and independence, and kindness.... that you sometimes try to hide a little.

[Ending it on a slightly teasing note, it's fine.]

[Shiho only realizes just what kind of opportunity she gave him moments after he starts. She goes from "oh" at the first to "oh no" as he continues and she can feel herself blushing in a way that was definitely not the Cool and Cute Shiho she likes to pretend she is. He loves her confidence... she can't think.]

I-I'm not trying to hide-... th-that's.... W-Well! [She's dead

So she goes on attack mode because how dare he tease her]

You're the kind one here. You go around helping strangers without asking for anything in return. I don't know how you do that, how you can just accept things about people so easily and so sincerely. That's impressive. You... trust people. When you told me that you trusted me even after I told you I was a psychometer, I thought... I was so glad we had met. I was so glad that I trusted you too.

[Oh god.

He wasn't actually expecting her to reverse it on him--but Shiho flips it on him so easily, going on the attack, and Minato's left blinking, flummoxed.]

Shiho-chan...

[He's incredibly flustered by that; hearing her sincere feelings like that is something that he's pretty sure is never going to stop being overwhelming.]

I... I'm really glad that you trusted me too... and I'm really, really glad we met. I...

[AHEM.]

... You're too much, Shiho-chan. I wasn't ready at all.

[Success!

(But at what cost? She’s actually even more flustered now that he is.)]

W-Well, I wasn’t either, you know. B-But... I’m serious. About all that.

[Now they are both flustered together, which is very fitting.]

I... I was serious too.

[A pause...and then he huffs out an amused (embarrassed) breath.]

... I think we're both really embarrassed now, aren't we?

I know.

[Shiho's mouth twitches into a smile despite her embarrassment.]

I've found that happens a lot when I'm with you. [But she doesn't actually dislike it.]

Yeah... me too.

[He looks way too fond, too, despite everything.]

But I'm not surprised you're good at flustering people. You're Shiho-chan.

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