Who told you so, dilly dilly, Who told you so? ‘Twas my own heart, dilly dilly, That told me so.
ouch is one of the most intimate, romantic ways to be close to someone else. The Town knows this very well -- the Town wants everyone to be as close as possible.
Perhaps that's why this bonding is so...aggressive.
Because you're in for quite the shock on this otherwise peaceful day when you brush against the next person on your path.
Maybe you're going out of your way to touch people. Maybe you've got a terrible urge to just see what's lurking in someone's heart. Maybe you trip over a conveniently placed rock -- whatever the cause, you're getting an up close and personal look into someone else's heart.
Welcome to Awash's eighteenth event log, everyone! Further information on this event can be found here at the OOC post. You are welcome to make your own logs and posts for this event!
If there are any questions, please ask them here. Thank you!
[ the library is a pretty good place to be a misanthropic, booky nerd. alone. but fate evidently had other plans, so when the kid had his nose into the pages too deep, here they were.
god what was with this stupid village. who turned out all the lights?
ritsu blinks in alarm and you could swear his hair rose up even spikier than it usually was-- he's always been the jumpy sort, but the familiarity of the voice makes him slow. but who did it belong to again? ]
[The voice is familiar but she can't exactly reach out to touch him and find out. Even if he can't see it, she's crossing her arms protectively around herself.]
It's Shiho. Shi-ho. [If anything, it gets even darker around them and the little girl's voice falters on the title of the book before trying again, softer and more unsure.]
Ritsu-san. And yeah, that's probably a stupid question so thank goodness you didn't ask it. [She knows she's being rude and that even if he's here in her heart, that's no excuse to be so surly. But still... she's on edge and she'll probably regret it later. For now though?]
I want you to leave too, but.... we need to go find her. [Her being the little girl still reading the story book, her voice soft and worried as she goes through the same story that Shiho has heard too many times lately about a sinner being given the chance of redemption and messing it up by being self-serving and short-sighted.]
[ ritsu had nodded at first, before registering the movement might be a bit hard to translate in the dark and adding the followup. he'll go ahead and let shiho know the way, with the assumption she would know her own heart better.
after some moments of silence, there really isn't any ignoring the continuation of little shiho's reading, even if ritsu doesn't yet register that it's supposed to be her. ]
[Well, she means to start walking whether he follows along or not (or so she thinks, since she'd definitely stop and wait...) But with his "okay" she starts walking, the voice never getting very much closer since she isn't sure at all that she wants to show this part of herself to someone who doesn't even remember her name.]
Yeah, it is. It's the kind of thing a kid reads because she's the least cute kid ever.
I don't know. Doesn't sound like her first choice either.
[ he's repeated books on his own time as a little boy, but only when they were, you know, interesting. or otherwise felt nice. things this decidedly did not invoke and felt vaguely more like brainwashing. ]
I'm sure you don't enjoy that you still remember it line by line.
[ not even as accusing her as the little kid, just... that it's replaying in her heart, not a great sign. ]
Pretty sure she chose this. [Because adults had found her creepy back then and some part of her had quietly thought that if everyone said so then maybe there was some truth to it. Maybe she was a monster.]
[ because he can't think of any other reason for someone to be so open about insulting a child. even most bullies have some weird smugness to it. --after a beat, he realizes he shouldn't have said that. but this being ritsu, even his apology delivery is flat. ]
[ she really doesn't like herself huh. well, he can relate to that. ... and unfortunately, he is going to be completely literal with that instruction, but who knows, maybe that's for the better. ritsu blinks idly at the apparent distance between them and shiho's other self. ]
Is the kid moving?
[ he considers, briefly. ] Is that a good thing? We're just kind of feeling our way forward, but... Maybe we're supposed to do something with her.
[.......She frowns and tries to will the voice closer, to take a direction that will lead them to her younger self and out of here.
But at the same time her own heart knows that she's not entirely sold on the idea of him meeting her. There is so much she'll have to confess to someone she really doesn't know too well and she's hesitating.]
.....I don't know. It probably isn't a good thing. I...... you have to meet her. I guess.
[ "have to"? just for that, ritsu feels a bit more uncomfortable. it's not like he's been the best with kids. or anyone, really. but adults are a bit easier. they can handle him not being so gentle.
but shiho's background doesn't seem normal either. ritsu remembers the stories of claw's experiments to create artificial espers, and becomes more solemn. ]
... I won't make it weird if you don't. Try to, at least.
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ouch is one of the most intimate, romantic ways to be close to someone else. The Town knows this very well -- the Town wants everyone to be as close as possible.
i
god what was with this stupid village. who turned out all the lights?
ritsu blinks in alarm and you could swear his hair rose up even spikier than it usually was-- he's always been the jumpy sort, but the familiarity of the voice makes him slow. but who did it belong to again? ]
Shi... ro-san?
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It's Shiho. Shi-ho. [If anything, it gets even darker around them and the little girl's voice falters on the title of the book before trying again, softer and more unsure.]
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[ proceeds to not say it himself. ritsu you're doing this to yourself, you know. and aren't you forgetting something? ]
... Ah, and it's Ritsu.
[ he doesn't pay too much attention to the little girl's actual words, not yet, but with little else to acknowledge here, he will soon. ]
I guess asking if this is more town nonsense is a stupid question.
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...Welcome to my heart, I guess.
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[ snarky esper match made in heaven ]
But that's not going to be easy is it... Because nothing here ever really is.
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...Come on.
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[ ritsu had nodded at first, before registering the movement might be a bit hard to translate in the dark and adding the followup. he'll go ahead and let shiho know the way, with the assumption she would know her own heart better.
after some moments of silence, there really isn't any ignoring the continuation of little shiho's reading, even if ritsu doesn't yet register that it's supposed to be her. ]
Seems like a sad book.
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Yeah, it is. It's the kind of thing a kid reads because she's the least cute kid ever.
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[ he's repeated books on his own time as a little boy, but only when they were, you know, interesting. or otherwise felt nice. things this decidedly did not invoke and felt vaguely more like brainwashing. ]
I'm sure you don't enjoy that you still remember it line by line.
[ not even as accusing her as the little kid, just... that it's replaying in her heart, not a great sign. ]
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Besides... I read it a lot when I was a kid.
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[ because he can't think of any other reason for someone to be so open about insulting a child. even most bullies have some weird smugness to it. --after a beat, he realizes he shouldn't have said that. but this being ritsu, even his apology delivery is flat. ]
... Sorry.
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But at least he apologizes and she takes a deep breath. He apologized and getting angry after that would be petty, right?]
Next time just call her the kid. [Just like that though, the child's voice is sounding further away again.]
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[ she really doesn't like herself huh. well, he can relate to that. ... and unfortunately, he is going to be completely literal with that instruction, but who knows, maybe that's for the better. ritsu blinks idly at the apparent distance between them and shiho's other self. ]
Is the kid moving?
[ he considers, briefly. ] Is that a good thing? We're just kind of feeling our way forward, but... Maybe we're supposed to do something with her.
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But at the same time her own heart knows that she's not entirely sold on the idea of him meeting her. There is so much she'll have to confess to someone she really doesn't know too well and she's hesitating.]
.....I don't know. It probably isn't a good thing. I...... you have to meet her. I guess.
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but shiho's background doesn't seem normal either. ritsu remembers the stories of claw's experiments to create artificial espers, and becomes more solemn. ]
... I won't make it weird if you don't. Try to, at least.
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But at least she does feel a little more relieved at hearing that. He's going to try and she can believe him, right?]
...Come on. [And like that, she starts heading towards the voice again and this time, slowly but surely, they seem to be getting nearer.]