what a day, what a day

[promiselisting]

Who: The coffee/attic siblings, Ren (masqueraid) and Futaba (promiselisting)
When: After the Once Upon a Dream event
Where: Curti Center housing area, along with house B-02
What: For once, the protagonist has maxed out a social link with a girl, they go back to his room, and it doesn't involve or end with him getting laid.
Warnings/Notes: References to Ren's and Futaba's memory forays, so on her side that'll probably include mentions of past abuse.

[ It's. Been a day. It's been a day in a lot of ways and while a lot of them were good? Overall she just. Wanted to sleep for a month. Maybe literally. It was getting to be summer and goodness knew she'd done a summer hibernation the last couple years.

But there are things she needs - or maybe just wants - more than sleep right now. And that includes family. This isn't something you can really just toss curry at. Although curry would help! Food in general might help but curry would help lots more. Ramen would work as an acceptable substitute.

Her mind's wandering a bit.

She'd talked to Ren a bit over the Phantom Thieves linkshell, and she's pretty sure she mentioned wanting to actually like... see him once they finally got back to the Curti Center. And they're back so, here she is. On her way over to B-02. Thankfully Makoto can see the Phantom Thief convos too so she'll probably know that Futaba will be home a bit late. ]

Comments

[masqueraid]

( as the turn the last corner, ren will take the opportunity to pull her in for a tighter one-armed hug again— then releases to go up ahead and open the door. )

Well the good news is— we've reached a rest point. ( serving up some vidya lingo realness right here. ) If you want to spend the night, I'm sure Naoto and Kanji won't mind— ( they hadn't until this point, and he doubted they were going to start. )

Come on, let's head inside.

[promiselisting]

Thank goodness.

[ Yeah she'll... probably stay the night? Maybe. Maybe they should all try to see if they can live together so she stops worrying Makoto. Even though Makoto probably knew where she was....

ugh this is more thinking than she wants to be doing right now. ]

Which way to the nearest horizontal surface?

[ Said as if she doesn't already know the layout of the house and all the objects that are probably sleep-on-able in it. ]

[masqueraid]

( once they're both inside, he'll close the door, then place his hands gently on futaba's shoulders— without saying a word he directs her straight towards where the couch lies waiting. once she's on the pathway towards it, his hands momentarily slip away. )

It's got your name on it. ( it was too bad... there wasn't something like the retro games they used to play when chilling was in order.
before futaba might even miss the presence of the key item, a blanket drapes around her shoulders, and above it, just a simple smiling ren. )

Coffee? ( not a strong batch of course, but— something comforting, at least. )

[promiselisting]

Yeah... yeah that sounds good.

[ Something mild and soothing and familiar.

She goes to flop down on the couch again. A part of her wants to just conk out here and now, but she's gonna make herself stay up until that coffee's done. And until she can put together the right words for the last thing that was really bothering her. ]

[masqueraid]

( it's quiet and calm, the only sounds are the familiar ones of the coffee drip-brewing, a kettle being replaced gently on a stove. and finally, expertly, the aroma starts to fill the room around them.

it's still no leblanc roast but... it's a decent substitute. he's getting there.
carefully, he lowers himself on the couch, holding out a mug for her with a sympathetic look.

futaba... really had been thrown for a loop lately, considering everything that had been happening to her in the past year. )

cw: reference to past abuse

[promiselisting]

[ This is very dangerous actually. The couch soft underneath her, the quiet sounds of Ren in the kitchen, the smell of coffee in the air. She feels a lot safer. In her exhaustion she could almost think it's... home. That whole making herself stay awake thing? Takes a lot of concentrated will. But she does it.

The coffee helps, not necessarily because of any caffination, but because she's able to focus on the taste. Pick out a good few more familiar flavors than there were the last time. He's getting closer.

She sighs, leaning on him, staring down into her cup as she finally puts together her words. ]

In the memory... I didn't just hear them shouting at Ira. For... for a second, I- I could swear I heard them.

[ Ren would know exactly who she's talking about. ]

[masqueraid]

Ah... ( he'd been worried about that, truthfully. all this diving into memories, having to claw their way out or be lost forever. it really must hit home harder for someone like futaba.

sinking into the couch he relaxed his position, leaning slightly closer into the girl naturally as the fabric slouched around him. )

You know— you remember, that's not the truth, right?

[promiselisting]

Y-yeah. I know. I-

[ If it had been anything other than Ren, she probably would have left it at that. Would've avoided the tangle of problems left underneath the surface. ]

I thought this was fixed.

[ She was no idiot. She'd studied psychology extensively, both looking for her mothers notes and so she could understand what she found along the way. Knew what trauma could do to a person. But she hadn't ever applied any of it to herself. Hadn't wanted to, because it... it just made more problems. What amount of her messed-up head came from her Palace and its aftermath, and what came from Futaba herself?

Then again, her Palace had come from her too... ]

I thought I'd never have to hear them again.