001 POINTS | video | joint post with fineprinted

[accurately]

[ The video post flickers on to show two people, both looking rather different in demeanor. The taller of the two looks to have a scowl on his face, and eyes and hair a matching deep green. He’s not happy to be here, he doesn’t even feel comfortable leaving the apartment. Which is why he’s here with the shorter of the two boys.

It would’ve been hard to tell that the scruffy, blue-haired boy is the older of the two, but that’s probably part of his charm and it shows in how he addresses the network with a bright smile and a wave of his hand, as if he were a natural at this. ]

--Oh, I think we’re on! Hello, Lunatia! We’d like to introduce ourselves first of all: My name is Aoba Tsumugi, and this kind lad over here is my roommate! Ah, you should say hello too, Midorima-kun!

[ He gestures at the screen as smoothly as he could.

Midorima’s brows furrow before he’s even finished talking, looking mildly annoyed. What he’s annoyed about becomes apparent within only a few seconds as he doesn’t say hello and instead focuses in on correcting what he thinks was wrong with that sentence. ]

Who’s a “kind lad”? Focus on the task at hand.

[ Apparently, that’s all the greeting he’s bothering with. Tsumugi can only sigh a little before facing the screen again, smile still intact. ]

This is Midorima Shintarou, by the way. Seriously, kids these days… Um, but before I go off track, the reason why we’ve put this up is because we have one thing in common, and that is horoscopes. Luck, in general. Do you know there are apps here that tells you your daily fortune and what lucky item to bring around with you to ward off bad luck? Technology’s so amazing! Even though we’re from different worlds, it’s nice to know that there are other people who believe in them -- and that is why we are here today.

[ Midorima’s worried that Tsumugi’s going to go on for too long, so he chimes in with a much more direct demand of their audience over the network. ]

Respond with your astrological sign or birthday if you aren’t sure. We’re also looking to know what items are considered lucky in other worlds that may be incorporated into an apartment.

Y-You can just ask nicely them, you know! People wouldn’t know how to respond if you’re being demanding like that... [ why are tsunderes the way they are, man ] Anyway, it’d be very helpful for us to know everyone’s signs and birthdays to balance out of luck if it ever goes bad for a day so that we can stick with those people for a while… I’m a Leo and he’s a Cancer, if that helps.

Also! If anyone knows other forms of divination such as palmistry and tarot, that’d be greatly appreciated as well… I’m honestly more comfortable consulting with someone privately about my fortunes rather than rely on technology all the time, so let me know if it’s all right to approach you for regular sessions! I’ll pay with Chroma if I have to.

[ Midorima just decides to move on and end the video. He’s not going to give Tsumugi the chance to say goodbye. ]

We’re done.

[ And the video cuts out. ]

Comments

video;

[fineprinted]

[ here's aoba! his partner didn't have to be so curt about it, jeez... ]

Oh, that's great! Tea leaves and coffee grounds are so quaint... We have a tea club at our school, but I'm not sure if the members know anything about it.

[ mainly because eichi doesn't believe in that crap, sighs. ]

Reading the past, though... How far back can you look back?

[onerous]

It sounds nice. I... prefer coffee over tea, though. I don't think my school had a club like that though... [She doesn't remember much about high school. Those memories are all sort of a blur at this point.

The question makes her hesitate though and she looks away a moment, self-conscious.] ...I don't know. I haven't tested the limit before... But I can read the secrets of objects, memories associated with them, things like that... People too, if I touch them.

But it's... usually just bad memories.

[fineprinted]

[ ...oh. ]

Well, sometimes that can be a good thing. We can use whatever we've learned in the past, good or bad, for a much better future. They're a part of us, no matter how hard we deny it, no matter how much it hurt and affected us in the present day.

[ tsumugi would know so, so much. ]

Anyway, that's a wonderful gift you have. Is it some sort of magic?

[onerous]

[Yuri says nothing, but she blinks slowly at him. It's not like what he's saying is anything she hasn't come to the conclusions of herself, but it's interesting to hear from someone else.] So they say. Don't you have memories you'd like to give up though? Things you wish you didn't remember?

[She shakes her head though.] Not magic, just... Sixth sense. Psychometry, I guess is what its called elsewhere. Ah.

[She rummages around a moment for a paper and pen, writing 影見 on the paper.] Kagemi is what it was called on the mountain I'm from. It's following the "shadows" of the past, of missing things or spirited away people. Some items have particularly strong residual memories and emotions, and create a much clearer impression for someone like me to follow.

It lets me find anything and anyone too, so long as I have something connected with them. A piece of writing of theirs', a picture of them or the item, even...

I... can see spirits and things like that too. It's all sort of connected.

[fineprinted]

[ he mulls over his next words, remembering a conversation he'd had about this topic in the past. funny how it always comes back to that. ]

While it's true that there are some memories I'd rather forget for my own good, I don't want to be completely rid of them. They made me who I am today, for better or for worse. That said, looking back on the things I've done would be bad for my soul right now, so I'd rather move forward and make my future and everyone else's a little bit better.

[ he blinks at the written note on paper. psychometry, huh... ]

So you're an honest-to-goodness psychic? You have a myriad of abilities too, especially the part about seeing spirits. I hope it hasn't been taxing for you thus far, though - seeing things that aren't supposed to be seen with the naked eye is already too terrifying for me to think about it.

[ he's a weenie when it comes to things that he doesn't have an idea of, really. it's why he reads and reads and reads. ]

[onerous]

Hmm... [There's no judgement on her face, but she certainly seems to be taking his words into serious consideration. She's not sure where she, herself, stands on the topic. If she could forget everything and go back to how she had been a few years ago... Well, it wouldn't bring her parents back or make her abilities go away. Maybe instead of forgetting some things it's more like things are too intertwined to be able to bother.

She also decides not to comment about how hard it has been. She reminds herself that Miu had it comparatively a little worse, since she'd been seeing them since she was 3. Yuri's only been dealing with it a couple of years (probably, thanks for having no concrete timeline fatal frame ya FUCKS).]

Hmm, it's difficult, sometimes, but... At home I had my mentor to help me. So it wasn't... as bad. I can do some good with them and help people, living and dead. So...

Maybe it's more just being 'resigned'? It makes being here difficult, though. I can't do that-- Moonlacing thing easily with people. Or, rather, no one really wants to moonlace with someone who can potentially do all of that, so...

I guess it's more my difficulties are with the living, rather than the dead.

[fineprinted]

...Ah.

[ that does sound difficult to deal with. and of course tsumugi would want to offer his help, but he's got his own skeletons in the closet himself. he's not sure if anyone outside the academy would care about what he'd done back then, considering that other people had certainly done worse...

he's found pondering about it a bit longer than usual before he realizes, going back to face the camera with a cough. ]

It really must be hard, especially since not everyone would be comfortable enough to show their memories to just about anyone, strangers included... But I think you're sensible enough to realize that everything happened for a reason and there's no way of changing the past, right? So long as the other party understands that you won't judge it for them, I think it'd be all right.

[ how she'd survive for this long without that much moonlacing is beyond him. tsumugi has had his reservations at first, but at least he's been able to hold hands without freaking out lately. ]

I'd like to help you, is what I'm saying. Moonlacing, that is. I'll try to find a way to make it easier for the both of us, so...

[onerous]

I'm used to it. [Not being around people, not trusting herself enough to interact with them. Not being trusted in general. It's fine. It's lonely, but it's fine. Right?

She grow more and more baffled as Tsumugi speaks, though, looking confused and like she can't even begin to know how to respond.] I don't-- I don't judge. That's not my place. [Just taking in what she sees, the pain and the. Everything. That's what her purpose is. It's not on her to pass any judgement about it.]

But-- [A pause. She can't really refuse when she needs this to survive.] Are you...Sure? You hardly know me.

[fineprinted]

Everyone has to start somewhere, right? I've only arrived here a few weeks ago, but even I know that you need Chroma to survive around here. Although... I wouldn't want to force you if you're not comfortable. We've only just met, after all.

[ and it isn't like tsumugi's ready to have his memories seen by a complete stranger either, but maybe it'd be all right. so long as it isn't anyone from his school, that is. ]

For now, let's start small and work our way up. I don't think I caught your name the first time...?

[onerous]

...If you're really sure, I suppose it's fine. [She can't really turn the offer down, not when she knows she needs it to survive.

Since she has the notebook anyway, she writes her name down to show it to him. 不来方夕莉] Kozukata Yuri. [Her first name is pretty straight forward, just 'evening jasmine.' Her family name, however, has a peculiar reading paired with the peculiar kanji meaning something along the lines of "person who doesn't come/isn't coming" or "does not return."]

And you're Aoba-san, you said, right?

[fineprinted]

Right. Aoba Tsumugi, at your service.

[ bows. that's... a rather interesting take of her name, but he figures that it'd be rude to point that out on a public stream, so he won't. for now. ]

I look forward to meeting you whenever it is all right for you, Yuri-chan.

[onerous]

Oh, I... I don't really have anything I'm doing, [with her life, in general, ever] so any time is fine. Or anywhere.

Though... I suppose somewhere with a degree of privacy might be best, in case what I do gets to you too much. [You know, if he like...breaks down crying or something. Probably best to not do that in public, right??]