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[wipingallout]

... ... ... ... ?

What is...?

I shouldn't... be awake...


[In the Velvet Room...]

[It's courteous of whatever's going on with Igor's plan here that Hamuko is dressed. She probably shouldn't even have a body... whatever she has going on now... did her body fall comatose without her? Did it die? If it was alive, she surely should be much older. ... ... ... Maybe that all doesn't really matter, right now. She's here, gifted a chance to be around others again. The pinboard catches her attention first, of course. Signs of other people... so many little notes, talking about multiple versions of the same person running around. That's... that's charming... that's fun. ...Even if the notes about Ken Amadas make her sad...]

Hmm... I don't see any other 'me' off the bat...

[She'll take a few minutes once given a pen and some pink paper to doodle a little version of herself, signed with her name and phone number, and add it to the corner of the pinboard.]


[Inaba, Central Shopping District]

[What a fun little town! A charming place... hey, isn't this the town she went to for the volleyball camp? She loved the accommodations, but it's so nice to actually wander the streets and see the little shops. This place is SO rural, Hamuko had never really visited a place this remote, even when jumping between foster homes.] Let's see... what's the good spot for the locals? [No point being a complete tourist shmuck!!]


[Shibuya, Underground Mall]

[Well, since nothing costs anything here... might as well get some cute new clothes, right? Who knows how long she'll be around here, and 'dreaming up' new outfits didn't seem to be a thing. No lucid dreaming here - somehow, Hamuko felt a lot happier with that in mind. Still... the fashion is so different!!]

I just want one cute orange top...!! Is orange out of style? Dang it...


[Iwatodai Dorms]

[Of all of the places she's been having fun goofing off and exploring in, the dorms... she couldn't quite get the courage to open the front. Not just yet.]

Not even Koromaru is out front right now. ...I've gotta apologize...

Comments

[wipingallout]

...!

[That sound, that bark...!! Who knew you could immediately recognize a specific bark the way you recognize a voice?]

Koromaru!! I missed you!!

[Hamuko lowered to her knees, holding her arms out for a doggy hug. She missed her lil guy...!!!]

[fruitknife]

[She better be ready to get her FACE LICKED. He's missed her too!]

[wipingallout]

Who's a good boy, you're a good booooy-- pfft, haha...

[Koromaru can lick her face all he wants, she's hugging around his neck lightly, smooching that fuzzy little head. God she missed him... warm fur and all that excited bouncing and wiggling... he was alive, it felt so, so amazing to feel someone alive again...]

I'm sorry I disappeared. Look at you... you're so big and strong. That makes it all worth it.

[fruitknife]

[She did what she had to. They all miss her, but she did what she had to.

Eventually, Koromaru disentangles enough to go up to the door and bark. They should go inside! There are people here who will be happy to see her!]

[wipingallout]

I know, I know...! Okay. Give me courage, Koromaru... I'm already tearing up, I gotta keep it together!

[DEEP BREATH, DEEP BREATH... time to head inside...!]

...I'm home!

[...Ah...]

[fruitknife]

[It's clear the dorm's not nearly as populated as it was by January, but there are still a few signs of habitation.

Including, on the coat rack, a very familiar red coat, patched so expertly that one can hardly tell it's taken two bullets to the chest (Mitsuru found the best damn tailor money could buy, of course).

There's a clatter in the kitchen, and then Shinji emerges - and Hamuko definitely has never seen him this healthy.] Well, shit, look who the dog dragged in.

[wipingallout]

[Somehow, it's a huge relief that she got to see Koromaru and Shinjiro before everyone else, if they're here. After all... Shinji would understand more than anyone having to apologize for... dying? Falling unconscious?

Hamuko hurried up to him, stopping just shy. She remembered being told, and reading on the board, that people aren't necessarily from the same world.]

Shinji... I missed you. So, so much. You look amazing.

[She held her arms out for a hug - just in case he wasn't the right one, just in case, even if her heart was racing.]

[fruitknife]

[Definitely not Minako. She'd be used to seeing him in good health, since that was most of his time in Liminal Space.

But that's all right. He lets her have the hug anyway, since he knows how bad she probably needs it.] Yeah, well. Got stuck somewhere that made it both possible and worth doing to fix shit, so.

[wipingallout]

[No kidding... it feels amazing, being close to someone again. She gives him a hearty squeeze, just a liiiiil tight, just to tease him. But his heart's beating so strong, now...

With a laugh, she let go of him, beaming.]

Stuck somewhere? Ooooh, now it's your turn to tell me stories and tell me how you're doing!

[fruitknife]

Well, I wouldn't have to explain it to Minako, which gets the timeline bullshit out of the way. [That's the other thing. She beat him to Liminal Space by a good margin.]

About three days after I woke up I got shunted into an in-between kinda space. The things that ran it were playin' a game with the universe - real bullshit stuff. Dropped us into different places to fix their problems, sometimes you knew who you are, sometimes not. I got reminded of what breathing normally was like and decided I was tired of the bullshit, and one of my friends was working on how to use the space to fix that kinda shit, so.

[wipingallout]

[Minako, huh? That's almost just her brother's name...

... Would Minato be around here, somehow, maybe? ...


...Hamuko held her hands behind her back, rocking on her feet as Shinji chatted. A strange in-between space, though it was being run by specific entities? Sounds sketchy, but the result... a happy, healthy Shinjiro... that was so, so worth it.]

You've got such good color in your face, it makes you handsome. I'm glad that some version of 'me' was there with you!

[fruitknife]

Shut up. [There's no heat behind it, though. He just doesn't really know what to do with being flirted with, as usual.

It'd take a little while anyway, since they're not from the same timeline, but still.]

If she hadn't been, it would've been a hell of a lot worse. But it also wouldn't've taken me long to get Koro-chan there too, so.

[wipingallout]

Heheh. 'Course you looked for Koro-chan... he's the best! Aren't you, Koromaru?

[Hamuko knelt again, happily petting Koromaru's plush fur. It's glossy, and soft... hehe. Shinji's definitely been feeding and brushing him perfectly. She smiled softly, focusing on petting and ruffling Koromaru's squishy face as she spoke.]

'Minako', though, huh... that's almost the same name my brother had. He was Minato Arisato... my parents named me Hamuko.

[fruitknife]

[Koromaru barks. Of course he's the best!]

I think both of the guy who're here are Makoto. But apparently name bullshit's a whole thing.

[wipingallout]

'Makoto'? Heheh. I'll have to find him and see how well he's grown.

...And bully him, of course.

[She's got mixed feelings on the idea - obviously it'd be... nice? Nice. But on the other hand, it's... sad, thinking he might have had to suffer the way she and everyone did. It's better that it was her, maybe.]

[fruitknife]

There anybody you don't bully?

[wipingallout]

[Hamuko held up her fingers as she counted off a list,]

Little kids that don't know how to interpret teasing yet, someone that's crying, or old senile people.

Everyone else is fair game! Builds character! Heehee.

[fruitknife]

Yeah, dunno what other answer I expected.

Anyway, Ken's around - regular Ken, as far as I know the others all found different places to stay. [Just as well for everyone involved, really.] Don't think he's from a timeline with you in it. Makoto... think he's far enough along to know I was out of the picture, but not all the way to the end yet. Aigis is probably around here somewhere, but I dunno what all her deal is.

And one of the kids from Tokyo is crashing here. Said she needs people around so she doesn't get lost in her own head, and she's one hell of a cook. [And that's Shinji saying so.]

[wipingallout]

[GASP? Praise that high from SHINJI?]

Really?? Is she single?

[fruitknife]

You'd have to ask her that.

[wipingallout]

Heehee. Is she cute? I bet she's so cute. Girls are great.

[Hamuko giggles, squishing her cheeks in her hands excitedly before sighing a little and sitting at the table properly.]

I missed flirting with everyone. Oh well... another reason to apologize for disappearing, I guess. If anyone I owe that apology to is around, at least...

[fruitknife]

I guess she's all right? [What are you asking Shinji for, he's an ace disaster. Also in a proper timeline this girl is Ken's age. Matters less here, but he'd still feel weird.]

I wouldn't worry about it too hard. You did what had to be done. If it wasn't you, it was someone else - which you wouldn't have wanted - or everybody, from the sound of it.

[wipingallout]

Exactly... from the looks of it, it seems like the world kept going onwards. Maybe threatened by other things, but... never again by Nyx.

[Which was the most relieving thing out of any of this realization.]

It's hard to tell with the sort of... 'average person' walking around here, but there's been a few I've talked to. It's nice, seeing that they have that spark to them.

[fruitknife]

At least two more rounds of Persona bullshit after us, which I guess counts for something.

[wipingallout]

Gosh... I wonder how everyone looks, after all these years. Is Mitsuru still standing strong with the Kirijo Group, not taking any guff over her gender...? Is Aki still training and boxing? Maybe Junpei and Chidori are getting along well too...

[Their lives could march on, thanks to their efforts. A sacrifice worth fighting for].