doreimi | IC Inbox | prismatica

Okay, great. It'll just be a couple minutes, I promise.

[And spurred on by the prospect of getting to escape soon, she heads around to her tables to wrap things up with one final pass across the floor. And it all goes smoothly, save for one table waiting to pay their check, who say something to her in a low voice as she gets close. Whatever they remark to her, it's quiet enough that it can't be overheard, but her reply is just loud enough: ]

Oh, come on, guys, like I've never heard that one before.

[Playfully exasperated, with just the right tone and cadence to be chiding without making a scene. She's done this before. She's done it a lot.]

Let me just take that for you, okay?

[She reaches for the leather billfold, intent on taking it up to the register, and one of the guys at the table chooses that moment to grab her arm by the wrist instead.

Again, something is said, too low to overhear.]

...Hey, c'mon, guys, not tonight, huh?

[She says, with a little more force, and tries to shake off the hand on her wrist without much success.]

[ He watches the interaction. He decides, for a few moments that Reimi is perfectly capable and able to take care of herself. He knows that she is. But, the more, and more he watches - the more he can't stop himself. He stands, leaving his bag at the booth - and only taking his pen (of course, he goes nowhere without it).

He shifts to the booth, his hand gripping the man's wrist that's holding into Reimi's. His eyes lock onto him.

His grip tightens. ]

It's pretty uncool to harass waitresses, isn't it?

[ The moment he feels him let go of Reimi, he'll let go. But, he gets the impression - from Reimi's words, that this happens frequently. Better to stop it now, huh? He best put a stop to it. ]

[Whoa, man, who said anything about harassing anybody? We're just talking, says the guy whose wrist has just been grabbed, looking rapidly between Reimi and Rohan without quite releasing her yet — not realizing what the linchpin of this standoff really is. Is it a crime to talk to a nice girl now?]

Rohan...

[She almost says it's okay, but the words die in her mouth because...no, it really isn't, is it? It's not just "okay". And while she doesn't really want the standoff to escalate, it doesn't feel right to suggest that Rohan back down to defuse it, either.]

Listen, how about if I just take the check and we all walk away, huh...?

[Now, hang on, I think I deserve an apology from this punkass who can't mind his own business, the guy protests, glaring at Rohan.

In his moment of distraction, Reimi twists and tugs her wrist quickly free, expertly snatching the billfold and backing up just out of reach while she clutches it like a prize.]

[ He almost doesn't hear her say his name. He's so focused on what he's doing that it is all he sees for a moment. He's not particularly strong, but he's fast, and he has his stand. And, well, he has no problems with using it when he needs to. It's worth it.

No, it's not like she's going to get to see him so readily jump to someone's defense like this really often. He uses his stand for his own convenience most times. But, he doesn't like the way this guy is behaving.

And he likes even less that he seems to think it's okay.

His grip gets tighter, and for a moment it's like he realizes how much he could do - that slight flicker of danger. But for now, he decides he'll do this city a favor. ]

Like I'm going to apologize.

[ He keeps his hand on the man, tight around his wrist long enough for him to summon Heaven's Door - and when the man is frozen, pages there, he removes his grip and readies his pen. He looks to Reimi, for only a moment since he should finish his work sooner versus later: ]

You should check them out so they can leave soon.

[Normal people, she reminds herself in her moment of astonishment, can't see Heaven's Door. That means this guy and his friend, they have no idea what's just happened to him, or why he's suddenly frozen with part of him opened up like a book.

She's seen Rohan use Heaven's Door before. It was like this with Koichi, too — drawing a shape in the air to make his pages open up, and then writing in it. That's what's about to happen now, to this guy whose wrist Rohan is holding while his other hand gets his pen at the ready.

Rohan can do whatever he wants with Heaven's Door, she knows, and it becomes true. Absolutely true.

That's why she has to ask.]

What are you going to do, Rohan...

[Her voice is a whisper, her focus entirely on him.]

[ Rohan shifts his attention towards her, finally releasing the man's wrist. He's frozen anyway, so it's not as if he can do anything to him while in this state. He spins his pen between his fingers on his right hand, positioning. ]

I'm going to encourage proper behavior. I'm not going to hurt him really.

[ Yeah. Encourage. He knows Reimi understands what he'll be doing. He doesn't really need to make it sounds nicer than it is. But, there's company at the table who are baffled about this. So, he'll keep it nice and easy, for them.

The words he scribbles down 'I will be respectful towards waitstaff and not put my hands on them'. Of course, he kept it straightforward. Easy. And while he'd be fine with just protecting Reimi, while he's in there, might as well ensure he continues his good behavior when not here. He considers, one more 'And I cannot harm Reimi Sugimoto or Rohan Kishibe'. You know, just in case he caught them out on the street, when Reimi wasn't acting as a server. But, that's all he can do now, so it only takes a few moments before the stand is released. ]

See. You can trust me.

[So this is Heaven's Door. It's much easier to see like this, when they're not all in a fit of panic; there's time to really watch how Rohan's Stand turns part of the man's skin into paper, leaving the words of his life's story inside.

Part of her feels like she should stop him, somehow, but the rest of her is too spellbound. This is all it will take, she thinks, her gaze shifting from the page to Rohan's pen and then back again. This is all it will take to stop Kira forever, if he ever were to come here. The flip of a page, and the twist of a pen, and that's the end of it.

Rohan...is really someone special, isn't he. And not for the first time, and not for the last, she thinks to herself, this is why it was worth it.]

I trust you more than anyone else in the world.

[She watches him put the pen away, and the pages close, and as she does she quietly shuffles the billfold in her hands, like she's only just remembered she's even still holding it.]

...I'm gonna go ring them up.

[ He leaves the baffled men at the table to their business once the command is given. The man looks confused, and his friend is even worse. But, for what it's worth - they are keeping their hands to themselves. His command is absolute, though. He didn't doubt that they'd leave them both alone after it. Especially if he was messing with the more handsy of them. He seemed like the leader to Rohan.

But when Reimi says that, he feels so much relief. Weird. He didn't realize that that level of trust being given to him would make him feel this way. He'd do anything, he realizes, to keep that trust. He couldn't imagine betraying it. No one has ever said that to him before. That much is clear. He doesn't mention it right now, but there's the slightest falter when he turns to look at her. ]

Alright, Reimi. Then, these men will be on their way.

[ Which means they'll be on their way. ]

[She nods quickly, hurrying off to the register to finish ringing the table up, and tries her best not to keep stealing glances back at it while she's gone. It's not that she thinks Rohan is going to do anything while she's not looking, or anything like that. But this is the last hurdle between them and actually getting out of the Spaghetti Shack, and she's definitely in a hurry for that.

So she finishes up, and makes her way back to the table, returning their change and swiftly pocketing the tip into her apron in a movement so smooth and practiced that it's obvious she's done it a lot.

And then, before she can think better of it, she takes Rohan's hand by the wrist and gives his arm a gentle tug.]

C'mon. I'll go clock out and tell everybody I'm leaving.

[ He takes two steps away, still standing close to the table since he knows Reimi will be back and they can be away. The men seem to be behaving themselves, and they don't even really acknowledge his presence. Seems like they're taking either the command, or seeing what he did, seriously. It didn't matter to him.

All he cared was that Reimi was safe.

When she returned and grabbed his wrist, he moves with her immediately, allowing himself to be tugged along without hesitation. He's getting Chroma from the touch, after all. Since he doesn't mind being pulled along by her at all. ]

Alright. We'll get out of here.

[ He was as relieved as she was to be out of here, and he didn't even work here. He can't imagine how it was for her. He'll follow her through clockout and until she's out. Keeping with her so that she doesn't let go. If she were anyone else, he would have pulled away already. Maybe this was how he felt when he was small? Just glad to be close to someone he liked the company of. ]

Edited 2019-10-03 03:36 (UTC)

[Maybe she shouldn't be surprised that he lets her get away with taking his hand. It's such a small thing, and it's not as though they haven't done it before, and besides, Rohan almost always lets her get away with things that she probably shouldn't get away with.

But she knows full well that he's not someone who likes to be touched, when it's someone else initiating. He likes to be left alone, likes to withdraw. But more often than not, she's the exception.

It's something she thinks about as she wraps up and clocks out, pulling on her jacket and balling up her apron into one of its pockets before guiding them both into the cool, shadowed night. He keeps up with her, and she doesn't let go. She thinks about that a lot, and she knows she'll think about it even more once she's back in her flat alone.]

...I saw what you wrote. You know, in that guy. About me, specifically?

[She shifts a little closer to him, holding his hand a little more securely in hers.]

You're always taking care of me.

[ It's easy getting pulled along. It's easy to not want to lose that connection with her. He wants to stay close, he wants her to always know how important it is for him that she stays safe here. He would not be okay in a place where he is able to help. When he should be able to stop anything from happening to her.

It's only natural he'd take care of her.

She steps in close, and he glances towards her, and he doesn't withdraw or even flinch. His fingers move slightly, returning the hold. He's sure, even without the Chroma (which helps, after using his stand), he probably wouldn't let go right now anyway. ]

The rules for it are pretty straightforward. I didn't want to give him a chance to work around it.

[ But it's true. He does care, and he doesn't mind taking care of her. ]

Heaven's Door...he really lets you do pretty much anything, doesn't he.

[And maybe it's telling, however subtle a slip it is, that she's calling Heaven's Door "he" instead of "it". Because Heaven's Door isn't just some tool in Rohan's hand, like a paintbrush or a pen. He's a part of him, some incredibly important part of him, that's unique and special and breathtakingly powerful.

Stands are a part of you, she's come to understand, and so on some level Stands reflect their users. He doesn't remember her, or his childhood that she was a part of, and on some level that's always going to hurt. Yet Heaven's Door takes the shape of a little boy, and not just any little boy but a character from the creativity of his own mind, and in a way it makes her a little less lonely to know that there's still that part of him somewhere inside, even if it's only there in his Stand.]

Thanks for using him to help me.

[Before she can think better of it, or talk herself out of it, she lifts his arm and slips under it instead, draping his arm across her shoulders. The Chroma transfer will be stronger like this, she tells herself by way of excuse, and using Heaven's Door to help her probably drained him, especially this close to the triple moon. She's just helping out. It's the least she can do.

It's such a good excuse, she almost believes it herself.]

[ He doesn't think much of the action, just the slightest - smallest movement to pull her just a tiny bit closer to him. He sighs easily, letting his arm relax over her shoulder. For Chroma. He tells himself the same thing. It's exclusively for Chroma. Not because it's comfortable and familiar and safe. Not because he knows that for everything he's done for her, she's done so much more for him. He's convinced himself it's a need, not a want.

He notices the way that she's talking about Heaven's Door, but doesn't consider the reasoning. It doesn't really matter to him why she shifted the way she talked about him. ]

He probably prefers I use him to help.

[ Rather than stealing pages from people's stories, reading through their lives. ]

Not that I've asked.

That'd be just like asking yourself, though, right? So probably you already know the answer to that, anyway.

[This is really nice. And it's definitely a significant increase in Chroma production, being tucked under Rohan's arm instead of just holding his hand. And obviously he needs it after using his Stand to help her, so doing this, she's helping. It's just helping. It's fine. Just helping, that's all.

She closes her eyes for a minute, letting the pull of his walking pace carry her easily along with him, and thinks about what a shame it's going to be when they eventually do get back to her flat. Still, there's plenty of walk left until then. This will last a little longer.]

If you think he prefers it that way, then I think that means you like it better that way, too.

[ It's comfortable. It's easy. He's pretty content. He doesn't usually like to have people this close to him and in his space, with few - very few - exceptions. But, this is normal. And, he might even admit to liking it. Not when anyone can hear or see it, of course. ]

Maybe so.

[ He won't admit that he likes his stand for anything more how easy it is to get to learn things about people. That he can skip the interview and get to know you process for people he doesn't really want to spend much time talking to. He likes it because of that. But, maybe Heaven's Door is a part of who he is now, rather than who he was when he got his stand. He has...found that he's fighting a lot harder and helping more people. ]

I think you have a lot of faith in me.

[ The way he says it, though. It doesn't sound like it's a bad thing. ]

I mean, I get it.

Edited 2019-10-07 03:43 (UTC)

Well, you're a pretty great guy, Rohan Kishibe.

[She's teasing, just a little, because of course it's not that simple or that easy. But she may be one of the only people in the entire world who could say that in earnest and absolutely mean it, and she does. It adds a touch of lightness to her step, even, and brings a smile easily to her face.]

And if I had to bet, I'd bet on you every time.

[ He's amused. He tugs her closer to him for a moment, almost playful? Just a little. And, his response to that is: ]

I know I am.

[ Ah, yes, there it is. There's that ego. He sighs. He feels relaxed as he walks there, arm draped over his shoulders. There's a slight indignant look despite what he says. Damn. She really knows how to get him. ]

Well, depending on what it is that you're betting on me for - that's usually a good choice.

[ But. There's some reluctance in his next words. ]

I'm glad you're rooting for me, though.

[It's so rare of Rohan to offer physical affection — or affection at all, really, but especially physical affection — that she knows better than to squander this. He tugs, and she slouches against him in response, leaning on him just for the sake of the contact.]

Yeah...

[That's all she says by way of reply for a little while, distracted by the feeling of being held, and the warmth of his proximity against the chill in the midnight air.]

Mmm. I'm betting on you to win, what else?

[ He's realizing, with her, that if he's the one offering it? It feels so easy. It feels so nice. He enjoys the closeness. Maybe it's Reimi, though? He doesn't know.

It's not like he's let anyone here get that close to him. Or at home, really. ]

Well don't bet on me if Josuke and I are playing dice games. He cheats.

[ Oops. ]

I think that's all the more reason to. I can't imagine you letting anybody get the better of you, cheater or not. Actually, especially not if they were cheating.

[But it's not like she didn't just see what he did there, and she picks her head up a little, angling her chin to look up at him with quiet scrutiny.]

But anyway, I know you want me to ask, so okay, I will. What did Josuke do, huh?

[ Of course he wanted to talk about it. And it's not totally shocking Reimi saw right through it. He thought back to that game. ]

One time, Josuke asked me to gamble with some dice with him.

[ A gentle tug on her and he tilts his head to look right at her. ]

And I stupidly agreed. And he was cheating, of course. In the mess of it all, my house caught fire. I still haven't figured out how, though. He didn't give me the chance to.

[ And he won't mention the whole - chopping off the fingers bit. Reimi absolutely didn't need to know that. ]

[Well, if that's not a reason to screech to a halt right there in the middle of the sidewalk, what is?]

Your house caught fire?

[what the absolute fresh hell were you guys even doing while she was minding her own business in that alley good grief]

Rohan! What — you — were you okay?! You didn't get hurt?! Rohan!!

[ Oh yeah. That. Hahaha. Yeah, he didn't mean to make it sound so casual, because it sucked and ruined a lot of stuff he liked. ]

I was, and am fine. I wasn't hurt at all.

[ t o t a l l y fine. ]

You saw me after that, you know. And I looked fine, right?

...I guess I did, since you all came to say goodbye. And you did look okay then...

[There is one saving grace in the world and it is the fact that Bites The Dust overwrote the time stream every time it reset, which is why Reimi doesn't remember having to watch Rohan die and pass through her alley over and over again. Small mercies.]

You really — you really need to stop getting into trouble. Don't make me worry about you!

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penpoint - 2019-10-10 03:45 (UTC) - Expand