doreimi | IC Inbox | prismatica

[ 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!

Yes. That was before we beat Kira.

[ See, that's why he's so unscathed when she sees him at that time. He knows she has nothing to worry about. It was fine. And at least there's no memories of the 'could have been' moments. She never had to see him die. And he stayed alive, with the help of others, of course. And he knows it. ]

You worry about me? I'm fine, Reimi. I'll be fine.

[ Matter of factly: ]

You don't need to worry about me anymore.

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