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[survivaltricks]

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[survivaltricks]

[hmmm. . .]

[the box is spitting out ten more ball pit balls, and he is carefully catching each one as they fly out]

There isn't anything in mine I'd deny, either.

[fujimaru]

You can look sometime, if you want. I'll give you permission.

[ Hmmmm... there's a moment as she considers, and then she puts the balls down so she can shrug out of her uniform jacket, tying knots into the sleeves so it can sort of act as a makeshift bag for balls. ]

[survivaltricks]

[dumping the balls into the makeshift bag. IT'S ONLY TWENTY BALL PIT BALLS BUT LIKE, HERE THEY ARE]

You can look at mine, too. Quid pro quo, right?

[fujimaru]

[ It's better than nothing!! She watches that, the corner of her mouth twitching up into a smile that she can't quite suppress. ]

What, so, I show you mine, you show me yours?

[survivaltricks]

Something like that.

[flashing her a smile of his own]

I don't like to take without giving in return, and vice versa.

[which isn't fully true, in some cases, but in this one he thinks it's very fair]

[fujimaru]

Fair enough.

[ She juggles her burdens enough to fish out her phone. She's a modern teenager, she can absolutely navigate to her profile one-handed, turning to show it to him. ]

You can avert your maidenly eyes now, if you want.

[survivaltricks]

My eyes are not maidenly. They're full of sin.

[he says SO BLANDLY as he also pulls out his phone, navigating to his own profile to share alongside hers]

[fujimaru]

[ She skims it quietly, then looks up at him, completely deadpan. ]

I knew it. You are yakuza.

[survivaltricks]

[EVENLY]

Did I deny it before? I can't remember. Oh no, you found out my secret.

[he's scanning hers too, btw]

[fujimaru]

[ Enjoy the three down for now, because canon updating to post Lostbelt 4 is coming, ]

Kyaaa. I'm so scared now, I've never met a real-life yakuza member.

[survivaltricks]

[WHEEZES]

You didn't seem that terrified back when I kidnapped you. I think you've got way more guts than that.

[fujimaru]

Oh no, I was totally terrified. Shaking in my boots, and so on, and so on.

[survivaltricks]

Uuuuuh huh.

[LIGHTLY AMUSED]

[but he does give a small gestures to her phone]

Not to change the subject-- [definitely to change the subject] -- but. . .

[GESTURES. MORE??? use your words, Akira]

[fujimaru]

Akira-kun, unfortunately, I do not have any psychic powers, dormant or otherwise.

[ USE YOUR WORDS, AKIRA!! ]

[survivaltricks]

Damn. And here I had hoped you'd tap into them the more I gestured at you.

[OKAY, OKAY]

[. . .]

[he sobers up a bit]

It sounds like you've been through a lot.

[fujimaru]

...Aha, that's--...

[ ...

What else can she say? She shrugs. ]

I mean, I'm doing my best. That's the best I can say.

[survivaltricks]

[flashes her a small smile]

Sometimes it's the only thing anyone can say. And that's okay.

[fujimaru]

That's all I've been ever to say.

[ She shrugs. Sometimes, you were never meant to be more than an extra body to pad out numbers, and then suddenly you're The Only One Left. Bad times! ]

[survivaltricks]

[he doesn't even know that part yet!!]

. . . it's not a fight you're battling alone, is it?

[fujimaru]

Yes and no.

[ UNFORTUNATELY, ]

I'm the only one who can do the role I have. But I have a lot of support, so I can't say I'm alone, either.

[survivaltricks]

[. . . he nods at that, satisfied]

If you don't mind me asking-- what is your role?

[fujimaru]

...

[ There's a long pause, and then she takes a deep breath, looking him in the eye, unblinking. ]

The one who'll see it through to the end.

[survivaltricks]

[. . . hah. his lips twitch lightly]

That's. . . a tough role to carry.

But I believe you can do it.

[fujimaru]

Someone has to. And I guess that someone is me.

[ She shrugs a little, lightly. ]

[survivaltricks]

[the protag energy in this one is Strong but also, he's slowly beginning to peg her as That Type (TM)]

[(THAT TYPE TO TAKE ON THE WORLD WITHOUT ASKING FOR ANY SUPPORT IN RETURN--)]

With that kind of pressure, I bet you're pretty excited when you can do normal teenager things, right?