compnetwork | [video]

Entry tags:

[video]

[The camera is slightly obscured - it's clearly Minako, but the watch's camera isn't being held at the proper angle to show her entire face. She's smiling, though.]

Hello, Hinoto-ri! I don't want to take up too much of your time, because I know a lot of people are busy right now, but I have a story to tell, if you're willing to listen!

Once upon a time, a girl grew up all alone. One by one, the people she cared about disappeared from her life. The girl kept smiling and trying to make friends, but deep down, she knew the truth. Eventually, those friends would leave her too. Her destiny was to be left behind.

Then one day, the girl was given a choice. Disappear quietly along with the world and the people you care about, or give up everything to save them - including her soul. Her sacrifice meant the world would live, but she would still be alone. Forever.

[She pauses, the cheerful smile still on her lips.]

Which choice do you think the girl made?

[and then she leans forward, finally opening her eyes to reveal bright, yellow irises.]

Which choice should I have made?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Oh, I'm not, not at all! Talking about it would be a reminder of the choice I made and all I have to look forward to.

It's just unfortunate that not talking about something doesn't make it not true. That's really what I'm best at, after all, pushing the tough things away.

[His brows furrow and he frowns. Things are definitely off. ...With everything that's been going on with the city, something else happening to affect the lot of them is just what needed to happen.]

...Then what's the point?

[The smile finally falters a little.]

The point? Aside from her need to play the martyr being entirely ridiculous?

I just want everyone else to understand exactly what they've put me through.

[Ah. Is that how she feels most of the time, or is this just... a Zodiac effect doing the talking for her?]

It wasn't a choice you should have had to make.

[It was never really fair. He's sure most people would agree on that. He also thinks that, to those that matter anyway, they understand the last part plenty. There just wasn't anything they could have done to stop it.]

[Most of the time would be overstating it, but as it's a Shadow... these are repressed feelings, finally coming to a boil. And as she'd said, Minako is very good at repressing feelings.]

No. It wasn't.

But then, it wasn't really a choice at all.

No.

[He will stare for a few seconds at the eyes though.]

Don't think anyone would think it was.

[He should take notice of the eyes, because right about now there's a knock on his door. Then the usual, red-eyed Minako pokes her head through the door.]

There you are, senpai! Weren't we going to go to dinner?

[she's hungry and he's ignoring her, clearly that makes him a terrible boyfriend.]

[It takes a moment for him to look up, away from the COMP screen. Hard to, when he thinks his attention is exactly where it should be. But when the door opens, and he looks up, feeling perhaps the worst case of mood whiplash he's felt in months. And the stimulus is more than enough for his guard to drop as his face morphs into a thoroughly confused expression. His eyes carefully wander back to the screen, and then to the other Minako who he's.. pretty sure he's still talking to.]

What?

Edited 2013-12-18 06:57 (UTC)

[His confused face catches her off guard for a moment.] What do you mean, what?

[.....] You didn't forget, did you?

[The other Minako, meanwhile, simply waves cheerfully at him from the screen... and then shuts down the video feed.]

[He catches the wave out of the corner of his divided vision.] Don't— [But the feed cuts out and the half-formed protest dies in his throat. Shit.

With the video gone, his attention isn't as divided, and he turns his attention to the more physical presence, her question finally registering while his expression fades into something more subtle, and he stares at her levelly for a few seconds, at eyes that are definitely not gold.]

I—no.

[Just who the hell was he talking to?

He withholds a sigh, shuffling through his thoughts as he tries to make sense of things.]

You didn't... post to the network or anything today, did you?

Huh? No, I didn't.

[She frowns, folding her arms.] Is it glitching out again? I tried to call you a minute ago but it wouldn't even let me access the network.

...Can you access it now?

[Sorry. Sorry. Angry tall man coming through.]

Hey Minako. Did you see Min--

[Wait.]

...

Man, what was your prob--

[WAAAAAIT.]

[Minako, I hope you don't mind some tall guy moving your face around like pudding because Eikichi is moving your cheeks around and looking at her eyes.

The advantage of being vain is that you notice the little details very easily. In this case, yellow vs red eyes.]

Minako...did you have a pair of contacts on?

[SO CLOSE...yet so far...]

[Whether or not Minako minds isn't really a question anymore.

It's whether or not Shinjiro minds. And he sure as hell does.

He's already taking to his feet the moment Eikichi storms into the room, on guard with the obvious aggression behind the sudden, unexpected entrance. And even though that wanes into something far from volatile—not like he's throwing punches and shit—as the moments progress, Shinjiro still minds. He's certainly not obligated to disregard any of that, and he's not going to just sit there, because as far as he's concerned, what he's doing is not okay.]

Hey, [he says, as he starts to briskly clear the distance between them, voice clipped in warning.] Back off.

[And Eikichi has about two seconds to do it, or else Shinjiro will happily do it for him.]

[Minako could definitely handle herself in this situation.... but having an intimidating boyfriend right here with her doesn't hurt at all.

She gently shoves Eikichi away, then gives Shinji a look that says clearly "it's okay."

For her. Not necessarily for Eikichi.] I don't wear contacts, Eikichi-kun. What exactly are you doing?

[This intimidation would work a lot better if Eikichi hadn't attended an all boys correction school. At least Minako was shoving him with a lot less force than Ginko ever did, which he could appreciate, so he crosses his arms instead, glaring at her.]

Don't you what am I doing to me, chica! You were on the network not even two minutes ago talkin' about your life story and your eyes were yellow, Michel remembers a face when he sees one! Now either you turn into a yellow-eyed chick during a full moon, or you've caught something from whatever Astrology that's cursing us this month!

[Logically!!]

[Intimidated or not, Shinjiro comes to a stop behind Minako. His mouth thins in response to Eikichi's accusations, and his eyes flicker towards his COMP screen, before flickering back to Eikichi again. He doesn't know what the other Minako said to him that ticked him off so bad, but shit.]

That wasn't her.

I haven't even been able to get on the network, Eikichi-kun, let alone post to it.

[And if she did, she definitely wouldn't be saying her life story. Slightly concerned now, she turns to Shinji, because he sounds like he's actually knowledgeable about this.] Do you know what he's talking about?

Yeah.

[And he was getting around to explaining things before moron had barged in. He fights back a grimace.]

I was talking to her just when you came in. Thought she was you.

[And his eyes fix on Eikichi.]

But apparently not.

[Not exactly, anyway.]

[Still not convinced, sorry. So instead of saying anything, he just looks at Minako like she will magically know what to say.]

Talking to who, though? There's someone pretending to be me on the network?

[you are both still speaking foreign languages.]

[Locked]

[Locked]

[Locked]

[Locked]

[Locked]

[Locked]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action] 1/?

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action] (done)

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action] /Breaks tag order

[Action]

[Action]