[Video public]

[helenchanted]

Ahh...uh...

[Miki is trying to keep a straight face but this is harder than she thought.]

...umm I think that Minami is gone. W-well no. Not 'I think'. I know she's gone since her room is occupied by someone else, so I guess she returned to our world...

[Her best friend is gone but she...she doesn't think she could leave herself just yet. Not with what she's gained here.]

I kinda need to clear my mind a bit...

Anyone want to do something?

Comments

[themortalhalf]

[He still feels awkward, no matter how it's packaged, and he hesitates for a bit longer than he might, eyes shifting focus away from the camera, and does what he does best: pretends he never heard it. But he did, though, and he'll remember it.

Stupid things like that still shouldn't mean anything.]

I don't have plans. Just drop by when you want; doesn't matter to me. Bring that book you have with you.

[helenchanted]

[It's okay Shinji, she'll also pretend she didn't see you do that.]

Alright. I'll come by later tonight.

[Wait the book? How did he...oh he must have been talking with Minako. Kinda strange he'd ask fro that in the first place, but she's not going to question it too much...]

...alright! I'll bring it along, if that's what you want.

[themortalhalf]

[A shrug]

Might as well look at it.

Unless you had something different in mind.

[helenchanted]

No, that's fine actually. I'll be sure to bring it over!

[She's already writing and sticking a post-it note on the wall not to forget.]

[themortalhalf]

[You need a post-it note to remember, Miki?]

I'll see you then.

[AND LATER THAT NIGHT]

[helenchanted]

[There is a knock on your door.

Who could it could be...]

[THERE WAS A PARTY EVERYONE ELSE MISSED OUT ON]

[themortalhalf]

[Shinjiro has an extremely accurate guess.

He opens the door, taking a moment to look her over briefly, before letting her inside.

His apartment is clean, neat, and mostly barren as usual. The fridge is stocked, however, with food he had bought when he went out earlier, when he had made a rough guess of what supplies he needed. He figured the book she was bringing could give him an idea of what she wanted to make or where she even wanted to start. Be an decent sacrifice to the pollotarian gods, at any rate. ]

Hey.

[IT WAS A COOKING PARTY AND NO ONE ELSE WAS INVITED.]

[helenchanted]

Hi.

[Oh by book, you clearly meant this giant one she brought with her that looks NOTHING like that cookbook you saw before?

Because that's what she's holding on more tightly than a newborn infant.]

[POOR JUNK FOOD-EATING BASTARDS]

[themortalhalf]

[Yep. Staring at it as he closes the door behind her once she steps inside. His brows knit together and his eyes narrow.]

...That's the book?

[Because it does not look like the cookbook he spotted the last time he was in her apartment. What is this book she brought, and why does it resemble some old woman's favorite scrapbook? He's pretty sure she could kill a bastard with it if she felt like dropping it and letting gravity do its work.]

[Just... wtf is this?]

[AT LEAST IT'S NOT JUST PROTEIN]

[helenchanted]

...yes?

[Wait what's with the reaction. You're the one who wanted to see it.]

Minako-senpai told you about it, right?

[Or is this a misunderstand...]

[SCREW PROTEIN, WE'VE GOT VEGETABLES]

[themortalhalf]

Told— [The silence following should be enough of an answer: no, she hadn't.] I was talkin' about that cookbook you have.

[I'D SAY SOMETHING ABOUT "AND NUTS" HERE BUT THAT SOUNDS WRONG.]

[helenchanted]

[Oh...well then in that case that was her fault for misunderstanding. Now she's angry at herself for not realizing this sooner. Don't worry, that face is for herself, not you Shinji.]

....oh. Tch, I should have realized that. Sorry, I'll go get it now. [She shuffles with the book in her arm.] And this is my photobook. Can I leave it here while I go get my cookbook?

[WELL, WE'VE GOT VEGETABLES AND NUTS AND MAYBE A DEAD CHICKEN]

[themortalhalf]

[It's... a photo album? He tilts his head, staring at it.]

Yeah. Just put it on the table.

[SOUNDS LIKE THE PERFECT MIXTURE FOR A VOODOO CEREMONY]

[helenchanted]

Alright.

[There is now one(1) photo album on the table. Miki gives him a small wave as she closes the door.]

I'll be right back!

[themortalhalf]

[Shinjiro nods, grey eyes wandering over to the photo album as she leaves. He stares at it for a minute or so until curiosity finally gets the better of him and he walks over to the table, pulling up a chair. There's a moment of hesitation as he debates opening it—if she didn't want him looking at it, she wouldn't have brought it—but he does eventually, opening to a random page somewhere in the middle, eyes flashing across a photograph... and a memory that has him in it that he doesn't remember, though a similar one likely resides in its place, somewhere on the shelf of memories he has with Aki. He goes through a few other random pages (who the hell is the guy with the obnoxiously yellow scarf?), but he eventually stops going through the photos aimlessly, and flips to where he should have started: the first page, at the first old, damaged photograph. And that's where Miki will find him when she returns, staring at it, with maybe a small smile breaking across his usual deadpan expression.

He might not remember the rest of the memories in the book... but he remembers this.

...Not that he's at all sentimental about it or anything.]

[helenchanted]

[She does see it as she opens the door, and can't help but grin a little herself...at the same time she knows how he is and closes it a little again before knocking then letting herself in. You know, just so he's sufficiently warned and she totally didn't see anything.

Tch and her without her camera at that moment. No...no she couldn't have done that even if she had her camera.]

Hey. I'm back!

[With the right book this time (let's pretend it's actually a Japanese book)]

[themortalhalf]

[And he definitely didn't hear her come in the first time either. But the warning's more than enough time for the smile to disappear into something a bit more solid. He could have closed the album and acted like he hadn't touched it, but he doesn't. Seemed a bit childish to do something like that, anyway. Be pretty damn obvious.

He turns his head, spots the book—yeah that was the one—and mumbles the ritualized "welcome back." Comes out automatically almost.]

You've got a hell of a lot of photos. Beats me why you need them all for.

[helenchanted]

[She just grins. Innocently.]

Sometimes a memory just needs a little visual help. It makes it easier to share, too.

[Did you enjoy the 'put stuff on Shinji's head while he's sleeping as usual' montage, she was pretty proud of that series.]

[themortalhalf]

[the judge and jury still finds her guilty of photographic defamation]

Not sure you should be sharing some of these.

[He may have flipped through a page or two of that. Enough to know there are plenty more that he hopes never sees any eyes besides Miki's own, though he'd rather she keep everything in that head of hers.]

[helenchanted]

[It's not her fault your head is so evenly easily stackable.]

Don't worry it's not a book I share with everyone.

[So far only Minako has seen it. It's something pretty personal to her, which is why she was fine with you looking at it.]

[themortalhalf]

Good.

[Though there's still undoubtedly a large handful or five of them he'd be happy to wish out of existence. He doesn't need photographs. That's what your damn brain's for. And one less object to be stupidly sentimental over.

...Speaking of.]

Have you shown this to Aki?

[helenchanted]

[Brains can't be shared as much. And sometimes a photograph sparks back a memory in a much more powerful manner. At her other brother's name, she smiles.]

Not yet. I was planning on doing something with it first. Actually...I wasn't going to show it to you yet either, but I really did think you wanted to see it after hearing about it from Minako.

[Yeah, sorry about that. Except not really.]

[themortalhalf]

Like I said, she never brought it up.

[But she also might have not had a chance to.

Which brings to mind—]

Has she seen this?

[helenchanted]

[Oh shit.]

Uh....

[ I swear, she tricked me into showing it!
No, I just told her about it. Promise!
> Yeah, she has...]

Yeah, she has...

[themortalhalf]

[Well, if Minako starts giggling at him every time she sees him, he's blaming it on that damn photo album.

But what's done is done, and there ain't much he can do about it.

He sighs.]

You might as well sit down.