voicemail.

[superordinary]

"Hello! You've reached Makoto Naegi — I'm not available right now, so please leave a message and I will get back to you as soon as possible."

available for:
( voice | text | video | misc* )

* Anything else! It can be a message tied to a rock thrown through a window, or it can be an action thread if neither of us feel like making a separate post for it.

Comments

[superordinary]

I did. Where are you right now?

[ardent]

My room at the inn; I have some things to prepare. You're welcome to join me; I could use the company.

[superordinary]

i'll b there asap

[ HE'S ALREADY ON HIS WAY hence why he didn't bother to write that text message properly. ]

[ardent]

[...it's probably a bad sign when he doesn't yell at you about your grammar, but the fact is that he doesn't; he's honestly completely engrossed in double-checking supplies that he's got absolutely covering half the bed and shoving things in one of those satchels they were all given at the start. The disarray is another one of those things that really should be bothering him more than it is, but the fact is that he needs something to keep him busy, he needs to keep moving otherwise he feels like he's going to snap.

So don't worry, Naegi, he isn't going anywhere.]

[superordinary]

[ About seven minutes or so later, Ishimaru can hear the sound of Naegi knocking on the door to his room. ]

Ishimaru-kun!

[ardent]

[Celes' broadcast has him more shaken up than he'd really care to admit right now; Ishimaru jumps about half a mile at the sound of that knocking, though he's grateful to hear Naegi's voice on the other side of the door. He takes a moment to take a deep breath to collect himself, glancing at the mirror across the room and tugging the jacket of his uniform down a little bit to straighten it out before opening the door.]

Naegi-kun! Come in, then; it's good of you to be so prompt!

[He's not shaking, but he's incredibly tense and his voice is a notch too loud; the result is that he's trying hard to appear at least halfway normal but it's obvious that he's very, very keyed up.

He twitches a bit, the reaction sharp, before he continues.]

Before we start, I hope you've been well?

[superordinary]

I have. I'm glad so many of our friends showed up... [ It's debatable whether or not Celes even can be considered a friend anymore considering what she did, but she's still one of them.

Naegi steps inside the room, his gaze immediately falling on the bed - or more specifically, all the things that are currently covering it. ]

Um. What are you doing, Ishimaru-kun?

[ardent]

[Ishimaru follows Naegi's gaze, though he's quick to resume...what's passing for eye contact today.]

...Celes-kun is in Goldenrod City. I have reason to believe she showed up in the same way Oowada-kun and I did - meaning she's a member of that group of criminals.

I'm going to retrieve her and bring her here for the time being!

[superordinary]

...Huh? [ He looks at Ishimaru, concern and confusion evident in his voice and facial expression. ]

You don't have to do that, Ishimaru-kun.

[ardent]

[Ishimaru just shakes his head at that, the gesture clearly agitated.]

You don't understand. This is something that has to be done.

[superordinary]

...Why?

[ardent]

[And that's when he falters; he doesn't seem about to cry, but a strange sort of shock jolts through his system at that - he hasn't really felt much since he'd spoken to her. Sure, there was the anger at Kuwata and...general frustration at Hagakure, but those had been shallow distractions; the rest of his time has been spent autopiloting and trying not to process the growing ache in his chest.

For now, though, he's quick to turn back to keep sorting things.]

Because leaving her with people like that is out of the question, for one thing!

[His words are sharp, almost hostile, and for a moment it seems as though that's all he's going to say; he's sorting his general assorted...crap on the bed with the usual brisk efficiency when he speaks again, his words no less harsh.]

...I need to see her for myself. I can't have her just arrive here one day - I need to see her for myself.

[He's not expressing what he wants to say very well and he knows it, and it's only serving to frustrate him further; this hurts, for some reason he can't place.]

[superordinary]

I-I...I d-didn't say we should leave her. I just said that you don't have to be the one picking her up.

[ Despite the sharpness and near-hostility coming from Ishimaru, Naegi manages to keep his own words calm and unhurried once he gets past the initial bout of stuttering. ]

Have you thought this through?

[ardent]

[Ishimaru just keeps his gaze trained downward toward his work, not looking at Naegi; just the same, Naegi's tone seems to be calming him a little.]

...I won't be going alone. Alice-san and my brother are going to come with me; we'll only be gone for a few days. We all have Fly and Pokémon capable of using it, after all.

[......]

You've met Alice-san, haven't you? She means well.

[superordinary]

Ah...all right. [ Naegi nods slowly, his eyebrows arched into a frown. ] Do what you have to do. I just hope you won't regret it. I can tell you're upset and I really don't want you to feel worse.

[ ... ]

I have. Our first conversation didn't go over so well, but I talked to her later. I want to get to know her better.

[ardent]

I...she told me about it. I told her not to mention things like that around you anymore; she'll keep her word about not doing that, I trust her.

[He pauses for a moment, finally; he still doesn't look up.]

I don't...know how I feel about Celes-kun being here.

[superordinary]

Ah...I feel a little bad for getting annoyed at her, but what she said really didn't sit well with me. But that's to be expected.

[ One doesn't leave Hope's Peak without scars and assorted baggage of unpleasant things to carry forever, after all. ]

It's okay not to know, Ishimaru-kun.

[ardent]

[Ishimaru is quiet for a moment after that; his gaze darts off toward the ground, though he isn't exactly upset...more like a little lost, maybe.]

Ah. Is it really all right...?

[...as though he hadn't really thought about this before.]

It's something I feel like I should have an answer for. I'm used to having answers; it seems like there should be an answer for this as well.

But there isn't, is there?

[superordinary]

I don't think so. But that's all right.

[...]

Sorry, I'm not...sure what to say to make you feel better.

[ardent]

...You don't have to. Say anything specific, I mean.

[The words are hesitant; after a moment, he looks back in Naegi's direction again.]

I'll be okay. I just don't want to be alone, for the time being.

[superordinary]

[ In response, Naegi steps forward from where he had been standing close to the wall, and places his hand on Ishimaru's shoulder. ]

I'll stay as long as you need me to, Ishimaru-kun. [ He gives the shoulder a firm squeeze to assure him that he'll be there no matter what. That's what friends do. ]

[ardent]

[And on some level, Ishimaru understands that; he's never been good with social nuances and he doesn't always catch undertones and implications, but at the very least this is something he gets and this time he doesn't flinch away from the touch at his shoulder once it happens. He reaches up after a moment to lay one of his hands over Naegi's - just as a solidarity thing - and it's clear from his expression that he's pleased to hear that, at least.]

You've been so good to me, Naegi-kun; I can only hope to return the favor one day.

[superordinary]

[ Naegi's hand stays where it is on his shoulder, although he loosens his grip somewhat when he feels Ishimaru's hand over his own. ]

I'm just doing what any friend would do. But thank you.

[ardent]

[He remains where he is for a moment longer before allowing his hand to slip away; he seems a lot more settled now, at least.]

It really is good that so many of our classmates have arrived, though - I hope all of them can come to be happy here. Even Celes-kun; I don't want anything to happen to her, either.

[superordinary]

[ Naegi lets go of Ishimaru's shoulder when the hand slips away, letting his arm fall to his side. ]

She's one of us, regardless of what she's done. I won't let her go back to that place.

[ That's the special Naegi brand of determination speaking. This isn't the first time he's said something like that, and it definitely won't be the last. ]