week four | mingle

[marriagebroker]

Final week at the estate! Final week with your friends. Final week with your beaus. Time to make the most of it, everyone!

In fact, to celebrate this fact, today there is a cake. It's nothing special, just a nice little cake to enjoy with your morning coffee or throughout the day. Yay, cake!

And when Wei Wuxian arrives that morning, he is going to call out once again for everyone to join him, near the cake.

"Everyone, I have another announcement!"

Hell yeah, announcements.

Boom Boom Room | Dates | Property Damage
Truth Booth Voting | Match Ceremony Voting

Comments

[phenomerom]

[ But afterwards, he sneaks a glance her way -- completely focused, in contrast to his flippant words, assessing her quietly, before setting out two cups on the countertop. ]

... I just meant exactly what I said.

[ Palm braced against the countertop, he leans his weight on that arm as he watches the coffeemaker slowly do its work, drip by drip. Those his delivery remains steady, a little bit of that obnoxious blitheness has been swapped out for something quieter, a little more serious. ]

Sometimes cruel methods are necessary in this line of work, to do what needs to be done. But I imagine it's easier when your job isn't to heal those very same people you might have to hurt. Even setting aside the limits of my abilities ... I don't think I could fulfill that role. It's truly admirable.

[irreversal]

[ There it is. Shoko has always been a rather direct person, always hated it when the higher-ups and the more politically-inclined sorcerers played games. She doesn't mind it so much from Shindou, since he's not part of that circus... but he also sort of is, in his own way, even from another reality, and perhaps it's why his opinion isn't one she shirks off immediately. ]

...I know.

[ Well. It's her, after all. No one else could do what she does. It's a feat in and of itself, unlike the displays of raw strength and power that the students are capable of, but something on its own all the same. But... admirable?

She casts her gaze down at her cigarette, watching the smoke trail up from between her fingers. Is this admirable...? ]

You know, that friend of mine... He once told me he wanted to raise stronger sorcerers, so that they could break down the system and make it better. But he didn't have the sense to stick around to see it happen. [ she scoffs, albeit in a playful way. ] Idiot.

[ Now it falls to her, to take care of those kids, give that dream a fighting chance. ]

[phenomerom]

[ Once again, he can't help thinking -- which is better? This seemingly harsh system that Shoko is caught in, churning through exorcists like fodder, or his own solitary existence, constantly searching for those of his ilk? His gaze skims from the coffee maker, to the waft of cigarette smoke, up to study her downcast gaze, before sliding away once more. Giving her a little space. ]

... horribly selfish, isn't it? The way front-liners will throw themselves into danger without consideration for those left behind. I suppose the thought that 'it's the right thing to do' makes it easy to be reckless.

[ Said with a wry laugh, because even he knows this is deeply self-incriminating. But that's fine. He can take a jab at himself right now if it'll ease some of the tremendous burden Shoko seems to be carrying. A brief, thoughtful hum before he continues. ]

Ieiri-san. I meant it, that you're admirable. But you're also only one person. I hope you won't permit that friend of yours to saddle you endlessly with their wishes -- there is only so much responsibility you can take on.

[irreversal]

[ The right thing to do. It always comes back to that in the end, huh? Even something as heinous as commandeering Gojo's corpse - making him a weapon in his death as he had been in his life - just seemed, at the time, to be the 'right thing to do,' especially to Okkotsu. So eager to fill the infinite void left by his teacher, to become the monster his teacher had been - because it was the right thing to do. Because someone had to be.

...She hopes that's going to be the last time they ever have to resort to something like that again.

But her gaze lifts towards Rom again, studying. Thinking about what he'd told her about his visitor two weeks ago. And noting how he says what he says with a grain of self-awareness to it, like he knows exactly what it's like. At length, she quirks a brow at him, then offers a laugh of her own, a little less wryly. ]

Like hell I'm going to let that guy have too much of a say in my life now that he's gone. He can't make me do anything anymore.~

But... [ she shakes her head. ] I appreciate the reminder, Shindou. To be honest, it's probably not me that we should be worried about. His students have a lot on their hands, after this whole mess. So... I'll be there for them.

[phenomerom]

[ That first part earns a smile and a nod.

The latter, though ...

Rom looks aside as the coffeemaker gives a little beep to signal a job complete. Pouring out two cups gives him a moment to organize his thoughts, and he gives a small exhale as he leans over to gently place one before Shoko. ]

My Master said something similar to me before, you know. About being there for me. She said a proper Master would never abandon their disciple. [ A small sip from his own cup before he continues. ] I'm grateful for it, of course. But ... I also believe her. It makes me all the more certain I can't let her find out, if I were to be embroiled in something serious.

[ He laughs wanly. ]

So you should be a little more selfish, I think. Make it clear that you'll take care of them, yes, but you'll take care of yourself, too. That way they'll know they can rely on you, but that they won't be causing you any harm, and you can also breathe a little easier. Win-win, don't you think?

1/2

[irreversal]

[ ................... Huh. ]

[irreversal]

[ She hadn't quite expected Rom to tell her to be a little more selfish and take care of herself. She can't help but be blindsided by it in the best way, to hear it coming from the man she'd seen nearly succumb to the heat time and time again and who hasn't seemed all that relaxed over their time here in the least - until this week, perhaps, but still.

At length, a laugh just bubbles up out of her. ]

...You know, if they watch this, I imagine they'll probably nod and yell along in agreement with you, actually.

[ Is he wearing his hat? If so, she'll be leaning and reaching over to tug it over his face a bit. If not, well, she's ruffling his hair instead. ]

You're a good guy, Rom. No matter what anyone might have said or how they might have treated you. You're strong for having endured all that and still wanting to do the right thing, too.

[phenomerom]

[ deletes rom's hat from existence for this scene so that he can get a hair ruffle 🥺

Rom just blinks when he sees that hand reaching over, and even leans in a little to make Shoko's job easier -- mostly expecting a shove to the face like Edamura seems to favor, only to receive a pleasant surprise instead. He gives a very soft, very deadpan 'ah' under his breath when he feels fingers scuffing through his hair, and straightens up with another owlish blink only after she's done.

It's just a little softer, a little more sincere than usual when he smiles. ]

I'm glad, then. That you're in good company. I hope you'll take their words to heart.

[ He doesn't bother fixing his hair, letting errant strands stick out in weird directions from the ruffling as he toys with the handle of his cup. ]

... and thank you. Though I'm just doing my job. It's just that I've been following my mentor's teachings -- I'll be sure to pass your words along to her.

[irreversal]

[ She gives him another solid pat on the head to punctuate the hair ruffling before drawing her hand away from him.

His mentor, huh... ]

Your mentor, huh? She must have meant a lot to you. [ She can relate, somewhat. ] Maybe she even felt like more of a parent to you than your actual folks...

[ She'd figured that one card was his... ]

[phenomerom]

[ ... yeah. He imagines most people would have been able to guess that one was his. Rom only gives one of his usual wide-eyed blinks before smiling. ]

She was the one who raised me. I was quite young when my parents ... [ abandoned me ] hit their limits. I don't have very many memories of them.