IT'S THAT VERY SPECIAL TIME AGAIN.

[goodburger]

Time for.......


THE GODDAMN TEST DRIVE MEME

1. COMMENT WITH A JOURNAL OF A CHARACTER YOU'VE THOUGHT OF APPING/WOULD LIKE TO APP AS THOUGH THEY'RE ALREADY IN C&C
2. TAG AROUND WITH NEW JOURNALS OR OLD!
3. APP THEM ALL NOW!
4. IT IS PHYSICALLY IMPOSSIBLE FOR YOU TO BE LATE SO DON'T YOU EVEN GO THERE
5. LINK THIS POST TO ATP ADS YOU POST LATER
6. THIS TEXT HAS BEEN RECYCLED AT LEAST 25 TIMES
7. HAVE SOME FUCKING FUN

Comments

[xxii_thefool]

[Minako laughs a little, pleased.] Are you? That's fine, then. I was thinking maybe they were just being opportunists.

[She seats herself carefully on the bench, setting her bag down beside her feet and taking a moment to smooth out her skirt before, head tilting, she looks towards Kiritsugu again, polite but at the same time visibly concerned.]

...I might be off the mark... and even if I'm not, I'm sure that it's not any of my business, but... are you all right?

[failedprotagonist]

[He laughs along with her.] Honestly, it's probably a bit of both. We're friends, and they're opportunists.

[When she asks her question, he nods. It's a rather loaded question, considering his condition. Is he all right? No, in a way, he's not all right at all. Even a short walk in the park is too much for him on a bad day, and he has to sit down before he can think of making his way back. He is much better than he was, before he came here, and he can look on the bright side. No, it isn't exactly her business, but he can appreciate her concern, and he doesn't mind.]

I'm not too bad. I'm a little sick, that's all. I needed a rest.

[xxii_thefool]

I see...

[As she says it, she looks down at her hands, slipping into a brief silence that's more contemplative than uncomfortable.]

At least it's not a bad day for something like sitting outside. [When she looks toward him again, it's with brows drawn together in a way that makes her look vaguely anxious.] In that case, would it be all right if I kept you company for a little while?

[failedprotagonist]

[Kiritsugu smiles. He's come to terms with his condition, and he's not interested in having anyone worry about him. No one should have to, really. He doesn't want to upset anyone.]

No, it's a good day. [He glances up.] A very good day. Just look at that sky. As blue as anything.

You're welcome to stay. I could use the company. The pigeons have their charms, but they're poor conversationalists. [He laughs.] The name's Kiritsugu Emiya.

[xxii_thefool]

[Blink and you miss it: for just a moment a trace of surprise flickers across her expression. Then it's gone, and Minako smiles back, warm and open and entirely genuine.]

I'm Minako Arisato. It's nice to meet you!

[Sitting back a little on the bench, she tilts her head back to look upwards.] You're right about the sky. It really is a beautiful color today. [One arm stretches up, reaching as though to touch the distant blue.] I feel lucky to be able to see it.

[failedprotagonist]

[He notes some kind of reaction there, but he isn't sure what to make of it, so he lets it pass. People do have their secrets here, and he's not one to pry without reason.]

Nice to meet you too, Minako.

I don't think I've ever seen quite that shade before. I probably qualify as a sky expert at this point. I spend a lot of time looking up. Some people think oh, it's the same old sky they see every day, but really, it's different every moment. Never the same sky twice.

[His condition is better here, but back home, it had been a while since he'd left the house. Gazing up at the sky, at the clouds or the stars, wasn't such a bad way to spend the time. It was... peaceful.]

I feel lucky, too. [He'd say something about every moment they're alive being a lucky one, but he doesn't want to get too philosophical.]

[xxii_thefool]

Hmmm. [She draws the sound out, with a thoughtful upwards inflection, letting her hand drop lightly back down to her side.] When something's there every day, people stop seeing it. It's a shame, but it's usually true.

...of course, the sky will always be there. Or if it's not, we'll all have bigger problems. [She says it on a rueful little laugh.] But that's not a reason to stop noticing it. Right?

[Minako has no qualms about getting too philosophical, clearly.]

[failedprotagonist]

It's too easy to get used to things. People, places, anything... It's easy to take them for granted. We have to work to keep appreciating them. To pay attention. If we're not careful, we'll forget how short life is, and we can let it get away from us. Like this sky we'll never see again. [He's silent a minute, contemplating it again. It seems like he got philosophical after all. Oh well, it's an old man's right.] But we managed to catch it, so I think we did pretty well today.

[He laughs along with her.] I hope the sky's not going anywhere anytime soon. I don't know what we'd do without it.

Have you been here long, Minako?