3rd Vent | OR | The Talk

[neverendingdebt.livejournal.com]

(Shinji's off duty for the day thankfully, so he's nowhere near the kitchen. Instead he's deep in thought on the deck. What's he thinking about? Recent events, both good and bad. More bad than good, but still...his smile ranges from pleased to confused and nervous. When he finally does reach a decision, he'll turn to leave and go somewhere super important. That turns out to be the Studio, surprisingly.

Not even bothering to knock or whatever, he goes inside and doesn't even freak out at Kaze barking at him, bounding toward him and yipping at his heels. If you followed him, speak up now since he is determined to find who he came to see and sit him down for a serious discussion that doesn't have to deal with being a Rider...but he'll wish it did.)

Ren! Ren! Oi, RON! Where are you, Ron?

(That will get him...1,000 more yen added to his debt IF he's lucky.)

Comments

[darknight-ren.livejournal.com]

[Not a good idea to try to annoy Ren right now. The pain in his shoulder had returned, so he had a bag of ice on it. Instead of saying anything, he just glared Shinji's way.]

[neverendingdebt.livejournal.com]

...Sorry, Ren! I've gotta talk about something really important.

(He sits down, barely even acknowledging that he's picked Kaze up and pets him.)

[darknight-ren.livejournal.com]

[Without a word, Ren handed Shinji a piece of paper. It was the usual itemized bill, but this time with a new fee: "Medical fee: Dislocated shoulder." And wow, that was a high number next to it. Ren must be really mad about dislocating his shoulder because of Shinji's bad plan.]

[neverendingdebt.livejournal.com]

...Huh?!! For your shoulder? Yoshika-san could fix that immediately if you asked her! (If he could pull it off, his eyes wouild bug out in shock at the ridiculously high number next to the shoulder injury.)

[darknight-ren.livejournal.com]

I already saw Hoshi. Even getting it healed, it never should have happened in the first place. I followed you to keep you from getting killed.

[In short, pay up.]

[neverendingdebt.livejournal.com]

...You know she'll blame herself for not helping you once this gets out. And I'm not a rookie Rider anymore! Where were you when I slammed into a wall and sprained my ankle?

(See the 1,000 yen tossed onto your bed before he flops onto his own, Ren? Only part of what Shinji got for services and not breaking everything in the kitchen. The rest he planned on spending for...someone.)

[darknight-ren.livejournal.com]

So my job here is to get beat up in your place? I think I was better off dealing with Odin.

[neverendingdebt.livejournal.com]

What, are you saying I'm like a bad luck charm? I'm with you and you get magically hurt? That would happen if I wasn't here! I was better off dealing with all your old enemies.

[darknight-ren.livejournal.com]

If you were actually careful once in a while, you wouldn't be bringing things down on the both of us. And I wouldn't have to work this hard at trying to keep you from getting killed.

[neverendingdebt.livejournal.com]

If you actually showed me and your other friends an ounce of feeling once in a while, I would try harder than I already do to be careful. If you actually met people besides Tsukasa-san, Hoshi and Yoshika-san.

[darknight-ren.livejournal.com]

[It took Ren a minute to realize that he was expecting someone to interrupt, to tell him off for his behavior, to tell them both to stop fighting. And with that, he realized there was no point to arguing.]

...Yui's not here to break us up anymore.

[neverendingdebt.livejournal.com]

(Shinji realized that, in part, he'd been waiting for an interruption as well. Or being hit by someone who wasn't Ren.)

...If I'd met her that day years ago when we were kids, she might still be here today.

[darknight-ren.livejournal.com]

You said yourself that she made her choice. She decided to save us. Stop us from fighting, the way she always did.

[neverendingdebt.livejournal.com]

(He nods.)

Even when we wanted her safe so she wouldn't get hurt, she was determined as us to try and see it through.

[darknight-ren.livejournal.com]

It's who she was. If we didn't learn to accept that, we'd be as bad off as...

[He left the name unsaid. Reformed or not, he still didn't think very much of Kanzaki.]

[neverendingdebt.livejournal.com]

...Yeah. (He could guess who Ren meant easily enough. Shinji had turned around to eye him calmly.)

When did you know Eri-san was the one?

[darknight-ren.livejournal.com]

[And there we go. Awkwardness abounds.]

We're not going there.

[neverendingdebt.livejournal.com]

(Kaze gets up from the bed and starts yipping as Shinji...pleads his case?)

But you two actually got married! I-I've gotta know something, anything you did that'll help me out with...

[darknight-ren.livejournal.com]

No.

[There was almost a desperate edge to Ren's voice. Do not put him in the middle of this.]

[neverendingdebt.livejournal.com]

...You want me to pay off more of the debt first? I was gonna use this for our first date, but I can wait until next payday!

(Shinji, you haven't even asked her out yet! Quit bowing while holding out the money.)

[darknight-ren.livejournal.com]

[Ren threw the ice down on the table and facepalmed.]

Kido, they're not giving me painkillers. I can picture this. Clearly. Shut up.

[neverendingdebt.livejournal.com]

(Shinji dropped the money onto the bed and held his head in his hands.)

The last time I went out with a girl, she died because of...!

(It was pretty obvious which girl he meant, and who had killed her. Ren fought him before, too.)

[darknight-ren.livejournal.com]

She's still alive, you know.

[No sympathy whatsoever.]

[neverendingdebt.livejournal.com]

But still...!

(Not even a hint of what he should do?)

[darknight-ren.livejournal.com]

Don't drag me into this.

[neverendingdebt.livejournal.com]

...Fine.

(Good thing Shinji had put the money away before dropping back onto the bed in slight frustration. Ren didn't want him doing stuff without causing havoc; the one time he went to him for help, he shoots him down!)

[darknight-ren.livejournal.com]

I've got enough to deal with without having to know about your love life.

[neverendingdebt.livejournal.com]

Like what? That thing you mentioned to me a while back about the Riders? How to get back home again?

(He's being nice enough not to mention he got Ren back home to begin with.)

Or maybe it's your involvement in the KRC?

[darknight-ren.livejournal.com]

[Without another word, Ren grabbed the list and a pen and began writing. Just tempt him, Shinji. Just try.]