codeforhope | Voicemail

[What a good thing that this is over text, that's all he can say.]

Thank you for contacting me.

Will you...be all right? Are you with someone?

[Chihiro can only smile, because he's honestly starting to get used to Komasan's...Komasan-ness, as unpredictable at times as he can be. Wow, that sure is a lot of groceries, though...]

O-oh! Of course! Come in.

[He steps to the side to let Komasan and his gaggle of Pokemon step inside, and as soon as he does, the smaller of the two Porygon- Whiz- hovers over to peer curiously into Komasan's hood.]

That's very kind of you.

I'm not alone.

but I don't think I'm all right. not now

...I understand.

I'm...sorry, Fujisaki-kun.

It's okay. It isn't your fault.

[...]

I just...hope she's okay. Wherever she is.

...I hope you're right.

[The next pause is so long that it might seem like Chihiro isn't going to say anything else, but he does eventually reply again.]

I'll keep in touch with you, Kirigiri-san. I promise.

[ALL RIGHT! He's in! Komasan sets the bags down as he begins to take off his coat, his extra passenger surprised by the sudden attention she's getting. Noko has never seen a Pokemon quite like Whiz before, probably because she's lived in that cave the majority of her life, so seeing something so alive yet...artificial is exciting. As her trainer removes his scarf, that's her cue to use her wings to slowly hover onto the floor, her eyes never moving away from the Porygon.

What...what should she do? Should she say hello? How do you say hello to a Pokemon like that? Unsure, she resorts to the one thing she knows people like. ...And by people I mean her trainer. She stands at the end of her tail and tilts her head, giving a tiny blush.]

H-Heh, it's the least I can do, zura. You've been helping me ever since I got here, I'd feel bad if I didn't do anything in return, zura.

[Seriously, Chihiro let him borrow an Arcanine, pays for his hotel room, came to see him when he was sick. If anyone's kind, it's him.]

Do...do you wanna watch, z-zura?

[The Porygon hovers quickly down to Noko's level once she gets onto the floor, watching intently as she rises up onto her tail. As soon as she does that, he beeps cheerfully as if to approve. The beeping prompts Zip to come over as well to see what all the fuss is about.

Meanwhile, Chihiro holds out a hand to take one of Komasan's bags so he can help him carry them to the kitchen.]

I could help you if you wanted me to, actually.

[O-Oh, she's got an audience now. Um, let's see here...Noko's not really sure she can top her last trick. ...Unless... Using her quick thinking, she continues to sit up on her tail and proceeds to tilt her head to the other side.

Shiro can only watch this display with mild embarrassment. Oh my god you guys, you're ridiculous. He'll just let Noko...do her thing as he hovers closer to his trainer, who seems to be caught off guard by Chihiro's offer of assistance.]

O-Oh...

[He wanted to do this by himself, like a present, and yet he finds he can't object.]

...I'd like that a lot, zura.

[Komasan hands the bag over without any hesitation.]

[She may as well have done a backflip, honestly, because both Porygon let out a chorus of beeps as they hover around her excitedly. They...haven't been out much, it seems.

Chihiro takes the bag with a soft smile before gesturing for Zip and Whiz to follow them to the kitchen, even though they're still largely distracted by Noko on the floor.]

I'm not really a cook, myself...so the most I can do is help prepare the ingredients. But I'll still help however I can!

[Noko looks back and forth between the two, both confused and amazed by this attention. It's like she did it, she's really a star now. W-what does she do? She's never been a star before!]

Ah, don't worry, everyone starts off somewhere, zura!

[Komasan waves it off.]

This won't be hard to make, but I'll need a lot of slicing done. H-Heh, but it's kinda cute that you're still learning how to cook, zura-

[Whhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhy did he say that.]

[....Oh. Um.]

Ah...you really think so?

[Is that sort of thing usually...cute?]

[Oh thank god, Chihiro didn't react nearly as bad as he thought he would. Surely Komasan can use this time to backpedal before he makes himself look like some kind of weirdo. All he has to do is be careful about what he says, just don't slip up and--]

Of course I think so! Everything you do is so monge~ cute, I come over all the time just to see what you'll do next, zura!

[Or he can do that.

That...that was exactly the opposite of what Komasan wanted to do, and he can't help but look absolutely horrified after he's done raving about his friend.

What happened to careful???]

[At this point, Chihiro's mouth has dropped open a little as he listens to Komasan prattle on about how cute he is. It doesn't even strike him as weird, necessarily, not so much as it does...a bit sudden, maybe. But Komasan is...Komasan. Maybe he's just feeling a little extra friendly today with the compliments and everything.]

I-...w-well I'm, um, glad you think so...

[HE'S GONNA...KEEP LEADING THE WAY TO THE KITCHEN NOW, THIS WAY EVERYBODY]

[Frozen, Komasan watches Chihiro head into the kitchen, Shiro and Noko quietly following behind him seeing as he's actually moving. Unlike their trainer. Something is wrong, Komasan's sure of it, it has to be another Friday Youkai. In fact he knows, with great certainty, that there's a youkai that pulls this type of nonsense.

He'll have to be extra careful, dinner will have to be canceled. There's no way he can be in the same room as Chihiro now, not after everything he just said. It can only get worse. Chihiro's calm demeanor is probably just his natural kindness, he probably thinks he's super weird now, Komasan's life is over.

Unless he can just. Stop. Saying. Things.]

I've always had a little crush on you, zura!!

[LIFE IS OVER.]

[Chihiro happens to reach the counter just as Komasan blurts that out behind him, so when the bag drops out of his hands it actually has somewhere to land. Even the Porygon duo are turning their attention from Noko over to Komasan, beeping softly to each other.

He turns slightly, looking over his shoulder at Komasan with one hand still resting on the edge of the counter, some of the things in the bag having rolled out onto it.]

E...eh? You...

[He's trying to respond, but he just...the words, they won't. Happen.]

[The sound of something hitting the counter is enough to snap Komasan back into the real word, and his first reaction is to run back for his things and tie his scarf around his big stupid mouth. AHAHA, HE CAN'T SAY THINGS IF HE CAN'T TALK! Take that Friday Youkai, he won't be your play thing anymore!

...Oh who is he kidding, the damage is already done. Komasan can only flail about in his embarrassment right outside the kitchen, a scarf wrapped around his face as he tries to piece together what he should do next. He'd hope speaking isn't one of those things, but apparently his track record hasn't been all too great.

Chihiro doesn't get much of a response, just some horrible muffled screaming. If he screams, he can't say words.]

[For a moment, Chihiro is honestly at a loss for what to do. As such, all he can do at first is just watch Komasan as he has an internal breakdown within the folds of his scarf. But...

He can't just leave him like that, either. After a minute (and what probably feels like an eternity to Komasan), Chihiro steps over to him and carefully reaches up to try and pull down the edges of the scarf so he can see his face.]

Komasan...

[There's an obvious fear in his eyes when Chihiro pulls the scarf down, Komasan's defenses taken away just like that. Not that a scarf was a very good line of defense to begin with, but at least it was something.

But great, they're in the same room again, and Komasan can only do the one thing he can think of. Apologize profusely.]

I-I know, it's bad, I don't know why I said those things, zura! I-I can't stop what's coming out of my mouth, zurazura... I'm very sorry — Although I wasn't lying — Monge!! That's what I'm talking about, zuraaa!!

[He somehow manages to say everything in a high pitched whine.]

I don't know how to make it stop, zura...

[While Komasan's mouth is running uncontrollably, Chihiro does the only thing he can think of. He lifts his hand and just...gently smooths his hair down on top, brushing over it in a gesture between petting and stroking.]

It...it's not bad.

[He finally says, a little quietly.]

...are you okay, though?

[It's not said in a "WOW you're crazy are you feeling okay?" sort of way. Not at all. His concern is sincere, since Komasan seems to think he's done something awful.]

[...That's a very good question. Is he okay? Obviously this has been an ordeal for him, he would have loved to go the day without saying any of...that, he just wanted to make dinner. At the same time, nothing he said was a lie, they were feelings he's been keeping inside for awhile now. It's hard not to admire someone who pretty much saved you, someone who's been there for you since day one. Chihiro wasn't just a friend, he was his hero. ...And a really cute hero.

Still, if he ever had the courage to share those feelings, this was definitely not the way he'd want to go about it. But the petting does help calm him down, his shoulders relax and he even slouches just a little.]

I...I don't know, zura...

[Chihiro said it wasn't bad, and Komasan wants to believe that, but why can't he stop thinking that?]

I guess I'm just...scared, zura...

[Hm...it's tempting to ask Komasan if he would prefer to just pretend that he didn't say anything, but...he doesn't think that would be a good idea either. It would make things awkward, and what if he said something else? Clearly, it's another unusual Friday, and Komasan has been affected by it.

He keeps on petting, trying to think of what to say that might help him feel better.]

What are you scared of? You can talk to me about it. ...if you think it might help you feel better.

If not...you don't have to say anything. It's okay.

[He has a feeling that Komasan can't help but be honest right now, though.]

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