39th: The Recreation of Haruhi Suzumiya

[godbent]

[It's been sort of a long path, but Haruhi Suzumiya has a... something. She's still hesitating around the word "boyfriend," but someone she is seeing in something sort of resembling a romantic capacity (SSISISSORARC). They were "test running" in October, she was avoiding him in November, and in December, they've been taking it slow. Hanging out more, going out to places, having some meals together...

And now, well, Haruhi decides she wants to mix it up some. So in the morning today she does her usual "throw rocks at Minato's window until he comes outs" and then he's dragged along out into the forest with an ax and ordered the chop down a Christmas tree for her house. She's not really done this weird Western custom all that much before, it it sounded fun to try out this year, particularly with a SSISISSORARC to chop down the tree, lug it to house ten, and then prop it up inside before they go out to collect things to put on it, and finally, decorate with.

Honestly, this might seem like slave labor, but the indicative thing about it is that this happens on a Sunday. She called Winry to apologize and say they should hang out more in the next week but she's cancelling on "their" day a few days before, but didn't give Minato notice about this. If he realizes what she's implying or not is up in the air -the meaning is pretty elusive.

This is a joint post with Minato (emp3thy), and you can run into them many places, but some examples are:
1) Going out into the forest in the morning to chop down the tree... and the time Minato needs to spend chopping when they find it.
2) Coming back with the tree in the later morning and bringing it to House 10
3) Collecting decorations for the tree from the item shop around mid-day and bringing them back to House 10
4) Decorating the tree in the early afternoon at House 10 (this one is prob just for House 10)
5) Going out to a late lunch after skipping two meals aside from snacks after that, at Seventh Heaven and lamenting the variety of places to go for this

Or whatever else between those you can spawn up]

Comments

[godbent]

Yeah, probably. I'm older though and everyone here seems to be obsessed with Christmas gifts. After all, that stupid Panda stole the Secret Santa from us, so it's clearly popular.

[menial]

['"It's going fine."
"I have nothing to say."
"8|"

Kindly imagine that in a sing-song tone of mockery. Haruhi sure knows how to pick, in the end, the least "interesting" people possible. Out of the group of people here who saved their world. Damn it. Bastard.']

Yeah, about that. I was surprised you let him... it. Guess you must have had other things on your mind.

[godbent]

That stupid animal upstaged me because of trickery! [HUFF. That's all there is to it, okay]

[emp3thy]

[You asked how things were going, that's not exactly a deep thought-provoking question.

But either way, he decides to enter the conversation now, if only to spare Kyon and himself from a long discussion of Haruhi's dislike of bears and ponies and other event-stealing animals.]

Is the Brigade planning to do something else for the holidays?

[menial]

['Haruhi today crossed the line over to official "Scooby-Doo villain" territory, I see.']

Well, we all get tricked by animals sometimes. I'm sure you've got a replacement cooking somewhere.

['After all, you seem pretty good at finding replacements. Arisato.']

[godbent]

Yeah, maybe. I think we should finally make New Years important, given there's two shrines this time.

[emp3thy]

I was thinking that too. It could be fun.

[In other words, Kyon, he wants to hang out with Haruhi over New Years, too...]

[menial]

Yeah? New Year's, huh? Maybe you can get a big ball and drop it from the tallest building in the village, like the Americans?

And, hey, this is good. You can get Arisato to do the labor for that, too.

[godbent]

[...Ding! A million volt smile right for Kyon] Oh, that's a surprisingly good idea, Kyon! I can get you and Ayumu to set it up, have Leon set up the effects, and then I'm sure Hoshikyo can set up some sparkles for us too... Actually, forget the tallest building, what if we get someone who can fly drop it out of the sky to land on the fountain?! It'll be like a party ball, except much more impressive. That'll show everyone the inherent superiority of the SOS-Brigade!

[emp3thy]

It'll definitely attract attention...

[Even if he's not so sure about the wisdom of dropping a large object from high up in the sky, aiming at the fountain or not.]

[menial]

...So you want to bomb the fountain to proclaim our superiority?

[godbent]

Not bomb, that would violate the Three Principles. A party bomb!

[emp3thy]

So it explodes with confetti?

[menial]

['Still has bomb in it.']

Yeah, okay. Well, I'm glad to have inspired you. But it looks like you don't even need assistance with your holiday projects, actually. Not any more assistance.

[godbent]

What are you talking about?

[emp3thy]

[Minato doesn't comment on the new exchange. Are you trying to get out of helping with the holiday bomb, Kyon? Because while that's smart, it's not going to fly with Haruhi...]

[menial]

['This is a bad idea. This is not a good idea. This isn't an idea that will have pleasant consequences. Screw it.']

I don't really feel like assembling a terrorist weapon while you two're sitting in front of the fire, drinking champagne, that's all.

[godbent]

You two-- Excuse me? [She takes a step forward towards Kyon. Not even knowing if Minato's going to react or not, she shoved Minato back as hard as she can with one hand to preempt any reaction the other man might have as she marches up to Kyon. She might have felt guilt before -- hell, right now her stomach is still twisted in a deeply unpleasant way -- but right now, there's a cold fury in her eyes]

I am your Brigade Chief. I am your leader. That is all that matters when it comes to matters of the SOS-Brigade. Or are you somehow confused about that?

[emp3thy]

[Minato does take his hands out of his pockets, but before he can do anything else, Haruhi shoves him aside and and advances on Kyon.

> You have a dangerous choice to make...

Try to intervene anyway
> Let Haruhi do her thing

> ...You decide it's smarter to watch how this plays out a little longer...]

[menial]

[He flinches away slightly, but stares down at her afterwards.]

So is this [he points two fingers at them and swivels them around in a connecting way] a matter for the Brigade? Or is that Brigade totally separate from your personal life now? I mean, what exactly are we to you now? A project group, not a group of friends? Maybe it's "none of my business" again? That's fine, but I'm not in it for that.

And you. Arisato. Shouldn't you know better?

[godbent]

Shut up about Minato! Who even cares about Minato?! [Her face would be flushed, but right now she sincerely means it. Her finger lashes out to jab Kyon in the chest, her indignation now in full force. It's easier this way, it's easier to handle it like this] I've run the SOS-Brigade for years, and it has changed over time, yes! I've made allowances, and most of the Brigade except for losers like Ayumu have things going on outside of it. I have things going on outside of it!

[Jab, jab, jab] Do you want me to say "you're my friend," Kyon? Because if you need that, I'm mature enough to say it!

[She keeps pushing into him, not caring if she's making a no doubt obvious scene in public]

[menial]

['So I could circle around to the topic endlessly, pointing out that yes, Aikawa is a loser, and even I have things going on outside of it, kind of. Not really things, but people at least. And that we've been over the part where it changes all the time, too. And the part where the jabbing feels like a prison shiv.

But let's just get to it. Is that what I want? Is that what I can be satisfied by? Put another way, is it okay to answer that "Haruhi is my closest buddy here" and forget about it forever? Because no matter how many times you answer some questions they seem to keep coming back, don't they? If it's a door whose latch is broken, no matter how many times you close it, it might sneak ajar again. So unless you just bust it open or you bar it closed, it'll keep causing trouble for you.

Once more. It's been a year. Enough for me to be totally comfortable here once again. And several for her. Enough for her to now look like she's "Haruhi (big)". (Except there was a "Haruhi (small)" already, wasn't there? As always, that just leaves Haruhi as Haruhi.) I didn't learn anything as quickly as things usually happen. Koizumi hasn't even been here to explain anything to me, except mentally, which is annoying enough, but I could use him here right now as the devil on my shoulder which tells me:

No, it's not enough. No, I'll even cause problems myself if it's just a matter of Haruhi being my friend. If Haruhi was just my friend, at home, anyway, it would be a lot easier to answer that question from the start. There's just no way to misconstrue that, even pissed off as I am. Or maybe especially as pissed off as I am.

Ah, but as for the angel on my shoulder, Asahina-san, what do you have to say?

"Kyon-kuuuuuun... We mustn't..."

Wait! Let's not get carried away! The question was--could even the most glowing angel flying in the firmament of heaven dissuade me from this path? And simply put, she never has, has she? With sad eyes, she urges me on, but that only serves to make me want to stay more. But even with that, I don't do it. I still can't explain it, but I just know that's not what the universe had had in store for us. Who's running that universe? I don't know anymore. It's obviously different now, but I haven't changed. Which happens too often. Next time, if you change the universe, just let me go with it...

But what do I do here? I can't stop playing the game, but is the game at a Bad End? Quit, reload, but doesn't matter what I do, the outcome is the same?

I guess I don't get it. I guess I still don't know for sure if it's true. It sure would be stupid to haul off over something that's not even happening, wouldn't it. Except it is happening.'

The anger mostly goes out of him, but not the seriousness.]

...No, that's not what it is. Not what I want or need.

It is nice, though. Thanks.

[Full of some false, burning buoyancy, he starts to turn around, back to the axes, intending to go cut down a tree after all.]

[emp3thy]

[It's an extremely obvious scene, but Haruhi is at least making a good point. Minato might have something to say about 'knowing better,' but he also knows better than to interrupt Haruhi when she's in the middle of an argument...

Especially when she's riled up enough to actually call someone her friend.

And then as soon as it began, the argument ends. Or did it? Something just happened here, some kind of declaration beyond Haruhi's and Kyon's directly. And it doesn't take 'Genius' level Knowledge to extrapolate. 'I'm not in it for that. That's not what I want or need.'

He could say something about telling someone how you feel when you feel it, or else don't be disappointed when the chance is lost. But, he was stuck for so long in the same place Kyon is now that it doesn't seem fair. It's true, but not fair to point it out. He puts his hands back in his pockets.]

If you need some help with that...

[This isn't so much an actual offer to chop down the tree as it is an offer to talk, away from Haruhi, if that's what Kyon wants. Or not.

It's his choice.]

[godbent]

[Haruhi, for her part, is stunned. It's not a simple "oh Kyon talked back" because really, that's not uncommon. It's not uncommon to get into this argument or for her to have the swirling mess of feelings she tends to have in her chest about the two boys next to her. It's that Kyon feels it too - that Kyon acknowledges something that she herself realized over the course of time in Luceti about her and his relationship. Something that, somehow, she didn't think he would know already.

But then, he is from the future. Maybe--

That's not fair. This whole thing isn't fair. Her eyes go from something shocked to something distant in a flash, and the fight ebbs out of her. Because really, what could be said - "I was in love with you," "we dated for a year and you don't remember it," "you left and I never got closure," "I found closure by falling in love again," "I betrayed that person I fell in love with, three times," and "finally, that person I loved broke my heart again." Heartbreak after heartbreak and one failed romance stacked on top of another. She's gone through so much of it, and she realizes now jut how little of it all she's shared with this Kyon. Sharing it now, throwing it at the back of his head, would be so simple. And yet... she can't bring herself to move.

It's cold outside. It's cold, but it should be raining. Instead, she just stares, distantly, at Kyon.]

[menial]

[is it really a good idea to go into the woods with an ax and a romantic partner right now, Minato?

That said, he looks the axes over, then, for reasons he's not sure of, briefly nods at Minato. If he wants to talk, they'll talk. He grabs an ax and heads for the door.]