39th: The Recreation of Haruhi Suzumiya
[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 (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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]
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]
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Time to face the inevitably awkward man-to-man talk. Minato ends up the last to exit, following Kyon towards the woods.]
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Minato isn't particularly good at breaking silences. He's good at listening, and saying what needs to be said and nothing else extraneous. Starting the conversation, especially one like this, is more difficult.
Where should he start? "I'm sorry." He's not. Not for what Kyon would want him to be. "I didn't know." That's mostly true. He knew about Haruhi's relationship with the past Kyon - or well, Haruki's with Kyonko's - but that was a Luceti relationship, and so, didn't necessarily mean anything here. "If I'd known, I wouldn't have made a move."
That... he can't decide. Objectively, yes. The kindest thing to do in that situation would be to step aside and let Kyon have his chance. Kyon and Haruhi are from the same world. They may not have the long Luceti history, but it's tangled with fewer experiments and besides, whenever this situation ends they'll be back where they belong together.
Minato doesn't have that future to offer her. Just a present.
But more subjectively, and selfishly... he doesn't care. He did make a move and she'd accepted. He's given up a lot of things over his lifetime - sometimes voluntarily, and sometimes not so much. Luceti by its very nature will continue to take the people he cares about. He's come to accept that much. But he's also decided that makes the present even more important. He's not ready to give this relationship up deliberately before seeing where it might go.
If Kyon wants to challenge his decision, he'll have to face that conviction.]
Look. [.....] I asked her out about two months ago. It took her that long to really make up her mind.
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He unwedges the ax, wrenching it free, swinging it lightly, and he takes a few steps away from Minato, staring up into the sky.
He's monologued out. There's going to be none of that here.
Finally, he turns back, not looking at Minato.]
I had more or less a year to say something at home, right? That what you think?
[He hefts the ax up and nearly launches it into the tree at the same spot as before. It doesn't sink much deeper.]
Then I had a year to say something here?
[He shakes his head, letting go of the ax.]
No.
I know what she is. That means there can't be anything else there at home. It's an imbalance of power one way or another. Don't tell her, and I'm always guilty of knowing too much. Tell her, and suddenly there's nothing anyone can do to stop her, not even herself.
A little different here, isn't it? Sure, maybe. Then there was Rockbell. Then there was figuring out who she's become after all this time in this place. There's all of these things which she never shared or wanted to share with me. Most of which I only found out from Shiki. I guess there are boxes more hidden away somewhere. I couldn't get her to spill much of it. Kind of puts a damper on it.
So the question is. Do you know better than me? Or do you know jack shit, like it appears, and you just go off on whatever you feel like at the moment?
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But taking no risks had also gotten him nowhere at all. And it hadn't helped her, either. Haruhi doesn't need someone standing on the sidelines, unable to leave her be but afraid to step in. That kind of person doesn't even register in her world.
It's not fair, but the simple fact of the situation is that Minato took action, and Kyon didn't.]
She doesn't want to share those things because they hurt her. I do know about some of them, because I ended up involved, one way or another. There's probably more things that bother her that I don't know. I don't know that much about her life on Earth, and I didn't know about her powers until you told me.
But honestly, I don't care. Knowing that hasn't changed anything. Neither would anything else she might suddenly say.
[...he takes a breath.]
So, yes. If you let yourself care so much about what she is and what she's done that you couldn't ask her out, then I do know better than you.
[It's extremely direct. But this isn't a conversation for niceties and veiled intentions.]
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I told you you're an X-factor, didn't I? Yeah. Exactly because of that. Why do you want what you want? What's going on behind that blank asshole face? Does she even know? "Everyone has parts of themselves that they keep hidden." How many goddamn "personas" are you hiding behind? What is it that you know better than me?
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[.....] ...Her personality's not normal, but she is.
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No. That's not new to anyone.
You know what your sister told me? "You're a lot like my brother. You both accommodate people." That can go pretty far with some people. Maybe a lot of people. All they need is someone to listen or say nice things, think whatever they want but stick to the nice things. And it's kind of the same, but it's more different with her. There's something else, something mixed up with traditions and time loops and all that messy crap. Abnormal, normal, yeah, I can see all of that. It's got something to it -- but -- she's more than that.
Haruhi is just... Haruhi.
['...
Fuck.
And I'm John Smith.
...Again.']
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[except replace 'Kyon' with his real name because that's what he used.
And then he pauses, because how can he explain himself? He can't. There's no magical "nice thing" to say in this situation.]
Minako's right. I accommodate people. I've accommodated Haruhi for a long time and so have you. I know you really care about her, and maybe you would be better for her in the long run. I don't know.
But... I'm not going to accommodate you this time. Because I care about her, too.
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['Additionally, would never ask it from you, asshole. Boring asshole to boot.
...Yes, I also called him a "good guy" at the same time. Someone can be a boring asshole and a good guy at the same time, right? I mean, I still think it's true. At least it's reawakening my inner monologue.']
I think she's probably got more to say about that than me. That's not the point.
['Which is what again? Mostly that I predict a screwup in short order. And... Well, I don't actually want that.']
...We'll have to see.
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[...] But I don't plan to let that happen.
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['You really have to combine irritatingly obvious statements with being a boring asshole here, Arisato?']
It's like I said before. If you screw it up, you screw everything up. I don't want to see that either.
['"True self" or no, I think Haruhi's power has the advantage on him.']
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I know that already.
If you're really worried, you can help by not adding on guilt.
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Guess I'm not that worried.']
Whatever guilt you have is your own issue, for you to think about on your own time, if you do any of that.
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[like that display of jealous bitterness that ended with them in the woods with an axe.]
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No reply to that.]
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...Let's finish with this tree.
[Because just leaving it with a couple of axe marks and disappearing would make Moro roll in her grave.]
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[and then they chopped down a tree in silence?]
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And probably carried it back in silence, too. Unless Kyon comes up with something else to say.]