We never get respect, never a fair trial

[revengeslance]

Who: Ken and Shinji
When: August 27, afternoon
Where: P3Place
Summary: An intensely awkward conversation between a shota and the guy he can't stand
Warnings: Fail and awkward. Oh, and P3 spoilers

Comments

[weaktobullets]

The afternoons with just he and Ken in the apartment were probably the worst ones he had to spend in the Port-- with Mitsuru and Minako working and Akihiko... probably out training, really, it just left himself (The unemployeed one,) and the kid. it would be better when Ken had school, he was sure, but for now it was just... uncomfortable.

Uncomfortable and frustrating, knowing that Ken wanted nothing more than for Shinji to die at his hands, knowing that he had about a month to handle this before Ken would make another attempt. There was no classy way to bring it up and shoot down the kid's hopes and dreams after all-- so Shinjiro was just doing what he did best: avoiding it.

He walked into the living room, lifting a brow at Ken lying back against the dog. Thankfully with his habit of staying out all night and sleeping in until mid-afternoon he didn't have to spend too long alone with Ken. So he'd suck it up for the next few hours. "You eaten yet?"

The question was posed carelessly as he opened the fridge, tilting his head to look over his options. He needed to go shopping sometime, but he's get to that some other time. A hand came up to scratch at his neck, watch dripping on it from his hair, still damp from a shower. "I'm gonna make somethin'-- lemme know if you want anything."

[revengeslance]

School started too soon in Ken's mind. He didn't want to deal with being a new student on top of a newcomer here. Even a kid could tell that the people who'd been here their whole lives weren't found of the recent arrivals. Ken had the feeling that school was going to be incredibly awkward for him, even if it did mean he didn't have to spend afternoons around Shinji all the time.

Ken had no way to know that Shinji knew what October 4th would likely have in store for him. He'd seen other people be told about the differences in time points, but everyone here seemed pretty much the same as ever, so he didn't have a reason to think they were all from his future. Hopefully someone would bring it up before the big day came if only to prevent the inevitable from happening.

He didn't say anything to Shinji when he came into the room. Avoiding him was the easier way of dealing with things. "I had breakfast." But not lunch. Ken didn't feel too hungry today for some reason. "You don't need to make me anything, Shinjiro-san."

[weaktobullets]

He glanced up, frowning for a second. "Breakfast was a while ago," He rolled a shoulder. What, did Ken think he was going to poison him?

...Well, actually, he might have for all Shinjiro knew. Or maybe he saw it as a sort of insult to his mother to even consider associating with him. He glanced down at the counter for a moment, stomach knotting for a moment. He couldn't blame Ken, really. In fact that sort of thing was all too deserved.

He didn't fight the issue, though, instead quietly moving things in the kitchen and trying not to earn the attention of Roland looking for scraps. The last thing he needed was to take away Ken's 'pillow' as well. Still, the silence was oppressive, and he was keenly aware of each movement, the way a spoon clattered when he dropped it to the counter, how audible his quite 'Fuck it,' was.

"You got all your school shit picked up yet?" he glanced up again, just trying to fill in the gaps with meaningless conversation.

[revengeslance]

Poison didn't even cross Ken's mind. Between not being hungry and acting friendly enough towards Shinji, he just didn't want to bother him more than he really needed to. And Ken wanted to learn how to cook on his own anyway. He'd never become as good a cook as his mother if he didn't try, right?

Roland shifted under Ken, but he didn't move completely until Ken started to pet his belly. He rolled over then and Ken smiled. The quiet around them was weird, of course, but Ken tried not to think too much about it. Shinji was probably just being his grumpy self, he figured.

"Huh? Uh, I think I've got everything ready for school once it starts. Are you gonna start working soon like Mitsuru-san and Minako-san do?" Ken asked, faking his curiosity.

[weaktobullets]

He paused for a moment at the question, before shaking his head. "Probably not. Someone's gotta take care've shit." Which was kind of a lie, but whatever. "'Sides, I'm no good at that sort of thing." Just like he was no good at school and paying attention. Or... anything else, really. It wasn't as though Shinji had any plans or idea on what to do with his life. He knew he was part of SEES and that he'd stay with Aki and Mitsuru and help them. That was all he needed.

He gave a soft, almost joking snort as he set a pen on the stove, as though not paying too much attention to the conversation. "Why, you got any suggestions?" He kind of doubted it, but who knew. Still, there weren't many- if any at all- jobs he could imagine attempted that wouldn't end with him hating everything. He just didn't have the patience or the people skills-- or the ability to set down his pride that much.

"Right now I've been hunting monsters at night. Some people been buyin' them off me for.. fuck all if I know, studies or some shit. It's close enough."

[revengeslance]

"Aren't the girls supposed to take care of cleaning things?" he wondered. Ken couldn't help his mind being on more traditional ways of doing things. It was how his mom had taught him and what he still thought was the normal pattern. "And you might be good at taking care of pets at a store." Shinji liked Roland and he'd like Koromaru at home, so the suggestion make perfect sense in his 11-year-old mind.

Ken shifted on the floor to keep petting and scratching Roland. It wasn't the same as having Koro-chan here with them, but it still helped take away some of the awkwardness of being new here. There were people he knew and a dog that liked him, so that kept Ken mostly happy.

"I want to go out more at night and train, but I don't think Mitsuru-san will let me." He seemed a little disappointed by that.

[weaktobullets]

He frowned at the 'girl' comment. "Well-- yeah." There was a note of being afronted. Sure, so staying at home and cooking and taking care of the dog and the like was usually what girls did. So? "But the girls're at work. Unless you want some chores t'do 'round here, then you should just be glad I get to it instead."

...The comment about vets made him pause for a moment, thinking about it for a second as he poured a bit of oil into the pan. He was good with animals, that was true. But he didn't like the people who tended to own said animals. And the idea of watching demanding children stomp into a pet store and beg their parents for a puppy... No, he didn't think he could deal with that for hours a day, every day. Maybe at a shelter or a vet clinic or something.

...Which would require going to school. Damn it. "Who knows. I'm good for now." Another awkward shrug as he watched what he was doing, rather than looking over and making eye-contact. It was easier to stay distant this way.

"Maybe on the weekends you can go out with the team. Ask Minako." He couldn't blame Mitsuru for not wanting Ken to go out- not just because he was a kid, but also because they stayed out longer and later since it was more than just an hour, and he would have school in a new area as well. Not to mention that it might keep him from honing his rage as he trained.

"And it ain't just fightin' monsters. I'm sure Aki'd be more than happy to take you running and shit."

[revengeslance]

"I dunno why they work. Doesn't Minako-san have to go to school soon too?" As far as he knew, Mitsuru, Akihiko, and Shinji were the only ones who might not need to. But with time being weird, Ken wasn't really sure of much anymore. Maybe he'd actually ask someone what day it'd been for them before they got here and make sense of things after hearing what they had to say.

Ken stayed quiet as Shinji thought over his suggestion. Had he said something good or something wrong? Shelters probably didn't mean going to school, or so he thought. What did he know, if he was just a kid to everyone else?

He stood up, stretched, and only went into the kitchen because Roland's treats were in there. "Weekends only isn't enough time, especially if I'm not allowed to use my Persona very much. I don't have space to practice alone like I did in the dorms either." Ken grabbed a few treats from the bag they were in and sighed. "I'll ask Sanada-san about the other things though."

Ken hesitated before turning around, the question of dates and points in time suddenly very heavily on his mind. Should he ask now or wait for someone he got along with better to get home first?

[weaktobullets]

"...I think you're the only one going to school here," Well, it was true. Akihiko and Mitsuru had graduated, Shinji was at least a year and a half behind, not accounting for all the not-paying-attention he did when he had actually shown up, and Minako... They hadn't spoken about it, but he had seen her commenting on the network. He couldn't say he blamed her, either. Hell, he was amazed at how much she managed to care despite being dead, really; it was something he just couldn't seem to manage sometimes. "And they work 'cause this ain't like the dorms and we don't got the Kirijo group funding us."

He glanced over out of the corner of his eye as Ken walked over, shifting so that he could keep an eye on the kid,. He wasn't nervous around Ken or anything-- he just preferred knowing what he was doing, especially in such proximity. "Maybe you can find a place to practice during the day. You can't be staying up all night all the time." After all, they tended to stay out well into the Darkness sometimes.

"Not like there's much to fight here besides the monsters, anyway." And himself. But hopefully it wouldn't come to that.

[revengeslance]

"That's kinda weird," he muttered. Minako, if she was anything like Minato, still had a year to go, right? Ken knew nothing about what the future had in store for her, or for any of them. "I still think you should work too." If Shinji worked, Ken would have to be around him less and that was perfectly fine with him.

Ken wouldn't think about hurting Shinji until October 4, even though he really wanted to. It'd been just a day away at home and the waiting made him want to explode from tension at times. This just wasn't fair. "I'll try to find somewhere, Shinjiro-san. I know I can't stay up all night once school starts."

[weaktobullets]

He shrugged at the 'weird' comment. It made sense for him-- but then again, he knew more than Ken did. Besides, University for Aki and Mitsuru would take funds and eliminate some of their income simply due to time constraint-- and for what? It wasn't as though anything earned here would be acknowledged back home. As Ken mentioned he should work, though, he scoffed.

"...Told you, I'm no good at that sort've thing. Only thing I'd manage to do is piss everyone off." Himself, potential employers, anyone he had to deal with, and probably housemates upon returning home. He just didn't have the right disposition or temperament, as far as he was concerned, so why bother trying?

Again he rolled a shoulder. "You still got weekends. Hell, there's probably other kids pulled here that want to practice shit too, who knows."

[revengeslance]

"You could go to school too, right?" he wondered before he turned to leave the room. Ken didn't know what else to say right now and he wanted to just go quiet again until other people were at home to mediate the entirely weird way all of this conversation felt.

"And I'll think about finding other kids. Maybe they'll be nice."