What is this place?
[ He leans against the large door at his back, idly thumbing the strange device in his hand.
The sun is wrong, at an odd angle, meaning that his flight took him away from Japan at the very least.
But there is an oddness in the air, and something tastes wrong. Smells wrong. He would have picked up on it even as a human. In a breath, he tries ( Read more... )
The sun is wrong, at an odd angle, meaning that his flight took him away from Japan at the very least.
But there is an oddness in the air, and something tastes wrong. Smells wrong. He would have picked up on it even as a human. In a breath, he tries ( Read more... )
...... That voice. It was one that Minato had known well, all too well. At times it even sounded similar to his own. And to hear it again here?]
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It was that tone, more than anything, that chipped at Ryoji's resolve. In his own mind, he could admit that he wanted to believe. Fear was not something he knew how to cope with, but he had held onto it, knowing that believing, and then returning to the world he had only just left and to the inevitable cold press of her gun to his forehead, would be so much worse.
But if he...she (strangely, it increasingly seemed not to matter)...could let him live and not die begging as a result...
And then the words caught up.
A seal. That was feasible, actually. An immortal buried alive was still an immortal, but, perhaps, behind locked doors, Nyx would stop being a bother.
Ryoji was smiling before he even thought to stop himself.]
How did you think of that?
[ And what would it take to make a seal strong enough to hold back the maternal being herself?]
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Minato knew there was the determined resolve not to give up. None of his friends did despite the odds against them. He heard them try to stand up and fight against that crushing power... All the while, he also had his allies in that velvet-lined elevator who gave him guidance... and ties with everyone else who had been a significant part of his life in that single year.
In that final battle, he heard them all. Even Ryoji himself as the Avatar had imparted words that he wouldn't forget. And it had to have been the same for her.]
I had help.
[Which didn't say much, specifically. But Minato elaborated as best he could.]
I faced her by myself. But I wasn't alone. Everyone was there with me.
... We both found the answer to life's greatest
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There was so much to process, too much, between the bridge last night at midnight and the boy before him, now, who knew what he was and what that meant for the world and still had a smile for him, but if Minato could stand there and talk about the Fall with something bordering on tranquility, then he could pull himself together.]
I'm just glad you were able to keep it. Promises, contracts between people, are important things.
[Something warm in Ryoji's chest hoped that, maybe, his contract with Minako was responsible for their extra time at the end. If he/she had to take responsibility for their actions, then that would account for promises, too. They had to keep their promises, despite the will of the world ( ... )
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He let Ryoji hold onto him as long as he needed. It was Minato's turn, in a way, to be there for Ryoji just as Ryoji had been there for Minako and for himself.]
You're welcome... It's the least I can do.
We didn't regret our decision. So you don't have to worry.
[Looking for a way back home had always posed some sort of debate within Minato. He had his duty to attend to, safeguarding the world, and when the time came to return, then he would, though he knew it wouldn't be easy to go back. A part of him had to be thankful to Wonderland, as much of a prison as it was: It had given him that extra, again, borrowed time to be with friends and to make new ones. But there was indeed the possibility that everything about Wonderland would be forgotten when they returned home ( ... )
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A month is...it is a remarkably short amount of time. Time works differently for my kind when people are involved. For the most part, eternity can be...nothing. It can mean nothing, but on the flip side, a day can be infinite. But...all that aside...when I was a human, I perceived the passing of time like one, and...nobody wants to pack all of their living into twenty-four days.
[ But he was smiling, warm and wide, and there was a sparkle of life at the edges of his eyes.]
It will be good to have more time, and taking over her room seems so...fitting, somehow. I think that would be for the best.
[The melancholic drop to his voice began to ebb, and his words took on a lighter, almost lilting edge as humor, forced or otherwise, quirked his lips into a playful grin.]
I mean, it certainly would not be the first time I haunted one of her rooms.
I wonder if it looks like her dorm room in Iwatodai or perhaps her room before that.
[ He slowed in the hallway, pulling Minato up ( ... )
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[That smile, Minato was happy to see it again. Time did hold a great amount of significance for all of them as they watched the calendar, kept track of the phases of the moon, counted down for school trips, holidays, or judgment or promised days. Sometimes the days lasted so long, and sometimes they passed by in the blink of an eye. Minato only had that one year that had changed his life. It might have been short, but he wouldn't have changed a thing.]
I'll take you to her room then.
[Minato headed up to the Third Floor with him. He had to smile again at the mention of haunting. There wasn't anyone else Minato could talk to who would fully understand what that actually meant. He did slow down a bit to address Ryoji's question, but it would be easier to show him since Minato was still unable to figure out how exactly this brand of magic in the Mansion worked.]
The closets can give you things you need. And the room will change to how you like.
You can try it. Here.
[Once they reached Room 4, Minato ( ... )
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Then, Ryoji blinked, and, in an instant, his vision doubled. Perhaps it was simply because he knew that Minako had once lived in this room, but, while he could still see the dark, dusty floors and the bleached walls, he could also see striped, beige wall paper and coral-and-green bedding and carpeting, and, with a second blink, a window seemed to open along the far wall, because light was streaming in through light, blue curtains ( ... )
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Then Ryoji's room had to be a good, close second. For what was once a familiar sight had slowly and gradually transformed into something new. Who was to say that even a Shadow, even Death, could not have hope or even this vivid of an imagination? The room said volumes about his thoughts, his interests, and his identity, the inner workings of his mind. Minato realized that he never did have the opportunity to see where or how Ryoji had lived either.]
It's you...
[In its style, its grace, its own personalized touches down to every last detail.]
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He staggered a few steps backwards, and the back of his knees hit the bed frame making him stumble back onto the checkered comforter.]
So - [He laughed and then bit down on it, trying to keep his smile serene.] - I've got a room, now. My room.
[As irresponsible as it probably was, he was warming to the idea of this...this mansion, this sinkhole in time where, apparently, he did not have to worry about the impending Fall...or at least, he did not have to worry every minute. He doubted he could banish his anxiety completely, but, already, he felt lighter.
After a beat, he surged to his feet, bouncing in place as excitement burned through him, making him almost jittery.]
I know you've been here a while, or...I mean, I am assuming...and, logically, I should probably stay here and get settled, but would you like to explore? Does this place allow that?
[He paused, deflating a bit.But I have probably taken up too ( ... )
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Minato hadn't minded the idea of exploring. Wonderland could always use another thorough investigation. Though he stated that they did have more time together, no one exactly knew when any of them would be sent back home. So the more time he could spend with Ryoji, the better. He smiled, reassuring him that he shouldn't think he was being selfish or had taken up any of his time. In fact, out of anyone, Ryoji should be allowed to be that selfish, to be free of all the worries he had carried with him, even if it was only temporary.]My time is ( ... )
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