loudmouths | IC INBOX; RECOLLE

[ keigo's eyes narrowed at the initial response, once again urging him to use all of his willpower to not start yelling like he so desperately wanted to. instead, he sat down on the chair and sulked, his face flaring red when this guy continued to tease him about the stupid memory. ]

Look, I'm not a stalker!! I've never followed anyone around in my life!!

[ just to complete the image, he crossed his arms over his chest and looked away. ]

There's no way I would do something like that!! And if you're gonna buy me something, then I want the most expensive thing they offer.

[ because if he was meant to endure hazing, at least he could get something good out of it. ]

'kay.

[And when one of the workers comes by, Baren will wave them down and order exactly that. "The most expensive thing on the menu" and shrugs from there. Guess you'll get something surprising and hopefully delicious, Keigo.

Then back to the matter at hand, Baren snorts faintly.]

You sure? You were deeeefinitely going real hard for tracking this guy down in the shit I saw. I can still kinda see it? [he taps his hand helpfully - the memory's still with him] Are you into him or something? Crazy crush? Jealous ex?

[ whatever it was, it didn't end up mattering. if keigo didn't like it, he'd just throw it out; wasting this guy's money held more weight than actually having something good to eat. though, with the way things were going, it was unlikely he'd even have an appetite, anyway. ]

Wh-wha--

[ he thought he couldn't go any redder. he was very wrong. ]

I-I don't even know that guy!! So that's why there's no way that it was me! I wouldn't j-just follow someone around like that for no reason!!

Maybe you had a reason.

And maybe that reason was romance.

[ . . . . ]

Or you could be delusional. They're more similar than people think.

[ EXCUSE THE HELL OUT OF YOU. ]

IT'S NEITHER!!

[ there it was... he finally lost his temper. well, sort of; he wasn't flipping tables over or anything, but he certainly wasn't doing well with volume control anymore. ]

It's just a stupid vision! It's not a real memory!

Edited 2017-07-27 23:53 (UTC)

[NICE.

Baren seems delighted despite the outburst, cracking up... Someone doesn't care about his reputation but poor Keigo here might suffer the embarrassment as people look over.]

Shit, this level of denial's amazing.

You know that's not the only one though, right? There are other things - I think there was a chain attached to somebody? Are you too embarrassed to admit that that might be true, too?

[ keigo was a very... impulsive person, baren might realize. he didn't really think too much in advance about his actions, though regret would certainly find him eventually. the looks he was getting weren't paid attention to just yet in favor of... ]

...

[ a sort of paled over look in his face. he lowered his hand down onto the table, fingers tight at the edge, and he looked to one side. ]

...That's nothing. Just a bad dream.

Probably not.

[Baren tilts his head then - actually sincere in his interest.]

You'll need to be a better liar than that if you want to convince anyone, guy.

I'm not lying.

[ he was, though... ]

Anyway, does it really matter? If you believe these memories I got are yours, then you can have them, 'cause I really don't like what I'm seein', anyway.

Trust me when I say I don't want you to see them either.

[Regardless of what they are. They show glimpses of a life way too difficult for even Baren to stomach. That sort of thing would be a gruesome burden on anyone.

Not to mention it just feels too goddamn personal.]

How exactly are we supposed to swap again? I don't remember opting in to this weirdo experiment in the first place.

[ well, that was fair... keigo didn't really want this guy seeing his own visions, either, regardless of if they were real or not. it was too confusing and too personal. ]

I dunno... How do these things usually get fixed in movies?

[ ...how many memory swapping movies are there, though... ]

Maybe we just gotta concentrate?

Since you got here, I've been thinking "how do I get this guy out of my space".

Concentration probably isn't the answer, moron.

[you could be nicer about it, baren]

[ well that was ... really rude?! time to give him a very Nasty Look. ]

Hey, I didn't ask for this to happen to us, y'know!! Honestly, I can just leave right now and keep whatever weird visions these are!!

[ what a stupid threat... ]

You won't.

[So confidently! Mostly because Baren thinks that someone wouldn't want anyone else to have something so personal but also - ]

Or I'll just tell everyone in the city you're a stalker.

[ well, this guy's right. keigo didn't want that outcome at all. ]

Who would believe you, though?

[ a fair question, he figured... though the idea of that kind of rumor being spread about him still did bring him a great deal of anxiety. ]

Enough. I can be pretty convincing!

[CONFIDENTLY - but also not wrong. Baren's charming when he wants to be, oddly enough. Though even then - ]

The alternative is that the rumor doesn't pick up because you're not interesting enough to talk about and you get confirmation about being a nobody.

Doesn't sound pleasant either way, right? So let's avoid that, Stalker-kun.

[ keigo can see a bad time when it starts to creep upon him... so he's luckily not particularly difficult to persuade this time around.

though goddamn that was harsh! the stubborn front quickly melted away in exchange for something more distant. ]

Yeah, okay, fine.

[ he exhaled, looking downward, but unfocused, like his mind was elsewhere. ]

What do you suggest, then.

[baren's brutally honest on a good day - but walking away with something important to him does risk the chance of him getting all the colder.]

It's a stupid idea but.... Give me your hand.

[And Baren offers his own, palm up.]

[ and keigo had the propensity to be extremely sensitive, so this was a great combination, clearly... he almost allowed himself to be swept up by his own emotions, but baren's voice seemed a good enough distraction. ]

...eh? W...why.

[ he looked suspicious, to say the least, especially after that bit about him being a stalker... his mind went places. ]

I don't want to be the butt of some joke, so you gotta have a good reason behind this.

Nah, I'm actually looking for solutions now.

[was he not.... earlier....]

The memories are mine, you know? So makes me wonder if they'll automatically switch over to me if there's some kind of contact. Sorta like how static energy sends a shock.

[ ...well. that wasn't the most reassuring of responses, but at this point, what did keigo have to lose?

aside from his self-esteem and dignity, anyway. ]

You think it's that simple?

[ he certainly sounded incredulous, but all the same, what else were they supposed to do? so, yeah, he reached forward and grasped baren's hand, perhaps with a grip that belied his seemingly wimpish attitude. ]

IC INBOX; RECOLLE

no subject

no subject

no subject

[1/2]

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject