limitlesspossibilities

[limitlesspossibilities]

Happy birthday Amada-kun! Don't forget that you're not alone and you have a ton of people on your side to help you overcome difficulties in your life. Your mom would want you to live and be happy, and she's proud of you doing your best, wherever she is now. She may be not here anymore, but a part of her lives within your heart, in your memories. Treasure those memories, and use it as strength to keep living and moving on. If you need help, you can count on from those who love and appreciate you dearly. It's okay to feel sad and cry for people who have left this world. But if you keep them in your heart, they will always exist and will never be forgotten. (Sorry, I'm bad at cheering people up! I wanted to make something to cheer you up uhh... Someone told me to write this? But... I'm not good with people...) A-anyway... If you need anything, you can ask.

This was left next to the stuff left at Ken's room door...

He really wasn't alone, was he? Sometimes he wondered if he was just a burden on the people around him, if his mom could really be proud of him when he failed his mission to get revenge for her, but this letter was an important reminder that he had a whole group of people who were there for him.

Maybe he shouldn't have spent the day hiding from them...

Ken clutched the letter close to his chest, using his free arm to wipe the tears in his eyes. He was so grateful to have such incredible friends.

[limitlesspossibilities]

[Ken probably wanted to be left alone right now…a feeling that Minato understood all too well. But Ken was just a kid, and it wasn’t right to let him wallow during an occasion that should be happy. Special occasions, like birthdays, hadn’t been celebrated much in Minato’s own life…so when he noticed that Ken had chosen to isolate himself today, he felt compelled to do something.]

[His “gifts” weren’t much; he’d gotten a handful of different treats from the sweets shop ( he wasn’t sure if Ken had a favorite candy or baked good, so he kind of bought them all ) and a few books from his adoptive grandparents’ Bunkichi and Mitsuko’s book store. Minato had a favorite story or two in mind, books that had gotten him through the rougher parts of his childhood…so it made sense to share them with a kid who was struggling the way he had, right?]

[Minato balanced his bag of assorted sweets on top of copies of “Kitchen,” “Moonlight Shadow,” and “Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World” in one arm, then used his free hand to knock on Ken’s door. Now he just had to hope that Ken would answer.]

{ happy birthday ken!!! }

Ken had just been sitting at his desk, absentmindedly petting Hamburger's head with one finger. The little party hat he'd made out of a scrap of paper had already been chewed up by the hamster, and he was debating making another one just to get his mind off things when he heard the knock at his door. Ken lifted his head, briefly wondering if he could get away with not answering it, but he didn't want whoever was out there to worry about him.

"Just a minute," he sighed, gently scooping Hamburger off the desk and placing him safely back in his cage before getting up to open the door. He was surprised to see Minato standing there, and even more surprised at the pile of stuff balanced precariously in his arm. Those weren't for him, were they...?

"What are you doing with all that, Minato-san?" Ken stepped to the side to let him in, watching with wide, curious eyes. "It's a little late for spring cleaning, isn't it?"

[limitlesspossibilities]

“   sorry   . . .   my mind’s on other things .   ” and dojima!

"...Do you wanna talk about it?" He wouldn't pester her if she didn't; Dojima trusted Madoka enough to come to him if she really needed help with something. Still, he'd like to hear her out if she was willing to talk. If nothing else, it would be nice to at least know what was going on in his niece's life. He wasn't always the most present in Nanako's, but he was making an effort to do better for both of the girls.

"I got some ice cream, if that would make you feel better. It's in the freezer."

[limitlesspossibilities]

Mitsuru has bought Ken a gift basket of all his favourite snacks and treats. She's left it outside his door with a small note that reads: "Happy Birthday, Amada. May you have a wonderful day. Feel free to request anything you'd like from me; I'll do my best to make it happen for you. From Mitsuru."

Ken had been quiet about his birthday, not wanting to call attention to it, but he knew the others were probably aware of it anyway. Mitsuru, at least, probably would have seen it since he was sure it was in whatever records Ikutsuki had kept of the SEES members.

He hadn't expected her to actually go out of her way to do anything for it though, so when Ken finally went to leave his room and spotted the gift basket sitting there, he froze. Hesitantly, he reached down to read the note, and then looked over the contents of the basket. Mitsuru must have been paying closer attention to him than he realized to pick out so many of his favorite treats. The thought was a little embarrassing, but... it felt nice, knowing he had someone watching over him like that.

"...You didn't have to do all this just for me," Ken muttered quietly to himself as he carefully lifted the basket and took it into his room. He'd have to thank Mitsuru properly next time he saw her. Maybe making her some coffee would be a good way to show his appreciation...

[limitlesspossibilities]

Ken places a tiny hamster-sized party hat on Hamburger's head. He knows he shouldn't just hide in his room all day, but celebrating his birthday without his mom feels weird.

[limitlesspossibilities]

"Because you're the best big brother in the world and I love you!" Technically not a lie, even if it wasn't something Sakura would so readily admit normally. She's even going to let the kaiju nickname pass this time as she puts on her most innocent smile.

"But Dad said you're working at the water park this weekend, and since it's been so hot out, I was hoping you could help me and my friends get tickets? Pretty please?"

@limitlesspossibilities liked for a starter

"All right, kaijuu."

Touya leans against his chair, pinning Sakura a flat expression. "What exactly are you aiming for?" He asks, cautiously. "And what makes you think I'm going to accept whatever proposal?"

[limitlesspossibilities]

“   are you really sure that you don’t have a heart ?   ” -for ryoji!

"Shadows can't have hearts." He knew he wasn't like other Shadows, and he knew he very much did have a heart. He could feel it beating in his chest. At one point he had been grateful for that, but right now he just wished he could tear it out.

Why did he have to be cursed with a heart? Why did he have to be cursed to care about the people he was destined to kill? The hand resting over his heart curled into a fist as Ryoji gritted his teeth, unable to stop himself from breaking down into tears. If only Minato would just kill him, that would hurt less than feeling these emotions.

"I don't... I don't want to have a heart, Minato... I'm not strong enough..."

[limitlesspossibilities]

“You don’t have to worry about me.” (Shinji to Makoto!) - @epitomees

"We're friends. Of course I'm going to worry about you." There wasn't much else he could do. The drugs in Shinjiro's system would kill him eventually, Makoto couldn't stop that. But he could at least be there for him. Worry about him and show him he had people who cared.

"Let me get you some water, okay? You should rest."

[limitlesspossibilities]

“   c’mon ,   let’s get some ice cream .   ” kanji!!

"Ah, yeah, that's a good idea!" His current project - a little stuffed bunny - was a present for his mom, and he thought it'd be better to work on it outside rather than at home where she could walk in and see it.

But it was so unbearably hot out today. He'd only been working for a little while, but Kanji seriously felt like he was going to pass out from this heat. Madoka's suggestion perked him right up though; ice cream was the perfect solution. He smiled, quickly reaching to pack up his things. The little bunny could wait until after he'd cooled off.

"I'll buy this time. You wanna go to Junes?"

[limitlesspossibilities]

“   all this fighting   . . .   i wonder what it’s for .   ” -for junpei!

"To save people, right? We're like superheroes, isn't that enough?" Junpei's smile was forced as he covered the wound in his arm, and it sounded like he was trying to convince himself more than Minato. He tried his hardest not to show weakness in front of their leader, but sometimes the fighting really did scare him. His newest injury would be fine once he could patch it up back at the dorm, but if it had been deeper? If he had been just a little slower in dodging the Shadow's attack?

It was a reminder that they weren't just playing superhero. They were risking their lives.

"But hey, you don't have to fight if you don't wanna. I'm sure Kirijo-senpai would have no problem making me the leader if you wanted to step down!"

[limitlesspossibilities]

“what would it take for me to be like you??” @Kanji

"Huh? You wanna be like me?" Is he being messed with? Nobody's ever said that about him before. For a minute Kanji just stands there, dumbfounded. At the very least, the question seems sincere, but...

"...Why would you wanna be like me, huh?"

[limitlesspossibilities]

"My name is of no importance."

(thinking of Yuug my boy)

"Aw c'mon, don't be like that!" Seriously, something about this guy kind of creeped him out... "If you're in this world too, that makes you a Chosen Child, right? So we should be friends!"

"Yeah, let's be friends!" The Coronamon standing next to Junpei chimed in excitedly.

[limitlesspossibilities]

“   what’s the matter ??   you look like you’ve seen a ghost .   ” for junpei!! :3c

"Ugh, I wish it was a ghost." Junpei slumps down on the couch next to Madoka. He really didn't want to burden her with his problems, but well, she did ask, and he didn't want to worry her by keeping secrets either.

"...I just wanted to go to a movie," he sighs after a moment of debating the best way to tell her. "But I... I saw my dad at the theater. We don't exactly... have the best relationship, y'know? I haven't talked to him at all since I came to the dorms."

He still hadn't. He'd come back to the dorm immediately after he saw his dad in line for tickets. He knew he'd been spotted though; he felt his phone vibrating in his pocket on the way back.

[limitlesspossibilities]

❥     𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐃𝐎𝐌 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐒 𝟑𝟓𝟖/𝟐 𝐃𝐀𝐘𝐒 ( 𝟏.𝟓 𝐑𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐗 )   (   𝟐𝟎𝟏𝟑   )    [   𝚂𝙴𝙽𝚃𝙴𝙽𝙲𝙴 𝚂𝚃𝙰𝚁𝚃𝙴𝚁𝚂    ]   .

change gendered language   &   add context to your needs . happy roleplaying !!  ♡

“   are you really sure that you don’t have a heart ??   ” “   i can give you purpose .   ” “   man ,   i miss the old times .   ” “   bet you don’t know why the sun sets red .   ” “   like i asked ,   know - it - all .   ” “   you worried about the new kid ??   ” “   you said the same exact thing the other day .   ” “   i don’t even know what a heart is .   ” “   i have to keep fighting the darkness .   so i can be whole .   ” “   c’mon ,   let’s get some ice cream .   ” “   i’m gonna be away for a while ,   starting tomorrow .   ” “   i wish somebody told me these things .   ” “   find them ,   &   dispose of them .   ” “   this place is so much nicer without the loudmouths .   ” “   you earned the icing on the cake .   ” “   this is such a great spot   . . .   how’d you find it ??   ” “   we’re not even supposed to   ‘  be  ’   in the first place .   ” “   he looks a lot like you .   ” “   my name is of no importance .   ” “   i hope that you can join me next time .   ” “   what’s the matter ??   you look like you’ve seen a ghost .   ” “   you had me worried .   ” “   i guess i just needed a little time to sort out my feelings ,   you know ??   ” “   what ,   not even   one little word   of appreciation ??    ” “   good to see you made it back safe .   ” “   i moved things along just the way you wanted .   ” “   he must’ve rubbed off on me .   ” “   friends need to lean on each other every now   &   then .   ” “   just eat your ice cream .   ” “   best friends are different from plain friends ,   right ??   ” “   let us remember why we are here   &   what we hope to achieve .   ” “   all this fighting   . . .   i wonder what it’s for .   ” “   i just don’t see why having a heart is that important .   ” “   i think i’ve always been pretty much the same .   ” “   i wonder what kind of guy i was before   . . .   ” “   i thought you said you were tough .   ” “   buy me one   &   we’ll call it even .   ” “   i hope we can always be just like this forever .   ” “   well   . . .   nothing lasts forever ,   you know ??   ” “   wow ,   that was   so   not you .   ” “   ever heard of knocking ??   what do you want   ??   ” “   i can handle all the dirty work .   ” “   i knew you’d be here .   ” “   i hope we get another vacation soon .   ” “   i’m not going to tell you   all   my dark secrets .   ” “   you’re letting yourself get too attached .   ” “   you know   . . .   you’ve changed .   ” “   just give me another chance .   ”

“   you were a mistake i never should have made .   ” “   is there anything you couldn’t bear to lose ??   ” “   it’s scary to think of what it would be like without you .   ” “   you can’t fight fire with sparks .   ” “   find a new crowd .   trust me ,   those guys are bad news .   ” “   sorry   . . .   my mind’s on other things .   ” “   do you ever think about why we’re doing all of this ??   ” “   just be straight with me for once ,   will you ??   ” “   did you bring me these seashells ??   ” “   keep your mouth shut .   ” “   does the past mean nothing to you ??   ” “   don’t scare me like that anymore .   ” “   maybe you’re not completely well yet .   ” “   it almost sounds as though you know .   ” “   who am i ??   what am i here for ??   ” “   you made me a promise .   ” “   i’m sorry   . . .   i’m not sure i’ve kept my promise very well .   ” “   am i not supposed to exist ??   ” “   what would it take for me to be like you ??   ” “   to be honest ,   i’m not even sure today really happened .   ” “   since when do you ever worry about me ??   ” “   it’s just not the same without all three of us .   ” “   i’m nothing more than a puppet .   ” “   do you hate me for taking your friend away from you ??   ” “   how will i know where i belong ,   truly ??   ” “   the answer you come up with can’t just be right for   you .   ” “   well ,   we’ve had our share of drama lately .   ” “   i know we’ve seen a lot of sunsets ,   but today’s puts them all to shame .   ” “   if we ran ,   i bet we could always be together .   ” “   i think you know what needs to be done .   ” “   stop pretending .   ” “   why is it that you always have to glare at me like that ??   ” “   i’m asking you   why   you did that ,   &   you know it .   ” “   you’re not making any sense .   ” “   if only the whispers at the top carried to the bottom .   ” “   can you at least try not to harm her ??   ” “   could it be that you’ve known this whole time   &   not told me anything ??   ” “   i’ve been searching for a way to conquer the darkness within me .   ” “   you don’t have to worry about me .   ” “   best friends are supposed to be   honest   with each other !!   ” “   finding out the truth doesn’t always work out for the best .   ” “   if i can’t get answers here ,   i’ll get them somewhere else .   ” “   no one would miss me .   ” “   everybody thinks they’re right   . . .   ” “   you think you can do whatever you want   . . .   well ,   i’m   sick   of it .   ” “   i’ll always be there to bring you back .   ” “   why you gotta cause me so much trouble   . . . ??   ” “   am i the one who did this to you ??   ” “   why are you trying to stop me ??   ” “   i can’t let you go do anything crazy .   ”

[limitlesspossibilities]

"Minato!" Ryoji’s eyes widened in shock as Minato's legs gave out, and he quickly got to his own knees as he rushed to his side, resting a hand on his friend's back in an effort to comfort him. He wanted so badly to argue, to beg Minato to kill him so he wouldn’t have to suffer anymore, but how could he do that when Minato had pushed himself this far for his sake? Ryoji had always admired that stubborn side, but now…

“You fight, and you’ll die a painful death.” His voice was quiet. Defeated. Tears spilled down his face again but he was so focused on the broken boy in front of him that he hardly noticed. “I won’t be able to do anything to stop it.”

Ryoji gave a shaky sigh. He felt like such a failure for letting this happen. If only he could just fight Nyx himself, but he didn't stand a chance against her.

Still, if Minato was that determined to fight until the very end, Ryoji would do what he could, too. Even if it was useless, he couldn't leave his friends to fight a losing battle alone. Maybe if they worked together they really could pull off a miracle. And if not? At least they'd die knowing they did everything they could.

“…New Years is when I’ll disappear. If you want to find some way to stop that, you have until then.” Ryoji pulled his hand away and ran it through his hair, glancing up at the clock on the wall as if he was already counting down the time they had left.

“For now, I'll stay with you. I doubt I’ll be much help, but… I can at least help you out in Tartarus."

["There's nothing you can do." No matter how many times Ryoji repeated himself, Minato refused to listen; if he succumbed to the same hopelessness that Ryoji had, he wouldn't have a reason to keep living. He'd rather die fighting than forgetting everything he and his friends had gone through. Another selfish contributor to his decision, though Ryoji had insisted that they keep personal feelings out of this decision, was that he didn't have the heart to hurt Ryoji. Even if he wanted to return to ignorance, he couldn't do it. It wasn't going to happen.]

[That strong, personal desire to fight -- an instinct that Pharos had once encouraged -- made him reject Ryoji's fate even more. There had to be a way. Foolish as it may have been, Minato had to find a way...not just for himself, but for Ryoji, too.]

[Ryoji had said it himself; despite his origins, learned to love and appreciate this world and those who inhabited it the same way Minato had. They'd discovered the power of bonds together, in a way. Ryoji's existence as himself, not a personification of death, was being cut short because of Nyx...a being that Minato had already resolved to fight, one way or another. Ryoji was part of that fight now.]

❝ Quit saying that. ❞ [Frustration and desperation harmonized in his tone.] ❝ I don't care if it's all hopeless! There has to be something! Anything! ❞

[Minato's outburst came at the cost of his legs falling beneath him, an embarrassing collapse in the middle of a plea like this. But...as always, he was sure Ryoji would understand why. If anything, maybe it would remind him of how strong Minato's emotions about this entire mess were...]

❝ Nyx...won't stop me from fighting for you. I can't just let you disappear, I can't... ❞ [Winded from the fall and the second onslaught of tears, he struggled to speak between silent sobs.] ❝ You've...always been there for me. Now let me be here for you. ❞

[Ryoji remained insistent; there was nothing he could do, so he wanted to ease everyone's suffering. Minato shook his head fiercely. Ryoji was speaking like this decision was a no-brainer...that Minato would prefer to erase everyone's memories, but nothing could be further from the truth. For now, this might be a personal conviction motivated by attachment, but he was sure his friends would share this sentiment eventually. He wouldn't kill Ryoji.]

❝ I'm not going to kill you...so stop talking like that. I don't want to forget. Haven't you been with me long enough to get that? ❞

[limitlesspossibilities]

Yeah, the doctors ran some blood work and discovered I was actually the Thing all along. No, I don't know if my insurance will cover it

[limitlesspossibilities]

He didn't get it. How could Minato not blame him? His existence was going to end the world. And even if that part was out of his hands, he'd still actively killed people when he was a Shadow. He'd hurt Aigis as Ryoji so badly he wasn't even sure if she'd be fully repaired in time to help SEES deal with The Fall. How could Minato be okay with that? How could he not see that everyone would be far better off if Ryoji Mochizuki never existed?

He bit his lip, deciding not to voice those thoughts. It would just upset Minato more, and that was the last thing Ryoji wanted. Besides, as badly as it hurt to hear, he was truly grateful Minato didn't regret their time together. It made him feel a little less selfish for looking back fondly on those memories.

"...I already told you, there's nothing you can do." Ryoji wiped his tears away and forced himself to face his friend once again. The desperation in Minato's voice felt like a knife through his heart, but he managed to keep his composure.

"It doesn't matter how strong you are, Nyx can't be defeated. Once she arrives, I'll become one with her, and everyone will die. Nothing will change that fate, so you shouldn't even bother trying."

It had to be said, but the words still felt wrong as they left his mouth. He'd spent so long encouraging Minato as Pharos, and now to tell him to just give up at the end... He really was despicable, wasn't he?

"That's why I need to leave, Minato. Please, I want you to understand. Losing your memories so you don't have to fear The Fall is the only choice left, and if I stay it'll just make it harder on you when it's time for you to kill me. I'm trying to ease your suffering as much as I can."

[Minato shut his eyes as Ryoji reassured him; deep down, he should have known that. There were countless factors at play that caused everything to happen at that exact moment of time. The Kirijo Group and its nihilistic leader, the Shadow experiment being disturbed, even Minato being at the wrong place at the wrong time...he knew that, but it didn't keep him from reassigning the blame. It wasn't Aigis' fault, it wasn't Ryoji's...somehow, he placed all of that guilt upon himself instead.]

❝ I know I couldn't have done anything back then…but still, I... ❞ [Minato trailed off, not wanting to repeat the countless faults he'd taken upon himself.] ❝ ...If it's not my fault, then it's not yours, either. Maybe everything was just...out of our hands. ❞

[He reached to wipe his tears away, but as Ryoji continued, he found that they wouldn't stop. A decade's worth of pain that he'd buried found its way back up, and as much as he hated to admit it, Ryoji made a point...if he hadn't been created, then there would be no accident, no reason to seal death away. Minato would still have his parents, and he wouldn't have to fight. But...]

[...This past year had shown him that he didn't need to live in fear of attachment. He could fight to protect those he loved instead of cowering, too scared to form bonds with anyone. He finally felt that he was living life the way he should, and in the end, Ryoji had even affirmed that feeling for him. When all was lost, when they were losing people left and right...Ryoji was the one to comfort him. Ryoji made him feel safe again...]

❝ Maybe I would have been better off with my parents...but I finally learned how to live without them. I wouldn't trade this life now that I have it. And nothing, not even Nyx... ❞ [Minato took a breath, finally able to properly wipe his eyes. His gaze returned to Ryoji, who had also fallen victim to his tears; Minato challenged himself to face him anyway, just to make sure these words sank in.] ❝ ...would make me regret my time with you. ❞

[Maybe it was a terrible sentiment to have, considering everything else going on, but Minato really did treasure their bond. From his childhood to now...Pharos and then Ryoji had always been there to pick up his broken pieces. He couldn't picture how life would be without that constant presence, even if he was technically better off without it.]

[Ryoji shared Minato's feelings...and somehow, that made this even more painful. Until now, he felt guilty for wanting to cling to the one person who would instigate the end of everything...but now, those feelings were mutual. It wasn't just him. And there might really be nothing they could do about it...]

❝ Then don't go. ❞ [Minato pleaded, as though there was some way to counteract the inevitable. But...he and his friends had already come to a decision; they would fight Nyx and win. If they could achieve that victory, against all odds...then wouldn't it be fair to find some means, against all odds, to help Ryoji? Maybe it was selfish, but he couldn't help asking.] ❝ Isn't there something we can do? ❞

❝ I don't...want this to be "goodbye." Please, Ryoji. ❞