deercountry | (closed) march catchall

[ It's a valid concern.

Especially since - if Robby looks over at her to see it - there is an instant expression on Chizuru's face at hearing those last words. Something a little bit like surprise, but also like worry, both at the same time. There's a squeak from the girl, followed by: ]

B-But then how do I know whether I'm overthinking it or thinking just enough..?

[ That's the secret.

She's always overthinking it.

It even becomes apparent in the dream-like state they're in right now. It's not like it fades completely, but the world starts to grow a little bit more hazy around them as Chizuru is focusing less on the memory now and more on her own worry. It sneaks into their surroundings, almost like static. ]

[ Okay, that was a bad idea to say, wasn't it. Because Robby does see what's happening, though he's actually distracted by the question--because even Robby needs a second to go 'Uh....' and think about that, his Lawrence braincell activated.

How do you know what's enough or too much? Why does everyone give this shitty nonsensical advice anyway?

It's in trying to figure out that vague advice the Robby looks around as a stall, and then--shit. ]

Whoa whoa, hey, hey. [ He lifts their joined hand and turns to her, stepping in front of her. ] You're in your house, you know your own house. You don't need to overthink what your house is, right? You can put anything in your house!

[ Is Robby's voice rushing because he's a tad scared about everything around them disappearing? N-no, and you can't prove otherwise!!! ]

W-Well--!

[ Look at Chizuru sputtering. Maybe it's the urgent tone he says that with, or maybe it's her own panic at suddenly seeing the world starting to grow hazy around them like that, but Chizuru does seem to get more and more panicked..

.. even though it's thankfully the sort of panic that drives her into action. Squeezing the hand that's holding the stone around it a little tighter, like this stone is just her emotional support stone now.. (Which also means that's probably accidentally squeezing her other hand right along. At least Chizuru doesn't have the hand strength to hurt Robby while still holding his hand in that one..)

Her focus makes the house around them shift back into the view it had a moment ago, much sharper and clearer again.

Except with the addition of another Robby. He looks exactly the same as the real Robby whose hand she's holding, except for the fact that he's just.. standing there. In the middle of the room. Kind of lifeless, like it's some sort of Robby mannequin.

Apparently that wasn't fully intentional on Chizuru's part - her brain ran away with the "anything" part of what Robby said, and combined it with the full view of her friend she had, putting that there - because the girl lets out a yelp of surprise the moment she spots the Robby-duplicate-mannequin standing there when the house turns normal around them again. ]

[ It's okay, Robby can handle a hand-squeeze. He's only focusing on Chizuru initially, since he doesn't particularly want the world to fuzz around them--kind of weird and creepy, to be honest. But he does catch from the corners of his eyes when everything seems to settle, and he dares to look either side of Chizuru's head to confirm that, yes, phew, she got the world back right again.

And Robby gets to enjoy that relief for a millisecond before she yelps and he jumps. ] Wh-what? What?

[ That second what? is a note higher, and he looks the way Chizuru is to see-- ] Oh shit!

[ Sorry for the potty mouth, bestie, but Robby couldn't stop from letting that out with how instant it was, Robby startling to turn back the way he was facing before to keep the fake Robby in his view.

And Robby, a teen with too many movies watched and not with all his braincells currently functioning: ] He's not gonna attack us, is he?

[ He would if this were a movie......... this is why he still doesn't regret trying to attack Mister LaRusso with a stapler. ]

[ It's a good thing that Chizuru is thinking really hard about not wanting to be attacked right now, or Robby might just have manifested that clone attack into being all by himself..

Not that it makes the situation any less unsettling though. Even if the Robby may not be moving, let alone doing anything to attack them, seeing another Robby standing there and doing absolutely nothing is.. definitely kind of creepy, Chizuru thinks. ]

I-- I don't know! [ She squeaks, the other's startled reaction only serving to put Chizuru herself more on edge too, staring between the Robbys like she isn't quite sure which one to keep an eye on right now. ] I don't know what happened either, he was just-- he was suddenly there..!

[ ...

Wait. ]

You're.. um, you're the real one though, right?

[ Please tell her this is not some clone Robby trying to deceive her.. ]

[ Wow, Chizuru? Chizuru. Robby is going to swing his head to look at her with the most incredulous expression. Raising their held hands as he says, ] Yeah?

[ Waggle waggling their hands as if to further indicate, yes, he's been here the entire time?? He does glance the other Robby's way, but it's true that an unmoving clone?? Weird and creepy and not what Robby wants to focus on here, so-- ]

Okay, all you have to do is--make him disappear. [ Clearly. ] You know I'm the real one, so wish him away.

[ There, see? This is how that works! And just to add to the obvious reasons why he should be gone, with a joking tone as he gestures over to Fake Robby: ] He's not even as charming as the real thing!

[ Clearly, who wants a second-rate Robby just for his looks??? ]

[ When Robby is telling her to wish him away, Chizuru is already trying. She's closing her eyes - unsure whether or not it helps, b-but maybe she can concentrate better that way? - and about to start thinking about making the Robby, the fake Robby disappear--

But then the boy next to her just had to open his mouth and make a joke.

And that pulls Chizuru's thoughts all the way from making him disappear over towards the word charming. Because she's thinking about Robby calling himself charming, and whether that's true, and she does suppose Robby has certain qualities to him..

.. her thoughts are so caught up in it that the other Robby definitely does not disappear. No, instead he finally starts to move, turning towards them and smiling.

Charmingly. ]

D-Did it work..?

[ Chizuru's eyes are still closed. She's not looking!! Completely unaware of what's happening right in front of them.. ]

[ Wow, who said Robby was joking??

Nevermind the details. Robby isn't keeping his eyes on his own other self either, turning back to Chizuru and her hard at working wishing-away self. Not until she asks if the job is down, and Robby looks, and manages to keep the shit! he nearly lets out locked in his throat.

But also, despite that initial reaction, and having a second to stare dumbfounded at what's happened...Robby really can't help but to take in the sight. Opens his mouth to ask something, closes it, and then, opening again: ]

Hey, what do you think I'd look like in a guy's kimono?

[ Why not, right. Why not. Let's see what we can do with this! ]

Huh?

[ Chizuru should probably open her eyes and look for herself. But she's so caught off guard by Robby's sudden question - that's just about the last answer she expected to hear here, especially when it isn't even a direct answer to her question at all - that she doesn't think about doing the logical thing.

It's why she doesn't take a look for herself. Instead she still looks like she's focusing, the surprise strong enough that it makes Chizuru be obedient and honest enough to just plainly answer the question.

Even if it's a weird, surprising one. ]

I-I mean, you'd probably look nice..? You always do.. [ Also, yes, Robby. Yes, your little plan sure is working.

Because the fake Robby standing there is suddenly wearing clothes more appropriate to Chizuru's culture and time period. ]

Why are you asking..?

[ Robby's such a clever guy.

Because yes, he does look at his other self, a furrowed brow as he has to take in both the outfit, and decide if he likes observing this Robby doll (even if he is the one prolonging its stay....). Does he like the outfit itself? That's hard to say, never having really considered the thing, but--

but maybe he should consider his confused sounding friend, and get her up to speed. He gives their joined hands a wiggle. ]

Look.

[ It's that simple, Chizuru. Behold, your dream Robby who hasn't gone anywhere, but is now dressed like one of your Japanese boyfriends, and smiling charmingly. ]

[ The first thing Chizuru does upon opening her eyes is let out a squeak.

The next thing is squeezing Robby's hand - not too hard, but that has so much more to do with Chizuru's lack of incredibly arm strength than with anything else, since it definitely seems like she is clinging on for dear life to Robby in this instant. ]

R-Robby! [ Her gaze shifts between the two Robbys, her eyes so wide. ] W-What did you do?!

[ Please, Chizuru.

This was all you. ]

Why does he look so...

[ ...

She can't bring herself to say charming. She just can't!! Her gaze is growing more and more covered by a paleblood blush with each passing moment.. Help, Chizuru might just pass out..

It's a small miracle that the world around them remains just the way it is, despite Chizuru looking like she's about to pass out from the clone Robby looking like he fits right into her Shinsengumi ~~harem~~ friend group. A-And with him smiling at her like that! ]

[ Yeah, that immediate reaction was worth it. ]

--So what? [ But unfortunately, Robby doesn't get the true meaning behind Chizuru's fluster, though his question is framed as a faux offend. Does he look goofy to her? He thinks that might be the case, considering he thinks this dressed-up showing-off smiling Robby is very goofy looking to him, that he's become more of a joke to the real Robby than something creepy.

Well, 1% creepy, 99% cringe.

But it's alright, Chizuru doesn't need to answer him as he laughs lightly, pulling their joined hands to rest against the side of his stomach. No reason, other than as a playful tug. ]

C'mon, you can make him disappear. I mean, just imagine...a wardrobe's there instead! [ Now he's using their hands to gesture to the fake-Robby-who-should-be-turned-into-a-wardrobe. ] That'll cover him up.

[ She wants to make him disappear. She really does. Because there's something very confusing about seeing Robby like this that the girl can't quite place, and she's not too sure if she likes it - especially in front of the actual Robby.

So the girl shuts her eyes tightly, wishing - no, almost praying - for the fake Robby to disappear. To be gone.

But the wish is just desperate enough that her brain refuses to latch onto the easy alternative Robby provides. It's right there, she could just think of a wardrobe, and yet.. her brain keeps frantically thinking of something else from the house to replace the Robby.

And it does work! The fake Robby disappears, sure.

.. except there's another man standing in his place now, just as unmoving as the other Robby had been at first. And when Chizuru opens her eyes to look and see, she lets out a slight noise of surprise. ]

Oh, that's.. father..

[ A wardrobe made a lot more sense to make appear than some old guy. An old guy with quite the bald head, which is what Robby first notices about them (other than they aren't furniture), a small noise made when he appears. Robby doesn't recognise them, obviously, and he can't make any immediate guess; there's the man that Chizuru said saw her like a daughter, and maybe there's some other older men in her life.

--And there is, sort of. A man about as much in Chizuru's life as his own dad had been in his. The information stuns Robby, a small 'oh' escaping him as he figures how to feel. Or--how does Chizuru feel? Robby's definitely glancing her way, though sneaking looks back at the figure. ]

...What do you wanna do?

[ He could suggest making him disappear, or trying to move around the house--maybe they could go outside, even. Robby isn't sure what the right move might be, so he's waiting on more from Chizuru.

He's not exactly dad of any year, but--dads are dads. Unfortunately. ]

[ It's such a good question that even Chizuru herself doesn't seem to have an answer to it for a moment. She glances at the man, then at Robby, and then at the man again.. which is where her gaze lingers for a few moments. ]

.. Let's go look around the house. [ She settles on, finally tearing her gaze away from the dream image of her father that her mind conjured up. It's not really him, anyway. He won't talk to her. He won't have any of the answers for her that Chizuru wants to hear. Why he did the things he did. How he could have such cruel thoughts if he was her father.

It helps that she's still gripping onto Robby's hand. It was meant to be the thing tying Robby to this dream reality, but honestly, it's doing so much more to ground Chizuru. It allows her to tug on his hand to drag him along and show him the other rooms. ]

I mean, not that there's much to see.. [ Which she's right about. There's a small kitchen, a small bedroom - a shared one, judging by the set of futons there, rather than just one of them.. and that's about it. ] But.. um, maybe it'll give you an idea of what houses where like in my world..

[ Since it's really nothing like most houses in Trench. ]

[ It would be awkward, Robby thinks, if he saw his own father--if he wasn't in the city. His own mom too, but he thinks about his dad, their own history, if they weren't trying to patch things up.

...but it's not a deep thought. He squeezes Chizuru's hand, though it's doubtful if she'll feel it with her already gripping tight to it. ]

Sure--I wanna see where you came from.

[ It's sincere, a touch soft, and even if there isn't much, it's her home. Better any other room than this one, with Robby hoping the old man's figure will disappear if Chizuru has other things to think about. ] Maybe one day I can show you where my mom and me were staying. But we moved place a lot--we didn't have our own home.

[ He says it, more to just continue their thoughts elsewhere than on the man, to help move them along before--or as--they walk. ]

[ Chizuru will lead him along. Over towards the kitchen, this time. It's small, and there isn't much - certainly none of the modern kitchen appliances that Robby may be used to. It's backwards even compared to Trench itself, which also isn't always the most modern of places.

But there's something in Chizuru's eyes anyway as she looks around at it. Exactly like how she remembers it. The long, long days she spent here, alone..

She drags herself out of the memory enough to turn and look at Robby. ]

Why didn't you have your own home..?

[ She asks it delicately, at least, not wanting to push if the answer is too painful. But it's a little harder to naturally understand for someone who comes from Chizuru's kind of culture, where people who don't have homes just.. made one themselves, or took up an abandoned one like people do in Trench.. ]

[ It may be sparse, but Robby still takes it in. His life was never wealthy, but you could buy things for cheap, make it look like you had more than you did, or the apartments came with appliances to make up for what you didn't own.

This was still Chizuru's house, though, marks her own frugal life. Robby takes in the layout, the details, few as they may be. Looks over to Chizuru and the question which furrows his brow, but not in a bad way. ]

Do you know about rent? Wait, [ wait wait; he points a forefinger at her. ] Land rent? Lords rent out land to farmers, right? People do that with houses where I'm from. You pay to have somewhere to live.

[ Truly, the actual painful part about this: possibly having to explain renting in the modern day. What's having your own home in this economy?? ]

[ Unfortunately Chizuru knows very little about rent. Even the rent in her time that did exists for farmers, yes - she's just been too sheltered from society to know much about this sort of thing in general.

Thankfully Robby's explanation does a lot to catch her up, even if it's.. well, baffling. The girl was moving towards the window as if to open it, just to see if she can do that as well in a dream-like state, but now she turns towards Robby with her eyebrows knitting together into a frown. ]

You have to pay.. to have somewhere to live?

[ There's something in her tone that almost sounds offended.

Offended by Chizuru's standards, which is to say.. not too much, but still. ]

But then what about the people who can't pay? Then you just.. don't have a roof over your head at all? That's so cruel.. [ Welcome to all the miserable crap about the world you missed by being sheltered, Chizuru.. And by not being a modern girl, for this one too.. ]

[ sorry to introduce you to capitalism, Chizuru... ]

That's America for you. [ ...well. ] Everywhere, in my time. You don't have money? Good luck living.

[ Maybe that's too sad and depressing to be saying in such a way to someone like Chizuru, but there's nothing pretty to that side of life. It's been a constant trouble in his life, even if sometimes it was his mom and her spiralling ways that lost them homes.

Or places to live. Could you call anywhere a home if you moved so often?

(So he liked to tell himself, so he never became disappointed. Told himself he was never attached.)

It's why he looks at her so nonchalant, having been trying to eye past her to see if there was any scenery beyond. Was there limitations to the stone, or to Chizuru's imagination? It could be one or the other. ]

Living here's easier--I never lived anywhere like I did with Tory back home. They were four or five rooms. Two bedrooms, a bathroom, and then a kitchen and living room. Sometimes you had a wall between those two, but not always.

[ He didn't have preference there, really. ]

[ At least the description of the house itself isn't too depressing to her - since it sounds very much like the house they're in right now, nothing too special.. The only special thing about it in comparison is that it's at least a proper free standing house, rather than an appartment.

It's clear just from the way the girl is staring at him that she's thinking about it. Trying to imagine it in her head. Not just the places Robby might have lived, but even the apparently harsh society he was just trying to get by in..

.. it doesn't feel fair. A kind guy like Robby - he deserved so much more, she thinks. ]

I'm sorry, Robby.

[ The words are said quietly. Honestly, Chizuru could elaborate on them. There's so much she could say here, but she knows what Robby is like. He acknowledges that his circumstances aren't the best, but never quite seems to want to linger on them either.

So she doesn't either. Instead Chizuru just provides a silent way to show her feelings all the same. Still holding his hand makes it easy to lean against him, something close to a hug but without the actual embrace. ]

Actually I.. I wonder if I could make something appear from your memories too, rather than just my own.

[ It's a good chance to test these powers, right? Not that she's good at them yet, judging by her failed attempts at making specific things happen a moment ago, but.. she's got to be brave and just try stuff - the sort of thing that always feels easier with Robby by her side. ]

[ Her sympathy apology does get an awkward--but appreciative--pull of Robby's mouth, at the very least. He might not have reason to linger on it--his moving home so often was as much a problem of his mom as the way the world works--but...it'd been a part of his life, still. One he'd become frustrated over plenty of times.

His lips turn closer into a smile when she leans against him, if brief.

It goes as she continues, the idea she presents. A place from his memories. Robby thinks, but nowhere is jumping out at him immediately. Rather- ]

Uh... do you wanna see somewhere I used to live? I remember the last place I was with my mom.

[ He supposes. It was rather simple, too, a place they needed to move into once his mom got out of rehab. The same standard layout as he's described to Chizuru, even though--it feels different, he thinks. There's no real memories Robby has of the place. Would it be that exciting to share? Compared to Chizuru and the home she shared with her dad. ]

It wasn't exciting. [ Which is why he feels the need to add that. ]

It's okay.

[ They're soft words, a gentle reassurance. It's nothing too strange coming from Chizuru, when she says stuff like this all the time. But as she moves to take Robby's other hand into her own as well, the stone will in that hand resting between their two hands, she smiles up at him. ]

I think it's a little exciting. I've never seen what houses are like where you come from. [ Sure, she assumes it's.. probably just a little closer to what you see in Trench. But there could be nuances. There could be little signs of Robby's life. Even if you only stay in a place for a short while, there's got to be little things like that, right..?

It's still something about Robby, about her friend, so it feels exciting to her. ]

I'm not sure how to do this.. [ Given that all of this is still new to her. But she wants to try. ] Maybe you should think about it really hard and describe it to me..?

[ Maybe she can get it to work that way with her paleblood. Somehow. ]

Edited 2023-04-10 09:42 (UTC)

Okay, [ he starts slowly; not because he's unsure about the idea, but because his own head is in the process of figuring out what to do. Robby thinks to say more, but there isn't really, so--think hard and describe, right?

He makes a 'here we go' kind of face before he closes his eyes and thinks back. The last flat...wasn't that spectacular, but the one before that, he and his mom were in longer. The dance-y, art-sy type of space with its print posters. ]

It was, uh... Two bedrooms, a bathroom, and the living room and kitchen were together. You entered near the kitchen? It was on your right when you enter, and the left was for coats, a mirror... uh, I don't remember a lot about them. It was just a normal...mirror?

[ The details feel...less than useful. Because Robby can remember the apartment well enough, but what should he pick out, tell Chizuru about them? He can't tell her how the kitchen had a microwave and a TV on top; because even if she knew what those were, would it help? The one that was in the living space, the two plush chairs and the red couch. ]

This helping at all? [ It might be hypocritical for Robby to lose heart in this idea so quickly, but--look, he's bad at describing things. Especially if he's doing it to a girl from ancient Japan. ]

[ There's a hum coming from Chizuru that really doesn't say much at all. It's hard to tell whether it even means yes or no in the face of the question he's asking her. It also doesn't help that the girl has closed her eyes by now, making it impossible to tell anything by her gaze either.

But it's since she's focusing over here. Really hard. It's true that the description is not doing much for her, since she mostly ends up imagining the room layout in a more traditional style, like the Japanese houses she's used to back home.

.. so she tries to not focus on the description. Instead she tries to dig beyond it, squeezing Robby's hands a little. It's not about the words here, she thinks. It's about.. the feeling behind it, the memory. Isn't that what people have told her? Palebloods who can tap into people's emotions. Even if that house may not have been home to Robby as much as people's houses usually are, there has to be something, and Chizuru is concentrating really hard to try and dip in that.

She's concentrating enough that tiny beads of sweat start to form at her temples, but it's not for nothing. Something is taking shape around them, the contours of Chizuru's house fading, replaced by something else.

Something that's still vague, like staring at it through a blurry gaze, but maybe Robby may actually recognize it as the very apartment he's thinking of.

It's only then that Chizuru mumbles, still not opening her eyes: ]

This is kind of hard..

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