empyrea | Beware what finds you in the rain

[Rain has honestly never bothered Minato before, not even when an unfortunate downpour had left him sick for days once and had nearly led to his premature demise. It's the perfect cover for him in a way, the pitter-patter of raindrops and the dark sky drowning out what little emotion he may have showing on his face as he weaves his way through the deafening crowd, muttering a few words of apology as he treads on shoes and puddles alike, not knowing which is which and not particularly caring to check right then.

The torrent shifts when he's barely a quarter of the way back to the dorm, a deafening roar following drops of water that pelt onto unwilling victims like bullets. Minato concedes at last and takes shelter below a tree overlooking a playground, broken swings hanging by a single chain and moved by the howling wind. He finds it strange that such an abandoned playground should exist anywhere around Iwatodai, but a sudden sneeze soon follows and he finds himself shivering soon enough, hugging himself and to protect himself from the cold.

It's little wonder then that he's oblivious to a stranger being close by, though the stranger may not be so alien after all...]

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I do. ...it's getting late, but I'd rather sit here than get sick again. [Minato can't help but smile as the other Minato sits by him, and he feels warmer just sitting with another person, someone quite like Ryoji in terms of how he feels like in spite of looking exactly like him.]

How did you end up here, anyway? You seemed a little lost just now. [And were it that he knew the truth...for now he's merely curious and regarding this other Minato as a friend in spite of turmoil inside his own head. Who knows? Perhaps this is a welcome distraction for him, a way to forget his worries for a few hours.]

But isn't sitting out here going to make you sick more?

[Minato didn't really argue more than that though. Staying with this Minato did make him feel warm inside too. Maybe they felt the same way because they were so similar.

But he paused at Minato's question. He really was lost. He had no idea how he got here. It was almost like a cruel trick, having him exist in a world that had no place for him when he came from a world where his own existence was so transitory.]

I don't really know how I got here. I know that I don't live here. A lot of it looks familiar to me, but I know this isn't my home.

You though... You look a little different than I remembered.

Ah, not as much as if I was drenched by the rain. [The raindrops were falling on him and seeping through the tree's leaves, rolling down his hair on occasion even as the swings were swayed by the howling wind. The other Minato's response bothered him a lot more than his expression let on, and a part of him wondered if this rain could have been the cause behind the both of them meeting now.]

Does that mean that you remember everything about me, then? [He paused as well, considering what else to say.] You seem a little different too...maybe it's because we come from different places.

[Minato peered over at what he had to consider the "real" Minato curiously. He pinched Minato's sleeve, tugging at it a bit, seeing how wet it was though from the rain. The longer he stayed out here, then the faster he would get drenched. Then he let go before speaking.]

I can walk you home since that's where you belong. Everyone has a place that they should be able to go to.

[As if Minato wasn't off kilter enough, but the other boy's question made him doubt himself. He had avoided answering for as long as he could, but the silence was too awkward.]

I guess I wouldn't say "everything" either. Ne, do you think that I could really understand or know "everything" about you? I would have to think that you're a little too complex for that.

Hmm... [That question interests Minato too, and he tilts his head while he considers his answer.] I don't think so, since no one can understand themselves fully too.

[It's what his other self says about walking home that makes him sit up straight, not quite sure what to say.] Would you be alright, though? I wouldn't be able to sneak you inside when everyone's home, and I don't want to leave you either.

[And wasn't that the truth. Minato had a hard enough time figuring out who he was since his entire existence relied on someone else's memories. He felt like he was hopping from one rock to another to get across some rushing river. If he fell in, he'd lose himself completely, but he could never stay still since the other shore was drifting away.

He was about to say more, but then looked up over at his friend.]

Oh! Um... I can walk you home, and I'll stay outside. I can wait for you to come out again. It'll be okay. I mean, if you're safe inside, then that's what counts, right?

[That was something to consider as Minato didn't like the idea of his new friend being caught in the rain when he was lost as it was, and he smiled gently once he thought of a good compromise.]

Right. It sounds good to me, and I can get you a raincoat so that you'll at least be dry outside. Shall we leave now?

Okay. If it's really okay with you, that is.

[Minato tilted his head, thinking and then getting up on his feet once this other Minato did so too. It was still... He had to think it was "weird" when anyone would be so kind to him. He used to be so attack first, questions later or never. It was much easier to keep people at a distance than to let them get so close. It hurt less that way.]

What's it like, living here? What day is it? What year is it? What time is it?

[He had to ask.]

Eh? [Minato was more than okay to leave now and he let his feet do the talking, but the other Minato's barrage of questions had him pausing to think, with a few stray raindrops falling on him in the meantime.]

It's about 6.00 pm right now, and it's the 4th of December, 2009...as for how it's like living here, it's nice, I guess. [Words failed to say that it was the company of others he enjoyed most, but he was distracted too, hoping to get both himself and his friend home before they were completely drenched.]

The 4th... It's still December?

[Minato had recalled that December was a month of just waiting. Waiting and waiting. He frowned, knowing that Minato was farther back in time than he had thought.]

So that boy with the scarf, you know more about him now, right?

I do, and it worries me. [It also worries Minato that his friend seems to be from the future based on what he's said, but he's honestly more worried about his friends, the world and Ryoji's condition than mere hypotheticals. A subtle lengthening of his steps is the only indication that he's trying to work out this concern in his mind while they walk, and he slows down only so that he doesn't tread too much in deep puddles and pools of water.] It's too soon for us to come to a decision and Aigis is still being repaired...even then, I think I know what my friends have decided on.

[He excludes himself deliberately for good reason as he's yet to decide too. How does a person choose the way their life will end?]

[Minato brushed some of his wet bangs from out of his eye, trying to tuck it behind his ear to get it out of the way, but his hair was just short enough not to have that work. He stopped messing around with it after a moment or two.]

What do you want to know about the decision? I guess it'd be unfair to tell you what happens since... This journey's yours, and I really don't have a place in it, and things might turn out differently anyway.

[He was the anomaly. He should stay out of matters like this. That journey he was basing everything he said on wasn't even his own. What did he know?]

You should go talk to them to see if that helps.

It's fine. [Desires are a funny thing, and when Minato looks up at the dismal sky, he wonders if he really wants to know what's to become of them.]

We've talked before, actually...everyone was too upset then, but they're strong. They just need some time to think about it...so could I. [The admission is quiet, but he makes no attempt to hide it from the other Minato. That this was mostly his fault has caused him a lot of pain, and he's really not sure how sure he is of anything right now.]

[Of course they were upset. Minato could understand, hear those particular tones in the back of his head, tones laced with fear and anger and helplessness but maybe something like determination throughout all of that.]

They're strong... Don't you think you make them strong, just like how they make you strong?

Beware what finds you in the rain

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