alicornparty | Test Drive Meme!

He shook his head, but looked away. "...Don't worry about it. Just tellin' you what anybody else would."

He looked up, narrowed his eyes. "I'm gonna be blunt- I almost wanted to walk right past you. Part of me still wants to walk away right now. Something... happened that I don't wanna talk about, but what it boils down to is that you might not be treated all that warmly."

Clapping a hoof to his forehead, he continued, "But, okay, I gotta take this from a route that won't piss me off like this whole thing's been doin' for weeks. What do I even call you? I know when other-universe people show up, they try to find ways to make 'em stand out from the others. Your horn does enough, but... y'know what I mean."

...Something about what Kanji said made Souji's heart... sink. It was far more painfully than he'd want to admit. Walk right passed him? If...if it was before they'd met in his timeline, fine, he was expecting that, but this Kanji knew him. Knew everything they'd been through together. He nearly asked -what- could have happened, but, held it back. Kanji had just said that it was painful enough a lot of people didn't want to talk to him. He'd... just have to hope he could change their minds, if he was stuck here for a long while. He had to be Understanding about this.

"...I'm... sorry." Shaking his head, he looked down, his voice soft, "... To have made you this upset... I don't want to think about what I could have done. You're... a dear friend to me, Kanji." Mushy, maybe, but... it was the truth.

He looked back up as Kanji continued, tilting his head to the side. So since this other version of him was already here, he'd need to think up some sort of nickname. Hmm...

"Well, if you're already calling him Souji, you can call me Seta, to make it simple enough." Even if it wouldn't be as familar as they were before, it could work.

Kanji frowned deeper. An apology... nice, but misplaced. He had nothing to do with this, but it still felt nice nonetheless. It wasn't going to mend anything, however. Time was the only thing that could do that... for everyone else, anyway. Kanji'd made up his mind.

But the earth pony's harsh expression faltered briefly, and his ears stood upright. "...You..."

It was a name he hadn't heard in months, a name he knew, one that made his heart pound, then stop.

"Souji-senpai... Not- not Narukami Yu?" He'd grown used to the latter name, as it was the name of the one here. It was odd to him at first, but he supposed that was how the multiverse worked.

"Seta Souji's... the name of the guy that saved my life. From my timeline."

The way Kanji said his name... His eyes widened, hoping beyond hope, that... maybe, somehow...

And when Kanji confirmed-- yes, he was the same senpai, or something like the same senpai that Kanji had known from his own timeline, he felt a flood of relief. Maybe he could undo some of this pain his friend felt, maybe ease it somehow... and not lose his dear friend due to something beyond his control...

Souji smiled. He smiled widely, and... laughed, with relief and happiness. Okay, it was okay.

This would be okay.

"Y-yeah, that's my name. Been that way for 17 years now, heh. I'd have noticed if it changed on me, promise." Deep breath, Souji, no need to start tearing up from relief or something, "So I guess Souji-senpai's just fine, huh?"

He missed hearing that those nicknames. Souji-senpai, partner, sensei... when he'd heard Teddie call him that after summoning his persona, it was the weirdest relief. Just like this was too.

Kanji warily looked around him when this guy burst out laughing. Was it something he said? But he had to admit a sound like that was comforting, especially when a lot of the time his friends were rather reclusive and quiet in the wake of everything.

Caught off guard, Kanji shook his head to clear it after realizing he'd started staring. "Uh- yeah. There'd be Souji-senpai and Yu-Senpai, then."

He stood then, and for now stayed his hand- he wouldn't walk away. Not yet.

"So, uh... you figure out that horn yet?" He pointed. May as well change the topic a bit and help him out before he pulled trees out of the ground or made the stones in the river dance.

"Ah... sorry."

Ahh, that was weird, huh? Rubbing the back of his head (... his neck shape was so weird now, geez) he gave Kanji a sheepish look.

"I'm just... happy to hear you call me that. I wasn't expecting to hear that from you for a while, after all."

But, as Kanji pointed up to the horn that was now on his head... Souji's eyes followed it, trying to stare at it-- erh, it was like trying to stare at your own nose. Frowning, he reached up to touch it a few times.

"Honestly? No, not at all... I thought this was a dream, so I figured it was just for show. Does it actually do anything?"

Poke, poke, poke... this thing really was a horn, huh? He'd need to be careful with it...

"...Shit, seriously?" Oh boy, where to start.

"There's unicorns, pegasi and earth ponies here. Unicorns can use magic. According to Yukiko-senpai, you gotta 'will' somethin' to happen, and then it does. She's lifted me with her magic once, but I see lots of unicorns hold drink cups, scissors and all kinds'a things with their magic. Helps, when ya got no fingers."

He shrugged, but figured it was worth a warning: "Uh, but make sure it's clear? Or you'll drop stuff on your head or wind up with a mess of some kind."

"...So it's like telekinesis, then?"

Lifting things with his mind, huh... now, the easy way to start would be to try one of the rocks in front of them on the ground but, where was the fun in that?

"Let me try it out." He took a few steps forward so he'd be nearly next to Kanji, and then turn to face the pond itself. He could still make out the silhouettes of the fish below the surface from here, so...

Concentrate. Focus. He stared hard at one of the shadowy forms beneath the waters, and thought-- pick it up, lift it out the water. Pick it up, lift it out of the water...

His horn began to glow with a silvery aura, and soon the same glow formed around the shadowy fish below the waters edge-- and then it began to rise. The poor fish struggled, confused as to what was happening to it-- and then panicked as it breached the surface, flipping and wiggling all over the place. Souji's concentration continued until the fish was now eye level with the two ponies...

"...You weren't kidding about this--" Souji then frowned, looking a bit perturbed, "...kind of takes the fun out of fishing though, wouldn't you say?"

Annnd plop! Down goes the fishy back into the water.

He watched as he took to the task with gusto, blinked in surprise when a glowing fish neatly emerged from the water wriggling.

"...That was fast. But I guess I shouldn't be surprised."

But Kanji shrugged. "Lotta ponies got loads of magic in 'em, but it ain't like they just make life easy n' lazy for 'em. They still fish, walk... it's handy for stuff like holding food while ya eat it, or pickin' up a brush to go through your hair."

He wiggled a hoof. "Since it's kinduva pain in the ass. But I'm used to it."

"Was it?" Souji had no idea; he hadn't seen any ponies using magic yet "I can see what you mean by needing to focus though; I'll need to practice this."

Turning to look at his kouhai, Souji nodded, before looking at Kanji's hoofs... realization hit him again.

"Ah! That's right... you mean you've managed to knit and sew while like this...?"

He knew how much those hobbies meant to his friend; so much so it had been a big issue with his confidence in who he was as a person while facing his shadow.

He stiffly shrugged. It was strange, as nobody else asked how he was able to do it without fingers, and he assumed most thought he was like a unicorn who could just make things float and move. But he was an earth pony. His magic was in strength and having a green thumb, not stitching anything...

"It's slow going, but I've managed. I get some special needles for those without magic. Sometimes I grab the sewing needle with my mouth."

He grinned proudly. "Ain't poked myself yet!"

"That's really amazing, Kanji." Souji smiled sincerely at his friend, looking for him "I mean that-- I'm really impressed. I don't know how I'm going to get by with... well."

He lifted his hoof off, looking at it with mild concern "These. I've got a lot to learn," He managed a small smirk, glancing back at Kanji.

"Should I start calling you senpai, now, I wonder?"

Edited 2015-05-09 23:21 (UTC)

"Whuh? H-hey, the hell's with the sudden senpai stuff!?" Though he was blushing, despite jabbing a hoof in his direction.

"You got that horn, y'know! Make stuff move, hold stuff, break it or fix it! I just managed to figure out how to hold a needle, that's all!"

Hahah, that's his Kanji; blushing at compliments and fumbling endearingly. It was nice to know that hadn't changed.

"That's still impressive, you do realise, right? I bet your stuff looks just as good as it does back home, too." Reaching up to touch his horn, however, he nodded.

"If you need any help though, with holding fabric and the like while sewing, it could be good practice for me." And make sure he could help his friend with his hobbies. He liked being involved, after all...

Edited 2015-05-09 23:58 (UTC)

"Never really compared it side by side, so I dunno if there's improvement or the other way," he replied with a shrug. Whether it was humble or the fact that he just couldn't tell wasn't altogether evident.

But an ear lowered, and he still looked unsure. This was Souji-senpai, sure, but whether he was the guy from his time or not he still had those last niggling doubts in his heart.

"I'd ask a unicorn. I know one who runs her own boutique- could direct ya do her- but I dunno if helping me with my stuff'd be any better practice, all told."

"Ah..." That uncertainty in Kanji's expression, Souji wasn't sure what to make of it. It left a discomfort deep inside, though he tried to ignore it for now.

"Well, it would give me something to do with you, at least." He nodded, but... maybe it was better to let this line of conversation drop. Casting about for a topic, he remembered...

"Hey, at the start... you asked if anyone came with me, right? Was there someone you were thinking of?"

"Nobody," he answered immediately, not looking at him.

"Okay- anybody from home, be it some double or anybody we're missing. We had this weird thing happen where people just poured in from all over, but then disappeared after a week or somethin' like that."

He wondered if that was happening here, but things seemed quiet today.

"...Was it a Naoto?" He knows that 'not' look, Kanji, and you answered that too quickly.

"Did a Naoto ... 'double' show up then?"

"...Sh-shuddup," he grumbled finally. Couldn't pull the wool over this dude's eyes.

"Just wanted to make sure Calice ain't fuckin' with her again, is all."

"... Is there a chance Calice would? ...Besides turning her into a pony, I mean."

Now he was concerned, the gentle teasing let go for obvious worrying over their team mate.

"But, I haven't gotten to... 'meet' Naoto yet, unfortunately. The first time I see her is when she's talking to your mother at the textile shop, and then after talking to you. So, I can't say either way... I'm sorry."

Really, Kanji. Your crush on Naoto is adorable.

"She's done it to other people, sendin' 'em home before bringin' 'em right back again. Wouldn't put it past her... but if I had fingers I'd cross 'em on the off-chance that she's left alone. S'bad enough that most of us are here as it is- I don't like how Calice seems to be collecting a full damn set."

...H-he's got no qualms shoving you in the pond, Senpai.

He'd drag you in too, somehow. Probably with magic. Neither of them needed to get soaked, right?

"Like you said, we're only missing Yosuke from the whole team." A small frown, "And we're all from different points in time..." And some version of him had destroyed all their trust. God, was this worse than them just ... not knowing who he was, he wondered?

"I'll keep them crossed too. She's got enough going on, to be dragged into this..."

He nodded. "...That's why, especially after everything that happened, I took it upon myself to focus even harder on watchin' out for the others. Naoto, Yukiko-senpai, Chie-senpai, Rise and Ted. Tough on their own, sure, but that don't mean I can't back 'em up."

"'Course, right now there's the Gala, and it seems like everybody's got plans. I'm glad everybody's gonna have a good time, or at least some time they feel's needed."

"...Heh."

A small chuckle, and he shook his head. He really had grown up over this past year, huh? It was amazing to see again, how this guy had gone from scared and lashing out to such a caring, compassionate man.

"You've really grown a lot, Kanji. I'm glad I can depend on you to look out for everyone."

He paused, an ear twitching slightly at his words.

"Gala? Some sort of party, I'm guessing?"

He canted his head vaguely this way and that. He may be looking out for everyone the best he can, but he didn't feel any different...

"Some fancy do, yeah. They do it every year. Apparently last year it was a disaster but nobody'll say why. So I'm keepin' on my toes! I can't let a date go sour, yeah?"

...

"A-a Gala! A Gala ain't gonna sour on me. I mean- god damn it-"

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