[Life moves in cycles for most - blurs, blanks and vivid flashes intertwined in a cacophony of experiences that make up someone's existence.
His was blurs and blanks, overwhelming muk in murky waves and apathy that pushed it forward. Moments of reprieve that feel like he's stuck in a madman's dream and crashes of reality that remind him it can't be the case.
So he can't really connect the dots between point a and b, when there's never been a clear place to put down those roots, and figure out when things started to work. Can't peg the moment clarity that became the norm or figure out how in the series of rushed meetings, clipped conversations, fights and shared goals that made things end up-
With Akechi laying on his on the living room floor of their shared unit, face propped up with one arm and the other watching an unsubtitled tutorial in a rapidly spoken language he can't place. The clip is shaky, cloudy, and at a resolution that feels suited for the early 2000s, not whatever year this is.
He's turning this situation into something more manageable though - making a metaphorical mental hitlist. The 'build your own' furniture site that he's assured is closer to black market than retail and the salesperson there who gave him a look before saying he should hire out the installer at the top. Akira makes a surprise appearance because why not. Number three this time though - that's progress.
A finger presses against the rewind button again to try and glean out the bullshit on this darkened screen.
The mess around him is organized. Somewhat. Different panels strewn on the floor in varying sizes, nails and bolts organized neatly on a coffee table behind him, and the inky mess of an instruction booklet that met its fate during a well timed downpour.]
Perhaps it's too much to ask that the internet provide something useful. [Rewind. Brighten. Playback speed 0.5.] It seems it's only good for manipulating the public and getting engagement on food blogs. What a shame.
[Which is a super normal reaction to have when trying to put a bookcase together from a shady market dealer. Very normal. He's doing great.]
[ Mitsuru had let him handle the bookcase purchase - and all potential drama that would come with that apparently. She should have expected the latter but it had seemed like such a straightforward, simple enough task to trust him with that nothing could possibly go wrong.
As it turns out, sometimes her judgement could actually be way off.
She's been pretending not to observe him too closely each time she passes through the living room - on this occasion on her way to the kitchen to make tea. Occasionally she glances towards where he's camped out on the living room floor. How many times has he hit that rewind button now?
Mon dieu.
Enough is enough apparently. ]
You know, I can simply ask Kikuno to purchase an already assembled bookcase for us?
[ Her ever faithful and super organised maid takes care of everything else after all. Herein follows a short pause. ]
... It's still not too late for me to do that.
[ She's sure she can arrange to have the half-assembled mess returned easily enough. Few people say no to a Kirijo after all. ]
[The answer is immediate and he doesn't entertain the suggestion in the slightest. He started this. Began the day with one singular goal in mind and will not end, will not relent, will not sleep until this bookcase is put together. It's a rectangle made of wood slabs and nails. It's not rocket science.]
I used to be a detective. Do you truly have no faith in my ability to figure out how to stick a few slabs of wood together?
[Said as he's splayed around those wooden slabs and a collection of tools that have gone untouched since his decision to violently replay this video. He chooses not to look at the evidence around him.]
Returning or replacing this piece is simply out of the question.
[ Mitsuru sighs, taking a seat on the couch opposite. Thankfully something that had arrived in tact and hadn't needed assembling. ]
Yes, you were quite exceptional at that. [ Said in the tone of voice of someone who might have had a conversation akin to this one with him more than once before... ]
Which makes it perfectly acceptable for you to excel in one area and not so much at DIY tasks...
[ He's not the only one. Honestly, there's a reason she hasn't at any point attempted to assist him with what he's trying to do. She knows where her own strengths lie and that is firmly with more intellectual and theoretical pursuits. Mitsuru had never attempted to assemble a piece of furniture in her life. ]
I just thought we might spend the day doing something more preferable.
[ Yes, she is more than implying that it is going to take him all day to figure this out. ]
[First of all, he isn't even going to comment on the implication of this taking the entire day. It's taken the entire morning - he'll grant her that. Time isn't an offense he can ignore when it's ticking away on the tiny screen in his hands.
He pushes himself up until he's kneeling near the pieces again, lining them up like the shoddy picture quality is showing on his phone. Giving up isn't an option - wasting all day doing this also isn't what he prefers to do. Returning it? He would rather traverse through mementos blindfolded.]
Did you have something in mind? I don't recall us having any plans for today and the weather certainly isn't conducive to any outdoor activities.
[A hand falls under his chin for a moment before eyeing a weird nail that looks like the other weird nails in the blurry video. He snatches it up.]
Although I did hear a new sushi restaurant was opening in Kichijoji today from a bartender at Jazz Jin. He seemed quite excited for it. We should visit sometime.
Well, I thought we might do something spontaneous…
[ Who is this person and what has she done with Mitsuru Kirijo? ]
The new sushi place sounds like an excellent idea to me. We should go today - why miss the grand opening after all?
After that I will make a booking for us at a spa-resort. We can have dinner there and spend the night perhaps.
[ No, she is most certainly not plotting ways in which to get him out of the house for the rest of the day and into the evening if necessary so she can have her army of Kirijo staff come in and take care of furnishing the entire apartment. Let alone the terrible bookcase. Whatever gave you that impression? ]
The precision of her attack is relentless - all his favorite words hitting his mind like a rapidfire bufudyne. The mess in front of him looking more unappealing by the second in lieu of spending his afternoon in a high class resort with gourmet sushi.
This is a dynamic he's unaccustomed to. One that led to some intense fights early on, as he was unwilling to be lead in any scenario. They've moved into a comfortable neutrality in regards to this, and more often than not she's right.
That's the worst part of all.
But not this time.]
No, this matter is far from settled. Do you think I can be so easily swayed? All those things can wait until tomorrow or you're welcome to go on your own. You don't need to stay on my account. I'll be done by the time you return.
She's listening to him, mostly, but it's also clear that she is nowhere near about to let the matter rest. Not if that smile is anything go by. ]
I hear the chef at the resort makes the most wonderful pancakes - some of the best in the city so I'm told. Light, fluffy, utterly sublime...
[ She lets each adjective hang delicately in the air for a moment before continuing. ]
I was going to arrange to have some sent up to our room in the morning.
[ Another charming smile. You know, the kind she probably uses to finish up a meeting when her board members are being particularly troublesome. No more negotiations. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
my many condolences
His was blurs and blanks, overwhelming muk in murky waves and apathy that pushed it forward. Moments of reprieve that feel like he's stuck in a madman's dream and crashes of reality that remind him it can't be the case.
So he can't really connect the dots between point a and b, when there's never been a clear place to put down those roots, and figure out when things started to work. Can't peg the moment clarity that became the norm or figure out how in the series of rushed meetings, clipped conversations, fights and shared goals that made things end up-
With Akechi laying on his on the living room floor of their shared unit, face propped up with one arm and the other watching an unsubtitled tutorial in a rapidly spoken language he can't place. The clip is shaky, cloudy, and at a resolution that feels suited for the early 2000s, not whatever year this is.
He's turning this situation into something more manageable though - making a metaphorical mental hitlist. The 'build your own' furniture site that he's assured is closer to black market than retail and the salesperson there who gave him a look before saying he should hire out the installer at the top. Akira makes a surprise appearance because why not. Number three this time though - that's progress.
A finger presses against the rewind button again to try and glean out the bullshit on this darkened screen.
The mess around him is organized. Somewhat. Different panels strewn on the floor in varying sizes, nails and bolts organized neatly on a coffee table behind him, and the inky mess of an instruction booklet that met its fate during a well timed downpour.]
Perhaps it's too much to ask that the internet provide something useful. [Rewind. Brighten. Playback speed 0.5.] It seems it's only good for manipulating the public and getting engagement on food blogs. What a shame.
[Which is a super normal reaction to have when trying to put a bookcase together from a shady market dealer. Very normal. He's doing great.]
:>
As it turns out, sometimes her judgement could actually be way off.
She's been pretending not to observe him too closely each time she passes through the living room - on this occasion on her way to the kitchen to make tea. Occasionally she glances towards where he's camped out on the living room floor. How many times has he hit that rewind button now?
Mon dieu.
Enough is enough apparently. ]
You know, I can simply ask Kikuno to purchase an already assembled bookcase for us?
[ Her ever faithful and super organised maid takes care of everything else after all. Herein follows a short pause. ]
... It's still not too late for me to do that.
[ She's sure she can arrange to have the half-assembled mess returned easily enough. Few people say no to a Kirijo after all. ]
no subject
[The answer is immediate and he doesn't entertain the suggestion in the slightest. He started this. Began the day with one singular goal in mind and will not end, will not relent, will not sleep until this bookcase is put together. It's a rectangle made of wood slabs and nails. It's not rocket science.]
I used to be a detective. Do you truly have no faith in my ability to figure out how to stick a few slabs of wood together?
[Said as he's splayed around those wooden slabs and a collection of tools that have gone untouched since his decision to violently replay this video. He chooses not to look at the evidence around him.]
Returning or replacing this piece is simply out of the question.
no subject
Yes, you were quite exceptional at that. [ Said in the tone of voice of someone who might have had a conversation akin to this one with him more than once before... ]
Which makes it perfectly acceptable for you to excel in one area and not so much at DIY tasks...
[ He's not the only one. Honestly, there's a reason she hasn't at any point attempted to assist him with what he's trying to do. She knows where her own strengths lie and that is firmly with more intellectual and theoretical pursuits. Mitsuru had never attempted to assemble a piece of furniture in her life. ]
I just thought we might spend the day doing something more preferable.
[ Yes, she is more than implying that it is going to take him all day to figure this out. ]
no subject
He pushes himself up until he's kneeling near the pieces again, lining them up like the shoddy picture quality is showing on his phone. Giving up isn't an option - wasting all day doing this also isn't what he prefers to do. Returning it? He would rather traverse through mementos blindfolded.]
Did you have something in mind? I don't recall us having any plans for today and the weather certainly isn't conducive to any outdoor activities.
[A hand falls under his chin for a moment before eyeing a weird nail that looks like the other weird nails in the blurry video. He snatches it up.]
Although I did hear a new sushi restaurant was opening in Kichijoji today from a bartender at Jazz Jin. He seemed quite excited for it. We should visit sometime.
[A beat, and-]
After I complete this.
no subject
[ Who is this person and what has she done with Mitsuru Kirijo? ]
The new sushi place sounds like an excellent idea to me. We should go today - why miss the grand opening after all?
After that I will make a booking for us at a spa-resort. We can have dinner there and spend the night perhaps.
[ No, she is most certainly not plotting ways in which to get him out of the house for the rest of the day and into the evening if necessary so she can have her army of Kirijo staff come in and take care of furnishing the entire apartment. Let alone the terrible bookcase. Whatever gave you that impression? ]
Magnifique. I believe that is settled.
no subject
The precision of her attack is relentless - all his favorite words hitting his mind like a rapidfire bufudyne. The mess in front of him looking more unappealing by the second in lieu of spending his afternoon in a high class resort with gourmet sushi.
This is a dynamic he's unaccustomed to. One that led to some intense fights early on, as he was unwilling to be lead in any scenario. They've moved into a comfortable neutrality in regards to this, and more often than not she's right.
That's the worst part of all.
But not this time.]
No, this matter is far from settled. Do you think I can be so easily swayed? All those things can wait until tomorrow or you're welcome to go on your own. You don't need to stay on my account. I'll be done by the time you return.
[He will not be done.]
no subject
She's listening to him, mostly, but it's also clear that she is nowhere near about to let the matter rest. Not if that smile is anything go by. ]
I hear the chef at the resort makes the most wonderful pancakes - some of the best in the city so I'm told. Light, fluffy, utterly sublime...
[ She lets each adjective hang delicately in the air for a moment before continuing. ]
I was going to arrange to have some sent up to our room in the morning.
[ Another charming smile. You know, the kind she probably uses to finish up a meeting when her board members are being particularly troublesome. No more negotiations. ]