reveilation | IC INBOX

[ When the shrine is a lot closer, Terry barks towards it while staring up at the stairs. He remembers some things around the shrine too, but not quite everything. ]

[ Kido looks over at the shrine. It's where she intended to go in the first place, so why did the dog want to go to the school? He's a weird dog. Cute, though, so she forgives him.

Nekogami disappears once she gets to the steps, climbing them slowly and carefully since everything is wet, and soon, the rest of the shrine comes into view. ]

Huh. There's no crows for once... You should've seen this place during the summer. There were crows everywhere.

[ And they were mad. And it was partly her fault. But now it's empty and quiet, save for the pattering of rain. The water basin is empty, the cover keeping the rain out of it. ]

[ Terry glances over at the water basin with a cover on it. Oh. Yeah, note to self, remember to check on that everyday. He knew there was something important here, but he forgot what. He looks at the offertory box too. That's where they put those colorful rocks inside. It reminds him of back home, where they would build some fancy structure for him and offer "the finest blood pack the world had" and it was so fucking weird. All blood tasted the same, except his own. Drinking his own didn't add to the lifespan and it was bitter as hell for some reason that he never thought about.

Hm.

He also remembers that the crows would flock around and be annoying from time to time. Oh yeah. They stole Rei's takoyaki once. They deserve to be barbequed.

Terry looks up at Kido. He'd prefer to stay like this, but if she looks uncomfortable while holding the umbrella too, he'll hop off. ]

[ She looks uncomfortable holding the umbrella, so she'll let him hop off. The moment she does, she closes the umbrella and sets it aside on top of the empty water basin, and walks towards the offertory box. Now they're both wet, because Kido's just given up keeping either of them dry.

She digs into her pants pockets, and drops a couple of small gemstones into the box, where they clatter on top of one another. It's getting to be pretty full, seeing as it's the end of the month, but the level always differs whenever she goes here, so she's sure somebody must be emptying it out every once in a while. She's not a religious person, but standing in front of the box, staring down into the contents... ]

I wish I could have seen you one last time. I'll never forget you. May you rest in peace, Terrence Nowell.

[ Terry is dead. ]

[ Terry gives Kido an appalled literal puppy look.

I'M NOT DEAD! KIDO!!

Terry barks at her when she's done with that and stands on his hind legs, pawing at her leg. YAP YAP YAP YAP YAP YAP ]

[ Kido leans over and pats him on the head. Shhhhh. ]

I'm trying to mourn for a dearly departed, so I'll play with you in a minute, okay?

[ Terry grumbles, but sits back down while still looking up at Kido. At least he's quiet now. Though after three more seconds of waiting, he runs off to investigate the state of the shrine but never too far from her. It looks the same as last time... at least, from how he remembers it. The kid who asked him for crow-scaring advice, the fox, the shrine water... he remembers that one time when he came up here with Kido while he was blind. ]

[ Kido closes her eyes again and says the rest of it in her head. Basically... the same sorts of thoughts she had over the past few days, but said all at once and to Terry himself instead of vague "If I could, I'd tell him this or that." Apologies, mostly. Wishes. Quiet words of love. A fair bit of scolding. Things she won't ever get to say to Terry because he's dead )':

While she does all that, the ground at her feet start to freeze over, spreading out across the ground. Nekogami sits on the offertory box watching Terry wander around. ]

[ Terry eventually come back and is surprised to see ice forming on the ground she's standing on and then Nekogami. He trots over a little closer while warily staring and growls a little, though it sounds more confused than threatening. ]

[ Kido is busy affectionately calling Terry an asshole inside her head, so Nekogami opens his mouth in a yawn, and then sends out a barrage of dream needles at Terry before snapping his jaws shut. ]

[ BONGOGAMI AAAAAA NOT THIS AGAIN

Though Terry, even as a pom, manages to swiftly dodge even though the ground is wet and all he has for traction are paw pads instead of his usual anti-slip parkour shoes. His tiny size helps with the evading well. He growls for real this time. ]

[ Kido opens her eyes and turns around to look at Terry. ]

What's wrong? Did you see the fox around here? Don't go chasing after it, if you do.

[ Nekogami stretches his back and fades away, because he got his message across. ]

[ ...

Terry can't recall a time when Nekogami was actually NICE to him on his own volition instead of Kido telling him to heal him and stuff. So Terry just assumed that Nekogami just always hates him for whatever reason.

He whines and gestures to the ice with his paw. ]

[ He's a little better when Minato summons him, but he's still... yeah...

But when Terry gestures to the ice on the ground, a flicker of realization crosses Kido's face and she ducks her head. Yeah. Yeah, she knows. With a sigh, she sinks down into a crouch and hugs her arms around her knees, looking at Terry. ]

I know. I'm trying to control it, but it's hard... Like when I was a kid and I couldn't control my eye powers at all, and I kept fading away when I didn't want to. It was scary and this is too, but I'm trying. Sorry to get you caught up in all this, though.

[ Though, Terry can understand since he did kill Kido with his own hands... That's not something he can just forget. Terry trots a little closer to Kido, making sure not to slip on the ice and nuzzles against her leg.

It's okay. I believe in you, Kido. You'll learn to control it and be the best ice queen ever... is what Terry would have said if he didn't have puppy vocal chords. Alas.

He barks once and tippy taps on the ice.
He supports you!!! ]

[ Kido just stares at him, because if he isn't hungry, then she has no idea what he wants. Animal are hard. But it doesn't matter, because Terry just barking and prancing around or whatever is enough to make her smile a little, and she picks him up again so she can hold him and give him a hug. ]

I have no idea what you're trying to tell me, but it's okay. I love you anyways.

[ This is the summary of their entire relationship. ]

[ I can't believe how real this is, card...

Terry lets out a soft whine. Even after those long, long years, he still loves her. All those 40k years. Though he's a little concerned that Kido still seems to like him even after killing her once?! For even Terry to realize that, it's... quite something. He's more worried for her all of a sudden. He feels guilt. He's always felt that for so long and now it starts again. Where is his snake friend to snap him out of it... eating crows probably.

Anyway, love is hard. ]

[ Love is hard, and Kido buries her face in Terry's fur again, like that would comfort the both of them. The guilt runs deep on both sides— she couldn't do anything for Terry, after all, no matter how much she wanted to or how hard she tried or how much she thought that if it was her, then she could do it. It was just arrogance. All she did was make the Shadow mad, and she had lashed out against Terry too. The last memory she has of him is of her own Persona trying to kill the person she was trying to save.

None of it makes sense. She doesn't understand any of it, and the one person who can explain things to her just hecked off and disappeared and became a dog. So she misses him. Talking with him, seeing him, everything. Her heart hurts and to Kido, that's love: yearning for somebody that pisses you off so much, but in your heart you love them and so you want them back despite everything. ]

[ The cinnamon smell is pretty strong when Kido does that... and there's a reason why it's called an identifier. Terry stays still, but tries to relax. He can't purr or anything, so he'll quietly breathe in and out, so that the sound can be heard in a soothing attempt. ]

[ Associating cinnamon with apple pie was a mistake, because all Kido can think of is warmth and family and love and all these things that the cold rain is trying to wash away. She still thinks she's slightly delusional with grief and that's what's making her smell cinnamon, but that's okay... she won't ever do this with Terry any other way, holding him and kissing him or any of that.

It's cold, but it's not getting any colder. Kido's not crying this time. Mostly she just thinks to herself that she wants it to stop raining. She kisses Terry's forehead one last time. ]

I think I'm done here. Ready to go?

[ Terry looks up at Kido and nods, nuzzling and licking her cheek again after the forehead kiss. There's a whistle-like sound that comes from his whining that develops into a quiet puppy howl. He's sad to see Kido like this. He wants to talk to her, to give her a hug and tell her that things will be fine again... he wants to tell her so many things, but today is not that day. ]

Mm. Yeah.

[ Whatever the hell he's saying, yeah. Dogs are hard. Cats just want pets and food, they're easy to figure out, but dogs are weird and this one is the weirdest. She picks up her umbrella and tucks it under her arm so she can continue holding onto Terry while making it back. The school is so far... so she heads to the castle instead, and maybe they can dry off in the Velvet Room and lie around somewhere with that weird ambient temperature that's neither hot nor cold, and see how long they can stand the music before it drives them insane.

She gets as far as the Velvet Room door before a trap is sprung and a water balloon drops on her head.

... ]

[ ...

Terry just stares up at Kido with wide eyes for several seconds before looking over at what should be Kano's hideout. He growls a little, but then tugs the ends of Kido's shoes slightly to the Velvet Room portal so that she can dry herself off. ]

[ Kano's not here. He just wanted to say hi, maybe.

Kido decides to never go to the Velvet Room ever again unless she's on death's doorstop and is out of options, and she doesn't need much prompting to get inside out of the rain. She hates the rain! so much!! When will it be next week so it can be sunny again, contingent on the tengu boss dying?

She doesn't think much about Terry being able to enter the Velvet Room since the cats are allowed here, so there's another missed opportunity for her to figure any of this out. ]

I'll be back with a towel, okay? Don't run around or Souji will get mad.

[ She's never seen him mad, but she doesn't want to. Her jacket gets pulled off and folded on the table, along with her shoes that she puts under it so she doesn't track mud everywhere. Since neither Attendant seem to be around, she helps herself to the linen closet for towels and blankets, thanks guys. She's looking forward to be Minato for a couple hours and just sleep. ]

[ Terry sits on the floor and obediently waits like a good dog. He stands for a minute to shake all the water off, since the splashing got to him too, but it's not so bad. He'll probably need a hair dryer to be a puffball again... ]

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