[ With a small nod in acknowledgment, he continues to listen carefully, even as he takes a few more bites out of the cupcake. ]
Oh, is this the sidequest thing you were talking about back then?
[ Feels like a long time ago now, and yet he logically knows it's only been a little less than a month. But he digresses. And shouldn't be, considering the next part of the conversation. ]
I see... You could have left that as my birthday present and I would've still been happy, you know?
[ Logically, he realizes that probably paints a target on his back that he'll have to keep an eye on. Emotionally, he can't bring himself to over worry much. Especially when he can't help but feel a little joy about the other implications.
When he makes up his mind to lend a hand to someone, they constantly have carte blanche from his point of view, give or take a few buttons. Yukinami, Hyuga, Yuuki, and now Shigaraki. What kind of future will they make?
Huh? Your birthdays got nothin' to do with it. I'm not gonna let anyone mess with you unless you want 'em to.
[ He thinks back to that conversation earlier this week, the history of having a talk like this before, how that ended, how he's different now.
The past shifts in his mind as he shifts in the beanbag, searching for a word and finding none that he likes, but deciding that it doesn't matter. He knows what it's not and that's fine. ]
You said you'd lend me your hand, right? So I'm givin' you mine. Hands are meant to hold onto somethin', whatever that it is, or whoever that is.
I see. Then I won't let them mess with you either.
[ A funny thing to say to someone who can clearly take care of himself, but he's always been a bit of a worrier.
And right, he did say he'd lend a hand. For someone like him who constantly seeks answers, he wants to at least be someone who doesn't complicate a promise made. Maybe his offer was rather vague last time, but he doesn't intend on taking it back. He's never been one to turn back on his word anyway. ]
I don't think I've thought of it that way before, but...yeah. You might as well take hold of what you can and leave the what-ifs behind.
No one can really mess with me anymore. [ He means that in all the ways and it's largely true, at least as far as he can see.
And that's fine if he can't see that far, because he's not concerned with the future in the usual sense of the word. He's arrived at this conclusion because he's here now, something like realizing it's raining when the first drops fall rather than the scent of rain in the air or the extra pressure in your ears.
He didn't offer his hand last weekend, but he has now and that's that. ]
I said the other day I used to have a lot of hands right? My Master gave them to me to wear to remind me of my past, of my family that I killed. Of the hatred in my gut, of the sick, awful feeling I could never really get rid of.
Anyway, those just held me back in the past after a while. I needed 'em in the beginning, but I don't anymore. So yeah, take hold of what you can, of what you want but don't let that hold you back either, just like the maybes or what coulda happened.
You can hold things but still move forward and be who you wanna be, no matter what anyone else thinks.
[ He says it jokingly, even if it's the truth. But he lets that energy dissipate when Shigaraki continues talking, placing his hands on his lap. What little that remains of the cupcake can come later.
Reminders of the past, huh? That Master must've been quite the character, Ibuki thinks, not quite realizing how literal Shigaraki is being right now. Keeping sight of your goal is important, and Ibuki recognizes the need to remind yourself to stay on track...but then he hears "my family that I killed" and his thoughts swerve.
He doesn't have family. People he's fond of, sure, but family? He'd rather call them friends. He can't understand what it's like to lose what you never had. So many stories talk about their importance, but quantifying loss just from that is impossible. What should he say here?
Trying to clear his mind, he takes a small breath to fill his lungs and quietly exhales. Something about the movement calms him and gives him room to think of something.
Right, he doesn't have to understand. It's fine. He just needs to be himself and meet him where he's at. ]
A reminder you don't need anymore... I've never been to one, but maybe it's something like a graduation? How to put this... Like "Thanks for teaching me what I need to know, but I can take care of myself now."
[ Honestly, he doesn't even remember where that came from. Maybe a drama, maybe a movie, maybe a book? Somehow, it feels like what he learns about human society blends together after a while. ]
I think I see where you're coming from there? In the end, what happened happened, but at least we can choose where we end up after. So...I guess this was a lot of words to say we should just do what we want.
[ Maybe this is all simpler than he thinks in the end. ]
Yeah, that's all there is to it. I'm grateful for everything my Master taught me, but it's my turn now. And what happened with Hana and my parents is something that doesn't bother me anymore.
I still have one hand cuz it's kinda cool, but it's not enough to weigh me down.
No, if we're counting 'em like that it's four. Or five???
[ This would make so much more sense if he brought the stupid hand but neither him nor I anticipated Paperboy turning into this.
To emphasize his point, he holds up a finger on each of his hands, points in whatever direction the main island is on, that's three, and then pokes Ibuki's waving hands, there. Five. ]
Whatever you want. [ The theme of the hour and probably just the theme in general.
There's a brief pause at the ask though, for a lot of reasons, but like most things nowadays it doesn't take him long to make up his mind. ]
Yeah sure, but not the stuffy old man way. I'm not Overhaul. [ Holds out his hand, and you could not pay me enough to figure out how to write this in meta so, 2nd handshake (elite game). They both will absolutely figure this out as they go along as he's winging this. ]
[ I am also absolutely not writing this in meta, so! Like apparently too much about them here, Ibuki just mentally shrugs and goes along with the handshake to the best of his ability. Whatever, it's fun! Like some extremely variant version of rock paper scissors. He's absolutely not going to remember all the steps for later, but it's the vibe that's important anyway. ]
I bet he was always like that, so there's no way you'd turn out like him. [ It's alright he probably won't either, and again its the vibes (he will if they do it enough bc his muscle memory is very good, but this implies them doing it a bunch and expires). But most importantly, yeah this is fun too! (help). ]
Aren't we grown up anyway? [ Said with all the confidence of a 21 year old who thinks he knows exactly what he's doing, but with the extra confidence of that 21 year old having the power and resources to just flat destroy the world and being damn near close to doing so. ]
Great, that's one less worry. [ Cheers to a new handshake! Ibuki never had one with Yukinami and Hyuga, so he can't help but be even more high tension than usual. He certainly doesn't mind a repeat performance any time. ]
Still 21 here. [ Forever 21! ] At our age, childhood's just a far off era now. [ At least that's what he tells himself. He never wanted to let it define him entirely, even if he knows some things are indelible. What he can do now versus then is such a gulf of difference. He might as well enjoy the comparison. ]
Sure is, even with the remnants that try to cling on anyway. [ They're kind of annoying, but same hat in that he knows how to deal with them now. Though in his case it's more people throwing it at him expecting him to have some type of epiphany when he knows better than literally anyone, how he's felt and continues to feel since that day over a decade ago. ]
Actually I'm not sure if birthdays count in hibernation, so maybe I'm technically 20 still. But it's not like I really celebrated 'em anyway so.
[ He's still new to approaching his past and the way he wanted answers differently since talking to Shigaraki. It's an epiphany on his end, but one probably long needed. This island experience has shown him how stagnant he had become over the years. So he appreciates how unapologetically himself Shigaraki is, and how it's helped him come to peace with parts of himself. He feels like he can start moving forward again, in a way that's different from how he views Yuuki's newfound presence. ]
They say age is just a number anyway. We should just pick one we like and run with it. [ After a while, who even bothers counting? ]
In that case I'll stick with 21. And then we're the same, so. [ It's both a way in which he doesn't need to think hard but also, a cool thing? A cool thing. ]
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Oh, is this the sidequest thing you were talking about back then?
[ Feels like a long time ago now, and yet he logically knows it's only been a little less than a month. But he digresses. And shouldn't be, considering the next part of the conversation. ]
I see... You could have left that as my birthday present and I would've still been happy, you know?
[ Logically, he realizes that probably paints a target on his back that he'll have to keep an eye on. Emotionally, he can't bring himself to over worry much. Especially when he can't help but feel a little joy about the other implications.
When he makes up his mind to lend a hand to someone, they constantly have carte blanche from his point of view, give or take a few buttons. Yukinami, Hyuga, Yuuki, and now Shigaraki. What kind of future will they make?
He wants to see where this goes. ]
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[ He thinks back to that conversation earlier this week, the history of having a talk like this before, how that ended, how he's different now.
The past shifts in his mind as he shifts in the beanbag, searching for a word and finding none that he likes, but deciding that it doesn't matter. He knows what it's not and that's fine. ]
You said you'd lend me your hand, right? So I'm givin' you mine. Hands are meant to hold onto somethin', whatever that it is, or whoever that is.
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[ A funny thing to say to someone who can clearly take care of himself, but he's always been a bit of a worrier.
And right, he did say he'd lend a hand. For someone like him who constantly seeks answers, he wants to at least be someone who doesn't complicate a promise made. Maybe his offer was rather vague last time, but he doesn't intend on taking it back. He's never been one to turn back on his word anyway. ]
I don't think I've thought of it that way before, but...yeah. You might as well take hold of what you can and leave the what-ifs behind.
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And that's fine if he can't see that far, because he's not concerned with the future in the usual sense of the word. He's arrived at this conclusion because he's here now, something like realizing it's raining when the first drops fall rather than the scent of rain in the air or the extra pressure in your ears.
He didn't offer his hand last weekend, but he has now and that's that. ]
I said the other day I used to have a lot of hands right? My Master gave them to me to wear to remind me of my past, of my family that I killed. Of the hatred in my gut, of the sick, awful feeling I could never really get rid of.
Anyway, those just held me back in the past after a while. I needed 'em in the beginning, but I don't anymore. So yeah, take hold of what you can, of what you want but don't let that hold you back either, just like the maybes or what coulda happened.
You can hold things but still move forward and be who you wanna be, no matter what anyone else thinks.
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[ He says it jokingly, even if it's the truth. But he lets that energy dissipate when Shigaraki continues talking, placing his hands on his lap. What little that remains of the cupcake can come later.
Reminders of the past, huh? That Master must've been quite the character, Ibuki thinks, not quite realizing how literal Shigaraki is being right now. Keeping sight of your goal is important, and Ibuki recognizes the need to remind yourself to stay on track...but then he hears "my family that I killed" and his thoughts swerve.
He doesn't have family. People he's fond of, sure, but family? He'd rather call them friends. He can't understand what it's like to lose what you never had. So many stories talk about their importance, but quantifying loss just from that is impossible. What should he say here?
Trying to clear his mind, he takes a small breath to fill his lungs and quietly exhales. Something about the movement calms him and gives him room to think of something.
Right, he doesn't have to understand. It's fine. He just needs to be himself and meet him where he's at. ]
A reminder you don't need anymore... I've never been to one, but maybe it's something like a graduation? How to put this... Like "Thanks for teaching me what I need to know, but I can take care of myself now."
[ Honestly, he doesn't even remember where that came from. Maybe a drama, maybe a movie, maybe a book? Somehow, it feels like what he learns about human society blends together after a while. ]
I think I see where you're coming from there? In the end, what happened happened, but at least we can choose where we end up after. So...I guess this was a lot of words to say we should just do what we want.
[ Maybe this is all simpler than he thinks in the end. ]
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I still have one hand cuz it's kinda cool, but it's not enough to weigh me down.
[ ...looks at Ibuki's hands stupidly. ]
Two???
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[ He nods at that, internally relieved he managed to think of something to say. This though? ]
Three???
[ Leaving the cupcake on his lap, he waves his hands back and forth like a pop idol greeting. (He does not know what a pop idol is.) ]
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[ This would make so much more sense if he brought the stupid hand but neither him nor I anticipated Paperboy turning into this.
To emphasize his point, he holds up a finger on each of his hands, points in whatever direction the main island is on, that's three, and then pokes Ibuki's waving hands, there. Five. ]
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[ Kind of confused, but he's just mentally shrugging and going with the spirit of it. It's fine, this is all fine. ]
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I'll show you next time. [ Next time what? Yes. ]
Ibuki, you can ask, you know? [ Ask what? Yes. ]
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Hmm, ask what, I wonder...? [ If it's something related to hands, then might as well go with the first one to come to mind. ] Want to shake on it?
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There's a brief pause at the ask though, for a lot of reasons, but like most things nowadays it doesn't take him long to make up his mind. ]
Yeah sure, but not the stuffy old man way. I'm not Overhaul. [ Holds out his hand, and you could not pay me enough to figure out how to write this in meta so, 2nd handshake (elite game). They both will absolutely figure this out as they go along as he's winging this. ]
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[ I am also absolutely not writing this in meta, so! Like apparently too much about them here, Ibuki just mentally shrugs and goes along with the handshake to the best of his ability. Whatever, it's fun! Like some extremely variant version of rock paper scissors. He's absolutely not going to remember all the steps for later, but it's the vibe that's important anyway. ]
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Aren't we grown up anyway? [ Said with all the confidence of a 21 year old who thinks he knows exactly what he's doing, but with the extra confidence of that 21 year old having the power and resources to just flat destroy the world and being damn near close to doing so. ]
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Still 21 here. [ Forever 21! ] At our age, childhood's just a far off era now. [ At least that's what he tells himself. He never wanted to let it define him entirely, even if he knows some things are indelible. What he can do now versus then is such a gulf of difference. He might as well enjoy the comparison. ]
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Actually I'm not sure if birthdays count in hibernation, so maybe I'm technically 20 still. But it's not like I really celebrated 'em anyway so.
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They say age is just a number anyway. We should just pick one we like and run with it. [ After a while, who even bothers counting? ]
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