31st Link ▫ [Video + Action]

[jivitadana]

[Minato held onto his key, a familiar-looking tarot card that shone and glowed whenever he held it, day or night, and he stood on the Tenth Floor in front of the seemingly colossal, golden door adorned with large, darting eyes and barbed wire. His door. The Door.

He was able to find his key, and was told to keep it safe since it would've been stolen otherwise. It really is beneficial to have an ally or two on the other side of the mirrors.]

... Is there something behind here that we're not supposed to see?

[That is, since all these Mirrors were supposedly stealing keys. After a few moments though, he moved his lips, barely whispering, though it didn't seem like he was talking to himself.]

Comments

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[eatsyourscience]

Tell me.

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[jivitadana]

[Minato nodded a little.]

I want to see my friends. Finish school. Go to Todai.

[And then there were still a million other things.]

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[eatsyourscience]

You can. You will.

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[jivitadana]

What about you?

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[eatsyourscience]

Then...I'll go to Todai, too.

[Souji holds out his pinkie. Making it into one of the best schools in Japan? Totally doable.]

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[jivitadana]

[Minato smiled, linking his pinkie with Souji's. Same here. Now, anyway, now that he could.]

... Wait for me?

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[eatsyourscience]

Yeah. I will.

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[jivitadana]

[Minato smiled a little. He was so thankful. But he could never express it properly.]

But what if I want to do other things?

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[eatsyourscience]

You can do whatever you want.

[He means that encouragingly, not dismissively.]

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[jivitadana]

[At that, Minato leaned back against the wall, and he couldn't help the very soft laugh that left him.]

But it's things like... going to the zoo. Eating more ice cream. Seeing where you've been.

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[eatsyourscience]

I'll show you. [All of those things.]

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[jivitadana]

[Minato could really feel as though he were a child, like he could get that part of his life back, be fascinated with the way the world worked again and with what it had in store for him.

He smiled a little to himself.]

... Souji? How much time do you think I'll have?

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[eatsyourscience]

A lifetime. The same as everyone else.

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[jivitadana]

Mn. That's all I really want.

[And not to be alone. But that was a bit selfish too.]

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[eatsyourscience]

[Souji squeezes Minato's hand and relaxes there on the floor beside him again.]

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[jivitadana]

[Minato rested his head on Souji's shoulder. It was still overwhelming, like his whole world had been turned upside down and all around.]

I would do anything for you.

[Since Souji had done just that for him, and also gave him the chance to do so.]

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[eatsyourscience]

It's the same for me.

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[jivitadana]

Don't hesitate if you need anything at all, okay?

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[eatsyourscience]

Okay.

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[jivitadana]

You'll take me up on it, won't you?

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[eatsyourscience]

I will.

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[jivitadana]

[Minato didn't let go of Souji's hand, but with his free one, he held out his pinkie finger.]

Promise?

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[eatsyourscience]

[Souji reaches over and links pinkies.]

Promise.

[He closes his eyes and sighs.]

Let's just take a nap here for a little while.

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[jivitadana]

[Minato nodded. He could do that. Thus he relaxed again, closing his eyes and drifting off after a few minutes.]