Momo reaches for the little package and peers through the paper. He gets a glimpse of the colorful candy (a luxury in this black-and-white town), and he tries to smile through the warm feeling that bubbles from the pit of his gut to the back of his throat.
It's sweet. Jion always is, despite his odds. It reminds Momo of Christmas when he was still starting out as a junior idol, when he didn't have two one-hundred yen coins to rub together for a satisfactory gift. Of the person in the photograph that's still sitting there on the table, smiling at a Christmas Market.
He must be getting old. He can feel the corner of his eyes stinging. ]
...This is really nice of you! Thanks, Jion.
[ His voice cracks somewhere between those syllables; he hates it, but the company is more welcome than he'd anticipated. ] You're so super-nice, you know that?
No, it’s — just the right thing to do! That’s all! You would have done the same! [ He hears that faint crack in Momo’s voice, and panic immediately starts bubbling from the pit of his stomach. Jion hurriedly flaps his hands in denial, his nervous laugh coming out a little higher-pitched. ] Um, I’m really glad if you like it, though! Since it’s the holidays and all, you know? And, um ...
[ He takes a deep breath to try and calm himself, his voice smoothing out as he continues. ]
Especially since. You helped me out a lot since we got here? There’s a lot of stuff I’m not used to dealing with, and I was honestly pretty nervous about a lot of stuff when I ended up here. So I think it helped a lot to get to talk to someone like you — you know, supportive and nice and friendly. That helped me calm down a get used to the flow of things here a lot. And um, there’s no that much I can do in return. You know, other than medic-stuff, my usual job. So if there is anything I can do to help, I really want to. Even if it’s just running errands or helping deal with the cold, or ... listening, if there’s anything weighing on your mind?
[ Was that too on-the-nose? He fidgets with his hands as he speaks, trying to gauge Momo’s reaction to that last bit. Because as disorganized and flustered as his words are, they’re totally sincere. And Momo really does look like he needs to get something off his chest. ]
[ It's on-the-nose, but Momo figures that he hasn't been doing a good job of hiding his holiday malaise. He didn't get enough rehearsal time before Jion came into the proverbial dressing room, after all.
Momo doesn't frown. If anything, he looks a bit resigned. Shoulders lowered, and his lashes cast downwards. ]
Don't sell yourself short! You've already done a bunch for me, and your medic stuff is super valuable, isn't it?
[ That's just dodging the actual question at hand, though, so: ] ...Hey, Jion. Is there anyone you really miss, from back home?
[ Aaah yeah, he’s pretty sure he’s pushing it. That downcast look on Momo’s face is already enough to get him sweating, and Jion fidgets nervously at the question. ]
Me? Um. [ Is there an answer Momo is looking for in particular? If so, he’s not shrewd enough to find it. Jion mulls over the question for a moment. ] ... well. It’s not anyone super specific, but. A bunch of us — people like me, in the same experiment — we grew up together in the same lab, right? So we were always together for studying and training and everything. But we were all deployed to different locations, and I only see them if we happened to get scheduled for checkups at the same time back at the lab. And I think about them often, I wonder how they’re doing a lot. So, I miss them. Though I guess that’s not really specific to me being here?
[ Is that still a proper answer? Jion kneads his hands together, trying to check Momo’s expression to see how he’s reacting. ]
Um, how about you? Is there someone you really wanna see again?
[ Humble. Momo listens with half-admiration etched on his face, mulling over the maturity of those words. He seems calm enough, but it's when the question's thrown back at him that he looks a bit troubled again. As if he expected Jion not to reciprocate. ]
I dunno, that sounds tough— you guys work in a dangerous field, so it must be hard to not know when you're gonna see each other again. You're super mature, juggling that kind of lifestyle!
Not like me at all. There's someone I miss, yeah, and I spent a lot of time back at home being close to him all the time.
... is that really mature? [ A curious tilt of the head as he asks that. ] It's just that we were always trained for deployment, so we knew what to expect. That's just how we were conditioned. And I don't think it's a bad thing, missing people? Especially if you spent a lot of time with them, and especially when it feels like the holidays and all.
[ Would talking about them ease the pain of missing them? He hopes it doesn't just make things worse. ]
Um, what's your friend like? Are they also in the industry? An idol? Or just a friend? You must have been pretty close?
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no subject
This is really sweet.
Momo reaches for the little package and peers through the paper. He gets a glimpse of the colorful candy (a luxury in this black-and-white town), and he tries to smile through the warm feeling that bubbles from the pit of his gut to the back of his throat.
It's sweet. Jion always is, despite his odds. It reminds Momo of Christmas when he was still starting out as a junior idol, when he didn't have two one-hundred yen coins to rub together for a satisfactory gift. Of the person in the photograph that's still sitting there on the table, smiling at a Christmas Market.
He must be getting old. He can feel the corner of his eyes stinging. ]
...This is really nice of you! Thanks, Jion.
[ His voice cracks somewhere between those syllables; he hates it, but the company is more welcome than he'd anticipated. ] You're so super-nice, you know that?
no subject
[ He takes a deep breath to try and calm himself, his voice smoothing out as he continues. ]
Especially since. You helped me out a lot since we got here? There’s a lot of stuff I’m not used to dealing with, and I was honestly pretty nervous about a lot of stuff when I ended up here. So I think it helped a lot to get to talk to someone like you — you know, supportive and nice and friendly. That helped me calm down a get used to the flow of things here a lot. And um, there’s no that much I can do in return. You know, other than medic-stuff, my usual job. So if there is anything I can do to help, I really want to. Even if it’s just running errands or helping deal with the cold, or ... listening, if there’s anything weighing on your mind?
[ Was that too on-the-nose? He fidgets with his hands as he speaks, trying to gauge Momo’s reaction to that last bit. Because as disorganized and flustered as his words are, they’re totally sincere. And Momo really does look like he needs to get something off his chest. ]
no subject
Momo doesn't frown. If anything, he looks a bit resigned. Shoulders lowered, and his lashes cast downwards. ]
Don't sell yourself short! You've already done a bunch for me, and your medic stuff is super valuable, isn't it?
[ That's just dodging the actual question at hand, though, so: ] ...Hey, Jion. Is there anyone you really miss, from back home?
no subject
Me? Um. [ Is there an answer Momo is looking for in particular? If so, he’s not shrewd enough to find it. Jion mulls over the question for a moment. ] ... well. It’s not anyone super specific, but. A bunch of us — people like me, in the same experiment — we grew up together in the same lab, right? So we were always together for studying and training and everything. But we were all deployed to different locations, and I only see them if we happened to get scheduled for checkups at the same time back at the lab. And I think about them often, I wonder how they’re doing a lot. So, I miss them. Though I guess that’s not really specific to me being here?
[ Is that still a proper answer? Jion kneads his hands together, trying to check Momo’s expression to see how he’s reacting. ]
Um, how about you? Is there someone you really wanna see again?
no subject
I dunno, that sounds tough— you guys work in a dangerous field, so it must be hard to not know when you're gonna see each other again. You're super mature, juggling that kind of lifestyle!
Not like me at all. There's someone I miss, yeah, and I spent a lot of time back at home being close to him all the time.
no subject
[ Would talking about them ease the pain of missing them? He hopes it doesn't just make things worse. ]
Um, what's your friend like? Are they also in the industry? An idol? Or just a friend? You must have been pretty close?