[video]

[pheromonecoffee]

[TODAY EVERYONE IS TREATED TO A BEAUTIFUL VIDEO OF MATT WITH incredibly blue hair. He is relaxing at his desk and is completely serious looking.]

I am now a member of the cool hair club. If you wish to join, I will help with the dye. The drugstore down the street sells hair dye in blue, pink, purple, orange and green.

[He looks like he's going to say something else. Decides against it. Leans forward as if he's going to turn off the video.

Pauses. Leans back a little again. Looks kind of uncomfortable.]

Advice on not becoming a human sacrifice. Go. [And then he turns off the video feed.]

Comments

[orangehoodie]

Because you didn't need to. And you probably won't have to.

[pheromonecoffee]

Probably not, no.

[orangehoodie]

Besides.

You probably can't save this world by becoming a sacrifice like that, anyway.

[pheromonecoffee]

I don't think I have the power to do it, anyway. Even if that's how it goes.

[orangehoodie]

... Just don't.

You don't have to be like Minato.

[pheromonecoffee]

I'll try to avoid it, Ken. I'm not rushing toward death.

[orangehoodie]

[He's biting his lip in an obvious attempt to keep a straight face. No crying, no crying, no crying.

Nod nod nod nod nod nod]

[pheromonecoffee]

[He rises from his seat on the top stair. And he makes his way down very deliberately. And he rests his hand on Ken's hair, crouching to make himself the same height.]

I'm not going anywhere.

[orangehoodie]

I'm sorry.

[His voice is high pitched and on the verge of cracking. He takes a shaky breath, and he forces out the rest of his words.]

Y-you don't have to... worry about me. I'm not-- I'm not the one who has to remember all of that. I'll be okay.

[pheromonecoffee]

We're all remembering things like this. Maybe you don't remember dying, but you remember losing somebody, right?

I'd be scared, too.

[orangehoodie]

I can't do anything to help you. I don't want to just take...

[pheromonecoffee]

Who said that? Who was the one who healed me when I got hurt when the alien attacked? Who was the one who made sure I didn't get stabbed by toothpicks? And you know, it's a little less lonely when you're not the only persona user around.

[orangehoodie]

But I can't--

... You're always helping me.

[pheromonecoffee]

That's something friends do, isn't it? Help each other? I'll keep helping you as long as you need it because I like doing it.

[orangehoodie]

[He frowns and lowers his eyes because he wonders if Matt won't get fed up with that one day?

What if through helping him Matt eventually gets irreversibly hurt or dies?]

... Thank you.

[pheromonecoffee]

[He ruffles his hair again.] I can't go anywhere. Who's going to make you lighten up if I do?

[orangehoodie]

[He doesn't answer that. He knows the answer and he knows Matt knows, too. But the expression on his face when Matt ruffles his hair is honestly that of happiness. It reminds him of when his dad does it, when he's not mad at dad and not yelling at him.

He raises his hand to place it over Matt's as if to hold it there.]

Please don't go.

[pheromonecoffee]

[Poor kid. Matt won't move.]

I'll do my best. I'm staying in Locke for college next fall and everything, so you're stuck with me.

[orangehoodie]

[Good. Don't. His grip isn't tight but it's not loosening.]

You don't want to go back to New York or anything?

[pheromonecoffee]

My parents don't really have the room for me. Besides, I'll be a legal resident of the state next December, so I'll only have to pay high tuition for a semester.

[orangehoodie]

... Okay.

Are you going to live in the dorms? Or are you going to commute?

[pheromonecoffee]

I'll probably commute first semester because I'm not a resident. I don't know, maybe I can get an apartment with someone.

[orangehoodie]

[Ken is quiet. Matt would be able to find someone to live with. He was friendly, and it's not like you had to be best friends with the person you lived with.]

Do you think college would be fun? I mean, I haven't even thought about it, so.

[pheromonecoffee]

Maybe. Most people like it. It won't be easy, though.

[orangehoodie]

"School work isn't that hard."

He says, to his tutor.