[semi-open] how many hugs will be in this log? place your bets

[thesettingsun]

WHO: Shuji Tsushima and all his friends who were out of the city and are back.
WHERE: Recolle, which is 100x safer than wherever everyone else was.
WHEN: February 15th.
WHAT: Shuji has one day to check on everyone he knows and he's not going to waste it.
WARNINGS: Nothing as of yet!

[A: text]
[As soon as Shuji learns that people who had volunteered to leave the city are back for a brief period, he wastes absolutely no time. Everyone he's friends who's back is getting a text, something to the tune of:]

Where are you? Can I come see you today?

[B: somewhere in Recolle]
[But if you don't want to thread that part, and just skip to the inevitability of Shuji getting his friend to agree to meet up - and it is inevitable, he has to make sure they're okay with his own eyes - this is the prompt where Shuji spots your character after arranging a meeting and rushes up to them.]

Welcome back!

[He looks like he could hug them at any second. This is probably only a little due to his heartstone's influence.]

[closed to Oda]
[Of course, he'd promised Oda curry, so his lunch date is Odasaku for sure. He's all smiles when he meets Oda outside a really, really nice curry place.]

Welcome home, Odasaku. I hope this place is okay?

[It's probably one of the more expensive places to get curry in Recolle, but sure, ask if it's 'okay'.]

[wildcard]
[You know me, I'm easy. Hit me at Misheard for anything else.]

Comments

[thesettingsun]

[Shuji nods, and takes a few steps forward before gently wrapping his arms around Howard and holding him close.

Has Howard always been this cold, or this thin? It's hard for Shuji to think about how much his dear friend was suffering out there, unable to return home.]

You'll be okay. I've got you.

[He can't really promise the first with any certainty, but he can promise the second: he won't let harm come to Howard when he can prevent it, and he won't let anything hurt him now.]

[ohrlyeh]

...Thanks, Shuji.

[Shuji holds him tightly, and after a moment the tension drains from his body. His arms encircle the other as he lets out a weary sigh. This...this isn't so bad. He's grateful, for Shuji offering this.]

You're...you're a good friend.

[thesettingsun]

[Shuji feels Howard start to relax, and that's good enough for him to feel like he wasn't completely useless.]

You're a good friend to me too.

[He's not letting go yet.]

[ohrlyeh]

If you say so...

[He's not letting go just yet, either. Though after a moment, he lifts his head, giving Shuji a concerned look.]

I don't want to take up a lot of your time...

[thesettingsun]

I'll be here all month. You're the one I'm more concerned about - if you only have one day off, I want that to be the most relaxing day it possibly could be.

[One day isn't a long enough break. Howard shouldn't have to go back in the first place.]

[ohrlyeh]

Well, I am going to go drink with a friend later tonight and see some other people during the day so...I'll try.

[He shakes his head.]

I just...can't believe that they're making us do this. We're not even getting paid for it.

[thesettingsun]

Retrospec is a bag of dicks.

[He can absolutely believe they're making users do this without pay.]