[text/video] un: @skull

[ryuji]

[A few days after gravity is restored to the station, Ryuji returns to the mess hall from Haru's garden to find a small robot flipped upside down, panicking through a series of morse beeps and boops, which- okay, that's kind of cool, and quickly figures out that the paneling and suction entrances of the little guy means it's probably meant for filtration and cleaning.

Looks pretty study, looks... waterproof, maybe? He lends a hand to get him right side up and it starts slowly moving forward. Ryuji takes out his communicator and immediately films this as it happens, because, why not?

He posts two videos on the network- the roomba moving down the hall and one, a few hours later in the fitness center as it crawls from the edge, and dives right in.]

Oh shit! Are you supposed to do that?

Whoa, whoa- I don't know how to fix you if you--- WHOA, COOL.




Hey, sup?

Just lettin you guys know the pool looks crystal clear now. All thanks to this little dude.

I figure I should give 'em a name but uh

Everything that comes to mind is kinda lame

Anyway, I think it's good? Anyone wanna give it the first try?

[Complete with file0033.png - a picture of crystal clear water.]

Comments

[ryuji]

[He wades his bad leg backwards through the water to check to see if it actually does. Some days, it's okay. Other days it hurts to do a lot of things. Usually after a lot of physical exertion, the day after it seemed to cramp up a lot. But no, feels okay today.]

I was... goin' for a metaphor here, bro.

You're worryin' too much about me, Yusuke. I'm fine! Just probably bored or something.

[artisticliberty]

Would you say the same thing if it was Ren who was acting this way?

[ryuji]

[Heartbeat sound.

Freeze time.

Fast forward to the confession booth.

Hell no, he wouldn't let Ren get away with it.]

Uh.

...


Uhh...

[Caught, yellow handed.]

Do you always gotta be right at the worst time?

[artisticliberty]

[yusuke scoffs]

If I could not even see my friend suffering right before my eyes, how could I call myself an artist?

[he lets go of ryuji's shoulder and hoists himself out of the pool (still butt naked) to stand up. there's no shame here, and there kind of should be.]

Let us dry off and move this to your room, shall we?

[ryuji]

[He's not sure what Yusuke is planning on doing, since he didn't announce that he was intending on getting out of the pool and...

He sees it.

He sees all of it.

God, why does he see all of it?

Immediately, he puts his forehead down against the concrete edge of the pool. This is more penis than Ryuji had ever wanted to see in one sitting. In any sitting.]

Please... please? Please be a little more modest. You're gonna give a guy a size compl---





[FUCK

FUCK ABORT.]

Yeah. Room.

That's a better idea.

[He lifts himself up.]

[artisticliberty]

A what now?

[sure, let's just stand here butt naked dripping water everywhere]

[ryuji]

Nothing.

[Getting up, he looks down out of the floor, but of course, it's STILL THERE in his peripheral. He gropes around for a towel on one of the chairs (thanks, Haru), before keeping his gaze averted and drapes the towel around Yusuke's shoulders.]

Here, dry off.

[Under his breath--] For both our sakes.

[artisticliberty]

Oh, thank you. I did not think to bring one.

[and he's gonna get cold if he stands there for too long. time to dry off! and put clothes back on! ARE YOU FEELING LESS COMPROMISED NOW, RYUJI]

[ryuji]

[That's it. That's the straw that breaks the camel's back.]

HOW DID YOU NOT THINK TO BRING A TOWEL IF YOU'RE GOIN' INTO A POOL.

[Neither did he though, and yes, he realizes that is completely hypocritical on his behalf, but then again, he didn't dive into the thing naked as the day the good lord Yaldabaoth decreed him to be so.]

Uh, er. Sorry, man.

[He picks the back of his undies down. Wedgies got him crazy like whoa.]

Can... I have that towel when you're done?

[artisticliberty]

[you're so weird, ryuji]

I wasn't planning on swimming today until I saw your post.

[he'll hand back the towel after he's dried himself off]

[ryuji]

[You can say that again.

He takes the towel and dries off his pristine legs, and then up to his torso, and eventually, his chest. It's going to suck being in his jumpsuit in wet undies, but- whatever, he can deal with that.]

Yeah, but it was refreshin', wasn't it?

[He tosses the towel back to Yusuke. Catch!]

Hold on, lemme get this... piece of shit back on.

[And starts redressing. Why does it have to be so tight? Ugh. Loose fitting clothes are always better.]

[artisticliberty]

It certainly was. By the way, do you happen to have any writing or drawing supplies? For some reason, I've been having difficulty obtaining any.

[that's some cosmically bad luck there, yusuke. GET IT? COSMICALLY?]

[ryuji]

[When the jumpsuit is back on- yep, it feels awful to be sloshing around with wet balls in a dry suit. Sorry, Yusuke, you get to experience him pick his wedgie for a second time today.]

Hm? Oh... oh shit, yeah, your artsy juices gotta be practically burstin' from the seams. Kinda like how dudes get if they don't---

[OPEN FUCKING MOUTH INSERT FOOT.]

I'm sure we can find you some uh... pencils or pens or some shit.

Stuff just kinda finds a way of finding us here, anyway. My mask was in the pool last month. It was electrifying it. And then ramen in my toilet, yadda yadda.

[artisticliberty]

[always so elegant, ryuji]

Indeed. I am feeling fit to burst, lately.

[BOOM, PHRASING]

Your Metaverse mask, you mean?

[damn, the metaphysical implications of that are too much for me to wrap my head around]

[ryuji]

[He reexamines all his life choices leading up to this point and it's coming up all whammies.

And he explicitly had said no whammies, no whammies, no whammies.

Wincing, he realizes that he kind of deserved it though. And maybe he should be mature enough to talk about this sort of stuff with other guys? Maybe?]

You just gotta... take care of that shit, then. You have a room all to yourself to make it happen.

[They're talking about art, right?]

Yeah! It was like... just in the middle of the pool. But this ain't the metaverse. My persona's here. IRL. [He says each letter of IRL out loud.]

[artisticliberty]

[oh, a burst of inspiration! yusuke's eyes light up]

I often made art in my room back home, but the dull atmosphere in these assigned cabins has left me feeling bereft of motivation. But if I focus on changing that atmosphere with art, then the problem is solved! I'll simply need to cover every square inch of my room with it. And if I can find some paint, that will be even better.

[he turns to ryuji, FULL DETERMINATION BURNING IN HIS EYES, possibly leaning in a little closer than strictly necessary]

Let us adjourn.

[ryuji]

[Okay, that's



totally normal.]

Wait, you're really gonna do this? What's the plan? How are you gonna... I don't get it.

[artisticliberty]

You said you found your mask in the pool, and ramen in the toilet? Then all I need to do is start looking in unexpected places, and gather what I find. Something I can use for art has to show up eventually.

[that's it? that's it, apparently]

[ryuji]

Oh... so you're goin' on a scavenger hunt.

[This probably... won't turn up useful, but it's better than sitting around and waiting for paintbrushes to literally fall from the sky.]

You sure... that's gonna work?

[artisticliberty]

Of course, if you happen to find anything that can be used for art, please let me know. This entire station could use repainting.

[though, yusuke's not known for having very good luck]

I should think of other art forms to pursue, as well. I am more of a painter than a sculptor, but given the right materials, perhaps...

[ryuji]

Dude. There's literally no one else in the world I'd give art supplies to. Trust me, if I found anything... it'd absolutely end up in your hands.

[That first calling card... it's amazing the Phantom Thieves even caused anything of an emotional response from Kamoshida. He was probably pissed off that the artwork was so bad, like it was mocking him from afar.

Ryuji worked so hard on that thing.]

That's the spirit, man. You can probably use protein goo to start. If you're a true artist, then it doesn't matter what the canvas is, you're gonna rock it.

[He cherishes you, Yusuke.]

[artisticliberty]

[this is why ryuji and yusuke are friends. that unconditional encouragement, that endless support from ryuji is more than yusuke's ever had in his life, and for all their occasional bickering, it means a lot to yusuke that ryuji believes in his passion.

he can't help but smile.]

You overestimate me, perhaps, but I appreciate the sentiment.

[tho that does beg the question: what kind of art can one make with protein goop?]

I wonder if I could freeze it, and then use solid chunks to carve with. I could make a diorama... oh, but it would probably just re-liquefy after a while.

[ryuji]

[The gears start whirring in his head, some... sort... of thought beginning to brew like a potion, bubbling up to the surface. He looks down at the ground, Yusuke can see his lips moving as he talks to himself for all of 3 seconds- and then.

Yeah. He's got it. Science be damned.]

Launch it out to space.

[RYUJI, THAT CAN'T BE YOUR ANSWER FOR LITERALLY EVERYTHING.

But, hear him out:]

Like... clay, you put into a fire to turn it into pottery, right? If you get something down to the point of complete petrification from bein' too cold, won't its molecools [sic] like.... stop vibratin' or whatever? Then you'll have a statue of mashed potatoes and no one is ever gonna be able to tell you to stop playin' with your food.

[He smiles widely. This plan right here? Foolproof.]

[artisticliberty]

It's 'molecules'. And your plan is lacking some basic understanding of physics.

[but.]

But it would be interesting to see the results of that.

[the more he thinks about it, the more intrigued he becomes]

[ryuji]

Physics are just a bunch of rules old people came up with to keep us down anyway.

[God, please, where's Ren to slap a hand against his mouth and tell him to stop.]

Hah! I see you're on board with the idea. So it's basically gonna happen.

[He's way too damn proud of that, to be honest.]

Now we just gotta get a 30 pound steamin' log of hot mashed potatoes.