sagacious

“So can we have a party, now?”

“...”

       ”Started with Byakuya sayin’, like, she’s fakin’. Didn’t believe him none, but he said tap Monaka’s knees with a wee hammer and see if they jerk. If they’re paralyzed, they’ll stay still, but if they’re fine, they gonna move in response. So I said, Monaka, we can be all done with the worries. You don’t gotta worry ‘bout him makin’ bad rumors, ‘cause I got a wee hammer ‘nd we can disprove him right now.”

       He let out a shuddery breath. 

       ”But she got super panicky ‘nd left, practically yellin’ ‘nd cryin’. Wouldn’ta hurt her none to do the hammer test, otherwise I wouldn’ta done it, right?! But she couldn’t… Wouldn’t do it.”

“...” Nagisa stayed silent, his eyes nearly dull as he stared at Jataro. It was inconceivable to imagine that Monaka would have been untruthful this entire time, and yet... Her reluctance to prove the masses wrong was a practical admission of guilt. 

       “Legs– She ‘pparently can walk?” The floodgates opened, and Jataro began sobbing harder, his barrel-shaped chest heaving with the tears. “Can’t– Can’t believe Monaka’d–?!” 

      At least he still had Nagisa. He’d always, always still have Nagisa. 

Nagisa flinched as Jataro’s sobbing began, feeling an uncomfortable pain in his chest. This news in combination with the pain of seeing his friend so thoroughly upset was an awful combination. He swallowed down whatever nervousness he had anyways, sighing.

       Words were not the forte of the artist– he could make a picture of how he felt, surely, but there was no sketchbook or block of marble to be found. His choppy language was all he had now, face still deeply buried in Nagisa’s shoulder.

      “Dunno if everything’s gonna be alright. Monaka been lyin’ to us, Nagisa.”

“... Lying? What has she been lying about?” He asked, feeling an unintentional wave of anxiety. He hoped that it was not evident in his features or in his voice. To imagine that Monaka would be lying to any of them was nearly unbelievable. 

       “What? Yeah. No. Yeah? No. Nuh-uh.” He sighed, resting his chubby body up against Nagisa’s thin one. Being so emotional was also unlike Jataro– but who else was he to go to, other than Nagisa?

Nagisa frowned slightly, sighing quietly. He didn’t like seeing his friend upset and desiring comfort, but he could do his best to oblige, “Well, you are free to speak with me, Jataro. I think everything will be alright, though, if it is any small comfort.”

@nagisagacious​

       No words. He buries his face into Nagisa’s shoulder.

       “I know your name. Shin-get-su Nag-i-sa. My mouth is bein’ watched.”

     Looking for a reason in EVERYTHING is something adults do. We kids are much SIMPLER than that.