Who said you get to know it’s me? I could submit anonymously. I’m sure you get a lot of submissions.
[He’ll humor her, but he’s also not going to give her the impression that he’s excited about possibly writing something artfully. He can be a bit of a grump.]
[ She could always hack into the network to see the identity of the poster... But she tried not to misuse her hacking skills any more. She was better than that! Maybe! ]
I'm looking forward to seeing what you'll submit~!
[He seems a little more cheerful to know that she has submissions. She ought to, being as passionate as she was when they first met. Gokudera really doesn’t know if he has any talent for writing, though, so worries whatever he may submit would be worth a wastebin.]
You really shouldn’t.
[What incredible stories he has (or so he’s been told by Midoriya), are very personal, painful, but there are acts of heroism, and he’s sure he could make the heroes he’d met seem that much more powerful. Never himself. But… what if he wrote so cold and clipped that it would be boring. Gokudera lacks the confidence to submit something written as art. He gets up to get a refill on his coffee, then returns and is holding a little toy plesiosaur dinosaur, spinning its tail about one of his fingers, then watching as it then spins its neck around the rest of his hand.]
Oh come on. I'm sure you're underestimating yourself. I'm not expecting you to submit something Shakespeare himself could have written, you know? It's a mistake most new writers make. Most people when they are new at something, in fact. They compare themselves to the best in their chosen field. And of course, compared to them what they do is not nearly as good. Even my writings can't compare.
[ Oops. His lack of confidence triggered Monika's Tip Of The Day. She knew exactly how he felt, she'd felt that too. Everyone did at some point. ]
Think of it like trying a new sport. You wouldn't compare your performance to an athlete participating in the olympics, would you? [A pause.] As a general rule, your best comparison is with yourself. Look at what you've done yesterday, and try to do a little better today. The improvement may not even be noticeable, but after a year? You've done real progress!
[ She laughed awkwardly, before resting her eyes on his little toys to avoid direct contact. ]
Ahaha! Sorry, I'm rambling again... It's a bad habit from home.
Well, my own expectations aren’t even that high. It’s more that it’s self-expression, and it feels personal.
[He doesn’t think it will be very good for him to read. Maybe more interesting for someone else? Does he want to really share it? Gokudera won’t know until he sets out to write it. The hesitation is there, but he’s more inclined after hearing her.]
You’re not rambling. No need to apologize.
[The ‘toy’ blinks at Monika, then Gokudera sets it down. It shifts and then moves like a seal, body lurching and wobbling until it’s in front of her salad, peeking on at it and staring up with big watery eyes.]
I guess, if I send it to you, that’s okay… But I won’t be looking for criticism. It might feel good to just get it out.
Personal... Yes, I understand. [She nodded.] I was terrified before sharing a poem I wrote for the first time, too.
[ She hadn't really considered that angle. Poem-sharing had become so natural to her, it was like someone had hardcoded it into her head. ... Unfortunately, that analogy was probably truer than she'd like. ]
I'm looking forward to it. But don't force yourself, okay? Do it when you feel comfortable doing it.
[ Wait, did that... Toy blink and moved? She blinked in quick succession as it reached her salad. ]
[A lie. It is scary to be so open, or have something that feels him out there where he can’t control it, or how it’s interpreted.
He huffs, but doesn’t seem so bothered for long.]
Okay.
[The dinosaur yawns and then turns its head, tucking it behind a fin, then moving it right back to drop a glass bead by Monika’s plate… or where it had been.]
Sorry for not introducing you. This is my familiar, Larry. He’s just disguised as a toy.
[ Not terrified at all, right. It was always kinda cute when someone seemingly grumpy and hardened suddenly showed they were just human, like everyone else. She smiled but said nothing more on the matter. She knew she wouldn't like to be pressed on if one of her vulnerabilities came under the spotlight.
So instead she glanced at the toy. ]
Oh, I see. [She approached her hand to try and "pet" it.] He's absolutely adorable.
He’s usually really big and eats all sorts of trash.
[Larry sqwaks up at that hand, then bounces up to intentionally bonk his little head against it. Then he coughs up another trinket, a pearl this time. Gokudera frowns. What’s with those as of late?]
Larry likes to give people marbles. That’s different. Guess he likes you.
[Larry gives an excited little noise and then heaves himself back towards Gokudera.]
Larry likes everyone.
[He’s not trying to be rude or say anything against that observation Monika is making. She’ll let her give herself a pat on the back.]
But it’s usually not pearls. There’s only one person I’ve seen him give marbles to. Try throwing it? Usually the marbles become light barriers or something useful. Maybe the pearls are stronger or more magical?
[Larry is not listening to them, just stops in the center of the table and stares off at nothing. Probably resuming pretending to be a toy. Wow what a cool centerpiece this table has!]
[ That is a bit disappointing to hear he likes everyone-- It's not like she has a lot of those moments when she can feel special. But at least apparently the fact she was given a pearl is special? ]
Throwing it? Mhm, let's see...
[ She took it and threw it onto the ground a couple feet away from them-- Just in case it'd turn out to be an explosive or something. ]
Gokudera hadn’t meant to knock her down a peg or make her feel any less special. Larry has only ever given a pearl to one other person, Chrome. Maybe because they’re both girls? Maybe because Larry likes them? Gokudera can’t speak to that.
When the pearl is thrown, it acts just like a normal pearl might. It bounces and rolls away. Larry turns an eye on Gokudera, and the boy tenses up.]
Ah-! It was just because you’re pretty! I’m sorry! Sorry, Larry! I’ll find it-!
[And while Gokudera is trying to find that pearl, putting his glasses on and actively searching, Larry blows a bubble with a pearl inside. It shrinks, so now it’s a little pearl in a tiny glass pendant. Larry carries it carefully and moves quick, sliding against the table with seemingly no effort, and then offering it up. M’lady~?]
[ Monika gladly accepts the gift! And pets the little familiar in return. Whether she's special or not, there's no denying the pure adorableness that radiates from this familiar and the way he behaves. ]
Thank you...~!
[ She smiles at the little familiar; and turns to Godukera. No need for him to go through the grass now, right? ]
It's okay, he made me another one! [She holds up the pendant.] He's so very adorable, you better take good care of him ahaha!
[Gokudera knows that at least Larry favors Monika. The familiar is clearly having a good time with her, flapping his little fin/paws against the table in delight.]
Ah that would be the second fox familiar someone has offered to trade for him!
[Not that he would trade. His familiar is the one creature he’s always wanted to see. Larry reminds him not to take everything too seriously, and to get excited over mysteries. He’s absolutely vital to Gokudera’s well-being! As cute as fox-familiars are, he doesn’t feel any sort of connection with them.]
[A different sort of creature entirely! He wouldn’t say they are common, but their humans tend to be so tired of the mischief the familiars get up to.]
That’s not so rude, I think… I’d be quiet, too until I got closer to someone.
[He shrugs.]
But I’m not sure. Larry here has only ever spoken when he’s pretending to be me. He casts illusions and it’s all tricks and him copying words I’ve said.
No no, he's just rude. Wait, I'll see if I can summon him...
[ She took her phone once more and typed something on it. Seconds later? A pink nine-tailed fox appeared on the table. It was rather small, the size of a cat. And it looked very grumpy.
Maybe the grumpiness came from those Google Glasses he was wearing on Monika's request. Noticeably, his central tail had a cute white ribbon tied into a neat little bow— Strikingly similar to the one holding together Monika's hair. ]
There you are, Pink Fox!
[ And immediately, he leaped off the table, went under it and laid down to sleep. ]
[Gokudera looks stunned. The familiar is so cute! Seeing it makes him miss his kitten. Uri in this world is just a young leopard, no longer a kitten extension of his spirit. He’s clearly adoring this creature and then he blinks at Monika’s name for it, and the fox moving to sleep beneath the table.]
Does he maybe not… like cute things? Despite being so cute, he maybe doesn’t want to seem that way?
[Maybe he’s wrong, but the creature is probably not just cute. It’s adorned in a cute way, having a cute name, and it’s pink. His Uri is also cute and only seems to get aggravated when he is affectionate towards him.]
[ Don't be fooled. Beneath that thin veil of cuteness hides a most vile creature: a grumpy and always grouchy fox! Monika shook her head at his suggestion anyway. ]
Then why does he ask for petting all the time?
[ She looked down at the now sleeping fox and looked obviously very annoyed. ]
Pink Fox isn't even his true name, you know... He's refused to ever tell me his name.
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[ She's not letting go of this. Well, not just yet at any rate. ]
If you don't want I won't force you, but I'm really curious to see what you could come up with.
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[He’ll humor her, but he’s also not going to give her the impression that he’s excited about possibly writing something artfully. He can be a bit of a grump.]
Probably some kind of haiku… who knows?
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[ She could always hack into the network to see the identity of the poster... But she tried not to misuse her hacking skills any more. She was better than that! Maybe! ]
I'm looking forward to seeing what you'll submit~!
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You really shouldn’t.
[What incredible stories he has (or so he’s been told by Midoriya), are very personal, painful, but there are acts of heroism, and he’s sure he could make the heroes he’d met seem that much more powerful. Never himself. But… what if he wrote so cold and clipped that it would be boring. Gokudera lacks the confidence to submit something written as art. He gets up to get a refill on his coffee, then returns and is holding a little toy plesiosaur dinosaur, spinning its tail about one of his fingers, then watching as it then spins its neck around the rest of his hand.]
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[ Oops. His lack of confidence triggered Monika's Tip Of The Day. She knew exactly how he felt, she'd felt that too. Everyone did at some point. ]
Think of it like trying a new sport. You wouldn't compare your performance to an athlete participating in the olympics, would you? [A pause.] As a general rule, your best comparison is with yourself. Look at what you've done yesterday, and try to do a little better today. The improvement may not even be noticeable, but after a year? You've done real progress!
[ She laughed awkwardly, before resting her eyes on his little toys to avoid direct contact. ]
Ahaha! Sorry, I'm rambling again... It's a bad habit from home.
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[He doesn’t think it will be very good for him to read. Maybe more interesting for someone else? Does he want to really share it? Gokudera won’t know until he sets out to write it. The hesitation is there, but he’s more inclined after hearing her.]
You’re not rambling. No need to apologize.
[The ‘toy’ blinks at Monika, then Gokudera sets it down. It shifts and then moves like a seal, body lurching and wobbling until it’s in front of her salad, peeking on at it and staring up with big watery eyes.]
I guess, if I send it to you, that’s okay… But I won’t be looking for criticism. It might feel good to just get it out.
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[ She hadn't really considered that angle. Poem-sharing had become so natural to her, it was like someone had hardcoded it into her head. ... Unfortunately, that analogy was probably truer than she'd like. ]
I'm looking forward to it. But don't force yourself, okay? Do it when you feel comfortable doing it.
[ Wait, did that... Toy blink and moved? She blinked in quick succession as it reached her salad. ]
Um... Is that toy alive?
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[A lie. It is scary to be so open, or have something that feels him out there where he can’t control it, or how it’s interpreted.
He huffs, but doesn’t seem so bothered for long.]
Okay.
[The dinosaur yawns and then turns its head, tucking it behind a fin, then moving it right back to drop a glass bead by Monika’s plate… or where it had been.]
Sorry for not introducing you. This is my familiar, Larry. He’s just disguised as a toy.
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[ Not terrified at all, right. It was always kinda cute when someone seemingly grumpy and hardened suddenly showed they were just human, like everyone else. She smiled but said nothing more on the matter. She knew she wouldn't like to be pressed on if one of her vulnerabilities came under the spotlight.
So instead she glanced at the toy. ]
Oh, I see. [She approached her hand to try and "pet" it.] He's absolutely adorable.
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[Larry sqwaks up at that hand, then bounces up to intentionally bonk his little head against it. Then he coughs up another trinket, a pearl this time. Gokudera frowns. What’s with those as of late?]
Larry likes to give people marbles. That’s different. Guess he likes you.
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[ She gratefully accepted the pearl. ]
All familiars seem to like me, I'm not sure why, ahaha! Except mine...
[ Probably because her very own familiar knew her better than anyone else. ]
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Larry likes everyone.
[He’s not trying to be rude or say anything against that observation Monika is making. She’ll let her give herself a pat on the back.]
But it’s usually not pearls. There’s only one person I’ve seen him give marbles to. Try throwing it? Usually the marbles become light barriers or something useful. Maybe the pearls are stronger or more magical?
[Larry is not listening to them, just stops in the center of the table and stares off at nothing. Probably resuming pretending to be a toy. Wow what a cool centerpiece this table has!]
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[ That is a bit disappointing to hear he likes everyone-- It's not like she has a lot of those moments when she can feel special. But at least apparently the fact she was given a pearl is special? ]
Throwing it? Mhm, let's see...
[ She took it and threw it onto the ground a couple feet away from them-- Just in case it'd turn out to be an explosive or something. ]
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Gokudera hadn’t meant to knock her down a peg or make her feel any less special. Larry has only ever given a pearl to one other person, Chrome. Maybe because they’re both girls? Maybe because Larry likes them? Gokudera can’t speak to that.
When the pearl is thrown, it acts just like a normal pearl might. It bounces and rolls away. Larry turns an eye on Gokudera, and the boy tenses up.]
Ah-! It was just because you’re pretty! I’m sorry! Sorry, Larry! I’ll find it-!
[And while Gokudera is trying to find that pearl, putting his glasses on and actively searching, Larry blows a bubble with a pearl inside. It shrinks, so now it’s a little pearl in a tiny glass pendant. Larry carries it carefully and moves quick, sliding against the table with seemingly no effort, and then offering it up. M’lady~?]
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Thank you...~!
[ She smiles at the little familiar; and turns to Godukera. No need for him to go through the grass now, right? ]
It's okay, he made me another one! [She holds up the pendant.] He's so very adorable, you better take good care of him ahaha!
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He looks up at the pendant, clearly impressed. Gokudera brushes his hands off and returns to the table.]
I’ve never seen him make anything like that!
[Larry blows a bubble at Gokudera, and it just starts to orbit his head.]
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[ She wants to have that. Besides now she really has a reason to think maybe she really is special. She laughed at the bubble orbiting his head. ]
If you're ever interested in a fox familiar, I'll happily trade ahaha!
[ Not that you could trade familiars, alas... ]
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[Gokudera knows that at least Larry favors Monika. The familiar is clearly having a good time with her, flapping his little fin/paws against the table in delight.]
Ah that would be the second fox familiar someone has offered to trade for him!
[Not that he would trade. His familiar is the one creature he’s always wanted to see. Larry reminds him not to take everything too seriously, and to get excited over mysteries. He’s absolutely vital to Gokudera’s well-being! As cute as fox-familiars are, he doesn’t feel any sort of connection with them.]
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[ Especially hers. He's nowhere to be found... And he really does what she needs. But that doesn't change one unalienable fact-- ]
Mine is so rude... [She sighed and raised a finger.] He's able to speak, but for the longest time he hid it from me just so I would pet him more.
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[A different sort of creature entirely! He wouldn’t say they are common, but their humans tend to be so tired of the mischief the familiars get up to.]
That’s not so rude, I think… I’d be quiet, too until I got closer to someone.
[He shrugs.]
But I’m not sure. Larry here has only ever spoken when he’s pretending to be me. He casts illusions and it’s all tricks and him copying words I’ve said.
[Larry blows another bubble at him.]
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[ She took her phone once more and typed something on it. Seconds later? A pink nine-tailed fox appeared on the table. It was rather small, the size of a cat. And it looked very grumpy.
Maybe the grumpiness came from those Google Glasses he was wearing on Monika's request. Noticeably, his central tail had a cute white ribbon tied into a neat little bow— Strikingly similar to the one holding together Monika's hair. ]
There you are, Pink Fox!
[ And immediately, he leaped off the table, went under it and laid down to sleep. ]
Ugh... See what I meant?
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Does he maybe not… like cute things? Despite being so cute, he maybe doesn’t want to seem that way?
[Maybe he’s wrong, but the creature is probably not just cute. It’s adorned in a cute way, having a cute name, and it’s pink. His Uri is also cute and only seems to get aggravated when he is affectionate towards him.]
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Then why does he ask for petting all the time?
[ She looked down at the now sleeping fox and looked obviously very annoyed. ]
Pink Fox isn't even his true name, you know... He's refused to ever tell me his name.
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Because it probably feels good? Doesn’t mean he wants everything that goes along with it, right?
[His gaze follows Monika’s and… poor sleepy pink fox.]
Have you tried different names?
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[ She smiled deviously at the poor fox sleeping beneath the table, then looked back up at him. ]
Needless to say, he appreciated it even less, ahaha. Who knows, maybe he'd actually like you if he didn't go to sleep right away.
[ Trade, please... ]
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