Doki Doki After Party Club

[myliteratureclub]

[Later into the evening, everyone will find familiar handwritten notes on their doors. It's pretty obvious who it's from:]

"Please come to the cafeteria if you don't want to be alone or talk some things out. Emiya (Shirou) will be preparing food. You're also welcome to bring your notebooks if you'd rather just write with company."

---Monika
[Those who decide to come will find nothing has really changed in the cafeteria, but Monika sitting at one of the tables while Shirou cooks in the kitchen. She has a new stack of notebooks and pens with her in case someone needs it. Monika does her best to greet everyone with a smile. The only real comfort though is the smell of good food.]

Comments

[donotlick]

[ Wow, Hank really wasn't expecting this. It's almost ironic, right? Hank was just doing his job so he can't exactly apologize for grilling the kid, but he has to figure it took guts for him to even talk to him again.

So, damn. Props to you, Mitarai. ]

Huh.

[ Yeah, give him a minute. ]

You got nothing to apologize for, kid. You were a suspect and you were scared and I'm a cop so I was doing my job. It ain't nothing personal.

[lovedanime]

[Yes, it took so much fucking guts. This is three-alarm chili right here.]

Ah... I... Thank you... You're right that... it worked out as much as it could... But... still...

[He clenches his fists. This probably isn't healthy for someone who draws so much.]

I should have faced the evidence more! I want to be more like you!

[donotlick]

[ This kid's resolve is pretty admirable. Hank would probably make fun of him on a good day, but it's been a very Not Good day, and he understands.

That last bit catches him way off-guard though. ]

What, like me? You serious, kid? Why?

[lovedanime]

Well...

[OK, obviously Hank is not a perfect person and he has plenty of traits that should not be emulated, but Mitarai has just spent about three hours getting publicly admonished for expressing a deprecating opinion about someone, so he's taking a moment to just swallow those words.]

Despite all your negative feelings, you've done so much to help us. I really am sorry if I'm m-making a big deal about something routine to you, but in all my life, I... It really seemed like a contradiction in terms to me.

[donotlick]

...Huh.

[ I mean, yeah, fair. If you ever need someone to point our your flaws, Hank is here, with his analytical detective eyes, to do the job. He's just so used to... not being anyone's role model. It's surreal. ]

Yeah, it kinda sounds like you ain't used to people actually working through their shit. Not that I'd say I'm doing too good on that, but... yeah, I'm dealing. It's just life, you know? It's shitty -- fuck, the shit here is more than the usual, but whatever. You learn to deal.

[ Honestly though Hank wouldn't be able to tell you if there's a difference between despair and how he feels every day, tbh. ]

Guess since I'm a cop I'm used to seeing bad shit, but that doesn't make it easy. You picked a real fuckup for a role model, just a fair warning, kid.

[lovedanime]

Well, um, if you'll pardon me for repeating your own turn of phrase, a... An, uh, a "mess-up" is exactly the kind of role model that I've been looking for, all this time.

[His fists are still clenched but in an excited way?]

I've seen quite a number of bad "things", and the survivors were by and large, well... People who were able to completely forget about anything bad that was happening around them. I simply can't stand leaving behind everyone who can't be like that!

[donotlick]

[ Hank snorts. Mitarai really is a kid. It's cute? Yeah, it's cute. ]

Damn, you're serious.

[ Hank's still gotta say he's impressed. He never expected this kid to do much more than slink away. ]

You're right. That's fucking stupid. Forgetting all the bad stuff's how shit keeps going wrong over and over again. Sure, it's not particularly healthy to dwell, but sometimes you need the bad shit to get you through the worse shit. [ He blinks. ] You seriously never had anybody tell you this?

[lovedanime]

[Striking a nerve - Mitarai obviously has an immediate answer to this question.]

I've had people tell me this, but not so many people mean it.

[donotlick]

[ Wow, the kid has some backbone after all. ]

Well, it's your funeral if you wanna follow me around, kid. I ain't much of a role model, but if you're looking for a fuckup who's barely got it together, then yeah, I'm your guy.