IC Inbox (Purgastory)

[depressured]

Comments

[nautycal]

No, I mean...

[A sigh.]

Dude, that's the most... [Saddest shit he's ever heard.] Nevermind. Everybody can hear 'em this week. Your thoughts? Sorry, but... you can't taste chips...? For real?

[depressured]

[ ... Ah. ]

I can't taste anything anymore. I've had this problem for a while now.

[nautycal]

Oh.

[Oh! He reaches up to hold his chin thoughtfully.]

You went in the river...?

[depressured]

Oh. No. This was happening when I was home.

[nautycal]

[Wow, today was so much. ANYWAY.]

...Oh.

[This is worse than he thought? This is more wtf.]

It's... food? All food? Just chips?

[depressured]

All food. All drinks.

[ Including chips. ]

[nautycal]

[His face does exactly this.]

The hell? That's the worst thing I've ever heard in my whole life?! Is that, like... some kinda medical thing? You don't know what ramen tastes like?! Not the ramen!

[depressured]

I could taste things once. So I still have the memory, more or less.

... My dad thinks it could be psychological and wants me to work with a doctor, just in case.

[nautycal]

[Why does this keep getting worse? He looks a tad surprised, then just frowns.]

Dude... [He would die if he couldn't taste food.] When... did it happen? Just suddenly one day you couldn't taste anything?

[depressured]

Mm. I think it started around middle school. And then by high school, it just...

... [ She trails off. ]

[nautycal]

[They're gonna have to go into your Palace and help unlock your taste buds again, Mafuyu...]

S-Sorry.

[It dawns on him that he's probably being kind of insensitive about this. He really needs his crew here to keep him from being a dumbass.]

It's not, like... a big deal to me or anything. But it's probably frustratin' for you, huh? Did somethin' happen to you in middle school...?

[depressured]

I'm used to it, at this point. It was more like a gradual process than something that happened suddenly.

[ Stress and depression are one hell of a combo, in the end. ]

[nautycal]

[His brows furrow. There are two wolves inside him.]

I don't know what I'd do if I couldn't taste food anymore. Me 'n my friends always grab food when we hang out.

It ain't went away any while you've been here...?

[depressured]

No. I didn't expect it would. It's more of a condition than anything.

[ She hesitates. ]

I'm sorry for worrying you.

[nautycal]

[He throws both hands up and waves them.]

N-No, you didn't. It's fine, dude. Sucks you can't taste anythin', but if it's somethin' that can go back to the way it was, then... I hope it does.

[Gender neutral dude.]

You should keep tryin' stuff you wanna anyway. Like, I dunno, candy? Or chips, or ice cream, or, like... you know, good stuff, not just breakfast or dinner or whatever.

[Dude, though this seems to be aimed at himself. HE JUST KEEPS YAPPING AAAAAA. Digging his hole more.]

Damn, I'm just making this worse, ain't I?

[depressured]

It's okay.

[ She doesn't appear to be bothered, regardless. Maybe a little perplexed, but not bothered. ]

I'll eat anything, at the moment. But if there's anything I continue to be curious about trying properly, I'll keep it in mind for the future. Maybe by then, I'll have a better idea of what I might like.

[ It's all sort of a blank slate right now. ]

[nautycal]

[Hmmmm. He glances down, then back up. He lifts one of the bags of chips at her. Eh? EH? Chips?]

I'll describe 'em to you. Yosuke got 'em from Tobari. They're pretty good if you still wanna try.

[depressured]

Are you sure? If I eat them, you'll have less to enjoy.

[ And that sounds sad, for someone who can actually taste them and seems to like them. ]

[nautycal]

[He snorts. I forgot he was in a dog kigu, help me. He looks so ridiculous.]

You kiddin' me? Nothin' is better than sharin' something good with friends. [When your sin is lust, but not greed.] Especially ramen, but we just got chips for now.

What do you miss tastin' most?

[depressured]

[ Listen, let him live. ]

... I don't know. My mother's cooking, maybe.

[ The trauma runs deep. ]

[nautycal]

[He realizes almost immediately he shouldn't have asked. NOT MOM. Stop thinking about mom.]

You've, uh... tried other things besides that, right...?

[He is.........just making sure.]

[depressured]

I have.

[ She's eaten many things growing up. ]

[nautycal]

[Whew. She really gives him so much worry every single day.]

Okay, well. Good. Gonna try some? Come over here. I ain't gonna bite ya, or nothin'. Who do I look like, Hak?

[Shaking the bag.]

[depressured]

[ She steps closer, frowning. ]

Why would Hak bite?

[nautycal]

Beats the hell outta me. He just walked up and bit me one day a while back. I guess he might've been cursed.

[More embarrassedly:]

Then he walked up after and kissed me, too. That guy is such a weirdo. N-Not that I'm gonna kiss you either!

[HOLDS THE CHIP BACK OUT.]