[reverie] inbox.

[artisticliberty]

voice, text, video, action = ✓

Hello. You have reached the mailbox of Yusuke Kitagawa. I am currently busy and cannot answer the phone. Please leave a message.

Comments

[artisticliberty]

[is that really it? yusuke wonders, but keeps it to himself. he has some things to mull over.

like that superheroes comment.]

We are all quite exceptional in our own ways, aren't we? That includes you too, by the way.

[ryuji]

[He's not really lying to Yusuke, here. He looks up to his phantom friends like they're the ones who saved him.]

Hahaha, me? Yeah, man, I have the best super power of them all, I know what you're talkin' about

[artisticliberty]

Good. We may chide you for your behavior sometimes, but I am glad you realize how important you are to this "superhero family".

[he took it at face value.]

[ryuji]

[Thank god.]

The backwards conditions also hold true man. I hope you realize how important you are to me, too

[artisticliberty]

[yusuke smiles at his phone]

I had suspected, but reading it has a different effect entirely. Your candidness suits you, Ryuji.

[ryuji]

Huh? I literally suck at lying so what's the point of trying? I mean, you know that right? It's pretty easy to take advantage of that sorta shit lol

NOT THAT YOU WOULD

I mean

I'm just sayin'

[artisticliberty]

What are you saying?

[ryuji]

Man, I barely know half the time, cut me some slack

Like, you said candidness was something that looks good on me and I'm sayin' that I'm not that great at hiding shit anyway, so baaaaaaasically you're sayin' I look good all the time.

That's cool

I like it

Let's go with that

[artisticliberty]

It's true that you possess very handsome features, both physical and personal. So if that is the message you take from my texts, that is perfectly fine.

[ryuji]

Is that why you were gettin' naked around me

Shit man I'm starting to see it all clearly now

[artisticliberty]

At the pool? No, that was for swimming, obviously.

[wait.]

Did my being nude bother you?

[ryuji]

Are you askin' me if your dick floppin' around like a candle in the wind got to me?

[artisticliberty]

Yes, I am.

[were you LOOKING]

[ryuji]

[IT WAS HARD TO IGNORE, OKAY?!]

Yeah it was like

Smacking me in the face practically

Leavin' mushroom imprints on both my cheeks

What the hell else was I supposed to look at

[artisticliberty]

You are exaggerating. Have you never swam nude before? I believe the term is "skinny-dipping". There is nothing unusual about it.

[ryuji]

Not really... the only pools I could ever go to are the public ones during summer sesh. Did you get a chance to take a break and head out to the countryside or something?

Free ballin' it might be kinda fun, but I'd proooobably just wanna do it alone.

[artisticliberty]

No, but I played in a sprinkler when I was a child. I just didn't own a swim suit until junior high school.

[what??????]

I apologize. I did not realize you found nudity so uncomfortable.

[ryuji]

I dunno why, though, to be honest? Like, I get it. It's just a body. But seein' someone naked kinda throws me off. Not even sure if it's a maturity kinda thing? Maybe it's 'cause I'm not that comfortable with myself or something. I dunno.

At least, that's to say, I could never be an art student. Specially if you're like... drawin' nudes as much as you do

[artisticliberty]

Have you always felt that way? What about at the bathhouse? Were you uncomfortable then?

[ryuji]

Well... there was a promise of cute girls

[artisticliberty]

Are you claiming that you would have fared better if you were naked in a bath with Ann, Makoto, Haru, or Futaba?

[seriously?]

[ryuji]

[UHHHHHH...............]

I

Uh

Okay maybe not

[artisticliberty]

[DIDN'T THINK SO]

Regardless, there is no need to be ashamed of one's own body. Every body is beautiful in its own right, flaws and all. That is something a true student of art learns early; there is no body type that is not worth painting. I shall endeavor to stay clothed with you from now on, but I feel I should encourage you to try and become more comfortable with your own nudity. You possess an admirable physique, and you should be proud of it.

[ryuji]

Sometimes you say the strangest damn things in the world, Yusuke, but. Yeah, you also say some really deep and meaningful stuff.

[Let's be real here, if he ever expects to eventually have a working relationship sometime, it's a hurdle he'll have to get over. The embarrassment of your body isn't something that's really that healthy.

So maybe a first step would be accepting that Yusuke thinks he has a hot six pack, or whatever that's supposed to mean. Normally, he'd try to say that he has a lot more to work on before it's actually admirable, since working out has become such an important part of his routine and accepting that he was close, when he knew he was still pretty far away is almost reflexively negatable.

Alright, cool.]

Thanks, man.

So what am I supposed to do? Streak around the pool naked for a while? I got tons of confidence but man that's a lot for me lol

[artisticliberty]

If I may, consider some of your physical traits that you like or are proud of. Can you tell me any?

[it's a thought exercise more than anything, but it's a start]