Track 03 - Smile Like you Mean It [OPEN]

[princeofjunes]

Characters: Yosuke Hanamura and YOU!
Setting: The Art Gallery (floor 22), The Media Room (floor 14), and The Glass Room (floor 4), after the collar event
Format: Action preferred, but I'll follow you.
Summary: Shit goes awry in the art gallery, and Yosuke is shaken all day long
Warnings: Angst! And Yosuke getting his little mind bent out of shape but I doubt it's anything too terrible.

The Art Gallery - Open

[To call the last few days horrible is understating reality, and on top of that Yosuke has to deal with the fact that a possible romantic interest has disappeared from the tower - as well as the fact that he was even considering romance in a tower like this. He's not much for fine art - music is more his thing after all - but for some reason he finds the paintings almost soothing to look at as he contemplates the deep thoughts of the universe.]

[Why him? Why his friends? Why are they even there? What if their worlds really are destroyed? He's been coasting by on a near blind optimism, but now he's forcing himself to face the facts as they stand. And on top of that, why's he even considering getting attached to anyone? What's the best case scenario there? That their worlds really are destroyed and they have to live out the rest of their lives there in the tower? That their worlds are still safe, and when the dust settles and they're free to go, they both have to go back to separate lives, never to meet again? And besides, it's not like one kiss really meant anything anyways. Maybe it's for the best that she's gone]

[It's lovely thoughts like these he's lost in, and Yosuke doesn't even notice when a familiar fog begins rolling in across the floor, slowly rising and eventually blanketing the area. It's only when his vision is suddenly cut that he's turning around quickly, heart sinking with dread as he realizes the familiarity of the situation he's in. Panic turns to a tense calm as he collects himself enough to slip on his glasses, rendering the fog a mere nuisance - but just as soon as he does, he wishes he hadn't]

[The pictures have changed, and certainly not for the better. On one, the ruins of what he can barely recognize as Inaba, buildings crumbling, plants dead, the vibrant life that the small town had going for it snuffed out like a candle. On another, he recognizes himself and the tower - and at his feet, the bodies of each and every friend he has there, mangled beyond belief. In yet another he recognizes his shadow self, holding him by the throat and pinning him to the ground as the bloody body of his best friend lies nearby. And more. Countless more, all filled with the worst horrors he can imagine]

[A short while later, anyone who finds him here will find no trace of the fog, and Yosuke himself curled into the fetal position, back to a wall as he quietly sobs into his knees]

The Media Room - Open

[Later that day, Yosuke's trying to shake off the effects of the art gallery by blasting music while playing some generic fighting video game where the women and men are both unrealistically proportioned. It doesn't seem to be working though - he hardly seems to be into it, and he doesn't even care when he's brutally beaten. He's certainly focused on something though, and doesn't notice anyone approach until they interact with him]

The Glass Room - Open

[Even later, Yosuke seems to have given up on escapism and is sitting on the floor quietly, staring out and seemingly lost in thought. He will hear someone approach though, and will even go so far as to look up at them and offer the a painfully fake smile at whoever approaches]

Comments

Media room.

[pitiedthefool]

[He too had come to the media room to escape for now, unable to really make much sense of anything else and after the week prior... What had happened, anyway? Most of it was a blur, and yet he distinctly recalls the feeling lightheaded, of helping someone else in an attack by the monsters before he was lost in a fog until he awoke sometime later. Though he did recall one other thing... Something he'd rather not right now.

So when he does arrive and hears the music, he can't help but think of who he knows who always does this when upset and how they were the second person he'd come across upon awakening here. It's almost subconscious, the action he takes then in following the sounds and watching his friend play silently. Something about how he's behaving is making him wonder what happened, concerned.]

...Are you alright? [Stupid question, but... it at least lets his best friend know that he's there.]

[princeofjunes]

[That familiar voice is all he needs to hear - turning and confirming who it is is just a formality at this point. And all at once, his body visibly relaxes for the first time that day, even getting close to a genuine smile. The tower is still horrible, his day has still been a waking nightmare, and he's still a wreck. But with Yu there? He can at least drop his guard and stop pretending he can hold it together on his own]

[He leans back a bit on the couch, tossing the controller aside. He wasn't really invested in the game anyway]

Not even close to alright, or near the same planet as alright.

[pitiedthefool]

[He recognizes the look in Yosuke's eyes, immediately moving to join him on the couch. While he knew the look, that feeling, he had no idea what it had been to cause such a state today. Before he'd left, there had been plenty of genuine smiles, maybe even laced with sadness. But this...? Yu can't help but let the worry shine in his eyes. After all, all they really had in this place was each other to lean on...

There's a faint nod of understanding. He's all ears, if he wants to talk about it. If not? He can offer silent support.]