towerofanimus | Track 03 - Smile Like you Mean It [OPEN]

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]

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[ They can tell. Link is patient, though, and when Yosuke finally does speak, there is a brief pause as they mull over what to say. ]

... This floor is not good for anyone's mind.

[ They know. But Link refused to believe it was anything more than another attempt at slowly breaking them. Psychological warfare, perhaps; who knew?

This Tower was evil. That much was certain. ]

I would like to meet the person that spent enough time in here that was doing 'great'. They might deserve a trophy. ... Or they might be insane.

[ A small attempt at humor, even though Link isn't one much for trying to cheer others up. ]

[Yosuke can't help but laugh at Link's stupid joke - not so much at Link's expert humor and sense of style, but because it seems like all he can do in the face of such overwhelming sadness. Crying his eyes out, then laughing at a stupid joke. It only seems right]

[The laughter almost becomes another round of sobs, but he manages to compose himself, and after a few moments he looks back at Link full of what determination he's able to muster. It's not much, but for now, it's enough]

Give me a hand? I think you're right, and I wouldn't mind getting out of here.

[ Better than nothing. Link is willing to be patient enough until Yosuke finally asks for help, and then gets up, offering him exactly that: a hand to help him up.

Hopefully, with any luck, they could help him calm down a bit more, maybe just... help him in general. It's hard to do much when you're bad at talking to begin with, after all.

But they'd wait. Wait as long as it took and do whatever it took to help him. ]

[Yosuke takes Link's hand, getting to his feet. He fights the urge to literally lean on his friend for support - after all, it's not like he's been in a fight or anything. But crying oneself silly is surprisingly tiring, and he feels as though he's spent a full day in the TV world again.

Stupid fog.

When he feels steady enough on his feet after a few moments, he drops the boy's hand. Which there was nothing weird about. Link was just helping him up, that's all! And really, he can worry about appearances and societal norms and all that garbage when he's less of a wreck]

You said something about this floor being bad. You've dealt with it before?

[ Link doesn't say anything to Yosuke, but when he drops their hand, the do take a moment before letting it fall to their side, nodding. ]

... I have. A few friends of mine haven't had good experiences here, either. I do not think it would be wise for either of us to linger here. It's inviting more ill omen.

[ Call Link paranoid, but the hero is a little twitchy with all that's been going on. They're definitely ready to draw their sword at any point.

There's a pause, here, before Link does speak up again. ]

Yosuke, I won't pry, however... you can talk to me, if you want to.

[If there's one sentiment they share, it's the desire to get the hell off this floor and to somewhere else - anywhere else.]

Yeah... let's get on the move. Lead on, hero. Got somewhere in mind?

[He's trying his best to be his usual self, but he's positive it's not convincing in the slightest. Not that it matters - he resolves silently to take Link up on his offer as soon as they've got some distance between themselves and the damned paintings]

[ Yosuke seemed to like the media floor, right? So off they go!

It wasn't convincing at all, but it was the least it was progress. Anywhere else would be better than this floor.

Though Link opts to ignore the hero comment; what a hero was or who one was was entirely opinion, in their mind. ]

[The first few floors go quietly, with only the sounds of their footsteps in the stairwell. But once they've put a few floors between them and ground zero, Yosuke manages to vocalize the biggest fear the last hour has forced him to confront]

... hey, Link?

Have you ever wondered if maybe... we really- [The words catch in his throat, but after a moment he forces himself through it]

... really can't go home?

[ ... Heh. Link is silent for a moment, before replying. ]

... Of course I have. It... is difficult not to wonder if we are fighting them to go back to nothing. It is even harder not to place blame on myself--after all, the fate of my home rests entirely on my shoulders. Should I fail, it would perish in darkness.

[ Here, they cross their arms slightly. Habit, maybe; it's hard to say. Link is not usually one for a lot of words, really, but this called for them. One of the rare times they'll be open about how they feel... unguarded.

Yosuke was being that, so Link figured he deserved at least that much. ]

But... I do not believe even if that is true that is the end of it. While I cannot tell you for certain if our homes are gone or not, I do believe this: if they can bring the people we care for here, then surely there is hope. Even if that hope is very small.

Unfortunately, Yosuke, I cannot tell you what to believe. Until we know more, we can only guess.

[On the one hand, he's grateful to Link. He's been a shoulder Yosuke's leaned on during some tough times, and right now the hylian is providing exactly what Yosuke needs to hear - the cold hard truth. It may be uncomfortable. It may be terrible. It may be one of the hardest things he's ever had to face. But then again, Yosuke knows a thing or two about finding and facing truths. It's almost never easy]

[And yet, the fact remains...]

... reality sucks.

[He's quiet again for a few moments, but there's just something about that Link, and before he knows it Yosuke's opening up again]

The paintings. They changed as I was looking at them, and the things I saw, I just-

[Deep breaths]

I saw home, as they wasteland they say it is. I saw all my friends dead around my feet, my friends from home... [He glances over at Link, unable to make eye contact] ... and the ones from here.

... And now you see why I've no desire to stay on that floor.

[ A bitter pill to swallow indeed. It was very much NOT a place to stay if you wanted to have a relaxed, somewhat anxiety-free day. ]

Reality may not be the most desirable thing, but it is all we have. I cannot promise you that people you love will remain unharmed.

I cannot even promise that our homes are safe. I do not even know that for sure. But... all that I can tell you is that the best we can possibly do--the best any one person can do, is that we can try to look after who is here or who arrives here. The people that we know that are here...

[ There's a long pause. Hyrule... well, a certain little boy had told them something important. ]

Sometimes, it is not the land that matters, but the people in it. This is what they want from us, that pain. They want to see us at our worst.

Track 03 - Smile Like you Mean It [OPEN]

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