towerofanimus | (no subject)

Entry tags:

(no subject)

Characters: Saki and YOU
Setting: All around the tower! Starting in Room 2-05
Format: I'll match you!
Summary: Saki has woken up in the tower, and she is relieved to be alive.
Warnings: There will probably be Adachi in here, being a creeper

[When Saki wakes up in the bed, it's like everything before with the other her, in that hell that resembled her own liquor store--the incident with the detective--everything--it's all just a bad dream. After lying there for a few good minutes, even after the sleep paralysis wears off, she sits up and looks around. And then she cries for a few more minutes, pure relief washing over her. She's alive. She's alive and safe, even if she doesn't recognize here. And that's what matters.

After a good cry, she changes into her casual clothing and starts to explore. The cafeteria for her oatmeal, the meadow, anywhere. Anything to learn what this place is and maybe find a familiar face.]

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[Ah. So, she is dead, then. She's not sure how to take it. It's like, in an instant, she's numb. Like it hasn't totally sunk in. And it hasn't really. How is one supposed to react when they find out they've died...?

Still. There's only one question she wants answered.]

...Did they catch him?

... we kicked that bastard's ass, and they put him behind bars.

He'll never hurt anyone, ever again.

[It's not much consolation to give her, but at least it's something. It's not enough, it can never be anywhere near enough, but... it's something]

[Now if he can keep himself from crying again, that'll be something else]

[It's a relief. Even though she's dead, it means there was some justice. So for a moment, even though she's on the verge of crying again, she can smile.]

Thank you, Yosuke.

No, don't thank me.

[It feels wrong, all wrong. Of all people, she shouldn't be thanking him. He failed her. He didn't do enough for her. She should still be alive, should still be with them, should have finished her senior year and got to live out her life in some sort of happiness, should have been able to do anything she wanted to do, should have-]

[... should have...]

If I had figured it out sooner, we could have- you would have...

[He's changed a lot, it seems. So she just shakes her head a bit, placing a hand on his shoulder.]

...You've grown up a lot, Hana-chan. I can see it in you. So don't blame yourself for what happens to me.

[Didn't she do what she thought was right? She stood up to Adachi, and wouldn't let him abuse his position to get what he wanted from her.]

[Happens. It's still in her future, isn't it? Maybe her very, very near future... but her future, and for him it feels like so long ago. Once he realizes that, the absurdity of it all, it almost makes him laugh]

Sorry, I just... I spent a year dealing with everything, you know? More than that. If anyone had told me I'd be 18 and giving you a hug like this, I'd-

[Oh crap that's right he's been holding her all this time, hasn't he? He can feel his face flush at the realization, but he doesn't quite make a move to let her go]

It sounds like you went through a lot.

[He said there was a lot to explain. Well, then... He may have to explain it, because she's so confused about all of it. How is she even still alive? Even now, after waking up in this place and exploring, she can still feel the encroaching cold of the shadowy mass that had been just about to consume her, the chills it sent through her, the utter despair she felt at her look-alike's words. She could really use something to take her mind off that, actually.

She also doesn't mind he's holding her. Even if she never had a crush on him, he is very much like a little brother. And it helps her realize this is real, and that she's not just dreaming something up.]

We... went through the same thing.

[The words are out of his mouth before he can evaluate them as a bad idea, but at least this one isn't cringe worthy. He did promise to catch her up, and now is a good a time to start as any. Realizing that he's older than her now has actually lightened the mood a bit, and he feels a bit more able to actually talk]

It's kind of a long story. You want me to start it now?

[Saki will pull away--no more embrace--but then sit down. She keeps a grip in his sleeve, because... Because she needs the physical connection right now. Because otherwise, she might wake up and be right back where she was, about to die.]

I think it'd be a good idea.

[His life is pain]

[Except not, because this is what he's wanted. This is the exact moment he spent a year and a half dreaming about, the one thing he wished he could have done. Okay, so it's not the exact moment - there's a little more crazy tower and a little less... normalcy, but if there's one thing he's wished for more than anything, it's just the chance to talk to her. To sit down and talk to her one last time, to tell her everything and to listen in response.]

[Just once, just this once... he's so very grateful for the tower as he takes a seat next to her, taking her hand from his sleeve and gripping it with his own]

You remember the transfer student, right? Yu?

Turns out he can go inside TVs. We all sort of accidentally fell inside with him - me and Satonaka, you remember her, right? We got out, but we saw some disturbing stuff... where that announcer, Miss Yamano had been, we figured out later.

Then... you happened.

You mean... Then I died.

[It's depressing to say, but it's fact now. She doesn't make it out of the weird TV world where she met the look-alike, where that detective put her.]

Edited (Too many feels, can't type) 2012-07-15 10:18 (UTC)

... yeah. And that's the last time I'm saying it, because you're here with me right now and that's all I care about.

[He gives her hand a squeeze - partially to reassure her, partially to reassure himself, and the continues]

I thought there might be a connection, so I convinced Yu to take me in there again. We went in, and I... we found the liquor store.

[He hesitates just for a moment. Should he mention the things he heard? The echoes of her voice, the things he was never supposed to know? Re-living the memory makes his heart ache, and he's desperate to unburden himself, to tell her that he knows she hated him and it's okay, that she still helped him grow as a person despite all that]

[He doesn't]

We went inside, and there was another me there. He said some terrible things, and then he tried to kill me.

If it weren't for Yu, he would have.

...I can kinda sympathize.

[With everyone else putting her down, she'd begun to put herself down, too. Think and fear some terrible things. And that thing that looked like her had poked at all those fears... It had been terrible.]

[And now things get awkward, because with her he can't gloss over shadows. She deserves to know just what it was... even if the truth is heartbreaking]

Yu beat it back, but... it wasn't that easy. One attacked you, right?

Those things - they're called shadows. This is going to be hard to believe and I'm sure it'll come out all wrong, but you've gotta believe me. I wouldn't lie to you now, not about this.

[He takes a breath to collect himself, because this isn't going to get any easier]

The ones that look like us... they look that way because they are us. They're the parts of us that we never want to admit to, the pieces that we try to hide away from the world where no one can ever get to them. They know every thing to say that can hurt us, because that's what they are. And if you deny it, that's when they go crazy.

... so to get it to go away, I had to admit it - that every single horrible thing it said was completely true.

[Saki tenses, goes stiff. Because hearing that? No, no, she can't really hate Hana-chan, can she? Was she really using him all that time at Junes...? But she'll just... Numbly nod. She can't interrupt, because then she needs to hear this, doesn't she?]

It... was probably the worst experience of my life. Shadows are brutal. They pick your biggest insecurity and dig and dig and dig. It's all over the top and exaggerated, but there's at least some truth to what they're saying.

But if you can accept it, then the shadow stops. And it sort of... becomes part of you.

[And he'll pause here for a minute because oh fuck just how is he supposed to explain his persona]

[Oh. Good. Then... Then she might not hate Yosuke after all. That's... That's good. She'll wait quietly now for him to continue, though now she's at least not tensed.]

I... I'm gonna show you something weird, alright? Please, don't get scared. I'm not going anywhere, and it won't hurt you.

Just trust me, okay?

...All right.

[She has to trust him. Because if she doesn't, then who can she trust? Though this has her a bit wary. What is he about to do...?]

[He lets go of her hand and stands, reaching into his jacket and pulling out a pair of orange glasses. There's absolutely zero reason for this and he knows it, but it doesn't feel quite right without them, so he slips them on]

If you accept your shadow, it becomes a persona. It's easier just to show you one, but it lets me do things I could never do otherwise.

[As he talks, a blue glow spreads on the floor, surrounding him and bathing her in it's light. He reaches back into his jacket, pulling out a kunai and dropping into a crouch as a card materializes above his head. It's a fluid motion by now - one he's done hundreds of times as he leaps into the air and slashes the card, shattering it]

PERSONA!

[Hi there, Saki. This is Susano-o, and he's looking right at you. And since he didn't know what else to use, a warm green glow is spreading around you - thank you Diarama]

[She's not sure what to think when she sees Susano-o. Or what to feel when there's that warm, green light. She's not sure how to react, but the shock and surprise is clear on her face. What... Is she supposed to think? That... Was born from the shadow, from Yosuke's exaggerated feelings...?]

[The shock is unmistakable, but he doesn't know what else to say. If it were easy to explain he would've been done five minutes ago. Now he sort of feels self conscious as Susano-o vanishes and he sits back down, looking away awkwardly and trying not to blush]

It can do other things too, but what I just used is a skill that lets me heal people.

[How is she supposed to react? She's not sure. To think, Yosuke has such power... She remembers when he was still puppying after her, shunned by most everyone.

He really has come a long way, hasn't he?]

Wow. That's pretty amazing, Hana-chan.

[Mission: Don't Blush is an unmitigated failure as soon as the word 'amazing' leaves her mouth. Oh well, can't win 'em all]

Really? And I didn't even talk about fighting a go- wait, crap, now I'm off track.

[Deep breaths. Try and keep calm]

Saki-senpai... this tower has some cool things, but it's dangerous too. There's tons of cool people you'll get to meet, but there's a few assholes and worse, monsters. But I promise, I'll use this power to protect you the best I can. If you need anything, you can ask.

I mean... it's thanks to you I got this far. It's the least I can do for you, right?

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