014 | ❝We promised we'd make a snowman when it snowed...❞

[pitiedthefool]

Characters: Yu Narukami and you
Setting: All around the tower
Format: I'll follow you.
Summary: Nanako is sick with that special variety of the flu and goes missing, which equates to the Sister-Complex Kingpin of Steel her "brother" silently flipping all the goddamn tables no matter how late it gets.
Warnings: "Death", all the feelings, inability to can, Yu flipping tables better than Thor, and pissed/far-too-sympathetic headgod.

[So not long after the post (finally) goes up on the network, he begins searching high and low for one bitty whose voice somehow always reached him no matter what happened. She had to be scared right now, wherever she was, and in this place...

He may not ever voice it, but he is, too. There's no Velvet Room summoning to make him stop and calm down, either. Only more flights of stairs and more floors to search. And right now he didn't give a damn about the cold, so long as he could find her and keep her safe like he'd promised. He promised...

Maybe that's why he didn't care about the time, either. Or stop unless told to. Outwardly, he's still mostly calm until a monster shows up and then it is way beyond overkill on any floor where powers aren't disabled.

Suddenly the red gaze of his other self is not so warm and caring...

Though eventually he will tire, sitting on the 25th floor in front of a large fire to warm up before going out again. There is no rest for the weary.]

Comments

Floor 21. Also, Arcana irony... 8[

[risingshepard]

[Dammit. Dammit, dammit, dammit.

Nowhere to be found, no matter where she even tried to look, or what crannies she stuck her head into. And this damn flu is starting to get to her, too, even if slightly.

She wanted nothing more than to punch Jason right now, no, blow his brain right out of his fucking skull. The time for negotiating with that son of a bitch was well past over before she even came here, and he just crossed another line--callous, insensitive, malicious, every single word she used to describe Saren before she talked sense into him, and the Illusive Man, for that matter, was now being used to describe this bastard.

It fit all too well, to her.

...Yu will probably find a few monsters flayed by plasma on this floor, along with Shepard riddling another with an entire salvo of Revenant bullets.]

no words describe the amount of sobbing...

[pitiedthefool]

[She isn't the only one who is worried sick right now. By the time he gets onto this floor, he's had enough.]

...Lucifer.

[Yes. You heard that right. He just called on the prince of demons and he showed up, using Mabufudyne without a second thought. ...and yes, that is quite a lot of suddenly large ice caskets dropping onto the monsters' heads. They all somehow miss both of them, too.]

None at all, except 'why Skyla why'. 8[

[risingshepard]

[...Goddamn, Yu.

She'd ask where they came from, but if their encounter in October is any indication? It has to do with what he was possessed by after his death...

A power that couldn't possibly be explained with science, no matter how hard one tried.]

...Thanks. [Just to make sure the one in front of her was done for, she smashes its head in with the butt of the Revenant, putting full force into it for good measure.]

floor 3

[fuhgeddaboudit]

[True to her word, Labrys showed up complete with axe fixed to her shoulders--she was still a little slowed by the weather, but running a scan put everything at around 90% capability. That would be more than enough.]

I'm here--sorry if I took too long.

[pitiedthefool]

[He only hopes she's been trying to stay warmer since the last time they ran into one another. It wouldn't be a good, otherwise. Yet he shakes his head, not commenting on how long it took her. To be honest... he needed the time to think.]

Don't worry about it. [It's not like he'd be any help in the emotional state he was in when he made those messages. He... had to follow the old advice to calm down. Placing his sword back in the loop of his belt, he's ready to go and out onto the stairs.] Let's go.

[fuhgeddaboudit]

[Labrys nodded, and if there was any sign she was still affected by the cold, she didn't show it. She followed a step or two behind--if she went in front she'd be likely to hit him in the face with her axe.]

I'm ready.

[miseris_socios]

[Ken approaches Yu when he's sitting near the fire, carrying some large branches that he sets down near it. He sits near Yu, sniffling a little.]

[There's really not much he can say. He looks up at the older boy after a bit, wiping his nose.]

... I'm sorry.

[pitiedthefool]

[Yu can only nod silently in response at first. Really, what all can be said when everything is said and done? Something was wrong, and he had no way of helping his own family. Even with this power, he's helpless. It isn't fair.

'Heh. Now I know how you felt...Izanagi. All over again.']

...Are you alright? [Everyone was getting sick, after all.]

[miseris_socios]

I'll be fine. Some of the others aren't doing too well, though... Romeo's in a really bad way. He keeps jumping at everything.

[It's got him pretty worried, but there's not much he can do about it other than try to calm him down. And at least he's not horribly dangerous, so he's not as worried.]

Floor 26. Yes, I went there.

[justiceinheaven]

[As Yu headed up the stairs after his break, he would be fortunate enough to see a brief glimpse of a certain pink dress heading up the stairs...]

[...and right into the morgue.]

........./crycat.jpeg

[pitiedthefool]

[...!

Yeah, fuck the police. Fuck the cold, he is ducking into the morgue without the slightest bit hesitation.]

Floor 30

[egotrigger]

[There's a piece of the staircase missing in this room, and it seems someone's fallen straight through it. The man on the ground is fighting a pack of Neoshadows, attempting to throw one off of his back and stab another in the chest with his knife.]

Get off!

[He's shaking too, though if it's from sickness or something else it's hard to tell.]

[pitiedthefool]

[He noticed that as he moved through the floors and went to avoid said portion, but when he hears that, he stops to look down-

Ugh, those things were a pain.]

Sraosha!

[The Persona appeared in front of him, unrolling his scroll before casting Mahamaon. Enjoy the pretty lights and most of them NOT having a good day.]

[lightofhumanity]

[chaos was wandering through the Tower, thinking, when he sensed something near the 25th floor. It was human..and yet..it had a power to it, and not just a tiny one. Curious, chaos wandered into the floor and saw a boy sitting in front of a large fire. Wanting the person to warm up faster, chaos put his hand on the person's shoulder.

If the person smacked his hand away, nothing would happen, but if he left it be, chaos would use his powers to warm him up and calm him down.]

Good evening. Are you well?

[pitiedthefool]

[At least he doesn't jump, only look up when he senses a hand on his shoulder. ...My God it's like a walking, humanoid Velvet Room. Yes, that was his first thought when suddenly just a little calmer. It left an impression on him, okay.]

...I'm fine.

[Physically, anyway. He's just... worried and concerned for another person, and it likely shows in the way he doesn't keep eye contact.]

It's just been a long day.

[Please to stop be touching him. What is this power that Izanagi is raising an eyebrow at?]

Stairway

[redwhiteandhero]

[Alfred is heading down the stairs as Yu is on his way up. When they meet, Alfred moves to the center of the staircase, blocking the way.]

What're you trying to do?

.../offers popcorn

[pitiedthefool]

[Wow um, rude? He's just trying to get to the next floor, and obviously he is armed because of how dangerous this place is, and yet, seeing this person's face makes him freeze for a second. What-

...

He remembered. He briefly saw a child with the same face crying because of actions he performed while not in his right mind. Screaming for their brother like she once cried for him and did again when he'd lost himself. Maybe it showed, maybe it didn't. What did was a determination to get through regardless.]

My only family is missing and her name is still on her door. Please, move.

[At least he's asking nicely...?]

floor twenty-five

[prayed]

[She might have overlooked Yu entirely were it not for the spark of recognition, faint, but still there--she knows this guy from somewhere, though she can't seem to place where. That bothers her. Enough that she'll waltz on over to where he's sitting, staring (quite rudely, really) at him expectantly, searching for an answer that he doubtlessly didn't have. One hand rests on her hip, the other holding the nutrition bar that she's biting into.

Has she met him somewhere before? She's loath to admit to it, but her memory's been spotty lately. Because of the fever, she's certain. She opens her mouth to question him, but all that she can get out is an "oi" before she finds herself coughing rather violently into her elbow. She was seriously sick of this flu. A violent shiver passes through her, her original thought momentarily lost. This cold wouldn't be the death of her, but it was a huge pain in the ass. She mumbles to herself.]

Tch. Next time I see that guy, first thing I'm gonna do is pummel him.

[pitiedthefool]

[Yeah, the coughing fit is what really gets his attention. Staring? Eh, he's used to doing very much of the same.]

eh? [...] Are you alright?

[Seriously, just come sit by the fire before you get worse. D: Wait... she looks familiar. Raising an eyebrow, he... can't help but recognize her. Wasn't it during the last Jason month, a few days before they all metaphorically pissed in Jason's cornflakes (the poor cereal)?]

Floor 8

[justabignobody]

[If Yu happens to search in the maze on Floor 8, he may not catch sight of any small-pink-brown combinations... there may be a flicker of tall-black-silver though.

Riku has been having his own sickness induced panic-attack, just barely suppressing a gasp as he stumbles against the wall, a low whine escaping him as he catches sight of his shadow, sees it's darkness deepen, glow even.

Just when he had thought that he could finally start concentrate on using his darkness actively again... on regain use of the Dark Corridors... and now he was totally losing control.

The lightheadedness and cough that have been nagging on him, really don't help either. Regardless of that, one things for sure though. He can't let anyone see him like this.]

[pitiedthefool]

[He did indeed, which... for some reason worried him. Especially since it was a friend, and the Strength Arcana responded. Where was he-?

The cough was enough to tip him off, so into the maze he went as he mentally switched from Izanagi-no-Okami to one of his ice and dark resistant Personas. For some reason, he felt it was necessary.]

...Riku?

Floor 25

[idol_support]

[It takes her a while to work up the courage to approach, but Rise (and it definitely is "Rise") finally manages. She should probably have some sort of trauma related to this place, considering what had happened here in October, the last time they'd been here alone together, but she seems to have other things on her mind as she hesitantly moves closer.]

[Silently she settles in on the other side of the bonfire and that alone should let Yu know that something's off with her, if the deer-hunting experience wasn't enough and proceeds to curl in on herself, hugging her legs to her chest and half-hiding her face against her knees.]

...Um...I...about Nanako-chan...

[The words are lost in the snap and crackle of the fire, so she briefly ducks her head a little more, then braces herself and tries again, considerably louder this time:]

...Uh, umm...I...I got your message about Nanako-chan...

[She should say more than that, should tell him that she'd been looking for Nanako ever since, just all by herself, or at least apologise for...whatever it was that had happened with Luke in the middle of that forest since I don't doubt there's gonna be at least a little personality swapping going on in that other thread, but...all she can do is hug her legs tighter to her chest, stare hard at the tops of her shoes, and try not to blush too obviously.]

[She'd talked to him, oh gods, she'd really talked to him. Sure he was her boyfriend, but still...just being around Yu at all even if there was a large fire separating them made her so nervous and fluttery-feeling, she almost wanted to bolt for the stairs.]

oh my god inbox why you hide this ;A;

[pitiedthefool]

[Yu raises an eyebrow when she finally does approach. The familiar stirring of Ishtar in his head did give her presence off a bit, but with how preoccupied he's been (even if for good reason)... he felt a little bad for not noticing her earlier. He knew something had been up with her, but the moment she began to speak (what was that? can you speak up a bit more?)

...

It must have taken a lot of courage for her to even sit here and say that with how she's been acting lately. So he simply nods faintly, maybe smiles a little bit. Even he doesn't know if he managed it or not.]

...Mm. Thanks, Rise-chan.

[The fact she kept herself from bolting yet was something he should thank her for. Nanako doing the same already and not being able to find her later was... hard on him enough as it is, though he'd understand.]

floor 25

[of_emptiness]

[ So Adachi has been avoiding him for quite some time, yeah. He saw the post with Nanako, but didn't really think it had been his place to do anything with it. Best to just, you know, leave it be for the real heroes around here.

So when he sees Yu alone by the fire... ] Hey.

[ Obviously he knows he's no replacement. Far from it. But he feels like he owes this kid a lot. ]

...the moment I didn't think an Adachi could hit me in the feels even more than Golden did. XD

[pitiedthefool]

[He noticed that, too. But then, he couldn't blame him. Nor could he blame a few others for wanting to do the same. Especially after June, or even October when he wasn't himself in any definition of the word. Yet Nanako... she was the only blood relative he had left. If something happened to her, he has no idea what to do if he can't keep true to his promise to Dojima-san and keep her safe (though logically, he doubts it is possible here).

The last thing Yu expected was to hear that far too familiar, and eerily similar, voice behind him. Of course he turns to face him, expression not giving anything away. Though he is glad to see him, and greets him by a nod.]

Adachi-san. [...Come on; it's cold. There's plenty of room by the fire for two Fools who were once played like fiddles.]