[Closed] Let's talk...

[pretty_pink_ribbon]

Who: Yuzu and Atsuro
Where: A small cafe
Summary: They need to talk. And it's been a while since she's had a decent breakfast.
Warnings: Bracketspam because I'm lazy


[After vanishing from a difficult battle against former friends, appearing in a strange new city, and being attacked by a demon, Yuzu has had a rough day. She'd managed to get some explanation from Midori, but there are still a lot of unanswered questions. Not to mention underlying issues. Which is why she agreed to meet Atsuro for breakfast the next morning.

On the plus side, she actually got to spend the night in a real bed for the first time in a week. And have a shower. She'd missed those. The government here seemed pretty generous, just handing out apartments to strangers. But whatever. She wasn't about to question the first piece of good fortune she'd had recently.

She manages to find the cafe without too much trouble, arriving only five minutes late. She glances around, and spotting Atsuro, she slides into the seat across from him. The awkwardness hits her a second later. Midori had said that he was from a diferent world. But she still remembers facing him, and Kazuya, as an enemy. So where did that leave them? Were they friends? Enemies? Or were they strangers, considering they didn't even come from the same world. He'd come to her rescue last night. That must mean something.

It's about now that she realizes that she's just been staring at him uncomfortably for the last minute or so. Maybe she'd better say something.]

Umm, hi...

[Off to a great start, obviously.]

Comments

[otakuro]

...Ah.

So... you're from a world like his, then.

[Kazuya had gone home, but they had been intimate enough during his time here that Atsuro was generally aware of the way things had gone down. He pauses to allow the awkwardness time to properly sink in before he tries to speak again.]

He was here before - Kazuya. From a world where he was the demon king, too. It was a little awkward at first...

Is it OK I ask what happened?

[pretty_pink_ribbon]

.......

[She's quiet for a long moment. This is a tough subject for her. Then she sighs.]

If you already talked to him... I probably can't tell you more than he did. I wasn't.... with you guys by then.

We did talk... a couple of times after I left, but...

[But those few conversations never went anywhere. Didn't change anything.]

[otakuro]

...Yeah.

[Atsuro allows his gaze to lower to the menus that hadn't been touched at all.]

He didn't want to tell me too much about it, but there were some things I... guessed. In my world, we went with my idea - the one about hacking into the server and gaining control of the demons. Midori's from there, too, but I think a different part of the timeline.

[He glances back towards Yuzu now with a solemn expression.]

But, you know... I would've stayed with him no matter what. I don't think there's a world out there where I don't. ...If I didn't believe in him, then...

[His voice trails off as he struggles to put what he means into words.]

It would be pointless, in the end...

[pretty_pink_ribbon]

[Her hand clenches tightly around the spoon as a flare of irrational anger wells up inside her.]

So I didn't believe in him enough? I should've helped while he-

[With effort, she cuts herself off. It's not Atsuro's fault. She knows it. He wasn't even from that world. But it wasn't as if she'd left because she wanted to. It had been so hard. But how could she stand by Kazuya while he hurt innocent people? She swallows around the sudden lump in her throat.]

Sorry...

[otakuro]

...[Atsuro is slightly taken aback by this reaction and he does nothing to hide it. The cat-like eyes widen and blink slowly before he gives a slight shake of his head and sinks back into his chair.]

...No, it's fine. You don't have to apologize for anything.

I... uh. I think we need to be a little more clear about what we're talking about, though. You're Yuzu, but... not the Yoohoo I know. That's fine, but it means we can't go assuming anything about each other...

[pretty_pink_ribbon]

[She sighs heavily, shaking her head.]


I just.... It wasn't easy to leave you guys, you know?


It is nice to know there's a world out there somewhere where we're all still friends.


[There is hint of a sad smile on her lips. She really means that. In fact, she's just a little envious of the Yuzu from his world. ]

[otakuro]

There are lots of worlds where we're all still friends...!

[That was the important thing, wasn't it? No matter what, they would stick together...]

And it doesn't mean it can't still be the case in your world. What was he even doing?

[pretty_pink_ribbon]

[She'd really like to think so. But...

She opens her mouth to answer. Closes it. Considers just telling Atsuro that he's better off not knowing. But somehow she doesn't think he'll just accept that answer. She takes a steadying breath and tries very hard to keep her voice even.]

He was... killing people. After he became the King of Bel, the government was going to lift the lockdown but the angels kept it going. And they convinced a lot of people that it was his fault and....

And things... just got really out of hand.

[She knows that the angels had purposefully incited people to attack them. She knew they were fighting in self defense, but still.... what had happened to just destroying the comps? There was no need to kill anyone.]

[otakuro]

...No way.

[Atsuro's response is perhaps, unfairly sharp as he stares at Yuzu with the same mixture of incomprehension and disbelief he would've held if she'd said Kazuya had mutated into a tentacle monster.]

I talked to him about this. He would never -- The only reason he wanted to be King of Bel at all is to save us from having to deal with any more of God's judgements.

[pretty_pink_ribbon]

Well maybe in your world he didn't! But in mine, he did!

[She gives up trying to take the bite out of her tone and rises abruptly to her feet. Now she's just angry.]

Why would make I any of that up?!?

[The worst part of this is that, if their positions were reversed, she might not believe him either. And she knows it. Which does nothing to help her mood.]

[otakuro]

I don't understand...

[Atsuro frowns. Somewhere in his mind, he has registered that Yuzu is upset, but that wasn't his priority at the moment.]

He did everything the same way in your world, right? ...Did something go drastically different? We saved Haru and Gin, we kept Keisuke and Midori from getting themselves killed...

[pretty_pink_ribbon]

[Seeing the look on Atsuro's face makes her anger fade a little. And she finds herself pulled back down into her seat by a sudden feeling of exhaustion.]

I don't understand either. Because... because yeah, we did all of those things. We saved all of them. Everything was going fine and then.... then we went to see Naoya...

[She knows it's not entirely Naoya's fault, but a part of her still blames him for Kazuya's decision.]

But I still don't know why he decided to go along with the whole 'Demon King' plan....

[otakuro]

...

I guess... every game needs to have its 'bad end'.

Sorry, Yuzu. [You can tell it's sincere from the lack of the nickname.] It doesn't seem like things were easy for you.

[pretty_pink_ribbon]

Bad ending, huh?


[She laughs then, but it's a harsh, almost choked sound. There's no humor in it and she may be blinking back tears.]


I guess that's one way to put it.


[Suddenly it all seems brutally unfair. If it was possible for everything to go right then why did she have to come from a place where everything went wrong?]

[otakuro]

[Atsuro suddenly slaps both palms against the table - not hard enough to be obnoxious, but still a somewhat unusual move.]

It can still change.

That was the whole point of our journey, right? To defy our fates and to survive. All of those times we were supposed to die... We're both of us still here, right?

Maybe there's an infinite number of worlds out there and maybe some of them, the choices made were worse than the others. But if there's an infinite number of worlds, then there are plenty of worlds where things still turned back around.

[pretty_pink_ribbon]

[The sudden sound jars her out of that moment of self pity. Her eyes come back up to meet his.]

......

[She listens in silence, feeling the tiniest stirring of hope.]

So... where does that leave me? After everything that's happened, can I still... change things?

[She really wanted to believe that there was a chance. That maybe, just maybe, she and Midori could win the impossible fight they'd started. And just maybe if they did, they could somehow convince the angels to spare their friends. And maybe convince Kazuya that he'd been wrong. That's an awful lot of maybes.

At this point she's just fishing for some reassurance. And probably unfairly too. Atsuro couldn't know what was going to happen. But unfair or not, she needs to hear it.]

[otakuro]

...I always thought this was meant to be Kazuya's story. We were just the ones lucky enough to hitch a ride on the back of greatness - Atsuro and Yoohoo, the secondary protags there to add some color.

But maybe this is can be a story about how the Chosen One sometimes needs a slap on the head. Or a story about how you don't have to be the reincarnation of anyone to accomplish something good.

[Atsuro couldn't know what was going to happen. And he didn't even have anything riding on it. This wasn't his world. But it wouldn't be right for him to leave Yuzu floundering in her misery.]

[pretty_pink_ribbon]

[Yuzu is surprised to find an amused smile tugging at her lips.]

Yeah, I'd say the 'chosen one' needs a pretty good slap to his head. Or at least, the one from my world does.


[Okay, this is just silly. She shakes her head and pushes her worries to the back of her mind.]

You know what? This my world and your world thing is way too confusing. Can't we just forget it? Can't we just be friends and hang out and... stuff?

[otakuro]

Wha -- O-Of course! I was never planning on doing it any other way!

[Atsuro grins a little sheepishly. Perhaps he had gone on for a bit too long...]

Even if you're not my Yoohoo, you're still Yoohoo. I still call you Yoohoo, right?

[pretty_pink_ribbon]

[She sighs dramatically, but can't hide the widening smile on her face.]

If I said 'no, you never call me that dumb nickname ever' would it make a difference?

[otakuro]

Then it's the perfect time for a new nickname to reaffirm the value of our friendship!

[Atsuro blinks innocently.]

OK, other-world-Yuzu-whom-I've-never-nicknamed -- In honor of our meeting here, I dub thee Yoohoo!

[pretty_pink_ribbon]

[Rolling her eyes.]

Fine. Whatever, Otakuro.

[But this time there isn't even a trace of that tension in her smile. She nods toward the cafe counter.]

So, do you think we should order something before they think we're total weirdos?

[otakuro]

[atsuro is deeply deeply hurt by the eyeroll.]

I think it's too late already.

[It was a slow morning. The cafe staff immediately pretend to be very busy wiping down the countertop as Atsuro glances over.]

But I can get you something. I've got a job here.

[pretty_pink_ribbon]

Great.

[She gives the workers an embarrassed smile. But hey, if he's buying~ ]

In that case, I think I noticed a strawberry parfait on the menu that has my name all over it.

[otakuro]

[Wasn't it a little early in the morning for sweets never mind there was a reason he called her Yoohoo. Atsuro glances quickly at the menu.]

I'll just have some tea.

[The cafe workers carefully pretend to be scrubbing the... cash register? now as Atsuro glances over once more. He calls for one of them to come over.]