(no subject)

[otakuro]

[After four days of wandering around aimlessly, the inevitable has finally happened. The two Atsuros stand in the middle of Sagittarius district, facing each other down. The Shadow is no longer withdrawn and timid. Bolstered by the promises it had heard, it stares at its counterpart now with a faint smile.]

I really thought you were going to complain about how we've never beaten Hizumi at that stupid drum game.

...

...And the dancing game, come to think of it.

Why do you do that? Whenever there's a problem... that's all you do. Laugh it off.

What? ...You want me to whine about it? Like you?

I want you to face it. All of your friends... All of your friends know how you really feel now. Everything you're afraid of. Everything you try to hide.

[The brown-eyed boy stiffens at this statement and averts his gaze with a slight shrug.]

I don't hide anything from them.

[His doppelganger pauses before calling out in a trembling, petulant, high-pitched tone.]

'They don't really like me... They don't really want me around...... Nano hates me, Midori probably can't wait to get rid of me, and Yuzu... Yuzu just deals with me 'cause she wants to be around Kazuya. ...Kazuya. Perfect hero Kazuya. The guy I stick to like a leech so maybe I feel a little more worthwhile.'

...That's not what I think at all.

'Maybe if I act like a clown, people will like me. Maybe if I make myself try harder, people will have to like me.

.......Maybe if I were a better kid, Mommy and Daddy wouldn't have ditched me like a -- '

Shut up.

[A brilliant flash of light, and the street is suddenly filled to the brim. Two demons, a Persona, and Atsuro himself stand ready on both sides, each facing their counterparts. Four on four. Atsuro clenches a trembling fist tight as his allies ready themselves to fight.]

I've never believed that. I've never believed any of those things.

...Ehehe. The sad thing is.... they all know now. They all know how you really feel, and... they still want to be your friend. -- Oh... sorry. They want to be my friend. Because you were too much of a coward to ever tell them the truth.

...I think we'll be fine without you.

Enki!

((Warning - Atsuro is Level Max, so the Shadow will pack a pretty hefty punch! There will be two threads for fighting with the Shadow and the Persona or fighting with the demons.))

Comments

Re: Atsuro > ??? > Shadow Yurick

[mementodagger]

Hammered by spells and attacks from all sides, the Shadow crashes to the ground with a rather pitiful but still angry cry. It tries its best to grapple with Atsuro until the programmer's kick knocks the wind right out of it. With its good eye streaming pained tears, it simply lays under the other boy, gasping.

Yurick picks himself up, healed by Yuzu's spells but still aching inside somehow, and approaches where Atsuro has his double pinned. Looking down into its face still makes him ill. It stares back in mute challenge, chest heaving, expression still crumpled with pain and wrath.

"I...." Yurick falters, his voice cracking. He's always been intensely private, and to have all these witnesses... even just Atsuro witnessing this is nearly too much to bear. He hugs himself protectively, shivering. "I-- it's true. I've lost more than I can bear. Opening up is more frightening than anything I've ever done. I'm still not sure why I did it with you, Atsuro...." He withers under the Shadow's increasingly piercing stare. "... I... didn't want to feel alone. It feels like Zael is drifting away. If he can do that after all the years we fought together, what's going to stop anyone else from doing the same?"

"You hate people when they leave, and you know they always do."

"Yes... but I know they can't help it. It's not their fault... it's mine, for being weak. Too weak to protect Mum, so weak I sacrificed my eye for power, and now...." He takes a deep, shaking breath. "I know you're me and it still makes me want to vomit. How could anyone want to be my-- our friend?" He looks to Nano and Yuzu before his attention drifts to Atsuro.

[all_wound_up]

U-um...

[Nano, for her part, politely but awkwardly averts her eyes. She knows this must be pretty embarrassing for Yurick, exposing himself like that in front of people he doesn't even know.]

[otakuro]

"..."

Atsuro is silent for a brief moment - he doesn't feel like he has any right to play psychologist when his own problems were so similar to Yurick's, but... if he keeps silent now... who knew what would happen with this Shadow? He tries to ignore the fact that he's still clinging to the Shadow like a limpet as he clears his throat slightly.

"Isn't it obvious already?"

He manages an embarrassed smile.

"Everyone... has the same doubts, don't they? Is there anyone who's really confident enough to think 'everyone should be my friend because I'm awesome'? ...Actually, if someone like that exists... wouldn't people prefer not to be their friend? We all have our own problems, so... no one is judging anyone's value based on things like that."

[mementodagger]

Really, Atsuro... you don't need to cling anymore, not when the Shadow is half-dead and mentally subdued. It tries to look at him but its attention is drawn back to its counterpart when Yurick uncoils and lays a hand on its shoulder.

"He's right. You can't say he doesn't know how we feel, we heard it directly from him."

"But Zael--"

"I'll speak with Zael, I promise, but this has to stop now. There's no point in fighting our friends when they've done us no wrong." He takes a deep breath. "I promise you... no, I promise myself... one way or another, everything will be fine."

The Shadow glances at Nano and Yuzu, the hostility wiped away by an expression that's actually a little apologetic. It reaches up, briefly squeezing Atsuro's forearm in a gesture that's likely familiar to him now, before it nods at Yurick. The static-shot form becomes a blue fire without heat that leaps from the ground (dropping Atsuro to the pavement in the process) to the mage, ruffling his hair and clothes briefly before vanishing into him.

Yurick's face crumples with exhaustion and he covers his eyes with a hand. "Everyone... I'm so sorry for that."

[bondsofsuffering]

...Looks like that settles it, then. And about time, too. Hizumi dismisses his own Persona, checking once more around the corner before slipping away from the fight, figuring the group will be too occupied to even notice.

Now then, let's see if he can find that other one...

[otakuro]

Atsuro promptly smacks his face into the ground, which is more painful than he thought it would be despite him being a foot or so above the pavement. There is a slight sigh of relief, nonetheless.

"...I think I'm ready to not Persona-fight again for the rest of my life."

There is time, at last, to check if he's permanently damaged anything and so for a moment or two, Atsuro continues to lie facedown while wiggling his limbs to see if everything is still attached.

[mementodagger]

Wincing at Atsuro's less than graceful landing, Yurick crouches to help his friend sit up.

"You mad fool." There's no bite in the words, only a soft sadness. "I can't believe you'd grapple with that thing. Are you hurt?" He looks to Yuzu, hoping the girl still has energy to provide healing if need be.

These people could've left him to fight alone but they didn't. Atsuro's Shadow had drained them but they didn't simply cut and run. He owes all of them. Another life debt, just like he owed Zael, and somehow he's sure they won't hold him to it.