destinystrings | (no subject)

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Who: The Investigation Team and Nanako plus one death goddess.
Where: Yu and Nanako's apartment.
Summary: The IT celebrates Christmas together away from home... more or less.
Warnings: Yu trying to keep up his mission to bring a Green Christmas to Hinoto-ri. Horrible singing. lulz

It was a bit rushed and last minute -- and most of the work had to be done by other people because a certain grey haired leader was currently acting like an idiot -- but the apartment that Yu and Nanako shared was currently decked out for the winter holiday. Streamers hung around door frames and windows, and someone had even managed to bring in a little fake pine tree to be decorated.

There's also food, of course, though how good it is depends greatly on who cooked it. Taste with care, least you end up poisoned on Christmas.

It might not seem very festive at the moment, especially considering the current state (and presence) of certain individuals... but that will change at midnight at least.

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You know when they say to keep Yukiko away from the stove area so she doesn't cook? Well, they couldn't this time. It was a special day and she wanted to make something that would be edible or at least drinkable. Maybe Nano's lesson earlier made her think that her skills could be saved somewhat.

So for tonight, she's making peppermint hot chocolate from scratch! She even copied down a recipe and got the right ingredients before coming over. But she looks like she's really concentrating on making it just right for everyone. Hope no one will do something dumb and bug her.

The odd part of it is that she simply took the anger and shook her head, frowning faintly. There was no need to raise his voice, currently.

"Much of my powers are limited in this reality, save for during one hour." She was not pleased by this fact either, or at least made it seem to be. With these supposed limitations, if she were telling the truth, there was not much she could do during the day save patience and wearing it down. "I am able to give him moments of lucidity, but those foolish demons are as persistent as you mortals."

Oddly enough, that didn't sound as condescending so much as both amusement and annoyance. Babysitting her brother's human was not something she had planned on doing when she decided to sit back and watch events unfold in this healing world.

"Though considering the potency of the spell, the focus of what he believes must be done, and his disposition... I doubt it will last much longer."

A gentle push? Last time she checked, Kanji's persona throwing her like a human missile was not gentle.

"In the beginning, I was..."

She made a small gesture, like she was going along with it. "I should've stepped in sooner."

Because if Rise wasn't there to snap her out of it, Yukiko would've said yes and went along with the Pyro Jacks. Hiding from the truth was not an option for them no matter where they were. But something in the other's words started to make sense. She gives the other a small smile in return.

"I guess you're right."

"This place limits your powers??" Yosuke is kind of surprised by that..... Then, it dawns on him, even if it should have been obvious from the get-go. His eyes grow wide and he shifts nervously, looking out the closest window at the city lights.

"Whatever's going on, then, with us being here and with the existence of the Thirteenth Hour, demons, everyone having Personas... it's bigger than you. You nearly turned our whole world into Shadows... Whatever, or whoever organized all of this did something bigger, and is trying to do something again..." He looks from the window over to his brainwashed best friend, folding his arms over his chest. His shoulders are kind of shaking at the newly realized prospect.

"If it doesn't wear off by midnight, promise you'll turn him back to normal? We really need him back."

"Yeah, but..."

He paused, glancing outside to where he could see the snow gently falling. Wow, he... actually failed at something. Sure he had taken more than a few missteps in the past, underestimated an enemy, guessed a weakness wrong... but he never really failed like this.

...this sucked.

Clearly her version of gentle and yours are two different things, though she was speaking more in a metaphorical sense. Regardless, she chuckled.

"No one man can change the past, so do not worry over what could have been." A partial lie, but still. "You did well in the circumstance given."

Though not following that desire... a shame. Though she would at least give her something to laugh about later.

Yu let out an exasperated noise; none of that was funny, and all of it was creepy. And what made things worse was...

"...I can still do it," he muttered. "Switch clothes; it's a spell and it... stuck."

Constant reminder of what happened; just what he needed.

Yu had a closet where he hid everyone's presents half way open when she poked her head in on him. He stared at her a moment, struggling to find something to say... only to end up staring back at the inside of the closet. Wow... awkward conversations are go. They just started going out; they didn't need... all of that hanging over their heads.

"...sorry."

It was the only thing he could think of to say.

It took Yu some time before he came back out, and even then he still looked like he wasn't in the best of social moods. Still, his conversations before had picked him up a little; enough to show his face again as he brought out the presents he had gotten for everyone.

He happened to look up as he was setting the presents under the tree, spotting Izanami keeping to herself as she had been for most of the night (at least that he noticed; he'd been too busy pouting over the fact that he couldn't wreck havoc. He held onto one present, excusing himself for a moment before heading right to her.

"Izanami..." he began. "Would you mind if we talked privately?"

Yes, it would be awkward but they needed to speak to each other sooner or later. And it's not just him who needs to say something. She went along with it in the beginning and even if she could blame it on the atmosphere, Yukiko wouldn't deny it being somewhat true. Because to be honest, she did. And if unbothered, she would've kept up that charade and things would be just worse.

"Yu."

She dropped the honorific this time and put a hand on his shoulder.

"There's no need to say that. It's not your fault."

"Yeah... but I can't just say, 'It's not my fault,' and be okay with it," he replied, still having difficulty looking at her. "Besides... what I did with you..."

That went too far... but he was being honest. It just came out... really bad.

"Unfortunately..." Why do you think she lay low after most of them first arrived and for the first few months, aside from one or two appearances? She still had to recover, and those appearances were when someone specifically asked for her presence. Though that realization caused her to smirk privately to herself.

"I would not judge so quickly... For every truth unveiled, there is always the chance that one may become blinded by they very thing they desire and seek." Her brows furrowed in thought as her gaze too lingered to the city lights outside. To each and every soul on this small patch of soil compared with the rest of the world. There's an air of approachability, and yet... a strangely saddened hint to her words. "All who were brought here were selected for a reason. Whether it was because of their strength of heart, or because they became truly lost."

Yet she nodded. "If it does not on its own, it would be far too easy to do so when this holiday has passed."

Yeah, it should be obvious why she and the God whose Son's birth (which she found hilarious, considering the inaccuracy of the dates) this holiday was initially celebrated for do not get along. Though she does seem to be contemplative for a moment.

"...Take care that your heart does not fall into utter despair of what seems to be impossible, child. Adachi was, at least, correct about what occurs when one succumbs."

Was that a godly 'Don't you even think about getting depressed or overwhelmed by what is not yet revealed'? Possibly. It was hard to tell, considering. At least she was trying to give a gentle nudge in the right direction. It was her desire to fulfill humanity's desires, after all...

"Man, they really got you good, didn't they?" she asked, saddened. "I promise, you'll feel a lot better once we figure out how to un-brainwash you!"

"So...you're really her, right?" Rise asked the stranger now that things had settled down a bit. She could probably pull out Kanzeon and verify, of course, but it was already really crowded in here, so she decided to trust her feelings and the process of elimination.

"Ooh, is that hot chocolate, Senpai?" Rise asked, appearing at someone's shoulder as she is wont to do in crowded rooms. "It looks good already."

No, following that desire would've been worse. It could be something they could laugh at in the future but right now, it's a little more difficult.

"I just hope that somehow whatever's been cast on him will go away soon. Strange that it reminds me of when the scorpions attacked awhile ago."

Also the same day when she took Mitsuru's motorcycle and drove it like a boss.

The memory of them dancing together so close to each other made Yukiko go darker than her sweater. It was hard to admit that a small part of yourself enjoyed the closeness and to admit that...she knew keeping it to herself wasn't going to work.

"I can't say it was because of the area. Because I could've said something at first but I didn't. It should be me who should apologize to you."

Congratulations on coming out of the emo corner for a brief moment. No, truly, you deserve an award for doing so so soon.

She paused in what she was doing when she noticed someone had spied her soon after she had returned. Somehow, she shouldn't have been so surprised by that, yet he had always been one who defied her expectations. Stubborn child.

"Of course not." After all, she had babysat you while you were... you know. Lead the way.

"I am." Really, was it that much of a surprise? She had even kept her hair the same on purpose this time. After all, most of them knew by now if they had not already experienced her wrath. There was little she could or would do in hiding this truth from them.

"You caused everyone a lot of grief, you know."

Of course she knew, but it had to be said. "But Senpai seemed to trust you even before he went crazy, so I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. I have got a lot of questions, though."

More than she really knew what to do with; talking to the 'perps' was really Naoto's job, and Rise was even worse at cutting to the chase than she was. Besides, now that she thought about how that just sounded, wasn't Izanami a guest here?

"But...since this is a party, I think that can wait. A little bit. Unless you feel like sharing now."

Ace*Detective.

"Indeed, and yet... not nearly as severe or as dangerous." If not provoked and separated from those demons. "If I am correct, it should not be too long from now... or can be easily reversed."

It was some the best home video footage and someone would likely get a copy of that later. ...Along with Green Christmas Style.

Yukiko nodded and smiled at her. "Yes, I found a recipe for it not too long ago. I wanted to try it out and make something special for everyone tonight."

"I am aware." How could she not? And yet, events proceeded as the world had decreed. She does not hold any grudge against them, though she was rather amused by just how long they could hold one against both god and man. Maybe they could use that to their advantage, or maybe it could be their downfall. Only time would tell.

She chuckled, almost amused by how this started out. Well, at least she had a little more gall than the Hanamura boy.

"If you are so curious or would feel uncomfortable, then I do not mind answering at least a few. However, you realize that you could reach me at any time...?"

She was a COMP, too, Rise. Though it seemed as though she would be answering quite a few questions tonight, anyway.

It may be Christmas, but Nanako really doesn't seem very happy. She's too worried about her Big Bro's condition to really enjoy the party. Of course, if someone distracts her this will change, but initially she keeps glancing over at him, or approaching him to try and talk.

Despite the noise, she ends up falling asleep before the party reaches midnight - first on the couch next to Yu. Hopefully someone will carry her to bed and tuck her in.

Edited 2012-12-26 06:02 (UTC)

Yosuke stays silent for a while and lets that sink in as he shoves his hands into his pockets. So either they were strong, or they were lost? He sincerely hoped he was the former. He believed the entire Investigation Team was drawn here for that purpose, that they were strong and experienced with using Personas. They weren't perfect, but their family of friends here was strong, all thanks to their Leader and their combined effort to search for the truth.

Yosuke glances at Izanami, and while his mouth was a cautious line, his eyes seemed to grin with confidence. "I'm not scared of the Truth." He was scared of a lot of things, like failure, and death, but he was brave enough to stand up for what he believed in. And, oddly enough, her words did offer some comfort to him... which brought up the most pressing concern to the foreground.

"Izanami." He says her name forcefully, attempting eye contact. "I still can't forgive you for what you did in Inaba. You hurt a hell of a lot of people, including me and my friends, and you especially hurt Yu. Because of you, someone who was once close to me is dead now, even if she's somehow alive in this world. I don't care what bullshit excuses you make, that you somehow weren't responsible, or that it's 'what mankind wanted', what you did had real consequences even if we were all just puppets to you."

Yosuke stands up straight and faces her, pulling his hands out of his pockets and clenching them into fists by his side. "I don't know why anyone can trust you, after what you did... I especially don't know why Yu trusts you, and to be honest I really wish that he didn't. But..."

He pauses, and swallows hard. "For now, I'm willing to believe you're not the bad guy in all of this. So tell me, why the hell are you so interested in our Leader?"

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