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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Yosuke follows her gaze before staring back at her, folding his arms across his chest. The defensive look in his eyes seems to fade, though. He doesn't trust Izanami, not at all, but at the same time he doesn't feel like he has to be ready for her to attack at any second... so he'll let his guard down, for now. It's less exhausting that way.

"I wasn't asking you why he trusts you, I figured you wouldn't know. I've tried asking him but I can't get a straightforward answer from him... and he doesn't seem to care that I can't stand that he trusts you, either. Don't tell me you aren't singling him out, though. You chose him. You know he's special." There is no doubt in Yosuke's mind that Yu is special, considering he's a wild card, and the most powerful member of their team.

"What I'm saying is, you're trying to get close to him, you're encouraging him to trust you. There's only two possible reasons for why you'd do that: either you're trying to get close to use him and hurt us, or you legitimately are trying to patch things up with him and maybe us." And from the doubtful look on his face, you can probably guess what he thinks is more likely. It's also why he's so frustrated with Yu about this...

"You might not be the bad guy here, but that doesn't mean I think you're a good guy either."

"Perhaps not even he knows of the answer..."

The goddess chuckled faintly under her breath, patient as ever. Though if she were being honest, she would have to admit his likeness to someone else. However, she says nothing of the sort. Focusing instead on the question posed and the boy speaking to her was more important.

"I also chose two more, and countless others... though not in the same manner you are likely thinking of." One who denied the power freely given him, one who corrupted it and manipulated the small portion of the sea of unconscious thought, a team of individuals who sought their own goals, and countless others before them... "He is indeed more peculiar in the fact he is a natural wild card, I do admit."

As for the assumption, she did not respond to the former. The latter, however, earned a faint twitch at the corner of her lips that was gone like the green Christmas outside (ha ha).

The look was enough to say what she would not voice, however: "Would I be here now, answering your questions, if it were the former?"

Yosuke furrows a brow at her, leaning back against the wall, and answering her entirely wordless question. "You must think I'm stupid, don't you? I know who you are, and what you did. You were able to lay low and keep us guessing in the dark for a full goddamn year, we almost closed the case and let it happen all over again because of how damn good you are at hiding your true intentions. Why the hell should I believe that you're not going to trick us again?" And to be quite honest, he doesn't even know why she's here. He certainly didn't approve of it.

"If I even suspect you of pulling anything, I swear to god I'll kick your ass, I don't care if I have to suffer your death curse a million times over. You're not pulling any bullshit while I'm around." Yosuke can't even tell at this point if he's being brave, or just stupid, talking to a death goddess like that. It's probably clear from the way he looks away that he is scared of that prospect, though. Knowing just what she looks like, what she's capable of, is terrifying... but like hell he'll ever let his team get lost in the fog again.

"I believe you and your friends have more than earned the right to choose." Though someone certainly is close to sticking a foot in their mouth right now with just how much of an act he was portraying in the bravado sense. She could tell clear as day that he feared death; all humans did, and it made them strong in a sense.

"Whether anyone chooses to believe my words... or not... Humans have and always will see and believe only what they wish to, and there are certainly those who have not proven to be trustworthy." Including herself, even though she has not lied since her reveal as far as what they can see. "...I stand by what I said in March."

There is no need for a repetition of history just yet.

"That's the thing about bad guys: just because we deserve a break from this kind of stuff doesn't mean we'll actually get one. And I don't really believe that you actually care about what we've 'earned.'"

Yosuke sighs and just rubs his eyes a little. Talking to Izanami was like talking to a brick wall... a brick wall that spewed back cryptic messages and vague answers that had about as much substance in them as the silence of a regular brick wall. At least he learned that her powers were limited, which was a good thing as far as he could see. But otherwise he'd learned nothing. Even though she was telling him that she wasn't up to anything, it's not like he could actually believe her. Even the threat didn't seem to stir up anything in her- no hostility, not even a sarcastic chuckle.

So the Magician decides to go with a different approach. Fight fire with fire, right? That's everything that his arcana stood for.

"You said that everyone here was called here for a reason, that they're either strong of heart or they're lost. If that's true, then which one are you?"

Sounded like someone was stuck on the idea that everything was black and white. Which was hilarious to her if only because even absolutes were not always so.

Izanami smirked.

"Neither." Wait, hadn't she just-? "This reality is... struggling to maintain itself, much like another goddess once screamed into the minds of those brought here.It is because of this that I was drawn to this place."

A commonality, considering she was gravely wounded upon coming here.

Well excuse him for seeing you as a bad person, Izanami, because hurting and killing others, even by extension, isn't exactly a 'good' thing to do. He is only preparing himself for the worst possible outcome of Izanami being associated with their group.

"...You're saying you were brought here to maintain the city? How do you know that? We barely know why we're here, other than what that butterfly mask guy said." To be honest they were really just guessing that they'd been brought here to help. As the Investigation Team, they were detectives and protectors, explorers and fighters, seekers of the Truth. If that man with the butterfly mask brought them here for a specific reason, though, he wasn't sure what it was at all. So far their biggest and baddest endeavor was dealing with a crazy Leader, they hadn't been given a specific purpose yet.

Silly humans and your views of right and wrong. What made him think that the gods shared the same outlook?

At least she was not killing anyone... currently.

"It is an educated guess. ...Far better than another's, at the very least." Foreign goddesses, please. "Those who call this city their home seem to agree with your assessment as to why you all were brought here. Why else would they give you the roof over your heads and enough to live on?"

Izanami chuckled, clearly having spoken with Igor far too often. "Perhaps time will reveal which is the Truth you all hold so dear."

Hopefully the 'not killing' status stays that way.

Yosuke falls silent for a little bit, having really run out of things to say to her. "If time doesn't reveal it, we will." He sighs, and decides to ask one more question, one he's almost sure he's not going to get an actual answer for, but...

"Why do you fear the Truth so much? I know sometimes it's hard to face, sometimes people would rather just hide away and live ignorantly, but it's better- it's braver to face the truth. Why do you care so much about hiding the truth from humanity?"

"There is little doubt about that."

She knew you children far too well to so much as doubt that. Though she was rather bemused by the fact they were so adamant about it. It was so very pointless to be worked up about things not yet revealed so easily.

"...I do not fear Truth so much as I am disappointed that so many would either desire to hide from it, or try to see beyond and into a void that leaves them blinded to that which they ignore in search of it." Then, not skipping a beat, she added. "Such is the foolish greed of being mortal to those who are not."

Do you need a little ice for that burn?

Okay, that's it, he's at the end of his patience. He glares at her, jaw set and teeth grinding. "Right, because I have every reason to believe that I can trust you, even though you've done nothing but hurt us and cause trouble! Maybe you haven't done anything to us here yet, maybe you never will, but to say that me not trusting you is 'hiding from the truth' is total bullshit!! You don't get to decide what's true or what isn't, truth is absolute and doesn't change, it's found by people through evidence and intuition, and most of all bravery. I haven't found any evidence that says you aren't going to hurt us, so I'm being careful, there's nothing wrong with that!!" He scoffs at her. "But what do you care? Who cares what I think about having a death goddess around the house, one that nearly killed all of us, and the world as a whole??"

And with him at the end of his rope of patience, he gets off the wall, heading to get something to drink and cool off. So much for holiday spirit.

Alright, alright... she will back off. She let him leave her, instead focusing on the time. It was close to midnight... thus, she only added a note to the 'gift' she would be leaving all of them before likely vanishing for some time.

"I never said that not trusting me was hiding from the truth you all hold so dear. In fact, I am almost glad that you do not. It's a relief. Otherwise, I would be worried for all of your stays in this world.

I cannot do much with my own powers in this reality, but I do hope this provides some protection from further assaults on the mind. It is a charm designed to increase resistance to Mind skills."

...Merry Christmas.

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