縁

(　𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴　𝘪𝘴　𝘯𝘰𝘵　𝘢　𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦　𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘨　)

[just1love]

private rp blog for takeba yukari of p3 / ultimax .

[warwaited]

"Nobody bullies me into doing anything," she murmurs, rolling her wrist with an audible crackling of shifting joints, "and the world is gonna end. Yeah, I'll just go back to my freakin' journey of self-discovery and not worry about that any more." It's a ridiculous statement, but it does sort of illustrate the situation she's been pushed into. Not like she could turn something like this down if she wants to see herself as a good person, and, just based on what little she knows now, they could use a good, serious fighter.

"It sounds like whoever these people actually are, they want powerful "friends"," the air quotes brought into reality courtesy of Xue's two pointer and middle fingers, "and they don't care where that comes from. Obviously they'd need someone like me... and if it's as bad as you seem to think, I guess it makes sense that they're not really rolling out the red carpet and a free continental breakfast."

A huff.

Her eyes rise to meet Yukari's, and she folds her arms - then suddenly gets to her feet, walking over to, admittedly, encroach on her "mentor's" personal space.

"Hey. You better listen to me. Don't freakin' beat yourself up over people who're more powerful than you pushing you around. This isn't your fault, and I'm not holding you responsible. If I got a problem, it's with them... but I'll pull up for this patrol tonight. Might not even need the persona thing."

[just1love]

　　　don't beat yourself up over it. there are tears stinging her eyes after the interaction, brows scrunched and face hot with frustration as she digs through a cardboard box containing various cleaning supplies bought at the 100 yen shop. she returns pink in the cheeks but clear - eyed and ready to help freshen the space up a bit --- add a little color, too, in the form of a set of non - cheap lavender curtains that came as part of a set with the coral ones yukari ultimately chose to hang in her own dorm. she's apologetic about them, but reassuring: you can get better ones later. xue - senpai's dorm glows faintly purple and smells like of freshly cut yuzu fruit by the time all done. yukari heads back to her room with all the supplies, spends the next hour sobbing softly in bed. sanada - senpai arrives around six - thirty with takeout from umiushi. secret gloom festering, yukari works through her beef bowl at the long dinning table with a view of the bar, her back to the lounge visible through clear partitions. her expression is placid. normal. sometimes even smiling. and the food is actually tasty, just .. a lot heavier than she'd ever select for herself. sanada - senpai is eager to discuss the patrol tonight, boyishly macho and impressed when it comes out that the new recruit has already managed to trigger the manifestation of her persona. the fast, wary look she sends is full of the hope that xue - senpai won't mention the accident in the limo. the cut on her forehead is bandaged, hidden beneath her fringe. "it was really impressive, ne .. i didn't know we could summon outside the dark hour." had she not seen that, she would have probably spent half that time in tears trembling with the evoker in hand. " senpai ! " brightly towards xue, eager to change the subject. " do you like beef bowl ? i think all sanada - senpai eats is beef and raw egg. " it's all she's seen him eating lately, anyhow.

　　　but, oops. maybe she shouldn't have acted too friendly.

　　　he's chuckling, though.

　　　not offended.

　　　phew.

[just1love]

[just1love]

　.. have you seen my boyfriend ? DON'T LOOK AT HIM THOUGH !

[just1love]

yuka things .

[warwaited]

“How’d a cat get in here. No, not the guy in a cat costume, an actual cat-“

[just1love]

　　　cat ??

　　　she could have sworn it was a fox .. . . .

[just1love]

[just1love]

guys , the pink moon .. ( brought to me by @gclden-paragon ♥ )

[warwaited]

The door opens, and... she swallows back what she initially wants to say because she knows it isn't Yukari's fault. This is a cell. I thought you guys said you weren't going to do that to me. Now it's her turn to press her lips together, taking a few steps into the centre of the space and turning around as if immersing herself in it will, somehow, make it seem a little less dreary. It doesn't. Probably should have seen that coming. Her eyes go back to her guide, and, similarly, she doesn't bother to disguise her feelings about it.

Decorate however. Right. Because she has so much money and wants to spend it on little bits of stuff to put in this place she's only staying because she needs to help stop the world from ending. That tight-lipped expression crimps further into something almost as distasteful as the words she's doubtlessly thinking would be spoken aloud, and Xue takes a slow breath through her nose.

"You guys are all about first impressions here, mm?"

She shoves her hands in her pockets, lollops over to the bed and sits down. Sighs. Heavily. "...sorry. I doubt this is how you wanted it going either, but... come on. The world's gonna end, some freakin' secret society needs my help to save it with a bunch of... power-of-friendship kids."

A hand goes out to indicate the space, about as warm and welcoming as a dentist's waiting room.

"And my room smells like grandma."

[just1love]

　　　her eyes dart right ( checking the stairwell ), then back, chin coming down and lower lip pushing out. "you need to say something to them. i joined willingly, but if you're having doubts, you shouldn't let anyone bully you into it. i'm sure we could get by .." even with deadweight like me on the team. yukari swallows, shaky in the fingers. clenching the end of her long sleeve. what would happen if the senpai find out she's been discouraging the new recruit? her mind races for a flustered moment, lands on: probably nothing. they're so desperate. she's desperate too, but kidnapping people?? ".. we're not really friends. they barely talk. i mean, unless it's about putting together a team." something's creeping up her throat. it tastes bitter. "they want us out on patrol tonight. they'll be so happy to hear you can summon a persona." and that bitterness bled through her tone before she could reign it in. now she's looking down, mouth tight, shoulders sinking. ashamed. sorry. ".. i'll bring over some things in a bit to help with the vibe. and smell."

[warwaited]

"...good." For a moment it seems like that might be the breadth of her thoughts on the matter. "Having somebody keeping track of me like that would be weird. It sounds like you're mainly going to need help at night so I guess I won't be going out during the day... I guess sleeping during the day won't be so bad. Just something else to get used to."

On top of everything else she's being asked to get used to very quickly, the implication goes. Xue briefly notes that she's not going to be the one to start pulling off feats of artistry in the kitchen - she knows how to boil water, but anything further than that is outside her competency.

It's hard not to notice how she stalks. Like counting paces, figuring out the dimensions of the space she inhabits. How hard she might have to push someone to knock them into the counter, or whether she could cross a hallway in few enough paces to preserve the element of shock before crashing into someone fist-first. Watchful eyes drink in details, and it takes Yukari's lightly (preventatively) reproachful warning to jolt her out of her "route planning".

"Hah?"

She blinks. "Okay. If I meet anyone cute," words spoken in the timbre of someone who definitely isn't expecting to, "I'll go somewhere else with them."

[just1love]

　　　"y-yeah." whoa. she forgot this is a fully grown woman she's guiding through the dorm. the rule still must apply, right? it wouldn't be .. fair isn't the word she wants. okay. but it is the word she's thinking. and she's more than a little jealous that xue gets to be the woman yukari only imagined herself in that weird dream: strong, confident, here for no one's shit. that could be her someday. she'll make it real. she just has to not fail tonight. "-- this is you!" first door on the right. the key is used, room opened, and it's pale and musty and depressingly bare inside save for the sink, minifridge, desk, bed. "you're free to decorate however. uhmm, careful not to lose the key. you'll never hear the end of it." speaking from personal experience. at any rate, said key is slipped towards xue on its green tag that shows the number 301 in gold. yukari backs away from the threshold, schoolbag swaying by her knees. she lingers a moment, incase the other has questions or wants to chat more, or .. who knows.

[warwaited]

It's unclear whether she believes that, or how much she does if she's even entertaining it. Xue moves back over to the other side of the limo - her eyes back to their natural shade, her body language relieved of the tension it carried in the moments leading up to and directly following the "shot". Yukari breaks eye contact regardless, and she grimaces, averting her eyes as well. What a way to kill the mood...

The fighter slips out after her slight companion and overtakes her in just a couple steps, getting to the trash before Yukari can and looking around for a bin to toss it in. "I'll be honest. I'm still kinda foggy on names, since they were all introducing themselves after they kidnapped me and I was a little stressed out. We'll have to do introductions again."

The refuse is dropped in a garbage can near the door, and Xue shoves her hands in her pockets. "At least there's plenty of space. Won't have to hang out if I don't want to... and fending for myself is kinda normal. Honestly, it'll be cool having a roof over my head for a while until this is all sewn up and I'm ready to move on."

[just1love]

　　　"it'll be tonight, most likely .." she walks in first, letting xue take in the lounge ( café lighting and smell, tawny leather couches and matching chairs, the spotless coffee table, an ancient CRT television ) while yukari stops at the reception desk on the left to see if the chairman is in. no. his last appearance was two nights ago. ".. we mostly have to fend for ourselves," she amends. "no dorm mother or anything." a brief smile. it's a little tight at the center of her lips and doesn't reach her eyes. "the kitchen is back here." she shows her there, a straight line from lounge to dining to bar. beyond the left door is where the culinary magic could occur .. if only anyone in this place possessed such magic. yukari relays her thoughts to xue, shakes her head, and heads towards the foot of the winding steps. "girls' rooms are on the third floor," she explains along the way. feels compelled to gently warn the other, since she was previously warned too: "no guys allowed, ne."