∞ 005

[cpt_ressentiment]

Who: Yosuke and YOU!!
Broadcast: Fleetwide
Action: On the Ice Planet
When: Broadcast: 12/13 || Action: The entire time we're here!

► [ video ]

[ Yosuke's standing just along the outskirts of one of the settlements planetside. He's dressed as warmly as he can manage, but more importantly... that's a snowball in his hand. And a grin on his face - one that's more mischievous than anything. Oh boy. ]

Yo! I was thinking... I don't know about you guys, but I'm pretty okay with the idea of getting out of the ships and stretching my legs a little, no matter how cold it is. Besides, you know how many awesome things you can do in the snow? A lot. And you know what one of the better things you can do is? Snowball fights.

I seriously want to set up a bunch of 'em. Maybe we can make it into a regular thing so long as we're here? Anyway, they don't all have to be the same set-up, either. We can do teams - crew versus crew, or just friends - or an all-out free-for-all... Hell, we could probably come up with something like flags to capture! So, c'mon, who's in?

I should be pretty easy to find. If you're interested, let's do this!

(( OoC: Come get into a snowball fight and bring your friends! Threadhopping encouraged! Party hard! If you wanna cut to the chase, just assume we talked about it and start up an action thread! Everyone should totally just hit each other with snowballs!! ))

► [ video - private, to Souji ]
[ He records this one not long after that first one. The snowball's been ditched, and his grin has been significantly subdued... but he's trying to smile anyway, even if only a little. It's hard ignoring how freaked out he still feels, but... This is something he feels he's gotta do. ]

Hey, man. Uh... listen. If you've got some time, I think there's probably a lot that you and I need to talk about. I mean, we both know we're not... from each other's reality. World version. Something like that. But... there's gotta be more to say than just that. And if we're gonna be here, and anyone else from our worlds could show up... And with Nanako-chan here...

[ Yeah, maybe not looking like an asshole in front of Nanako is one of his goals right now. He trails off... Then shakes his head. ]

Anyway, it's your call. I'll be in this town for a bit. They've got this great coffee drink, dude, you should taste it! [ He cracks a bit more of a smile at that! ] And if you don't wanna talk and you think this is a waste of time, then that's cool. I get it.

Comments

[truthvalue]

Yeah ... we do.

[He smiles ruefully over that, thinking about how he'd seen the Shadows of so many of the people he met in Inaba - his friends - but never faced his own. Sometimes, it nags at the back of his mind, why he was so different from the others. Maybe in a way, being Kingpin was sort of the same thing.

The question about his blood catches Souji a little off guard; he blinks in mild confusion.]

It's not stupid ... as far as I know, it's the normal color, now. Red. Demons had black blood called ichor, but - well, I haven't cut myself recently, but I assume it went back to normal.

[He thinks hard - has he injured himself since that Jaunt?]

Wait - when Adachi-san hit me, he split my lip open. It was definitely red blood.

[But it is a weird question.]

Why do you ask?

cw: death mention, self injury

[cpt_ressentiment]

[ Yosuke would be lying if he said he hadn't wondered about that aspect of Kingpin, too. Maybe, in a way, it was almost the same thing as a Shadow -- or maybe it only is if you let it. Perception is a cloudy thing sometimes, and the way it seeps into everything else...

But he's not brave enough to say any of that, to let his not-quite-so-shallow thoughts come bubbling to the surface. Not yet.

The conversation moves on. Red blood... that's good. He nods. He doesn't look particularly relieved or bothered - it is what it is, after all. But he does sigh, shifts a bit in his chair again before sitting up a little more. ]

Well, that's... kind of the thing. I told you Yu was here before you got here, right? My partner, from my world. And that we were both on the Astral Plane, even though now that I'm here, for whatever reason, I can't get back there. Well, it's... not always such an awesome place. A lot of really bad crap happens sometimes. And it likes screwing with people by taking things from their own worlds sometimes, I guess. So... Shadows happened. For everyone. And for me? That meant it happened again.

[ He's quiet for a second, pushes a hand through his hair. ]

Heh. Sorry, dude, I'm kinda taking the long way of explaining, but... I guess wanted you to see how weird it all was. And how dangerous, too. Anyway, the point is... A lot of people didn't make it out of that alive. When I faced mine again, that was okay. I learned a little bit more, but I guess that's kinda always the point, huh? But Yu, and his...

[ He winces, visibly, and he keeps his eyes firmly closed as he continues. ]

He was having a lot of trouble. So when the thing started to go berserk, I pushed him out of the way, and... that was it. ... I died. Run through with a sword by my partner's shadow.

[ He opens his eyes and sits forward with a sigh, and one kunai in his hand. He's looking at it, not at Souji, but he's keeping on talking. He's not quite done yet. ]

But death doesn't stick on the Plane, and I woke up in the back of the shop with a hell of a headache and uh... this.

[ He very easily nicks the pad of his thumb with the tip of the blade, then holds his hand out for Souji to see. It's bleeding, but... it's not red. It's thick like blood should be, but it's black as night, with shimmers of gold if the light catches it just right. Stardust in oil, almost. ]

We always called it Plane blood. That's just what happens if the place brings you back to life. I think some other people said other stuff changed too, but... yeah. I thought you should probably see this. [ He cracks a small, bitter smile. ] Seeing you with black blood for a little bit there didn't help, man. But hey, now you know why.

[truthvalue]

[Souji nods, listening intently to everything the other boy says, the story he recounts for him, frowning when he gets to the part where he'd been killed and the method by which it happened. Souji too was run through with his own sword, back in Melasurei, by Yua, only he hadn't died from the wound, because demons are difficult to kill. Still, Yosuke might not be the same boy Souji got to know in Inaba, but he's close enough to matter.]

I'm so sorry that happened, Yosuke.

[He'd seen each of his friends take blows for him, back in Inaba, in the TV World, but never anything grave. Certainly no one died to save his life. The idea is one Souji finds unsettling, to say the least.

Black blood - that too is unsettling. Souji's eyes widen when Yosuke cuts his thumb to show what lies underneath his skin.]

Yeah ... I can imagine that was pretty shocking to see. [One shocking thing out of an entirely disquieting experience.] You don't know why that happened, when people would die on the Plane? [He nods to indicate the cut on Yosuke's thumb, the change in color of his blood.]

[cpt_ressentiment]

[ Souji's apology has him shaking his head, his smile turning the faintest bit sad. Then, he shrugs - typical Yosuke, just wanting to move on with things. ]

Yeah. It... sucked, but... I'd do it again. [ "What're partners for, huh?" ... Another shake of his head, and he continues, brushing his bloodied thumb off on his jeans (because he's classy like that jsfkld) ]

Not really. I mean... there are ideas. Like, well... another name for the place was "The Machine". And Plane blood may have that weird glitter stuff in it, but it also looks pretty mechanical. If you think about it like that. But it's still warm, and I'm definitely still alive - well, a-again. [ Ahem. Fidget~ ] So... I don't know, to be honest.

[truthvalue]

[That's one of the things Souji liked best about Yosuke - his determination. His sense of loyalty, too; he says he'd take a fatal blow for Yu again, and it's clear it's not something that's an obligation - it's a choice. He'd forgotten all this, when he pulled away from Yosuke, and the others too, after Nanako died and he'd decided that letting people in close was a mistake.]

I guess some things are just mysteries.

[And maybe some things are meant to be left as mysteries. Maybe not everything needs to be ripped open and exposed. Maybe Truth isn't everything it's cracked up to be.]

... I'm glad you're alive, Yosuke.

[cpt_ressentiment]

Yeah. I guess so.

[ It bothers him, a little, if he's honest. Spending so long seeking the truth in his own world, just to end up in a place between worlds that didn't seem to have any damn truth to seek? Can't be right. But... there's nothing he can do about it right this second, is there?

It's that second bit, though, that seems to hit him more. He looks up at Souji again, closely - hesitant, but not unkind in the least. And he does crack another smile, for a second. ]

Yeah I'm pretty glad about it too. ... Heh, seriously, thanks. I know I'm not the Yosuke you knew, and I guess a lot of things between our realities are pretty different, but still. I'm glad you're alive, too.

[truthvalue]

It's good that we're both alive.

[Not everyone who's here is, in the Inaba where Souji was before he began Traveling. Nanako isn't. He almost wants to ask Yosuke how much their realities differ in this one aspect, if Yu was able to save Nanako in time, but - he doesn't. It seems like too much, weighed against everything else they've talked about here. Maybe another time.]

I know I'm not your partner, but ... I'd still like to be your friend, if you'd like.

[cpt_ressentiment]

[ Maybe another time. If curiosity doesn't get the better of one or the other of them, then it's bound to slip out eventually some other way.

And... no. Not his partner. Damned if that hadn't been Yosuke's initial hangup when Souji first showed up. And of course, it wasn't even Souji's fault. At all. Yosuke had simply been too hurt, the pain still too fresh to navigate easily. It's probably a shame he never tried to put words to it. Maybe he wouldn't have been kiiind of maybe sort of a slightly avoidant asshole. But now? That sting has faded. That's what matters. ]

Yeah. Of course. I'd like that, too.

[ He means it. Truly. And he's happy to realize that he does.

But even so, he lightens his tone, intending to dissipate some of the severity of the moment. ]

Besides, gotta stick together when you're trapped in a bunch of drifting spaceships, huh?

[truthvalue]

[Souji hadn't exactly sought out Yosuke either, after he'd first arrived. Yosuke had been the most vocal proponent of what they all did to Namatame, back in Inaba, and even though Souji believes they chose the best option available, it's still uncomfortable to remember. Now, though ... having Nanako around helps. Souji can almost let himself forget what happened, some of the time, because he's just so happy to have her back.

There's a sudden lightness in his chest when Yosuke accepts his offer of friendship; Souji smiles and exhales a small breath of relief, nodding in agreement.]

I'm counting on you.

[cpt_ressentiment]

[ Yeah, this feels closer to familiarity - enough that with a nod, he holds his hand out for Souji to take. ]

Counting on you too, man.

[truthvalue]

[Souji takes his hand in his own with a silent nod and a smile.]