Inbox for empatheias

[thekissoflife]

 ((Note that Fuuka doesn't yet have a bird to take written messages, so any threads here will initially be a private telepathic conversation between Fuuka and your character.))

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[thekissoflife]

[Her shoulders droop a little at his answer, but she supposes that's okay. Shinjiro wasn't a particularly social person, after all. But at his words she brightens a little, and gives a nod.]

The closet's over this way.

[She walks over to it and opens the door, grabbing the broom and turning to hand it to her senpai.]

We'll probably need a mop as well, once we've gotten most of the pieces picked up.

[What— Fuuka, he said bring him a broom, not clean with him!!! But apparently this is what she is doing now. Give this girl an inch and she'll go a mile...]

[lackofprotein]

[Shinji stops in his movements only long enough to turn when she mentions the closet, watching her cross the room so he could store that information away for later. Part of him had a feeling this wasn't going to be the last time he'd do something like this, (sorry Eikichi), and wanted to be sure he'd be able to clean up after any emotional backlashes.

He will, however, move to take the broom once Fuuka brought it over, nodding lightly.]

Thanks. [Then he sighs.] Thought I told you I could handle it? What's with you, huh? Don't you ever take a break?

[thekissoflife]

[Fuuka retreats as soon as he takes the broom, getting out the mop and bucket as well. She moves to fill the bucket under a faucet inside the closet. Not too much... that should be enough.]

Oh, it's no trouble, really. Like I said, I'm not really tired.

[She comes back out, mop in one hand and bucket in the other, looking pretty bushy-tailed despite the late hour. Maybe she just felt re-energized after her talk with Shinjiro...

Speaking of this man, he has been perpetually snowing since he got here... Poor guy. It reminds Fuuka of when she came here, so distraught by their leader's passing that she couldnt' stop herself from freezing, rotting and wilting everything in sight.

And that reminds her...]

I should probably catch you up on everything that's happened...

[And then she pauses, and shakes her head, looking at Shinjiro.] Well, a lot happened since you left us. Maybe it'd be better to talk about it tomorrow, or else we could end up staying up quite late.

...but I'll tell you, if you don't want to wait.

[lackofprotein]

[He'd already started to sweep up some of the shattered remains of the cup - and just under the table in general, because who the hell left all those crumbs under there goddamnit - when Fuuka's words have him peering over his shoulder.

Not that the action was something he did for very long, as a few seconds later he turned back around to push everything into a neat pile on the floor. Her comment only getting a murmur of something that could have been annoyed acceptance. Stubborn as he was, Fuuka's desire to help would be hard to dissuade without a perfectly good reason, and as of right now he no longer had any.

But he was secretly glad for the company, if the sparkling snowflakes were any indication. At least until the topic of home gets brought up again, causing them to dim back down to how they were before.]

Hm? [Shinjiro peers down at her, temporarily leaning on the broom as he did so. To say he wasn't curious would have been a lie - as he was hoping their initial conversation would have led in that direction before things got a bit heated. After all, he couldn't help but want to make sure that everyone from SEES was still okay - and with Fuuka having such an apparent lead in terms of time and having the details, made it harder for him to resist turning her down.

Part of him knew it didn't matter, because there was nothing he'd be able to do or change when knowing his fate, but they were still kind of like his family in some weird way. Something he'd never say to anyone, but it wasn't hard to see that he genuinely cared about them all. So it's after that long silence of him mulling it over, that he gives the smallest nod to Fuuka.]

... May as well do it now and get it over with. Doubt we'll get many chances to talk like this without someone else around, you know?

[thekissoflife]

[The snowflakes are... sparkling?? Oh no, that's... actually kind of cute... but Fuuka is glad that her senpai apparently enjoys her company enough for his emotions to manifest like this.

She nods, absent-mindedly dipping the mop in the bucket before cleaning up the spill, now that all the shards were out of the way. It takes her a few moments to gather her thoughts. Precisely what had happened once Shinjiro had passed? So much... she recalls the battle with those two Shadows, the search for Shinjiro and Ken... She closes her eyes, takes a breath, and then begins recounting everything.

By the time she has finished with what she said, the cleaning supplies were back in the closet and Shinjiro and Fuuka were seated at the table once more, Fuuka looking solemnly into her cup.]

...but none of us remembered, to defeat Nyx... [She bites her lip, closing her eyes shut.] To defeat Nyx, it took all of your life. But he... he stayed alive, for us. He stayed alive, right up until graduation day. We all remembered, and we ran to greet him...

[Fuuka had been helped with her grief regarding this issue, but it still makes her eyes sting to recount it in such detail. She supposed it always would.]

But as we got to the dorm, I could barely feel his presence. And when we got up there, h-he was with Aigis, and...

[She draws a deep breath, bowing her head and shaking it soundlessly. Everyone had been so excited, so happy to remember and ready to celebrate, and then...]

1/3

[lackofprotein]

[It... it was a lot to process.

He'd been listening quietly, letting her explain as much as she could about the events that followed as he went about cleaning. The hanged man's shadow was something he expected, at least. That had been SEES entire point for existing, so there was a nod when the topic was brought up - and a small sense of pride at their accomplishments, but he couldn't stop that crackle of electricity across his shoulders when hearing about Strega's involvements.

He knew of Chidori, and Junpei's attraction for her - as ridiculous as it was at the time. Having dealings with Strega himself for those few years made it where he didn't have much of an interest in wanting to get to know any of them on a personal level, because he knew no good would come out of it.

... But, out of the three, she was the one he found the least grating on his nerves. Always quiet, and never speaking unless spoken to - the fact that Iori was able to break through that barrier with that idiotic way he did things, only caused a tiny, sad smile from underneath his coat when hearing the results.

Only for it to break the very second Ikutsuki's betrayal was brought up, turning in her direction with such a look of shock and anger, that caused the tiny cloud of snow to escalate back into that darker, electrical storm of smoldering rage as she continued.

He wanted to ask further questions - wanted to understand why, but it hit him to the point of speechlessness. Hearing that their efforts to stop the Dark Hour had only been some dumb ploy to... what? Recreate the world in his image?]

2/3

[lackofprotein]

What a fucking dumbass! [The comment is seething, and hearing about Mitsuru's dad only made the cloud behind him flair with more bolts of lightning, practically shoving the broom in the closet with a growl. After Fuuka had put her supplies away first, mind, since he wouldn't have made a point to slam the door if she was anywhere near him - but it was the only way he could get rid of the frustration.

Mitsuru losing her father hit him especially hard. Even if he wasn't as close to her as he was with Akihiko, he knew vaguely just how much she respected her father - and her losing him to Ikutsuki of all people - after she'd done so much to try and stop Tartarus and the Dark Hour.

Stop it. It doesn't matter.

Shinji bit down, clenching his teeth long enough to calm himself. No matter how angry or fed up or irritated he was about this whole situation, what's done is done. He was long gone, and just as useless as he'd always been.

But it still hurt, because he hadn't expected any of this to be the results of all their efforts. He expected the shadows and dark hour to be done and over with. That things would be fine, and they'd live on normally without having to worry about it anymore - not whatever the fuck all this was.]

3/3

[lackofprotein]

[Eventually, though, when Fuuka moved to sit down, Shinji flopped down across from her. His face darkening considerably as she continued, and that lightning behind him died down to a small rumbling.

He was only partly paying attention, in terms of Ryoji - something about Nyx. Parts of him in leader, a choice between living with memories or killing Ryoji to have an easy death. More Persona bullshit that he couldn't quite understand because, as much as Fuuka did her best to explain, there was still a lot of questions.

Questions he didn't truthfully want answers to, because he knew it wasn't worth asking. But he could tell, as much as he was personally finding it difficult and hard to understand - Fuuka was the one that had to live through it all.

Something that settled in his mind, making his expression shift into one of solemn acceptance, as he finally let his eyes drift from where'd they been fixated on the table. Frowning, when Fuuka finally revealed what their leader had to do - and what he had to give up, in exchange for the rest of them to continue living peacefully.

It was fitting, in a way. The type of person he was, and though there was an obvious flicker of saddness at the news, Shinji couldn't help but feel a wave of respect that finally caused the cloud to mellow into quiet snowfall again.]

I'm sorry, Yamagishi. I didn't realize how much - I wish I had asked sooner, but after what happened I couldn't - [He stops, when noticing he was just kind of speaking in broken thoughts, and just gives a sigh. His hand already moving to rest against his forehead while he tried to process any of that.]

... Tch. What a fucking mess.

[thekissoflife]

[When the explanation finally comes to an end, Fuuka lets it hang for awhile, closing her eyes as she remembers their leader. Finally, she opens them, and lifts her head.]

...but it's all gone now. The Dark Hour, the Shadows, Nyx... Everything's back to normal.

...well, we still seem to have our Personas. But now that everything's as it should be, there's no reason for us to use them anymore. Not back at home, at least.

[It was a hard fought victory, with devastating losses along the way. But they still won, and Fuuka thinks that's important to remember. All the people who'd lost their lives along the way died protecting someone. Their losses were not in vain.

She smiles a little though as an afterthought, and shakes her head.]

Anyway, don't worry about it. Arriving on Empatheias is very jarring. It was for me... I imagine it must be even moreso for you. [Shinjiro had known he was going to die, had accepted it and awaited it. And then he was abruptly alive.] So... any sooner would have been too much, I think. [With such a thing as everything that had happened after his death, combined with suddenly being alive and in a completely new world, how would have Shinjiro possibly been able to focus on either? Now things had settled, and at least begun feeling normal.]

...I was taken from a few weeks after that. When I came to Empatheias, his death... was still very fresh and raw. And my emotions ran rampant... [She's not sure what line of thought caused her to continue on like this, about her personally, but now that she's started she's commited.] I couldn't control the way they manifested in the world. Someone with an unusual power was able to help me, though.

[Now she really doesn't know where she was going with that and falls silent, cheeks tinged pink a bit in embarrassment for telling Shinjiro such aimless things.]

[lackofprotein]

[His face is briefly hidden, cradled by the hand concealing his expression in shadow as his elbow rested on the table. Quietly listening, or perhaps trying to reflect and sort out everything that Fuuka had told him - honestly it was hard to tell, at this point.

Part of him still couldn't believe that so much had happened after everything with Ken, he figured maybe something might have gone wrong, as he knew about Strega and their determination to stop SEES but... the literal apocalypse? That was so dumb even he couldn't help but see it as a cruel joke - but no, Fuuka would never do that to anyone.

Her words had been sincere, as they always were, throughout the whole conversation - but after hearing everything and the results of leader's self-sacrifice, it was like a weight had been lifted off his mind. His worries about back home, every time he saw Fuuka, or the general questions on whether or not the rest of them had been able to take down Strega without any more causalities, was finally answered.

And for once, Shinjiro looked more relaxed than he had in a very long time.]

I'm... glad. [It's short, and quiet, but it's a comment that has so much relief lingering onto it, that the snow around him morphed into tiny spheres of light, as he finally moved to sit up properly.] Sounds like you all got a lot stronger when I wasn't looking... tch, guess I'll have to try and catch up while I'm here.

[A pause, then, as his expression became a little more serious.]

I don't know if it'll mean much coming from me, but... I'm proud of you all. Really. You did well, Yamagishi.

[Then he smiled, one that was very faint, but as guarded as he was about showing his emotions - he wanted to make sure Fuuka knew that much. He may not have been able to be there for them, or fight with them in those last battles (something that was more frustrating than regretful), but knowing that they all survived - leader excluded - made it where he couldn't help but be a little happy about their accomplishments.

And perhaps, one day he might be able to run into their leader and express his gratitude. That he was able to keep the other's safe. If not here, then... well, he'll cross that bridge when he came to it. For now, he'll push those thoughts to the back of his mind and finally take a sip of the tea that had seemed to warm to his touch. A stark contrast to the frost, for once, as he gave a small nod when it came to Empatheias.]

I'll deal. May as well make the most of the extra time I have, you know? Makes it a little easier, knowing that you guys won't be getting into so much trouble anymore. [Didn't mean he wouldn't keep an eye on them if any showed up while he was here, but that was to be expected.] But if you ever have anythin' else troubling you, don't be afraid to pull me aside and tell me. Got it?

Hell, and if you can't tell me, find someone you can. [Then, muttered after taking a sip from his tea.] Probably be better at helpin', anyway.

[thekissoflife]

[There's something that shifts in Shinjiro's demeanor when he says those two words, something that makes him seem gentler, and it's not just the snow turning into light. And goodness, his emotions really are on display... But his gentle words ease Fuuka, and she relaxes.

Right up until he says he's proud of her. She startles, eyes wide and a blush rising up to her cheeks. She hadn't expected it at all, and for him to make it so personal, too—!

She ducks her head, tucking her hair behind her ear.] U-um— thank you.

[Her response is a bit flustered, more automatic than anything, but then, Fuuka has never been good at receiving praise. When Shinjiro continues talking, she looks up and fights down the blush... she'll have to give his praise more proper consideration later.

And he's offering to help her, too. That helps that blush drain away, and she relaxes again, smiling warmly in response.]

Okay, senpai. I will. Thank you.

[lackofprotein]

Glad to hear it. [It's all that he has left to say on the matter, and even if he did have more to add, the sight of lights from the corner of his vision was enough of a distraction to stop him. When he realizes it's coming from him, that brief look of confusion was just as quickly replaced with a glare. Of course there would be lights - how could he have forgotten?] Dammit, this stupid crap again.

[Shinji will close his eyes, then, to concentrate... before eventually, after some effort, the spheres would disappear and revert the room back to it's usual brightness.]

Anyway, it's late and I've taken enough of your time. So, unless there's anything else you wanted to talk about - I'm pretty beat.

[Moving to awkwardly rub the side of his neck, before he's giving a quick look towards the Spa's exit again. Wasn't like he'd be able to sleep now, after everything they talked about, but he didn't really want to admit that to Fuuka either. It's just that part of him really needed the fresh air, and spa or not, a walk would probably do him some good.]

[thekissoflife]

[She watches his reactions, giving a small, sympathetic smile.]

Don't worry, it gets easier to control over time.

[She waits patiently as Shinji dispels the lights, then nods at his words. It was getting quite late now, and she'd likely be tired tomorrow, but that was alright. She felt like she would sleep easier tonight than she has been for the past few days.]

I'm sleepy as well. [She rises from the table and nods to Shinjiro.] Good night, Aragaki-senpai. I'll see you tomorrow.

[With that, she turns and makes her way upstairs to her room, feeling relaxed in a way she hasn't in quite awhile.]