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[youraffection]

Yosuke Hanamura

Iiiiiiit's Yosuke! You know what to do. And if you don't, leave a message after the tone. Beep! ...Haha, okay, for real now.

陽介だぜ！わかんねぇだろうな？メッセージを残ってくれ！ピーッつってん後で。ピーッ！　。。。はは、じゃ、まじで。

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[youraffection]

r u gonna try it
do we need to film it?

[covenantal]

...

Souji doesn't know yet.

[youraffection]

what?
y not?
r u ok yu?
do u want me 2 come over?

[covenantal]

I ... don't want to alarm him.

I was thinking I could come to you.

[ so: yes. ]

[youraffection]

yeah? do u think hed freak out?
he was kinda funny about the whole hair and eye thing even though u only got one
2 me?
my mom is home but shes downstairs so i mean if thats cool then yeah
or we could go somewhere

[covenantal]

Souji? Freak out?

No. But it could worry him. I don't know if he can do the same thing yet or not.

We should go somewhere. A park?

[youraffection]

ok
i dont have sibs so idk i guess that makes sense
yeah sure
do u know hollingberry field?

[covenantal]

Yeah, I do. Are you free now?

[youraffection]

yeah im free all day took it off after prom
ill hop on my bike

[covenantal]

Yesterday was pretty exciting, wasn't it...

[ Someday he'll find whoever spiked the punch. ]

I'll see you there soon.

[ Yu will take the bus, as he usually do. He's trying to stay calm, but waking up to remember exactly everything he'd done at prom - which had first induced wincing and then a low key "ohhhhh shit" as he remembered how everything between he and yosuke went down - and promptly after that realizing he had something alive in his soul?

He's having a tough time.

When he arrives at the park and goes meandering to look for Yosuke, he ... seems okay, on the outside. Though his tension is given away by some rapid movements of his fingers. ]

[youraffection]

[ Yosuke gets there as quickly as he can, which ends up being about ten minutes after Yu arrives. He doesn't even get off his bike, taking the trails a little faster than he probably should, until he sees Yu. He lays on the breaks and slows to a stop about three yards away before hopping off to walk his bike over. ]

Hey...

[ There's a tentative smile on his face. Yu might look calm to others, but Yosuke has learned to see the tension in his brow, hands, and shoulders. ]

...You wanna keep walking?

[covenantal]

[ Glances at Yosuke, slowing to a stop as his friend approaches. But he won't smile back, or even speak. His expression is not severe by any measure, but it's ... quiet, like the rest of him. It's not his usual stoicism, but he is very reserved. It's clear he's got a lot on his mind.

He'll nod slowly, and gesture for Yosuke to follow him. He'll stay silent for another minute or two, staring at the path they walk, trying to sort out his thoughts. He seems so controlled, so withdrawn, but at his sides, his fingers still flick, fast and restless movements. ]

I'm...

[ ... ]

I don't like this.

[ how else can he put it? that he's scared? anxious? that this is all happening what feels like too fast? he prays maybe yosuke will understand; he can't bring himself to put these things into words. not yet. ]

[youraffection]

[ Yu's silence isn't unheard of--he's just kind of a quiet guy most of the time--but this is definitely tense. He'd be able to tell there was something on his friend's mind even without the text conversation they'd had before.

He wants to ask what is wrong, but he knows that Yu will share what's on his mind in time. All he can do is walk with him and wait until he can prompt for more information. Buzzing as he is, Yosuke is remarkably patient when it counts, so wait he does. When Yu finally speaks, Yosuke looks up from his bike. ]

Don't like what?

[covenantal]

... if we have memories and even powers of a completely different life, then ...

[ What matters is what we do each day, and what we believe. Whatever your visions might say.

The Minako Arisato I am now is just as important as whoever the other Minako Arisato might've been.

Yu presses a hand to his chest. ]

Are we still who we are?

[ ... ]

I can't ... control any of this.

[ His voice is very soft, almost a whisper. ]

[youraffection]

[ Powers of a completely different life...like what Yukiko had shown him? That had been surprising. Yosuke isn't sure if he thinks that's what's actually going on or not, since everything seems to be a mess. But like Yu said, there's no control over it. All he can do is control how he's dealing with his friend. ]

Yu...what happened?

[ Something had to in order to get him thinking like this. ]

[covenantal]

[ Yu looks at him, at once present and a million miles away, and then wordlessly holds up a hand.

Above his palm, a tarot card appears, spinning and blue and ethereal. It remains there for a moment before fading.

That, apparently, is his answer. ]

[youraffection]

[ Yosuke...wasn't expecting that.

And if Yukiko hadn't already gotten Yosuke's initial WTF reaction, his surprise might have been worse. As it stands, Yosuke's eyes widen and he takes a step back. It's not fire, but-- ]

...What the hell was that?

[covenantal]

I ... don't know. My strength...?

[ He's been struggling to find a way to phrase this. ]

There's something I can summon. I think ... I could use it to defend myself, and fight. I don't know what it's called.

[youraffection]

You mean that thing is going to fight for you?

[ Missing some key details, here... ]

It doesn't look that big...

[covenantal]

... I can show, you, I think. Stay here.

[ He'll motion for Yosuke to stop, and then take a few steps ahead.

When this time he brings the card to his hand, he crushes it. Above and behind him, Mada appears, shimmering and translucent. The figure burns and flickers before disappearing, Yu shutting his eyes and pressing a hand to his forehead as a wave of sudden tiredness sweeps through him. ]

[youraffection]

[ Okay, that--

--is infinitely more intimidating than Yukiko's fireballs. And that's saying a lot, because Yukiko without fire is intimidating enough.

Yosuke stumbles backwards, tripping over his bike and lands on his ass. ]

Wh-wh-what the hell is that!?

[covenantal]

[ Yu just kind of stares at him, helplessly. Maybe months ago, before he moved to this city, he would have just stayed where he was, staring at his fallen friend and thinking maybe this wasn't smart and he should leave.

But this is his best friend, and in the past few months, he's learned a lot about the power that the word "friend" holds.

Right on the heels of friend, the word leader sounds in his mind, clear and full of power and nothing he can afford to let himself ignore. Leader. A leader would be brave. A leader would do the right thing. He must have done something to earn that title. So with a massive effort of will, Yu steps forward, towards Yosuke, and then leans over to hold out a hand to help him up. ]

Like I said, I don't know. That's ... what I want to figure out.

[youraffection]

[ Yosuke isn't always known for his tact and tends to, in most situations, let his feelings sit right on his sleeve. How is he supposed to react to seeing...whatever the hell that was? It didn't even have a face!

Despite all this, when Yu offers his hand, Yosuke doesn't hesitate to take it. What freaked him out was the thing, after all--not his friend. ]

But how did you--did you know it would do that? That it would show up when you did the thing?

[covenantal]

[ Yu will tug Yosuke to his feet, making sure his friend is steady before releasing his hand. At that point, he'll just kind of shrug helplessly. ]

It was ... a feeling. Like there was something I could do, and if I just tried it...

[ He frowns deeply. ]

So ... yes, but also, no. I don't really know what I'm doing. Just ... whatever comes naturally.

[youraffection]

[ He's really not sure he gets this exactly. "A feeling"...? A feeling that he could do something as crazy amazing as that? ]

That's...

[ Shit, what is it? ]

...I-I don't even know what to say. Like, first Yukiko, then you...can Souji do it too?