[EVENT] ▫ 和睦的相伴勝過完美的孤獨 ▫

[jivitadana]

Who: Seta Souji [eatsyourscience] and Arisato Minato [jivitadana]
Where: The Mansion's rooftop
When: Sunday, August 19
Rating: PG
Summary: Souji and Minato discuss things that can never be, things that shouldn't be, things that already are... all while watching the ominous cursed fog
The Story:

It had taken more effort than was normal for Minato to climb the stairs from the Third Floor to the rooftop of the Mansion. From his room and out the window, he could see the fog's reach, see just how far it spread outward and climbed upward. In the interest of avoiding that fog since the wolf goddess had said as much that it would cause anyone who touched it to turn to stone, Minato found temporary sanctuary at the highest point in Wonderland that he could think of.

From there, he had a better view of that fog and the black murkiness of the ocean. There didn't seem to be any feasible way to banish the curse, and he could only hope that this was like any other event, simply transitory and ephemeral. It was slightly disconcerting to no longer hear the echoing voices of his Personas within him, though the feeling was far from unordinary; perhaps though, after residing in Wonderland for longer than he had actually had been able to hear those pieces of his soul, he was accustomed to their constant and comforting presence. Without them, he felt as he had before his year back in Iwatodai: empty, lost, and listless.

As if to fill in silence, to somehow call them back if he could, Minato decided to make use of his violin. He stood on the rooftop, his comm device on the ground, his mp3 player in speaker mode broadcasting the background accompanying track, and began to play this song.

Comments

[jivitadana]

Minato hadn't regretted it. And Souji had been right, he shouldn't have any regrets here when it came to Yuu since their time here was limited and unpredictable.

"I didn't, and I won't. I can't afford to."

[eatsyourscience]

Souji nodded and smiled just a little.

"Your bond is unbreakable after so long, right? Nothing will change that."

[jivitadana]

"Mn, it's the first unbreakable one here." It wouldn't be broken by any means, and as Souji said, even across worlds.

[eatsyourscience]

"Then it's something even more special."

[jivitadana]

Minato nodded. Every one of his Links was special in their own way and he liked them all. He shifted a little closer to Souji and held his hand again.

"Thanks. I'll tell you how it goes."

[eatsyourscience]

"I'm rooting for you."

[jivitadana]

Minato smiled. "Thanks." He did need it, and Souji had helped him put everything in perspective.

"You know I feel the same about you."

[eatsyourscience]

"Yeah. I know."

[jivitadana]

"Everything's been going okay?"

[eatsyourscience]

Souji nodded. "Nothing but the events."

[jivitadana]

Minato was glad to hear that too. "I hope this one doesn't last much longer."

It was nice though to talk to Souji, to have someone there to help stave off the silence inside.

[eatsyourscience]

Souji nodded. "I feel like my thoughts are echoing."

[jivitadana]

Minato felt the same way. His voice was like it bounced off the walls inside without anything to catch it, no other voices there to play with.

"Are they still there but silent or are they really gone?"

[eatsyourscience]

"I can't feel them. I could yesterday."

[jivitadana]

Minato had only hoped that they were just quiet. He didn't know where they could've disappeared to.

"It's... I don't understand how this place can alter our souls."

[eatsyourscience]

"I'd rather think it's just dampening them."

[jivitadana]

"When we died, where did they go and how did we get them back?" Minato had always wondered about that too now that he was alive here.

[eatsyourscience]

It had occurred to Souji as well, but his Personas had never had a word to say about it.

"Maybe they didn't go anywhere."

[jivitadana]

Minato nodded again. "They're there, but quiet. Like they're sleeping but we can't wake them up." But wasn't that how it was supposed to be from the start, even before either of them got their Personas?

[eatsyourscience]

"...How did we live like this before?"

[jivitadana]

"Was it living?"

Normally a long stretch of silence may have passed before Minato could formulate some more diplomatic or more sensitive answer, but that was the first thing that came out. He partially regretted it, and yet there it was.

[eatsyourscience]

"Only in a manner of speaking."

[jivitadana]

"Did you ever feel like the days just blended together?"

[eatsyourscience]

Souji nodded. "Most of my life before last year seems like one long day that didn't really change."

[jivitadana]

"Even if we don't have them now or we never got them, but met our friends... I think we'd still be okay."