aerodynamic | INBOX for purgastory

[... Hm?]

Are flowers normal to me?

[Gonna have to be more specific, he's just tilting his head in bemusement (though it isn't stopping him from eating).]

Well that, too. [ this is likely the first time he's ever received flowers in any capacity and given they're a gay target bouquet he really is feeling a Way about that. ] But I meant more... do these feel different to you?

Oh! Yes, absolutely.

[Without hesitation, honestly.]

As per usual in this place, they don't seem to just be normal flowers. Still! This time, it felt like receiving a hug from Saki, so I'm not upset by it.

[ a slow blink. huh. ]

Really? That's... actually kinda nice. Especially since you miss her so much.

Yes, isn't it? I could not ask for a better bouquet!

[Heheh.]

Does that mean yours also felt like someone from home?

[ you know the physical reaction you feel within yourself when someone says something that throws you completely off-guard? it's like that, and he laughs a little while he looks at his tulips again. ]

Something like that, yeah. A little funny, but it's kind of nice that there was something for all of us.

[... Hm? What was that?]

Who was it from? Do you mind me asking?

[ he does and doesn't mind because he likes and trusts tsukasa, but he's also still trying to come to terms with, like, everything. ]

Um... [ hum. ] Saki's your person, right? They probably gave us flowers for everybody in our shards.

[ this theory will go out the window when the girls share what theirs are. ]

[Poor Yosuke, he's really going through it.]

Yes, that's right. Perhaps so. A loving, encouraging gesture from those who matter to us the most!

[Is he helping]

Who is in your shard, by the way? I've yet to see.

Y-yeah... something like that, probably. [ no! no he is not helping because now yosuke wants to crawl under the table and die. being freezing is the only reason he's still sitting here. ]

Oh. [ he thinks about making something up or dodging, but there is also such a chance of that coming undone so fast. ] Um, it's just Yu.

[Cheerfully!]

Oh, your partner! Yes, that makes perfect sense. I'm sure encouragement from him will also carry you far!

[ well. ]

It always does. I wouldn't have come as far as I have back home without him, so I guess it makes sense it's him.

[gay. That's me, Cal, not Tsukasa.]

Yes, that really does make perfect sense. Then in a way, these flowers are a reward not only for our performance, but from the people we are on our way to rescue.

[ yeah unfortunately. at least tsukasa is too in love with himself to notice this is extremely gay, or the red string fondness. ]

As much as I'd like to just get to them already, these'll have to be our motivation to keep moving. Weird theater experiences or not.

[help. an extremely accurate description]

I suppose it was a little weird... still, what did you think of being up on stage? I know you've performed before with your idol friend, but this is a rather different sort of experience.

Yeah, no kidding. The last time at least I had a guitar and the audience was more focused on Rise. Coulda done without some of the more annoying criticisms, but I think Medea-san handled those pretty well.

[ did she. ]

Kinda felt like I didn't really know what I was doing, to be honest. But it wasn't the worst either.

[did she.

He snorts lightly in response, and just kind of. Curls closer to Yosuke. Cold. Brr. Why is he so cold. This sucks.]

A shining review of performing. [Said dryly.] But that is perfectly fine. Stardom and performing isn't for everyone, of course.

[ it's fine, we can cuddle for warmth. again, we do not know what boundaries are. ]

Not sure what you want me to say, man. I'm more of a background performer to be honest.

"A background performer"? Now that I don't believe, even if your stage of choice is different from a theater stage.

[Continuing our "no boundaries" situation, he just reaches up to gently tug a strand of Yosuke's orange hair as an explanation.

It's meant to be eye-catching, right? That's what Yosuke had said.]

[ !

well, that's okay. he rolls his eyes up to look at tsukasa's fingers pulling on his hair. ]

No, seriously. I'm more second string, you know? I'm good with coming up with ideas and plans, but I'm not a lead or anything.

[Hmmmmm.]

Second string to your partner? Is he the leaderly type?

Yeah, he's the leader of our team. [ this is just said so matter of factly like he's surprised he hasn't already told tsukasa. ] He's the one who had his power first, the rest of us just followed.

[Hmm!!]

You know, it strikes me now that I've never asked. What is he like?

[ things have changed, a little, since the last time someone really asked this question. he stalls a little by shoving a whole pancake in his mouth and busying himself with chewing... but, okay, maybe he has to acknowledge it sometime. ]

He's weird. Like sometimes you can't tell if that guy's playing it straight or he's just saying stuff to drive you crazy. [ ragebaiter... ] He's also one of the smartest people I know, he was pretty much the top of our class and everything. I could always count on him when teachers would call on me and I would have no idea what the hell we were talking about. He sat in front of me for the whole year, so it was easy for him to tell me the answer.

He's really quiet, but more you talk to him the easier it is to read him. Even if he doesn't talk a lot though he's a really good listener. I don't know how he does it, but he seems to make connections with pretty much everybody he's ever crossed paths with. Half the time I'd see him around town with somebody new that I had no idea he was even friends with, or who they even were. Not that it's surprising because he's kind. He has a lot of patience and he never loses his cool, and it kinda makes you want to protect him because he's so busy protecting the rest of us and being there for us. He's selfless like that... he's the most reliable person I know. I know I can call him and he'll drop whatever he has to in order to help me.

... he's the one I asked to help me solve the serial killings after Senpai... [ he only calls her senpai because the guy's sister's name is saki. he doesn't want to alarm him again. ] He was the only person I thought I could trust to help me and he was the one who had the power to enter the TV first. He was with me when I got my Persona, but if he wasn't... I'd be dead, dude. I wouldn't have been able to face myself and survive it. He's fearless and he was going to stop at nothing until we found the truth, and I'm proud of everything we've accomplished together. He's... the most amazing person I know. And if I can't get him back, I don't know what I'm gonna do.

[ he says all of this and seems to actually be hearing himself for the first time and going "oh. this makes a lot more sense." ]

[... Oh. Tsukasa was hoping to learn a lot about this Yu, of course, but this is...

He blinks, tilting his head a little as he thinks on that, slowly processing the words. He recognizes, it of course. Recognizes the tone and adoration and depth of feeling. It's how he would talk about WonderlandsxShowtime, about Rui and Nene and Emu. Yosuke does love Yu, and whether it's platonic or not doesn't really matter to Tsukasa.

What matters is that someone Yosuke loves so much is trapped somewhere deeper in this maze. Of course... it must be incredibly painful. It must hurt.]

Ah, I see... it is no wonder you were the one picked to save him, then.

[Rather than it being a case of "no wonder Yu is the one in Yosuke's shard", it's the other way around, isn't it? No wonder Yosuke is the one who could be trusted to save Yu from whatever this purgatory maze is.]

It sounds like you know him nearly as well as you know yourself.

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