(after event chill out lil mingle) let's understand it

[nullificates]

(cw depression)

(he hasn't exactly been doing great - much to the opposite. he spent the week in bed, he hasn't taken care of himself whatsoever, and he's exhausted. either way, it hardly matters how he feels, does it ever?

so. let's go. a text message arrives to everyone's charms and tablets, and it reads:)

this is, you guessed it, osamu dazai. it's been a week since that stupid maze, so here is what we have:

1. i need copious amounts of alcohol and food. i'll bring some to the beach in 30, i suggest we all do the same.
2. i'd like to hear what your experiences were. it's important for data building - we have a few detectives in this place, some smartpants, and some go-getters. we need to take advantage of our only resource, which is ourselves. meet me at the beach, or send me anonymously. i don't care about your shit per se.

see you, or don't see you.

many words that mean absolutely nothing here,
dazai.

(to those that come to the beach, they'll see several cocktail possibilities laid in front of dazai, as well as a good number of the food they serve in lupin - mixed nuts, pistachio, cheese tables, chocolate, dried figs, potato chips, chicken snacks, boiled sausage, asparagus with sauces, and dried fruit. a bonfire warms his hands in the chilly breeze of the night - this feels awfully needed.)

Comments

yu narukami | persona 4

[izanagis]

i. what a melon

[Thirty minutes…it's not a lot of time. Still, Yu manages to be there, though not with a moment to spare. He's got a bag with him, and in the bag, a watermelon. They're at the beach, after all, and even though fall is on the horizon…well, maybe he was feeling a bit nostalgic.

He sets the whole melon on the table, using the bag as a stand underneath to keep it from rolling around. Then he pauses, looking thoughtfully at it.]

… I forgot to bring a knife. [A beat.] Or a stick.

[Thirty minutes, Dazai?? This is what happens when you rush people.]

ii. sunset

[There's a chill in the air as the sun sets. All around him, people are pulling on jackets and hoodies, gravitating closer to the bonfire, replacing cold drinks with warm.

Yu stays apart for a while, watching the festivities. He hasn't wanted to talk about it much, what happened in the maze, except with one or two particular people. Watching the sun go down over the ocean like this has him in a bit of a quiet mood. Memories, friends, bonds. He had said, back when he transferred to Inaba, that he was going to keep a low profile. Keep his distance, since for once he knew just how temporary it all was.

… He doesn't wish he had stuck to that. Not with the friendships he made. But sometimes he thinks it would've been easier.

Eventually, his thoughts start to run in circles, chasing each other in a loop. So he has no choice but to put them aside. So he looks for an open seat around the fire. If you happen to have no drink in hand when he approaches, he offers a mug—hot water and plum wine.]

Is this seat taken?

wildcard
[open to anything!]

i; did someone say knife

[chemex]

[Akira seems to appear out of thin air, offering his dagger which also seems to come out of thin air. Seriously, where the hell does he keep this thing?] Dazai likes to surprise people, I think.

[He's not wearing his glasses, but he is wearing a flu mask. Don't worry about it.]

[izanagis]

[... ... ... Yu chooses in this moment to leave him be not ask about where the dagger came from. How effective is a dagger at cutting a whole watermelon? I dunno, but we're gonna find out.

He makes a couple mental notes at this point. Dazai -- that must be the guy who organized all of this. Akira knows him, huh? He recalls Kotone mentioning him too. As for the mask, his eyebrows lift sympathetically.]

The maze give you a cold?

[chemex]

[Best keep it that way, who knows where he keeps it it's probably affixed to his forearm or his calf, honestly. The dagger is probably stronger than it looks-- he had it made to emulate Joker's when he first arrived, because a bitch feels safer with a fucking dagger on him at all times.]

[It's fine,]

[He rubs at the back of his neck.] Sort of. I didn't sleep for a couple days, and as it turns out that wreaks havoc on your immune system.

[izanagis]

[That's so valid, though. Yu went out to get a sword not too long after arriving, and while he hasn't needed it, it's been a relief to know it's available.

Protag things, right?]

Huh. [That's a surprised sound, but he doesn't sound surprised.] So that's what sleep is supposed to prevent.

ii

[coordinatroll]

[ It shouldn't come as a surprise that the atmosphere is still a bit tense around the beach; after all, people are still processing the recent events, and no one can blame them for taking this chance to reflect on what happened in the maze, and it's only natural the spirits would be a little low for a while.

Not for Mitama though! The girl seems just as perky as ever, humming to herself happily as she arranges the food on her plate, clearly enjoying herself. A bonfire party at the beach is a lovely idea, and even if the circumstances that brought them here are less than perfect, she won't let that stop her from making the most out of this chance to relax.

When she hears an unfamiliar voice, she looks up, blinking in surprise, but her face immediately lights up and she gives the newcomer an inviting smile. ]

Not at all! Please, come have a seat~

[ She moves slightly to the side, making more room for him, and gives him a nod. ]

I was just thinking about having a snack! Care to try some?

[ The girl presents him with a plate, where he can find some of the boiled sausage provided by Dazai... and thanks to Mitama's creativity, it is now covered in peanut butter and raspberry jam, with anchovies sprinkled on top.

Bon appétit! ]

[izanagis]

[Yu is surprised to find someone so cheerful at a time like this, but...not in a bad way. Some people have an indomitable spirit, he supposes, and even if it's just an act...he can't blame someone for wanting to fake it. But he doesn't know her, yet, and he can't tell whether it's affected or not, so for now he just takes it as it is.]

Thanks.

[Oh. She's sharing. He takes the plate curiously --the boy's not generally one to turn down free food-- and tries to suss out what it is exactly. Is that...peanut butter...? No, it can't be. There's some Thai food that has peanut sauce in it, right? Has she made something like that...?

... ... ... His courage is at max. So--] Sure, I'll give it a try.

[As delicately as he can, he takes a piece, examines it for a moment, and............downs it.

It's an odd variety of sensations and tastes all hitting at different times. The undeniable meatiness of the sausage, the sweet tartness of the jam, the peanut butter's cloying richness, the savory umami saltiness of the anchovies... He mulls over the taste for a minute, unsure of exactly what to say. Speechless, you might say. Mindblown? Maybe. In a good way? .................

........]

Have you...tried this before...?

[It's...sort of hard to talk, actually. The peanut butter is making his mouth stick shut, a bit...]

[coordinatroll]

[ Whether her positive attitude is or a facade, she'll let people make their own judgement! After all, no matter what she does or how she asks, people will always believe whatever they like best regardless of the truth, and she's way beyond caring about trying to appease their expectations.

Regardless, she watches the newcomer try her carefully crafted snack with great interest. Somehow, he doesn't seem very... enthusiastic? Maybe he's just surprised by the combination? ]

Hm? No, not yet...

[ But now that he's prompted her to do so, Mitama picks one piece of her weird dish and pops it into her mouth. She munches it for a moment with a thoughtful hum before finally swallowing and speaking up casually, like nothing particularly exciting has happened: ]

Oh, I think I know what you mean! It's missing something, isn't it?

[ She's got that figured out! The girl reaches into a bag next to her and digs out a bar of chocolate, then begins to happily break it into smaller chunks and place them on top of her appetizer abominations. ]

[izanagis]

[Cloying. That may be the word for it. But the saltiness is making his mouth dry, and the savory sausage component feels like a lead rock in his stomach. How...how is it that something like this has come to exist...? It's unique in its horror, at least, unlike even Mystery Food X in that it doesn't seem to have sent him to a different dimension so far.

Missing something.

He wonders if maybe that's about to change...

It's with thinly masked horror that he watches Mitama sprinkle chunks of chocolate atop this monstrosity that she's tasted without even batting an eye.]

Chocolate...that's what it's missing?

[He manages to at least tone down the incredulity. Unfortunately, that might make his tone seem more like curiosity.]

i

[nullificates]

(a face dazai doesn't recognize. he takes a moment to look at it, another, one more-- and here, a big ass knife taken from his trenchcoat, offered. let's hope it's not a psychopath-- but that's ok, too, he supposes?)

There, there, kiddo.

[izanagis]

[... ... ...

Oh. So he's a weirdo. Noted.]

Thanks.

[Yu seems somewhat unbothered by this, actually, and just whacks the knife into the melon. You gotta use some muscle for this, after all.]

[nullificates]

You're not going to introduce yourself? The manners! I'm Dazai. You are? Muscle Man? Melon Boy?

(WEIRDO, DAZAI??? NEVER.)

[izanagis]

[Yep. Thought that must be Dazai. Yu is literally at a loss for a second at those suggestions. Give him a minute, he has to process some options, here.

>"Muscle Man, have you seen these guns?"
>"So what if I AM a Melon Boy?"
>"..."]

I'd shake your hand, but mine's covered in melon juice. [Manners!] I'm Yu Narukami.

ii

[bulleting]

[It's easier said than done to go back to a normal routine and pretend like nothing happened. Caitlyn has been all talk, acting strong for her friends and not letting herself get too lost in everything she felt and witnessed. What good would it do them? It certainly wouldn't get them out of this place any faster. And yet, it's still been a struggle, because yeah. Trauma.

She's by the fire, zoned out as she gazed into the flames. Images pop back in her head, the visions she witnessed taunting her again, and it's only because she's spoken to that she's able to pull herself out of it. She shakes her head to dispel those thoughts, then turns to the stranger in question, giving a small smile as she accepts the strange liquid. She's needed a drink, even if she wouldn't admit it.]

Not at all. Help yourself. And-- thanks. [She nods her thanks, raising the cup to her lips and tasting. It's-- unexpected, but good. It's sweet, but with a bit of a zing to it.]

[izanagis]

[There's something in her expression that resonates with Yu -- something lost and overthinking, trying desperately to put up a wall. He specializes in that. All of that being said, he would understand if she'd rather be alone. A lot of people probably feel the same way. But he offers a grateful smile when she doesn't.]

Don't mention it. [He's all too happy to sit a little closer to the fire, but doesn't drink from his own mug yet, cupping it thoughtfully instead. He nods out at the rest of the gathering, gesturing at the other people.]

Nice that someone set this up.

[bulleting]

[It's hard putting into words how she feels, but Caitlyn does know she doesn't want to be alone. Others might right now, and she gets it, but seeing everyone getting back to this somewhat-normal helps. At least for her, it does.]

This is delicious. What is it, exactly? [Some kind of alcohol, which is greatly appreciated right about now.]

Yes, I agree. After everything... it's good to have something to distract everyone.

[izanagis]

Plum wine and hot water. [A small smile.] You can make it with tea, too, but that seemed a little more complicated.

[Plus, even if his uncle isn't here, he can sort of feel the disapproving look. Better to keep a strong drink diluted, in that case.

To distract, huh... Yu can't refute that; rather, he nods to agree with it. They've all been through a lot...having a break from thinking about it would probably help people process it all.]

I agree. Having something else to think about...it's a good change.

i

[entreats]

[ Ange came here, because--

Well, to be entirely honest, she isn't too sure why. It's not even like she likes social gatherings, or just being around a whole lot of people at once.

But maybe there's something about that maze still haunting her, even now. Maybe there are some people she'd like to talk to about it - though she isn't sure whether she'd find them here or not. Maybe she came just to look for that.

Still, when she arrives at the spot, she finds herself weirdly unable to talk about any of it, despite coming here for that.

So Ange does what she does best. Just shove it all down, and focus on something else.

You know, like-- ]

I could summon a demon to help.

[ Yes, thanks, this is her comfort zone. ]

[izanagis]

[Maybe they all want to run away from something -- or toward something else. As for Yu, he relies on the strength of others. He always has. If the maze showed him one thing, it's his own reluctance to be on his own, and his own dependence on other people. But...he doesn't think that's a bad thing. Loyalty. Somehow this world has seen that as a crime -- a defect in him. As for him? He still can't see it that way.

For seeming like such a chill, normal high schooler, he doesn't seem to bat an eye at the offer to summon a demon, instead huffing out a quiet little chuckle.]

Seems like overkill, to me. Would there be any melon left after that?

[He's perfectly happy to chill out in the comfort zone with people, anyway.]

[entreats]

It's one way to get this done.

[ Because that's clearly the one important thing here, right? Cutting open this watermelon.

After all, having.. fun? Talking to people..? Certainly foreign concepts to Ange, and the more she can indulge in just focusing on this watermelon, the less likely it is she will be forced to confront anything else. ]

And if I'm forced to be at some weird beach party, I at least want some melon. [ Usually Ange would be saying that sort of thing in a way that sounds entirely unaffected.

Considering the circumstances, though, she instead sounds a little pouty as she says it.

(You know, even aside from the fact that.. clearly no one forced her to be here.) ]

[izanagis]

I guess, but at what cost?...

[He can't deny that part of him is...a bit interested in seeing what sort of demons other people might be capable of summoning here. Is she talking about Persona? Some sort of devil-worshipping cult? Something totally different?

But-- no, this isn't the time. Watermelons might not be as expensive here as they are in Japan, but that doesn't mean it's suddenly okay to waste it, right? So he sort of ignores the tiny voice in his head urging him to either let her try it or give Izanagi a crack at it, and instead he tries to improvise.]

I bet it'd crack open if we dropped it. Then we can use one of the smaller knives to slice it up.

ii

[heroondecku]

[Izuku only meant to sit down for a moment. Just a quick rest, a break between taking care of anyone who needs it. But now he just...can't bring himself to stand back up. He wants to -- he wants to keep helping, to be useful -- but it suddenly feels like so much effort. His limit wasn't always this small, was it? So much for "Plus Ultra".

He's starting to drift down a well-worn mental trail when Yu approaches, and while he doesn't quite startle Izuku, his thoughts scatter. He ends up staring up at the other boy in confusion for a moment while he gets his head back in order. He can't help feeling embarrassed by it once he's caught up with reality, and his smile comes out awkward as he reaches for the mug.]

Oh-- um, thank you. The seat's open.

[He doesn't drink right away, opting to wrap his hands around the warm mug for a bit instead. It feels great in the cooling night air, especially as it helps soothe some of the aches in his right fingers.

...he hopes this doesn't come across as rude.

He's quiet a moment longer, staring down at the beverage he still isn't drinking yet, then turns almost shyly towards the other teen. He smiles, though it comes out a bit...wobbly.]

Are you doing alright?

[Socializing with strangers is hard. But at least this way he can keep being useful helpful, even if he still feels like standing up is an impossible challenge.]

[izanagis]

[Yu's not drinking his yet, either, but he does offer a grateful nod as he plops himself down by the fire.

... It's nice, isn't it? Reminds him a little of home, in a way he can't quite quantify. Quiet afternoons with friends after going into the TV world, summer afternoons that wind down into evenings... Too bad this place didn't see fit to put his crime down as homesick. That would have been a lot easier to understand.

His eyebrows lift a bit at the question, but only because they're practically strangers. To ask something like that of someone you don't even know...Yu gets the feeling that says something about his personality.]

I'm alright. [His thumb traces the line of the mug handle. It's not a lie, but it's obviously not the whole truth.] ... It was a lot, wasn't it?

[heroondecku]

[Any other time, Izuku would probably be able to enjoy this moment. It's something he doesn't really get to do, back home. But after the maze, he can't help feeling bad for sitting down and not doing anything. Yes, abstractly he understands that running himself into the ground just makes things worse for everyone, but it still doesn't stop the sensation that every second he spends not helping others when he could be is a second where he's just being useless. Like a...well, a deku.

He hums quietly, gaze sliding down to his drink. He doesn't want to minimize what happened with all of that to a stranger who went through it too, but he doesn't want to make this guy have to with his problems on top of everything else.]

I've never experienced anything like that before.

[That...that should be neutral enough, right? A safe answer. He sighs, crooked fingers tapping restlessly against the side of the mug.]

I wish we knew what caused it.

[izanagis]

[That particular train of thought...it's easier to pursue than talking about what happened. It sounds like maybe Izuku feels the same way, so Yu allows himself to think about that instead. He exhales softly, fingers drumming along the side of the mug.]

I wonder that, too.

[However they're feeling, whatever they've been through...it had to mean something, right? There had to be a reason for all of it. And if that's the case, how can they make sure it doesn't happen again...?]

It seemed almost like an illusion, in some ways. Showing us the past, dipping into our memories.

[But it certainly didn't feel like an illusion.]