Junpei "da man" Iori (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
homerunning) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
maskormenacelogs2016-11-25 02:18 pm
homerunning) wrote in maskormenacelogs2016-11-25 02:18 pm
Because heroes aren't meant to survive [OPEN]
WHO: Junpei Iori and YOU!
WHERE: Around Maurita Falls
WHEN: November 22nd
WHAT: It's the anniversary of Chidori's death, and Junpei's trying to deal with it being a year since she's been gone.
WARNINGS: Sads
[Fall rain was common in Maurita Falls. It added to the already-dreary atmosphere of the place, and Junpei would be the first to call it all too fitting. But today that's not on his mind as he walks through the streets of Maurita, for once not hyper focused on his own safety. A more obvious gloom casts itself over him as he pulls the edges of his raincoat closer, umbrella in his one free hand as he walks through the streets.
A year. It'd been a year since Chidori had died, pouring her life force into his own body to bring him back from death. He remembers jolting back to life--he remembers the pain at first, and then having it slowly leave the body. He remembers her look of relief when she saw his eyes again, and his dread when he saw hers start to wither. It's all so vivid still, and yet, the feeling is more numb than he'd care to admit. He didn't want to think about what that meant--if it meant that Chidori's death meant less to him now, or if the pain was finally starting to go away. It's easy to put on a smile for other people in this place, but when you look in the mirror, you're not fooling anyone.
Junpei crouches down at a little island where the sidewalk met the road, a small patch of grass that allowed a couple of flowers to spring up just in between. With the weather colder now, the flowers were having a hard time making it, and he remembers in early spring when he'd met Akihiko here how they were struggling even then.]
It's hard living in Maurita, huh? I know the feeling.
[His hand reaches out, a soft glow of light transferring from his hand to the little plant. The leaves unfurl once more, taking on their green nature once again. The petals livening up with the colour of life itself, and stretching out for that cold rain for mourishment.
Chidori may have thought her power wasn't all that great...but every time Junpei sees it? It's magic. And it reminds him that he's here with her.
It's a good thing it's raining. You can't tell the difference between tears and rain.]
WHERE: Around Maurita Falls
WHEN: November 22nd
WHAT: It's the anniversary of Chidori's death, and Junpei's trying to deal with it being a year since she's been gone.
WARNINGS: Sads
[Fall rain was common in Maurita Falls. It added to the already-dreary atmosphere of the place, and Junpei would be the first to call it all too fitting. But today that's not on his mind as he walks through the streets of Maurita, for once not hyper focused on his own safety. A more obvious gloom casts itself over him as he pulls the edges of his raincoat closer, umbrella in his one free hand as he walks through the streets.
A year. It'd been a year since Chidori had died, pouring her life force into his own body to bring him back from death. He remembers jolting back to life--he remembers the pain at first, and then having it slowly leave the body. He remembers her look of relief when she saw his eyes again, and his dread when he saw hers start to wither. It's all so vivid still, and yet, the feeling is more numb than he'd care to admit. He didn't want to think about what that meant--if it meant that Chidori's death meant less to him now, or if the pain was finally starting to go away. It's easy to put on a smile for other people in this place, but when you look in the mirror, you're not fooling anyone.
Junpei crouches down at a little island where the sidewalk met the road, a small patch of grass that allowed a couple of flowers to spring up just in between. With the weather colder now, the flowers were having a hard time making it, and he remembers in early spring when he'd met Akihiko here how they were struggling even then.]
It's hard living in Maurita, huh? I know the feeling.
[His hand reaches out, a soft glow of light transferring from his hand to the little plant. The leaves unfurl once more, taking on their green nature once again. The petals livening up with the colour of life itself, and stretching out for that cold rain for mourishment.
Chidori may have thought her power wasn't all that great...but every time Junpei sees it? It's magic. And it reminds him that he's here with her.
It's a good thing it's raining. You can't tell the difference between tears and rain.]
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[ He remained silent, right up until Junpei healed the flower with his power. That was when he let out a faint whistle, impressed. ]
Hey, that's a pretty cool trick, kid.
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Not really.]
Yeah? I thought so, too.
Doesn't just work on flowers, either. Works on...pretty much anything with a pulse. [Well, if plants count too.]
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[ Adachi grinned slightly, before his expression sobered. Geeze, he looked really down, and it was weird. He was used to seeing the kid more active than the bozos back home, not this... depressed. ]
[ After a moment, he crouched down next to him, plopping his head in a hand. ]
...so. What happened?
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[He laughs a little at his own failure to articulate, sobering the moment Adachi does.]
That. Is a long story.
[That umbrella moves over to shield Adachi from the rain, his hand running just underneath one of those flower petals.]
How much do you know about us? About Tartarus and...everything?
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Not much, really. Just that you guys are Persona users, and I'm guessing you guys were active in Iwatodai around the time I was stationed there, just based on the weird shit that was going on back then.
[ He paused, scratching at the back of his neck. ]
I didn't meet you guys until twenty-twelve; some brat tried to end the world, and he called on a stupid fire god that turned the school into that weird tower that I got lost in for hours.
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[One thing he has to get out of the way first. Mitsuru had said that nothing really changes their decisions back home, and he's got every right to believe it. So if Adachi knows anything, might as well take the time to figure that out now.]
Guess there's no shortage of problems that Persona users need, though.
...
How'd you get yours, anyway?
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[ Adachi scratched the back of his neck. What the heck was that supposed to be? Because it sure as hell sounded like some dark and edgy band or something equally ridiculous that kids would be into. ]
Oh, mine? I... was told about it later, but I kinda shook a death goddess's hand.
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..
...
[Let's put that part on hold though, because Adachi's last sentence sparks another conversation entirely.]
Come again?
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[ Although, if he had known, it would have explained why his sleep got really crappy all of a sudden. ]
Oh, yeah. [ He waved a hand. ] Izanami. She was parading around as a gas station attendant. Shook her hand, and bam! TV world entering Persona powers.
It didn't work like that for you guys?
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So there's no way he CAN'T believe this.
But at the same time, he pauses, breathing out a soft puff of air as he tries to think of the best way to explain it.]
Well, there's no TVs, first off. Our world's got an extra hour in it call the Dark hour. The sky turns green, shadows come out and people turn into coffins. They don't really remember anything about it, like they were sleeping through the whole thing. But it doesn't happen to everyone.
If you don't have a persona....
[He trails off--that part's always been the hardest to describe.]
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...do Shadows come and kill them, or worse for you guys?
[ Because he's already very familiar with how a person's Shadow kills them. ]
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Not kill, no. They get this thing called Apathy syndrome. It's almost like their brain's been turned off, you know? Zombie-like.
But still alive.
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Eh?! You mean that whole thing with Apathy Syndrome was because of Shadows?!
[ That... explained a lot, actually. ]
So I guess that's why it stopped so suddenly. You guys managed to fight them off.
[ And the Defense Force had no choice but to acknowledge their existance, that's why Kirijo's Shadow Ops even existed. Now that he had a better picture of what they had to put up with, things were making a lot more sense. ]
[ Only fair to return the favor, right? Adachi settled a hand on his hip, getting ready for one hell of an explaination. ]
Well, they may be gone from the real world, but there's another world you can get to in the televisions in Inaba. The Shadows there are pretty violent, but it's more than that. That place can make your own Shadow come out of you. If you can't accept that negative side of yourself, you end up dead.
[ Now here came the fun part. ]
Some idiotic asshole figured out that people could go all the way inside the TV. He killed two people and convinced some poor desperate guy to keep shoving people in. If it weren't for the other Persona users, it'd've been a real mess.
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In a way, it's good. He doesn't have to further explain what was going on. Adachi knew enough about Shadows that he could put two and two together.
But on the other hand...]
Wait, another world? In the -TV-?
[The fact that Shadows exist in more than just one form is frightening.]
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Yeah. I think it's only an Inaba thing, because you guys seemed really awkward fighting in that place too.
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So, it's not surprising when her path crosses with this young man's. The miasma of sorrow that surrounds him is like a heavy perfume, familiar and unmistakable to her. Did his path bring her to him, or had she sought him out unknowingly? It didn't really matter.
She doesn't change her path to follow him, exactly. But does pause to watch in time to see him heal the flower. Witnessing the arc of mercy from someone so clearly broken-hearted makes something go soft in her normally stern expression. She's come up close behind him when she finally speaks. ]
Thank you.
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The 'thank you' is surprising, even if he doesn't show it in the way his head slowly turns to look at her, clouded gray eyes turning up to meet her own.]
Heh, dunno how long it'll stave off the cold, but they're fighters.
[There's a hoist to his feet, finally standing to be somewhat eye level with her. While he's never seen her face to face, the appearance is a familiar one...he's definitely seen her on the network.]
Name's Junpei. [He puts that umbrella over the two of them, just in case.]
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[ There's something about seeing her in person that's different from seeing just a picture of her. An over-spilling of power, and a subtle inhumanity. Like he's still looking at a photoshopped image, as she stands right next to him.
She looks at the umbrella with a remarkably neutral expression. Doesn't say thanks or anything like that. Just crouches down to get a better look at the flowers. ]
Probably would have been easier to just die down like everything else. But some things are just stubborn like that.
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Shoving his one free hand in his pocket.]
Heh, right? I've been watching these guys since April, and they're hardy little things.
Guess I got a little attached.
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You really like them that much?
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She never thought it was that great of a power...but I always did.
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Even cut flowers, huh? Pretty impressive.
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But she was all-- "It's not so great..." And would call me weird.
[There's a soft, slow sigh.]
She was the best.
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What was her name?
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[Somehow, saying it out loud to someone outside of SEES seemed so....final.]
Her name was Chidori.
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[ She finally stands back up. ]
I'm sorry.
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Today, he's doing a little thing for his job - being a spokesman for Aurican Apparels. Mostly just to model a new clothing line. He finds himself bored with the job, to be honest.
He was on his way back to the Porter to go home, but the display of power stops Aurican in his tracks. ]
How did you do that?
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It's one of my powers. I can transfer a little bit of my life into something else.
[A far simplified explanation of what it was, but the truth, nonetheless.]
These poor guys were fighting it--looks like they needed a helping hand.
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I hear it's going to get colder during the winter . . . are you gonna come back and keep helping the flowers? With your own life?
[ Aurican sounds a little concerned by that. ]
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[He smiles sadly at that, hoisting himself to his feet as he extends that umbrella over the other boy. Junpei doesn't like the idea of pretending death doesn't exist. It's essentially a very real thing. But...
There are some things he can protect as along as he can.]
I just don't think it's right now, for them.
Rain gives life, yannow? Ironic they'll die in it.
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I sometimes wonder when I will go, but I decided not to think about it. It doesn't matter when, does it?
[ It just happens. He hopes he doesn't be the last of his nesmates before he, too, is gone. ]
Do you heal people?
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You don't have to worry about that just yet.
[But the question causes him to pause a moment, looking at his hand.]
Sorta like that.
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[ Aurican: centuries-old stuffy baby dragon who has no idea what his age is ]
With the hospital works, or with your power? I'm sorry to pry. I am always interested in powers, or magic.
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[Or somewhere around there. Ken makes this a very hard thing to judge.]
It's...not exactly healing. But life-giving. Transferring it, you know?
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Do you worry if you transfer too much?
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[It's softly admitted, as his fingers trail along one of the petals of the flower.]
It replenishes if I take care of myself, you know? But giving a lot at once is dangerous.