piercedyourheart | avalon inbox

yukari look its u!!!!!!

[ thought 1: god, it's nice seeing kotone's name pop on her phone again.

~~thought 2: cute? that's...well, she's not sure what it is but that can only be good, right?~~

thought 2.5: no. stop that.

thought 3: hold on. that's making fun of her! in a friend kind of way, but still! ]

hey!!!
its not my fault people are overly difficult to deal with sometimes

[ yeah kotone's not going to unpack her intentions with that image choice too carefully either. ]

sure sure
do you have plans later? i thought maybe we could hang out

[ let's just never think about it, this can't possibly go wrong! and hanging out can't go wrong, either! even though things between them are. complicated to say the least.

the dots bounce for a while. ]

i dont have any plans that cant wait until tomorrow
so yeah. hanging out would be nice
did you have anything in mind or are we going to do what we always do and wander around until we find something

[ they could solve all of this if they just talked. really talked. but what if that proved this really was broken? even if they're just papering over the hurts and the tension, kotone finds herself hating the idea of this second chance with her best friend falling apart. ]

what we always do! exploring the city together would be lots of fun!!
i bet we can find all kinds of cool stuff to do (≧◡≦)

Edited 2021-05-01 04:49 (UTC)

[ yukari's never been the most adept at earnestly talking about anything. she was once, a few months ago, when it felt like she could talk to kotone and mitsuru about anything, but that had been--before.

she hadn't thought there'd be an after, and yet when presented with ample opportunity and almost endless time, she was just...running away. burying everything with hangouts and texts and familiar jokes, hoping they won't broach the real problems and bring their second chance to a crashing halt all too soon. ]

winging it it is
probably literally
theres gotta be something that turns you into a bird or gives you working wings around here

[ a return text from yukari always gets her face to light up. it has for a while, even... before.

before january 31. before graduation day. ]

thats an animal magic thing right??? gotta be
do you think there's like an information kiosk somewhere around here? someone to tell us all the hot magic spots?

theres an information kiosk open 24/7
i think some people call it the internet

[ why's she like this ]

or maybe theres idk
a wizard???? those exist here

why are u like this (￣︿￣)

[ yukari is a bitch and she likes her SO MUCH. ]

there are a lot of wizards here yukari you gotta be more specific!!!

(￣ω￣)

[ and thank god for that, honestly. ]

idk!!!! im still getting my head around the fact that theres enough magic around for wizards to even exist

and they don't even have to shoot themselves for it!!!

ikr! jealous
...although i guess we dont have to do that anymore either

the other persona users here didnt have to either i think

they didnt have to do that ever??

[ the briefest of pauses ]

there are others????

i dont think so anyway?? and yeah. ive met one named akira kurusu. he was part of another group

idk who else there is for sure

they must have awakened to their personas waaaaay after us
otherwise mitsuru would have tried recruiting them as soon as she could
or had a heart attack because no one told her
either or

did she even try recruiting anyone who wasn't in our town tho
aigis doesn't count

....
okay so
no

which is weird now that i think about it
youd think they would have searched all over for persona users
but then again maybe we were the only ones who could use personas because were affected by what happened back then

[ ugh. too heavy and too emotional of a topic to dig into right now. or ever, maybe. yukari takes a moment to breathe, dots bouncing as she thinks on how best to divert away from the complicated, messy feelings lie just under the surface. ]

either way
youre right i guess

[Ken really had no idea how he managed to convince Yukari to do this quest but here they were. As he sat by the window sill, he looked down at his poorly made doll before looking back up at Yukari.]

Do you know how to make a Teru Teru Bozu doll?

[Because he sure doesn't know if he was doing it right or not!]

[ it's not that hard for ken to get yukari's help. there's only so much moping around one can do, and she's itching to do anything productive. besides, it's ken. she can't say no to him. ]

Kind of? [ she lays out all the materials on the floor in front of her: some pieces of paper, a rubber band, some glue. ] It's been a while, but they were pretty easy to make. ...I think. [ boy, does she hope it's easy. ]

Is this your first time making one, Ken-kun?

[All Ken could do was look at the materials before looking at his doll. While he knew there was nothing to be ashamed about, it didn't stop him from mumbling.]

Yea, it is and it's a lot harder than I thought.

[Because it was obvious how there were large gaps between the the sewn on fabric and how there were huge knots sticking out.]

[ kotone wakes up to an absence of weight and heat on her left side. yukari must have gotten up first. she smells salted fish from the kitchen, too, and huffs a little laugh, smiling tiredly. she sits up and presses a kiss into mitsuru's hair, before carefully getting out of bed and tugging an unzipped hoodie on over her pajamas. she drags her feet towards the kitchen and yawns during her approach. finally, she places her arms around yukari from behind and almost melts against her, face behind her shoulder. ]

Mornin'...

[ yukari, for her part, is absorbed in her thoughts as she makes breakfast for the three of them. fish, miso soup, rice, some nori she found in the back of the pantry, hot water for tea. not quite everything for a full traditional breakfast, but mitsuru and kotone will likely appreciate the effort more than the amount of food.

not "likely." she knows they will. the confidence in herself and others that's come with being in a committed relationship has been a welcome change. unexpected, but one she's easily grown accustomed to. her tolerance for being touched also falls into the same category and when kotone wraps her arms around her waist, she leans into the embrace rather than pulling away. ]

Mornin', [ she answers on the tail end of a contented sigh. ] Kinda surprised you're awake already.

[ they can fill the gaps however they see fit. it's all the essentials, and it's just... nice. sleepy as she still is and sounds, she huffs a laugh that's half a yawn. her voice is still drowsy, half-muffled.

these months have come with a lot of adjustments, the introduction of steady rhythms of domesticity, especially after they ended up with the run of the place. it's still frightening, in its way... but they'll all face it together. ]

Jeez, you wake me up and then bully me about it? I see how it is. Jerk. [ kotone doesn't pull away, though, briefly squeezing her. ]

... Looks great, babe. Thanks.

You're the one that showed up and caused trouble first. If anyone's the jerk here, it's you. [ not that the words hold any bite. it's too early for yukari to attempt covering up the fondness in her tone.

she turns her head just enough to kiss kotone's hairline, exhaling another happy sigh at the pet name. ]

And thanks. There was just enough of everything for breakfast so I figured we should use them before they go bad. Mitsuru still asleep?

[ she hums quietly in response to the kiss, nuzzling once at her shoulder. ]

Yeah... didn't wanna wake her. [ something finally occurs to her, though. kotone's eyes open. ] M'not in your way, right?

[ technically? yes. everything should be finished soon and there's no way yukari will be able to reach the plates and bowls with kotone hanging on to her like this.

counterpoint, kotone looks very cute right now and being held like this kind of rules, actually. no way she's going to say that out loud with her human mouth, though. so she settles on a compromise. ]

Not right now, but you're gonna have to let go in a couple minutes. Unless you want to help out in here in a few minutes.

[ well, she's definitely too tired to get drafted into anything. she lets go, but still kind of just half-slumps against yukari's back, a half-asleep lump. biiiiiiiiiiig yawn. ]

I'll... help w' cleanup in a bit. [ once she feels, like, alive. she's anti-volunteering herself from doing anything until then. but is kotone going to move? it's unclear. ] Do your thing.

Edited 2022-02-28 11:11 (UTC)

[ kotone shiomi, one of her beloveds, being ever so helpful. yukari rolls her eyes and turns back to the food with a shake of her head, but doesn't push her away or hide her own growing smile. ]

Yeah, yeah. Just don't fall asleep again or else we'll both be trapped in here. [ she shifts her weight to better keep the both of them upright in spite of her tough words. ]

M'not gonna fall asleep standing up. C'mon. [ she huffs. honestly yukari. ]

Is there coffee?

[ disbelievingly: ]

I totally believe you. [ she's teasing, of course. even after hours of exploring tartarus, kotone ran circles around the exhausted group as they trudged back to the dorms. she was loud, bright. invincible.

yukari would catch her asleep on her feet several times that last month. when the dorms were quiet (which was often since a group of strangers had little to say to each other), kotone would doze off while looking in the fridge for something she wouldn't eat or in the middle of unpacking her school bag in the lobby. each time, she woke her with a gentle shake of her shoulder and questioning "shiomi-san?" and each time, the expression on kotone's wan, pale face would flicker from confusion to unbearable sadness to a smile in the blink of an eye.

another missed sign for yukari to regret in the weeks to follow. ]

Yeah, [ she answers, voice quiet. ] I can make it for you if you want.

[ kotone hadn't been all there at the end, most days. so much of it had been lost in constant exhaustion that a lot of little moments like that blurred together; it wasn't something she could specifically remember anymore.

still, kotone shifts forward, pressing her lips to yukari's jaw, then along to her cheek. ]

Love you. M'gonna... head over to the couch until you're done here, okay?

[ she finally, reluctantly pulls away from yukari, dragging her feet along the floor and yawning as she makes her way over. the tv goes on at a low volume, as she sits and pulls her legs up beneath herself. ]

[ Mitsuru awakens in a bed empty of anyone besides herself.

[ It's funny how strange that feels, now ... after being so mundane for so long.

[ No matter. The others must have woken up first, which would explain the aromas drifting up from downstairs. Mitsuru smiles and then stretches out, catlike, to briefly enjoy all the unclaimed space around her before slipping out of bed.

[ She pads barefoot downstairs and along the hall into the living room. Her first stop is the couch, where she leans down behind Kotone to kiss the top of her girlfriend's head. ]

Good morning, darling.

[ she hums in contentment, turning and pushing upwards to kiss mitsuru's cheek before a tired smile settles onto her face. ]

Morning, babe. Didn't wanna wake you. [ seeing mitsuru so utterly unprepared for the world outside, with messy hair and no makeup? that's not something she ever thought she'd see, especially not so regularly. ]

And I appreciate your consideration.

[ It's not something that Mitsuru would allow many people to see. Even removed from the responsibility of representing the Kirijo Group, the impulse to appear presentable at all times is deeply ingrained. And, if Mitsuru were to be completely honest ... there was a bit of vanity to it as well.

[ Around them, though, she didn't feel the need to be anything more than herself. She was completely comfortable with them seeing her in any manner of dress, or letting them see her before she'd brushed her hair into place or straightened out its natural waviness. ]

I hope that you slept well, though. You look as though you might have enjoyed a little more of it.

[ kotone reaches out, interweaving their fingers and squeezing mitsuru's hand as she settles back into position. ]

I'm okay! Really. [ she hums, thinking. ] Yukari's making coffee. Might get a nap in later.

[ Mitsuru lets out a small, pleased hum of her own in response. ]

Coffee sounds delightful ...

[ She gives Kotone's hand a quick squeeze before extricating herself from her girlfriend's grip and heading into the kitchen. ]

Good morning, my love.

[ She says quietly, gently placing a hand on the small of Yukari's back to show some affection without getting in her way. ]

Thank you for breakfast.

[ although yukari can't make out everything mitsuru and kotone are saying over the sound of food cooking and coffee brewing, the quiet buzz of their conversation brings her comfort, regardless. 'it's the little things' is such a cliche thing to pop into her head, but....

any thoughts of how cheesy she is in this moment are put on indefinite hold at the feeling of mitsuru's hand on her back. in fact, yukari is all smiles. ]

Morning, babe. [ she brushes a quick kiss to her cheek. ] And it's no problem. I just felt like doing something nice.

Good evening, darling.

[ The text comes a little while after dinner, once they've all gone their separate ways for a the time being, tending to whatever errands they had to see to over the course of the evening, or whatever plans they'd made. It would be wholly unremarkable if it weren't for the fact that Mitsuru was still at home, and she'll rarely text or call when she could simply walk downstairs and converse face-to-face.

[ The reason why, however, does not remain a mystery for long. ]

As I'm sure you're aware, Kotone's birthday is only a few days away. If you have time, I'd like to discuss what we could do for her.

Edited 2022-03-02 04:45 (UTC)

[ unlike mitsuru, yukari is out on the town. it's her turn to take koromaru for his nightly walk and although it's cold and dark and having the calamity right overhead is downright creepy, she can't deny his pleading look as they pass by the park. when the text comes through, she's watching koromaru have the time of his life while he zips between the bushes.

yukari can't help but huff a laugh at the tone of it. you would think she was requesting a board meeting about quarterly revenue rather than talking about their girlfriend. ]

hey babe
koro is going to want to stay outside forever so theres lots of time to talk
yeah her birthday is the 5th
feels kinda weird its this soon
did you have anything particular in mind

[ You can take the heiress out of the boardroom ... ]

It does ... It's strange to think that so much time has passed since we arrived here.

Returning to the topic at hand, I was thinking that we avoid any sort of lavish celebration. I'm sure Kotone would appreciate the effort put into something elaborate, but I'm equally certain that it would make her uncomfortable. I think she'd enjoy something contained to the three of us far more.

[ There's a pause after that. A few moments later ... ]

I'm also concerned as to state she'll be in emotionally.

[ After all, Kotone hadn't simply been born on March 5th ...

[ Dwelling on the idea was uncomfortable to say the least, but they couldn't simply ignore it. She almost certainly wouldn't be able to think of anything else. ]

Edited 2022-03-02 06:08 (UTC)

none of us are going to be in a party mood

[ yukari can say that with certainty. mitsuru is right in that more time has passed than they realize, but the wound hurts just as much as it did a year ago. she burrows deeper into her coat to stave off the sudden chill that raises goosebumps up her arms despite the layers she's wearing. ]

and it wouldnt feel right to have a big party
if its just us doing something small it wont feel like we're obligated to do more than that
take at least some of the pressure off

My thoughts exactly. The three of us staying at home with some of her favorites foods - either prepared by us, or ordered from a local restaurant. It would also be good to find some activity that the three of us could do together.

[ Something to keep them rooted in the present ... focused on the fact that they're together now, no matter how much those old wounds ache. ]

we could do a mix of both? order out dinner and then make dessert at home
not anything big obviously but something like cupcakes
and maybe it could be a spa day and movie night

[ spoiling her, essentially. it's her birthday, she deserves it. ]

A splendid idea. I can try to procure some of the items we'd need for the spa night over the course of the coming week, though I'd appreciate some assistance with the dessert.

[ Present circumstances and her own curiousity has led to her making a few forays into the kitchen, but she'd be the first to admit that she's the least capable cook out of the three of them. ]

[ mitsuru is literally a millionaire. or was it billionaire...? either way, yukari has met the many maids that attend to the kirijo home. like she was ever going to get a chance to cook when growing up. ]

then i can get the other half of what we'll need
and yeah of course ill help with dessert
chocolate cupcakes should be easy to make
we just have to get her out of the house long enough to make them. and then make sure she doesnt find them
...okay no its going to be tough

Without a doubt. But I'd feel disappointed in myself if I put forward anything less, and I imagine you feel the same.

[ Whether she's a millionaire, billionaire, or trillionaire, Mitsuru only has a few people in her life that are truly her people -- those whose presence that she treasures above all else, whom she couldn't imagine her life without.

[ Perhaps she hadn't been afforded much of a chance to cook when growing up ... but for Kotone, for Yukari ... she'd do all that she could to present them with something that represented the depth of her feelings.

[ She's just grateful that Yukari is here to help her in that endeavor. ]

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It's a Wetdding!

bursts in here 20 minutes late with starbucks

how dare you, I sit for so long for you ta- nah, it's all good!

action;

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