OOC: drabblin'
I wrote this a few weeks ago and there's not much place to put it so.... Ignore it if you like.
Warning, it's got spoilers all the up to January of Persona 3.
It was the third floor of the night. Junpei was spamming his physical attacks as usual, and even though he had the Spring of Life from Chidori, it wasn't keeping up. He slumped over after his turn (a Brave Blade this time) trying to hide his heavy breathing from the rest of the party. "Two to go! Come on, we can do this!" A few months ago he would have asked to back out. After what happened...no. He wasn't backing down. Not ever. Not until Strega was toast and the Nyx Avatar was sent back to hell where she belonged. He'd changed a lot.
So had she. Right?
"Hang in there!"
click
The ever familiar cold barrel of her Evoker settled against her forehead. She could never hold it like the others, right against the temple, the unnatural jerk of their heads after calling forth their Personas making her sick to her stomach every time. She had tried once. It had clattered to the floor a few seconds after she pulled the trigger, nearly covered in vomit. That had been hard to explain to Mitsuru and Akihiko. She blamed it on some ramen that must not have agreed with her stomach although their eyes showed skepticism. They'd gone along with it regardless. Yukari had become a good liar over the years. Plenty of practice, she'd admit with a rueful grin. Lying to others (don't worry, i'm fine, no nothing's bothering me) and lying to herself (i'm not angry, i don't need anyone, all anyone does is leave me so i'll just leave them, don't trust, don't feel, don't get involved, keep smiling). It was a way to get by. It had been anyway. There was something about having a mental breakdown in front of people that stripped away your ability to lie around them.
Her finger began to squeeze the trigger. Fun fact for those who've never held something resembling a gun to their head: time slows down. Your heartbeat thuds in your ears, every ragged breath you take feels like your last. One has to remember they're holding what is perhaps the single-most deadly weapon right at their face. It's a feeling that's only exacerbated by facing down demonic creatures while battling for your life in a supernatural tower that was your school only an hour ago with the voice of an ancient goddess overpowering all other sounds. It was only right before she was unleashed that she was the loudest. Isis was never obtrusive. It was part of her nature as the Egyptian goddess known to be a friend of sinners and the oppressed. Yukari had done quite a bit of research so she considered herself a kind of makeshift expert. But her knowledge was based on more than the facts. Yukari just--knew. It was the way she spoke quietly and calmly at the back of her mind when there was a problem or how she only offered suggestions when asked. Her strength was helping those who needed it, those in dire straits who could turn to no one else. One time, Yukari could say (honestly, for once) that the person who needed Isis the most was her.
But that too had changed. Her legs were no longer weak. Her feet were no longer unable to deal with the burden of supporting her. Yukari stood on her own now. She promised herself that she'd be the rock of S.E.E.S. It was up to her and Isis to bring the team back from the verge of death time and again.
Yukari would start this time with Junpei.
bang
Warning, it's got spoilers all the up to January of Persona 3.
It was the third floor of the night. Junpei was spamming his physical attacks as usual, and even though he had the Spring of Life from Chidori, it wasn't keeping up. He slumped over after his turn (a Brave Blade this time) trying to hide his heavy breathing from the rest of the party. "Two to go! Come on, we can do this!" A few months ago he would have asked to back out. After what happened...no. He wasn't backing down. Not ever. Not until Strega was toast and the Nyx Avatar was sent back to hell where she belonged. He'd changed a lot.
So had she. Right?
"Hang in there!"
click
The ever familiar cold barrel of her Evoker settled against her forehead. She could never hold it like the others, right against the temple, the unnatural jerk of their heads after calling forth their Personas making her sick to her stomach every time. She had tried once. It had clattered to the floor a few seconds after she pulled the trigger, nearly covered in vomit. That had been hard to explain to Mitsuru and Akihiko. She blamed it on some ramen that must not have agreed with her stomach although their eyes showed skepticism. They'd gone along with it regardless. Yukari had become a good liar over the years. Plenty of practice, she'd admit with a rueful grin. Lying to others (don't worry, i'm fine, no nothing's bothering me) and lying to herself (i'm not angry, i don't need anyone, all anyone does is leave me so i'll just leave them, don't trust, don't feel, don't get involved, keep smiling). It was a way to get by. It had been anyway. There was something about having a mental breakdown in front of people that stripped away your ability to lie around them.
Her finger began to squeeze the trigger. Fun fact for those who've never held something resembling a gun to their head: time slows down. Your heartbeat thuds in your ears, every ragged breath you take feels like your last. One has to remember they're holding what is perhaps the single-most deadly weapon right at their face. It's a feeling that's only exacerbated by facing down demonic creatures while battling for your life in a supernatural tower that was your school only an hour ago with the voice of an ancient goddess overpowering all other sounds. It was only right before she was unleashed that she was the loudest. Isis was never obtrusive. It was part of her nature as the Egyptian goddess known to be a friend of sinners and the oppressed. Yukari had done quite a bit of research so she considered herself a kind of makeshift expert. But her knowledge was based on more than the facts. Yukari just--knew. It was the way she spoke quietly and calmly at the back of her mind when there was a problem or how she only offered suggestions when asked. Her strength was helping those who needed it, those in dire straits who could turn to no one else. One time, Yukari could say (honestly, for once) that the person who needed Isis the most was her.
But that too had changed. Her legs were no longer weak. Her feet were no longer unable to deal with the burden of supporting her. Yukari stood on her own now. She promised herself that she'd be the rock of S.E.E.S. It was up to her and Isis to bring the team back from the verge of death time and again.
Yukari would start this time with Junpei.
bang