tabularasa_rp | [open] I am me

Entry tags:

[open] I am me

Who: Kasumi Yoshizawa + you?
What: catch-all for January!
Where: various places around the Void
When: during January
Content Warnings: Persona 5 Royal spoilers in the thread with Parsee, and any other marked threads!

1. resolution
(after the New Year's Party)

[ Despite having helped out with the party, it's still a little strange to Yoshizawa that they're celebrating a "new year" at all. Time has been largely stable since her arrival in the Void, so she knows that for her part, she's only been here a few months... and when she was taken from home, it was March. So it's weird, a little.

Still, it's probably good for them to have some kind of system to track dates, right? And starting with January 1st makes more sense than starting anywhere else, especially given the fact that everyone seems to remember different days as being their last back at home.

It's her first new year since her life changed so drastically, and so something about the tradition of making resolutions speaks to her more than ever, this time around. Fresh starts, or something like that.

So as the party winds down, Yoshizawa can be found sitting at one of the tables in Heavenly Blanc, neatly-written kanji and kana lining the napkin in front of her, the girl adding more to it with each careful stroke of her pen, her brows furrowed in focus.

If she's approached, she'll look up in surprise, offering a shy smile to whomever is joining her. ]

U-Um, are you planning on making any resolutions too?

2. kichijoji

[ It's not just that Senpai and Akechi-san have already made the move to living somewhere in the newly-appeared place that's kind of Kichijoji. Like a few other places around the Void, the place feels something like home, much more than the apartments do. Plus, something about having two entire floors to herself speaks to her. She loves helping Ren out in the Heavenly Blanc, but for someone who loves cooking as much as she does, she can't help but daydream of a small stall where she can "sell" food for the other people who are living here.

It's not like they don't already have a lot of restaurants and the like, but...

Habit has her standing, arms at her sides, considering one of the shopfronts in front of her with a tilted head, as if goods line the outside just like they would back home. She's lost so deeply in her own thoughts that passersby won't even be greeted as they normally would, and any efforts to get her attention will result in her jumping, startled, before she bows. ]

I— I'm so sorry! I didn't see you there.

3. gym

[ In the Aoba Shibumenosaki Underground Academy gym, Yoshizawa is a completely different person - not unfamiliar to anyone who met her within the depths of the Mementos nightmare, but certainly unlike the girl who usually walks around the Void. Dressed in the academy's sports uniform (of course in a striking red), she can usually be found completing routines on the floor, practicing kickboxing or fencing (always versus nothing but the air in front of her), or occasionally using one of the machines to work up a proper sweat. A look of serious focus can always be seen on her face, and people who join her will be met with little more than a brief nod - at least until she's finished what she's currently doing.

Maybe this is how you find her, focused on the workout, or maybe you come across her when she's finished, sitting down against one of the walls and perhaps watching anyone still working out, hair wet from the showers and falling over her shoulders, a container full of food in her lap and chopsticks in one hand.

And it's not just you: that container of food really does seem to be far too big for someone as small as her... ]

4. wildcard

[ want to do something but don't like any of the prompts here? you can hit me up at denouements if you want, or just post something here! ]

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[ It takes her a moment, but Yoshizawa snaps to, her bow of apology especially natural given the lovely kimono that Watanuki is wearing. It takes another full few seconds for her to register anything past the fact that he's here - the question, for example - and then she nods, and bows again, an embarrassed expression written over her features. ]

Y-Yes, I'm alright. I'm just... I suppose I'm daydreaming a little.

[ There's a momentary pause before she continues on, admitting: ]

I was considering moving from my current apartment to one here... but I'm not sure.

(it's not the first time the girl seemed out of his world, lost in one of theirs. their first meeting told him as much. mugetsu perks up from kimihiro's shoulder, squeaking happily to greet their acquaintance.)

We have. Seems that there is more movement here as of late.

(it's a good neighborhood, but honestly, he's just happy to be alone and in control of his surroundings. he couldn't even smoke in his apartment without feeling bad.)

Would you like to see how it is inside?

[ Her embarrassment makes way for happiness when she notices Mugetsu there too, and she offers him a little wave, promising herself that she'll pet him later like last time.

Watanuki's offer, however, is met with a somewhat more anxious glance. ]

I, um. Do you think it's okay?

[ Does he think it's okay to look inside? She regrets the question as soon as it leaves her lips, a hint of red splashing itself over her cheeks. ]

What I mean is, I— I wouldn't want to impose!

(he sure thinks it's okay when he was the one who invited in the first place! but he's not going to nag her, it's fine. he just gives her a smile, much like a merchant would before opening the door behind him.)

It's fine. It's already decorated too, so you can have some insight of what it could look like.

(he leaves the shoes in the reception, sliding the Japanese-style division for her to go through into the living room. there's a small kitchen on a corner, teaset and alcohol bottles decorating it, but most visibly is a small table in the center, three chairs as he never expects too much company.)

[ She blinks. And then blinks again.

Oh. Oh. Someone has already moved into this place. Watanuki has already moved into this place. She was just standing there staring at someone's home, not just an empty shop.

Whoops.

Her cheeks are even redder as she looks around the place, leaving her shoes in the entrance with his. Despite the limited amount of things they have available to them in the Void, he's made the place look comfortable and like home. ]

O-Oh. Watanuki-san, it's lovely in here...!

(for some reason, people here decided to go by his first name, so it is actually refreshing to hear someone call him by the name most people do.

he didn't mind the staring, now she knows what kind of layout to expect should she move in. everywhere she looks, she will be reminded of home -- all the furniture, paintings, dishes, all picked by the traditional man in a kimono in front of her.)

I'm glad you like it. You can go upstairs if you so wish. Would you like some tea?

(it's his room, but he doesn't want to fluster her more by tagging along. if she does, she will see a large couch, a Japanese dinner center table with a few cushions, a futon on the side and incense burning along with some candles from the shrine.)

[ She's a little taken aback at the offer, and for a moment she thinks she should refuse him; after all, he's let her into his place just to look around, and it hardly seems polite to go upstairs. But the trappings of home, combined with the want to see the inside of the building to judge it for her own potential usage, change her mind within moments. ]

U-Um, I think I will. I won't be long—

[ She pauses before she heads up though, nodding her head in response to the question. ]

Yes please! Tea would be lovely.

(as she's looking upstairs, kimihiro gets the teacups ready from the tea he had just prepared and taken before he decided to head out. green tea he had asked for in heavenly blanc, made with lots of care. carefully, he sets the beverages on the table and waits for her to return.

for a second, he thought about bringing it to her, but again -- let's not freak out the already easily freaked out girl.)

[ She doesn't spend too long up there - in fact, only shortly after Kimihiro has made the decision not to follow her does she come back down, a small smile on her face. She's a little surprised to see how quickly he's prepared the tea for them - especially when it smells so utterly perfect, and not like it's a quick job.

(Oh no. Did she spend a longer time up there than she intended to? Yoshizawa tries to push the thought down even as it struggles to invade, instead moving to join him at the table.) ]

Your decorations are lovely, Watanuki-san. It feels very comfortable here.

Thank you. They're supposed to mimic the shop's, but they only scratch the surface.

(because the shop is a thing of beauty and on this note alone it's a little sad that only the people who have a wish to grant can see it. the garden alone, with the cherry and peach blossom trees, is a thing to be celebrated.

kimihiro takes a sip of the tea, sitting down and offering her to do the same.)

Did it help in your decision-making?

[ She remembers him mentioning the shop during their first meeting, although admittedly there's still a lot she doesn't know about it, or how it works. (And if she's honest, the whole idea of a wish-granting shop brings with it a certain degree of concern and anxiety.) Offering him a grateful smile, she sits down across from him, taking the cup of tea into her hands before taking a sip.

It tastes just as good as it smelled, and Yoshizawa closes her eyes in contentment for a moment before the question has her opening them again. The look on her face is a little embarrassed, and she shakes her head. ]

It really is wonderful, but I'm afraid not.

Aside from the moving process, I don't see a downside. It's definitely more spacious, for one.

(but then again, most people are at the merlaut. perhaps the thought of being away from people brings her even more anxiety? he can't be sure. without his powers, there isn't much he can do to figure the girl out if it isn't through conversation.

he reaches for his shoulder, as if he was asking mugetsu to shift from where he stood, except... he was on his blind side, the golden eye, and very visible should it work. he realizes the mistake quickly, changing the hand and the side so that the small fox could nest inside his sleeve.)

What's holding you down, if I may ask?

[ She watches in interest, not understanding the reason behind the shift of his hand, or the action that has taken place. But it seems rude to ask, but she doesn't, instead focusing on the question he's asked, her gaze dropping to the cup in her hands.

She hesitates for a moment before answering, not sure she wants to tell something so personal to someone whose job description essentially reads "granter of wishes". But the Void being what it is, it's not like he can do anything about whatever she says, at least not as things stand now. And perhaps talking about it to one of the very few people she knows outside her usual Phantom Thieves-and-Akechi-comprised friend circle will be useful? She takes a deep breath, sipping at the tea. ]

I... M-My senpai has already moved here, with his, um. His significant other? And I just... don't want them to f-feel like I'm, um, following.

It's blind.

(he says nonchalantly, a shrug following, mostly because she seemed puzzled and he's bound to embarrass himself further eventually. more important than the pretty but useless eye, is the conversation at hand.

had he known about this mistrust, he could easily clear up any assumptions or questions she may have about his business, but as it stands, he merely takes a sip of his tea. kimihiro is the one confused now.)

Would that be a bad thing? Following them.

Edited 2021-01-05 15:13 (UTC)

[ She's a little too focused on her own problems to feel too embarrassed that he caught her wondering about his movements. She'll no doubt have questions later on, but for now, Yoshizawa takes another sip of her tea, thinking the question he's asked of her, and shaking her head. ]

Not for me, but...

[ She pauses once more, thinking over what she wants to say, exactly. ]

Th-The truth is, I've leaned on Senpai a lot. I l— I have f-feelings for him, which he knows about, but... He's seeing someone else, and...

[ There's a hesitation, a little flutter of one hand as the other still holds the teacup. ]

I-It's okay, of course! I didn't tell him expecting him to feel the same way that I do, b-but... I don't want them to think I'm just... following them everywhere, either.

Ah, so it is like that, huh? I'm sorry.

(because love kind of SUCKS.

one of the skills he's gotten as the shop owner was one of guidance, so she lucked out on who she has decided to confide in. a lot of the times, a wish could be granted by the asker themselves without any use of magic, if only they perceived their own power over their situations.

this feels a bit like this, so charmingly, kimihiro rests a hand under his chin as support.)

Well. What is the reason why you'd like to move here in the first place?

[ His stance shifts, and Yoshizawa watches him in silence for a moment, placing her teacup on the table. The way he sits, hand resting under his chin, looks unsettlingly like the sort of pose a therapist might take, enough that between the way he looks and the knowledge of his shop, she feels Ella stirring, the girl's fingers itching as if she might be able to somehow summon her right into the small house.

Her gaze drops from his, her tone changing to something firmer, less shy and apologetic, and he'd be forgiven if he thought she sounded like someone entirely different now. ]

Forgive me for asking, but before I can answer that, I have to hear it for myself: Your shop, and its wish-granting powers... Under what sort of circumstance would you use those powers, if you had them now?

(from a gentle, awkward girl to a force of nature, in a shift that kimihiro could never expect. he is taken aback for a second, eyes goggled and speechless, but the words that she so confidently lays upon him answer pretty quickly what has gotten her peeved.

his shocked features soon revert to a more neutral expression, sipping on the tea before he can answer.)

It's rather simple. If you have a wish that needs to be granted and you are fated to find me, you would be able to see and enter the store. The wish shall be granted, if it's possible for me to grant it, under the circumstances that you are able to pay the price for it. No more, no less. Upon agreement of terms, the wish is granted. It would be the same if I still had my arsenal and powers at my disposal. Why do you ask?

[ There's a long silence as Yoshizawa processes the words. Already, there's a lot about him, about his words, that's different - in a good way - to Dr. Maruki. People are "fated" to find him, for starters. There's an agreement of terms - and a price. It really sounds like he isn't just a person listening to the broken wishes of vulnerable school kids and granting them with a single-sighted determination to rid the world of all pain.

After processing his words in silence for a few moments, she answers him with the truth... although if she's honest with herself, hidden within the truth is another question, a test of sorts to feel him out a little further. ]

I apologize for my rudeness in asking. It's just that I have come across a wish granter before. He was so determined to make the world a paradise that he altered reality to grant wishes and take away the pain that people felt. I'm sure to some people, that doesn't sound like a terrible thing, but isn't it better for people to feel their pain, and learn from it and grow?

[ If he knew her just a couple of short years ago, he might have been surprised by her feelings on the subject. Even Senpai and his allies might be surprised to hear her say something like this, having seen her at her weakest. For the longest time, she was willing to run from her pain, to hide from it and let it consume her from the inside out, turning her into someone completely different...

...But that was before. Yoshizawa knows now that that wasn't the right way for her to live. ]

You are in your right to mistrust me in these conditions.

(although he does seem rather annoyed at the story itself. making the world a paradise must have taken quite the price, and yet, there was no mention of anything of sorts. isn't it cheating the scale? things happen for a reason, it's all hitsuzen - the inevitability of events. taking away pain allows for the breakage of fates that should occur exactly for that reason. decisions, encounters, destiny. all these are interconnected and apparently, there is someone so mighty powerful in yoshizawa's reality that they can alter all these variables.

that's fucked up.)

I assure you I want nothing of the sort nor am I powerful enough to make that happen, if my word is not enough.

(but he does feel like he owns her a little bit more than that.)

While I do deal with more mundane wishes, a great percentage of what I do is related to things such as spirits, curses, and the sort. They vary - from helping a woman perceive that her Internet addiction should be addressed for her own sake only, to helping an unborn soul cross the bridge. Besides, everything in life has a price, Yoshizawa-san. I cannot imagine the tab that came from the mishap you've just told me.

[ Once again, Yoshizawa is silent for a moment, thinking over his words before she nods in response to him. His obvious unhappiness in regards to the untold cost of what happened assures her of his honesty, his own examples of wishes cast only adding to her belief in him. After a moment, she nods, taking a sip of her tea. Before she can tell him anything else, though, she feels as if she owes him some sort of assurance: ]

In the end, his work was undone. I'm not sure if that helps to, um, fix the issue of the price or anything, but... His power wasn't able to hurt anyone else in the end.

[ Anyone else apart from the Phantom Thieves and their allies, who, along with Dr. Maruki himself, bore the cost of remembering the dream of his would-be reality in comparison to the scar-ridden truth of their own. ]

Watanuki-san, I'm truly sorry for not trusting you sooner. But... I'm also glad that I know more about it, now.

It truly doesn't on a cosmic scale. When I miscalculate a payment, I pay the price myself. I wonder if the same has happened to him.

(except kimihiro gets shredded apart, bleeding the deficit or surplus in equal parts. it's a dangerous job at the end of the day. at her last words, he simply waves a hand and shakes his head. there was no need for all this.)

You don't have to apologize, Yoshizawa-chan. You had an extraordinarily poor experience with him, it's only natural to distrust me when you know nothing about me other than that I work in a similar field. That too is hitsuzen.

[ And once again, she's left silent for a moment or two. While it's true that what Dr. Maruki did was wrong, she can't say she blames him. Especially not when she herself believed that what he was doing was beneficial to her - to everyone - at the start of it all. Still, she's hardly going to admit that, at least not just yet. Instead, she nods in response to his words. Hitsuzen: fate, the greater scheme of things. If she remembers correctly.

She offers him a small smile, and there's that shift in her demeanor again, the shyness back now that she's not concerned about everyone's safety. ]

To answer your original question, I... My apartment now is lovely, but if I had a place like this, I could open a store at the bottom. N-Not to make money, I mean...! I've been helping Senpai at the Heavenly Blanc, but I love cooking, and I think it would give me something to do...

Then you're not following them. It's out of your own desire.

(he only excuses himself to open a window, gracefully picking the pipe from the tray and lighting it with a match. the smoke always adds a mysterious atmosphere, and while it is tobacco, it is much fragrant than one would expect.

it does come from the moon, after all. it's special! with a large inhale, he allows much of the smoke to leave from the window.)

If you're doing your own thing, I doubt that they'd think something ill of you. They'd support you, no? After all, there's no other place where we could open shops like this.

Edited 2021-01-05 17:29 (UTC)

[ Yoshizawa nods, a thoughtful expression written over her features; she knows that he's right, that Ren would certainly support her - Akechi-san perhaps not quite as much, but that's just his nature and nothing against her. But for some reason there's still a hesitation that plagues her - perhaps it's knowing that deep down, there's still a little part of her that feels like she might want to follow him regardless.

Is she being honest with herself, then...? ]

I know that Senpai will support me no matter what. But I've leaned on him so much already, that I... I worry that he might feel burdened by me.

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Persona 5 Royal spoilers!

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mention of injury

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