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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[ Her smile in response to the admission is something bright and warm, and the girl is quick in the way she slides a napkin over to Parsee, holding the pen out in offer a moment later. Of course, the spirit may choose not to take it - and that's okay too! But nonetheless, Sumire will explain her thoughts on the matter: ]

I think that sometimes, an unpredictable situation is the best one to work on our self improvement. It allows us to practice against all sorts of good and bad things. If we were in a perfect situation, it would make the improvement easier, of course, but I then there's a risk of it all falling apart when you suddenly come up against something tricky. At least, that's what I think.

[ She indicates her own napkin. ]

It doesn't even have to be something big or complex. Every bit of improvement is made with small steps!

Well... I mean... I guess I could resolve to try and listen more instead of assuming I know what people are trying to say.

[Which sounded like some kind of bog standard 'how not to be a terrible person' kind of thing to say, but really with her, this was almost a triumph. She was twirling the pen, thinking about it. She could also resolve to figure out what her feelings were in general besides jealous...

...

One thing at a time. She wasn't making the Suez Canal overnight here.]

So, what about you? What's your resolution?

[ Parsee's potential resolution brings a bright smile to Sumire's lips. To others, it might sound like something bog-standard, sure, but she really did mean what she just said - any little bit of improvement is still a step in the right direction. Nor does it sound to her like Parsee is a terrible person for making assumptions... to her, it just sounds sad.

She certainly understands what it feels like to make those kinds of assumptions, to second-guess what others would say enough that she would shut herself off from listening.

And if Parsee's being honest with her, she can be honest in return. So with a smile, she holds out the napkin for the other to see. A number of resolutions are written over and over, but the one there most frequently, in darkest pen, reads:

"This year, I am happy being the person I am. Yoshizawa Sumire." ]

[She tapped at the table. That was confirmation of what Akechi had told her. Ok, so Violet was Yoshiawa. She'd picked up on the description and the situation. It was pretty likely after all. But still, nice to have the confirmation, but what was there on the little paper, it made her grin a bit grimly.]

You know, I bet people who don't know any better probably think that one's easy. It's not actually nearly as easy as it sounds on the surface, is it?

[ She nods, a serious, determined look on her face. There are very few people who understand the whole truth of her statement, although it's not surprising that there are people able to empathize with it. After all, it's like the others have told her - everyone has their own difficulties to deal with. Hers just happened to be focused around trying to become someone else entirely.

She smiles up at Parsee. ]

Certainly not. It takes a lot of work and effort to learn to be happy as who we are. I have a long way to go, but... This is the next step!

[Considering the level of self-loathing Parsee got into on a regular basis, yeah. She could definitely empathize with someone who struggled to like themselves. That was pretty normal to her.]

I think I know better than to quite try that one myself. heh. And besides, around here it all feels a bit in flux at times, doesn't it? Like we're not sure where we are.

[ That one earns another smile. As for as she's concerned, if she can learn to like herself after what she did, then anyone can.

Admittedly, she's somewhat naïve. ]

That's true, and yet I feel as if our situation might actually help us. That might seem strange, but I truly believe that! Not only is the unpredictability useful, but here we are also removed from the things that caused us pain before...

[It was weird how comfortable Parsee could be with her self-loathing. She was a tough one to crack, though she was cracking very very slowly, like an old glacier.]

I will definitely admit? This place has been a positive influence for me. I've been in a better mood lately, though not a lot better. I can't go letting the universe notice that.

[ The admission is met with a bright smile, and Yoshizawa nods. No matter where they are, it's always good if anyone can improve themselves, even if it's just a little bit. Although Parsee's comment does raise another question, and after a moment she tilts her head, the smile turning into something curious. ]

What's wrong with the universe, um, noticing?

Oh, that? It always seems that if things start to go my way for once, the universe conspires to knock me down a peg or two. It's just the story of my life is all.

[Always the little ray of sunshine, this one.]

[ She frowns, her head tilting in slight confusion. While she understands Parsee's pessimism, from her experience the universe doesn't tend to operate that way... unless the person in question is looking for it, waiting for it to happen.

But isn't that exactly how pessimism works?

After a moment, she nods, a thoughtful expression on her face now. ]

This might sound weird, but maybe you just need to find the right people to be with, Parsee-san.

I will admit freely that very few of my influences back home are exactly good for learning to be optimistic about my options. A couple are good, but not most.

[ The younger girl nods, a smile on her lips. ]

Well, if home isn't good, then maybe the Void is going to be helpful for you! I know there are many kinds here, but I've certainly met a lot of positive people myself...

[ An idea strikes her then. ]

Um, this might sound weird, but have you spoken to Ren-senpai about this? He's such a helpful person...

More times than I can count easily. It's kind of a natural topic of conversation with him. That, and your... let's just call it personal styles of dress. Mostly because I like teasing him about it.

[She laughed a little. Seriously, it was kind of fun to tease him a little about those things that made his group stand out as obviously heroic.]

[ For a moment, she's not exactly sure what Parsee means by "personal styles of dress" - largely because she hasn't quite pieced together that the hashihime is aware of their dual identities as Metaverse users. Her head tilts in confusion, but in just the next moment a red flush warms her cheeks as realization follows. ]

O-Oh! Um, yes... I suppose the clothing would seem strange to anyone else.

[ She reaches up a hand to fan at her cheeks. ]

A-Anyway, I hope that Senpai has been able to help you a little bit. He helped me so much!

It's definitely memorable. I haven't seen all of you in those things yet, but I'm guessing you all have one. Yours is ... memorable.

[She wasn't pushing, though. All she really knew was that they had what were obviously 'battle outfits.' She really hadn't put two and two together on more information than that.]

Ren's helpful, yeah... but I really push his buttons sometimes. I'm not easy to get along with.

[ Memorable? A hint of a blush rises to the girl's cheeks in response to that, and she doesn't comment further - admittedly, there's a desire to take the attention away from that! Instead, she focuses on the rest of what the other tells her. ]

Honestly, Senpai is a very patient person! Even if you do push his buttons, he'll do his best to support you if you need the help...

I've noticed that. I know I try his patience quite a bit, and he's made an effort to refuse to give up on me. I bet yo he'd probably hold out hope for anyone until it was finally too late.

Just seems his nature.

[ The smile on her lips in response to that one is a little shy, but content. She can confirm from her own experience just how hard it apparently is for Ren to give up on someone. Not only was there her own case, but then of course there's his relationship with Akechi, too...

Yoshizawa doesn't think a lesser person could have put themselves in such a position, after what happened between them. ]

I think that's true, yes! Which is a good thing for people like myself.

Heh. You honestly don't seem like the sort to be thaaaat much trouble for him, you know. But we don't know each other that well, so I won't pry too much.

[She managed a little chuckle. Yoshizawa seemed a fairly normal girl, all around, but the conversations she'd had with Haru hinted that most of them had probably had some pretty bad issue at one point, and there were those fancy dance partners they got who only came into existence through facing some sort of trauma.

Yeah, there was probably something under the surface there.]

He can be a little bit of a trial too sometimes, hehe.

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[open] I am me

P5R spoilers! ♥

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