It seems like winter only just ended, and here it is again. Snow coats the ground, wind chills the bone, and life in the Seam gets that much harder. There’s only so much hunting to be done in winter. But there a few small joys that even the poorer folks can take advantage of: snowball fights, sledding, and ice skating.
Now that the districts are free and the fence is gone, Gale is free to bypass the small pond that most of the town goes to for their skating time. Instead, he takes his younger siblings out through the woods, leading them toward the lake Katniss had shown him years ago. Rory had come out with him once, before the war, but Vick and Posy had been too small at the time. Now that they’re older, and Gale is on vacation to visit family - a rare thing, these days - it’s about time they gave it a go.
They’ve all got skates, brand new from District Two, and once they get there they all have to sit down to tie them on with a little help from their eldest brother. Rory picks it up again with relative ease, but Vick stumbles a bit, and Posy - Posy’s never learned, so she has to lean heavily on Gale and hold his hand as they take a few hesitant steps. Before long, though, she’s gliding and laughing along with her brothers, having a great time. And Gale… Gale’s just glad to see them again, healthy and happy, at that.
The districts free and the fence gone-- Madge had never been happier. She had survived the war against all odds and was slowly getting back to life. And with such a beautiful, snowy day- she knew exactly how she was going to spend it. Madge made her way through the forest, to the lake that Katniss told her about a while back. She'd rather not feel crowded with the rest of the town at the usual pond.
She didn't expect to see him there. Pausing by the edge of the trees, Madge watched them quietly. It had been a while (a long while) since she'd seen him, and part of her wanted to turn and go to the crowded pond rather than intrude on his family time. Did he even know she was alive? Would he care?
"Mind if I join?"
She said it before she realized she was speaking up and it was too late to turn back now.
Only Gale and Rory heard the question, the younger Hawthornes being too caught up in the fun, and together they turned with matching expressions of surprise until they landed on the girl by the trees. Rory grinned when he saw her, but Gale’s eyes narrowed immediately in a mix of surprise and suspicion. It looked like… but it couldn’t be. They’d told him she died with her family, in the bombings. She’d been one of the ones he hadn’t been able to save. It was entirely possible, too, that there were plenty of other girls with the same blonde hair of the townies that he hadn’t taken much notice of.
But Rory answered that question for him.
“Sure, Madge, c’mon! It’s Posy’s first time,” the boy told her cheerfully before skating out to join Vick and Posy and share news of their visitor. Gale’s eyes stayed locked on her, wanting to believe but finding it difficult, after so many years of believing she was gone. Did Katniss even know, he wondered? She’d been told the same thing as he had.
“Undersee,” he said, the name feeling familiar and somehow alien all at once. It had been a while since it last passed his lips, and it was still hard to believe it’s really her, out there. Madge Undersee, the mayor’s daughter. Alive.
[ Gale doesn't know what happened, only that Annie's taken off again. Finnick isn't around, so someone needs to find her, and he doesn't mind being the one to do so. Having been around for her... episodes before, he knows well enough how to deal with this, as well as where she might go. Once he does find her, he approaches her slowly, deliberately making his steps loud so she'll hear before he startles or scare her away again. ]
[When Gale speaks, Annie looks up, her eyes wide and purposeful, her lips set in a fierce purse. Gale. He was here. He was her friend, and he was here. Was he sent here, or was it purposeful, she wanted to know. But she didn't have the words to ask. Instead, she pulled her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them. Her hands grasped her wrists, nails digging into the tender skin there.
She looks at him, in the fading light, then back out towards the water.]
[ No reply, but did he really expect one? It's hard to say what happened while he wasn't looking, but Gale knows it doesn't matter what set her off, exactly, only that something did. She'll talk about it if she wants to talk. ]
It's getting dark. We should head back to the cabins. Those harpies of theirs are going to be out any time now.
[ She's hijacked. Hijacked, meaning they'd turned her against them, or at least, against Katniss. It matters nonetheless, because Peeta still important; even if she isn't Gale's favorite person, they need her. That's why he hadn't hesitated for a second to volunteer on the rescue mission to the Capitol.
But why they're sending Gale, of all people, to talk to her, he doesn't know. This isn't his forte; he's never been fond of Peeta or anyone else from town and never bothered to pretend otherwise. Why should that change, simply because Katniss needs her? The fact is, it doesn't, but there's no getting out of this. Like it or not, Gale is a familiar face for her, and one that isn't Katniss. Someone needs to find out what's going on, or how to fix it, if thats even possible, and anyway, they'd argued that he'd be a good person for Peeta to speak to. He has younger siblings - maybe he could approach her that way.
"Be comforting," they'd told him. "Make her feel welcome. Normal."
Funny. ]
Don't you have something to bake? [ Gale asks immediately upon being sent in, his eyes roaming over the room they've given her with distaste. Gray, like everything else in this place. Gray, gray, gray, and lifeless, all of it. ] Looks like it gets boring in here.
[Her hands were still cuffed to the sides of the bed, dark bruises and lacerations forming where she'd pulled at them over and over again to try to get them off. They'd kept her heavily sedated, to try to stop it, and it seemed to be working for the moment.
Gale. She remembered him. Katniss' "cousin". The one that liked her, too. That had known her longer, been close to her. That had rescued her from the Capitol.
No. No, that wasn't a rescue. They'd kidnapped her. He was close with Katniss, and that was bad. He was bad. If he was related to Katniss, then he had to be a mutt, too, right? Shields up, Peeta grit her teeth.] I could have baked in the Capitol. [No, they wouldn't have let her, but that was... shiny. That memory.]
[ Okay. That was a bad idea. Good to have confirmation of that.
Sometimes Gale wondered if going to get Peeta was a bad decision on their part, but he'd crush the thought as soon as it came. They needed her, but most importantly, Katniss needed her. But not like this. ]
Why would you want to? [ he asked, not bothering to hide his disgust. ] They can get all the fancy cakes and breads they want, any time. Have you seen what they give us to eat here? [ It gets them by, but it's nothing special. A lot of it is disgusting, in fact, even compared to what he'd had in the Seam. ] The least it would do is brighten up the place.
[ The war isn't over, so it only seems natural to have more quests given out. Gale, with his new centurion status, is the one it's officially given to - but in reality, this one is for Hazel, and they both know it. This thing they've been sent to fetch, whatever it is, is going to help them all in the long run, but her most of all.
The house they find themselves looking up at is impressive, at least by Gale's standards. Even in New Rome, the Hawthorne family had lived in the poor neighborhood, without any fancy structures or status to go with them. This place looks something the centurions of the First Cohort would retire to, living in ease with their grand family names and heritage and titles. ]
Any idea what we're looking for here? [ he asks, giving Hazel a sidelong glance. The prophecy, as always, is vague at best. They'll just have to be careful going in. ]
[Hazel hadn't set foot in New Orleans since before she'd died. She was't shocked, therefore, when the quest sent her here. The item was supposed to be owned by Marie Laveau, daughter of Hecate, who, legend had it, had been involved with more than a few gods, impressed by her powers.
Standing in front of the house, Hazel remembered the prophecy:
The daughter will meet the witch queen, the son will light the way, to glory or ruin remains to be seen in the old house on this day.
And she'd remembered the legends. Before Queen Marie, there'd been another Marie. Another witch in New Orleans. So now she and Gale stood before the old house.]
Glory or ruin, the prophecy said. [Leave it to Rachel to be specific] I've just got a feeling about this house. [She shivered in the dying light.]
A good one, I hope, [ Gale says, well aware that it's more likely the opposite. They aren't here to be pessimists, however; they're here to complete the quest, and if he has anything to say about it, they will, glory or ruin be damned. ] Let's go for the glory, then.
Back on the Ark, Lydia's genius had lead her into trouble. She was a recognized prodigy in math and sciences, and still managed to move amongst the station social elite with ease. Everything had been smooth sailing until her father left her mother - and her. Without access to Mr. Martin's credit account, life had become harder for Lydia and Natalie both.
It had actually been something of a fluke that Lydia had gotten caught hacking the credit system. It had been her own father's account after all, and she was still a minor - didn't he owe something to Lydia and her mom for her care? But the Council hadn't cared, and they'd jailed her right alongside the rest of the teenagers who'd committed crimes on the Ark and were too young to push out an airlock. Her father had done nothing to save her.
She'd been terrified on the dropship, and once they'd landed, had been fascinated with the ground once they landed. Right away she aligned herself with Clarke, and thus far it had served her well.
Now with the alliance with the Grounders, Clarke and Raven had come to her - the best code hacker they knew, and asked for her help. They wanted her to hack into Mount Weather tech to help aid in the assault and help get the Forty-Five back. Lydia had agreed - but in order to do so, she'd have to trek closer to the mountain itself to access the network's signal. She'd need a guide, and protection, and she couldn't go alone.
Clarke had spoken to Lexa. And Lexa agreed to provide an escort.
Lydia waits just outside the gate of Camp Jaha, dressed for a trek, her hair tucked into a cap that shaded her face from the sun as she waits for the escort, one of the Grounders, to arrive.
Not once has Gale bothered to hide his pleasure at finally having a chance at the Mountain Men. He'd never been quiet with his opinions on them, even before the Sky People had come to forge an alliance with them. Before he was even born, they'd been a constant threat to him and his people, and Gale has a family to worry about. What he wants most is for them to be able to live without worrying for their safety for once in their lives - to be normal kids.
It hadn't been possible before, but now that it is, Gale has made a point to position himself at the forefront of the Tree People's forces. So when the opportunity comes to sabotage the enemy, he is the first to volunteer. After all, his people are there, too - including someone who is very important to his best friend. Donning his armor and grabbing his weapons, he goes to meet the person he is supposed to be protecting. He doesn't expect to find a girl there, let alone one whose hair is red, and he pauses when he sees her, eyeing her with superstitious caution. Lexa hadn't mentioned she was one of those. Knowing the commander, she'd left it out on purpose.
Oh, well. He's already committed to this; he can only hope it will not become a problem.
"You need to get close to the mountain," he says by way of greeting, stepping closer. "How close is close?"
A lock of hair must have fallen free from her cap, but Lydia isn't any wiser to any superstitions of the Tree People. To be perfectly honest, she's wondered whether they're even literate. But beggars can't be choosers when it comes to allies, and she's certain that if the young man approaching her has been ordered to protect her, that's exactly what he'll do.
"Oh," she says in surprise, craning her head to look up at him. He's...really tall. "Your English is really good."
Lydia reaches into her pocket and pulls out a palm device. "I'll be able to tell with this." she explains. "Once we're closer to the mountain I can turn it on and use it to detect their signal. But it's got a limited battery so I don't want to turn it on until we're a lot closer. It's an eight hour walk, right?"
His face hardens. "We're not stupid just because we didn't fall from the sky."
He spares the device a cursory glance before brushing past her, blade in hand.
"Gale," he tells her, dropping any pretense of politeness. That isn't what he's here for, and now that he's seen her, he wants this over with as soon as possible. "We have a long walk ahead of us. Try to keep up, and I'll try not to get us both killed."
( his voice is low, but no less demanding as he reaches out for her wrist to stop her from going inside. they had just made it to the building where they were holding her senior prom after what felt like hours of his mother hovering over them and taking more pictures than any person should ever need. it had already made the night feel long, like he shouldn't have agreed to go with her as her date for this thing, but—
he would have hated it if she went with anyone else.
more than that, he would hate it if he let her walk inside as she is. the ride over had messed up her dress—or maybe his mother hadn't done a good job pinning the flowers to the side of her dress in an effort to make them match—and he couldn't let her walk inside with drooping flowers. )
Your dress.
( he gestures to the side of the building then, encouraging her to walk over with him to let him fix it. )
[ Despite all her nervous fidgeting while they took pictures, Ochako hasn’t paid her dress much mind since they’d finished up. There’s no reason for her to be nervous anyway - it’s just a silly dance, just her senior prom, just... Katsuki. But there’s still a hint of a blush bringing color to her cheeks as she turns to the door, stopping short when he takes her by the wrist, a question forming on her lips as she turns.
He beats her to the punch, of course; he always does. So instead her eyes drop to find the flowers on her dress struggling to hang on, and when she looks back up it’s with a small, embarrassed smile. ]
Ah… I didn’t notice.
[ She was a little busy being Not At All Nervous that he’d even agreed to come, and all… If he wants to help her fix it though, all the better - it would be a little hard to do it herself, anyway, so with a nod she steps to the side, where they won’t be in anyone’s way. ]
[Minako is used to weird. There's not a whole lot of things in her life that aren't weird anymore, honestly. Hidden hour in between days? Sure. She's a Persona user and she can summon over 150 of them? Okay! There's an android on the team now? Why not?
So finding out one of her Personas physically manifested outside of Tartarus is just par for the course. He's certainly not the one she expected-- Orpheus or Thanatos seemed more likely, or even one of her current Personas like Seth or Kartikeya. But it's probably better in the end. With his human features, he can roam free to his heart's content with his new "senpai from a nearby college" identity. Less questions to deal with this way.
(But not really, because now there are rumors about them at school, especially when Aigis is so protective and almost jealous of how Ookurikara is connected to her. Add the new transfer student Ryoji Mochizuki to the mix and it's a recipe for gossip disaster.)
Well. At least it's been fascinating to watch the Akihiko Sanada club dynamics change. A quarter of them left to start the Kiwame Ookurikara fanclub, and now its numbers are growing daily. She kind of feels bad for Ookurikara...but luckily the fanclub is still trying to work him out, and faction arguments keep the girls busy enough that nobody's actually confessed to him yet. They do love to gather in groups to watch him, though.
In fact, that must be the mob now, clamoring at the school gates for a glimpse of him.]
Oh geez. It's pretty bad today. Is he wearing a new outfit or something?
[Minako strains on her tippy toes to try and see above the crowd. Then, deeming it useless, she starts the long process of pushing through, praying that nobody stops to ask her for his number.]
Excuse me, sorry, non-fanclub member coming through!
[ A Persona is meant to serve the one they're bonded to, a purpose that resonates strongly with Ookurikara, as the spirit of a sword from legend. Being summoned as a Persona in Tartarus is no different than being taken to a battlefield, though the enemies are certainly stranger this time around.
Manifesting in the real world with his own body, however... that is new, and it means that for once, he doesn't need a master to tell him what to do, where to go, which enemies to cut down. At first he doesn't know what to do with that much freedom, so he simply watches Minako and her friends for guidance - they are still bound together, after all, despite his newfound independence. Now that Ookurikara is getting used to this body, to life outside of Tartarus and his sword, he's taken to wandering the city to see what life as a human is like. He's even managed to make a few acquaintances - if you can call not taking "go away" for an answer making acquaintances.
All the same, he still wants to be the first one to know if Minako has plans to go to Tartarus on any given day. He's waited for her before, even tried to scan the crowds of students for her before realizing it was a pointless effort, so now he simply waits outside the gates in silence, ignoring the growing crowds as students begin to head home.
More important is the motorcycle parked nearby that his gaze is locked onto with a thoughtful frown. He's seen these around the city, and he'd be lying to say he doesn't sort of want to try one out for himself. Cars and trains and motorcycles were all still new to him, but it does sound convenient to have a way to get around on his own without relying on public transportation. What good is a Persona that gets stuck waiting for the bus to come when his master needs him? How would he even get one, though...? As he waits for Minako to materialize from the crowd of students, he wonders if he should even bother asking. ]
[Oh. He's just staring soulfully into the distance. That would definitely make his fangirls go wild. Minako laughs softly to herself as she trots to his side, following his gaze to see what's captured his attention.]
A motorcycle? Mitsuru-senpai has one, you know. I don't think she'd let you ride it since it's her special Tartarus-proof one, but if we ask nicely, maybe she can let you borrow a different one. After she teaches you the basics, of course!
[Not that she thinks he'd have trouble with learning. Despite the era he originated from, he's been able to adapt fairly well to all of the modern age things that have been thrown at him. At least, as far as she can tell. If he has any trouble, he keeps it to himself.
Which is a little frustrating, to say the least! The two of them are partners, and he is a facet of her soul on top of that, but sometimes he feels as far away and reticent as...as Shinjiro used to be, if not more.
It hurts her heart a little to think about Shinjiro. But there is the comfort that he eventually came around and warmed up to her, so she thinks she just needs to give Ookurikara time to do the same.
Minako beams up at the Persona, a mischievous sparkle in her eyes.]
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Gale
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Now that the districts are free and the fence is gone, Gale is free to bypass the small pond that most of the town goes to for their skating time. Instead, he takes his younger siblings out through the woods, leading them toward the lake Katniss had shown him years ago. Rory had come out with him once, before the war, but Vick and Posy had been too small at the time. Now that they’re older, and Gale is on vacation to visit family - a rare thing, these days - it’s about time they gave it a go.
They’ve all got skates, brand new from District Two, and once they get there they all have to sit down to tie them on with a little help from their eldest brother. Rory picks it up again with relative ease, but Vick stumbles a bit, and Posy - Posy’s never learned, so she has to lean heavily on Gale and hold his hand as they take a few hesitant steps. Before long, though, she’s gliding and laughing along with her brothers, having a great time. And Gale… Gale’s just glad to see them again, healthy and happy, at that.
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She didn't expect to see him there. Pausing by the edge of the trees, Madge watched them quietly. It had been a while (a long while) since she'd seen him, and part of her wanted to turn and go to the crowded pond rather than intrude on his family time. Did he even know she was alive? Would he care?
"Mind if I join?"
She said it before she realized she was speaking up and it was too late to turn back now.
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But Rory answered that question for him.
“Sure, Madge, c’mon! It’s Posy’s first time,” the boy told her cheerfully before skating out to join Vick and Posy and share news of their visitor. Gale’s eyes stayed locked on her, wanting to believe but finding it difficult, after so many years of believing she was gone. Did Katniss even know, he wondered? She’d been told the same thing as he had.
“Undersee,” he said, the name feeling familiar and somehow alien all at once. It had been a while since it last passed his lips, and it was still hard to believe it’s really her, out there. Madge Undersee, the mayor’s daughter. Alive.
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GALE
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Hey, Annie.
hbh au orrrrrr?
She looks at him, in the fading light, then back out towards the water.]
sure!
It's getting dark. We should head back to the cabins. Those harpies of theirs are going to be out any time now.
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Gale
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But why they're sending Gale, of all people, to talk to her, he doesn't know. This isn't his forte; he's never been fond of Peeta or anyone else from town and never bothered to pretend otherwise. Why should that change, simply because Katniss needs her? The fact is, it doesn't, but there's no getting out of this. Like it or not, Gale is a familiar face for her, and one that isn't Katniss. Someone needs to find out what's going on, or how to fix it, if thats even possible, and anyway, they'd argued that he'd be a good person for Peeta to speak to. He has younger siblings - maybe he could approach her that way.
"Be comforting," they'd told him. "Make her feel welcome. Normal."
Funny. ]
Don't you have something to bake? [ Gale asks immediately upon being sent in, his eyes roaming over the room they've given her with distaste. Gray, like everything else in this place. Gray, gray, gray, and lifeless, all of it. ] Looks like it gets boring in here.
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Gale. She remembered him. Katniss' "cousin". The one that liked her, too. That had known her longer, been close to her. That had rescued her from the Capitol.
No. No, that wasn't a rescue. They'd kidnapped her. He was close with Katniss, and that was bad. He was bad. If he was related to Katniss, then he had to be a mutt, too, right? Shields up, Peeta grit her teeth.] I could have baked in the Capitol. [No, they wouldn't have let her, but that was... shiny. That memory.]
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Sometimes Gale wondered if going to get Peeta was a bad decision on their part, but he'd crush the thought as soon as it came. They needed her, but most importantly, Katniss needed her. But not like this. ]
Why would you want to? [ he asked, not bothering to hide his disgust. ] They can get all the fancy cakes and breads they want, any time. Have you seen what they give us to eat here? [ It gets them by, but it's nothing special. A lot of it is disgusting, in fact, even compared to what he'd had in the Seam. ] The least it would do is brighten up the place.
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also gale
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The house they find themselves looking up at is impressive, at least by Gale's standards. Even in New Rome, the Hawthorne family had lived in the poor neighborhood, without any fancy structures or status to go with them. This place looks something the centurions of the First Cohort would retire to, living in ease with their grand family names and heritage and titles. ]
Any idea what we're looking for here? [ he asks, giving Hazel a sidelong glance. The prophecy, as always, is vague at best. They'll just have to be careful going in. ]
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Standing in front of the house, Hazel remembered the prophecy:
The daughter will meet the witch queen,
the son will light the way,
to glory or ruin remains to be seen
in the old house on this day.
And she'd remembered the legends. Before Queen Marie, there'd been another Marie. Another witch in New Orleans. So now she and Gale stood before the old house.]
Glory or ruin, the prophecy said. [Leave it to Rachel to be specific] I've just got a feeling about this house. [She shivered in the dying light.]
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[ Sword drawn, he starts up the steps. ]
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Gale - The 100
It had actually been something of a fluke that Lydia had gotten caught hacking the credit system. It had been her own father's account after all, and she was still a minor - didn't he owe something to Lydia and her mom for her care? But the Council hadn't cared, and they'd jailed her right alongside the rest of the teenagers who'd committed crimes on the Ark and were too young to push out an airlock. Her father had done nothing to save her.
She'd been terrified on the dropship, and once they'd landed, had been fascinated with the ground once they landed. Right away she aligned herself with Clarke, and thus far it had served her well.
Now with the alliance with the Grounders, Clarke and Raven had come to her - the best code hacker they knew, and asked for her help. They wanted her to hack into Mount Weather tech to help aid in the assault and help get the Forty-Five back. Lydia had agreed - but in order to do so, she'd have to trek closer to the mountain itself to access the network's signal. She'd need a guide, and protection, and she couldn't go alone.
Clarke had spoken to Lexa. And Lexa agreed to provide an escort.
Lydia waits just outside the gate of Camp Jaha, dressed for a trek, her hair tucked into a cap that shaded her face from the sun as she waits for the escort, one of the Grounders, to arrive.
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It hadn't been possible before, but now that it is, Gale has made a point to position himself at the forefront of the Tree People's forces. So when the opportunity comes to sabotage the enemy, he is the first to volunteer. After all, his people are there, too - including someone who is very important to his best friend. Donning his armor and grabbing his weapons, he goes to meet the person he is supposed to be protecting. He doesn't expect to find a girl there, let alone one whose hair is red, and he pauses when he sees her, eyeing her with superstitious caution. Lexa hadn't mentioned she was one of those. Knowing the commander, she'd left it out on purpose.
Oh, well. He's already committed to this; he can only hope it will not become a problem.
"You need to get close to the mountain," he says by way of greeting, stepping closer. "How close is close?"
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"Oh," she says in surprise, craning her head to look up at him. He's...really tall. "Your English is really good."
Lydia reaches into her pocket and pulls out a palm device. "I'll be able to tell with this." she explains. "Once we're closer to the mountain I can turn it on and use it to detect their signal. But it's got a limited battery so I don't want to turn it on until we're a lot closer. It's an eight hour walk, right?"
She then oh's. "I'm Lydia. What do I call you?"
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He spares the device a cursory glance before brushing past her, blade in hand.
"Gale," he tells her, dropping any pretense of politeness. That isn't what he's here for, and now that he's seen her, he wants this over with as soon as possible. "We have a long walk ahead of us. Try to keep up, and I'll try not to get us both killed."
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i wonder
( his voice is low, but no less demanding as he reaches out for her wrist to stop her from going inside. they had just made it to the building where they were holding her senior prom after what felt like hours of his mother hovering over them and taking more pictures than any person should ever need. it had already made the night feel long, like he shouldn't have agreed to go with her as her date for this thing, but—
he would have hated it if she went with anyone else.
more than that, he would hate it if he let her walk inside as she is. the ride over had messed up her dress—or maybe his mother hadn't done a good job pinning the flowers to the side of her dress in an effort to make them match—and he couldn't let her walk inside with drooping flowers. )
Your dress.
( he gestures to the side of the building then, encouraging her to walk over with him to let him fix it. )
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He beats her to the punch, of course; he always does. So instead her eyes drop to find the flowers on her dress struggling to hang on, and when she looks back up it’s with a small, embarrassed smile. ]
Ah… I didn’t notice.
[ She was a little busy being Not At All Nervous that he’d even agreed to come, and all… If he wants to help her fix it though, all the better - it would be a little hard to do it herself, anyway, so with a nod she steps to the side, where they won’t be in anyone’s way. ]
ookurikara
So finding out one of her Personas physically manifested outside of Tartarus is just par for the course. He's certainly not the one she expected-- Orpheus or Thanatos seemed more likely, or even one of her current Personas like Seth or Kartikeya. But it's probably better in the end. With his human features, he can roam free to his heart's content with his new "senpai from a nearby college" identity. Less questions to deal with this way.
(But not really, because now there are rumors about them at school, especially when Aigis is so protective and almost jealous of how Ookurikara is connected to her. Add the new transfer student Ryoji Mochizuki to the mix and it's a recipe for gossip disaster.)
Well. At least it's been fascinating to watch the Akihiko Sanada club dynamics change. A quarter of them left to start the Kiwame Ookurikara fanclub, and now its numbers are growing daily. She kind of feels bad for Ookurikara...but luckily the fanclub is still trying to work him out, and faction arguments keep the girls busy enough that nobody's actually confessed to him yet. They do love to gather in groups to watch him, though.
In fact, that must be the mob now, clamoring at the school gates for a glimpse of him.]
Oh geez. It's pretty bad today. Is he wearing a new outfit or something?
[Minako strains on her tippy toes to try and see above the crowd. Then, deeming it useless, she starts the long process of pushing through, praying that nobody stops to ask her for his number.]
Excuse me, sorry, non-fanclub member coming through!
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Manifesting in the real world with his own body, however... that is new, and it means that for once, he doesn't need a master to tell him what to do, where to go, which enemies to cut down. At first he doesn't know what to do with that much freedom, so he simply watches Minako and her friends for guidance - they are still bound together, after all, despite his newfound independence. Now that Ookurikara is getting used to this body, to life outside of Tartarus and his sword, he's taken to wandering the city to see what life as a human is like. He's even managed to make a few acquaintances - if you can call not taking "go away" for an answer making acquaintances.
All the same, he still wants to be the first one to know if Minako has plans to go to Tartarus on any given day. He's waited for her before, even tried to scan the crowds of students for her before realizing it was a pointless effort, so now he simply waits outside the gates in silence, ignoring the growing crowds as students begin to head home.
More important is the motorcycle parked nearby that his gaze is locked onto with a thoughtful frown. He's seen these around the city, and he'd be lying to say he doesn't sort of want to try one out for himself. Cars and trains and motorcycles were all still new to him, but it does sound convenient to have a way to get around on his own without relying on public transportation. What good is a Persona that gets stuck waiting for the bus to come when his master needs him? How would he even get one, though...? As he waits for Minako to materialize from the crowd of students, he wonders if he should even bother asking. ]
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A motorcycle? Mitsuru-senpai has one, you know. I don't think she'd let you ride it since it's her special Tartarus-proof one, but if we ask nicely, maybe she can let you borrow a different one. After she teaches you the basics, of course!
[Not that she thinks he'd have trouble with learning. Despite the era he originated from, he's been able to adapt fairly well to all of the modern age things that have been thrown at him. At least, as far as she can tell. If he has any trouble, he keeps it to himself.
Which is a little frustrating, to say the least! The two of them are partners, and he is a facet of her soul on top of that, but sometimes he feels as far away and reticent as...as Shinjiro used to be, if not more.
It hurts her heart a little to think about Shinjiro. But there is the comfort that he eventually came around and warmed up to her, so she thinks she just needs to give Ookurikara time to do the same.
Minako beams up at the Persona, a mischievous sparkle in her eyes.]
Or I could buy you a bicycle?
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