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Post by Naoto Shirogane on May 5, 2009 15:30:45 GMT -5
(Tag for Rise. <3)
What was she thinking? Everything was so still- so terrifyingly still even if the din of noise from that massacre still rang through her ears- or was it the splitting headache that wouldn't leave her alone? She was angry... so very angry, yet the adrenaline that came with her fit of ire and fury had left as quickly as it arrived. Something was wrong... something was so very wrong. She just wasn't thinking straight... it was just the painkillers, she was just rattled, that was it.
But, standing under that streetlight and tightly hugging herself, Naoto realized her denial wasn't going to send her home. She wasn't sure what really pushed her- was it the coddling from her grandfather, the careful lecture about how she had just come home from a brief visit to the hospital and should be weary about what situations she got into? ...Honestly, by now, the detective had completely forgotten, so uncharacteristically shaken by rage that she opened the door and left.
She didn't care where she went, she just wanted to get away from home- a decision that she now knew was idiotic. The unfriendly summer breeze only made her long for the warm, rustic scent of the mansion, the quiet security of the large stretches of land that made up the rest of the Shirogane estate... it was all so far away. She was alone, stranded on a small island of light surrounded by a dark ocean of pitch black.
She was alone.
Inaba was a calm place- nothing happened here. The statistics and logic circled her mind, attempting to soothe her- after all, she was more likely to be struck by lightning, more likely to be hit by a car, more likely to be- suddenly, none of the facts mattered. That disparaging chill that suddenly crept up her spine spoke for itself, eyes narrowed as they darted about, so much as a single noise instantly making her scramble for that familiar cold comfort in her pocket.
She immediately receded her hand from the firearm and shook her head- she was being childish. Only naive infants recoiled at bumps in the dark. Her only company were the swarms of chirping higurashi. She was fine... she was fine... until she could still feel that cold, chilling laugh, that mad cackle and the blood-curdling hiss.
How could humanity produce such a demon? Hiroki Miyamora was the black hole in the cosmos of humanity- so seemingly reclusive and mindful only of itself, until it tore into any matter it found and ripped it to shreds, greedily stripping it of everything before devouring it. He destroyed everything he found- he was the hole, and around him was a hungry aura that dragged everything it could catch in its foul tendrils down with him.
She felt so selfish- everybody else must have been shaken, everybody else must have been even slightly traumatized at the events that transpired... why was she the one to break? Naoto Shirogane was not a burden. Naoto Shirogane did not make others worry about her. No. She was a self-sufficient pillar of strength and somebody that the Investigation Team could always look up to for using cold logic in distressing situations.
...And yet it was so cold. Her lacerated frame battered her nerves in agony, shattered ribs making their displeasure known, that throbbing headache finally overcoming her again. She didn't care how safe Inaba was- they weren't just hunting down a murderer, now they were fighting other Persona-users, too. Brooding over the whole irony of this power supposedly given to protect people, the detective cringed, her heart sinking when she saw the numbers boldly shimmering on the watch she made herself. Yakushiji would have come by now... Grampa would have probably come to find her himself, if he had any intention of coming to find her.
There was only one option of a place to go, she realized, legs shaking, her gait marred by a heavy limp in her right leg as she stumbled towards what seemed like the only welcome sight in the shopping district. She didn't care that she hadn't even seen her own face in a mirror for several hours- she didn't care that pain was ripping through her with every step she took, all she cared about was going up to that familiar door at Marukyu Tofu and awkwardly attempting to knock.
She'd just stand there and hug her jacket closer to her- knowing her luck, Rise would probably turn her away too. Just the cards Fortune dealt to her, right...? These wounds were just superficial, anyway... they weren't anything bad. Of course they weren't.
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Post by Rise Kujikawa on May 5, 2009 19:01:47 GMT -5
Rise had given up on sleep.
The past few nights have nothing but agony, what with that Hiroki weirdo romping about causing chaos. She didn’t even feel safe in her own home; who knew if he’d ever decide to target the little idol. He’d already nearly killed Souji, which was devastating enough… Now Naoto was the one being sent to the hospital after receiving several nasty injuries.
Naoto had gotten consent to return home, but Rise still worried about her girlfriend throughout the day. She didn’t look like she was in that great of shape after the fight, physically and mentally. Then again, maybe she was just being too clingy… It wasn’t honestly all that rare for Rise to get clingy. It also wasn’t that rare to feel a little scarred after seeing someone you really, really like get mauled.
It seemed like every time the redhead tried to shut her eyes for some sleep, she was only rewarded with images of fighting, blood, the haunting eyes of the towering man known as Hiroki. The few times she did get some shuteye in class, she’d find herself jumping awake from nightmares what seemed like only minutes afterward. She was always attempting to rush to someone’s side just before a bloodied blade penetrated their face, stomach, heart… whatever. It was the worst when it was Naoto on the receiving end of those fights.
To say the idol wasn’t distressed by the Investigation Team’s recent events was horribly, horribly wrong. She had managed to stay relatively out of trouble, only receiving a few tiny hits and scratches, but what she was basically forced to watch was arguably worse then any blows. The fact that there was nothing really that the idol could do to help her friends out tore at her. Why did she have to have such a… useless persona?
No, she couldn’t only blame it on Himiko. Her persona was part of her. Really, Rise could only blame herself for not being able to do anything.
With a soft groan, the redhead rolled onto her stomach, fisting the fluffy white pillow and stuffing her face into it. She had to stop thinking so negative. Rise was supposed to be the optimist on the team, and here she was, brooding over the past and pretty much being all emo. She had to remind herself that everyone was fine now, and they would catch the bad guys eventually.
… The truth of the matter was that Rise just really wanted to see Naoto. She faintly wondered what the other girl would do if she climbed in through her bedroom window and scooted in bed next to her to cuddle. She smiled at the thought of Naoto’s alert face from the sudden warmth next to her in the middle of the night. Just thinking about seeing her girlfriend made her heart flutter slightly, her imagination even going so far as to imagine knocking at the door.
However, an even louder knock sounded not long after the first, despite how clumsy and weak it was, and the idol had a dreading feeling that it wasn’t her imagination. Who would visit at such an ungodly hour? You’d think the tofu shop was closed at two in the morning. The thought that maybe it was Hiroki again made her chest pound anxiously, while on the other hand she was nervous that there was someone perfectly innocent out there that needed some help. Should she risk her own life to satisfy the curiosity?
The small, logistic side of her brain said that Hiroki wouldn’t have knocked. He’d pound the door in or simply smash through a window and stab her in the face. The larger, more dramatic side pictured a green goblin with a giant axe and black eyes.
In the end, Rise’s tiny realistic half decided it was safe to crack the tofu shop’s door open to take a peek at who was knocking. She was in no way dressed proper enough to take any customers – a short nightgown and pink slippers weren’t what most people considered professional. If worst came to worst, she’d simply tell whoever was knocking that the tofu shop is closed, and be back on her not-so-marry way to dream land.
She wasn’t expecting Naoto, though.
She definitely wasn’t expecting zombie Naoto.
God, maybe she’d fallen asleep and hadn’t realized. Did this mean a monster was going to pop out of nowhere and eat the other girl’s head off? With adrenaline suddenly pumping through her veins, the idol quickly grabbed Naoto by the shoulders, practically shoving her inside the shop. She was too surprised by the sudden visit, and scared of the nazi zombies from the back alley’s attacking, that she’d forgotten about her girlfriend’s wounds.
She instead gave what probably wasn’t the smartest thing; a tight embrace, all while holding back the crocodile tears.
“Oh god, Naoto, what are you doing here? You didn’t walk all this way, did you? Did anyone try to harm you? Rapists? Oh man, please don’t tell me you were… Oh god, oh god, w-well I’ll tell them off! Naoto is with me,” her lip quivered, “Are you cold? Need a blanket? Any injurie-”
Injuries.
Rise gasped, letting go like she just burned her fingers from the clothes on Naoto’s back. Her mind seemed to have come to as she gave the blue-haired girl a once-over, her brows knitting in worry. She obviously wasn’t doing so well, not with the way she put more weight in one leg than the other, or the careful way she held herself so as not to aggravate other wounds. The idol felt like an idiot. This wasn’t a dream.
Anxiously biting a nail (she’d slap herself later), Rise quickly looked around the room for somewhere to offer Naoto some comfort. The table chairs didn’t look very suitable, and she was sure the constant smell of soy product wasn’t very pleasant after a while of sitting in it. She looked instead towards the door in the hallway, a soft light emitting from it.
“Can you walk a little more, so we can sit in my room? It’s more comfy in there then it is out here. A-And I can change any bandages you might need.”
She smiled slightly, grabbing the other girl’s arm as gently as she could manage. She'd lecture Naoto later.
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Post by Naoto Shirogane on May 12, 2009 21:07:04 GMT -5
She never even expected the door to open. She especially never expected to be greeted by a rather under-clothed Rise, who immediately took her in- if a bit roughly- and didn't even question her motives so much as immediately welcome her in. She wasn't sure whether to feel disgusted at herself for obviously having a girlfriend that was too kind for her to deserve, or to be shocked at how she wasn't greeted with a wagging finger or a pouting scowl... the first thing Naoto got after she was released from that embrace was an awkwardly warm smile. She was too shocked and flustered to even speak- the fact that Rise hugged her so tightly that it sent a shocking new wave of pain was suddenly nullified.
And then she felt herself being led as if she was but a young child- but Naoto voiced no complaints. Feeling Rise's gentle grip on her arm like that stirred some unfamiliar feeling in her gut, the detective biting her lip slightly at the mere guilty thought of how much she was probably burdening the former idol. She never would have done this- how could she be stupid enough to stumble into her girlfriend's house at such a horrible hour, especially when she was too wounded to even really care for herself? Naoto Shirogane was independent and strong- she didn't do things like this... they didn't happen.
And yet, a pale hand trembled slightly, venturing away from hugging her sides to awkwardly grip the other girl's hand as she was led down the hallway. Many would never expect Naoto to enjoy being in a place so painfully feminine, but... Rise was here. The soft warmth that followed the redhead everywhere radiated in every place that she so much as even stared at. This place was so soothing and secure, unlike the cruel, cold world. This was the calm in the storm- this was where Naoto could always feel safe, she realized... not home. Often sitting alone in her room, face buried in a book, she would never get any extra sleep... the facts of the case danced around in her mind, haunting and frustrating her. Here, she realized, she suddenly forgot about it all.
The cruel, mad cackling of that monster and the fact that his cohort was so thoughtlessly obedient... watching Sukuna-Hikona bound upwards, valiantly readying his sword, only to be sickeningly crushed into nothing in the diseased jaws of a necrotic serpent... those tattered black wings, those cruel black horns, those lifeless emerald eyes... she just tried to shake it off, especially considering that the beast that accompanied it was just as haunting. Her gut heaved at the mere thought- and, as a consequence, she felt the new torrent of pain batter her, Naoto practically gnawing on her tongue and cursing when she heard a small whimper still betray her and escape.
She was too proud to be like this- she didn't know of her own disheveled, tattered appearance, she didn't know of her shaky, stumbling gait... Naoto didn't care what she looked like, she was never going to look weak. Not in front of anybody. Never. Never... never, never, never... quietly cursing as every step brought the slightest new whimper, every bit of shame she could feel creeping into her being scolded her from even looking up- Rise did nothing to deserve a burden like her... Naoto was like this because of her own pride and foolishness, so she should suffer alone.
Then why did you come to her door, Naoto Shirogane?
She couldn't answer her own question. She wanted to laugh at the mere thought. The blue-haired detective never left a stone unturned, and yet she couldn't answer her own inquiries with ration and logic just because some maniac with a Persona shook her up? Absolutely laughable, preposterous and bizarre. She wanted to punch herself in the gut, but apparently her wounds were doing that for her- she wasn't quite sure... where she hurt. Wonderful timing that her body decided to nearly double over only when they got to the warm light at the end of the hallway.
"R-Rise... p-please... I-I'm all right, I promise... I promise..." She didn't care how strained or tired her voice was- she was fine, damnit. She was fine... she had to be fine...
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Post by Rise Kujikawa on May 14, 2009 16:21:44 GMT -5
Rise's thin brow knitted together as Naoto’s mood seemed to flop, going from looking helpless at her doorstep, to suddenly denying her care altogether. Why come to the tofu shop in the first place, if she was just going to push the idol away? It didn’t make sense in her mind. And that was what worried Rise; an illogical Naoto wasn't anything good (was the world coming to an end, maybe?).
The redhead watched Naoto carefully out of the corner of her eye, her face turning only slightly red after her hand was grabbed. It was like the detective’s mind was telling her one thing, while her body did another. Why did she try so hard to remain distant to people? Rise smiled slightly; Naoto should know by now that the idol didn’t take no for an answer when it came to help. She’d better get used to it.
Shutting her bedroom door with the heel of her foot, Rise proceeded to guide Naoto to the bed. It would probably be more comfortable there then it would on a fuzzy pink vanity chair. Maybe not as easy to check her wounds, but that part didn’t matter.
The protest Naoto gave still tugged at her heart. Why try to hard to be independent? Why couldn’t she just open up to Rise?
With an unsteady sigh, she turned to look at Naoto straight on, trying to put on a caring smile. She raised her fingers to the other girl’s lips, silencing the protests about “being all-right” and whatever else. Rise wouldn’t have any more of that. If Naoto didn’t want help, she definitely should have stayed beyond a 200-mile radius of the idol.
“Naoto-kun…” she moved her fingers from Naoto’s lips to play with a lock of hair absently, smiling gently, “If you say anything more about not needing my help, I can go on and see how that opinion changes when I give a little poke to your belly.”
The smile turned somewhat devilish, however cruel the thought was. “Just kidding! I’m not that mean. But seriously, you don’t look so hot right now, and I don’t want you going back out there with those wounds! I don’t even understand why you left your amazing palace in the first place. Either way, I’m the one taking care of you now, so you better learn to deal with it.”
She winked playfully, with a smile not quite reaching her eyes. Looking at Naoto’s battered form only reminded her of how they were acquired in the first place, and how she couldn’t really do anything to help. She let out a small sigh, “It wasn’t much fun watching you get those owwies, you know! I may not be a good doctor or anything, but let me just help you out as a friend. And, well, I… um…”
Rise pondered for a second. Was it too early to say ‘I love you, and I don’t want you to die because of some douchebag’? Probably… She finished instead with, “Well, you’re my girlfriend, and I don’t want you in pain all the time.”
Oh that was cheap, Rise scolded herself. Why was she giving this huge lecture in the first place? … Screw it.
Rise leaned forward, letting her lips touch Naoto’s, if only for a small, chaste kiss. It was the only way she could think to get the point across, without saying those words. She had to let Naoto know somehow that Rise was there for her, and what a better way then by fizzling her brain to mush completely. At least Rise could check her wounds without complaint.
She backed away slightly, giving the detective her personal space back once again. Motioning towards the bed for Naoto to sit, the idol smiled sheepishly. “Now, time to check those wounds. I wont take ‘no’ for an answer, missy!”
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