asgardmeridiem | (no subject)

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Who: Minako and Akihiko.
What: Time for some serious talk and presents.
When: Backdated all the tag to Day 335!
Where: Freya House
Rating: G - PG?

All right!

[ Resting her hands on her hips and grinning, Minako make sure her room was nice and tidy so that her friend wouldn't be walking into a room that looked like a bomb had hit it. Not that there was much for her to put in her room anyway, but it's funny how having nothing can still result in a messy room.

Being productive helped calm down her nerves because while this was meant to be a happy meet up, the catch up part wouldn't be so, well, happy. It was hard not to be nervous with all the new information she was gaining. And about how some of her friends had forgotten important things, or perhaps it never happened to him.

This wasn't the time to worry about them though. She had to make sure to put on her best smile for her senpai after all. It was time to leave her room and head outside where she would be waiting for Akihiko to show up. The air was nice outside and it would be good to get some fresh air while before they went indoors. ]

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[He hadn’t meant to let it get so late before going over to the Freya district, but between work and training and freaking out the entire network with Ryoji… it was way past midnight by this time. Still, Akihiko showed no signs of slowing down as he jogged toward the house with a bag clutched in hand. He had bought it in Vanaheim, but didn’t have a chance to give it to Minako until now, since the city was in ruins when they returned.

He caught sight of her standing outside, and immediately wondered if she felt cold. Probably better to usher her inside… It wasn’t a big deal to be in her room, right? He couldn’t help feeling nervous about it, because despite how stupid when it came to romance, even he understood the implications of being in a girl’s room.]

Hey, Minako. [Akihiko greeted her with a smile, and then asked right after.] Are you cold? [He pulled his jacket off his shoulder and stepped forward, intending to wrap it around her if she needed it.]

[ Rocking on her heels, Minako kept looking around and hoped to see Akihiko soon. He couldn't have gotten lost, could he? No, that was unlikely because he would know his way around here better then her and it wasn't that hard to miss the building.

Maybe he was taking his time or she was just out early. That was okay though, being outside never hurt anyone. The dark reminded her of home and it felt nice. A little painful, but it was still comforting to see. Closing her eyes and clasping her hands together, Minako takes in a deep breath then slowly lets it out.

Her thoughts were soon interrupted by the sound of her senpai's voice. Opening her eyes and looking at him, the brunette smiled and waved her hand. ]

Hey! And no, I'm fine. [ She shook her head. It was a little chilly, but she was sure that he would need it more then her and besides, they would be heading indoors soon. ]

[He stopped in mid-sling and tossed it back over his shoulder with a nod.]

Huh... So this is the Freya house. [He looked up at it curiously, having never stepped inside before. He just saw the outside while passing by, during his morning runs. Without explaining why, Akihiko tilted his head to peer off behind her, as if searching for something. Then he casually straightened up and adjusted his jacket.]

Uh, sorry for coming over so late. Let me know if you get tired, okay?

[Fighting in the Dark Hour made him get used to sleeping late and waking up early. All of the SEES members had to train their bodies to run on fewer hours of sleep, between Tartarus and school.]

Uh-huh!

[ She nodded her head eagerly, somewhat proud of her house. That was to be expected because this was her new home and she was supposed to be proud of it, right? After all Minako had been chosen to be a ember of Freya's household.

Raising a brow, Minako maintains a small smile. ] I'll be fine. We used to stay up much later after all so this a piece of cake. Let's go inside, okay?

[ Spinning around, Minako went to head inside and made sure to take her time so that Akihiko would be able to keep up with her. ]

Yeah... [Akihiko muttered in agreement, and a small smile played over his lips, but then faded away. It was still hard for him to believe that all of the SEES members, minus Minako herself, had forgotten about their adventures in the Dark Hour, until Graduation Day. Damn Nyx for interfering with their memories.

He nodded and followed his leader into the household, keeping his steps light and quiet, to not disturb the other inhabitants. Better to wait until they were in her room before he said anything. Akihiko was glancing around as they walked, silently noting the differences between households. It was certainly different from Hel, and even Thor, though he had moved out of his assigned household a month ago.

There was a momentary hesitation, and then he entered her room, trying not to make his curiosity too obvious.]

[ Humming a quiet tune to herself as they walked down the hallway, Minako tried her best to stay positive about what they were going to talk about. The subject wasn't a very nice one, for either of them, but it was one that they needed to talk about sooner or later.

There was a lot that needed to be said and understood, even more so now that there was another world. It was a lot to take in still, but she was slowly getting used to the thought. Pursing her lips, Minako slowly pushed her door open. ]

You can take a seat anywhere. [ She said with a smile and sat down on the small couch. ]

[There was a fleeting memory of trying to find a seat, that made him want to smile again. He was able to relax a little, and stepped forward to hand her the bag he had carried over.]

Uh... here. This is for you. [Akihiko backed away afterward, opting to sit down on the floor a short distance away from her. He didn't want to make it seem like the gift was a big deal; he just hoped it would make Minako happy.] You said you liked the flowers in Vanaheim, so... I thought you might wanna grow some here.

[ Oh, right, he did mention about wanting to give her something along with this big talk. When she saw the bag, Minako was able to feel more relaxed and even a bit better bout their current situations.

She never thought that Akihiko would remember what she said and even more so go out and actually buy some of the flowers from their. Her face lit up and she grinned. ]

Thanks! I promise to take good care of them.

[His smile eased, looking more natural, at seeing her reaction.]

There're, um... some books in the bookstore on how to take care of plants. Or you could ask the others here for help, if you need it... [He heard about a growth ability in one of the other houses, that had something to do with plants. Maybe it was like having a green thumb, literally.

With the pleasantries exchanged, Akihiko released a soft sigh, and met her eyes, making sure to keep a strong face. It made more sense to just jump right into the heart of the matter, rather than drag it out.]

What do you... remember? I mean, about Graduation Day.

A book, huh...

[ It looks like there might be more then letting it be in the sunlight and having to water it. A trip to a bookstore might be needed then and hey, when she gets there she might be able to find something to her liking. ]

Thanks. I'll be sure to remember that!

[ There's a small smile.

But, it disappears soon after it appears. ] I remember how we promised to meet up on the roof, and that's what I did with Aigis. ... I got really tired when I was up there, so I was laying on her lap and... then I closed my eyes.

[He nodded somewhat stiffly, suddenly wishing he could have given her something comforting to hold, in this moment. Like a stuffed animal. But that step was a little beyond them at present, since he didn't know where he stood with her.]

Yeah, that's... [Akihiko trailed off and rubbed a hand along the back of his neck. He cleared his throat and tried again.] We took you to the hospital after that. The doctors couldn't explain your condition. And then... [She passed away, inexplicably.] Do you, uh... remember seeing all of us? [He still felt embarrassed about forgetting her after the final fight, even though Ryoji had vaguely warned them it might happen.]

...The Dark Hour's gone, you know. At least, in Iwatodai. But Shadows can pop up in other places too, like they did in Inaba. That's where the other Persona users came from.

[ Furrowing her brows, Minako leans back into the sofa and stays silent. When she was fighting Nyx, when she used everything she had in order to stop her, perhaps that was when her lose had started to drain away. It would make sense because in a way, Minako had used her life to protect the world.

Or so she thought. ]

Seeing you all? ... It will have to depend on when. [ There's a weak smile. ] I don't remember anything after falling asleep, to be honest.

[ There was a pang in her chest when she heard about the shadows. The world wouldn't be safe if they were still lurking around, right? Then what had she died for? Just to prevent The End for a while longer? Or maybe this was for something else.

She had too many questions and Minako was worried that Akihiko might not be able to handle them or know the answer. ]

[His expression turned tense, and try as he might, he couldn't force on a smile to match hers. At least, his voice was low and calm as he reassured her.] Don't worry about it...

[While the silence stretched between, Akihiko took this time to carefully watch her face. She was holding something back... which made sense, considering the sensitivity of this topic. Still, he cared, and couldn't help pushing her a little further.]

You look like you've got something on your mind. Anything I can help with?

[He probably wouldn't have all the answers, but at least, there was now a new group of people they could ask for feedback. Maybe they weren't meant to know everything, anyway. Not as long as they were in Asgard.]

I...! ... If you say so.

[ She started to feel guilt settle into her heart when he said that though, feeling like maybe there was something important that she had been missing. And if that was the case...

Shaking her head, Minako tried to shrug the doubts off her mind.

When she opens her mouth a little, she ends up closing it and pulling her feet onto the sofa. Her arms then wrapped around her legs and she preceded to bury her face into her knees. ] I wonder...

I didn't... you know... it didn't happen in vain, right? Because of these other Shadows popping up... it can't be good if that is what is happening.

[Minako seemed distressed enough. It would be best to back off and not bring up too many of the past... incidents. He really didn't need to pile more on top of her shoulders, given all the weight she was already carrying.

He also wasn't sure what kind of comfort to offer her. She might not have the same memories he did, and being rejected would...]

Yeah? [Akihiko asked quietly, prompting her to continue. Ah, so that was her concern. It made sense, considering she gave up her life to attain their goal. He shook his head firmly.] No. None of it was a waste, Minako. But... Shadows do come back eventually. We already knew that. Still, it was up to us to save everyone from turning into the Lost. In our area, anyway. It looks like more people with the Potential show up too, whenever there are Shadows around.

[ Hanging her head and letting out a heavy breath which she had been holding in, Minako knew that she could relax a little. It was good to hear that. She didn't die for nothing. It was frustrating to hear about the Shadows, but as long as everyone was still 'safe' then it was okay. ]

So there are still people who can fight them..

I wish they didn't have to, it's not an easy job, but as long as everyone stays safe.

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