Persona-SotVD: Escape!

[Kioku]

"Nyan!" "Shh! Someone might be around and you're not allowed in here!" These are the sounds that come from the female common room of the dorm a certain Sunday morning, just past 10. The door to one of the bedrooms slowly opens, and Asami peeks in. "Eep!" She quickly disappears again, having seen that the room is not at all empty as she'd hoped. "Time for a new plan..." "Nyan?" "Yes, that too."

[A Rainy Knight]

Curled up in bed with her laptop, Miyuki lets her gaze flicker up above her computer's screen as the door slowly cracks open. She raises an eyebrow, waits a few seconds, and calls out.

"Um... is s-someone there?"

[Kioku]

Asami flattens herself against the wall next to the door, not noticing that it's still slightly open. "She heard you!" "Purrll?" "No, I'm quite sure it was you. Yuki-chan wouldn't question my presence in the dorm, after all." "Mrap!" "Wait, come back, she'll..." A small tabby cat trots through the barely open door and starts investigating the room and its occupant. Asami appears a few steps behind and freezes in the doorway. "Umm... I can explain?"

[A Rainy Knight]

Miyuki's eyes fix nervously on the cat, following its movements around the room, until she gives Asami a blank look.

"I, uh... I think an explanation would be in order, y-yes."

[Kioku]

"Yes. Well. See... she's lost. And came in through the window. You know that big tree right outside the window at the end of the hall, opposite the stairs? She climbed it and couldn't get down, and someone left that window open, then I found her, and..." Asami seems to realize she's rambling and shuts up at this point, stepping in and closing the door behind her. In a much quieter tone she continues. "So you know we can't have her in the dorm... I'm going to stage a daring escape!" Her face suddenly twists into a grin as she looks at Miyuki. One may get the sense that today is one of her more 'off' days and will most likely find some way, no matter how unlikely that way is normally, to get into serious trouble. "Hey... want to help? It could be fun... we could make it an adventure!"

[A Rainy Knight]

Miyuki sighs, and closes her laptop with a faint smile.

"An adventure, huh...? Well... c-count me in, I guess. It's not like I'm doing anything more interesting. I, uh, assume you have a p-plan or something." She looks at Asami expectantly. "Right?"

[Kioku]

"I knew I forgot something..." Asami mutters, moving over to where her clothes are kept. She looks over at Miyuki to check her expression and gives a wink. "Kidding! Of course I have a plan. I did find that cat an entire minute and a half ago, didn't I?" She starts to strip out of her clothes to put on something more appropriate to 'adventuring.' In this case, it happens to be remarkably similar to what she uses for high-contact morning runs.

[A Rainy Knight]

Setting her computer back in its case, Miyuki hops from the side of the bed. She's already dressed in her all-purposes weekend outfit of a plain shirt and skirt, and she glances toward her clothes drawers.

"Um, is this plan gonna require anything I ought to get dressed for? You look like you're r-ready to roll, so..."

[Kioku]

"You should be fine. Actually no, if you have jeans they'd be a good pick. Hrmm..." Asami wiggles her toes and looks down thoughtfully. Map! The cat pounces at a toe, trying to nibble on it. "Well yes, I know you can go out bare-pawed, but that doesn't mean the tree bark or ground will be so kind to me." She finishes pulling off her lace gloves and putting on a sports bra and shirt. "Hmm... On second thought, Miyuki, there's no reason for you to leave through the window like me. Forget what I said about jeans, but could you grab my shoes if you take the front door?"

[A Rainy Knight]

Miyuki's eyes seem to slowly widen in disbelief as she pieces together Asami's plan.

"The w-window?! Y-yeah, I think I'd just as soon go out the door. And I'll get your shoes for you, just l-let me put some on for myself..."

She rummages around in her drawers for a bit and finally slips on a pair of thigh socks.

"M-maybe it's not my place to ask, but... are you g-gonna be okay?"

[Kioku]

"Of course I'll be okay! I do this all the time, after all, don't I?" She finishes dressing and winks, scooping up the cat and starting toward the door. She pauses just before reaching it, turns around, and slowly steps toward Miyuki with a soft, caring smile. "Yuki-chan..." She hugs the girl with the arm not holding the cat, then steps away again. "It's always your place to ask." With that, she vanishes out the door.

[A Rainy Knight]

Miyuki takes her time and strolls out to the front door, slipping on her shoes and picking up Asami's as well. She steps out into the outside air, takes a breath, and starts looking around for Asami.

[Kioku]

Asami sits on the grass under a nearby tree, petting the cat. "I know it was a scary climb down, but it's okay now! See?" "Mrooo... nya?" "Exactly!" She wears a bright smile as her gaze shifts toward Miyuki of its own accord, making her start to stand up.

[A Rainy Knight]

Miyuki makes her way over to the tree, hands clasped behind her back.

"So..." she begins, looking at the cat. "D-do we just let it go here, or what?"

[Kioku]

"Map?" Asami looks at the cat questioningly. "I didn't quite catch that one, but I rather hoped this would be more interesting than it was. ... Want to go to the park and see if we can find out where she lives?" She looks up hopefully, taking her shoes and putting them on.

[A Rainy Knight]

Miyuki shrugs, and looks down the sidewalk over her shoulder.

"S-sure, if you want to. I wouldn't mind just, um... s-spending some time with you, at any rate." She looks bashfully at the ground.

[Kioku]

Asami blinks, caught a little off guard, but seems... well... extraordinarily happy. "Curses, you've caught on to my cunning plan to get you outside and spend time together without anybody else around!" She winks playfully and giggles. "Nya?" "Yes, I'm afraid I did rather take advantage of you showing up, I'm sorry." Asami pets the cat a few times in apology. The cat, meanwhile, reaches out a paw and tries to pat at Miyuki's face inquisitively. "Nyrran!" "I think she likes you." Good, now just change the 'she' to 'I', and... You're not helping.

[A Rainy Knight]

"Uwah! D-don't let it scratch me!"

Miyuki takes a sudden step back, then blushes and sheepishly runs her fingers through her hair.

"S-sorry. Heh. I'm n-not good with animals. I, uh, didn't get out much."

[Kioku]

"Oh? But that's such a shame!" Asami pulls her ponytail over one shoulder for the cat to play with and blushes a little. "If you'd like, I'll help you get out more, like today and the end of last month. There's nothing wrong with staying inside and doing the things you like if it's what you prefer, but it might be nice." She looks around to see if she's missed anything that could serve as a clue to the cat's origins. "So, onward to... ah... somewhere with missing cat posters then?"

[A Rainy Knight]

Miyuki shakes her head in a hurry. "N-no, no, I, uh, shouldn't just s-stay inside all day. I'd l-love to go out with you now and then," she says, completely oblivious of her word choice.

"S-so anyways... um, maybe we should look around the neighborhood near wherever you found it. Maybe it didn't go to far from where it lives... assuming it lives anywhere at all."

[Kioku]

Asami takes in a small breath and closes her eyes briefly, waiting for the sudden flutter in her heart to cease. You always know just what to say, even though you don't... "R-right. Well, she was up in the tree by one of the windows to the dorm, like I mentioned, that's why I had her in there to begin with. So I guess the area around here? Maybe we'll find a collar or something if we check fences and other tight spaces nearby... or we could see if someone recognizes her..." She bites her lip and glances down at the cat. "Then again, maybe you were right before. Since this is already near where she's probably from, if we just let her go, she'll find her way home anyway. It's not like the weather is bad. I guess I really did just want to search for her home as an excuse..." "Mraa." "Hehe... silly cat, you're just glad for the affection." We're not so different, are we? Is that why...

[A Rainy Knight]

"W-well, I guess it wouldn't hurt to look for a little while. If we don't f-find anything, we can just let it go."

Miyuki takes a few steps, stops, and turns to Asami.

"So w-where do we start?"

[Kioku]

After about 30 minutes of searching, Asami is nearly ready to just stop, sit down, and pet the cat for a while before letting it run off to find its own way. She voices this opinion to Miyuki to to see what the latter thinks and asks if she's found anything.

[A Rainy Knight]

Miyuki shakes her head. "I've got n-nothing. If you found it up in a t-tree, it's probably an outside cat anyways... you helped it down, at least, so let's just let it go."

[Kioku]

"You're probably right. Be good, neko-chan!" Asami scritches the cat behind the ears a few more times and sets her down. "Meu?" "Yes, I know you enjoyed our company, but I might see you again!" She smiles softly and looks to Miyuki as the cat trots over to nuzzle against the latter's feet before hopping onto, then over a fence. "Not nearly the adventure I'd imagined or hoped for, but I didn't mind it. Umm..." She shuffles her feet nervously. "Could we stay out a little longer?"

[A Rainy Knight]

Miyuki bends down and waves good-bye to the cat. "S-see you later, kitty cat... or maybe not. T-take care..."

Standing back up, she steps close enough to Asami that even her soft voice can be easily heard.

"Yeah... I'd like that. W-where would you like to go?"

[Kioku]

"Anywhere is fine if it's with you... Erm- I mean..." Asami blushes, flustered by Miyuki's closeness after having thought over things so much recently. "Eep. Sorry." How much longer can I stand to hesitate? "I hope you know... I really value your friendship. A lot. So I'm a bit afraid."

[A Rainy Knight]

"Well, I really value your f-friendship, too," Miyuki begins, with her eyes fixed shyly on her feet. "I feel... h-hopeful about the future, for the first time in years. But... w-what do you mean, you're afraid?"

[Kioku]

"I mean... you... maybe you noticed, I'm n-not as flirty with you, as with some of the others... It's because I'm afraid of what you'd think, of putting you off. I mean... that is to say..." This is painful to watch. Just kiss her already and see how she reacts! Asami looks absolutely terrified as she gingerly reaches over to take one of Miyuki's hands with both of hers. "I... I t-think that I... l-l-like you?"

[A Rainy Knight]

Miyuki looks up at Asami, down at her hand, and up at Asami again, and she starts to flush red.

"Wh-wh-wh... what do you m-mean?" she stammers. "I - I mean, you're my friend, of course I l-like you! T-that's what you mean, r-right? Or do you mean, um... a d-different kind of like?"

[Kioku]

Asami lets out a nervous giggle, her hands quivering and heart pounding. "I-I mean... maybeadifferentkind."

[A Rainy Knight]

Miyuki gulps. "S-so this is - I mean, you're... you're c-confessing to me?!"

She takes her free hand and lays it over her cheek, as if to cover herself.

"Oh... Ohhh... I n-need to think about this a bit..."

[Kioku]

"Confessing? I... I guess I am..." Asami's hold falters and her hands drop away as she stumbles backward into a tree, which she leans on. It's not an outright rejection at least! ... Is this how all of those strangers feel when they try to... no, they have nothing to lose, no friendship to risk altering or making awkward. It couldn't possibly be the same. She breathes shallowly, completely unable to calm her rapid heart. "O-of course, think about... this. It's so much easier to say now that it isn't a secret. I like you." Saying it again makes her smile even through the panic.

[A Rainy Knight]

Miyuki slowly walks over, slumps down against the tree at Asami's side, and looks over her shoulder at her.

"Uh... Asami, I... h-how do I say this..." She wrings her hands nervously, and sighs. "I d-dunno if I like you in that way. L-like, y'know, a sexy one."

[Kioku]

"T-that's okay. I u-understand." Asami gives a quick twitching of a nod. "I-it's okay if you d-don't, as long as..." She looks over at her friend with worried eyes. "I-if you decide you d-don't... you'll still be my f-friend, right?" It's still okay, everything will be okay, it has to be.

[A Rainy Knight]

Miyuki reaches over, and clumsily grabs at Asami's hand.

"Hey. Y-you're one of my best friends. Just because I'm, y'know, k-kinda not that into other g-girls doesn't change anything you've d-done for me."

She finally takes a breath.

"P-please tell me I didn't just mess up a line that c-cool...!"

[Kioku]

Asami can't help but let a tiny breath of a laugh escape. "You didn't mess up anything." Contrary to the smile she's trying to force now, her mood shows by the fact that she's now clinging to the hand that's taken hers as if her life depends on it. She... she's only my friend because of what I've done for her? She turns away quickly to hide her face, shaking.

[A Rainy Knight]

Miyuki gives Asami's hand a nervous squeeze.

"Y-you okay? I mean, I know that's p-probably not the response you were h-hoping for, right...?" She sighs. "I, uh... l-look, I'm no good at s-saying this stuff, but... I really do c-care about you, alright?"

[Kioku]

Everything feels like it's spiraling down so fast... from 'think about it' to 'unsure' to 'surely not'... to implying her motives for being my friend were... "Why?" Asami whimpers, still keeping her face turned away. "Why do you care? Is it really just... 'what I've done'?"

[A Rainy Knight]

Miyuki shrinks back, a nervous sweat beading on her face.

Crap. Crap crap crap. I screwed it up, I totally screwed it up! This was my big chance, and I - oh, craaaap...

Taking a breath, she speaks up again. "Wh-what are you talking about? Y-you spend time with me. You talk with me. You make me feel like I'm not a l-loser. I'm allowed to c-care about you, right...?"

[Kioku]

Time... care... how someone makes you feel... I see... Asami slowly turns her head toward Miyuki, not bothering to hide her tear-streaked face anymore, and glances up, looking into her eyes. A faint glow indicative of the emotional torment necessary for a persona invocation is visible from this close, and appears to be neither growing nor fading. "You... you're allowed to feel however you like." But... am I? "Just... please make sure it's for the right reasons."

[A Rainy Knight]

The sight of Asami's tears and the tone of her voice just make Miyuki wring her hands even harder.

"S-sorry. I'm sorry. Whatever I did to make you c-cry, I'm so sorry! I... D-dammit! I don't know what to d-do! Just t-tell me we're still friends, please..."

[Kioku]

So this is the pain that comes with friendship, the reality of the emotions, the risk of never knowing why...
Asami slowly reaches her arms around Miyuki and pulls her close into a tight hug, resting her chin on the girl's shoulder.
So this is what one will do for another to spare them the pain.
"Of course, Yuki-chan. We're still friends."
I love you.
"We'll always be friends."
That's why I have to lie to you.
"I'll be okay... I just need time."
To keep your heart safe and untainted.
"Please... please just let me hold you for a little while?"
I understand now, Akemi. I'm sorry I couldn't keep my promise.
Asami shivers, the tears flowing again. She makes sure as well as she can not to let her friend see.
I see it now. So this is my despair....