Persona-SotVD: Velvet Torment

[Kioku]

Sorry that this and the previous thread have focused so heavily on Asami. >.<; I really want to see more Miyuki growth in them, but I don't know how to very well incorporate it since I don't know what you have in mind for her! So, whole bunch of RP threads focusing on her after this? You get to start them since you know what she's like. :PThis thread is Asami-Miyuki Rank 10. As evidence, Ranks 1-9 are as follows; Moving In (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?365959-Persona-In-The-Playground-Secret-Of-The-Velvet-Door-Moving-In), Shopping (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?367035-Get-In-Loser-We-re-Going-Shopping-SotVD), Fresh Lunch (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?367430-Persona-SotVD-Fresh-Lunch), Hello World (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?368608-Persona-SotVD-Hello-World), Deja Vu (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?369289-Persona-SotVD-Deja-Vu), Into the House of Flowers (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?369319-Into-the-House-of-Flowers-Persona-in-the-Playground-%28Social-Link%29), Fever Dream (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?370155-Persona-SotVD-Fever-Dream), Arcade Secret (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?370159-Persona-SotVD-Arcade-Secret[/url), Escape! (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?372019-Persona-SotVD-Escape!).
Thirteen days. It has been thirteen days since the flight of the cat from the dorm, since the confession, and since through overthinking and hyperfocusing on exactly the wrong things, Asami was broken. For thirteen days she has worn a fake smile, played the flirt that everyone knows, and mostly acted completely normal - most people wouldn't even tell the difference... but the glow in her eyes has never stopped, and the sense that something is just off with her has persisted...
"The Shadow nest should be near here. The others will reach us soon, right? They did say to go on ahead while they finished up..." Asami glances at Miyuki, the faint outline of Tamamo-no-Mae overlapping her features even without danger near. "Do you think the terrain changed? We could be lost here, separated... but at least I couldn't ask for better company." To someone so familiar and experienced being around her, the words ring hollow, nearly devoid of care except the last few.

[A Rainy Knight]

I'll gladly do some Miyuki-centric stuff after this. I've got... oh, an idea or two in mind.
Miyuki looks concernedly back at Asami, but keeps walking forward.

"This is the r-right place, I think," she begins, hesitantly at first, until a ghostly pair of hands rest on her shoulders. "Pythia agrees. The others s-shouldn't be long, anyways..."

With a glance around at the terrain, she shrugs. "It's a weird place in here. I wouldn't w-worry about it too much."

I've got plenty else to worry about, anyways...

[Kioku]

Asami makes a very slow blink and turns her head to the right. Our allies are not coming, but something is. From there, and quickly. I can taste their desire. Asami allows for a bare hint of a smirk at Tamamo's detection method before relaying the information. "We will have something to deal with long before help arrives. I suppose we get to fight along side each other now after all." And what it does to me, what you see... it doesn't matter anymore.

[A Rainy Knight]

Miyuki jolts upright and looks around.

"S-something's coming?! Oh, geez, w-what do we do... we're short-handed, and my P-Persona's really n-no good without a team...!" She absent-mindedly wrings her hands, and glances at Asami. "H-how are you so calm about this?"

[Kioku]

Asami slowly turns toward Miyuki wearing just a hint of genuine emotion. "Calm?" she asks. "I'm not calm. I would be, but you're here, so I have something to lose. You should be calm though... because I will protect you. No matter what the cost." Her aura flares and Tamamo fully manifests, more real-looking than the form of Asami engulfed by her. Only now is it visible what seemed different until this point. Asami's manifestation of her inner self is constantly crying drifting tears of snow. "Even if I'm only someone 'useful', I could never let anything happen to you." She looks up again to glimpse the incoming shadows. "Four of them. I believe we see Magician, Hanged Man, Temperance, and..." Ah. Just what I've been looking for, how appropriate. "...and Death."

[A Rainy Knight]

"Useful...?"

Miyuki opens her mouth again as if to speak, but thinks better of it and stops to summon her Persona instead. With Pythia's veiled form raised up behind her, she keeps her eyes on the Shadows while she talks to Asami.

"W-we're gonna handle this, and it's not gonna be 'at any c-cost.' And then we're gonna t-talk this crap out..."

[Kioku]

You still seem to care... I don't understand it at all... "I... I think I know how we can get through this without any of the others. I need your help." I don't want you to see this... why do I still care if you see me like this? "You're better than me, at slowing their reactions. For this to work they mustn't be able to avoid it. Will you trust me?" A soft pink mist emanates from Tamamo's face, and less so from the rest of her body as Asami prepares herself.

[A Rainy Knight]

Miyuki sighs. I... I d-dunno what you're thinking. But if you've got a plan, I t-trust you."

She raises her staff toward the Shadows, and Pythia's veils flutter in a gust of vapors.

"Let's go, Pythia!"

[Kioku]

Venus. Tamamo's tails dance as she changes aspects. With an alluring look toward the Shadows, the mist disperses, causing the enemy to be charmed and start fighting each other. A small smile appears on Tamamo's face, but Asami is shivering from the mental strain. She glances to Miyuki, and for the first time in weeks, she can't hide the pure despair in her features. "We believe that if you can poison them, they will take care of the rest themselves, after this..." the pair say, a wicked dagger appearing in one hand.

[A Rainy Knight]

Miyuki pauses at the sight of Asami's true face.

"Wh-what the hell...? Asami, are you...?"

She takes a breath, and turns back to the Shadows. There's no time for doubts now, with the enemy right in front of them.

"F-fine. I trust you." She steadies herself with the help of Pythia's hand at her side, and assaults the enemy with a noxious plume of vapor.

[Kioku]

"Atropos," the pair whisper, changing aspects again. If a charm is the least taxing thing I can do, this may be the most... please don't hate what you discover of me, Yuki-chan... Tamamo plunges the dagger into her own chest, and it vanishes as ethereal blood wells out, forming strands that attach to the shadows from Tamamo's fingertips, like puppet strings. "This is the curse I raise upon you." The strands snap and the wound closes, but not before Asami collapses to the ground in a shaking heap, clutching the sides of her head with a scream. While the Shadows are now wounding themselves every time they wound one another, Asami's mental stability is burning up fast from manifesting her inner self.

[A Rainy Knight]

This isn't right... this can't be right!

Leaving the Shadows to their struggle, Miyuki lets Pythia fade into thin air as she dashes to Asami's side. She grabs her from beneath the arms, and struggles to lift her to her feet with her scrawny arms.

"Asami! C-c'mon, Asami, I'm getting you out of here now! Nnnrgh!" She grunts, as she tries to hoist Asami upright in one go. "W-we've bought some time, p-probably. C'mon, please...!"

[Kioku]

Asami's light body seems more frail than ever as it's easily lifted and she manages to get her feet under her, still shaking and holding a hand to her head. She catches a glimpse of her friend, but barely seems to recognize her through the pain. "Yu... Yuki?" She holds a hand in front of her, 'catching' some of her persona's tears. "Oh... so this is what snow looks like... much more pure than ash was, after all." "This has to last for just... a little... longer!" The pink mist appears again and disperses over the shadows, keeping them under the charm. Asami almost falls again at the mental strain, but stays upright in Miyuki's arms. "Please don't think less of me for this... you mean too much to me..." she murmurs, not seeing that one of the shadows resisted the second charm and is preparing an attack.

[A Rainy Knight]

"I'll t-think later," Miyuki says, as she puts an arm around Asami and tries to lead her away. "W-we're running away now! If only this place wasn't built like a f-frickin' maze...!"

In her attempts to somehow save her friend, she doesn't even pay attention to the Shadows.

[Kioku]

Asami stumbles and her eyes widen in shock more than anything else as the Modoon hits her. "Shadow..." she snarls, "THAT COULD HAVE HIT YUKI!" The backlash from the curse wasn't enough to end the Death shadow, but the flurry of kunai that Asami throws is. She pulls herself upright, leaning only some on Miyuki, and runs along with the other girl, as per her wishes, the moment the kunai are out of her hand, not bothering to check what effect they've had. A glint of true insanity shines in Asami's eye for a few moments, during which she tries... and fails... not to let Miyuki catch a glimpse at her. Once they're safely away, Tamamo fades and Asami wavers on her feet again, dizzy. "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."

[A Rainy Knight]

Breathing heavily, Miyuki finally slows to a stop, holding up Asami as best she can.

"S-sorry for what? I'm okay. Y-you're okay, right? That was some c-crazy stuff back there, but..." She puts her arms around Asami, and lets out a rare sniffle. "I thought you were in serious t-trouble there. I'm s-so glad...!"

[Kioku]

Asami receives the hug with an expression of utmost surprise and more than a little panic. "Y-you were worried... for me? Not afraid of me? I thought..." Tears of happiness almost well up, but then she looks like she realizes something. "Oh... Ooooh... I understand. I-I suppose I'm glad you value me so much." That's right. My love means that I'm valuable, since I'll never abandon her. As a tool for protecting her and making her feel better about herself. I mustn't let myself forget. "I apologize for making you worry if I had... broken. Getting in touch with my inner self, summoning the turmoil to manifest Tamamo... I never wanted you to see that. The kind of... ... what it leaves behind, the state it puts me in."

[A Rainy Knight]

"Of course I was w-worried about you! Your Persona talks a b-big game, but you looked like you were in p-pain... and like you had just g-given up on it all, or something...!"

Miyuki sniffles again, and holds Asami tighter.

"L-look, this timing s-sucks, but we need to talk. Something's wrong with you. I dunno w-what it is, but it's been wrong for a c-couple of weeks now! Just... nrrrrgh, I'm so d-damn frustrated with you!"

[Kioku]

Oh, no... she's noticed. "G-given up? O-o-of course not!" Asami says this... but it's totally transparent. On this side of the Door, her emotions and inner self are too close to the surface to hide effectively. Her shoulders slump as she surrenders to the hug. "Of course I was hurting... it always hurts somehow when I summon her. Usually I can last longer though... I guess that-" She cuts herself off, realizing she's about to say too much, but doesn't seem like she can keep holding back for long like this.

Sure enough, after a few moments she squeezes her eyes shut and returns the embrace. "I guess that calling on emotions that are more immediate and close to the surface only helps when they aren't already dominant." Asami quivers and seems like she wants to never let go as she starts to break down babbling in a tirade that reveals her true recent mindset. "I-I can't stand seeing you sad! Especially over me! I don't care anymore why you're my friend or why you care. I can't keep being like this! I just need to know you're here, and that I can make you happy... I'd do anything just to be allowed to keep being your friend. Anything to know I'd never be sent away. Even if it were a lie, it would be worth it."

[A Rainy Knight]

"S-see? I knew something was w-wrong with you, that you're even s-saying crap like this. 'Allowed to be my f-friend?' G-getting 'sent away?' You sound like me, and that's not a c-compliment."

Miyuki sighs, and keeps holding onto Asami.

"I don't understand what the h-hell you're talking about, and that's the problem. You don't like that I'm s-sad? Well, I'm sad because you won't even tell your f-friend what's bothering you..."

[Kioku]

"If I sound like you... m-maybe I have the same reasons you would if you were the one s-saying these things?" I was stupid... so stupid. "I... I lied. I said I w-would be okay and just n-needed time. I d-didn't want to let you t-think that I was hurt as much as I was." Asami seems simply unable to hold back anymore, like whatever was letting her keep her mask of being okay up has shattered. "I t-thought... after the doubts started I just couldn't stop them. I thought that I'd never be able to tell why someone wanted to be my friend, that I could never trust the intentions of anyone, and it was hell. I can't go on like that... I need people in my life, I need... I need you! I need to trust you and your intentions... so please... please..." She buries her face in Miyuki's shoulder. "Please tell me why... I promise I'll believe whatever you say right now."

[A Rainy Knight]

"...and I thought I worried too much."

Miyuki thinks just a moment before she speaks.

"I'm your f-friend because I wanna be with you."

[Kioku]

Asami lets out a pained laugh. "You really should mind how you phrase things. Don't worry... I know now that you didn't mean it that way." She sniffles a little. "...Okay. I believe you." She pulls back her head to stare Miyuki in the eye, ignoring the minute distance it leaves. "I'll never doubt your friendship again. I'm sorry that I ever did." Nothing is worth going back to being like that... or hurting Yuki that way again. She bites her lip and glances away, blushing at the realization of how close they are. "I'll... ah... also try not to let... that... affect things."

[A Rainy Knight]

Miyuki scratches her head with an awkward smile.

"Heh. Glad to hear it. And... d-don't worry about that. At least I know I'm c-cute, huh?"

She stops, and looks at her feet as if regretting her own words.

"S-sorry. Dunno if I should be j-joking about that yet. But the b-bottom line is that I'm okay with it, alright? Asami is still Asami."

[Kioku]

Asami closes her eyes and tries to calm down, but her heart rate is evidence that she's failing. "Asami is still Asami," she confirms. For now. She shudders at the ethereal voice in her head. "A-as long as you're okay with it, I'll try to be as well. B-but you're a little too cute, I think... if we face each other so close like this, my resolve will be put to the test to avoid... ruining things." She nods quickly, eyes still closed. "Don't worry. Even if it's normal between close friends, I'll do my best to avoid making you feel awkward." She shifts her head away and to the side, burying her face in her shoulder again. "I could never stand to do anything to put our friendship at risk."

[A Rainy Knight]

"H-hey... like I said, Asami is still Asami," Miyuki says, with a more genuine smile. "And I wouldn't t-turn down a peck on the cheek from Asami. We don't need to walk on eggshells around each other... t-that's the best part of being friends."

[Kioku]

"You mean... so you don't mind if I do all the things with you, that I did before... before I told you?" The best sign that Asami may recover is in her voice right now; it carries hope which until now seemed like it may have been lost for the long term. "I know I've always acted more... delicately I guess, than I would have." She burrows in a little with a shake of her head. "No, I don't want to worry about that right now. I just want to be happy... no, I am happy. Happy that you're here and you..." She leans the side of her head against Miyuki's cheek. "You like me for who I am." That one sentence seems to hold feeling as though it were the one thing most important to her in the world right now.

[A Rainy Knight]

"Yeah... yeah, I do," Miyuki replies, to Asami's final sentence. "And I think you f-feel the same way about me."

A moment passes, and then Miyuki steps back a short ways.

"Y-you feeling better now? I think it might be for the b-best if we found a way out of here..."

[Kioku]

Asami feels her friend pull away and lets go, slowly opening her eyes and looking at her again with an expression of soft joy. "You're right. That is why I..." well, maybe rather than 'like'... "...feel how I do." She takes a deep breath and shivers, bringing Tamamo into partial manifestation again and looking around with lazily open eyes and a slightly open mouth, more tasting the air than looking. She flinches as something she's sensed is snuffed out. "That way," she says, looking in the direction of the extinguished desire. "Someone's destroyed a Shadow that way." Asami's head tilts as Tamamo fades away, and she glances toward Miyuki again. She swoops in, kisses her friend on the cheek, and takes her hand, walking in the indicated direction.

[A Rainy Knight]

Miyuki can't help but smirk with satisfaction at the kiss on her cheek, and starts walking hand in hand with Asami. "Alright. Let's go that way. If w-we run into any Shadows, then..."

She pauses, and thinks for a moment.

"W-well, I haven't fought with you before, so... was that n-normal, what happened back there with your Persona? If you're not f-feeling well, just let me fight. Me and Pythia, we're feeling pretty good today..."

[Kioku]

"It was... almost normal. I had really hoped you'd never have to see me like that, but now you have, and I..." Asami squeezes Miyuki's hand, and a hint of a smile shows from the side view of her face. "I don't have to worry anymore. I'm not afraid of letting you see the real me." She can't seem to resist pulling her friend's hand up and kissing the back of it, then keeping it near her heart.

"Summoning a persona, using abilities in concert with one, it's mentally draining. Doing so for most people requires trauma, a primal fight or flight response, or something that taps into their survival instinct. That's why some of the others use Evokers, even though you know it can't hurt you, it resembles something that can enough that somewhere deep inside of yourself, you fear for your life. "I can't die like this, I refuse to die," those are the thoughts that run through most peoples' heads the first time they use one - and in fact most times afterward. Anyway, if it doesn't involve survival, there are several other things that could induce mental trauma. Forcing yourself to relive memories, driving yourself to feel emotions more clearly that are painful, things like that. That's what I do. The first time I called Tamamo for battle..."

She pauses and looks down, putting her other hand on Miyuki's as well. "I had to lock myself away inside my mind and literally relive Akemi's death while Tamamo took over my body and acted through it. I only had a few glimpses into the outside, and remembered everything that happened afterward, but... every time I do, it makes all of the emotions involved come closer to the surface, more distinct, more memorable, more impactful. If that weren't enough, calling on her brings my inner self closer to the outside, everything I'd rather keep locked away or try to hide."

Asami turns her head to look at Miyuki with a smile that holds a twinge of sadness, but otherwise betrays that she isn't nearly as bothered by speaking about this with her friend as she rightly should be. "Don't worry though. I can still fight. I just mustn't draw on anything quite as traumatic or recent as I did today. There will be no more tears made of Yuki." It's not entirely sure whether she means "yuki" as in snow, or a shortening of Miyuki's name, and she doesn't seem to want to clarify as she starts walking again.

[A Rainy Knight]

"H-huh... I had n-no idea. B-but if you say you're okay..." Miyuki leaves her hand in Asami's, and walks forward in silence for a short while.

"You think everyone's Personas are d-different?" she finally asks. "See, I... I guess I'm just unusually close to myself, if that makes any s-sense. I spent those years at home thinking, talking to myself, introspecting... it f-feels almost natural to call Pythia," she says, reaching up with her free hand and grasping at the ghostly silhouette of a hand draped in veils. "Like she's been there all along, and I just d-didn't realize it."

[Kioku]

"Maybe..." Asami whispers, more to herself than in reply. "Maybe... You know what they say a persona is, right? A tamed Shadow, at least that's what I understand. But a lot of the time I feel like Tamamo is more Shadow than persona, and only works with me because it makes me face myself. She's easier to tap into on the outside than here, even. When not battling, than when fighting for my life." She looks pensive, still oddly calm if her heart beating against Miyuki's hand is any indicator. "I think you're right though. You seem to fit so naturally with Pythia, and I've never seen Tsubaki have any trouble with Cu Chulainn. Maybe something is just wrong in particular with me. Maybe I... can't accept how I am as easily as you can."

[A Rainy Knight]

"W-well... I don't know much about the theory of it, so I can't really say much to that. M-maybe there's still room for you to grow, or something...?"

Miyuki shakes her head, and gets her mind back on the immediate situation.

"Anyways! Um... are we any closer to that t-thing you felt before?"

[Kioku]

"Maybe there is... does Pythia ever confront you with things you'd rather not think about? Sorry, that's very personal..." Asami wavers on her feet as Tamamo manifests again for a few moments, and looks like she's starting to get a headache by the time the apparition leaves. "Yes, and they're still at it. I think we'll get there in under a minute if we keep going..." She seems a bit disappointed for some reason. The circles she's drawing with a finger on the back of her friend's hand makes it a little more clear to why, as does the next thing she asks. "H-Hey, Yuki-chan... do you mind if when we go back... could I sit and hold you for a little while again? I just need reassurance that this was all real, that we had this talk... it's really nice being with someone who accepts you no matter what."

[A Rainy Knight]

A hint of a glum look passes over Miyuki's face for a moment. "Y-yeah, I don't always want to h-hear what Pythia says to me. We can, uh, t-talk about that some other time..."

She keeps walking, and perks back up as Asami touches her hand.

"Once we're out of here, s-safe and sound... you can do whatever you want," she says. "C-crazy as this world is, it definitely wasn't a dream or anything."

[Kioku]

Asami blushes very brightly once she realizes what Miyuki has just said. Satisfied smirk when I kiss you? Smug smile when saying you'll 'show me how to do things right' right after talking about romance? 'Whatever I want' just now? Yuki, you are the *queen* of mixed messages. She unconsciously moves to be walking a little closer to her friend, almost so that they're touching at the hip. "You... ahh... might want to rephrase that. Or set a boundary. Just a little."

... I am in awe of Miyuki's ability to make Asami's crush worse with practically everything she says and every moment they're together. Just wow. Even when Asami knows she isn't interested.

[A Rainy Knight]

Miyuki suddenly blushes again.

"Wah! Me and my s-stupid mouth... Um, well, we can do whatever we want, at least. Is that any b-better?"

Still, she doesn't shy away from Asami.

[Kioku]

Asami giggles a little, ending with a content sigh. "A little better, yes." She can't help but brush another kiss across her friend's cheek just before they reach the other group and make their way from there to the exit.

[A Rainy Knight]

Once the pair have made it back to the dorm, Miyuki promptly makes for their room, walks in the door, and plops herself down onto the bed.

"Whew! I'm b-beat... I'd, uh, invite you into bed with me, but that's a little too obvious for even me to miss... heh." She sits up and inches her way to the side of the bed, patting the sheets beside her to show a spot for Asami.

[Kioku]

"It's not like you've complained when I sneaked in for a cuddle or warmth before," Asami giggles with a wink. She swiftly changes clothes, wanting to get the shadow-battling-suited athletic wear into the laundry in favor of her more comfortable around-the-dorm wear. "That's... umm... another thing I'll stop doing if you prefer," she quietly notes while sheepishly making her way to the bed, to sit next to her friend.

[A Rainy Knight]

"Y-you can keep doing what you were doing before," Miyuki says. "I really d-don't mind..."

She looks on with a bit of envy at Asami's comfy dorm clothes, and then glances down at her clothes drawers.

"'Scuse me for a moment," she says, hopping down and digging through one of her drawers. "M-might feel pretty good to get some fresh clothes after a f-fight like that. Um... c-could you turn your head while I change? It's not about, y'know, that, it's just, uh..."

[Kioku]

Asami blushes just barely and nods. "Of course, of course, I understand. Not everyone has as little in the way of nudity taboo as I do." She turns away to look at the wall while waiting, and sits in the previously indicated spot once Miyuki is done and back on the bed.

[A Rainy Knight]

Miyuki finishes changing into some comfy clothes and hops back up onto the bed beside Asami. After a moment's pause, she puts an arm around Asami's shoulder and pulls.

"T-thanks for understanding. Though I guess it's not like you've never seen me n-naked, huh?"

[Kioku]

Asami easily lets herself be pulled to lean against Miyuki. She barely restrains herself from snuggling up against her - for the first five seconds or so, after which she makes a small happy sound and does so, looking up with a smile yet again. "I suppose not, though I tried not to look any more than necessary to help you bathe."

[A Rainy Knight]

Miyuki chuckles. "Heh, it's f-fine. That was a t-tough night for me, and I, uh... I was really glad you were there for me. Just like I'm glad that you're gonna still be there for me in the future, right?" She pauses. "And I, uh... I'm gonna be there for you, too. Just like t-today."

[Kioku]

Asami gasps just barely loud enough to hear and pulls away, staring at Miyuki with eyes that shine with joy. "I- I will!" She leans in until their noses touch. "I'll always be there for you, until my life is exhausted." Asami puts her arms loosely around her friend and rests her forehead against the other girl's, closing her eyes and apparently content to just stay like that with no intention of doing anything further that the position might suggest. Even though it's normal for close friends to kiss... I don't think she'd take it that way. Yuki's comfort should be my first priority in situations like this.

[A Rainy Knight]

Miyuki sits wide-eyed and speechless as Asami draws close to her, but she makes no move to back away, draping her arms over Asami's shoulders instead. A moment passes, and she breaks the silence with a sniffle as a tear leaks out and rolls down her cheek.

[Kioku]

Asami opens her eyes at hearing the sniffle, and draws her head back slightly with a curious tilt. "Yuki?" She leaves one hand on the girl's back, but moves the other to her face, tracing over the tear.

[A Rainy Knight]

"I'm h-happy," Miyuki says, blinking away her tears and regaining her composure. "I'm not gonna d-die alone!"

As soon as she speaks, she bashfully wipes her own eyes and rests her hands back in her lap.

"...T-that was a weird way to put it, right? H-hehe."

[Kioku]

"N-no! No, it wasn't a weird way. I mean, it's..." I would have said the exact same thing... "... please don't take this the wrong way, I mean it as a friend." Asami leans in and ghosts her lips across Miyuki's, then hugs her tight, unable to look at her reaction. "It was exactly what I was thinking, not long ago on the other side of the Door. 'I don't have to die alone.' I could never let that happen to you."

[A Rainy Knight]

Miyuki sits speechless for a little while longer, until, satisfied that Asami can't see her, she slowly licks her lips out of curiosity.

"I'm just... h-happy," she repeats, returning Asami's embrace. "Not lonely. Not m-miserable."

[Kioku]

Asami lets out a breath that she didn't know she'd been holding and relaxes, her embrace becoming warm rather than desperate. "So am I," she murmurs softly. As if holding Miyuki amidst everything else that has transpired gives her some kind of serenity, Asami continues on in gentle whispers that despite their volume and tone, ring clear. "This day has been so strange... I started it out in the deep despair of thinking I'd never be able to have real friends again, thinking I'd always have to suspect their motives and wonder what they gain from knowing me... but then you... I... you make me feel..." Though usually a fair speaker, she seems to be struggling with trying to put how strong her emotion is into words. "I think I'm the happiest I can remember ever being."

[A Rainy Knight]

Miyuki giggles softly in Asami's embrace.

"S-see, you were just overthinking things. I don't know the f-first thing about relationships and communication and stuff, but it still happened... we're still friends! It never occurred to me to think about m-motives and stuff, I just knew how it felt to be with you. Maybe you ought to... heh heh... l-learn a bit from me, huh?"

[Kioku]

"Maybe I should. No, I think I already have and definitely should." You'll 'teach me how to do things right', won't you? "I should have paid more attention to that all along. I know how it feels to be with you too, and there's nothing better." Asami blushes unseen upon realizing what she's said, but doesn't try to retract it or pull away.

[A Rainy Knight]

"I'm g-glad to hear you say that," Miyuki says. "I, uh... I was k-kinda convinced it was my fault you were acting f-funny these past weeks... I'm really glad I didn't s-screw it all up."

[Kioku]

"I-I'm glad too. I was afraid that I had screwed things up... I was so scared when I 'told' you, and then I started worrying about all those things that I shouldn't have, and..." Asami shivers a little and nuzzles against Miyuki. "I'm not afraid of anything like that anymore. I know I'll always have you, my very best friend."