[Hah, if he was worried before, that fades away immediately with her own flattery, too. Leon eases even more, grinning as he heads into the park with her, one hand still touching her arm; he could put an arm around her, but maybe later. When it's more crowded. That's always a good excuse for closeness.
He digs for his wallet and his card as they head up to the kiosk for tickets:]
It's on me this time, got it? I totally know how you feel! It's been—
[Someday he'll be able to say things like this without catching himself up. But he's not there yet. As he so often does, he opens his mouth to give some kind of timeframe or something, and then realizes halfway through the sentence that he doesn't know the answer. There are two years of his life missing from his head. Everything he remembers other than Hope's Peak happened two years longer ago than he thinks it did; everything he doesn't remember, well, he can't say anything about what he did then, can he?
At least he recovers gracefully. He still makes this mistake, and his halting in the middle of the sentence is still obvious, but it used to be that catching up on this wrecked his mood for a while. Now he's just slightly embarrassed at himself for looking awkward.]
—a while for me too! I don't even know how long! Heh . . . I guess technically I could come here whenever I wanted now, but it'd just be sad to go alone, right? This ain't the kinda thing you do by yourself on a whim when you're bored.
[When casual touching became normal for them she doesn't really know. But it's how she treats a lot of her friends, carting them around by the arm and not minding casual affection. As far as she's aware, Leon's firmly slotted himself somewhere in that same category and she has zero intention of taking it back. So sure, his hand can stay on her arm and she won't object even as they approach the kiosk.]
Aren't you a gentleman. [There's gratitude there, but she knows it's also just because she paid for them last time. That's apparently normal, too. Still, she can't help but turn her head to appraise him for a moment when he stalls even slightly. As an idol, actor, and…well, just Rise herself, she knows how to pick up on cues.
The more she thinks about it, the more she realizes she doesn't know much about Leon or what his world was like. It's never been at the forefront of her mind to ask (especially given the fact she witnessed an execution she was never meant to see), but she does have questions. What had happened to him? What was that school? What the fuck was with that bear?
But this isn't a time for sad conversations. It's a fun day and a relaxing day and so she lets him recover without saying anything.]
But definitely not. You wouldn't just go to the beach by yourself would you? [Once they're at the kiosk she's looking over the prices anyway.] I used to tell Yu-senpai that it was a little embarrassing to go places alone to make sure he'd spend time with me. It's a little silly, but even back then I was worried about people seeing me by myself or following me. [Which they did anyway, but you know.] I don't have to worry about that here, but I guess I never got used to being by myself after I made friends.
[…yikes. Did she really just allude to the fact she didn't always have friends? Backtrack, backtrack!] It's definitely good to know I've got somebody else to go places with and spend time with though.
[He beams at her and winks, taking his card back and tucking his wallet away, and then steering them towards the entrance proper.
Leon notices "after I made friends," which is definitely a surprising thought coming from a girl like Rise. Who wouldn't want to be her friend, right? She's so . . . friendly! But he hasn't forgotten last time, and their discussion about how busy she is all the time; maybe it's part of celebrity life? (That's a pretty rotten thought. What's the point of being famous if you don't have any friends? Who do you go to when you need someone?)
He never thought he'd feel bad for a celebrity, but he kinda does. For just a moment, he leans harder against her side, stealing another glance at her face.]
I'm kinda surprised you even have time for me . . . ah, what I mean is, even though you're crazy busy, you're always checking up on me and stuff. It's really sweet. Who wouldn't want a friend like that, right? So you're probably drowning in more friends than you can handle! And if you're not it's just 'cuz they don't know you yet! I guess I'm one of the lucky ones?
[He sure hopes he isn't friendzoning himself or anything there.
(But he means all of it, and if nothing more than this ever happened between them, he'd still be pretty damn happy and lucky to have a friend like her. Every time she reaches out to him is like taking a step back down away from some cliff he'd once been creeping along, until now, most days, he can't even see it anymore, thanks to Kujikawa and the others.)
There is one other thing staring him in the face, though, that he probably ought to get out of the way. After a slight pause, he decides now's . . . probably a relevant time.
[There's a lot of things she hasn't told him, but it's nice to know that she doesn't necessarily have to. Even if Leon doesn't know everything, he's a comforting sort of presence. But just like that she wipes it away with a smile even as she leans in and decides not to tread that territory just yet, playfully raising an eyebrow.]
Even with everything going on, I'll always make time for you. Okay? Don't forget that. [She's gracefully skipping past those other things because…well. Sometimes it's still something she wonders. She has friends here. She can only hope she's being a good friend for them.
And even so, there are different levels of friendship and she knows that. There are people she likes, people she really likes, and people she'd go to battle for. While it's hard to get to the level of the other members of the IT, she's made a lot of very special friends that she cares for deeply. So really? That's also nice to hear. But then Leon asks The Question and there's an awkward little pause before she smiles almost nostalgically.]
We're friends! [That was a little too direct.] …Yu-senpai's the one who really brought all of us together to form our team. He lead the others into the Midnight Channel to save me. Who wouldn't admire that kind of bravery? After that, I wanted to be a part of their team, too. I wanted to help people and solve the mystery of what was happening in Inaba.
[At this rate they're entering the water park and she's leaning a little closer but still talking.] Senpai's a great guy. He's helped me in a lot of ways and he's one of the people who really knows the real me. We're always going to be close no matter where we are. [A pause.] When the school year ended, all of us split up. Yu-senpai went back to the city, and Naoto-kun and I went back to work, too. We were all supposed to meet up in Inaba again for Golden Week really soon but I ended up here instead. [She can't remember if she's ever told him that.] I care about him a lot. I'm not sure what would have happened if I didn't have him here when I first showed up.
Just that? He can tell there's a little more than just that; if nothing else, the robot would have tipped him off big time. But they're not together. Leon has no idea why, though—that could mean anything! Maybe she just hasn't asked him yet!
And the rest? There's new information in there, some more pieces of the puzzle of her life that he doesn't yet understand. The Midnight Channel. Being saved, joining a team, that fake version of herself in the bikini. He barely even knows where to start with that. It's not that he doesn't want to know, but . . . how do you approach it?
In a way, they're in the same position there, and when she's done explaining, he nods slowly and starts there. Because not getting it doesn't mean he can't kinda relate.]
. . . It's different with people from home, huh? You know I've got a couple classmates here . . . I wouldn't say we were, y'know, close or anything, not that I remember anyway—
[That one was on purpose. He's a little nervous, but it's Rise. He feels safe with her about some of this, at least.]
—I really barely knew them until I met up with 'em here. But even though we weren't a team or anything like you guys, it's still like, they get stuff without me having to explain it. Like they know everything already . . . not just 'cuz they're both geniuses, heh.
[And it's not entirely true. They still don't understand everything, really, and it's not always a comforting feeling. But sometimes it is, and he's pretty sure Rise doesn't have the same—issues, with her team, as his classmates and him might have with one another after everything.
He shakes his head.]
What I'm saying is, I'm glad you've got people like that! I dunno what I'd do without 'em! . . . Y'know, it's not that I don't wanna know all this Midnight Channel stuff, 'cuz I do . . . it's always just a bad time. That's how that stuff works, huh?
[In fact, he's leading them leisurely down a path to the left in the direction of the water slides. Is this a good time? Probably not. He doesn't want to be Depressing Date Guy. But when is?]
[Part of her wonders if it even matters anymore. Yu's said his piece. He'd fallen for someone else, and while it still hurt even if Minato was no longer in the colony, she was getting better at accepting that. Did that mean she was over him? No, of course not. But that didn't mean she couldn't be a little more open-minded to things.
It's not a priority right now, she thinks. Dating. Solving things like that. It's easier not to think about defining it and simply going with it.
She's told very few people about her experiences in the Midnight Channel if only because it's such a hard thing to explain. It's hard to explain Personas and Shadows and what Izanami had done and Adachi and Namatame and…everything. So her shoulders drop in relief a bit when Leon takes over, though she's listening carefully.
It happens too fast for her to hide her surprise at hearing he doesn't remember things from back then. Amnesia? Or something else? There are plenty of questions but she doesn't miss the fact that not many people know this story either.]
Togami and Kirigiri, right? [She picks up the implication, but she's not making a big deal out of it.] I think I'm glad that you have them even if you aren't close. We all need people that understand without having to try too hard, you know? I should meet them sometime.
[Until she finds out Togami's the asshole who interrogated her about Kanzeon, but whatever. She's following with ease, more interested in Leon than where they're going even as she hears the sounds of people having a nice day at the water park, splashes from all sides and the smell of chlorine in the air.]
But our investigation team's made up of people who weren't really friends to start with either. Yu-senpai moved to town at the beginning of the school year and met Yosuke-senpai, Chie-senpai, and Yukiko-senpai. Yosuke-senpai had just moved to Inaba not long before Yu-senpai, but Chie-senpai and Yukiko-senpai grew up in Inaba. Kanji came next. He's my age, but people used to think he was a lot of trouble since he ended up going after this huge biker gang and beating the crap out of 'em and a bunch of other stuff. Teddie's…really complicated to explain. He's been helping the team since the beginning but didn't officially join us until I did. And Naoto-kun was the last one. She's my age but she's a well-renowned detective that was working with our police department before she joined us.
[She could talk about her friends forever. She doesn't though, and instead stops under a waterslide to watch a pair of aliens zip down the slides in a race against each other.]
If you're asking me if it's always a bad time to talk about bad things? I think it's only as bad as you want to think it is. Bad things happen, but they're only made better when you have other people to rely on.
[That is to say, it's not really about bad timing since she's willing to learn and talk about all parts of herself and Leon, the good and the bad. Maybe not on their pseudo-date. Maybe not even tomorrow. But someday whenever he feels ready to talk about it.] It's just like how the good things are made better when you have other people to share them with. [She points up as yet another pair slip their way down the slide overhead, shadows outlined in the plastic tubes and a little bit of water splashing over the sides and dripping on the two of them.]
[Ahhh. He watches, taking her point; she hit the nail on the head there, enough to bring a little color to Leon's cheeks. For a moment his chest and stomach feel tight, in a way that seems like it should be unpleasant, but somehow isn't.
Then he takes her wrist and squeezes it lightly (almost her hand!) and starts to move to the back of the line for the slide they've been meaningfully watching. He's not one to watch other people have fun!
The line's not long, but there's enough wait before it'll be their turn to climb the slide that, once they're in place, he picks up where they left off. That gave him a little bit of time to think about what to say, too.]
So you're gorgeous and smart, huh? I knew it! Heh . . . I mean, yeah, you're right. You're totally right! I'll keep that in mind! Maybe not right this second, but—I'm gonna take you up on that sometime, if you want.
[That'd been a whole lot of people she'd mentioned there . . . ]
Those people, your team, they ain't all here, right? Have I just not met 'em yet? Kirigiri's a famous detective too. Maybe she'd get along with that Naoto girl if they met! You'd probably like her too . . . she's pretty quiet, but I'm serious, she really is a genius. But not in a snobby way or anything like that. She's totally sweet under that icy exterior!
[Like shaved ice.
Is it really a smart idea to introduce two girls he wants to get with to each other? Hmm. Well, whatever, it's out now anyway.]
Buuuut Togami's a complete asshole. Just warnin' you! If you meet him you're gonna be like, dammit, Kuwata, I could've done without ever going through that . . . ahhh, but he's the only one who remembers—back then. He remembers going to school with me and all that. I think he's gotten a little more chill. Maybe that's why?
[It's pretty sad that he's gotten more chill and he's still "that asshole." But c'est la vie.]
[She twirls her wrist in his hand, not quite taking his but allowing her fingers to brush over his wrist a bit. She knows she's right, and she's oddly pleased by that reaction even as he leads them up to the line for the slide. Is she really planning on doing this in a frilly blouse and skirt? Yes. Yes she is. So what? It's warm enough in the colony she'll air-dry and she's not interested in having to come back for her clothes later. It's only when they're at the head of the line that he speaks up and she gives him the first shy smile he's probably seen on her.]
I don't know about that. [She's smart in certain ways, yeah, but she's not like Naoto-levels of clever or anything. That doesn't seem to bother her much though.] But I don't offer things like that if I don't mean it.
[Shuffling in the line…] It's only three of us right now including me. Yu-senpai's been here the longest, and Chie-senpai came in after me. We had another friend here with us, but he's gone now. [And Chie will disappear a few days after this conversation, too.] You guys have your own detective too? […wow. Does Yu know about this? She should ask. Also Leon no it's really not a smart idea, but somehow it works out for all of the Persona protags, so maybe you'll be fine.] I'd definitely like to talk to her. I'm always curious how people get to be in places like that.
[There's a light snort about Togami though.] And I think I can handle him just fine. Trust me. […] Back before you stopped remembering you mean? Weird.
[LOTS. OF. QUESTIONS. But not now. Later, she thinks. But with that, she's actually stopping to take off her sandals as they approach the slides, but she's still 10000% prepared to just go in her clothes. Rise why. Rise no.] Race ya to the bottom?
[He's all too willing to go down in his clothes, too; when she takes her sandals off, he bends to grab off his own shoes, losing a couple inches of height in the process. Whoops. But his mind's not on that; he doesn't even notice the way he might ordinarily. This is good. He's pumped up for this. They can continue their conversation at the bottom!]
[She doesn't even give him a verbal response. Instead, she waits until they're both ready to go and right before he can even say three, she has the audacity to blow him a kiss and throw herself forward into the waterslide to get a headstart. Byeeeee Leon, catch her if you can!
By the time she actually hits the water though she finds herself dunking under, shoes in one hand and using the other to swim up toward the surface so she can see if she actually beat him or not.]
[Of course she did. That not-kiss definitely gave her the second of lead she needed. He throws himself down after her, not really caring that he's doomed to lose; it's a good slide, tall and fast and wet, and he's still riding the stupid fluttery little high of her blowing a kiss at him, too. He whoops all the way down, crashing into the water with his lungs already out of air (that just makes it more exhilarating!), and kicks his way to the surface to gasp. He managed to keep his shoes partially dry, anyway.]
[She's treading water by the time he joins her on the surface and she's busy cracking up, pushing her sunglasses up again to see him better.]
Oh come on! Don't be a sore loser, okay? [But she absolutely knows she cheated because Rise is nothing but competitive. She's still swimming closer to him and out of the way of the slides.] You didn't have to stall up there.
[He makes for the edge; unfortunately, it's hard to look cool swimming when you're holding a pair of shoes up in the air. No showing off this time. He's laughing, though, still coming down from the thrill of the chase, so to speak.]
We'll see about that! [She's heading for the edge before she hops out of the water and sits on the edge, feet swinging in the water even though every part of her is soaked. Leon laughing is, perhaps, one of her favorite things about this day. It's nice to see.]
You know what could be fun for everybody? We could set up a mini-Olympics or something here. Relay races and see who can slide down the slides fastest and everything. The water temperature's perfect, too. [She's busy wringing out her hair and pulling her shirt away from her skin a bit.] I still can't believe there's actually a water park in Cerealia.
[He tries to be a good boy about getting an eyeful of Rise in a wet shirt, one that was already pretty thin material, and he mostly manages, but yeah he looks. Nice. He just strips his own shirt off, because he has that luxury, and tries to push his hair back from his face. There goes his hard-earned (with hair gel) styling, whoops.
But man, is he thrilled.]
There's all kinds of stuff here! I mean, CERES is screwed up and probably evil and all, but they seem pretty dedicated to the whole part where this's supposed to be luxury accommodations . . . except for when they almost kill us. But inbetween all that, it's a pretty cool place to live.
[He leans over to bump up against her side, just a brief, light touch.]
But we could make it even cooler, right? I'm all about this pool party contest!
[Let's be honest, at this point there's not a ton she can do and she honestly didn't think this through that much. If she's really bothered by it, she's not letting it show. On the other hand, she's leaning back on her hands even as her feet continue to kick the water, polished toenails painted pink and clearly seen through the minimal splashing.
She doesn't say anything at first, though her eyes do cut a glance at his chest before she studies his hair, giving that more thought than anything else.] It looks cute like that.
[And that's all she says before rolling right along, bumping her knee into him lightly.] I don't know if I'd call all of this luxury but it's definitely better than having nothing. Besides, some of the luxury places sound a little silly. [Like an erotic bakery.] We have a lot of competitive people here. We could organize teams and everything, and the people who don't want to compete can have their own pool--ooh, and maybe water volleyball! Do you think it'd be expensive to rent out the whole park for a few hours?
[He nudges her toes with his in retaliation for her knee, grinning. Cute pink . . . she's pretty and feminine from top to bottom, huh?]
Water volleyball, huh? I'm in! I'm a natural at that kinda thing!
[An expert handler of balls, that's him. He's never played in the water before, but it sounds like it could only improve volleyball. That and watching girls in swimsuits play it, which is basically the point of volleyball anyway.]
It's probably pretty expensive for one person, but you'd just have to ask everyone to chip in, right? By the time you split it between everyone, it won't be that much! And the park'll probably make money on it anyway, right? It's not like all these people would decide to come just on their own. So maybe we'd even get a deal!
[He's pretty smart about business, he thinks. An untapped talent of his? Totally.
And then, belatedly, as he pushes his bangs out of his eyes yet again:]
—You really like this? I dunno, it makes me look younger this way!
[They've fallen into a pattern of letting limbs and toes casually touch, it seems, and she laughs at his enthusiasm for the subject. (As long as Leon never gives her ammunition by openly calling himself an expert handler of balls, everyone will be fine.)]
I think I'll be the judge of that. [Another nudge.] I guess everyone could chip in if we don't make the price too high. [She's putting some real thought into this.] The park would make a lot of money on food and supplies like sunscreen and towels which would double its revenue plus whatever we pay to have the place to ourselves, but in order to get everybody here we'd need a really good selling point. You remember Lili's festival don't you? I was running an event of my own and one of the biggest things to get everybody to come was ice cream. I'll see if I can coordinate something with the owner.
[She doesn't give a verbal confirmation just yet about his hair though, instead reaching over to fluff it up a bit with her hand.] What's so bad about looking younger anyway? [She probably looks a little younger herself now that her make-up's worn off thanks to their swim but not by much.] That's why you always spike it up? To look older? Must take a lot of time.
Not just that! It's my style! Wearing it down doesn't really match my look, y'know? It's not cool!
[And he is nothing if not cool. Or so he'd like to think. He laughs and ducks his head a little when she messes up his hair, though; it's already a mess, he can't even be mad.]
Ah, that's why I grew a beard, though . . . that's part of the look too, but I definitely look way younger without it. And beauty's totally worth the time!
[Wait. He reconsiders that.]
Not that I'd call myself "beautiful." I save that for girls.
[She processes all of that, still fluffing his hair a bit because she can. He's not wrong. Wearing it down doesn't go with the punk vibe he projects everywhere but it's still strangely attractive to her.
But she gets it. She gets having certain things to have certain looks. Isn't that a large part of being an idol? Isn't that why she's currently the absolute picture of femininity right now? She definitely gets it. That doesn't stop her from pouting slightly.]
But he knows how he feels about this, and it doesn't immediately occur to him to answer in any other way:]
Hey, there's all different kinds! Y'know? A beautiful girl's just beautiful! If she looks good, she'll look good in any situation. It'll come through however you see her! And different girls have different beautiful things about 'em, too, so it's not like anyone has to be a perfect 10 in every way to be sexy. Ah, but that doesn't mean every girl's my type either . . . those're different things. Know what I mean?
[Wait, though. When he pauses, he takes a moment to consider, and then flashes her a slightly sheepish look.]
[It's about then she lets her hand rest in his hair before she pushes his head to the side, letting it tilt under the weight of her hand and dropping it back into her lap shortly after.
…the sad thing is that she's a good actor. She's calculating to herself, but she looks up at him with a more demure, curious expression instead.]
Not really. But you know the next question is what kind of girl is your type. You don't wanna lead people on if they don't stand a chance, do you? That just seems cruel.
[He rocks with the push and then brushes his hand through his hair as he swings back upright to look down at her face. The hair's a lost cause. He's not doing it any good touching it, but it's compulsive.
And he doesn't see through her acting, but he also doesn't know how else to take the pointed comment about leading people on. She's asking because—why else would she say it that way, right? Maybe? If not, then—?
His chest feels tight, in that excited, pleasant, familiar way that only a really cute girl can bring on just right.]
Uh . . . maybe you don't mean it this way, but just so you know, you don't have anything to worry about. Y'know, about standing a chance or not.
[She considers that for a moment before there's another peal of laughter and she pulls her feet out of the water, standing up to her full height and holding out a hand to him. She's absolutely not acknowledging that right now. It's a strange thing to think about, and something she'll mull over in private.
(For example, she can think about why it makes her stomach flip in the same way it usually does about Yu. People tell her she's gorgeous all the time. Why was this different?)]
Let's keep going. We still have a lot to check out don't you think?
[He looks up at her when she stands, and privately thinks, I'm pretty sure there's nothing else I'm gonna check out here as much as I'm checking you out right now.
But instead of saying that—he might have already been pushing his luck with the last thing he said, he knows—he reaches up to grab her hand and gets to his feet, dropping his shoes so he can step back into them.
She's not saying yes . . . but she's not saying no, either. That's good, right? It's good for him, at least: if she'd done something like turn around and ask him out, he's not actually sure what he would have done. He needs his own time on this kind of thing. So for now? This seems pretty ideal.]
Yeah, I'm ready! I've still gotta get my revenge for the slide!
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He digs for his wallet and his card as they head up to the kiosk for tickets:]
It's on me this time, got it? I totally know how you feel! It's been—
[Someday he'll be able to say things like this without catching himself up. But he's not there yet. As he so often does, he opens his mouth to give some kind of timeframe or something, and then realizes halfway through the sentence that he doesn't know the answer. There are two years of his life missing from his head. Everything he remembers other than Hope's Peak happened two years longer ago than he thinks it did; everything he doesn't remember, well, he can't say anything about what he did then, can he?
At least he recovers gracefully. He still makes this mistake, and his halting in the middle of the sentence is still obvious, but it used to be that catching up on this wrecked his mood for a while. Now he's just slightly embarrassed at himself for looking awkward.]
—a while for me too! I don't even know how long! Heh . . . I guess technically I could come here whenever I wanted now, but it'd just be sad to go alone, right? This ain't the kinda thing you do by yourself on a whim when you're bored.
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Aren't you a gentleman. [There's gratitude there, but she knows it's also just because she paid for them last time. That's apparently normal, too. Still, she can't help but turn her head to appraise him for a moment when he stalls even slightly. As an idol, actor, and…well, just Rise herself, she knows how to pick up on cues.
The more she thinks about it, the more she realizes she doesn't know much about Leon or what his world was like. It's never been at the forefront of her mind to ask (especially given the fact she witnessed an execution she was never meant to see), but she does have questions. What had happened to him? What was that school? What the fuck was with that bear?
But this isn't a time for sad conversations. It's a fun day and a relaxing day and so she lets him recover without saying anything.]
But definitely not. You wouldn't just go to the beach by yourself would you? [Once they're at the kiosk she's looking over the prices anyway.] I used to tell Yu-senpai that it was a little embarrassing to go places alone to make sure he'd spend time with me. It's a little silly, but even back then I was worried about people seeing me by myself or following me. [Which they did anyway, but you know.] I don't have to worry about that here, but I guess I never got used to being by myself after I made friends.
[…yikes. Did she really just allude to the fact she didn't always have friends? Backtrack, backtrack!] It's definitely good to know I've got somebody else to go places with and spend time with though.
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[He beams at her and winks, taking his card back and tucking his wallet away, and then steering them towards the entrance proper.
Leon notices "after I made friends," which is definitely a surprising thought coming from a girl like Rise. Who wouldn't want to be her friend, right? She's so . . . friendly! But he hasn't forgotten last time, and their discussion about how busy she is all the time; maybe it's part of celebrity life? (That's a pretty rotten thought. What's the point of being famous if you don't have any friends? Who do you go to when you need someone?)
He never thought he'd feel bad for a celebrity, but he kinda does. For just a moment, he leans harder against her side, stealing another glance at her face.]
I'm kinda surprised you even have time for me . . . ah, what I mean is, even though you're crazy busy, you're always checking up on me and stuff. It's really sweet. Who wouldn't want a friend like that, right? So you're probably drowning in more friends than you can handle! And if you're not it's just 'cuz they don't know you yet! I guess I'm one of the lucky ones?
[He sure hopes he isn't friendzoning himself or anything there.
(But he means all of it, and if nothing more than this ever happened between them, he'd still be pretty damn happy and lucky to have a friend like her. Every time she reaches out to him is like taking a step back down away from some cliff he'd once been creeping along, until now, most days, he can't even see it anymore, thanks to Kujikawa and the others.)
There is one other thing staring him in the face, though, that he probably ought to get out of the way. After a slight pause, he decides now's . . . probably a relevant time.
Ahem.]
Sooooo, you and Narukami . . .
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Even with everything going on, I'll always make time for you. Okay? Don't forget that. [She's gracefully skipping past those other things because…well. Sometimes it's still something she wonders. She has friends here. She can only hope she's being a good friend for them.
And even so, there are different levels of friendship and she knows that. There are people she likes, people she really likes, and people she'd go to battle for. While it's hard to get to the level of the other members of the IT, she's made a lot of very special friends that she cares for deeply. So really? That's also nice to hear. But then Leon asks The Question and there's an awkward little pause before she smiles almost nostalgically.]
We're friends! [That was a little too direct.] …Yu-senpai's the one who really brought all of us together to form our team. He lead the others into the Midnight Channel to save me. Who wouldn't admire that kind of bravery? After that, I wanted to be a part of their team, too. I wanted to help people and solve the mystery of what was happening in Inaba.
[At this rate they're entering the water park and she's leaning a little closer but still talking.] Senpai's a great guy. He's helped me in a lot of ways and he's one of the people who really knows the real me. We're always going to be close no matter where we are. [A pause.] When the school year ended, all of us split up. Yu-senpai went back to the city, and Naoto-kun and I went back to work, too. We were all supposed to meet up in Inaba again for Golden Week really soon but I ended up here instead. [She can't remember if she's ever told him that.] I care about him a lot. I'm not sure what would have happened if I didn't have him here when I first showed up.
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Just that? He can tell there's a little more than just that; if nothing else, the robot would have tipped him off big time. But they're not together. Leon has no idea why, though—that could mean anything! Maybe she just hasn't asked him yet!
And the rest? There's new information in there, some more pieces of the puzzle of her life that he doesn't yet understand. The Midnight Channel. Being saved, joining a team, that fake version of herself in the bikini. He barely even knows where to start with that. It's not that he doesn't want to know, but . . . how do you approach it?
In a way, they're in the same position there, and when she's done explaining, he nods slowly and starts there. Because not getting it doesn't mean he can't kinda relate.]
. . . It's different with people from home, huh? You know I've got a couple classmates here . . . I wouldn't say we were, y'know, close or anything, not that I remember anyway—
[That one was on purpose. He's a little nervous, but it's Rise. He feels safe with her about some of this, at least.]
—I really barely knew them until I met up with 'em here. But even though we weren't a team or anything like you guys, it's still like, they get stuff without me having to explain it. Like they know everything already . . . not just 'cuz they're both geniuses, heh.
[And it's not entirely true. They still don't understand everything, really, and it's not always a comforting feeling. But sometimes it is, and he's pretty sure Rise doesn't have the same—issues, with her team, as his classmates and him might have with one another after everything.
He shakes his head.]
What I'm saying is, I'm glad you've got people like that! I dunno what I'd do without 'em! . . . Y'know, it's not that I don't wanna know all this Midnight Channel stuff, 'cuz I do . . . it's always just a bad time. That's how that stuff works, huh?
[In fact, he's leading them leisurely down a path to the left in the direction of the water slides. Is this a good time? Probably not. He doesn't want to be Depressing Date Guy. But when is?]
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It's not a priority right now, she thinks. Dating. Solving things like that. It's easier not to think about defining it and simply going with it.
She's told very few people about her experiences in the Midnight Channel if only because it's such a hard thing to explain. It's hard to explain Personas and Shadows and what Izanami had done and Adachi and Namatame and…everything. So her shoulders drop in relief a bit when Leon takes over, though she's listening carefully.
It happens too fast for her to hide her surprise at hearing he doesn't remember things from back then. Amnesia? Or something else? There are plenty of questions but she doesn't miss the fact that not many people know this story either.]
Togami and Kirigiri, right? [She picks up the implication, but she's not making a big deal out of it.] I think I'm glad that you have them even if you aren't close. We all need people that understand without having to try too hard, you know? I should meet them sometime.
[Until she finds out Togami's the asshole who interrogated her about Kanzeon, but whatever. She's following with ease, more interested in Leon than where they're going even as she hears the sounds of people having a nice day at the water park, splashes from all sides and the smell of chlorine in the air.]
But our investigation team's made up of people who weren't really friends to start with either. Yu-senpai moved to town at the beginning of the school year and met Yosuke-senpai, Chie-senpai, and Yukiko-senpai. Yosuke-senpai had just moved to Inaba not long before Yu-senpai, but Chie-senpai and Yukiko-senpai grew up in Inaba. Kanji came next. He's my age, but people used to think he was a lot of trouble since he ended up going after this huge biker gang and beating the crap out of 'em and a bunch of other stuff. Teddie's…really complicated to explain. He's been helping the team since the beginning but didn't officially join us until I did. And Naoto-kun was the last one. She's my age but she's a well-renowned detective that was working with our police department before she joined us.
[She could talk about her friends forever. She doesn't though, and instead stops under a waterslide to watch a pair of aliens zip down the slides in a race against each other.]
If you're asking me if it's always a bad time to talk about bad things? I think it's only as bad as you want to think it is. Bad things happen, but they're only made better when you have other people to rely on.
[That is to say, it's not really about bad timing since she's willing to learn and talk about all parts of herself and Leon, the good and the bad. Maybe not on their pseudo-date. Maybe not even tomorrow. But someday whenever he feels ready to talk about it.] It's just like how the good things are made better when you have other people to share them with. [She points up as yet another pair slip their way down the slide overhead, shadows outlined in the plastic tubes and a little bit of water splashing over the sides and dripping on the two of them.]
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Then he takes her wrist and squeezes it lightly (almost her hand!) and starts to move to the back of the line for the slide they've been meaningfully watching. He's not one to watch other people have fun!
The line's not long, but there's enough wait before it'll be their turn to climb the slide that, once they're in place, he picks up where they left off. That gave him a little bit of time to think about what to say, too.]
So you're gorgeous and smart, huh? I knew it! Heh . . . I mean, yeah, you're right. You're totally right! I'll keep that in mind! Maybe not right this second, but—I'm gonna take you up on that sometime, if you want.
[That'd been a whole lot of people she'd mentioned there . . . ]
Those people, your team, they ain't all here, right? Have I just not met 'em yet? Kirigiri's a famous detective too. Maybe she'd get along with that Naoto girl if they met! You'd probably like her too . . . she's pretty quiet, but I'm serious, she really is a genius. But not in a snobby way or anything like that. She's totally sweet under that icy exterior!
[Like shaved ice.
Is it really a smart idea to introduce two girls he wants to get with to each other? Hmm. Well, whatever, it's out now anyway.]
Buuuut Togami's a complete asshole. Just warnin' you! If you meet him you're gonna be like, dammit, Kuwata, I could've done without ever going through that . . . ahhh, but he's the only one who remembers—back then. He remembers going to school with me and all that. I think he's gotten a little more chill. Maybe that's why?
[It's pretty sad that he's gotten more chill and he's still "that asshole." But c'est la vie.]
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I don't know about that. [She's smart in certain ways, yeah, but she's not like Naoto-levels of clever or anything. That doesn't seem to bother her much though.] But I don't offer things like that if I don't mean it.
[Shuffling in the line…] It's only three of us right now including me. Yu-senpai's been here the longest, and Chie-senpai came in after me. We had another friend here with us, but he's gone now. [And Chie will disappear a few days after this conversation, too.] You guys have your own detective too? […wow. Does Yu know about this? She should ask. Also Leon no it's really not a smart idea, but somehow it works out for all of the Persona protags, so maybe you'll be fine.] I'd definitely like to talk to her. I'm always curious how people get to be in places like that.
[There's a light snort about Togami though.] And I think I can handle him just fine. Trust me. […] Back before you stopped remembering you mean? Weird.
[LOTS. OF. QUESTIONS. But not now. Later, she thinks. But with that, she's actually stopping to take off her sandals as they approach the slides, but she's still 10000% prepared to just go in her clothes. Rise why. Rise no.] Race ya to the bottom?
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[He's all too willing to go down in his clothes, too; when she takes her sandals off, he bends to grab off his own shoes, losing a couple inches of height in the process. Whoops. But his mind's not on that; he doesn't even notice the way he might ordinarily. This is good. He's pumped up for this. They can continue their conversation at the bottom!]
1, 2—
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By the time she actually hits the water though she finds herself dunking under, shoes in one hand and using the other to swim up toward the surface so she can see if she actually beat him or not.]
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You cheated! Ha ha ha!
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Oh come on! Don't be a sore loser, okay? [But she absolutely knows she cheated because Rise is nothing but competitive. She's still swimming closer to him and out of the way of the slides.] You didn't have to stall up there.
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I'm gonna get you on the next one! Just wait!
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You know what could be fun for everybody? We could set up a mini-Olympics or something here. Relay races and see who can slide down the slides fastest and everything. The water temperature's perfect, too. [She's busy wringing out her hair and pulling her shirt away from her skin a bit.] I still can't believe there's actually a water park in Cerealia.
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But man, is he thrilled.]
There's all kinds of stuff here! I mean, CERES is screwed up and probably evil and all, but they seem pretty dedicated to the whole part where this's supposed to be luxury accommodations . . . except for when they almost kill us. But inbetween all that, it's a pretty cool place to live.
[He leans over to bump up against her side, just a brief, light touch.]
But we could make it even cooler, right? I'm all about this pool party contest!
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She doesn't say anything at first, though her eyes do cut a glance at his chest before she studies his hair, giving that more thought than anything else.] It looks cute like that.
[And that's all she says before rolling right along, bumping her knee into him lightly.] I don't know if I'd call all of this luxury but it's definitely better than having nothing. Besides, some of the luxury places sound a little silly. [Like an erotic bakery.] We have a lot of competitive people here. We could organize teams and everything, and the people who don't want to compete can have their own pool--ooh, and maybe water volleyball! Do you think it'd be expensive to rent out the whole park for a few hours?
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Water volleyball, huh? I'm in! I'm a natural at that kinda thing!
[An expert handler of balls, that's him. He's never played in the water before, but it sounds like it could only improve volleyball. That and watching girls in swimsuits play it, which is basically the point of volleyball anyway.]
It's probably pretty expensive for one person, but you'd just have to ask everyone to chip in, right? By the time you split it between everyone, it won't be that much! And the park'll probably make money on it anyway, right? It's not like all these people would decide to come just on their own. So maybe we'd even get a deal!
[He's pretty smart about business, he thinks. An untapped talent of his? Totally.
And then, belatedly, as he pushes his bangs out of his eyes yet again:]
—You really like this? I dunno, it makes me look younger this way!
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I think I'll be the judge of that. [Another nudge.] I guess everyone could chip in if we don't make the price too high. [She's putting some real thought into this.] The park would make a lot of money on food and supplies like sunscreen and towels which would double its revenue plus whatever we pay to have the place to ourselves, but in order to get everybody here we'd need a really good selling point. You remember Lili's festival don't you? I was running an event of my own and one of the biggest things to get everybody to come was ice cream. I'll see if I can coordinate something with the owner.
[She doesn't give a verbal confirmation just yet about his hair though, instead reaching over to fluff it up a bit with her hand.] What's so bad about looking younger anyway? [She probably looks a little younger herself now that her make-up's worn off thanks to their swim but not by much.] That's why you always spike it up? To look older? Must take a lot of time.
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[And he is nothing if not cool. Or so he'd like to think. He laughs and ducks his head a little when she messes up his hair, though; it's already a mess, he can't even be mad.]
Ah, that's why I grew a beard, though . . . that's part of the look too, but I definitely look way younger without it. And beauty's totally worth the time!
[Wait. He reconsiders that.]
Not that I'd call myself "beautiful." I save that for girls.
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But she gets it. She gets having certain things to have certain looks. Isn't that a large part of being an idol? Isn't that why she's currently the absolute picture of femininity right now? She definitely gets it. That doesn't stop her from pouting slightly.]
And what makes a girl beautiful anyway?
[Good luck, Leon.]
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But he knows how he feels about this, and it doesn't immediately occur to him to answer in any other way:]
Hey, there's all different kinds! Y'know? A beautiful girl's just beautiful! If she looks good, she'll look good in any situation. It'll come through however you see her! And different girls have different beautiful things about 'em, too, so it's not like anyone has to be a perfect 10 in every way to be sexy. Ah, but that doesn't mean every girl's my type either . . . those're different things. Know what I mean?
[Wait, though. When he pauses, he takes a moment to consider, and then flashes her a slightly sheepish look.]
. . . Was that a trick question?
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…the sad thing is that she's a good actor. She's calculating to herself, but she looks up at him with a more demure, curious expression instead.]
Not really. But you know the next question is what kind of girl is your type. You don't wanna lead people on if they don't stand a chance, do you? That just seems cruel.
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And he doesn't see through her acting, but he also doesn't know how else to take the pointed comment about leading people on. She's asking because—why else would she say it that way, right? Maybe? If not, then—?
His chest feels tight, in that excited, pleasant, familiar way that only a really cute girl can bring on just right.]
Uh . . . maybe you don't mean it this way, but just so you know, you don't have anything to worry about. Y'know, about standing a chance or not.
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(For example, she can think about why it makes her stomach flip in the same way it usually does about Yu. People tell her she's gorgeous all the time. Why was this different?)]
Let's keep going. We still have a lot to check out don't you think?
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But instead of saying that—he might have already been pushing his luck with the last thing he said, he knows—he reaches up to grab her hand and gets to his feet, dropping his shoes so he can step back into them.
She's not saying yes . . . but she's not saying no, either. That's good, right? It's good for him, at least: if she'd done something like turn around and ask him out, he's not actually sure what he would have done. He needs his own time on this kind of thing. So for now? This seems pretty ideal.]
Yeah, I'm ready! I've still gotta get my revenge for the slide!
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