Ryoji | 02

[gotnyxed]

Who: Ryoji and Minato, maybe Akihiko for some added chaos?
Where: Somni, in front of Anise's bakery
Style: Either, but preferably third? :3
Status: Closed

Comments

[carpo_vita]

To be honest, all this was still a bit hard to take in. Apparently his presence here shouldn't change anything at home, and if any of his speculations were close to being right, then he's not even physically there. Minato, however, still can't completely shake his unease yet - he was taken here one day before an important promise, one that he would not miss for the world. Akihiko-senpai himself has yet to confirm to him out loud, as well

[gotnyxed]

Oh there he is.

"Minato-kun! Over here!"

Hopefully those earphones aren't dialed up too loud.

[carpo_vita]

He sees you, Ryoji. That obnoxiously bright yellow scarf was as eye-catching as always. Unclipping his earphones, he raised his head and smiled back with a light nod as he quickened his pace.

"Ryoji-kun. It's nice to see you again."

[gotnyxed]

"Nice to see you again too! ...Though I kind of feel bad that you're stuck here too." He sighs as he opens the door to the bakery. "We should go inside--it's freezing out here."

As evidenced by the frost generated by his breath accumulating on his scarf.

[carpo_vita]

He nodded at that, and followed Ryoji in.

It really was a nice place. Just... a pity that his first experience here was slightly creepy and not all that reassuring in general. You don't exactly get stared and then asked upfront when you go visit a bakery on whose messiah you are, after all.

He briefly closed his eyes and put that behind him. That silver-haired man... He was still curious. Perhaps they'll meet again. Now's not the time, though.

"It's alright. Things supposedly don't change at home while we're here, right? So in a way, you can see it as some sort of unexpected vacation."

He sauntered over to one of the nearby display shelves.

"What will you have, Ryoji-kun?"

[gotnyxed]

"Hmm...do they have any cinnamon buns?" He looked through the glass cases of cakes and pies--ooh, lemon meringue pie. That sounds good...

"So have you met with Akihiko-senpai yet?"

[carpo_vita]

"Over there," he pointed towards a shelf more in the back. Maple cinnamon, apple cinnamon, pecan cinnamon, and more? Wow. He didn't get a chance to look too thoroughly last time, but there sure was a lot. As for himself, he'll be content with a chocolate cone for now.

"Yes, I have. He's been here for a while, I believe, but he's doing good. Where are you living now, Ryoji-kun?"

[gotnyxed]

Ryoji fell silent. How to ask this? "Um...did he seem...strange to you?"

[carpo_vita]

"Strange?" He echoed as they both got something and then sat down to a table. "He seemed glad to see me, when I just saw him at school that very day before arriving here. Come to think of it, I didn't ask him how long he's been here yet."

...Well, except that had nothing to do with it.

"Ryoji-kun, may I ask you what date it was back on Tatsumi Port Island, right before you came to Somarium?"

[gotnyxed]

"It was...November 20th. Right after the trip to Kyoto. Why?"

Ryoji paused as he pulled a small piece of his cinnamon bun off. "I don't understand--the first time I spoke with him, Senpai said something about summoning something, and knowing what I was...it was weird. I'd like to think that it was a prank, but he sounded angry."

[carpo_vita]

"So it's true. We are from the same world, but we come from different points in time." He explained. It was the least that he can do for Ryoji, for that statement alone shed light on quite a few things.

Akihiko-senpai knows about the Fall.

"That does sound strange. He sounded angry? What did he say?" He can't deny feeling a bit guilty for feigning ignorance, but at the same time, maybe Ryoji-kun can tell him more about what Akihiko-senpai would not.

Then again, he was quite set on having Ryoji move in with him to Hotel Dusk regardless, so if Akihiko-senpai is going to protest, then he will have to deal with it either way. They both knew the truth, though he still sincerely believed that Ryoji himself should be kept out of it.

[gotnyxed]

"D-different points in time? What do you mean? Uh..." He pauses, still confused by Minato's words, and for the life of him trying to remember. "It was when I was sick, but...I think he said I was the reason someone was gone..."

[carpo_vita]

"I'm from March 2010. Graduation is tomorrow," he patiently added. "I'm still not sure when Akihiko-senpai is from. He hasn't told me yet."

...

Ryoji's words did make him hesitate, and this time, he failed to be completely subtle about it. He clearly blinked in light surprise and stayed wide-eyed for a moment, but he eventually recovered fast enough to not raise too much suspicion - or so he would hope.

It was just a good thing that he wasn't chewing on anything at the time.

"I'll talk to him. Maybe he hasn't been in the best of moods of late, but I'll convince him. That said, I also came to ask you something else. I'm not sure where you live, but Akihiko-senpai and I currently reside in a 3-story building called Hotel Dusk, in the Business Section. It's a lot like the dorm we used to live in, actually. I would like it if you'd move in with us. What do you think?"

If he slipped up previously, then perhaps the offer may distract Ryoji from further questions..

[gotnyxed]

"Move in? Well...I've already got an apartment, but sure. You two are the only people I recognize here." He grins, eating his cinnamon roll a little more energetically. "Though I should tell you about some of the girls I've met here. They're really cute. Especially Rise."

[carpo_vita]

"You would? I'm happy to hear it," he smiled sincerely, honestly quite glad at that. "...Rise? Do you mean Rise Kujikawa?" He blinked, after taking down a bite of his roll. Didn't Akihiko-senpai mention her... as a Persona user?

Well it got his attention. Just - not the same way that it's getting Ryoji's.

[gotnyxed]

"Oh, you've met her too?" Ryoji grinned even wider. "So what do you think?"