Coming In Out of the Cold

[f_steak]

The blizzard had struck without warning. If there HAD been a warning, Chie hadn't seen it. The cabin didn't get TV reception all the way out in the mountains. Despite the heavy parka and thick mittens, her teeth were chattering, and her whole body shivered violently as she crunched across the deep white fields. Ducking her head against a swirl

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[doomed_by_canon]

(OOC: Two months later, a new challenger appears! I hope you're still interested in this, because I sure was when I came across it. :x)So there Shinji was, staring at the Dark Hour sky with the eyes of a man who'd already accepted his fate. The decision had been rash, but he knew that the kid didn't deserve to die so early. Neither did he, but life's unfair like that. In any case, he had been ready to die from the get-go, and when its cold embrace finally overtook his senses, he relaxed, knowing that Akihiko and the others would be able to carry on and defeat the Shadows even without him

[f_steak]

Unlike SOME pair of boys Chie knew, she didn't devour more than her half of steak. She ate politely enough, but with great gusto, and she had plenty of compliments to heap onto the cook's shoulders. Already she could feel her strength returning. At this rate, she might even attempt a few more hours of training tonight rather than waiting for tomorrow.

It wasn't long at all before her bowl was empty of nearly every drop of broth, and Chie drained the last of her tea before setting the mug on the table with a sigh of happy satisfaction. She felt warm inside and out.

"That was great!" she grinned, stretching her arms over her head. "Lucky for me you got lost in my neck of the woods, I don't think I've ever had better home-cooking." The apple didn't fall far from the tree, and Chie's parents were hardly gourmet chefs with their busy work schedules. "Thanks for the meal!"

[doomed_by_canon]

Ah, the wonders of a good meal, eh? He was no Hagakure chef, but Shinji sure could make a mean bowl of noodles. He drained the last of his bowl and tea feeling completely refreshed, and ready for another night of Shadow extermina--

Oh, right. Reality was back. Cooking and eating had put his mind away from the obvious issue that was his current state of being, but now that the food was gone, all he had left were his troublesome thoughts and a very satisfied girl sitting across the table.

"Yeah, don't mention it," he replied, though it was little more than a mumble as his face easily betrayed his troubled mind.

[f_steak]

This...was one of those moments where Chie wished she were more like Souji. He would have known exactly the right thing to say when that pensive expression and mumbled words came up. Chie didn't have a clue! He'd been pretty tight-lipped about why he was here, so did that mean he didn't want to talk about it? Should she just offer to take care of the dishes and leave him to his thoughts?

Or should she flat out ask him what was up, now that they were relaxed and fed and more likely to open up? Her sock-covered food scuffed lightly at the cabin floor as she debated the matter in the awkward silence.

"I know you don't really know me all that well, but uh...if there's something going on, and you want to talk, I'll listen?" she offered.

[doomed_by_canon]

"Huh?"

~Oh.~ Shinji realized just then how obvious he made it that he was thinking. "Sorry. I didn't mean to worry you over my problems."

He left the topic hanging at that, because he knew that as well-meant as Chie's offer was, he probably couldn't talk to her about how he'd died and then miraculously came back to life in a completely different place from where he was shot. Not wanting to appear callous, however, he added what he hoped was a lighthearted hand wave to the entire situation.

"Er, don't get me wrong. I appreciate the sentiment and all, but it's not really something I can talk about to just anyone. You'd probably never believe me, anyway. It's strange like that."

[f_steak]

Chie chuckled. "Don't bet on it, I've seen some pretty crazy stuff over the past year!" Even outside of Inaba, this whole romance city was beyond weird, what with all the different worlds and gateways leading to them. She still hadn't had much luck with the romance department, but at least it had been an adventure investigating the ones she'd come across.

This was one such place. Maybe that was how he'd wound up here? He was still a good way out from the portal, though.

"I won't push, though. Here," she reached out, taking his bowl. "I'll take care of the dishes, you just relax. Least I can do after a killer meal like that!"

[doomed_by_canon]

"I guess it depends on your idea of crazy."

Shinji was thankful she didn't press any further, and simply nodded as she took his bowl. This gave him more time to think, but at that point, he couldn't get any further without either reuniting with his friends, or... Asking Chie.

After a few minutes of mulling over his options, he spoke up again.

"So... Sorry if this sounds weird, but... Where are we, anyway? Are we in Japan?"

[f_steak]

Chie balanced her bowl on top of his, weaving the chopsticks through her fingers. "I don't think so," she replied, cupping her other arm beneath the dishes as she carried them to the sink. "I mean, that's where I'm from, but I'm pretty sure this is either Canada or Nepal."

Because those two countries were practically neighbors, right?

She considered telling him about the city itself, but decided against it. That depended entirely on how lost he was. If he'd wandered here all the way from Japan, then sure, she'd tell him everything he wanted to know about the city and its portals to other worlds and eras. Until then, though, she didn't exactly want to flip the table and make him think she was the crazy one who shouldn't be believed.

[doomed_by_canon]

"You don't... think?"

A brow was raised high at her initial response. What was that supposed to mean? Did she not know where they were herself? Maybe she was like him, whisked away from home and dumped on a mountain? The possibility was strange, but certainly not out if the question. Look at him.

And Canada or Nepal? Where did Chie learn her geography?

"Are you sure you aren't as lost as I am? Or is there something fishy about this place you aren't telling me?" There was an edge to his voice, raised by his newfound suspicion that Chie knew more about where they were than she was letting on...

(OOC: I'm off to work. Good night!)

[f_steak]

"Nothing fishy!" she smiled sheepishly, waving a sudsy hand in his direction to placate his suspicions. "It's weird, yeah, but not fishy." Well, so much for that theory. He definitely hadn't arrived via the City of Romance! Too bad, since she had to admit, there was something kind of attractive about a guy who could cook like he did. And when he wasn't scowling, he was actually pretty cute.

Oh well.

"The transport vehicle will take us both back to the city in a few days, you can get your bearings there. Sorry I'm not much help! Like I said, I only came out here to train. The exact location didn't matter too much, I just wanted something with a lot of mountains. So here I am!"

The bowls clinked as they bumped against each other in the basin of hot water as she plunged in both arms and began to scrub. The pot was set aside in the other half of the sink to soak.

[doomed_by_canon]

"I... See."

Chie's answer did little to allay his distress, but it didn't seem like she was lying or trying to hide anything from him. For the time being, he would just hav to take her word for it. "So what's so weird about this place anyway? Does it just happen to throw people in random places like me?"

Shinji wasn't very worried about letting bits and pieces of his situation slip anymore-- there was little point in hiding it from the girl, who probably wouldn't be surprised in the least. That, and his remark reminded him of a particularly aggravating night in Tartarus where he and the party kept getting split up every two floors. He may have been a great cook, but his sense of direction was more than lacking...

[f_steak]

"Hm? I don't know... I guess it's a possibility if you were in Japan before." Some of the worlds had different rules to follow, and if they could have pirates and dragons and all that stuff, why not random wormholes that dropped hobos into people's mountain cabins? Once the dishes were clean, she drained the sink and wiped off her hands.

"You know, since we're both dealing with weird stuff, maybe it would be best if we just put everything on the table," she shrugged, slinging the dishtowel over her shoulder. "I'll promise not to point or yell or freak out, if you promise to do the same. And if either of us talks about something that's too hard for the other to believe, we'll just say 'That's a funny story!' and move on. Deal?"

[doomed_by_canon]

For a minute, Shinji was silent, going over Chie's proposal in his head a few times as he weighed out its faults and merits. The former was severely lacking in comparison to the latter, though. At this point, what was there to lose in telling her everything? The teen had resigned himself to the very possible notion that he had been whisked away by a higher power for whatever reason, so why was it so important to stay guarded?

"Alright," he finally agreed, nodding slowly. "I'll take you up on that." Standing, he made his way over to the fire, tossing a few fresh blocks of wood to revitalize it. "If you don't mind, I'll start."

[doomed_by_canon]

-ahem-

"For starters, my full name's Shinjiro Aragaki. Since we're gonna be learning a lot about each other, might as well start with names. I'm from Japan, in a little place called Tatsumi Port Island. I'm supposed to be a third year in high school, but I don't really attend. And I'm..."

There was a distinct pause as Shinji cut himself off. Even though he'd agreed to lay it all out, he was still unsure about disclosing his identity as a Persona User. Instead of wondering exactly why he was so nervous, he decided to lead into the biggest issue on his mind.

"I'm supposed to be dead. The last thing I remember before waking up in the snow outside the cabin was being shot. ...And that's about all I've got. It's not much of a story."

[f_steak]

As Shinjiro went to the fire, Chie made herself comfortable on the couch. She leaned forward on her hands, slouching slightly as she listened. There were a lot of points she wanted to interrupt and comment on -- for one thing, she hadn't realized he was only a year older than she was, and barely that! For another, she knew about Tatsumi Port Island, and was eager to chime in that she'd visited there on a field trip once.

But the part about him being shot sort of erased all those trivial comments from her mind.

"What?!" she blurted out, alarmed. "Shot?! By who? Where? Are you still injured anywhere?!" He didn't LOOK injured. He hadn't shown any signs of pain or tension while moving around, so maybe he was just really good at hiding it.

Or maybe he'd been completely restored and healthy the moment he was resurrected. Even so, she hadn't known the city would do THAT! And she was positive that city had something to do with it, since it sounded like they might be from the same world.

[doomed_by_canon]

"C-Calm down... As you can see, I'm fine."

Shinji nearly jumped when she started to freak out over his hand-waved death. Was it really that important who shot him? Or where it happened? It's not like he was dead anymore. If he was ever dead at all.

"I don't know why, but I'm very much alive, and there's no bullet wound, no trace of me ever being wounded at all. It's weird, and I'm still not sure whether I should be happy about it or not." Placing his hand to his mouth and coughing, the teen motioned to Chie.

"I don't mind telling you more about it if you're that concerned, but uh, why don't you go ahead with your half of the story-telling?"

A transparent attempt to move the topic-- Shinji just didn't want to have to think about his 'death' at that moment, so he shifted the focus to her to gain some breathing room.