notyourutopian | IC Contact: Recollé

I believed you.

[Or she thought she had, anyway. Maybe believing was different from seeing, in a way. Still. She couldn't help but just keep staring at the floating golden woman. At least the term 'goddess' seemed appropriate, even if it was clearly completely not.]

She's...beautiful.

[Eleanor finally managed.]

You didn't, but I never held it against you. You're a skeptic.

[Rather matter of factly, she looks Eleanor up and down with that same placid smile.]

She's certainly that. I...wish I knew what she really was, but she's definitely a part of me. As much as my heart, or my liver. I'm just not sure why I can call her out.

I just like things I can understand.

[This was said very absently, like she wasn't entirely paying attention, really. And what Yukiko said next went completely over her head for the moment, her attention entirely on the persona. That's what it was, right? A 'Persona.' She knew it was something from psychology but beyond that...nothing. And even that hardly seemed to apply here.]

[After a few seconds her hand came up, almost tentatively, haltingly closing the space between her and the persona, just to try and touch her. Just on the arm.]

[She had to be sure...]

[The Persona stood there, just...accepted the touch. There was the distinct sense of smiling despite the lack of a mouth, and a lightening of the pressure in the air. As close to laughter as it could manage.]

It's solid. It's carried me before. And it's saved my life twice.

Huh.

[It was more a sound of thoughtfulness than a word, as Eleanor's hand settled against the Persona. Just...resting there. It was real. She was real. Already her mind was trying to make sense of it, trying to figure out some kind of rational explanation, but she just let those thoughts whirl away in the back of her brain.]

Carried, huh? I guess that-saved your life?

[And she was whirling around to stare at her friend.] Saved your life from what?!

[She's warm, kind of metallic feeling, and watches Eleanor until the hand is removed. As quickly as she appeared, she vanishes, leaving behind only that scent of flowers and a whiff of heat.

Yukiko signed, gesturing around the clearing.]

First it was when we were tiny. She killed a dragonfly for me. Just...cut it in half.

[Please don't be the 900th person to ask why dragonflies are dangerous. They are carnivores...and you should know this.]

The second time was here. I was practicing alone, late at night. And something came out of the woods and tried to kill me. A...well, it's something from that other world I think. Like a Persona, but different. It came out of Ryoji, and went on a rampage. Sumeo-Okami defeated it, and saved both of us.

[The dragonfly thing made sense, Eleanor had fought beetles and cats herself, but the rest...]

You were attacked by some kind of rampaging persona-thing that could've killed you and you didn't tell me?

[What.]

Well, I came out of it fine. Not so much as a scratch, because of her. And Ryoji...he asked me to keep it quiet. Because he just wasn't sure how to deal with it. But he has it under control now.

[She sighs, slumping down as she sits on a rock.]

I also didn't want to distress you this close to graduation, but I couldn't keep it from you any more. Not now that he's actually figured it out.

Sorry, El.

It's...it's fine.

[Eleanor hesitated, sitting down slowly into the grass, her legs crossed. So Yukiko could summon some kind of goddess that was part of her, and it had saved her from some boy...Ryoji, that name sounded familiar...and his...what, also a persona? Persona-thing.]

...Does that mean you guys remember the same place? In your memories. If you have the same kind of...persona thing.

[Yukiko shuffles over to Eleanor, sitting beside her now.]

I told you before I remembered one of the twins, and Minako. I've also remembered Yosuke. But not Ryoji.

[A beat.]

Naoto remembers me, though. So I think that's a connection. And Ryoji remembers Minako. So they're connected. Chain of logic follows that we're tied together somehow. Along with that girl Chie.

But it's weird. We're either in Japan. Or inside some sort of foggy...place...that feels like a different world somehow.

Huh.

[Well that was...quite a few people, really. She knew Yukiko had remembered some but...wow.]

I've heard of a few people like this. Like, groups of people remembering similar things.

[She shrugs her shoulder.]

So far it's just me though. Probably a good thing, I doubt a lot of people want to remember weird underwater cities and crazy people in masks.

That's...not even the weirdest thing.

[Yukiko scrubs her face, preparing to just say it.]

Most of us remember...stepping into a TV. Like, just...going inside one. Into that foggy world.

...Stepping into a TV.

[Eleanor said this, frowned, said it more quietly to herself again, frowned some more, then actually laughed.]

Like...right in through the glass? Like it was some kind of magic portal?

Just like that. It was like stepping through a gate or something like in a movie.

I don't really know how to describe it but I swear it's true. Just like my Persona.

Well I can hardly start doubting you now, right? [Eleanor smiled, but her expression was curious.]

Have you tried it here?

Of course. But...not yet. Maybe it's not an ability I've gained yet. Or there's a trick to it I don't know.

[Eleanor's eyes narrowed as she thought it over, a few possibilities slipping through but nothing she felt wasn't insane. Not that using insanity was a fair measure anymore.]

I suppose we'll find out.

[She forced herself to sit up a bit straighter, her hands settling on her knees.]

So, this...sun goddess of yours. What can she do, hm? Other than float and look pretty?

[Her smile was a bit teasing, really.]

Well, she can fight. Obviously.

[Yukiko mimes swinging a sword, a hard chop of her hand. HIYA!]

Those swords are good at that. I think I have an idea of what they might be, too. But they're not as spectacular as the other stuff. she can fly, and carry me. And she lets me use magic. It's stronger when she does it, but it's fire magic like before. And a healing spell.

[Eleanor just listened intently, trying to picture it, and managed to only giggle instead of outright laugh at Yukiko's mock karate chop. Sorry Yukiko that was pretty cute. But...the last thing.]

Healing? [Okay, this was the first time she was hearing about a power like that. Fire, sure, you could come up with a way for that to work. TK? Okay, strange, but again, she could come up with a basis for it. But healing...]

So if I cut my hand open on a rock, you could fix it?

[It was, and Yukiko had definitely done it to lighten the mood.]

I could. And I would. When we fought Thanatos, she healed me several times, and I came out of it just fine.

[Yukiko rather pointedly reaches into her pack for a small pen knife and pulls it out, flicking the blade open.]

I can show you? This is cleaner than a rock.

[Eleanor's eyes went a little wide at the knife because since when did Yukiko carry a knife?!]

Uh.

[Okay she filed that away to ask later, and after a moment she just nodded, holding out her hand. palm up. She'd been an active kid, she was no stranger to cuts on her hand, even if they did usually hurt.]

Sure. Let's see.

[It's just a pen knife, Eleanor. Maybe two inches long, the kind of thing you'd keep around to cut little things like stray fiber on clothes.]

Alright.

[Yukiko gingerly reaches over and slids the blade against Eleanor's skin. Not deep, not even close to deep. but enough to draw blood.]

Ready?

[Eleanor hissed at the pain, fingers twitching as the line of blood appears on her palm. She felt proud of herself for not yanking her hand away, at least?]

Our lives are awfully strange anymore, aren't they.

[She said with a little grin, before nodding.]

Ready.

Okay.

[Wasting no more time, Yukiko held out her hand and called on her Persona. Not the whole way, not this time, but just asking for a trickle of power. And it came, a warm pulse of greenish light flashed...and when it faded, the cut was gone.]

See?

[Eleanor didn't quite know what to expect, but a glowing light, a kind of...tingle...and then her hand being fine wasn't really it. Part of her thought it should've hurt more? Well.]

[She wiggled her fingers, bringing her hand closer to examine where the cut had been. Huh.]

Well that's...[Don't say impossible.] Impressive.

IC Contact: Recollé

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