scooptimistic | ☾ Inbox

[ He'll just have to get used to it. Maya has always been a hugger, and that's not about to change anytime soon. Because even for journalists who ought to have the right words for every situation-- sometimes actions continue to speak loudest of all.

So she continues to hug him, for now. ]

How are you feeling?

[Well... if she's going to keep hugging him, then...slowly but surely, he'll relax into that hug, sighing softly.]

I'm okay. [That's honest, too.] Now that you're all back, I feel a lot better.

[A beat.]

Emotionally and physically.

Good!

[ She wasn't sure how long he'd have to go feeling poorly, but he really does seem to be feeling better. ]

On both counts. Was it rough fighting your way out of there?

It wasn't too bad.

[Rather, it was miserable but...]

I've been through much worse, so it's okay. I wasn't injured or anything either.

I'm glad. I really wanted to stay and punch a few of them out myself, but...

[ there's a theatrical but somehow genuinely disappointed sigh now. ]

[He snorts amusedly at that.]

You can punch out the next supernatural creature that comes to mess with all of us, okay? I'll nap and let you have them all.

You're the best.

[ and with an affectionate squeeze, she'll let him go. Though he's welcome to keep leaning, she's not going to stop him. ]

I got in a few good hits with the werewolves, at least. And then Caingorm and I teamed up on the island to--

... Well, I didn't do much there, never mind.

[... It's okay, Maya. He does pull back when she lets him go; he's just kind of used to more personal space.]

Next time. I have faith that you can beat up any monsters that come our way, don't worry.

You've got that right! Just point me at 'em next time!

I somehow feel like you can handle anything that might come our way... you're kind of fierce when you want to be.

I'm kind of fierce when I don't want to be, but I don't think I've ever been in that kind of situation.

But I think you probably get how it is-- if there's something you can do, why not do it with everything you've got?

Yeah... I'd agree with that.

[Probably unsurprisingly!!]

If nothing else, doing something with everything you've got means you can leave it behind without regrets when it's over, regardless of the outcome.

That's exactly right, Minato-kun! I don't think I'd regret a thing, as long as I knew I'd done everything I could, and maybe then some.

[He nods simply at that, expression content.]

I'm glad we feel the same way on that--not that I'm surprised, I think.

We do seem to have the same mindset on a lot of things, don't we? I'm not sure if it's because we're both Persona users or not, but... then again, the other users have also been pretty different.

... Hm, well...

[... And, more softly, after a contemplative pause:]

Maybe we've just gone through some similar things.

Saving humanity, you mean? Or something a little more specific than that?

[ Because clearly lots of people have saved the world. ]

[Um.]

Wow... Maya-san, that's pretty...

[...]

No matter how you put it, that sounds kind of grand... [SAVING HUMANITY...

I mean he did that too, but he's not ready to admit to that.]

Maybe, but I think...

[ Hm. ]

Well, I can't really speak for what you had to go through, but if Igor was involved, I'm sure it was bigger than what you might have expected at first. Just like with what happened with us-- we didn't ever think it would get that big. But sometimes, it just ends up affecting... a lot of people.

[...]

I... suppose.

[He seems....a little unsure about talking about it in general, though.]

It was a lot, but... even so...

...

[ A pause, and then Maya smiles. ]

It's not anything you have to talk about if you're not ready-- but that tells me a lot.

It's not that I--

[... Is he not ready to talk about it?

He's never thought about it, really.]

... Sorry, Maya-san. I'm not keeping things from you on purpose. It's just...a lot to process still, I guess.

Minato-kun...

[ Maya reaches out again, if just to squeeze his shoulder. ]

It's okay. I know it's a lot. While normally I'd love to dig into a scoop, this is sort of a different matter entirely.

I think it makes it sound a lot more grim that way--I'm sorry about that. It's not that. Everything turned out okay for us in the end.

[Well like. Mostly. Everyone but him. But that's how he wanted it.]

I guess I'm still processing everything that happened after all. It was a pretty crazy year.

... An entire year...

I'm wondering if I'm lucky that ours wasn't as long.

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