the_grid | Oh the weather outside is frightful...

No idea. Maybe something in the garden is--

[As he tries to go around the house to get a better look, Yu stops mid-sentence when he realizes that he's now stuck to the front entrance as much as Yosuke is. Now it's his turn to panic, at least a little more than usual.]

I can't move either...

[This may be a problem.]

... You're kidding me.

[Just to test a little, he tries nudging Yu out of place. And nope, his partner doesn't budge an inch.]

... Dude, your front porch is cursed. By a poisonous plant apparently. I'd say we should burn it if that wasn't going to set the rest of the roof on fire... Also I don't have any matches.

[He groans a little and presses his hand against his forehead.]

So, any other great ideas for how we're supposed to get out of this mess?

[They said that they wouldn't interfere with the wishes of mankind. Somehow, the image of mankind wishing poisonous plants as an infestation...makes absolutely no sense. He clicks his tongue in annoyance.]

It's my uncle's house, we're not setting it on fire. [He has a feeling if they'd try burning anything, they'd end up in prison. Again. Not too sure what else to do, he takes out his phone, and uses it to access his internet browser.] Let's see...Right! Mistletoe was used by Loki to kill Baldr in mythlogy.... [Not really useful.] ...Apparently in other countries, they put mistletoe in hallways during the holidays, and it's a tradition to kiss under it.

[He says that so naturally and monotone it sounds like he's reading from National Geographic (actually he is, Japanese edition). Because, let's be honest, that has nothing to do with their situation right now.]

Ugh this is so stupid... What does any of this have to do with us being stuck under...

Wait, did you say kissing?!?!

[He is waving his hands back and forth in a 'no way in hell' gesture.]

[He stops searching just long enough to look at him, then looks back at his phone for confirmation.]

Yeah. During Christmas, usually.

[Waaaaaait for it....]

I'm pretty sure it has nothing to do with our problem. Why would mistletoe grow on my uncle's house just so I could kiss the first person that comes here?

[That could have been so many people.]

H-how should I know??

[He is just looking away now, looking really stupidly embarrassed by the thought. What kind of stupid tradition was it to kiss under a poisonous plant anyway??]

...Is there anything else? Anything about some stupid curse, or is that it?

[For the love of all that is good please do not let it be the kissing thing, please please please please please...]

[Yosuke, are you okay? Yu looks back to his research, but that seems to be pretty much it, so he snaps his phone closed.]

Nothing else.

[Since they can't exactly move, he tries to reach up to the mistletoe with his right hand and grab some more of it, but as he does, the bush snaps to life and moves away at his touch.]

...uh.

Edited 2013-12-21 09:22 (UTC)

[Yosuke nearly falls over in shock, his body wanting to move away from the creepy ass mistletoe but his feet staying firmly planted where they were.]

Wh-what the hell?! Did that thing just move?! Shit, what is that??

[Maybe they ought to burn it after all.]

You don't think it's... gonna try and kill us, do you?

[Well it doesn't seem to be keen on fighting them, for one.]

No, it's moving away from my touch, not attacking me.

[But still staying over their heads, he quickly notices. In fact, as he tries to just swat it away, he purposefully keeps going to watch how it moves, as it replaces itself to its original position. He still has no idea why this grew on his uncle's house in the first place or why it's here, but now he he knows something with certainty...]

It's defiantly the cause as to why we're stuck here.

[So that leads to the second remark.]

Maybe it's waiting for us to do something before releasing us?

Why the hell would a magic plant be keeping us hostage to 'do' something??

[Yosuke is not really liking where this is going. In fact he really does not like where this is going. He wishes that he could use his Persona here, and that their powers weren't limited to the TV World. He'd much rather blow the roof off of Yu's house than...]

U-um... Any ideas on what it wants? [He has one idea, but like hell if he's going to suggest it!!]

I don't know. It can't see it as being the collective of humanity wanting this ~~it's probably the fangirls~~...

[What he does know, however, is that the longer they say outside, the more his entire body is starting to freeze. Holy hard nipples, its cold.]

We're meant to kill Baldr, for one, that I'm certain.... [Yosuke's not the only one who's reaching at the same conclusion. And yet...as much as he tries to think otherwise, he doesn't feel so bad about it? Should he even be thinking like that?]

Kill... who? Wait what? You realize I have no idea what that means, right?

[Yosuke is wondering if Yu completely forgot who he was talking to, because references to whatever the hell he's talking about completely flew over his head. He quickly forgets it though, in lieu of the fact that his partner's starting to look ridiculously frozen out here.

So they were going to freeze to death before they starved to death being stuck out here, then? Just great.]

... You should've brought a coat for yourself, partner. It's way below freezing out here. [Yosuke pulls off the gross smelling scarf and holds it out to him.] Here, until we can figure this out. It smells like Dojima-san anyway.

So other than uh... killing... some bald guy.... any other ideas?

[He had just talked about him a few minutes ago...come on bro, he had hoped you had picked up a little from his talking, then again the other solution had probably distracted him so...he had a feeling he remembered that one, at least. He takes the scarf with a thanks, and covers it around the thinner coat he has.]

Just one...

[You probably have a good idea what it is...]

...That is if what I read was true...

[I'm really sorry for even having to suggest this, partner. I've seen you act around Kanji, I don't want you to feel even more uncomfortable...but the truth is...]

...we may have to kiss.

[...I don't feel guilty about suggesting it.]

[After Yu said 'kiss', Yosuke had basically totally forgotten everything else he had said regarding mistletoe, unfortunately.

Yosuke just sort of braces himself for Yu's thoughts on their situation, hands stuffed into the pockets of his jacket awkwardly. When Yu finally says the idea he was sure that they both had but neither of them wanted to bring up, all Yosuke can do is let out a hefty sigh, his breath clouding in the cold air.]

... I was afraid you were going to say that.

[He pulls out one hand and presses it against his forehead in frustration, groaning a little at the lack of options. He glances up at the mistletoe again, giving it a tiny glare, before twisting left and right to look up and down the street. No one is around, for the time being... It's too cold for that, everyone's inside and out of the snow.

Slowly, Yosuke looks back over at his partner, before swallowing hard.]

... W-we don't really have a choice d-do we?

[His teeth are starting to chatter and his whole body is starting to shiver. He's not sure if it's because of the weather or because of how nervous he's suddenly getting. It's probably both. Yosuke averts his eyes, unable to really keep eye contact.]

Damnit... Let's just... j-just get this over with. While n-no one's looking.

Y-yeah.

[Odd, as Yu suddenly feels much hotter than before. Or at least from the back of his neck to his face. He looks around to make sure no one is looking, or coming soon and then he awkwardly puts one hand on Yosuke's right elbow.

Funny how hugging him a while ago wasn't half as bad as this...maybe it's because this time he's not doing it to comfort a close friend's loss, but rather to do something confusing for the both of them...all based on a hunch.

He slowly moves in and lets his lips stay on Yosuke's cheek for a few seconds. Gods it's just a tiny peck, but his lips are on fire, and he feels like he shouldn't be doing this at all. He doesn't want to make Yosuke uncomfortable, and quickly snaps back to standing up, looking at the Mistletoe. They seem to have moved a bit but...after one step, he realizes he can't move farther. It looks like their circle widened a tiny bit.]

...ahh.

[They need to do it again. He probably understands that, but he doesn't want to force him to do that again. As usual, Yu is more worried about his friend than himself.]

[If Yu's lips feel like they're on fire, then Yosuke's face feels like it's red hot lava. It probably looks like it too, as his whole face has turned bright red, his blush spreading all the way up to his ears. He rubs his cheek gently while staring down at his feet.

He wasn't sure what he'd been expecting, but a kiss on the cheek wasn't it. And yet it'd scared the crap out of him anyway. It takes him a little bit to notice that while they're still not free, they could move slightly again.]

Heh that... Th-that almost worked...

[Yosuke really doesn't want to say this, but he fears there really isn't any other way. Yu seems just as scared of all of this as he does, he has to reassure him somehow.]

L-look partner... I mean it, let's just g-get this over with... If a... a kiss on the cheek just i-isn't... isn't cutting it, then we d-don't really have a choice...

[He swallows hard and looks up at Yu, before leaning in slowly towards him.]

[His reaction was pretty much as he expected. As he sees Yosuke's awkwardly shuffle and move around, Yu brings a finger to his own lips, just to feel the temperature. He looks up at the mistletoe again, pondering its mysteries, but glad to know it was working. They'd be out of this mess in no time, a few more kisses in the cheeks should do it--]

...

[He stares at Yosuke, in one of those rare times he's at a true loss of words. Yu doesn't have time to think much as his Partner speaks, quickly realizing what he's implying. What Yosuke assumes is fear is merely his worry for him, so his friend's reassurance serves a completely different purpose.

It gives him permission to be a little more bold. For someone like Yu, that can be a dangerous thing.

When Yosuke moves forward, he doesn't hold back. There's not much space between them, after all. His lips are even softer than his skin. He can feel his entire face light on fire, his body numb like a bolt of lightening hit him in the chest. Truth be told, he's never kissed someone like this before. All he has in experience is what he's seen and read. Unconsciously, his right hand grabs Yosuke's and he presses on it, hard.

His brain is swirling with thoughts in the span of just a few seconds. Simultaneously, it feels like the best and worst mistake of his life, as he realizes that he didn't even check around to make sure no one was watching, but doesn't particularly care anymore. His technique is probably terrible, and it's certainly nothing like he imagined his first kiss to be like or even with him. Yet...

This. feels. really good.]

[Yosuke's whole body starts to tingle with pins and needles when their lips meet, and time seems to freeze in that instant. His chest actually hurts from how hard his heart is pounding, and he feels like he's having trouble breathing. That all being said, he's starting to realize the reaction his body is having to the kiss isn't the result of mortifying embarrassment or awkward discomfort. It's pleasure. He's... genuinely enjoying this.

When Yu grips his hand, Yosuke's initial instinct is to jerk his own hand back, but he stops himself, before gently curling his fingers around his partner's. If Yu is inexperienced at kissing, Yosuke has absolutely no way of telling, since he's probably even more so. And yet it still felt really good... Way better than he'd ever imagined kissing to feel like.

Without even really comprehending what he's doing, Yosuke leans in harder, pressing his mouth against his partner's just a little deeper so there's no space between their lips. It's goes beyond just a peck on the mouth.

After just a little while longer, though, Yosuke breaks away in one sudden movement, finally coming to his senses. He takes several steps backwards, away from his partner, while breathing heavily. Then he blinks. And looks down at his feet, which were now capable of moving.]

.... It worked.

[That...was definitely no mere peck on the mouth anymore. It feels like this entire day is one surprise after another, and when Yosuke pulls him closer, he lets himself be led.

For a brief, panicking instant, Yu almost feels like he is going to run out of air, before relaxing when Yosuke's hand curls around his own. He closes his eyes again, allowing himself to lower his guard completely and just enjoy the moment. He wishes it could last longer, but there had been a point to all of this...

When reality sets back in, cold, hard and freezing, he squints at the sunlight reflected by all the white snow, moving backwards and realizing they have their movements back in full. Yet with so many emotions crashing inside his soul, brought so fast out of joy and bliss, he can't help but take a small step back and...laugh. The way the human mind tends to cope in times of confusion and stress.]

Y-yeah! You're right!

[As he looks up, he realizes that plant isn't there. It hasn't retreated anywhere; it's simply...gone. If he hadn't had so many issues with it just a few minutes ago, he would have never thought it had ever existed in the first place. It wasn't something due to the fog, right? No...that doesn't make sense....

When he looks at Yosuke again, he's a bit confused. Not because of the situation, nor the disappearing mistletoe, although he is annoyed that he's left with no solution to that mystery. It's more a question of how he completely misread his Partner. For all his joking at the expense of the other, there had been a line of respect for him, something Yu had never crossed. The magazine jokes, the teasing at Kanji, the swimsuits for the girls, the comment when he had hugged him...Yu could go on and one listing things Yosuke had done the past year in his mind, but now it felt like it had all been shattered into a fine dust.]

W-well, we should go inside...

[They could...talk there...]

[Going inside was suddenly the last place Yosuke wanted to go. Because everything about that moment spoke a lot of uncomfortable truths that he was not even aware of himself. And now he knew them, and he felt, on some level, so did Yu...

His eyes are wide and he's still trying to catch his breath, chest heaving and threatening to throw him into a state of hyperventilation. He looks like a scared animal, and he's trying everything in his power to calm himself down and not run away.]

R-right. Right.

[The scared teen forces himself to take several staggering steps forward, through the doorway. If he ran away now, they'd be forced to talk about it. It would suddenly be a thing that they couldn't just ignore. If he stepped inside and continued on, they could pretend that none of it had happened at all. Taking off his shoes and throwing down his coat and the borrowed scarf, Yosuke hopes the rapid movements are enough to hide the fact that he is shaking like a leaf.]

[He wasn't the only one with issues right now, as Yu removes his own coat as well, feeling like he was having a strange, out of body experience. Almost as if he was being led around by someone else. He tentatively takes a step on the main floor, somehow not slipping and falling from the dizzy motion and sickness at the pit of his stomach. Yet now that his mind isn't focused on the kiss anymore, he suddenly realizes he's stuck with another issue, and panics, blurting out something before he can stop himself.]

I....need to go to the bathroom.

[He can feel his cheeks flush as he avoids the other's gaze, knowing he's already giving more away more information than he wants to let on. It's far too late for diversions now, and part of him wishes he could be swallowed by the ground and made to start over.]

Edited 2014-07-02 23:33 (UTC)

You need to...

[Yosuke pauses in all of his rapid movements, eyes growing wide and face growing hot red. Oh... he is going to use the furthest extents of his limited imagination to pretend that Souji did not mean that the way that it sounded like he meant it. Because Yosuke cannot actually handle the level of discomfort that would come with those kinds of thoughts and behaviors coming from his partner regarding himself...]

Err, okay, while you do that, I'm gonna... I'm just gonna get a... a drink from the kitchen... a glass of water or something! [The teen moves past Yu quickly, headed for the kitchen, also refusing to make direct eye contact with him.]

Oh the weather outside is frightful...

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2/2 forgot to mention woops

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