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"Fine." [He gives Yosuke a look -- the don't bullshit me look.]

You've barely been able to look at me since things went back to normal.

[His own posture is a little tense, and the level tone of his voice is a little strained. He doesn't look mad, exactly, more like...concerned. A bit. Maybe worried about what Yosuke could be not saying.]

If you have something to say, just say it. [...] ...please.

Edited 2023-10-09 20:04 (UTC)

[he knew Yu was going to make him talk about it eventually -- that's part of the reason why he'd been avoiding it all. it's not even Yu's fault really, but that doesn't make him feel less bad about it all.

it's not fair to Yu if he keeps avoiding it.]

Your memories, back in that maze. When you forgot about everything...

[he pauses, scuffing the ground with a shoe as he keeps walking.]

It kinda messed with me. I know... it was your thing. But getting forgotten about... that's one of my worst fears, too.

[... Ah. Of course. He knew something like that was coming, sort of, but the way Yosuke puts it...Yu has been pretty stupid about this whole thing, hasn't he? He should have known that, especially after the way Yosuke talked about his friends from the city. How they never called.

The tension drains out of his posture all at once. He's always thought about it differently. People at school would come and go, and that was just fine. The Investigation Team...they were different. The first real friends he had made in a long time. But his faith in their bonds doesn't negate how Yosuke feels, and it doesn't erase how upset he is.]

I understand. It must have been hard.

[It probably would have been hard for him, too. He gives Yosuke a sideways glance. 'Getting equal' doesn't just mean fighting it out. Yosuke has just shared something personal with him. It wouldn't be fair if he was the only one getting vulnerable.]

It's being alone, for me. The idea of starting over without everyone. Without you. [...] I'm sorry, Yosuke. I never wanted to hurt you.

[the whole conversation makes him feel Some Sort Of Way and he doesn't like it. it's not Yu he's angry at, it's that maze and himself that's got him feeling like this. he can't ever blame Yu for what happened in there...

sadness twists into anger, turning white hot before he grabs an axe and just fucking goes to one of the smaller trees in the forest.]

I know! I know it's not your fault!

[it's actually pretty satisfying when his axe hits wood. the reverberation goes all the way up into his arms and into his shoulders... but it still feels good to hit something.]

That's why I didn't want to say anything! [thwack!] It's that damn maze! [thwack!] This damn place!!

[...!

Crack! The axe hits a tree, and Yosuke is shouting, and it all happens so fast that Yu has to take a second to wonder what in the hell is going on. Even after he collects himself, he's not sure what to say, watching Yosuke go to town on the tree, the axe and his shouts echoing through the forest.

...

Something clenches in his chest, some feeling he can't quite put into words, not anger or sadness but something else, especially when Yosuke says he didn't want to say anything in the first place.]

Keeping it bottled up isn't fair for you or me. [There's something tight in the tone of his voice. The way he's been acting...it's been hard for Yu to deal with, too. And even though Yosuke is right that so much of it was because of the maze and this place, he also finds himself momentarily so frustrated by Yosuke's immature emotional constipation, too.

He reaches for the other axe. Might as well do something productive, if they're doing this here.] We're supposed to be friends. [Whack!] That means talking about things. [Crack!] Instead of whatever this is!

I know!!

[whack!!]

But what was I going to say? That after all that shit at home, I actually thought you'd forget me? That you'd do something to hurt me? What kind of partner am I?

[CRACK.

the smaller tree falls, and Yosuke sounds a little out of breath for a minute, his heart racing both with exertion and also from the feelings that's running through his mind. something tightens in his chest, and he exhales roughly, as if trying to dislodge it.]

I thought I'd get over it... but I don't know why I'm not.

[Whack! Crack! Thunk! Yu's axe lodges itself deeply into the trunk and when Yosuke speaks, he lets go for a moment.]

To hurt you? Yosuke... You don't really think I'd do that on purpose. [He says it at first with certainty; a declaration. But as he watches his partner's face, he suddenly feels less sure of that.] ... do you?

[He let's the question hang in the air for a moment, keeping wavering eye contact as the tree falls. Something seems to twist in his chest. Some nameless feeling, something he knows but can't describe. He swallows hard, trying to bite back the change in his expression, the uncertainty, the hollow dread. For a moment it slips through in a pinched frown.

Then he sighs, turning back to the fallen tree. He removes the axe and gets to work at chopping the log into smaller pieces.]

Of course not!!

[and he's going to start whacking at the wood again. but City Boy here isn't used to having to grip an axe handle so hard, and eventually it goes flying out of his his hands.]

Shit, watch out!!

[and he's going to try to grab Yu to drag him down, even though he's not moving fast enough--]

[Dammit. Fucking dammit, Yosuke, Yu's cheeks are warm with the frustration he can't not feel and he's trying so hard to just put this out of his mind and accomplish one goddamn task so he can go home and figure out what the hell he's going to do now, because clearly hitting things with axes isn't really helping anything--

... A few things happen next in rapid succession. One: thunk! a rogue axe smacks him in the head. Funny enough, Rangda being the Persona he's used most recently comes in handy; the impact knocks him to the side, but the passive null physical skill manages to at least ensure that he doesn't get sliced because of it. Two: Yosuke manages to grab onto the collar of his shirt, dragging him down and also close, close enough that he can feel Yosuke's breath on his face.

He doesn't move for a second, just breathing in and out, nursing the beginnings of a bruise on his cheek but nothing more. Then--]

What the hell, Yosuke?

[Weirdly, impossibly, inexplicably, there's a little smile on his face. As if they've hit peak stupid with my best friend hit me with an axe and now it's all downhill from here.]

Shit--shit--shit!!

[Yosuke's panicking while he's looking down at Yu, fear curling up in his stomach as he looks at his best friend. he hasn't really considered that a Persona would've helped with that blow, but he's definitely looking to see if there's anything worse than a bruise hanging around on him.]

What the hell are you smiling for?? Do you have a concussion or something??

[enter his free hand moving Yu's hair around to make sure there's no blood or anything...]

Am I? [his hand moves to the corner of the mouth, as if the expression surprises him just as much as Yosuke. I mean, it kind of does. He's so frustrated and so annoyed, not necessarily even about the axe but just because of how Yosuke has been acting...they could have avoided all of this stupid nonsense if Yosuke could just tell him what's on his mind. Instead of whatever the hell they're doing.

...]

Maybe I did.

[Never let it be said that Yosuke is the only dramatic one, here, although Yu says that with a deadpan tone that doesn't have much convincing power.

Anyway, Yosuke's hand on his head is a surprise. For a second, he doesn't move. When he does, he puts his hand over Yosuke's. Looks into his eyes. Then, very low, he says:]

I think you need to be done with the axe.

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