couldntpullthetrigger | IC Inbox for crosschecks

[ Does he ever? If there's one thing Minato does know about this place, it's where to eat. ]

Yeah, if you're up for a trip to the coastal district.

Oh, I like the area. Yeah, sign me up. [Must be a good sign when she's so willing to just go along with him... lunch doesn't sound bad, either way.

she'll figure out what he wants eventually]

[ What he really wants?

Fresh oysters. Yeeesss. ]

Meet me out front?

[Yeah but this is weird for him, so she's just going to keep being suspicious of someone she's rarely ever suspicious of. ]

Done! [She will, too.]

[ And that is that. Really, it's very ominous how inherently normal it all seems. Because they don't do normal, do they?

And sure enough, Minato is actually already waiting. Like, isn't she used to conveniently being positioned in places where he can run into her? What sort of crazy world is this?

Oh the cat is there too. She mews. ]

Hey! [They definitely don't do a whole lot of normal in their world, no. Or even between them.

Also isn't it weird when she no longer has to behave like an NPC because she's being directly controlled now. Maybe there was something to Yukari originally being the other protag.

She does, however, smile a little at Shirosaba. Argus, for its part, seems to be drifting on some thermals high above their heads and out of the way.] So what's on the menu? I'm assuming seafood?

... Do they do sushi here?

[ Not an NPC...what a strange concept. It's almost like his friends are their own people instead of conveniently placed for him to develop his own personality.

But he looks pleased to see her. Quiet, yes, but the small turn of his lips should be one she recognizes, even if it's not a full on smile. ]

Something like it. [ He motions with his head for her to follow his lead, letting his hands fall into his pockets. ] Fresh cuts of fish, grilled fish...they have a local take on sushi, if that counts. It's good.

[If only, if only.

... Ugh, she has such a cute boyfriend, too. Why the hell is he so endearing when he's not being an ass. And even when he is being an ass, but the calmer he is, the calmer she seems to be. The fact he puts his hands into his pockets helps even more. She might've had to stop and ask him what he thinks he's doing if he grabbed her hand.]

Yeah? I guess I haven't really been exploring the food much around here. I guess outside of Mondays, the food they give us back at the Hall of Glory's been fine, but I usually just skip breakfast or go pick something up, then.

[She giggles.] Guess I gotta rely on you for the food tour, since I never really took one.

[ She she actually just use the B word? Is that a thing that happened?

Minato, of course, has been eating out. A lot. Especially while Souji was out. Not that he minds it much, it's nice having a variety and he was pretty used to eating out all the time back home. ]

There are a lot of good places around here. [ He says unsurprisingly. ] Some places will give you discounts if you're a hero. [ A pause. ] ...Or they used to.

[ Ever since the incident...some might be less indulgent. ]

[She didn't say it out loud, so it's not real yet. Sorry, doortag.]

Mm, that - ['Or they used to'... that sombers her a little.] - ... it sounds good. I guess since you're the expert, I'll leave it up to you.

Maybe we'll... get lucky with one or something.

[ Ah, so close, and yet so far. As per usual.

He nods. All they can do is hope and, if not, well, then full price isn't awful. ]

Yeah.

[ He won't push the subject further. ]

The food is worth it either way.

[That's how it works with Yukari. Then again, she does act a lot more like it than she says out loud. Hence why she has no interest in dating services or anything of the like.]

I trust that, at least. You're always out eating, so I figure you have to have good taste by now.

[ Is he always out eating? Mmm... ]

...I have eclectic taste. [ Let's pretend he's not a glutton. ] I think you'll like it.

[ It is to the Coastal District, so it's not the quickest journey, but he isn't lying when he said it's worth it. Good seafood is always worth traveling for. Though they were right along the coast, it was easier to get it back in Iwatodai. He hopes maybe this will feel a little like home. ]

[His only true love is food. She's wrong to be so jealous of Aigis, neither of them can compare.]

Alright. I'll try it out. [Eclectic could be good or bad, but she's hoping it's good. It is nice to be near the ocean again, though. It's not the same as it is back home, but at least they're not in a totally desert, arid landscape far away from the ocean. She likes to stand on the shore of water sources and space out, so it's all convenient.

Doesn't make her less homesick, but it's still nice. And hey... being near him is nice.]

[ It's true. Food is always there for him.

He hopes she'll enjoy it, but he thinks she will. Besides, he made a promise to her and to himself that he'd be better about all of this. It's not that his feelings have changed, but that he understands how he's been letting her down. For what time he still has with her, he wants to make the most of it.

The journey to the restaurant is what he said it would be. The feel of the district shifts as they get closer to the water, a little calmer with the scent and flavor of salt on the air. ]

It's just a couple more blocks.

[... Yeah she kinda missed the ocean. This place isn't bad, but it's not home, and she kind of wants to just... leave and be back there. Especially now that she was finally finding their group was... stronger together than without. And a helluva lot better than dealing with her mom.]

Alright. [She's not really looking at him, she's looking around, soaking in the sights like she's trying to memorize it. It's not home, but it's still at least pretty.]

[ He doesn't mind the quiet between them. He knows that Yukari doesn't need to fill it all, but he also knows he's infinitely more comfortable with silence than most people. So he just watches her from the corner of his eye until they come up to the restaurant. There's a hostess standing outside with a calm, but friendly smile. ]

Would you like to be seated inside our out on the pier?

[ He turns to Yukari with a raised brow. What would she like? ]

[Oh, that's an easy one.] Um, outside on the pier, please! [Like it was ever gonna be a question. All the better to see the sights. Even if they are out. Together. In public. Alone. Small differences.]

Unless you don't like the weather. [She says it as though his fate isn't already decided here, but at least she can be a little better about making sure he's okay, too.]

[ He just offers he a short smile. ]

It's nice out today.

[ And then a nod to the hostess. With a calm smile of her own, she plucks two menus from her podium and leads them around the side of the restaurant, then to the back. Just as she described, there's a private deck along and out over the water. There are a few other people there, a handful of notable couples and a smaller amount of those by themselves, but it's quiet. Conversations are kept low, most seem to just want to enjoy the scenery.

At least Minato knows to let Yukari sit first before he plops his ass down. See? He's paying extra close attention. ]

Your server will be with you in a moment.

[ Minato looks up over their heads just as a bird flies by. ]

I haven't eaten outside here before.

[... This gets more and more suspicious by the moment. Why is he being so attentive and nice suddenly? For some reason 'he took some of what she said really to heart' isn't registering outside of the little bit he already acknowledged.

The scenery is nice, at least, and the weather is great, which makes it just about the perfect little date spot.]

Oh yeah? Well, I guess there's a first time for everything. I don't think I've ever eaten at a restaurant nice enough to have its own pier.

[ That's the idea. Crazy, isn't it? It's like he likes Yukari or something. It is uncharacteristic of his usual behavior, but he's still trying.

Minato exhales through his nose as he looks out towards the water, then his gaze shifts a little further down the shoreline. ]

This one's got more property, but...a lot of places down here have got a nice view.

[ General perk of literally being on the coast.

With that, Minato picks up one of the menus and begins to scan through it. ]

[Come on, that's impossible, Minato only likes food. There's no way he actually likes Yukari. She's just a convenient way to get a surprisingly well-balanced mid/late game Persona that only requires a triple fusion to achieve.]

Yeah they do. There's a lot of really pretty places here. I guess if I ever wanted to travel before, I'm getting plenty of it in being a Hero here. [Even if she is really homesick at the moment, she tries to be positive about it.

But hey, there's a menu and she's looking it over, trying to figure out what she wants. Mostly seafood, which is good. She likes seafood. And they have tuna here, which has always been her favorite...]

I dunno. You eat here, right? Is the tuna any good?

[ Minato's not really known to be a beacon of optimism, but he does nod. Maybe if that's something that she likes, he can try to make a point of showing her some of the places he's found. Mostly by accident, but still.

To her question... ]

I like the tuna. [ He pushes his bangs to the side, though they just fall back in place. ] I like the salmon a lot. And they have...cheesy oysters.

... Cheesy oysters? Ya really need to add cheese to those? [She sounds a little off-put by the idea - maybe she's seen it around before, maybe not, but she's definitely not... considering the idea favorably at the moment. She'll go with something else. He likes the salmon a lot, and she doesn't mind it, either... so maybe she'll have that...]

Um, yeah, I guess maybe I'll try the salmon, then. Seared salmon could be really good.

[ Minato is so down with cheesy oysters, so maybe he'll get it. There are a lot of other options, too. He is a fan of shellfish in general...but there are also some prime cuts of fish. Their server makes their way over right about then, filling up their glasses of water and asking to see if they're ready to order.

He nods, setting his menu down. ]

Yellowtail.

[ Yeah, mixing it up here. Once Yukari places her order, the server leaves. ]

You should try the cheesy oysters sometime, though.

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he'll find it to forgive her

he better

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