Flowers Blossom When You Believe

[punchesyu]

Who: Yosuke and Mami
What: Taking a short trip back to Citadel!
When: Week 88
Where: Union, then Citadel

[He'd been excited for this trip, despite the fact that he was technically going back on business. Yosuke had taken off a lot from work in the recent months, so it was hard to swing taking even more time off now. But thankfully, he knew that every now and again they would have to receive supplies from their main store in Citadel to help keep the Union location running. Plus, he sorta told his dad that he'd be bringing a special someone over for him to meet. He was really stoked to tell his dad about her, especially since his dad already knew who she was. Yosuke had invited Mami over, since they would leave from his house to Citadel, but not after a small lunch and greetings were exchanged.

He'd made some food, not the greatest but it was passable and definitely more edible than anything some of the other girls in town had fed him so far. He waits somewhat impatiently for her to show up, fidgeting before getting up to look out the window every now and again.]

Comments

[wishingalone]

[Mami isn't too long. She shows up after a bit, wearing the usual (and a little too stylish) traveling garb. There's a coat, too, though. Citadel can start to get chillier at this time of year. She raises a hand as she approaches his house, waving from the window.]

[Then she knocks on the door.]

[punchesyu]

She's here!

[He rushes over to the door, opening it excitedly. He felt a little nervous about this, maybe because this was official now and she was going to meet his dad too. He smiles, happy to see her.]

Hey, Mami! Come on in! [He moves aside to let her enter, into a short hallway with hardwood flooring, shoes piled in one spot where the two men dumped their footwear at the end of the day when they came home. Inside to the right, a doorway leading to a dining room could be seen, and to the left was the living room. The hallway ended there, with a picture of Yosuke and his mom and dad hanging on the back wall between the two doorways.]

Dad's in the kitchen. After you meet him, we can take a tour of the house. [He leads towards the dining room, where the kitchen was attached to in the back left corner of the room as they enter.]

[wishingalone]

Hello, Yosuke!

[She smiles as she walks in, glancing around the house. It's nice; her apartment might be a little nicer, but... it's just her and it's smaller. It should be. She walks in, her hands hanging down in front of her. She looks at the picture, then at Yosuke.]

Of course. I will be glad to! [And a little nervous, too.] You've, ah, told him about us...?

[punchesyu]

Yeah...I sorta told him when I got home that night.

[Meaning he flipped out and told his dad excitedly about it, tried to act suave, but his dad knows him better than that.]

He's really excited to meet you. Hey, dad! [He calls out, as they cross through the dining room and into the kitchen where an older man who looks very similar to his son was placing glasses on the counter. The kitchen is small, as the two of them were not big on cooking. Yosuke grins, and introduces Mami.]

This is Mami Tomoe. Mami, this is my dad. [His father crosses the small space, offering a hand and a greeting.]

"Nice to meet you Mami. I've heard lots about you already."

[wishingalone]

[Really, Mami has a good idea of how that went: Yosuke gushed. Mysteriously, she's totally cool with this. It's flattering. She stops, as they approach his dad.]

[She's a little nervous -- but not so nervous. Mami smiles, then she shakes his hand.]

It's a pleasure, sir. Nothing but good things, I hope!

[punchesyu]

"Of course it's been good things. I was surprised to see he managed to get a celebrity!" [Where Yosuke's own foot in mouth issues come from now explained, he groans at his dad.]

Daaaad, seriously? [His father apologizes, and waves a hand. He didn't really have that much time, since he had to get back to Junes. He leaves the kitchen and gives Mami a proper goodbye.]

"I'll leave you two alone. Be careful on the way back to Citadel. But I'm sure the two of you will be fine. Sorry that I can't stay Mami. You're welcome over for dinner with us sometime." [He leaves, grabbing a jacket on the way out. Yosuke sighs, grabbing the sad attempt at a hot dish that he'd made earlier. A few plates are out on the counter, and he gestures over to them. Maybe talking a little over food would be good.]

I made us something to eat before we left. You want some?

[wishingalone]

[Ah, like father, like son. But Mami smiles at the description of her being a celebrity -- hey, it's not exactly inaccurate -- before she nods at him. She smiles, hands clasped together in front of her.]

I'll look forward to it, sir. Thank you.

[After he leaves, she glances sideways at Yosuke; then she smiles and nods her head, before she shifts her bag on her shoulder. She has some wrapped up food inside -- a few cakes and some oat bars that she made for the traveling.]

He seems nice. And of course! I'd love to. It seems wise to eat before we leave. What did you make?

[punchesyu]

It's not much, but it's something. [He grabs two of the plates, glad for having some kind of lunch before they headed out. He'd been so concerned with making it edible that he really hadn't eaten yet that day. It's cheesey scalloped potatoes, as he figured that would be the easiest thing around this plant haven he could make.]

Just scalloped potatoes. I hope you like cheese, I put a ton in.

[He dishes her some, handing the plate over, only to pour some water for her and himself.]

[wishingalone]

I am known to be a fan. Charlotte, my Florges, is also especially fond of the stuff.

[She has to keep cheese around just for her. She takes a seat at the table, after she has her plate; she stabs into it with a fork and takes a bite. She has a refined palate; she chews a few seconds, before opining:]

Mm! Quite good! You made this?

[punchesyu]

You like it?

[He says quickly, surprised. It was a little burnt around the edges, but he knew it at least wasn't bad. Though, he's just happy to hear that she liked it either way.]

Yeah! It's the chef's special! [He winks. He'll go with that. That sounded smooth. Probably not though.]

[wishingalone]

Of course I do. I'm a fan. Union cuisine has been an adjustment, with all of the vegetables, but this is quite good.

[But... Mami likes some meat. Damn vegetarian sensibilities here.]

You're a chef, now? Hmm. I can see it.

don't tell anyone i'm still up

[punchesyu]

[He gets a little worried but appreciates the compliment at the same time. He hopes that doesn't mean she wants him to cook more. He's alright, but it's sort of boring and he's not all that great at it anyway.]

Hey, let's not go too far with that.

[Just making sure.]

There's a few places in Citadel I wanna go visit. [He has some ideas that he hopes aren't all that sappy.]

it's okay, I'm tagging from work!

[wishingalone]

Oh, if you insist.

[But it's okay, Yosuke. Mami loves to cook, see, and she'd rather you not do all of the cooking. Just... some of it. For now.]

What places are those? There's a few I'd like to, too.

[One romantic. But, she's Mami; she also is thinking of showing Yosuke where she lived, places to restock on supplies, people to check in on, and maybe a few practice bouts. And visiting her parents' graves.]

[punchesyu]

It's a surprise.

[He has a few for sure. But his eyebrows quirk up at her mention.]

I can't wait to see where you wanna go. Will you give me a hint about them?

[wishingalone]

[She decides to save the request to visit her parents' graves. It's the most important on her list, of course, but it's also a mood killer; it's something to raise later, she thinks. So she goes with the romantic one.]

There is a place up the tree with a wonderful view to show you.

[punchesyu]

You mean one I haven't already found?

[In his boredom, he has explored a lot. But maybe he missed one.]

[wishingalone]

Hm~.

Maybe we've found the same fantastic view! Wouldn't that be something? [She grins up at him. It wouldn't be so bad, if they did. They could just spend more time there.]

[punchesyu]

Well, they do say great minds think alike!

[He shrugs, smiling. Maybe they did. And if not, then he can show her what he's found.]

Man Mami, I've had one crazy ass week! But, I wanna hear about yours first.

[wishingalone]

Hm? Well... [The temptation is to say that she didn't do so much. It's not true; she ran to Kyouko's rescue.]

I... helped an old friend. Of sorts. Kyouko Sakura, if you ever met her. She was injured--ah... I recovered her.

[punchesyu]

[He shoves another forkful of potatoes in his mouth, not caring about talking with his mouth full.]

Is she okay? What was she doing anyway?

[He hasn't met her, but he feels that's really not the important thing right now.]

[wishingalone]

...Fighting Walpurgis. That Spiritomb. She... ran afoul of it, too, in the past.

[She hesitates, before she adds:]

She's fine. It fled and I got there in time to heal her.

[punchesyu]

[Yosuke is left speechless for the moment, regardless of the news that she was okay. He remembers that thing, it's burned into his retinas.]

What the heck was she doing fighting that thing? That's practically asking to get killed!

[Despite whatever the past was. It just didn't seem like a good idea.]

[wishingalone]

I know. I've tried to tell her that before.

[She looks down. There's a moment's hesitation. She trusts Yosuke, but Kyouko doesn't know him. On the other hand, if she can ever help her -- or stop her, if she takes things much too far...]

[She'll need the support. More than that, she needs to tell someone about it. That, she reasons, comes with dating.]

[But she feels guilty about it.]

It killed her family, too. She just... doesn't want to listen to me.

[punchesyu]

Hers too...

[He says slowly. It's not a thought that he likes to dwell on, but even so, he can feel anger rising in his chest for Kyouko. A girl he doesn't even know, but that doesn't matter.]

You sure there's no way of beating that thing?

[He asks with a small amount of determination.]

[wishingalone]

There is. [pause] There must be.

[Mami is angry at it, but she is afraid of it, too. She is more afraid than she wants to admit; more afraid than she tells herself she is. It makes her seem almost accepting of it.]

But doing so alone is dangerous. And focusing on it, at the expense of everything else... I just don't understand her, Yosuke.