aterat | Mirrorverse Yusuke Toplevels!

Entry tags:

Mirrorverse Yusuke Toplevels!

Who; Yusuke or (mirrorverse) Kitsune Yusuke & Anyone around!
What; Open logs for the mirrorverse event
Where; The market, the park, and the mirrorverse
When; The duration of the event
Warnings; None but will update if anything comes up

Bullies should be taught a lesson - Wandering the Market - Mirrorverse Kitsune Yusuke! Replies will come from the journal:

paintingthestars - OTA

There was something odd about Yusuke.

Well, a lot of people who knew him tended to describe him as such, but something was a different kind of odd about Yusuke. He seemed slightly unfamiliar with the world around him, for one. Which was odd because he’d been here for months now, and the young man had really gotten quite good at navigating the place. But, instead, he was roaming the city with a light in his eyes like he was experiencing everything for the first time.

Because in all honesty? He was. This was not the Yusuke of this place, though he realized that the one here had something of an interesting life. He lived in the orphanage and clearly was also quite talented at painting. He didn’t paint enough stars, though. Someone should tell him that, the young man had noted to himself once he stopped rifling through the canvases stacked against the wall. He was also free by comparison, there was no Lord Madarame here. No one to boss him around or snap at him to get back to painting when he was behind schedule. If he wanted, he could go where he liked, paint what he liked, do what he liked, without a schedule.

Tossing the glowing orb from hand to hand as he meandered down a street, the young Kitsune felt at least a passing guilt for having switched places with the Yusuke of this world. But… He should be fine, right? It was only for a little while, and he’d never been to this side of the mirror before! There was so much to see! So many things to consider painting, and the sky. The night sky was so very different. It was beautiful compared to the gloom he was used to looking up at.

He wanted to paint the night sky before he went back; he wondered if the other him would mind if he borrowed a canvas and some paint… Surely he wouldn’t, right? From one artist to another, the desire to create should not be stifled!

The kitsune was startled out of his thoughts, though, as he heard something of a commotion nearby. Tilting his head at an angle, he took in the sight of a man berating a child for being in his way. A sharp frown crossed his face, and he traipsed closer with an annoyed aura about him. He hated people who picked on children for simply existing innocently. It wasn’t like the kid meant to get in the way. Rolling the orb between his fingers, he stopped a few feet away before he called upon a little fox-fire and the illusion of several very large oni were manifested menacingly behind the child who had his back turned to him, as though about to charge. The colour drained from the man’s face before he sputtered and ran off like a devil was following him, leaving a very confused child behind. But by the time the child turned, the illusion was gone and all that was left standing behind was a gently smiling young man in a summer yukata, looking absentminded and almost serene as he walked over to pick up a few things the kid had dropped.

Chuckling deeply, as thought slightly amused, he handed them over. “It seems as though he remembered he had somewhere to be. Here you are. You’re not hurt or anything, yes? Good. You should run home soon, it’s getting late.” He straightened as the kid smiled and hurried off, vaguely wondering if he should see about finding the man to make sure the lesson stuck… Or maybe a snack first… Then lessons once the night was a little later, timing was everything you know? Tilting his head thoughtfully as he tried to decide, his eyes glinted yellow in the lamplight. “I wonder what food tastes like here…?”

Admiring the Night Sky - The park - Mirrorverse Kitsune Yusuke! Replies will come from the journal:

paintingthestars - OTA

The young kitsune had finally caved and collected a few supplies (a small canvas, a couple paint brushes and tubes of paint) from his other self’s room and stashed it away in a hollowed out tree in the park. He would paint the night sky, to interpret it in his own way and finally feel satisfied that he could paint a normal night sky.

But, for now, he had to wait for the sun to finish setting and for the stars to appear. So the kitsune shifted to his comfortable fox form, a white-coated creature with three tails and markings on its face rather similar to the other Yusuke’s mask. The star ball was carefully balanced on his tails with a practised ease as he took a nice little stroll around the park.

Keen eyes watching the world around him, he slipped behind bushes or under benches if he noticed someone nearby. Sometimes wandering closer to the sparse food stands that smelled rather good, hoping for scraps if he could get them. If not, he moved onward and back towards the tree that he’d hidden the supplies away in, finally deciding on a little nap while he waited for the night sky to reveal itself.

((ooc: Find him around the park or napping under the tree!))

Into the ~~metaverse~~ mirrorverse - Yusuke in the mirrorverse, replies will come from his normal journal:

bufubulous - OTA

He most certainly should not have touched the mirror, Yusuke decided, as he stared at the world around him. How foolish of him to have given into his curiosity. He should have known that something bad would happen. It had just been so very odd when it appeared. He’d just been on his way out to meet up with everyone at the hide-out, only to see the mirror and to look at a reflection and know there was something other about it.

It had looked… Sad and… Tired… and hopeless.

Like he used to look in those quiet moments alone where he wasn’t quite up to convincing himself that things were normal and fine with his life. A hand had reached out instinctively to see if the mirror image might copy him, but it didn’t. He’d touched the glass, and then suddenly he was not in the world he’d come to know in the last few months.

The oppressive gloom of the place was heavy in the air. The teen frowned lightly as he took in the unfamiliar sights around him. It was hard to not liken the atmosphere to the metaverse, but… It was something else entirely, a beast of its own. “Where is this…” He murmured, looking one way and then another.

The teen soon discovered going back wasn’t an option granted to him, and he swallowed some anxiety at the fact that he was supposed to meet up with people… Would they realize where he’d gone? Should he sit here and wait to see if perhaps someone else came in through the same mirror? Or-

Then he heard a voice belonging to someone he hadn’t heard in a few months since even before arriving at Aterat. “Yusuke! Where are you?? It’s time to show me your next work” The voice sounded like it was getting closer, as though they were heading this way with purpose. The teen froze for a split second before reaching for that other part of himself, calling forth the thief disguise provided by his persona and feeling some comfort as the mask settled over his face. It was bolstering, gave him a strength in more ways than just combat. A reminder that he wasn’t that Yusuke anymore… This couldn’t possibly be his Sens- the Madarame of his world.

That said, one look at the man as he rounded a corner set off alarm bells in his head. The man approaching, adorned in a gaudy looking gold coloured kimono not unlike the one Madarame’s shadow had worn. If he didn’t know better, he would have thought that was what he was looking at. Stunned into silence, he stared at the man for more than a moment before turning tail and running down an alleyway. If it was his shadow, it would be foolish to try to take it on alone. He could just make out an angry shout behind him, though. “Where are you going?? Damn mangy creature, we had a deal!”

That was… a new insult…

He was wearing a fox tail and mask though, he supposed. Still, he didn’t think on it much beyond that, instead focusing on figuring out what way to go next… Because before long? The teen realized he was rather lost in what seemed like a far more maze-like city than he was used to.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Mitsuru Kirijo knew that there had been another her that had lived in this place. A her with a strange life that included at least a few friends. She had brief glimpses of the world that other version of her must have come from and there was no masking the slight envy. More so for the knowledge she held of the friends she had mentioned back in that Mitsuru's own world. That one hadn't been alone against everything. How different that must have been...

Deep down she knew she should feel bad for having left her other inside that world. Though...was it actually her fault? The other had touched the mirror, she'd responded to the call, wasn't it fair that she got to see what it was like outside that world? It shouldn't be for too long after all. Just long enough for her to see what it was like to be a bit more free. Not that she minded the life she had! At least that was what she would tell herself quickly: I do not mind the life I have. She agreed to it after all. Besides that, she was a part of something important there. Grandfather's experiments would change the world. They would better things. At least she hoped so. Lately he had been talking in a way that was a bit concerning. Though, it was hardly her place to question that.

At least these things were giving her a slight break from all of that. She didn't have to think about such things. Instead she could observe and awkwardly wonder what it might be like to join in. Observing was precisely what she did with this illusion that this young man conjured. He was dressed somewhat similar to her but with strange yellow eyes that reminded her of a Shadow. Particularly of the kind that took the form of the human they were the other of. Her own Persona alerted her to the fact that the Oni were mere illusions, which only caused her more confusion.

She approached with a stiff walk and narrowed eyes. "How did you do that?" It was a demand more than a question, this Mitsuru had even less tact.

Yusuke was still considering what to get to eat before he put his mischief into action, musing on whether or not they might have azukimeshi or aburaage to try here, when the stranger approached and asked (more like demanded) he explain how he had done what he had done. The young man turned slightly, eyes studying her with a surprised curiosity himself. She was dressed so very similar to him and wore her yukata quite beautifully at that. He appreciated those who respected the tradition after all and offered a curious expression as he rolled the star ball between his fingers. “Oh, you saw that? It was an illusion, of course, something I’m rather skilled in. Though the colours were a little… disappointing, I need to make sure the next time I adjust the shades ever so slightly. This world’s lighting and atmosphere is very different, I need to take that into account.” He mused to himself at the end, almost seeming to be treating them more as a work of art.

“Lucky for me, that horrid man must never have known a real oni before, otherwise he might have seen through the ruse.” But he’d make sure to correct his error later all the same. It had been a spur-of-the-moment illusion to help the child, after all. When he found the man to make the lesson stick, he would have had more time to think about it and form the illusion with more artistic mastery and flare!

Did that explain how he’d done it? No, but Yusuke wasn’t about to reveal all his secrets to someone. Coming out and saying he used the light of his fox-fire to form illusions would just be too telling on what he was, and he already had been taken advantage of for having been found out once. Instead, he eagerly posed a question to the woman. “What did you think of the display, miss?”

Everything about her demeanor betrayed her unease with the situation. That unease only grew as he looked her over, as if he were studying her. She didn't like that at all. She stiffened herself up to make herself look more adult and authoritative. Unfortunately, she had a long way to go to be even half as good as her grandfather at it.

"How are you skilled at casting illusions?" He just kept talking though and her eyebrows scrunched in a mix of confusion and slight irritation. Why would he so eagerly and openly talk about something like this? The abilities clearly had not come from a Persona. Unless she somehow was unable to see it. Could that be possible? No. She would have certainly noticed that. That much she was certainly confident in. What she was not confident in was his pleasure in noting that the man had never seen a real oni.

"You make it sound like you have met a real oni." She had seen Shadows that looked like Oni, but they were hardly the real thing. If there even was a real thing. It wouldn't be out of question to believe in that considering all she had seen in Tartarus and all her grandfather had discovered. Though real was relative when thinking about that. This man seemed so utterly strange and confusing.

"Why are you asking me?" she blinked at the question and shook her head. "I think it seemed unnecessary. What was the point?"

Why? Yusuke blinked, taking in her expression that was rather confused and perhaps a little annoyed in his opinion. He didn’t mean to be annoying, of course, but perhaps it wasn’t too hard to see why she might find it that way. Especially if she was the sort of human that needed a full, logical answer for everything. “I’m skilled at casting them because I practice. Then I practice again and then practice some more for good measure. Like with my art, practicing one’s abilities is key to becoming more skilled.” He responded, still carefully avoiding the ‘how’ behind the practice.

“Oh, that would be because I have? They’re rather thuggish brutes, but they’re not terrible all the time.” He responded with a thoughtful little tilt of his head, thinking back on a few that he’d met in his life. They weren’t his preferred company as other yokai went, given their nature, but they weren’t the worst either.

“I ask because if you witnessed it, then you might have thoughts on the overall composition of the illusion and how it looked?” Again, he seemed to be treating his illusions to be pieces of art and so he valued the idea that she might have thoughts to share as someone who had actually seen it. Though… He hadn’t expected her opinions to be as they were. A frown finally crossing his face and the eager light leaving his eyes for a more serious expression. “Unnecessary? On the contrary, it was quite necessary. Some adults need the reminder of what it’s like to be small and defenceless in the face of someone large, loud, and cruel. Otherwise, they’ll keep being horrible to those smaller than them.” He responded with a conviction that sounded a little more passionate than he might have intended it to.

Truth be told, Mitsuru found most others to be annoying in some manner of speaking. Though, were one to look too deeply at that, they might realize that was simply because she had no idea how to interact with them. Interacting with people outside of her expertise left room for her to look foolish. Looking foolish meant being embarrassed, which was not something she was interested in being.

"How informative," she frowned just a bit. Though, she did appreciate that he seemed dedicated to a craft. Even if it was one he seemed unwilling to elaborate on. Of course, it wasn't as though she was revealing any sort of information about her own knowledge on powers or personal abilities. "Have you always had those abilities?" Maybe a new attempt at asking things would work out.

She blinked in confusion. "You have seen an oni? Where?" Perhaps the better question would have been how. She rubbed the side of her arm and gave a little head tilt.

"I suppose it was ...fine enough." He seemed oddly concerned about the way it had looked. Almost as if he was proud of what he'd created as if it were some sort of strange project. "Easy to notice the flaws if you have the ability, but most do not." For some reason she felt like she should at least offer him some sort of compliment, regardless of how miniscule it ended up being. (And it was truly miniscule.) She shook her head. "That is an optimistic view of how that may work. What if, instead of reminding him of what it is to be small, it simply spurs further anger? Or a determination to figure out what happened to him and a desire for revenge?"

This woman asked a lot of questions, so he was pretty sure his earlier guess at what kind of person she was must be pretty spot on. The next question he could answer, at least. There were other yokai adept at illusions after all. Kitsune weren’t the only ones. So it wasn’t as though it would reveal too much about his background unless she knew enough about his kind to put certain pieces of the puzzle together. “I have, yes. Ever since I was small, but they have taken a lot of practice to improve on into something as believable as the display you just saw.” Illusions then had been comparable to the drawings of children, attempts at doing what others could do with more skill until he started to get the hang of it and find reasons to use them.

Just when he thought the questions might be at an end, there was another! His stomach grumbled lightly, reminding him that he was planning on getting a snack. “Not here, of course. They don’t just wander through crowded streets, not unless they have some disaster to spread. I saw them sometimes in the forests, going between their gates where I lived before. Do you want a snack? If you intend to keep asking questions, I think we should do it over food. I want to know what things taste like here.” He responded with a more blunt honesty compared to the vagueness about how his ability worked. So he wasn’t from around here either, if what he was saying was true.

Only fine?? His shoulders sagged, and he frowned with a dramatic tone entering his voice. “Only fine, then… I knew the colours were somewhat off! I shall have to refine it further before I try again. Put more thought into it, otherwise that would hardly be acceptable for someone to behold!” Yes he’d have to make the follow up better, it must be well timed and the lighting and surroundings must be picked with care if this was going to do its job. “Hm…? Then it’s a lesson that needs to be refined and adjusted until he learns it. Humans are good at learning, aren’t they? At some point, they have to learn to not be so terrible to those they should be caring for.” Did he say that as though he weren’t human? Oops. Sometimes the honesty just slipped out of the young man, even when he was trying to be careful. Or maybe he just had taken a liking to this human? So there was another clue for the inquisitive young woman.

And he glanced in the direction the man had run, an odd tone in his voice at her comment about revenge. “He could try to take revenge upon me, but he would need to first know what he was dealing with. He didn’t seem like the type to figure things out. I’m good at sneaking away, after all.” He seemed like a dull, lazy sort of human. The young kitsune also didn’t intend to let someone get the drop on him that Lord Madarame had that day in the forest… He would be cautious, but terrible adults needed to be taught lessons. If he had the ability to do that, it seemed only right that he try.

"I see." Though she truly didn't see. How was it possible that he had always had such an ability? It was mildly frustrating that he seemed so unwilling to offer further information on the subject. Now, after having already asked so many questions, she felt awkward about adding more on. Clearly he had little desire to elaborate, which just made her suspicious of him. Was he hiding something? If so, why was he hiding something? "That is quite impressive that you were willing to dedicate yourself in such a way."

Perhaps if she gave him a compliment of some kind he would offer more? That was how the researchers in the lab often acted. They had mentioned that small compliments could go a long way in getting someone to be more corporative. When she was younger she had wondered if that wasn't just a bit underhanded of them, but the more she had worked with her grandfather the more value she had seen in it. Sometimes it took a little creativity to get what they needed from the artificial Persona users.

"I'm afraid I am not overly familiar with what you might mean by between their gates." Her first instinct was to say no, but then she thought back to her previous line of thinking. "Certainly. It sounds as though you could do with one yourself. Besides, I have not tried any of the food here." Not that she was curious (she was definitely curious).

Oh, it seemed she'd hit a chord of some kind by saying only fine. "I apologize. I only said that because I have some experience with illusions myself. I believe anyone without experience would think it was far better than fine. That much should be obvious by the man's reaction." Perhaps adding that part to the end hadn't been as generous. It was strange how dramatic he was acting about the idea that it was only fine. Though...she would feel the same way if someone were to say the same about her own abilities. "So you're not human!" It was said in the voice of someone that was proud of having caught someone out and it was probably the first time her relative young age managed to shine through. Eighteen was a lot younger when you factor in that most of her life had been spent in a lab with her grandfather. With a grand total of zero friends her own age.

"You would leave it all up to your belief that you are good at sneaking away?" That seemed rather dangerous for him.

Compliments were not a bad approach, honestly. The young man preened a little under the positive compliment with a smile. “Thank you! I believe if one is going to create anything, it should be done with care and attention to detail.” He responded with a small gesture, pleased that she recognized that. He took her at her word for saying she understood as well, tossing the ball lightly in the air as he turned to look at the market as he tried to decide what scent to follow. “Then you’ve only just arrived in this place as well? Wonderful, let us see what we can find. I keep hoping I might find something particular that was lacking in that other place.” He added thoughtfully, the food in that place on the other side of the mirror was lacking greatly.

As he started walking, he seemed to circle back to her comment about Oni and their gates. “Oni often reside in a different plane of existence, and move between gates that lead to them. Which is probably for the best. They’re not exactly something who you wish to run into regularly depending on their temperament.” He responded with some obvious knowledge on the subject.

Her apology and following explanation get a particular relief. She did make a good point. Illusions were not something as impressive to those who were used to them, and that man certainly had had the most satisfyingly horrified look on his face. “I see, then! Well, I still intend to keep your opinion in mind. There is always room to improve. I simply need to refine that one somewhat before I use it again in the future.” He nodded to himself, knowing full well it was going to make a return of sorts later that evening, after he’d parted ways from this woman.

He winced at her rather proud exclamation, as it struck him rather late that he had accidentally admitted that. Whoops. Awkwardly, he glanced at her, trying to sound slightly less concerned by his accident than he was. “No, I suppose if I must be honest with you about my blunder, I am not human.” To be truthful, before Lord Madarame he knew far fewer humans than he did other Yokai. It hadn’t been hard for some to figure out he wasn’t human, while others simply assumed he was prone to odd eccentricities.

“I would, yes. If I fail, then that is something else I must improve upon, though I have already learned to be more wary than I have in the past.” He responded with a nod, as though that were the natural response to her question.

Thankfully that seemed to have worked relatively well all things considered. "You're quite welcome. I cannot agree more with that sentiment. Hard work is the only way to accomplish true results when it comes to anything." Hard work and a willingness to do potentially questionable things. That was what her grandfather had taught her. She gave him a rather sharp nod to his inquiry. "Yes. Though I had been in that other place for...quite some time." Longer than she would have liked to have been." She couldn't think of a reason to argue with his decision to try to find food so she simply followed his lead. "Anything in particular you are interested in trying?"

For her part she really couldn't think of anything in particularly. Truth be told she was...interested in everything. Not that she wanted to admit to that. It felt rather childish to be so interested in such things. "I see. That's quite interesting to learn. I'm afraid I'm not particularly familiar with them beyond what myths have said." Which hardly meant they weren't real. "My grandfather would probably be quite fascinated by it."

She gave him a somewhat forced smile to further attempt reassurance. There was a stiffness to it, something that made it seem almost as if she were rather unused to smiling genuinely (she was). "There is indeed always room to improve. I would be curious to see how your illusions work." Though it seemed as though he would be hesitant to allow such. Still, she had been victorious in getting some sort of information out him!

"Then what are you?" That had taken up the entirety of her attention now.

Bullies should be taught a lesson

Mitsuru I am sorry now

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Into the (metaverse) mirrorverse

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Admiring the Night Sky

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