| "Happy"; [Open--people who know Akari encouraged] | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Jun 27 2016, 10:09 AM (584 Views) | |
| Miharu Yoshikuni | Jul 11 2016, 06:16 AM Post #11 |
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Akari couldn't help but smile at Bart's words. He was being encouraging, as usual, but the sincerity in his voice made her feel less tense around him. She knew Bart would never get mad at her (or anyone, for that matter), but it was nice to hear he understood why she was doing what she was doing. She smiled a little wider to hear about Akemi. She was glad she and Bart were still growing closer together. How pleasant it would be if someone could take care of Bart and do for him what he always did for others. "I'm sure your party must have been amazing," she said. "And I'm glad you and Akemi are still getting alone merrily. Though, I'm sorry to say, it's better we keep me being here a little secret until it's a little...mm, safer." What "safer" meant was hard to tell, but it was clear Akari didn't feel right about others who knew her coming her just yet. She looked to the side a little sadly. "Say, Bart..." she murmured. Her tone was serious again. She opened her mouth to speak, but paused. After taking a smile breath, she quietly asked, "Have you seen Nagaru-kun by any chance? Is he well?" She felt uneasy bringing Nagaru up. Not because of Bart, but rather she still found it hard for her to confront her feelings about him. The last she had met him, he had been upset with her, after all. She wonder how he felt about her missing. Did he even know? Did he care? What does it matter to you? a bitter voice said inside her head. It was your own choice to sever your ties with those you cared about. |
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| Smile Junky | Jul 11 2016, 02:40 PM Post #12 |
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Yes… I’d sell the souls of all humanity to the devil if I thought it’d get us a happy ending.
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“”Amazing is right! I really wish you had been there, Akari. Granted I understand your reasons to want to stay away, but I’m sure that you would have had a fantastic time with everyone!” He wasn’t going to press the issue too much further past that, but everything that happened that night really was spectacular! Maybe the next year (granted he would be celebrating graduating from high school entirely) he’d throw another one and even more of his friends could visit! That’d definitely put the icing in the proverbial party cake. At least Akemi-chan and I have a better idea of what we need to do to make the party work for everyone! Speaking of Akemi, Bart could only nod happily as Akari expressed her joy at hearing that the two of them had been doing well. “Mmhm! She’s been fantastic. Oh, did I mention that she loves me? I love her too, it’s great!” Bart was positively beaming the more he chatted with his friend. It was fine to talk about those sorts of things, right? Bart had no clue! He just knew that it made him happy when he did. “But really, it’s fine Akari. I wouldn’t mind being your secret keeper for a little while longer until you feel well enough to want to have more of us come by and hear you sing. You just say the word and I’ll have as many people as we can fit in here!” he laughed. It wasn’t exactly an empty promise either. I could probably post something up on Bedlam just like my party invitation too! That would definitely draw a crowd here! But until that happened, then he was just fine and dandy coming here by himself. The coffee was really good too! Another fine reason, in his opinion. But as Akari’s smile fell slightly as she asked about Nagaru, Bart scratched his chin in thought. “Hmm, you know I can’t say that I’ve seen him around lately, I’m sorry. I thought that he might have shown up at the party, but he must have been very busy or something, no problem! I’m sure that when school starts back up we’re bound to run into him again one day or another!” Ah but yes, I have a cell phone now! I’ll have to be sure to ask for his number the next time we do meet so that I could call him just in case! That reminds me- “Say, Akari, do you have a cell phone? Akemi-chan got me one for my…” Bart paused for a second, seemingly frozen before he chose his words a bit more carefully “Akemi-chan got me a mobile a few days ago, and it’d be great if I could get your number in here as well!” |
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| Miharu Yoshikuni | Jul 12 2016, 07:33 PM Post #13 |
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Akari gasped when Bart revealed that he and Akemi's feelings were mutual. She let out a little squeal of excitement. "Oh my! Really? That's...that's wonderful! I'm so happy for you two, Bart!" she said, losing a bit of her composure due to be so excited. She pouted and crossed her arms. "Oh...! I wish I had been there to see everything! That said, this is such good news!" Bart went on to talk about Nagaru, but he hadn't been able to reveal much. Akari was a little disappointed, but not too much. She couldn't say Bart and Nagaru were close as they were. Akari, however, didn't let this dampen her spirits. They do make a cute couple, she thought. I remember how adorable they were when I had them over to see Luciano. Her heart ached when Luciano came to mind, but she quickly pushed the thought away. Bart was asking for her number but then he also said something that made Akari catch onto something. Her eyes widen. "Oh, dear..." she said covering her mouth. "Has it already been you birth..." Akari pressed her palm against her forehead in disappointment with herself. "Oh, Bart...that party you were having...was that your birthday party?" she said. "I'm so foolish! I should've realized it! I'm so sorry!" She made a small sheepish smile. "I need to make up a lot to you. Here, I'll give you my number and maybe I can arrange for us to meet. I've had a present in mind for you for a long time. I'm sure Mildred can help me with that." |
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| Smile Junky | Jul 13 2016, 04:59 AM Post #14 |
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Yes… I’d sell the souls of all humanity to the devil if I thought it’d get us a happy ending.
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"Yeah! I'm feeling rather happy about it as well! It's been fantastic to be able to experience all these new things, so I'm especially grateful for her." 'Love' and 'dating' and all those places inbetween; they were a blast! And now Akemi and him were even closer than before, if that wasn't a reason to celebrate, Bart didn't know what would be. "Oh, but we waited until everyone had already gone home before we discussed all of that though. We wanted to make sure that we took care of everyone else before we let ourselves have a little break. A break well earned, I'd say!" Bart said with a bright grin. It was nice that Akari was happy for them though! Bart definitely shared her wish to have been there, but there wasn't anything the two of them could do about that now. It was better to focus on the things that could happen and be wonderful! He at least knew that she would have enjoyed the food there, but Akari had her own issues that she needed to deal with. Bart could understand that! Although as Akari misunderstood the reason for the party, it was about Bart's time to deal with some issues... At the very mention of the thing, Bart's smile froze on his face and he got a far-off look in his eye. Luckily, Akari couldn't exactly see that, could she? He felt a pressure on his shoulders as he Shadows rested their arms on him, eagerly leaning forward to hear the rest of their conversation with their sneering faces. "Oh... No, it wasn't that at all, Akari. You don't have to worry about that. I was just throwing a party for all my friends at school. School had just ended so I wanted to do something nice." He shook his head slightly as Akari expressed her desire to make it up for him, his grip on his coffee cup tightening slightly. "Really, you don't have to! Really it would just be enough to say hello to Mildred again, been quite a while since I've talked to her." |
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| Miharu Yoshikuni | Jul 13 2016, 08:37 PM Post #15 |
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Akari's shoulders relaxed when Bart tried to reassure her it hadn't been his birthday, but she didn't seem too convinced. "Well, birthday or no birthday, I might as well give you a present early," she said chuckling. "Depending on where I go after this, I might not have the opportunity to give it to you. I'm sorry, Bart, but when's your birthday exactly? I can't tell if you told me before. Sorry, my memory's been rather hazy these past few weeks..." Hazy trying to forget. Hazy trying to ignore. |
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| Smile Junky | Jul 14 2016, 05:17 AM Post #16 |
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Yes… I’d sell the souls of all humanity to the devil if I thought it’d get us a happy ending.
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His friend's innocent misunderstanding of what had happened on that date was causing Bart more and more inner turmoil, but true to form he continued to keep his bright and cheery smile up as he continued to talk to Akari. Even if the look in his eyes became slightly more distant and hollowed. "I really do appreciate it Akari, but you really don't need to get me anything. Especially for that. It's really fine, but perhaps-" 'Depending on where I go after this, I might not have the opportunity to give it to you'. That sounded a bit more serious than just working in a hidden cafe through the week. And with the possibility of one of his dearest friends disappearing like that and his last conversation with her being rejecting a gift, Bart sighed softly and shook his head. "There's no worry, Akari." he said with a small smile. "People forget things all the time, no reason to fret. My... birthday was on March 14th." A fact the two of them had been over one of the times that Bart had stayed at Akari's mansion, and during a particularly interesting phone call with his Uncle Amos' lawyer. But that was quite a while ago! Akari's been through a lot, so it's no problem that she forgot a single date like that. She's had a lot on her plate, after all, I wouldn't want to bother her with remembering just one normal day. he thought. She wouldn't be the first one. "So! How did you manage to come across this little place, Akari? I didn't even know it existed until I followed your instructions, and I have to say that it's certainly a real gem of a place!" Bart beemed brightly as he quickly tried to change the subject onto something that didn't focus on his particular annual aging day. The cafe was fascinating after all, it would be great to admire it just that much more. |
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| Miharu Yoshikuni | Jul 16 2016, 09:33 PM Post #17 |
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As Bart revealed his birth date, Akari's smile faded. She bit her lips again, which made the lip gloss fade more as well. "I knew I missed it," she murmured. "But at least that means you have no right to refuse accepting a present from me. I'll let you know. You said you wanted to see Mildred, too, so hopefully that can be arranged." She smiled and giggled again. Her oscillation from bubbly to sad was constant now, to say the least, but she couldn't afford staying in one emotion too long. Being sad would bring Bart down, she was sure, but being too happy, she felt, would make her go mad. She quickly shifted her attention to Bart's question. "Satoru recommended it to me," Akari said. "Satoru's the boy I was with at your party. He's a good friend of me. He knew I wouldn't accept not lodging at his grandmother's place for free, so he helped me get a part-time gig here. It doesn't bring in much, but the more gigs I get, the more I'm able to bring home. That it's bringing in more customers is a big factor, too. They didn't have a singer before, see. And yes, you could say it's quite a gem. It's quiet, but not eerily silent. Not crowded, but also not lonesome. It's a good balance, especially if you're searching for company to enjoy solitude with. That their drinks are good is a bonus." She chuckled and sipped her drink again. "But thanks for coming here. It really means a lot to me. Also, it just occurred to me, but you switched apartments right? I mean, it's just next door and all, but it has me wondering, you're not going to leave any time soon yourself, are you Bart? I just sort of recalled you saying that you moved constantly and you've been here for awhile." She frowned. "it'd be sad if you left and I didn't realize it." |
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| Smile Junky | Jul 17 2016, 07:39 AM Post #18 |
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Yes… I’d sell the souls of all humanity to the devil if I thought it’d get us a happy ending.
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Bart sighed softly. "Oh Akari, you didn't miss a thing." He reached over the table and patted her hand reassuringly. "Besides, you can't miss what's never celebrated, so please don't beat yourself up about this, it's fine!" He smiled gently at her as he leaned back in his seat, torn at seeing his friend feeling down because of him. She really doesn't have to feel obligated for any such thing, honestly! But I... suppose that's just another fantastic thing about her, huh? She wants to make sure people are happy too. "If it makes you feel better, that's fine. I'll just have to think of something spectacular to pay you back, then!" he added with a laugh. Just because he was receiving a gift didn't mean that he wouldn't pay in back in full, after all. It was just the way Bartholomew J. Mason rolled. And at least it seemed that Akari was feeling a bit happier again! That was always good. "Oh yes, I remember Satoru! He seemed like a nice guy, and you just proved it!" Bart beamed happily at Akari as he heard about her friend's generosity, glad to hear that Akari had managed to find another good friend. Wonderful thing about Nagashima, really. The city just seems to be full of nice people! "It really does seem like a fantastic deal you've got here, Akari! You get paid for doing something as fantastic as your signing, and the patrons here are gifted with your wonderful voice! It really is a great little balance to strike, especially in a place like this." Her comment on the cafe was spot-on in Bart's opinion, as it really managed to maintain a perfect balance of relaxation and enjoyment that he definitely appreciated. And if he could manage to make his friend that happy just from showing up somewhere, well then he couldn't help but like it, couldn't he? "You're very welcome, Akari. I'd like to keep coming here whenever I can make it too, so this definitely won't be the only time I show up here!" Bart grinned widely and nodded at her. Gestures she couldn't actually see, but he felt like would still be felt. Although the subject of moving and leaving did come up, he made sure that his smile still didn't waver. "Well, it's more that I found out I now have two apartments to live in, really. I'm still staying in the one you knew me from. The other one's actually planned to be somewhere my friends or other Persona users can stay if they need a place to rest! And don't worry, Akari..." Bart's tone turned softer as he smiled over at her. "I wouldn't plan on leaving here without telling each and every one of you beforehand. I wouldn't leave my friends behind like that." |
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| Miharu Yoshikuni | Jul 18 2016, 07:46 PM Post #19 |
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Akari's face washed with relief. She regretted many things, but not being able to see Bart off would break her heart, she was sure of it. "I'm glad," Akari murmured softly. "I know it's not fair of me to request such a thing, seeing how I ran away in the first place without telling anyone, but I'm glad." "Oh, I don't think 'glad' is something you should be at the moment," a gruff, husky voice said behind Akari. Akari's blind eyes widened in surprise. If Bart looked over her shoulder, he'd see someone familiar. A tall man with a narrow face, messy hair, and a trench coat over his suit, it was hard to not to recognize him as Detective Sonozaki, the man who had apprehended Riko along with Maki just a couple of weeks ago. "Pardon me?" Akari said, shifting the tone of her voice. Tsukuru frowned. Just for protocol he decided to show his badge (Fucking hell do I need to, though? She's blind! Tsukuru silently griped). "You're Shiori, am I correct?" he asked."Or rather Akari Asakura. Detective Sonozaki from the police department. We've been searching for you." The color drained from Akari's face and her eyes were wide in shock. She couldn't say anything at all. "I-I don't...I don't know what you're talking about--" "Cut the crap, kiddo," Tsukuru groaned. "You've made it hard on everyone enough as it is. Now, do I need to tell you you need to come with us and force you or are you going to do it yourself?" Tsukuru then nodded at Bart. "Oh, and hello, Mason-san," he said."Funny seeing you here even if you said you had no idea where the little lady was." Akari stood up and bowed her head. "Leave him out of this," she said firmly. "I'll go." Akari was quiet. She closed her eyes and covered her forehead. "B-Bart, I-I...I'm sorry about all this." Edited by Miharu Yoshikuni, Jul 18 2016, 07:47 PM.
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| Smile Junky | Jul 18 2016, 09:17 PM Post #20 |
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Yes… I’d sell the souls of all humanity to the devil if I thought it’d get us a happy ending.
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Bart chuckled softly. "Please, you're only doing what any friend would want to do, after all! It's perfectly fair to want to be able to see your friends, after all." It wasn't like Bart was about to up and leave one of his best friends in Nagashima alone with no knowledge of where he was going, after all. He'd made too many friends to just abandon them like that, it just wouldn't have been right! But that was quite enough talk about all those sad things, Bart wasn't planning on leaving anytime soon! Of course, he couldn't help when he left or not, but that was beside the point~ "Anyway, this is actually some rather good coffee! I'll have to give my compliments to whoever brewed it-" but Bart's compliment was sadly cut short as a new voice spoke up behind Akari. Well, a new voice to the conversation, Bart had definitely heard the man speak before, many days earlier. Detective Sonozaki was indeed back, and his appearance was surely surprising, especially during the nice moment the two of them had going. "Oh, well hello there Detective Sonozaki! Pleasure to meet you again, didn't know you were a fan of cafes like this!" Bart said cheerily. There wasn't any reason to worry about the detective's sudden appearance there, after all. You could always trust the police! Of course, their conversation soon turned toward a rather angry Detective, who seemed quite adamant on taking Akari back. Bart's smile didn't waver, but the look in his eyes shifted slightly as he brought his attention over to the much older man. "I'm sorry Detective Sonozaki, you must be a bit confused. I did mention that I didn't know where my friend Akari was, but I was quite lucky to find this pleasant little cafe! However, as far as I know, I still haven't bumped into my old friend yet! I've actually been enjoying a pleasant conversation with this place's wonderful singer 'Euterpe'!" he said as he gestured towards Akari, who seemed to be growing more distressed as the conversation went on. They couldn't have that, could they? "I'm sure that if you ask around here, everyone would know Euterpe, she's their best singer after all! Certainly not Akari Asakura, she's still missing, right? If you want, I could help you go look for her with you right now!" I can perhaps lead him away from Akari long enough to find her a way out of here! |
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