partyofthree | [Closed] This is the noise that keeps me awake...

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[Closed] This is the noise that keeps me awake...

Who: Akihiko Sanada (

emperor_with_no_groove) and Minako Arisato (

hasthepotential)
When: Saturday night, late
Where: Cabin 1
What: After finding out about Shinji’s arrival, Akihiko decides to tell Minako.
Warnings: None so far.

Akihiko felt like he was off to one hell of a start in this strange new realm.

The return of his deceased best friend was the last thing he foresaw. It brought back all of the anguish he suffered through when Shinji first died. At the same time, he was happy, and even relieved, to have this amazing chance to see him again. How and why it happened, he wanted to know too, but the most important thing was having Shinji back.

He wondered if Minako knew yet. Shinji had deliberately sought solitude, so not likely. If that was the case, then Akihiko felt like he had a responsibility to tell her. She was their leader, after all.

Muttering the necessary phrase, he decided to send her a simple message using the necklace.

Shinji is here. He arrived today. I just thought you should know.

As Akihiko heavily sank down into an empty seat, he was grateful for the empty cabin. Back at the dorm, he could easily hide in his room until he felt normal again, but there wasn’t the same type of privacy here. For now, he had to wrestle with his demons while he was still able to handle it alone.

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Minako got the message, and at first, she wasn't entirely certain what to do with the information. She fiddled with the necklace, staring at it in silence for a moment. There wasn't a whole lot she could say, considering the continued occupation of so many others in her cabin.

...maybe she should...go see him.

Not Shinjiro, mind you. If he wanted to make his presence known to her already, he would have. His arrival here must've come as a shock to him every bit as much as it had for Akihiko. If should have shocked her, perhaps, but considering that Ryoji was here, that she was here...nothing really surprised her that much anymore, at least were SEES was concerned.

She pushed herself off her bunk, slipping out of the cabin and leisurely walked (which came across more as a dedicated pace) in the general direction of Cabin 1.

Was he happy to see you, at least?

Happy? Shinji?

Akihiko chuckled softly at reading those words, feeling somewhat amused. Shinji didn’t express happiness in the same blatant way as most others. They knew each other well enough to figure out how they were feeling, but it had come after years of being friends.

Yeah. I think he’s just confused right now.

By the way, do you have any relatives with the name “Minato”?

He was always succinct with his text messages. He had chosen this method of communication because it felt… safer, in this moment. He didn’t fully trust his voice or body to not give anything anyway.

That name again.

You're the second person to ask me that.

But Ryoji didn't remember her. Akihiko did.

Don't tell me you're forgetting about me already, senpai? ♥

She might as well add a bit of levity to the situation. At least to pass the time until she arrives at his cabin without an invitation.

He claimed to be our leader.

Akihiko stared at her question for a minute, taking the brief reprieve to figure out how he should answer. It was a perfectly fair one to ask, considering his apparent lapses in memory.

Of course not.

But you need to know that I seem to be having memory problems. I don’t remember this Ryoji that you’re friends with, or the new guy, Minato. They both talked to me like we knew each other.

After sending off that last message, he let out a heavy sigh and leaned forward, propping both elbows up onto his knees. Tense fingers gripped his strained temples as he tried to remember Ryoji and Minato, and who they were to him.

Minako would've responded again, but by this time, she'd arrived at the doorway to Akihiko's cabin. Thunder rumbled ominously, and out of habit, she looked up to the sky to look for rainclouds.

"...." Her brow knit out of concern - more for what Akihiko'd just told her than for the weather - and finally knocked on the door. Would he be able to hear it over the rolling thunder?

He was concentrating so deeply that he didn’t hear the first few knocks. Then, his keen ears nudged him out of his reverie, causing the boxer to unfold from his seat. “…?”

Mystified, he walked over to the entrance and opened the door.

“Minako?” Light gray eyes widened with a bit of surprise, and his first reaction was to immediately tell her, “Uh… Sorry for bothering you.”

He wasn’t really sure what he was apologizing for, but thought he might have given something away in his messages. Minako had always been attentive to her team members, befitting a good leader. Akihiko knew how heavy a load her shoulders were already carrying, and didn’t like putting more pressure on her. They couldn’t be dependent on her for everything, after all.

Minako gave a small smile and shrugged. "I figured it'd be easier for us to talk in person. Besides, people would over-hear in my cabin."

Sure, she'd come out of concern for Akihiko. Seeing Shinjiro suddenly pop up like that could only be worse if Miki was in tow.

"You okay?" She wasn't about to invite herself in, and she definitely wasn't about to comment over how frazzled he looked. Akihiko always looked serious, but she'd observed him often enough to tell when he was troubled. His eyes would always seem to drift when they'd usually remain focused. His jaw would repeatedly clench, and he'd hesitate to speak.

“Y-Yeah…” he stammered a little, seeing the logic in her words, “You’re right. This isn’t something we want other people to know about…”

Especially since Minako lived in a cabin with so many others. Here, they had the privacy to discuss whatever they wanted, without anyone overhearing.

“......”

Her show of concern eased his strained expression a little. Akihiko started to open his mouth to answer, but then a breeze swiftly swept by, catching silver locks and making them swirl across his forehead. It was dark and frigid outside, reminding him of cool winter nights in Iwatodai, before the snow came.

“Are you cold?” He reached forward to press the back of his hand against her cheek in a test of her body temperature. “Do you wanna come in?”

Without waiting for her answer, Akihiko was already stepping back to let her enter the cabin.

Wow, was the entire camp's weather this spastic, or is there something inside the cabin keeping the temp really low? Minako braced herself for the sudden gust, positioning her feet so her center of gravity was stable and she wouldn't budge. It caused her to flinch reflexively, and sent an eerie shiver down her back.

Her eyes opened and already Akihiko's hand was up against her cheek. "It was just a gust, senpai--" She casually shooed his hand away, sending him a playful smile to ease his worry. "--but it'd be easier to talk inside, probably."

He stepped back to allow her entrance. Out of habit, she glanced over her shoulder, back into the hallway, fully expecting to see that same flock of fangirls glaring daggers into her back.

“I don’t want you catching a cold, Minako,” he lectured her somewhat sternly as his usual protective nature kicked in, “Not under my watch.”

He needed to do his best to make sure their leader was sound in both mind and body. Who knew what new trials awaited them?

Akihiko closed the door behind her, and then motioned for her to follow him into the sitting area. He might have felt embarrassed if they were back at the dorm and he was inviting her into his room, but they were here in a foreign land, and they needed the privacy.

Once they were both seated, he spoke up, “I didn’t mean to make you worry. But it’s strange… These… holes in my memory.” He shook his head and let out a shrill sigh of frustration. “I don’t know what the hell’s going on.”

Minako scoffed in indignation. "Akihiko-senpai, you're being paranoid again! I'm not even sweaty!" She walked here, after all!

He really, honestly worried too much. A bunch of worry-warts, all of them.

Minako followed Akihiko compliantly to the sitting area of the cabin, looking over the empty bunks with considerable curiosity. He had this whole place to himself...either he was really lonely, or really lucky. She wasn't quite sure which, just yet.

Once they sat, Akihiko didn't wait long before finally divulging what was on his mind.

"I think if we all sit down and put our heads together, we can at least figure out some of what's going on." She has some theories, but none that she thinks the rest of SEES are ready to hear..."And Minato-kun...between the two of us...well, we seem to remember everything, outside of each other."

Were they supposed to know each other? Were they somehow the missing link in all this?

But there's still a nagging feeling in the back of her mind, and she's not sure how to breach the subject. So she just goes out and asks. "...how's Shinjiro-senpai?"

Her voice is all hush-hush over the question, and she weaves her fingers together and buries her hands in her lap.

“Yeah, hopefully.” There was too much conflicting information going around, and not enough understanding of the situation. “Should we call a meeting with them?”

Akihiko caught sight of her gestures, and involuntarily flinched, knowing that what he was about to tell her would be upsetting. He silently implored the gods to never take away his memories of Minako, since that seemed important to her. Understandably so, considering her responsibilities over all the other SEES members.

“He doesn’t seem to be hurt or anything… not that I’ve been able to check him for bullet wounds.” There was a long pause before he resumed with, “And… I don’t think he remembers you. But don’t blame him, please. He just… came back. Maybe that did something to his memory.” Not that it would explain why Akihiko himself couldn’t remember certain things.

Minako slowly nods. "It'd feel strange without Mitsuru-senpai here to call it, but this whole thing was weird enough to start with, don't you think?"

She wryly smiles at the information Akihiko just relayed to her. Of course he wouldn't remember. Ryoji, now Shinjiro. Maybe her theory was right, and it was payment to the gods for giving her this second chance with all of them.

"Like he'd let you anywhere close enough to let you look."

She quite pointedly refrains from comment on the latter half of what he said.

“I know,” he muttered in agreement. Speaking of which… “Do you think they’re okay back home? Mitsuru and the others. I mean, with all of us here…”

Akihiko scoffed. “Like he has a choice! If I thought he was really hurt, I would’ve checked him. I’ll knock him out if I have to.” They have such a violent friendship.

Don’t think he didn’t notice that, Minako.

He looked carefully at her face to gauge her reaction while asking, “…Are you gonna be okay?” Because it was pretty clear to him that she wouldn’t be happy to learn this information.

Minako gave Akihiko an encouraging smile. "Well, considering I'm from your future n'all, I don't remember you ever vanishing or anything, so maybe something happens back home to take care of that?"

Maybe someone was in his place? Maybe time stopped? There were lots of possibilities, but it did them little good to worry too much over it, so maybe that would put him at ease.

"If you need someone to help hold him down, you know I've got your back!" She grins and flexes an arm. "Even if he doesn't remember me, I doubt he'd hit a girl!" ...right?

"That's my line, senpai."

“You’re… from my future?” He blinked, misunderstanding what she said, thinking she meant they shared a future. His cheeks turned pink, even as he wondered how on earth that had happened. “U-Uh… R-Really?”

He grinned a little and shook his head. “Nah, I can take him. We go way back. We used to get into fights all the time. And don’t worry, he wouldn’t hurt you. Shinji’s good in here.” Akihiko thumped a fist against his own chest to indicate the location.

His expression turned even more stern. “I mean it. You don’t have to take on everything by yourself all the time, Minako. C’mon, let me help you.”

Whoa, hold up. What's got Akihiko so blushy all of a sudden. Senpai, you're not thinking anything dirty, are you?

She doesn't get a chance to draw attention to it - and maybe for the better, considering. (Though she'll be keeping an eye on that...maybe he's progressed further than she'd remembered, given what he last remembered...)

"I know he's good, senpai. Real good." Minako falls solumn after saying so, her eyes lowering in thought over the topic, over his offer..."Thank you, senpai."

She looked back up, all smiles and sunshine, a stark contrast to the dreariness all around them. "But I'm fine! Honest! It's just a bit of culture shock, right?"

If this had been a better time or place, he would ask her about it. For the time being, there were more important things to discuss.

“…I’ll make sure he doesn’t die again,” he suddenly affirmed, leaving no room in his tone for argument. “Damn that Strega… I’m glad they’re not around.”

Akihiko casually nudged her shoulder, grinning with reassurance. “No need to thank me. I’ve got your back. It’s no different than what we were doing back home.”

He sighed in response to her remark; “Tell me about it…”

As if to emphasize her statement, a sudden clap of thunder sounded above their heads. Even though he was used to noise, he still had to plug his ears at night in order to sleep.

Minako visibly jumped, yelping in surprise at the sound that seemed to shake the entire cabin. She blinked owlishly, her arms wrapping around herself as she tries to rub away the goosebumps that had erupted on her skin. "....."

Was it over? She looked apprehensively to Akihiko. Sleeping alone in this place...there's no way she'd be able to manage it. She wonders if he's been getting enough rest with all the commotion.

"We've got each other's backs, senpai." She then weakly smiles, hoping to lighten the mood. "Except in Capture the Flag."

Akihiko almost laughed when she jumped. He hardly ever saw Minako being caught off-guard. It was amusing, in a way. “Heh, don’t worry. It’s just noise.”

But seeing her reaction, he naturally assumed that she was cold. So he dutifully rose to his feet and retrieved a blanket from one of the empty bunks, wrapping it around her shoulders. His hands asserted a gentle squeeze before he pulled away to sit back down.

With ease, he returned to their earlier string of conversation; “It’s our duty to support you, you know. You call the shots, and we follow your orders.” He tilted his head a bit to the size in a quizzical manner. “Capture the Flag…? Oh, I heard some people talking about it around the camp. You think the rules are gonna be the same, like how we play in school?”

She furrows her brow, shifting uncomfortably in her seat. She wasn't afraid of thunder or anything--

"I know. It just startled me." Her eyes looked back up to him. "It sounded really close."

She didn't have a chance to protest before Akihiko rose from his seat and fetched her a blanket. She had a chill, but she wasn't cold--

--but oh, that was nice and warm. Especially after he squeezed her shoulders like that. She tugged the blanket tighter around her, offering her senpai a grateful smile. "I'm not sure yet. I'm sure it'll be different somehow...I mean, who knows how demi-gods play it?"

Electricity was almost second nature to him, after having fought with Polydeuces for so many years. Fortunately, Caesar had the same elemental strength... and weakness.

His smile was a bit wry. "Sorry... You might not like staying here for long. The thunder never goes away. I haven't gotten hit yet, though, so you don't have to worry about that."

But even if he did, it wouldn't really hu-oh, right. No protection from his Persona. Damn, he kept forgetting about that.

Predictably, his lips stretched into a confident grin. "Well, we can figure out the rules later. If it's a challenge, then I'm in."

Minako's jaw goes slightly slack. "Do you have to worry about being hit?!"

That is not cool. Not cool at all. C'mere, senpai. Let's sneak you into her cabin...

Minako quickly matched Akihiko's grin, tilting her chin up proudly, posturing just a wee bit ~~while still being bundled up in a fuzzy blanket it's not weird~~. "It will be a challenge - you're going up against me and my cabin!"

Akihiko looked thoughtful for a moment. “Well, when you hear sounds of thunder, there’s usually lightning associated with it.” His eyes suddenly lit up with excitement. “You know, it looks pretty amazing when you see a bolt zigzagging across the ceiling. Even the air around it seems to sizzle with energy.”

He was surprised to learn that, but it didn’t diminish his determination to win. “Really? Have the teams been decided already?” He didn’t think he would be going up against an entire cabin alone, but that just meant he had to be extra careful and on-guard.

“Heh, this should be interesting. I’ll be sure to test out your skills, leader,” he lightly provoked her competitive spirit, knowing full well that Minako had one. “Let’s see if they match up with your battle prowess.”

Oh my God Akihiko you should be terrified at the possibilities what are you even on. But when his eyes go wide like that, it wasn't too hard imagining him as a little kid back like in his and Shinjiro's stories.

"Not just you - but the number of kids in cabin eleven still outnumber all the others I think. But who knows? Maybe it'll even out more once it rolls around. It seems like new people are coming in every day."

She leans forward over her knees, her eyes gleaming even sharper than before. "You just try it." She's leader for a reason, you know!

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