psycholawgy | ic contact;

Seems that way.

[ His expression softens around the eyes. This is why he likes Athena. She just kind of gets it. He doesn't miss the way Widget lights up, either, and it privately amuses him.

Yu nods rather seriously at her question. ]

All of my friends did, yeah. Not only is it tough, it can be really dangerous. Facing your Shadow... means facing all the darkest parts of yourself that you never wanted to see. [ Yu sits back in his chair, letting his gaze move up to the ceiling for a moment. But then he smiles, sitting up again. ] But we were all there for each other, and everyone made it through just fine.

[ she doesn't fully understand what a shadow is in yu's world, but she's just basing her own interpretation of it with her knowledge of psychology. athena wonders what her shadow must be like... and it's because of that that the ice cream that she was supposed to put in her mouth falls to the table instead. ]

Oops.

[ now back to yu. ] It's good that you have your friends with you, though. And that you're there for them, too. Sometimes, facing the darkest parts of yourself can lead to permanent trauma.

[ He laughs a little at that. She's too cute. Does this mean he'll have to buy her another one? He wouldn't mind, for the excuse to spend time with her. ]

Permanent trauma... yeah, something like that. In my world, when a Shadow manifests, it's something physical. Actually, when you say the right words to it, it turns into a monster. Or, if enough time passes and the conditions are right, it'll go berserk... either way, it can kill you if you're not careful.

[ Or if there's no one there with you. His expression turns serious for a moment, and he toys with his own ice cream. Saki, Mayumi Yamano... and in a way. King Moron, though that had been a result of Mitsuo's demons, really. And all his friends had their own close calls. ]

Sometimes I wonder what my own Shadow would have been like. Though, at the same time, I can't say I want to find out.

Kill you?!

[ YEAH, OKAY, athena didn't expect that. she even gets up from her seat as an impulsive reaction to her shock. wow...

but she realises that she just made everybody in the place stare at their general direction, so she sits back down. oops. again. ]

W- Wow... that's crazy! I was trying to imagine what my shadow would be like just now, but now I don't want to, if it could kill me.

[ especially when her imagination is telling her that her shadow is her covered in blood, holding a bloodied sword. it's always fun in athena's imagination. ]

And I don't think you should want to, either.

Like I said, they were dangerous monsters in their own right, as well as a manifestation of the darkest parts of you. It was always a risk, facing them. But doing so was part of a murder case all of us were trying to solve together.

[ He sighs through his nose. ]

Don't worry. It's not that I want to meet my Shadow. It's more that I wonder what form it would take, and what kinds of things it would say. But it's not something I dwell on. After all, I have my friends. I can face any challenge head on as long as I'm not alone.

[ There's a quiet, nostalgic confidence in the way he says those words. ]

[ such powerful words...! athena already cried earlier, BUT SHE'S DEFINITELY CRYING AGAIN. she can feel the strength of yu's bonds with his friends just from his words. IT'S. IT'S SO TOUCHING. ]

Your friends are so lucky to have you!

[ wait. no!! SHE'S A FRIEND TOO, ISN'T SHE??? ]

I'm so lucky to have you!

[ Oh no, not again. Yu huffs a shocked laugh, like he can't believe her, which he can't. ]

Please don't cry...

[ He's so bad at crying girls. You'd think he'd've learned, after being around so many of them... ]

I'm glad you think so, though. But the truth is, I'm the one that's lucky. I'm nothing without the support of my friends. [ His eyes crinkle with his smile, as he reaches out for a napkin from the table's napkin dispenser and hands it to her. ]

Come on. Why don't I tell you my story from prom?

[ she waves a hand at yu as she stops crying. it's seriously a strange ability to have: to be able to switch moods in a second flat. it's like she's an expert actress or something. ]

No need.

[ but hey! while that might be a wonder, it shouldn't matter so much. she's smiling at him and looking at him with her eyes wide and intent on listening. ]

Okay, go! I won't interrupt, I promise.

[ That just makes him huff in a way that's not quite a laugh, but definitely sounds amused. He sets the napkin down. ]

Alright. Where should I start? [ He props an elbow on the table so he can tick things off on his fingers. ] Like I said, I nearly completed the list. There was the group dance, and the dramatic fight you and I had. Those were pretty straightforward. I accidentally got drunk... [ He sighs. ] And that's what lead to the others.

[ She said she wouldn't interrupt... so he keeps going. ]

I ended up getting involved in a slow dance or two... one of those slow dances was with Minato-san. We're friends... but, ah, I guess you could say I've sort of had feelings for him for a while. I...

[ A beat. He's actually flustered, which is quite a rarity. ]

Told him as much. Which counted as fulfilling another of the conditions...

[ This time, when he sighs, it's quite a bit more world weary. ]

In all, I think I ended up fulfilling five of the eight conditions. I counted.

[ oh, wow! she never would have expected a story like this! she's practically at the edge of her seat, her spoon hanging from her mouth as she supports it with her hand. she looks kind of dumbstruck, to be honest. ]

Wow.

[ give her a moment to think of actual words and not just random screeching. ]

I never would have thought... Minato. . . [ she trails off. nothing offensive there. but she didn't really know until now that the two of them even knew each other. ]

What happened after you told him?

Yeah? We've known each other for some time now. Almost since I first got here. A lot's happened since then.

[ That's understating it. They've saved each other's lives, and that's only the beginning. Yu looks sheepish, scratching his cheek. ]

... we ended up tripping, and I fell on top of him. He logged out pretty quickly after that. He can be tough to read, and I ended up pretty convinced he didn't want anything to do with me romantically...

[ Yu sits up straighter, breathing out through his nose and looking away for a moment, thoughtful. ]

I'm still not totally sure. But I think I might have a chance after all.

[ well, that's good to hear! the smile on athena's face as yu tells her that he may have a chance is totally genuine. though a part of her is slightly jealous of the romance. it's always been her dream to be treated like a princess and have her own prince charming, but her dream's ended and she's woken up to reality. ]

I think you do.

What's not to like, after all?

[ The compliment seems to surprise him, as he blinks at her, straightening a little. Actually, by the way he glances off to one side, ducking his chin slightly, she may actually have managed to fluster him a little.

But he'll look back at her with a small smile. ]

Thanks, Athena. That's kind of you to say.

[ she nods a couple of times then claps her hands in delight. ]

Mm, you're welcome! You're a really great guy, Yu! If we got to know each other even better, I might end up having a crush on yo! [ she says it ever so lightly, but she means it even more than what she had just said previously. ]

Come on... [ He says it with a bit of a sheepish laugh. It's hard to fluster him this much, congrats, Athena. For someone normally fairly perceptive, he misses the fact that she might actually mean that. ]

I'm sure we'll get to know each other better. I like spending time with you, Athena. [ He means it sincerely, of course. ]

Of course you do! [ ah... it's only 10% of the time that athena is sheepish. ] I'm plenty interesting.

The cases I've worked on are even more interesting, too.

Tell me about them. [ His smile shows his genuine interest. He really does want to learn more about Athena, and her life. ]

We defended an orca in court once!

[ said excitedly, her index finger lifted as if making a point. this is very big news ok. ]

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UGH i meant you and not yo x-(!!

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