awashlogs | [January Catch-All]

[He's always so domestic... it's cute, she thinks as she makes her way through the house to where he is, peeking her head through the doorway of the living room and smiling at him. It probably hasn't been very long... but she had missed him nonetheless.]

Of course. [To both things and she's setting herself beside him, close enough to lean against his shoulder and of course, ask a question partly out of jest and partly because she really does want to know:]

Did you miss me?

[It's automatic, the way that Minato contentedly leans against Shiho's shoulder in return, lips curving into a small but warm smile.]

Of course I did.

[Because he's that sort of sap:]

I always do.

[Shiho really does like that smile a lot and can't help smiling more brightly at him in response.]

...Embarrassing. [But her tone is fond and teasing as she reaches out to slip her hand into his.]

I did too. [And with that confession she's turning to hide her face against his shoulder for a second though she's definitely still blushing as she looks back up again.]

....So... how are we going to do this?

[It's even more potent and dangerous when Shiho herself says that she missed him... she's dangerous when she's sincere, and he can feel his heart skip a couple of potent beats.

...Focusing on the quest is safer.]

I think we're supposed to just think about it really hard--I swapped with Percy-san once already, and we just held hands.

[But since he and Shiho are already touching--]

I think anything would work.

Ready to give it a try?

[Her smile quirks at the corner because she definitely saw the way his heart skipped a couple of beats. It's... nice to know that she had that kind of effect on him, especially when he had that same kind of effect on her too.

But, right. Quest. Looking down briefly, she takes off the ring she always wears on her own ring finger, lifting his hand so she can slip it on his... pinky? Or at least a little bit onto there, depending on whether his hands are bigger or not.]

It's a limiter. It... doesn't really help bring down my power much anymore but it should keep you at least a bit safer. [Gently swiping her finger over his knuckle, she smiles back up at him again.]

I'm ready now. [And she's thinking about it as hard as she can, though she's not entirely sure it'll work.

...until the world goes very quiet. She remembers the way Yuuri's clones had held their heads and screamed about being unable to hear their orders. Was this what it felt like? She can't hear him or his heartbeat through their linked hands and all she can hear are her own thoughts.

Which she realizes he might be able to hear too now and she immediately looks to him, a mixture of embarrassment, worry and fondness, of "is he okay", of how warm his hand is and how reassuring it is that they're holding hands. And underneath all her surface thoughts is sixteen years worth of memories, feelings, books she's read and people she's met, her heartbeat, the way her lungs fill with air with every breath she takes, the shift of muscle as she just about resists the urge to fuss and reach out to brush his hair back.]

[Oh... to the end, Shiho is always making sure he's safe. So he accepts the ring with a small smile, nodding in response, and... then they swap. It's as instantaneous as that, and totally unexpected, no matter what he thought he was prepared for.

Shiho, too, is going to have some new sensations--some new friends in her head. They're quiet presences for the most part, though some of them chatter or reach out to her. They're major arcana based more than anything; they murmur in Shiho's head about Minato's arcana affinities, about the Fool and Death and the World, and the strength of their bond. (And, of course, there's power. So much magic, so many skills at her fingertips.)

For Minato, though... there's... so much to process.

He doesn't want to pry into her thoughts or read her thoughts, but he's realizing what Shiho meant by how much of this is just automatic; he can feel her fondness and embarrassment and concern all at once, that worried thought, all of those sensations--

He drags in a shaky breath, blinking, and lifts his free hand to rub at his forehead a little.]

Ah... I knew it was going to be a lot, but it's still...

[Distracting, overwhelming, astonishing--it's so many things.]

You really...can see so much.

[Hearing other voices in her head is... definitely new, especially when there are so many of them. It’s different from how she normally feels, now she’s full to the brim with magic though she still has no idea how to do any of this. The Fool, Death, and the World though, huh.... She wishes she knew more about Arcana, though a part of her does fluster a little when they start talking about the strength of their bond. Doesn’t she get enough teasing from everyone else?!

She untangles her fingers from his (and there’s the brief clear feeling of worry again, for him and not for herself, worry that he’d hurt himself or that her powers would hurt him), breaking the connection between them to reach out. Even without her psychometry, the way he rubs his forehead is pretty telling. Her head hurts too, after all, whenever she stretches herself too far.]

And I think everyone in your head is talking to me now. [Her fingertips lightly brush his bangs back.] I did tell you I was a level 7. They can’t even measure how powerful I am back home. If it’s too much, we could always try switching back.

[The connection is broken just like that when Shiho tugs her hands away, leaving Minato with...at least a bit of time to try to process everything. He misses holding her hand, but...perhaps for a moment, it's okay to take a breather.]

Mm... my Personas. They react to peoples' personal Arcanas...

[He murmurs that softly--but when she brushes his bangs back, he smiles gently in response.]

It's a lot... but I'm okay. I still want to understand just a bit more...if that's okay. Thank you for being patient with me.

[He bites at his lip for a moment, expression contemplative.]

I don't want to pry too far, though. [That's what he's most worried about--he doesn't have the control Shiho has.]

Personal Arcanas...? [Did she have something like that too? She's never studied it much, but Death, the Fool and the World do sound like something she's heard of before.

Still, his smile is reassuring and she smiles back just as softly. She may not have access to her psychometry right now, but it's not hard still to figure out what he may be thinking just from visual cues. Her hand moves to his cheek, thumb lightly against his chin so he doesn't bite his lip again.]

Of course it's okay. Don't thank me for something like that. [Because there's no doubt that she'd be patient. Her hand falls away from his cheek to take his hand again instead.

Relationships should be built on trust, that much she's sure of and he'll feel that now as she laces her fingers between his.]

I don't have anything to hide from you and... [This will probably be the first time she's ever confessed to it and she realizes it in a split second of surprise that melts into a hopelessly fond smile.]

I'm not afraid of my own powers. [Not anymore. She had been once, but he'll see a brown-haired man in glasses (Minamoto, supervisor, friend, big brother, source of amusement) reaching out to take her hand like it isn't a big deal, Kaoru hugging her tightly and thinking with her entire being that she's the coolest and cutest, the bright laughter of three girls and a world that might still hate her for being what she is but is slowly changing and learning.

And of course, there is the memory of a pocket dimension and Minato taking her hand.]

Just don't strain yourself too much. I want to understand a bit more about you too, you know?

[She takes his hand so gently, and Minato laces their fingers together as well, eyes fluttering shut as he just...takes in the moment. It's a bit less of a shock this time--the feedback, the amount of information he's getting here, and...her presence there, so warm and stark and impossible to ignore or forget.

It's soothing.

She's there, and... that's what really matters. She doesn't have anything to hide. She's not afraid of her powers anymore. He finally gets to see Minamoto, the person who was so good to them all their lives, who is so important to them, and...breathes out a soft, contented sigh.]

... I know. And... I'm glad, too. For this experience, and to be able to understand you better, and...to finally get to see Minamoto-san, too.

[He's so important to Shiho--of course it makes him happy to be able to see him. He smiles, opening his eyes and meeting her gaze warmly.]

I want you to understand everything about me too... because I don't have anything to hide from you either.

[He squeezes her hand, and murmurs:]

Arcana... from tarot, you know? That's how I see all of my relationships... because of my Personas. Everyone has an arcana, and it represents who they are.

You're... Justice. [He lifts their intertwined hands, pressing a kiss to the back of hers.] Which means... "taking responsibility"... "being fair", "balancing all sides" and "trying to do what's right".

[A flash of a smile.]

Amongst other things, of course.

[He shouldn't only get to see Minamoto-san, she thinks. So she supplies him with an image of Aoi, too (her smile soft as she adjusts her glasses, Shiho's image of her full of love and gratitude). Minato does it to her often enough so this time she smiles as she speaks to him through the psychometry too.

"Can't forget Aoi-chan."

After all, these three are her family and she wants Minato to know them.

Tarot are the fortune-telling cards, then. Though she'd never known that's how he sees his relationships. Then... he's the Fool, Death and the World? Those represent who he is (and she isn't sure she likes the sound of Death). Still, the kiss to her hand does briefly distract her from her thoughts because... she's weak to this kind of suave, sincere thing. Her mind blanks for half a second and she blushes, fingers curling around his a little more securely.]

...Is that how you see me? [Her lips twitch into a smile again as she strokes the side of his finger gently with her thumb, wondering what he means by other things.]

What about you? What do... the Fool, the World and... [Then a pause, hesitation in her mind:] ...Death mean?

[Minato's eyes slide shut for a moment as he processes the image of Aoi she's giving him. It's... really nice. This way, he finally knows what they look like--and how Shiho feels when she thinks of them. All of that love, all of that affection and gratitude... it's nice.

He hopes, more than anything, that he gets to meet them someday. That someday, he's able to shake Minamoto's hand and thank him for looking after Shiho, and that he's able to meet Aoi and thank her for being such an amazing friend. But for now... he'll keep that to himself.

For now. Later, he'll make sure to think it when she's gotten her powers back, because she deserves to know that he's excited for that.

Either way... he nods quietly, understanding her concern, smiling in response. She'll be able to feel his calm certainty; even though Death sounds ominous, he knows it's an important part of the Tarot Journey.]

The Fool represents new beginnings, and having faith...whereas the World is fulfillment and accomplishment. And Death... Death represents change. Necessary change, even... some things ending, but only so that new things can begin.

It's not a bad thing at all... I promise.

[Shiho has no idea what he has planned at all... but she does trust him and even without her powers there, that trust doesn't change for even a moment and he'll feel that.

He does manage to calm her worries though, he always has and that's what he'll feel now, her basking quietly in the memory of the calm she always feels from him using her psychometry.]

I see. [If he says it, she'll choose to believe it, reaching out with her other hand to cover his one with both of hers.]

That does sound like you. [Especially the having faith, fulfillment. Though she does wonder what the new beginnings represent.]

[He does feel it--and her level of faith in him is so, so humbling. Really... how did he get so lucky? He can't feel anything but an intense rush of affection, an affection that overwhelms him to the point that he reaches out for her other shoulder, gently tugging her close in a one-armed hug.]

... Thanks. I appreciate it.

[He offers her a smile, and murmurs softly:]

Tell me more about your psychometry. What's your favorite part about it? [Because he's quickly growing very fond of feeling her affection and warmth firsthand.]

[Not having psychometry means she really hadn't been prepared at all to be tugged in for a hug. But she's not complaining about it, her eyes wide for a moment before she's smiling again, letting herself melt against him and resting her head against his shoulder. And there's that same rush of affection again, accompanied by feelings of warmth, of safety, of how right it feels to be with him like this. Above all that, clearer than anything else though? It's: I like him, full of equal parts wonder and fondness.

But, of course, she has to focus on the psychometry too. So she adjusts to lean more against him and feed him memories starting with the chart that is used so often though she does indicate that it's more of a thing for psychokinesis than psychometry. But the same concept of levels applies to her too since that's how her powers are classified too.

Being at level 7 means that your powers are beyond what we can measure with the technlogy we have currently. That's Minamoto's voice again followed by a very fond "what a nerd" from Shiho's thoughts.]

My favourite part, huh.... it's pretty useful for studying. [And here she remembers Sakaki taught her to read through books once using psychometry then to actually read through them physically so the information would stick better. She doesn't want to give him too much credit but if he's a doctor that must mean he can at least study correctly even if she doesn't respect him at all as an adult.]

And being able to know what some people are thinking can be pretty nice. [Though at the same time there have also been things she's read that she wished she hadn't... but she pushes that thought away to focus on things she actually likes. And then accidentally lights on how much she likes the fact that she can read him when they're kissing???

She flusters and immediately tries to push that thought down as far as it'll go.]

W-Wait, pretend you didn't see that. I-I have other things I really like too! Um... l-like reading food and seeing how much effort someone put into it.

[Honestly, Minato admires Shiho for being able to handle this much information, this influx of thoughts and sensations and everything so well--he's too used to his quiet life (sans...Personas, of course), and he's definitely starting to hit that point of realizing that he's not made for this.

But.

But even so...there's one thing he's sure of--and it's that he'd never, ever get tired of being able to feel that rush of warm emotion from Shiho as she leans against him. Her fondness, her wonder, her warmth...it's something he commits to memory fiercely, because it's something that makes his heart absolutely soar.

That...he keeps to himself, though, lips curving into amusement as those thoughts of Shiho's trickle through.

He knows he should focus on the words she's telling him instead of what he can read from her, but--]

Hey... what if I don't pretend I didn't see it? [Minato.] Because... I think that's something I really want to experience too.

[Reading Shiho like this when they're kissing--that sounds 100% like something he'd like to experience in this brief moment they've been given.]

[She turns red all the way to her ears and when she opens her mouth, she doesn't know what to say first.

But from the psychometry, it's easy to tell that she's a jumble of emotions and thoughts right now. Okay, but maybe- Embarrassment. I-Is he teasing me? Happiness. H-How dare he tease me?! Fondness. Okay but... maybe- More embarrassment as she realizes that yes, she wants that too. Maybe-

And then she's looking up again from where she's resting up against him, trying to frown but really not managing it very well as her thoughts flash through her head again over what she could say.

Like What kind of weird things are you doing with other people's powers?

Like Why is he so embarrassing?

Like I wish I could read him right now.

What she goes with though, her hand reaching out to grip onto his shirt as she burrows her face against his shoulder for a moment to collect her thoughts before looking at him again is:]

Just..... for a little bit.

[In all honesty? He had no idea if Shiho would agree or not. He's sure that that embarrassed her--would've known that even if he wasn't reading it coming off of her in waves--and sometimes Shiho's not that interested in things that embarrass her that much.

(He thinks it's endearing.

In some ways, Shiho is a delicate lady when it comes to being embarrassed. Endlessly, eternally, Minato loves experiencing more aspects of her personality.)

But...she agrees. With her face against his shoulder, with her fingers buried in his shirt, she agrees... and Minato's expression of quiet surprise softens into something much gentler. She looks up at him, and he gently reaches to brush her bangs from her hair, smiling.]

... Okay. Just one quick kiss. Ready?

[Shiho is stuck part ways between knowing that she wants to agree and yet also wanting to hide in his shoulder.

And right now he's being treated to her conflicting thoughts of wanting to kiss him, of worry that her thoughts would be too weird, of how unfair it is that all he needs to do is smile at her and she'd feel like she could do just about anything.

Also how glad she is for a second that this is his house and not hers. What she does though is pout, eyes drifting away for a second, knowing that he'd be able to see the way her heart is beating faster, the rush of blood to her cheeks and how much she's actually anticipating this. When she looks back at him, leaning a little into the stroke of his hand through her hair, her tone is ever so slightly petulant but mostly just... fond, soft.]

...What kind of a question is that? Of course I'm ready.

[January Catch-All]

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