candybox | OPEN POST: Yusuke Kitagawa (Fox)

[Yusuke's pretty sure Ryuji just repeated the wrong word back at him, and he just raises an eyebrow, unsurprised. Well, he's certainly not dating Ryuji for his expansive vocabulary, and this is a fond reminder of that.

At least his good manners more than make up for it. Yusuke takes his seat, oblivious to the awkwardness of being surrounded by other couples, and whatever awkwardness might be going through Ryuji's mind related to it. As Ryuji joins him, he places his bag on his knee and rifles through its contents until he produces a folded map he uses on his various visits here. He offers it to Ryuji.]

Here. You may find this useful to peruse before the projections begin. [If Ryuji opens it, it's a chart displaying all of the major constellations.] It can still be a bit confusing to make sense of at first, so if you need help, I can help point out the location of the various constellations in relation to one another.

[Finding his seat not long after, he reclines a little bit as he makes himself more comfortable. He looks to see what Yusuke is doing with his bag in his lap, and even though he half expects him to pull out a sketch pad, the result is a little different and he smiles sheepishly.]

You brought a map? Dude... you're super prepared. [He takes it, and almost like a reverence in not trying to bust it up or start messing the edges of it, concentrates on unfolding it so that it doesn't cause any additional wear and tear.

And, of course, when it's open, he can't make heads from tails at any of this stuff. It's totally upside down. Ryuji is lost in looking at all the lines connecting with each other, oddly excited for something kind of geeky, for once.]

Yeah... I'm pretty lost... Sorry, I ain't good at this sorta stuff. [Seriously. Don't take him on a road trip and expect him to help with directions. He feels warmth rise up in his cheeks, admittedly dumb to the invaluable resource Yusuke just handed over to him.] What's this one? [From under the expanded map, Ryuji points to a small subset of stars linked together.]

Ryuji, you're holding it upside down...

[Yusuke delicately takes the chart from him just long enough to turn it the right way up. The gesture makes his hand brush against Ryuji's, and once he realises, his cheeks tinge pink.]

Um-- my apologies. Here. [Why is he getting nervous, around Ryuji of all people? That's never happened before. Then again, they weren't dating before. He tucks a strand of hair behind his ear and attempts to refocus his attention on the conversation at hand. If his tuition under Madarame taught him at least one or two things of worth, one of them was how to push distractions out of his mind.]

That constellation is called Ursa Minor, or the Little Bear. Its counterpart is Ursa Major, which is the larger constellation here. [He points to them in turn as he names them.] That one is what we commonly know as the seven stars of the Big Dipper. I assume you're familiar with it?

[Although he's hella appreciative that the map is getting fixed to the right orientation, the soft brush of skin against his own brings up all sorts of feelings that put into question his own personal orientation. He smiles sheepishly, like it's not a big deal at all, trying to brush it off like it's not even the smallest of problems.

That said, his heart is picking up a few bpm. Not exactly EDM rate, but, elevated. Like, jazz that's just ripped into the sickest piano riff. And if Yusuke's great at dealing with distractions, at least one of them has that sort of self-control. Ryuji sure as hell doesn't.]

Ursa Minor. [He repeats it as if it'll help make it stick in his head better. There are so! many! constellations to admire, so he'll have to narrow down to a few.] Oh. Yeah! Everyone knows the Big Dipper, right?

[With the map in his lap, he frees a hand to let it rest against his knees as he traces the outline of it on the chart.] Looks like a measuring spoon. [As if looking for confirmation and approval, his eyes wander up to Yusuke and he holds back another one of those dumb, big smiles.]

A measuring spoon...? [Yusuke looks at the chart, and chuckles.] I can see that. Or perhaps a pan with a handle.

[His eyes meet Ryuji's and he smiles. He looks like he wants to say more, and it's on the tip of his tongue, but suddenly the lights dim, and conversation becomes hushed around the theatre as the projections begin. Yusuke sits back, gazing up to admire the sea of stars suddenly all around them.]

...Magnificent. No matter how many times I come here, this sight never fails to take my breath away.

[Oh. Now that he says it, it does look like a pan. Hell, even a small ramen pot. He wants to make that comment- and then ask if the little dipper is like the soup spoon, but sure enough, the lights fade away and just like that, a brilliance of heavens open up to be projected onto the dome above them. Ryuji's caught a little by it- he's always thought this sort of stuff was dumb, or lame, but with the additional context to it, and... the right guide... this is something a lot cooler than he originally pinned it out to be.

Tilting his head up, he tries to take in the full panorama of events across the simulated sky. It's too much to get in one periphery, so he winds up sitting forward, his hands careful to not disturb the chart as he balances weight onto his palms, back slender and sloping forward so that he can turn his neck to see what's behind him, then in front of him, and to the side.

Hearing Yusuke talk, his focus returns to the artist sitting next to him. His eyebrows arch upward, and watching him watching the stars puts amusement straight into his heart. He loves people who are passionate about things- even if those things aren't the same things he's passionate about. He shakes his head, catching himself and looking away. Man, what's gotten into him?]

H-hey, aren't we supposed to be quiet? [It's a tease, and a really bad one, of course, since Ryuji is anything but the epitome of quiet. He can't help but smirk, and he tries not to look at Yusuke too much more. He doesn't want to seem creepy or draw attention to it, or the fondness that he has towards Yusuke's enthusiasm.]

[Yusuke's definitely getting more than his fair share of dirty looks from people around them who expected this to be a quiet experience, only to have some teenager narrating his excitement aloud. As ever, Yusuke is either impervious to the force of their stares... or he simply doesn't care. It's not really surprising that he has a notorious reputation around the planetarium, given how he acts.]

Quiet? You, Ryuji? [He looks down at Ryuji and scoffs. He's mostly teasing him, but it's true that Ryuji is the last person he'd expect to hear something like that from. Then he blinks in surprise as he seems to come to a realisation, eyes wide.]

Ah, I see...! The calming effects of the universe have worked their influence upon you.

[He nods to himself!! That's definitely the reason for it.]

[What in the world was he saying? That was totally not where he was going with this, and when he turns to look at Yusuke with a wry "forreal?" expression, he knows it's going to go unnoticed. Don't get him wrong, he doesn't really care what people's opinions are about himself, but he doesn't feel like a whole lot of people outside the Phantom Thieves know Yusuke well enough to not think that he's being rude. And maybe Ryuji's view is pretty warped, since he doesn't think it is- and he can't hold in the obvious quirk of a laugh to the artist's obliviousness to the room around him.

Damn. Is he brave because he's clueless, or clueless because he's brave? Either way, Ryuji lowers his voice a little so that he's not shouting at the top of the mountain top.]

Dude, it's like I'm practically floating in space.

[There's an annoyed sound coming from behind them. Someone has taken the liberty to make a "SHHH" sound. Is that an invitation to fight? Ryuji turns around and glares.]

Yes, the immersion is truly incredible. [Yusuke's both clueless, and it's less that he's brave and more that he simply doesn't care. If the masses don't understand his Deep Artistic Reflections when it comes to space, that's not his problem. His mind is totally preoccupied with thoughts beyond anything like social convention or having a brain to mouth filter.

Likewise, Ryuji's glaring goes unnoticed, but before the other teen can start picking a fight, Yusuke is gasping and grabbing his shoulder.]

Ah! There is is. Don't those stars look familiar? [He's pointing up eagerly, hoping Ryuji can piece together the stars in the sky into their constellations.]

[He's about to just give that little asshole a piece of his mind. Oh it is on like donkey ko---

And then he's pulled back away from reality into the world of astronomy. His head is still whirring with the urge to go back there and give that guy a piece of his mind, so it takes a few minutes from him to settle in. He crosses his arms, huffs out a breath of angered air, and reminds himself to have a little chill. At least a little.

All in all, Yusuke gave a perfectly unintentional distraction. Lucky for everyone, Ryuji is highly vulnerable to that sort of thing.]

H...huh?

[He looks up, and then glances down at the cheat sheet.]

Yo, that's Ursa Major, right?

[Yusuke is initially a little concerned by all that huffing and puffing Ryuji is doing, not even having an inkling of the cause of it, but his attention is soon back on the stars before Yusuke can ask what's wrong. His expression brightens visibly when Ryuji names the constellation correctly.]

Yes, that's precisely right. Now you've found that one, you can use it to find the location of other constellations in relation to it.

[Yusuke's not going to point them out for him unless he's really struggling. Maybe it will be a fun challenge...?]

[When it comes to affirmation and acknowledgment, Ryuji eats that stuff up like it's a buffet line and he had been holding off eating all day just so he could fit more in. He's losing some of the steam of his anger as he starts to realize that picking a fight here would probably... disappoint Yusuke. Which isn't really the intent of the evening. Oh well.

Eyes looking upward to the fake sky, he points his hand in a tracing motion, to connect the dots in the air, visualizing what would constellation was just nearby it. It takes a second to confer with the map resting against his thighs, until he nods.]

That one's Draco. I'm guessin' it's supposed to be a dragon? Kinda like me. [He traces the "Ryu" kanji in his name into the air.] Hey, Yusuke? Which one's your favorite?

Yes, that's right. "Draco" is Latin for dragon. [If there's one thinking a knowledge of art has taught Yusuke, it's how to understand gratuitous Latin.]

I believe the one I am most fond of is Cygnus -- the Swan. There, just southwest of Draco. [He points to indicate it... not that pointing is very helpful when there's so much to look at.] It's also known as the Northern Cross, but to me, it's very easy to visualise a beautiful bird with spread wings, ascending through the night. It has some of the brightest stars in the sky, so even here in a large city, it's possible to see.

[The pointing doesn't help at all, Ryuji leaning over past the armrest between them so that he can see the angle that Yusuke is referencing. Of course, it would be a lot easier to just refer to the star map, but... typical. When he says "brightest stars," he mistakenly fixates on Polaris and doesn't see a swan, or a cross at all.

Okay, fine. He references the map after all, fingers tracing the outline of the Cygnus just fine.]

"Contains Deneb, Gamma Cygni, Delta Cygni, Epsilon Cygni and Albireo. Albireo (Beta Cygni), although only the 5th brightest star in the constellation Cygnus, is of special peculiarity, as it is a double star. With a magnitude of 3, it is impossible for the human eye to discern the difference. Using a telescope allows the viewer to see both the fiery amber hue of Beta Cygni A and the cool blue-green contrast of its smaller partner, Beta Cygni B."

[He didn't really need to read the entire paragraph aloud, but it strikes him. Two stars who revolve around each other, always moving around each other and never making contact. It's weirdly... comforting in a way.

Ryuji looks over at Yusuke from his seated position and grins. He thinks Cygnus is just as extraordinary as he describes it, and when he looks up at the constellation, he can almost see the wingspan of a giant, graceful swan.]

Ah... this is corny as shit... But we're kinda like Albireo, aren't we?

[He feels his cheeks get warm. Not Beta Cygni A warm. But still.

And yeah. That was entirely too corny.]

[Yusuke listens intently; this tidbit of information is just as new to him as it is to Ryuji. It seems to him as no more than fascinating trivia, at least until Ryuji comes out with that particular observation. Then his eyes go wide, and he covers his mouth with surprise, unable to speak for a moment as if the comparison had literally taken his breath away.]

What a beautiful image...! I never thought you capable of such eloquence, Ryuji.

[...It's a... backhanded compliment, not that Yusuke realises it, but he genuinely seems captivated and even touched by the idea.]

After we're finished here, we should go and purchase a telescope at once.

[He has no idea how much telescopes cost, but this totally seems like a Good Spending Decision.]

[The comment makes him scratch the back of his head. He knows Yusuke meant well, and he doesn't look too much into it--- but, yeah. Ryuji is no casa nova who runs around like an airhead dropping meaningless words just meant to amuse or flatter. He'd blurted it out because it made sense at the time and his head was heading in that direction, and he wanted to share it with Yusuke. So even when he says it like that, he's not bothered too much, instead looking for the other signs that were more important- like how he nearly gasped, or how contemplative he looked over being on the receiving end of it.

Ryuji laughs to himself.

It's just so... Yusuke.]

Yeah, sometimes I surprise myself.

[Wait, what? He wants to go buy a telescope, even though they couldn't afford the premium seating here? Shit, how much do those things cost? He'll have to check amazon later.]

W-what? You gotta be kiddin' me. Can't we just borrow one from school?

Oh... Does your school have one they would be willing for us to borrow?

[He should check at Kosei, too, for that matter. He might be registered with the fine arts department, but it's unlikely they'd turn him down if he said it was for a project, right?]

Either way, I would very much like to admire these partnered stars for myself.

I think the science room does.

[It gives him a really....

~~great~~ horrible idea.]

...Wanna sneak in with me?

You mean at night? I'm not sure that's wise.

[Yusuke doesn't want to be the cause of Ryuji finally getting expelled from school, just because he wanted to do some stargazing.]

[Surprisingly, their lack of impulse controls aren't aligning, which is probably for the best. He thinks about it for a second and concurs... probably not the best idea in the world, but it struck him and it was the first thing to come straight out of his mouth. One day he's going to learn to curb that a little.]

You're uh. Probably right.

[And thus, his delinquency is abridged to a fond afterthought of trespassing. Which is half the fun- the other half would be making Yusuke happy by settling a desire that doesn't involve whipping out a wallet.]

We'll see it though. Promise.

Yes. I'm eager to see it, but not if it means doing anything that will get us into unnecessary trouble. Our work comes first and foremost.

[Which involves, you know, actual breaking and entering for justified reasons, not just because stars are pretty and Yusuke wanted to look at them. Either of them getting into trouble with their schools or the authorities would cause problems for the group as a whole, not just them.]

But if it's a promise, I'll hold you to that.

[He feels a pang of guilt for mentioning it. He gives his mom enough trouble as it is, and the last thing he wants to do is give everyone else just as much. He can't be a Phantom Thief from the confines of juvie hall. Leaning back into the seat, he quiets down for a few moments.

But damn, he's going to make sure to follow through on it. From his point of view, what kind of guy would he be if he started breaking promises? Doesn't matter if it's breaking one to Yusuke, or anyone else.

He eyebrows follow upward as his head tilts over. These sort of things should be sealed with a contract.

Ryuji holds his pinky over the arm divider.]

Pinky promise, then.

[He... has heard of those, right?

(Ryuji never knows with Yusuke)]

[Fortunately, Yusuke's not such a lost cause that he's never seen pinky swearing before. So he nods, linking his pinky with Ryuji's.]

Deal. And if you break the deal, I hope you are prepared to slice off that finger of yours.

[... Okay, so apparently he's heard of the old-fashioned version of pinky swearing??!??!

Or maybe he's just trolling, who knows.]

[Did he just make a deal with the devil or something?

He stares at Yusuke.

What?

Just. What?]

Dude, have you been watchin' a ton of gorey movies lately or something? That's... pretty dark.

[He likes his pinky finger. He wants to keep said pinky finger.]

[Ryuji's reaction earns an amused grin from Yusuke.]

Isn't that how yubikiri goes? Whoever breaks their oath must swallow a thousand needles, and cut off their finger. You shouldn't make such a vow if you're not serious about it.

Perhaps in this instance I'd let you off the hook, however. It might make it hard to fight with one less finger...

OPEN POST: Yusuke Kitagawa (Fox) - Persona 5

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