recolle | open | there are no festive november songs

open | there are no festive november songs

WHO: Elizabeth & you
WHERE: Everywhere
WHEN: All November
WHAT: A catch-all log of sorts!
WARNINGS: None, will add if necessary

all month, starting from the 5th. jack frost

[ There's very little fanfare for whenever she gets a new Persona. In fact, it's almost something she doesn't notice until she's skimming her Compendium again for anything she can actually read and sort of stumbles upon it, and sort of spends a hot second staring blankly at the page.

This one's familiar though, because Minako has it, and she's quick to summon the jolly fellow to her side. It's a grave miscalculation, because he's a snow fairy, and fairies are mischief-loving creatures. Jack Frost is no exception. Throughout the month, Elizabeth's going to be practicing summoning both him and Thanatos. Thanatos is thankfully quiet and serious and not prone to acting out after he's summoned, but...

Well. Early mornings are for covering parks in ice and snow, afternoons are for freezing flowers and leaves in the woods, and evenings are for making snowcastles on the beach. Elizabeth is around every time with her grimoire, as is a friendly looking fellow. Be careful though—once you've been sighted, Jack's not going to let you leave until you're properly snowed up, so there might be more than a few snowballs thrown your way...

Or even just a bunch of snow dumped on your head, with his hee ho laughter ringing along with it. Sorry. Hope you weren't doing anything important, or carrying anything, or were properly dressed for the cold. ]

10th. sweet stems

[ She's really not sure what to make of the new flower shop.

Rather, it was her uncle's, and a competitor's? And now it's... just one shop. Elizabeth stares at the sign, decides she probably still works at it, and shyly ducks in. Any other workers will get a small smile—hello, new co-workers..?—before she heads to the back.

For staff, they can find her attempting to refamiliarize herself with everything. She knew where everything was in Ophelia's Lament, but at Ophelia's Blossoms? No, wait, at Sweet Stems? Not really. She'll greet them when she notices them, but turn back to her memorization work soon enough. Head tilted towards them to make it obvious she's here for conversation, she just... needs to do this. Because it's really important to her.

For customers, she'll either be manning the counter or making sure the flowers look nice. She's in the shop's pink work apron, so it's obvious she's a worker. Come get some help if you need it!! Please don't mind how tired she might look when the shop isn't busy. ...Fellow staff, please do not point this out to her either, just quietly get her some tea or something like that. ]

17th. persona protags only ig

[ The Velvet Room isn't a place she's fond of, but she finds herself drawn to it anyway, particularly at night; she spends a significant amount of time idling outside of the door, pretending like she isn't stalling, but eventually enters.

The elevator ascends, as it always does.

Any guests entering will find her at Igor's usual table with some cards—normal playing cards, set up like solitaire sometimes and other times in a cross spread, with her staring at them pensively. Jack Frost is always hanging off to the side, amusing himself by juggling snowballs, and he'll absolutely throw one if anyone comes in? But mostly, Elizabeth's here to unwind and figure out a few things about the Velvet Room and herself. Or her other self. Or both.

So she's not particularly waiting for anyone, or expecting anyone else. ]

wildcard.

[ legit throw me whatever threads you wanna do my dudes. she goes to university and has classes all throughout the week (all her gen eds, theater 101, music theory, and private piano lessons, which she usually practices on Friday too); she's also a fixture at the library, working on a lot of... work. when she's not busy with all of that, or with working on working with her personas, she can actually be found at the arcade, on one of the dance machines.

...and yes, she's also participating in various activities from the event log as well, such as the turkeys (though she's more inclined to watch or helpfully point them/eggs out to people who look like they're looking for those) and the shopping discounts in Tisse (please dissuade her from actually buying denim clothes, she honestly seems to be considering them).

basically, go wild(card) ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ The clarinet doesn't have as wide a range as the piano, he doesn't have to press so many keys at once, fingers jumping around every fraction of a second and sometimes even over one another. It's easier, in some ways, and since his playing was only part for the music and the other part for his lungs, he'd make up little tunes more than actually reading sheet music since it didn't matter what or how he played. Accompaniment is a little different from that— it's not mindlessly stringing along notes, but having to pay attention to the main melody and give it an original twist that makes no two duet pairs the same.

This is a song he recognizes, smiling briefly into the clarinet mouthpiece before dropping the smile to reform the seal so that the air doesn't escape and punctuate the song with obnoxious squeaking. His additions are a little more somber than Liz's whimsical one previously, flat notes in a minor key that adds some mystery to this nostalgic little song, like returning home and wandering the streets to see how everything has inevitably changed. ]

[ That's a little dreary, Minato... but she knows the feeling. For an entirely different reason than going home, because "home" is nebulous at best for her, but the sentiment of "time marches on" is something she feels innately, and she carries them through the rest of the song before she lets it trail off.

An unknown future, as it were.

She's going to set up her actual practice sheets, but she won't be playing quite yet—she's listening to see if he's going to continue their little game (of sorts). ]

[ He enjoyed it while it lasted, but then he finds himself playing in silence and he too stops, cutting himself off abruptly instead of letting the notes fade away, a little lost now that he's on his own.

...That's fine, he decides, repositioning his fingers on the clarinet, because that's how it's always been before, exercising his lungs and letting his mind rest and wander as his fingers go through the motions mechanically— the song he chooses is his default, something nostalgic, reminding him of simpler times, and short enough to loop over and over again for however long he can make it before his lungs feel like they're on fire. ]

[ Oh my— she lets out a surprised laugh, covering her mouth a moment too late. This certainly is nostalgic, and it's relatively simple, too. ...She really should practice her pieces now that her warm-up is done...

Oh, at least one of these sounds close enough. She can just practice as she goes, so there's a similar melody chiming in after she finds the right page. It's a little harder to repeat, but it eventually smooths out to match him. ]

[ Liz's song has a lot more energy than his, but matches well to turn the duet into a lively little march he might not mind being his travel music while he makes his way through the city streets. But his part of the song doesn't last, note slowing and eventually stopping after only a handful of repetitions of the song, leaving only silence in its wake from the room next to Liz's. And it'll be like that for a while, no sound of a door opening or closing, no sound of anybody leaving. ]

[ She keeps playing for a few moments longer, though she ends up glancing to her sheet music and moving on from repetition—there's a significant pause when she messes up...

but like Leo said, it's important to keep going. Treat it like a play rehearsal. Everyone still wants their time to shine, so she picks it back up and sees it through.

It doesn't take long, and curiosity gets the better of her as she adjusts her pages again—so once that's done, she's sneaking to the room beside her and... gently rapping her knuckles on the door as she peeks in. ]

[ The door doesn't open for her, so she'll have to let herself in, Minato blinking blearily up at her— sideways, because that's how he's lying down on the bench, having been lulled asleep by the muffled piano playing next door and not even fighting it. Somewhere on the ground his clarinet had fallen and rolled away, but. Ugh. He closes his eyes for a moment, tries to collect himself, fails, and then opens them again. ]

...Hi.

[ There we go. A greeting, to stall for time as he works out what exactly he's doing, still half asleep. ]

[ ...he fell asleep. Elizabeth smiles slightly, glancing around for a bit before she finds his clarinet and retrieves it for him. She kneels by the bench after, not caring about her dress getting dirty, and holds it out when she greets him. ]

Hello, Arisato. I wasn't expecting to see you here.

[ There's that feeling of dread that washes over him, where somebody knows his name but he doesn't automatically know theirs. It being his last name that he's addressed with makes him think it's somebody he met in the past year or so, but that's unhelpful when it applies to the majority of the people living in the city.

...He'll just nod at Elizabeth, taking the clarinet from her and scooting over on the bench so she can have somewhere to sit if she wants, instead of kneeling there. Since he greeted her first, she might never find out that he's terrible with names and faces. ]

I'm not a student here, so... [ A shrug, though he doesn't look like he feels particularly out of place. ] It wouldn't have been expected. Are all the other practice rooms occupied? I can leave.

[ It's okay, she wouldn't be offended, mostly because she knows the feeling—it's only within the past few months she's made the effort to remember things like that. ...And Minato is Minako's brother, and Minako is her friend, so she should also just. Try to remember him in general. That just seems like good friendship.

She'll acquiesce to sitting on the bench—she definitely prefers it, thank you. ]

Oh, no, not at all. In fact, I just abandoned my own... [ ...... ] I left my things in there, however, so I don't think anyone will take it. We'll likely see them anyway, as it's next to yours.

[ ...Good job, Elizabeth. ]

I simply wished to investigate my improv partner.

[ If anybody takes her things, it's not as if they'd be able to hear the theft happen... Hopefully Elizabeth will keep an eye on things, because Minato wouldn't be able to tell what's what, aside from his memory being jogged that there's a piano next door that isn't easily stolen. ]

I'm pretty much done here, so I'm free for interrogation.

[ The clarinet gets dissembled and stuck into the side pouch of his bag, Minato busying himself while he talks as to get around having to make eye contact. ]

...Couldn't keep up with you in the end, but it was fun.

I feel that it must be harder to control your breathing than it is to just press keys, though... So you're very impressive for keeping up as long as you did, in my eyes.

[ She's very genuine about saying that, hope you don't mind. ]

How long have you been playing clarinet?

[ Minato could probably sing praises about the piano over the clarinet, but he doesn't have the breath to spare, nodding a little to accept the compliment instead of immediately turning it away like he wants to. He can hear the sincerity in Elizabeth's voice, and that's not something to throw back into her face, straightening up and pulling his bag onto his lap so he has something to slouch over while he hugs it to his stomach. ]

Three years almost... but on and off. Mostly off. I saved up all through high school to buy it.

[ So while the clarinet might not be his instrument of choice, it means that much to him. A sort of quiet resolution, a source of pride. ]

[ She glances at him, hands folded in her lap politely. It must mean a lot to him then... He's nearly the opposite of her, in that case. The thought makes her lips quirk higher. ]

How admirable. I only started piano this year, in September. My former caretaker, an uncle of mine, has one in his house, but I wasn't very interested in learning to play... but he requested that I try while I was at university, and I agreed. He's been quite kind to me, so I didn't see a reason not to. [ It's a very easy-going sort of choice to make. ] I'd be lying if I said I wasn't enjoying it though, even if it can be quite frustrating, especially recently.

[ She touches her right arm self-consciously; there's a light scar there, like a dog bite, and it's a brief touch but noticeable in how she clasps her hands together in her lap as if to refocus her attention. ]

Your playing was beautiful though—I almost wanted to simply listen to it.

[ He wants to ask, but doesn't, humming a little in his throat, glances flitting from Elizabeth's arm to her hands to her face to the floor, all in quick succession like he isn't sure where to focus on that isn't phone screen that makes texting so easy and in person conversations so difficult. His clarinet's been dissembled and put away, or he'd fiddle around with that some more, so instead he sits back and pockets his hands, tapping at his thighs with his right. ]

...Thanks. I'm glad you started learning anyways. If the music sounds good, it's because it was in harmony. Not my playing alone.

Hardly. I'm still quite the amateur—I skip too many notes, I go off on my own too much, my fingers are clumsy and hit keys they're not supposed to, I add too much flair to music that's already "absolutely perfect" by virtue of it being classic...

[ A beat. ]

According to my teacher, at least. [ He's very tough. She appreciates him, but he's very tough. ] Ah, if only he could have heard us... I'm certain he'd reconsider. Or think I was sacrilegious for doing a little improv with Suppe.

[ Heehee. ]

[ He has no idea what or who "Suppe" is, but the same goes for the song he was playing along with her. They're both amateurs in that sense, her in her playing and him in everything else— he couldn't even tell which notes were skipped or changed or added at all, automatically filling in what was missing and bridging the gap between the original notes and new ones. ]

Arrangements are common in music, aren't they? Rather than sacrilegious, it's more like... appreciation. [ A good, vague word. ] The point of music is enjoyment, in the end.

...You're as well-spoken and kind as your sister is.

[ Maybe that's out of left-field, but sitting here, just talking, reminds her of catching fireflies with Minako. ]

Well, I'll amend my statement. She's far wordier. [ It's one of her charm points. She really likes her company. ] That aside, I believe so as well. It's a way to truly reach another's heart, with or without words... though I'm more inclined to the vocal variety myself.

[ The mention of a sister catches Minato by surprise, two blinks in quick succession before he settles down and reminds himself that life is going to be like this now— the Arisato that comes to mind first will always be Minako who has lived here and people are more familiar with, not him who went through much of his later life without ever mentioning that he had a sister. ]

I... don't really know about that, in my case. Minako has a way with words. She knows the right things to say, and when to say them. I liked listening to her sing when I was little too... It touched my heart.

[ Put him right to sleep, more like. But because listening to her was comforting, made him feel safe. ]

She does have a way of doing that, doesn't she... She feels like the sort of person I could talk to about almost anything, truthfully. Though, that may be because our first face-to-face conversation went a little deep.

[ ...to put it lightly. Well metaphors and all that. Elizabeth turns her head towards him slightly, frowning a little, before it smooths back into a pleasant smile. ]

I hadn't realized she had a sibling until you and I chatted over Retrospec, to be honest. It was quite the surprise... Many people I know are only children, myself included. I had assumed she was the same.

[ That's how she was— is— would always be, the sort of person who could draw people out, little by little. Thinking of it like that brings a little smile to his lips, which turn down again just the slightest when he realizes that's why he withdrew impulsively the moment he had come across his sister again. He didn't want to come out. ]

Can't hide the truth, huh... It's not surprising, though. Haven't seen her in years. There's no reason to ever mention she had a brother.

[ ...Do they have a strained relationship, in that case? It's not any of her business, not really... Even if she's friends with one of them, and she'd like to be friends with the other. She hums softly, crossing her ankles. ]

I see. [ She isn't sure what she'd do if she had siblings, but now she feels like she'd talk about them, just because. Then again, her other self had... No, never mind, that's different. ] Did you miss her?

[ Shrugs into the abyss!!! (yes)

If he could, Minato would like to throw himself into the abyss right about now. It's a simple yes or no question that Elizabeth poses him, one he should be able to answer right away. But somehow, it's more complicated than that.

He did miss her. Every single day until it felt like pining, like heartbreak, and then he just... couldn't anymore. He'd let everything go that day.

It's only silence that he offers Elizabeth for several long moments, and then a whisper towards his feet. ]

I don't know.

[ His quiet makes her think she might've crossed a line she shouldn't have, and the whisper doesn't really assuage her worry, either. It's an answer though, and she turns it over in her mind before she nods, smile growing subdued as her voice softens. ]

I understand. [ And then, a little less quietly, a little more herself: ] My apologies for asking you so forthrightly. It wasn't my place to. If you like, you can ask me something difficult as well. To make things even, I suppose...? You don't have to though, I suppose.

[ ...She's just. offering it. ]

It's... whatever. It's fine. I was a kid, and didn't know anything back then.

[ Some bitterness seeps into his voice, otherwise soft, mumbled, but he then heaves a sigh and lets that wash out of him as he leans back, eyes up towards the ceiling. He doesn't really have anything he wants to ask Elizabeth, even after she offered. Not that he wasn't curious about her life, but more that it'd feel like the interrogation he had joked about when she first came in. But if he can't think of anything, the conversation dies right here, and a part of him doesn't want to let go of that either, no matter how difficult. ]

A difficult question... Like the meaning of life, and such?

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