(no subject)

[jasminebloominginshadow]

Who: Jasmine Tsukuyomi; one thread closed, the other open
What: Life after dark
Where: Around Locke, Vegas
When: March 29th; April 1st through the 7th [backdated]

[ooc - Sub-threads are in the thread itself!]

Comments

March 29th - [closed]

[jasminebloominginshadow]

Two days had passed since the whole ordeal, and Jasmine still felt slightly numb. It was the second day after the incident, and the memories were still fresh in Jasmine's mind. She was no longer in the place she'd been when she was so upset she attacked one of their friends, but she wasn't exactly happy or satisfied with herself just yet.

And yet... she was also thankful for the forgiveness and acceptance everyone had given her. Jasmine had fallen in a way she hadn't in so long; she'd given up on all of her progress - albeit briefly - and accepted she was a monster. She'd gone down a path she resolved to never go down again, and yet... everyone had accepted her. Told her they loved her. Jasmine had to tell herself that she couldn't see this as more than she deserved, and the knowledge that everyone still cared about her with everything she was out in the open was actually quite comforting.

Jasmine had seen someone with her own face die. She remembered what it felt like to die. And yet, from the memories she'd inherited, she knew Dark Precure felt a conflict before she died; she had felt comfort in Sabaaku's arms, but her feelings towards Cure Moonlight were much harder to peg down. While there was clearly some regret, Dark Precure had felt an anger and fear of Cure Moonlight that Jasmine could never feel towards Lily... In the end, all of Jasmine's anger and hatred had been directed towards herself.

After all that had happened, they'd retreated to the Tsukuyomi household for the time being. No one wanted to leave Jasmine alone, and in the end, it had more space for everyone than Lily and Winter's house did, and in addition to Lily and Winter, Marina had wanted to stay with Jasmine as well. Jasmine had been particularly clingy to just about... well, everyone, but mostly quiet through all of it. Mostly because she had a lot to think about, yet.

On the morning of the 29th, she'd slept in. Realizing what time it was, she shuffled out of bed, heading for the kitchen, wondering if it was too late to try and catch breakfast. Maybe she'd run into someone between there and then... but in any case, she needed to fill the pit she felt in her stomach and be around someone.

[peacefulwinter]

It wasn't just Jasmine that had been having a little trouble sleeping - or functioning, really - since the whole ordeal at the Tree. The parade of nightmares doesn't really stop most evenings, but for the last two nights, she's woken up in a cold sweat, fearing something got the real Jasmine after all. That Lily wound up pushing too hard and was torn to pieces. That the lot of it had gone entirely differently and ended in a rout in favor of the doppelgangers, with casualties. It's made her sick, and yesterday she'd looked rather pale pretty much the whole day, with weak smiles at best and more than a little visible insecurity. She'd clung close to Lily the whole day, not saying a whole lot.

Today... she's a little bit better. Visibly back to normal, at least, and while she's still not quite feeling up to teasing and jokes, she's able to function pretty reasonably. After waking up far too early, she'd gone back to sleep, and felt mildly refreshed when she came to several hours later. Slipping away from Lily at some point, Winter's made her way downstairs to the kitchen, and while it's too early for her personal brand of comfort food - not to mention that she didn't find a supply of suitable cheese - it's never too late for breakfast, and milk had been an automatic pickup when they'd decided to crash here, so she'd gotten a set of ingredients together relatively easily.

In a worn shirt and set of flannel pants, barefoot, Winter's fired up the stove and begun to make pancakes. The four of them probably won't eat through the set of batter she'd made in one meal, but between them, someone will eat the leftovers. She'd never known a good pancake to go uneaten, and she's hoping the smell of something edible and capable of being loaded with sugar would bring her friends downstairs for breakfast. Indeed, she hears someone on the steps, but she's a little busy at this particular moment to turn and figure out who it is, as she flips a pancake and sizzling fills the room. So she'll wait - if they're close enough to see her, they'll greet her. And if not... maybe someone else will. She's not alone in this house. That much, she believes, no matter what else happens.

[alilyinthemoonslight]

Lily's not exactly been doing so hot herself. She's plenty happy to remain Winter's handy security blanket, even as her fiancee's presence has the same effect in turn. First and most immediately, Lily has been in some amount of pain the past couple of days. She's been through worse, that much is certain. But... it was more than just getting pounded by the onslaught of Jasmine's sorrow brought forth into pure power.

She'd exerted herself and her power well past its breaking point. At the least, she knows what that breaking point is now.

Yet she'd also done that, and taken a life a the same time. Jasmine's doppelganger was insane, unhinged and violent. Lily Tsukuyomi is not someone who can sit there and say that such a death, that... many deaths really can be justified so easily. It wasn't her intent, but is something she has to live with, cope with for the rest of her life. She had killed someone, plain and simple. Someone with her sister's face. It makes her sick, and the memories of Yuri dealing with the same do no better.

So being around Winter, around Jasmine and Marina... around these people she considers her family to be the best medicine, as dependent as that might make her seem.

Waking up to find her bed - a bed not really designed for two people, but capable enough of accommodating a spooning couple, especially when one of them doesn't occupy much real estate to start with - a little emptier makes her get up with a start. She calms as the scent of food wafts into her room, and as such she's able to scramble a little less worriedly down the steps to find the food, breathing a sigh of relief as she ties a robe around herself.

Winter's worries are something Lily has learned to read. As has her perchance towards comfort foods, and even if this isn't macaroni, it strikes her this is probably reflecting a little bit here. So she just stands for a moment, smiling gently at the sight.

"That... is a lot of pancakes, honey. I don't think any of us are going anywhere after we eat," she says, trying to sound at least a little teasing, but she doesn't hold onto it long. "Good morning, though. I'm sure the others will appreci--"

She pauses then, tensing just a little as she hears another set of feet headed downstairs.

[dragon_blossom]

Most of the time, Marina's just been with Jasmine, since they all staggered back home. She saw someone with her girlfriend's face fade away into nothingness - and saw someone with her own face collapse in utter despair at it. That, on top of all the fighting, all the sore spots and bandages, and more than anything, her worries about Jasmine's state of mind, had kept her up more or less continually for two days.

Marina would never complain or take it back, but being there for someone at their worst was exhausting. It was a simple truth, and when she'd finally decided Jasmine was asleep deeply enough, she'd left the room to some corner of the house to get a few minutes alone.

Her parents would hate how little she'd even tried praying lately, but when you were partners with a dragon god, when you were a reincarnation, when aliens were real, it shook things up. In a private moment, though, she knelt, she clasped her hands together, and while she wasn't sure if she was talking to anyone but herself, or if she was talking to more gods than anyone ever knew existed, or if she was just going a little crazy... she prayed. For Jasmine, her friends, herself, the doppelgangers. The world, everyone in it, everyone who'd been hurt or killed in their battles and everyone who lost someone.

When she hears footsteps and smelled food cooking, she realized she'd been gone longer than she'd meant to be. While Marina wasn't sure she was getting the comfort out of this she was supposed to, and she hadn't gotten any real answers, it felt like something had untwisted a little inside of her; whether it was religious or just her going over her own issues in her own mind, she didn't know, but she'd take feeling even a little better right now.

Already on the first floor, wondering if anyone but Jasmine even realized she wasn't in bed, she makes her way into the kitchen, yawning and giving Winter's cooking a good long look. Maybe it'll do them all some good...

[jasminebloominginshadow]

Jasmine ended up walking into the kitchen... and immediately felt like the tension could be cut through with a knife. It was how things had more or less been since the incident, but then, that didn't make it any less real.

So, Jasmine pursed her lips... and smiled. Or rather, made herself smile. Thus, it likely didn't come across as wholly legitimate.

"I dunno, Lily," she said, as she'd overheard her sister's comment as she came down. "I say Winter makes as much as she can. I think I could eat as much as all three of you put together right now..."

[peacefulwinter]

Winter's trying her hardest not to let the awkward, horribly tense feeling in the air get to her, and she grins at the girls as they come in. "I'd say we have cars, but we'd have to get to them. And I'm not sure I'd mind a nap. Good morning, Lily."

Marina looks mildly like hell, but then, Marina is also somewhat more in tune with Jasmine, so the crazy things keeping her awake and off-balance are probably getting passed to Marina. But... in a very real way, those aren't her demons to help with. If there's something she can do, she'll do it, but at the moment, space and time are all she can give. And apparently pancakes, as she looks over her shoulder at her friend, flipping a pancake. "Hi, Marina... hungry? There's enough here to feed an small army, so..." She didn't get around to setting the table, but now is probably not the time to step away from the stovetop and find plates. She'll settle for a gesture at her growing stack, instead.

And then Jasmine makes it downstairs, and despite herself, her heart skips a beat. Even if it's not totally genuine, the legitimate effort to try and be upbeat makes her feel a lot better about all this, laughing softly at the declaration. "I shudder to think of how many calories you're going to have to work off from that. Which doesn't mean not to try."

[alilyinthemoonslight]

Almost as if moving on instinct, Lily notes the unset table, and begins to rectify that, moving about the kitchen. Cabinets and drawers come open, silverware and plates come out. If anything the movement is enough to push her through that tension just a little bit, trying not to linger on Jasmine's forced smile, or attempting not to look too concerned at Marina. As she passes by Winter, she just leans over a little and gives her a small, appreciative kiss atop her head.

Lily's own hair from the other day is still a mess, and thus just kind of... bundled and tied up. She'll get that fixed, but it hasn't been a priority. As she sets the plates down, she finally casts a concerned gaze to her sister and Marina.

"...how are you girls doing?" she asks, before a bit of sadness creeps into her eyes. "Really."

April 1st - 7th [open]

[jasminebloominginshadow]

The ordeal with her doppelganger had resulted in a lot of changes for Jasmine. She didn't know absolutely everything about Dark Precure's life, but at the same time, she felt like she'd finally come to terms with it. Dealing with such a terrible memory had left her feeling so sick inside at first, but in the days since... she'd found some sort of peace with it.

A peace she hadn't really managed to attain beforehand.

In the days since, her doppelganger's fate weighed heavily on her mind. The other Jasmine had been... she'd been dangerous, unhinged. She didn't respect her own friends, or her own lover. Whereas Jasmine needed and relied on her friends, her doppelganger had used them, and then cursed them at the end. Jasmine often blamed herself, while her doppelganger blamed everyone else.

And yet, Jasmine couldn't bring herself to hate her. In the end, all she felt was sorry for her. In a way, her doppelganger's worst qualities were a reflection of her own.

But Jasmine also knew she couldn't blame herself. She'd been given a new perspective, a new lease on life as it were. In a way, it had come from the memory of dying, which was both inspiring and kind of darkly ironic. But in a way, it was almost kind of fitting.

She, Lily, and their father had placed a small memorial at the foot of the Heart Tree. In the end, she was still Jasmine. She had their memories, and Rentarou saw her as a daughter he'd never known. It was a short, somber service, that Jasmine felt paid some small amount of respect for her, for whatever amount she deserved.

In the time that followed, during the first week of April, Jasmine focused on taking it easy. Of course, that was a bit difficult, considering what ended up happening in the middle of things, but most of the time, she could be found either in the house she'd grown up in in Locke, or in Lily and Winter's house. On rarer occasions, Jasmine could also be found in the park, drawing in her sketchpad - in public, which was new. Somehow, she'd found more confidence through all of this.

She wished it could have been through better circumstances - much better circumstances - but... she had no choice but to move forward. And, for the first time in as many years, she felt like she had the peace of mind to do it.

[guitar_case_vagabond]

It's been awhile since the whole mess with the doppelgangers and Jasmine wasn't the only one who had been dealing with the aftermath. Her own copy had fallen that day as well, by her own hand, and in her case there were no memorials. Nothing physical anyway, but that was fine. Her double would be remembered as a monster and a killer, and nobody would regret that loss. Not even Raye, even if she felt she could understand what had led her down the path she'd gone.

Ultimately, it had been a pit she'd walked the edge of more than once, giving up and just lashing out at everything and anything she could reach. Still, as much as she understood and even pitied the creature she knew that it was her choices that finally led her to that fate. She hadn't fallen over the edge, as much as she had stepped over it.

All the same, she at least held some measure of gratitude towards the doppelganger. Meeting her had given her look at what could have been and had given her the resolve to never take that step herself. No matter what, Raye would never give up. Not on herself... and not on the people she cared about.

That was what brought her to Jasmine's house right now, days after seeing her friend explode and after taking one hell of a punch and offering to stand there and take even more. Her injuries from the dark energy and the hit had healed up but she still gave her friend a slightly tired look when she answered the door, and quickly cut off any potential apologies or rehashing of what had happened with a quiet sigh.

"... Do you want to play some video games?"

[jasminebloominginshadow]

When Jasmine answered the door, she was alone, dressed in what consisted of pajamas for her, and had a popsicle in her mouth. As such, she looked a bit odd as she started at Raye for a moment.

But once that moment passed, she smiled and nodded, opening the door for her. "Sure," she said. "Come right in... we won't tape or share this one with the network this time, eh?"

[guitar_case_vagabond]

Raye had come dressed in her normal street clothes. Jeans, t-shirt, and her Echoed jacket. She hadn't come alone either by the slight movement of the red scarf around her neck, an eye shifting, and the backpack she's carrying. She returned Jasmine's smile with a crooked grin as she stepped inside.

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. I think one time looking like a freaking nutcase is enough." She paused then reached over, flicking Senketsu. "Hey, remember what we talked about."

"Ah, of course. I nearly forgot." He spoke aloud, clear as day for anybody to hear. His eye moved, focusing on Jasmine. His tone was... uncertain, clearly unfamiliar with the greeting. "Hello, Jasmine. ... I hope you're doing well."

[jasminebloominginshadow]

Jasmine chuckled. She legitimately liked Senketsu, from what limited interaction she'd had with him. "I'm doing just fine," she said, stepping out of the way so Raye could come in. "What about yourself?"

[guitar_case_vagabond]

Raye grinned a little bit, stepping inside and letting Senketsu and Jasmine share greetings. She knew it was a big deal to him, he was still quiet but it was clear how exciting it still was to be able to be heard by others. He'd always seemed a little lonely like that, not unhappy as far as she could tell, but it was something missing for him.

"I'm doing quite well. I'm just returning from a visit to the dry cleaner's which was pleasant as always."

"You should see him when he just gets home from that. It's like he just got done at the friggin' spa or something."

"Of course. It is a much better experience than the," he shuddered visibly, "laundromat."

[jasminebloominginshadow]

"..."

Jasmine couldn't help it. That was actually just plain adorable. So, she laughed, before clapping Raye - and by extension, Senketsu - on the shoulder.

"I love you guys! Seriously!" she said. "Now come on, let's play Ultra Plumber Twins, alright?"

April 6

[originaloddcouple]

Things, all in all, had been pretty less than fun for the Dians lately. What with their doubles committing murder and blowing up a bank, their mom calling the cops on them, and now being on the run. Could be better, all things considered.

Still, the couple wasn't exactly known for their focus. Which is why, instead of continuing toward the teleporter like they planned, they immediately started walking toward Jasmine in the park. Their giant trenchcoats and Sam Spade hats clearly are enough of a disguise.

"Hiya Jasmine!"

"How you been lately?"

Criminal masterminds.

[jasminebloominginshadow]

Jasmine looked up with a start, smiling when she saw the Dians. It really had been too long. If they looked in time, they could see Jasmine was working on a sketch of the park landscape before she closed it.

"Hey you two...!" she exclaimed. "... Is it alright for you two to be out in the open like this...?"

[originaloddcouple]

"Sure! We've always got time for you!"

"And we were just headed to the teleporter, so we've got all sorts of free time before then!"

Their smiles fade briefly as they consider their situation again.

"If, uh, if you wanted anything from the shop, we don't really know if we'll be able to get a hold of it soon."

"Sorry, Jasmine..."

[jasminebloominginshadow]

"... That's alright," Jasmine said, standing up quickly. She moved close, and pulled both of them into a hug.

"I know what it's like to have a doppelganger mess with you," she said. "If you need help with anything, just ask, okay?"

[originaloddcouple]

They let Jasmine embrace them and they held onto her tightly.

Its fine, really..."

"We don't want to worry you with something like this..."

Their casual joy sound a little strained for once though.

[jasminebloominginshadow]

"... To hell with worrying about that," Jasmine said, hugging them tighter. "This is just friends helping friends."

A brief pause. "Besides... if not for something you guys said to me... I wouldn't be where I am today. I thought about it, not to long ago, and... it was one of the things that helped me get through something really difficult..."

She pulled back now. "So, let me do this for you, okay?"

April 2nd

[charcoalfeather]

It had been a long time since the fight with the Doppelgangers, but Rakka could still feel the wounds, both emotional and physical. She had battled her double for.... however long she did. If she tried to think about it, it felt like hours until the fighting was brought to an end by the death of Jasmine's double.

Everything that followed was a blur of panicked emotions and powerful breakdowns. Rakka could still remember Jasmine's screams... her rage that had been briefly directed at Raye before she slowly broke down.

Which was why she was approaching Jasmine in the park, now. She didn't know what to say as she got closer, but the first thing that came to mind was said in a quiet tone.

"I didn't know you could draw."

[jasminebloominginshadow]

Quiet or not, Jasmine was still taken quite by surprise. As such, she ended up jumping in her seat before she wheeled around.

"R-Rakka!" she exclaimed. "Geez! You're like a damn ninja...!"

[charcoalfeather]

"A-ah!" Rakka basically jumped out of her sandals at that. She didn't expect Jasmine to react so... energetically.

"S-sorry! I didn't think you were that caught up in whatever you were doing!"

[jasminebloominginshadow]

"... Heh, sorry," Jasmine replied, feeling embarrassed. "I didn't mean... I'm not mad or anything. You just surprised me..."

She cleared her throat. "Yeah, actually. I've... always wanted to be an artist, actually. I just never had a chance to focus on it since all this Numbered stuff started..."

[charcoalfeather]

"Well... I hope you're not mad. I wouldn't know what I've done wrong." She remarked lightly. There were no hard feelings, of course. Rakka looked glad to see that she was even talking.

"Wow, really?" Rakka could believe it. She had similar things she wanted to do that were put on hold. She peered at the sketchbook in Jasmine's hands. "....Can I see?"