Yukino Mayuzumi, 09/04
The devastation outside the school is immense. You were so busy dealing with everything going to hell inside the school, that you had almost forgotten what happened to the world outside. The ice protected it. Isolated it.
It doesn't feel real. That's what the camera is for, at first. You take photos in part to convince yourself of the reality of it. And other people. You put them alongside the emails people send out, asking for help.
You help. Of course you help. You can help, so you will.
You are leading a team to fight any remaining demons in the area. While the adults remove the rubble, and keep the demons away, you fight the demons that remain. And then you are healing them. Everyone is wearing a persona that can heal people. Even with that there are still deaths. People you didn't reach soon enough.
You take a picture of their faces, print them, and post them on the wall of the schools, so they can be identified.
The older people talk about what a shame it is that most kids are not natural born magic users these days, not like back in their times, not like back in their parents times when it was uncommon, or their grandparents times where it was a maybe. Some of them have a faint affinity for fire magic, or ice. You put them in charge of cooking or preserving food.
The school is safe, unlike many other buildings that were damaged in the attacks.
People come in droves. To work, to send out communication. To feel safe. You want to remind them that the inside of the school was not safe either. You made it safe through teamwork.
Climbing the towers, finding the shards. Getting through to your classmates, then finally your teacher. Somehow in the aftermath, fixing that felt easier than fixing the town is in the aftermath.
Devil summoners come to the city. An unusual amount of Kuzunoha's in the same place, some of the older people say. When you try to go out with them, Yuka pulls you back.
"You have been pushing yourself so hard." She tells you. "When was the last time you took a break?"
She looks serious, so you take a moment to think about it. Between working in your spare time, classwork, the demon attack on town, and helping with the aftermath, you can not recall.
"If you have to think about it that much, it's been far too long. Come on, let's go see Maki."
The injured people have been coming to the school too, as the hospital has a zombie infestation. Maki is doing better than she was, and it probably helps that she has been getting a lot more visitors in school than she has in the hospital. She's still not happy, but all the reassurance from her friends that she is not responsible for the tragedy seem to be taking effect. She's finding it easier to look for happiness in life.
She smiles when you come in with Yuka.
"Yukino. I hadn't thought you would come, but I'm glad to see you."
"I decided it has been too long since she has taken a break." Yuka cuts in, before you can respond. "So I brought her here to see you. I brought bentos, and thought we could have a girls day. "
"But you didn't invite Elly?" Maki questions.
"I did. She will show up. In the meantime, show us what you have been working on."
So Maki pulls out her sketchbook and shows you her both her drawings. Some drawings show demons encountered, others fantastical landscapes with little girls and a strange shadowy older man watching over her who seems to be her father in some pictures. His face is never shown, and some of the walls are made of words. You don't look close enough to read what they are.
Others show Augustus trees and the city in ruins, a strange sad sort of beauty to it all.
Elly comes in at some point, and admires Maki's depiction of the demons, and starts talking about the legends behind them.
She did this on the tower too, but back then you had only been listening to the stories for pointers on how to use them to fight demons. Now you can listen to the stories in an almost comfortable manner. You can't completely relax, not now that you know they exist and have fought them, but you can appreciate Elly's artistry in her storytelling. She has a voice made for stories. You wonder if she will do anything with it.
Yuka nudges you. "Show them some of your pictures." She mock- whispers. And everyone is looking at you now, so you bring out some of the photographs you had printed from the school printer.
Maki begins flipping through them with a thoughtful look on her face. You worry that the content will upset her, when she doesn't say anything for a while.
"You have an eye" She states, when she looks up. "Even with the terrible quality of paper you used, I can tell you used the lighting well, and avoided unnecessary clutter. With some practice I think you could be really good at it. Do you like photography?"
You haven't really thought about it. You think you could like photography, but it's been all business so far.
"Maybe?" You answer.
"Well, you should try it. For fun. We could go out today with sketchbooks and your camera."
"I don't know how to draw." Yuka protests.
"Not with that attitude, you won't. And before you say anything, yes I am up to it, and in fact would like to get out of the school. I even have a good team of Persona users in case we run into something."
No one argues against her on that, and truthfully, you don't want to. It's been nice to take a break.
Maki starts an art club, in part to keep in touch with everyone, and in part to have a good excuse to get good quality paper for Yukino's portfolio. Chisato joins too, and they rekindle their friendship.