kujikawaii | ♫ I get by with a little help from my friends

Rise first met Souji when she returned to her hometown of Inaba. He, along with Yosuke and Kanji came to warn her that she was in danger of being kidnapped by the guy who had committed the recent murders in town. Interesting way to kick off a relationship, huh?

Souji didn't really say much then, it was mostly Yosuke who talked to her, but one thing she noticed right away what that he was completely unaffected by her status as an idol, and she was just able to pick up that he was someone who could keep a cool head which is something that she really appreciates in a person, considering she spends a lot of time surrounded by fanatics, and her mother was such an emotional person that it negatively effected everyone in her family*.

Eventually their prediction came true, and Rise was kidnapped. She was saved by the Investigation Team and eventually became one of them. Even though she hadn't been told that Souji was their leader, she picked up on this right away because of the aura he seemed to exude, and because of how everyone looked to him, even when they didn't say anything directly.

Rise instantly took a liking to Souji. He is a smart person, quiet, but when he speaks is very thoughtful about what he says. He's talented, patient, but still has a sense of humor and knows how to make other people feel good about themselves. With Souji Rise finally began to realize that maybe, just maybe people could like her for who she was. In some ways they were similar in that aspect. Just like he allowed many people to lean on him and vent to him about everything under the sun, Rise made others happy by being what they wanted or needed her to be. Still despite being in the same boat, Rise also weighed Souji down with her burdens.

That has changed.

Their relationship had always been a very close one. After all they had fought Shadows together, gone through different worlds, solved mysterious, risked their lives for one another and had done the normal things friends do. Since recent events in Death City, however, Rise has realized that Souji is every bit the kid that the rest of the Investigation Team is. He is mature and dependable beyond his age, and someone that they can lean on, but he shouldn't have to be. After having all their friends be killed by Adachi, and Souji tortured, Rise has realized this and sworn that she will be there for him, and be his pillar.

They are the only survivors of the original team--new versions of their friends have been brought over to DC, but they were the ones who bore the brunt of all that Adachi brought on Death City, because of this their bond is even tighter and "best-guy friend" is too weak a title to encompass all she feels for Souji. She no longer has a crush on him, but her love for him, even though platonic is greater than it ever was when she did.

LINK TO INTERACTIONS (http://forthecamera.livejournal.com/8091.html?thread=88219#t88219)
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Edited 2010-09-22 21:53 (UTC)

Yosuke was someone she met when she returned to her hometown of Inaba. He, along with Souji and Kanji came to warn her that she might be kidnapped.

Yosuke was the one who did most of the talking back when they came. She could tell that he must be a fan, but she also could tell that he was one of the nice ones. One of the ones who made her feel good about her job, and made her happy. In fact Yosuke, even if it was unintentionally made her laugh for what may honestly have been the first time in months. She had been feeling incredibly stressed out and depressed about a lot of things going on in her life, and he, even if just for a moment made her happy. Even to this day she hasn't forgotten that, but she doesn't bring it up since she knows it would fluster Yosuke, and since it's something very important to her she wouldn't use it as a means to tease him.

Just like everyone else on the Investigation Team, Rise really loves Yosuke. Not just likes, loves. All of them are both her first friends, and excluding her grandmother, first family. For Rise, Yosuke is just a really fun guy. He's the one who knows how to party, all the good movies and games, and most importantly he really loves music! She's never had a chance to speak to him much about it, but being a lover of music as well its always something she's wanted to blather on with him about.

There are times when she thinks he can be a bit of jerk--particularly to Kanji, but being as perceptive as she is she's pretty sure it's to cover up his own insecurities. In this respect Rise feels a little for him, and for all her teasing nature and shipping of him with Souji it's something that she understands is serious and should be handled with a degree of care. She will tease him sometimes about it, but only every so often since she sincerely wants to help him overcome these insecurities. Not just with his sexuality, but with his self-esteem.

Overall she cares deeply for him, and wishes they spent more time together.

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Edited 2010-09-22 20:55 (UTC)

Chie! Being that they don't share as much in common, and she's an upperclassman, Rise hasn't spent quite as much time with Chie as she has with some of the other members of the Investigation Team. One thing she really loves to do, however, is tease her senpai and do things to purposely scandalize her. Rise would be lying if she said she didn't take some pride in being called "a dangerous girl."

Teasing aside, like with most of her team mates there are a lot of things she admires in Chie, and at the top are her strength and sense of justice. Sometimes she feels really bad about being the only member who doesn't know how to fight, and when she does Chie is usually the one she's comparing herself to so it is in part also a matter of envy. Fortunately that is something she aims to change while in DC, and while she has someone else in mind to be her trainer she might bug Chie about it sometimes too.

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Edited 2010-09-22 20:56 (UTC)

Yukiko is the one that Rise has always sort of looked up to. She's very smart, very elegant, and very responsible. She still has a bit of a mischievous streak so she isn't a stick in the mud, so to Rise, Yukiko is the right mixture of fun and seriousness. Truth is she probably will never be like Yukiko since she has too much fun showing her wild side as much as she does, but whenever she feels like there's something she needs a girl for, Yukiko is the one she would go to.

She's probably closer to Souji and Naoto, but with Souji being a boy, and Naoto not being very well at handling social concerns all that well, Yukiko is the one she knows she can fall back on. She's also the one she would go to whenever she wanted to indulge a little is life's simpler pleasures like makeovers and shopping. Their relationship, while not prominent, need not be since Rise is very content with the knowledge that they'll always have each other whenever they need one another.

Like with Yosuke and Souji, Rise sort of believes there might be something going on between Chie and Yukiko. This one she isn't quite as sure of as the other, but once she gets confirmation she will do whatever she can to help them get together without interfering too much.

Edited 2010-05-11 01:25 (UTC)

Her fellow underclassman! Also one of the ones who came to warn her, along with Souji and Yosuke, that she was about to be kidnapped. Much like Souji he didn't particularly care about her status as an idol which was a nice change. Even when people aren't a fan of her, they still have a tendency to react to that, and solely base their behavior around her on that. So as alway it was a nice changed.

Since coming to know him, she finds Kanji to be absolutely adorable. He may put on the act of being gruff and tough but she knows that on the inside he's just a big ol' teddy bear, even more so than Teddie. Since he is in the same class as her, he is probably one of the members of the IT team she spends the most time with. Since Naoto is also in their same grade, the three of them end up spending a lot of time together so she feels really close to the two of them in particular.

She really feels kind of bad for him when it comes to Naoto though, since she and everyone's mother know that he has a crush on the ever oblivious Naoto. She will do what she can to help him win her!

Edited 2010-05-11 01:36 (UTC)

The adage 'opposites attract' could be proven by using the example of Rise Kujikawa and Naoto Shirogane. Rise is cheery, outgoing, honest, very aware of the feelings of others, not so academically-minded and very relaxed. Naoto is serious, introverted, incredibly astute and intelligent, but easily confused when it involves social situations or the nuances of emotion. Yet somehow Rise still came to regard Naoto as her best friend. If anything it's how different Naoto is from her, and really, most people she knows that attracts Rise so much.

Unfortunately the Naoto now is one that is from a very early period, and so they do not share the same relationship of the Naoto from her time. It's been something that has saddened Rise quite a bit, but surely they are working towards rebuilding that relationship.

Edited 2010-05-11 02:53 (UTC)

Teddie is a Shadow, but he is important to everyone on the team regardless. This means, however, that he doesn't really understand human norms, and in many ways is very childlike. Because of this Rise is particularly protective of him since she knows he can be very easily confused.

Edited 2010-05-11 03:35 (UTC)

She can't say she has spoken much with him personally, but she's heard quite a bit of him from Souji and it's only ever been good. Seeing as how Rise knows what its like to have a job, she can empathize with him a little more on what may seem like lax parental skills. Especially since he has bills and a child to support can see why he must be away so often. Not that it makes the situation any better, but it makes her feel bad for both him and Nanako.

Around Dojima she is likely to change himself for his sake. Last thing he needs is a hyper idol giving him a bigger headache than he probably already has.

Edited 2010-05-12 00:07 (UTC)

Even though she is only six years old, Nanako is very precocious for her age. The entire IT has pretty much adopted her as their younger sibling, and Rise is no exception. When she asked her who she preferred, Rise or Risette, Nanako let her know, even if she didn't realize, that such differences were irrelevant and she liked Rise no matter what. Rise felt silly for asking such a hard question of someone so young, but was touched by her words.

Given how much the younger girl has gone through, combined with her youth, Rise is incredibly protective of her. While she knows she has gotten to spend much more time with her father since coming to Death City, she's determined to be as much of a big sister as she can be.

Edited 2010-05-12 00:16 (UTC)

Tohru Adachi is a very interesting case. When Rise first met him it was back in Inaba and he seemed like a well-meaning, if somewhat goofy detective. He was the one who helped keep fans and media away from her when she first returned to Inaba so there was a small amount of gratitude towards him for that. She never really talked much with him, but the few times she did meet him with the other members of the Investigation Team she always thought he was kind of sweet in a bumbling sort of way.

As one who has incredible powers of perception, she was shocked to learn that he was the one behind all the murders and kidnappings, for she had never suspected it. Adachi's acting skills surpass even her own.

After learning this and of all the things that happen after the time she was taken from Rise wasn't sure what to feel towards him. As someone who hadn't quite experienced the revelation, the battle with him, and heard from his mouth his reasons she felt a little detached from everything that had happened. Of course she was wary of him when he arrived in Death City, but in some ways she even pitied him.

That quickly went away when it was revealed that Adachi had killed, violated and eaten the souls of over twenty people, many of those all friends both from home and ones she had made here in Death City. Adachi became a Kishin Egg and Rise was one of the people who helped seal his soul in the Kishin chamber of Death City.

Rise blames herself for everything that Adachi did. Everyone of the Investigation Team who had been there during those times was killed, sans herself and Souji--but he had been tortured and permanently scarred. Now even Souji is gone leaving Rise as the only remaining member from those times which leaves her with a huge deal of Survivor's Guilt.

Where once she had almost felt sorry for him, all Rise feels now is fear and something akin to hatred.

Edited 2010-09-22 20:54 (UTC)

Minato is someone from the same world as Rise, but she never knew him until he arrived in Death City. He had been here for a short while at the very beginning but was returned by BREW before she got to know anything other than him being from Port Island. Needless to say she was glad when he returned and she was able to get to know him.

She learned that he also had the ability to summon Persona, and numerous ones just like Souji. He had a group of friends who also had designated Personas. Like the Investigation Team they fought Shadows, but their story is a very different one.

Strange similarities aside, Rise likes Minato because of his languid manner and sense of humor. He's someone very easy to relax.

Edited 2010-09-22 21:19 (UTC)

Edited 2010-03-20 00:27 (UTC)

Even back when Rise had some doubts about Shibusen, Spirit was the person that Rise outright adored. He was funny, earnest, sweet, and always willing to lend and hand. Of all the staff on Shibusen he was the one who was willing to trust others (in the beginning) and it was because of his help that she was able to compile information as she does to pass onto others.

He came to her asking her to plan festivals and other gatherings to help people settle in and she went to him whenever she wanted to learn more about something; more importantly however, Spirit was just someone who was fun. His enthusiasm and cheery moods are very infectious and the two were able to keep each other's spirits high in times of defeat.

Rise knows there are a lot of people amongst the staff and recruits who don't hold much respect for Spirit (or rather, who don't show it) but she would openly admit to admiring him. As someone who knows how to have fun and relax when the work is done, she feels that he knows how to prioritize himself better than others.

Edited 2010-09-22 21:02 (UTC)

Edited 2010-03-19 23:03 (UTC)

Edited 2010-03-19 23:04 (UTC)

Frightening.

Edited 2010-10-09 17:43 (UTC)

Asuza

forthecamera.livejournal.com - 2010-03-19 23:07 (UTC) - Expand

Justin Law

forthecamera.livejournal.com - 2010-03-19 23:08 (UTC) - Expand

Sid

forthecamera.livejournal.com - 2010-03-19 23:09 (UTC) - Expand

Matthew Williams, the country of Canada, typically referred to as "Matty" by Rise. Matt and Rise were two of the very first people to arrive in Death City. They came in with the first batch of recruits, and of those from then only a very few (4) remain, including them.

When Rise first met Matt she thought he was a little loopy due to the whole being a country thing. Regardless, whether he was crazy or pretending to be one for whatever reason she didn't care much about that. They were on the same boat after all, and he displayed a calmness and sweetness that drew her to him. They became quick friends and he was the subject of much of her teasing.

It didn't take long for Rise to realize that in many ways she and Matt were two sides of the same coin. Matt was very shy, quiet, didn't have very much confidence in himself and seemed to have trouble putting himself out in the social sphere. He reminded Rise so much of what she use to be like before she became an idol so she was determined to do all she could to help him out of his shell.

She has help him do this, but likewise, Matt has done so much in helping Rise grow out of her self-loathing, and that habit she has of mirroring what others want or need her to be. He is the first person she's been completely free and herself around, and this includes other members of the Investigation Team. The two share a depth of understanding and commitment to each other that they've never found in any others, so it was no surprise when they eventually became partners.

They've gone through quite a bit together, some missions, some adventures, some tragedies, and it has all brought them closer. Eventually, Rise realized that she had more than just feelings of partnership and friendship with Matthew, but that she was in love with him.

INTERACTIONS (http://forthecamera.livejournal.com/8091.html?thread=88987#t88987)

Edited 2010-09-22 23:23 (UTC)