#[yukiko... scared one second... then normal the next]

[hnnyoongs]

akai shuichi headcanons

shuichi wears a beanie all the time because he's self conscious about hir hairline .... and I mean who can blame him? id be too

shuichi saw gin when he was visiting Japan in the 10 years ago flashback and was like ooh long hair is cool AND it'll piss ka-san off flash forward 5 years later when shuichi infiltrates the BO and is like fUck cool long hair dude is a psycho

shuichi cut his hair off when he heard akemi was killed by gin he kinda went into the whole mental breakdown mode and was like fuck this shit because he started growing his hair out cuz of gin and also akemi really liked his long hair

shuichi used to be a band kid when he lived in England and wanted to pursue a career in music (much to the chagrin of Mary) but after tsutomu disappeared he was like fuck that and stopped playing until he entered the BO

shuichi has a really bad memory about things that dont have to do anything with his job kinda like BBC's Sherlock but not as bad

shuichi used to find dead bodies when he was a kid just like shinichi but it wasn't as often maybe like a dead body once a year or something

shuichi named himself dai because that's what Mary actually wanted to name him when she was giving birth she was screaming die die die and tsutomu wasn't there yet so she was like aight die sounds like the japanese name dai the only reason shuichi wasn't named that was that tsutomu burst in and was like FUCK NO

shuichi was picked on when training for the FBI since compared to 6 foot jock white men shuichi was a 5 foot 7 asian with long hair and dressed like a teenage girl who frequented Starbucks in the toxic environment of the FBI for anyone who doesnt fit the mold shuichi had it cut out for him

shuichi showed signs of multiple mental illnesses but they were all difficult to pin down so he was never diagnosed with anything since he refused to talk at the FBI mandated therapy sessions

shuichi's type is someone who is kind but could wield a gun

he used to dislike kids but being around them as okiya has made SOME kids special in his heart

before tsutomu's disspeareance he taught shuichi how to hunt with a shotgun

shuichi lived off of sports drinks and bars whenever he was single since he couldn't rely on take out due to it being unhealthy which wouldn't help his FBI styled life

shuichi taught akemi simple self defense techniques but refuses to teach her how to shoot a gun saying he didn't want her hands to get dirty

shuichi and shukichi blackmail each other for favors by using the "ill tell ka-san you did that one thing that you blamed dad for when we were kids if u dont help me out"

scotch once told him that bourbon's type was a white milf (in reference to Elena who was white and was a mother) so shuichi was scared as fuck when rei met Mary's adult self for the first time

shuichi hates being compared to his mother but the truth is they're the most similar and they both started mimicking tsutomu after his disappearance

the only thing shuichi knew how to cook before meeting yukiko was plain white rice as that was the only thing tsutomu was able to teach him

shuichi mimics an American accent while talking in America or talking in English unless he's talking to his family or he's mentally shook up and his British accent slips out

he thinks in British accented English as well (idc if the animanga shows him thinking in japanese it makes no sense that western raised people like Jodie and camel think in japanese) but he does use some japanese like ka-san and when he's trying to get deep into his okiya persona

he tries very hard to keep the polite speech patterns of okiya Subaru since as akai shuichi he's very .. rude

shuichi's sniper skills were so good the fbi was willing to overlook his disrespect of authority and his tendency to do everything by himself without consulting everyone

shuichi slips into a British accent around James if he's feeling really comfortable

he felt bad about using shiho since she was only a year older than masumi and she hadn't done anything wrong so he vowed to get her and akemi out of the BO

he had a plan to get akemi and shiho out by convincing the higher ups to grant them immunity if they testified but akemi's death derailed the entire thing

he hates to admit it but his family is the most important thing to him he may not contact them that often but he's going to such lengths to bring his father back because he cares for his family so much

shuichi didnt really know what he wanted to do with his life once he took down his father's pursuers but after akemi and scotch he decided that if he solved his father's disappearance first he'd hunt down the BO next tho once learning that Haneda Koji’s death had something to do with the BO he's back at the thing where he doesn't know what to do with his life without revenge

he promised shukichi that he'd be the one to solve shukichi's death if what happened to Haneda kohji also happens to shukichi

he isn't a fan of dates in amusement parks but if it makes his partner happy and smile he'll have fun

dating Jodie was a quiet thing most likely from an attachment maybe due to a bad case or a loss of a mutual friend depending on the agency they might have been legally allowed to date each other but it is usually looked down upon I dont think they went out together often probably spending time together at home ... doing stuff

he identifies as bisexual it was normal to him in childhood since both Mary and tsutomu talked about their past relationships to their children he never told anyone due to the fact it would affect his FBI status since it was illegal in America shukichi and Mary know he's bi but shuichi has no idea Mary knows

akemi and shuichi would take strolls in parks go shopping and go to cafes

he's very self conscious about his height and whenever he goes to Japan it makes him feel good about himself since he's relatively tall there

Mary was the one who drilled japanese into his head not tsutomu

the last time shuichi talked to Mary was when he called her up to tell her to take masumi and leave Japan for Britain after masumi cornered him and scotch him and Mary had a whole argument and after that they stopped talking to each other, not that they talked to each other much in the first place

shuichi learned jee kun do by watching training videos from vhs tapes/cds/YouTube depending on when you consider detco taking place I personally believe conan shrinks in 2018 meaning that tsutomu disappeared in 2001 and shuichi used a mixture of tapes and cds to learn

shuichi can read people really well but has a hard time manipulating people by being nice he can use people by being a jackass very well but trying to be a normal person is hard for him

Yukiko and yusaku remind shuichi of his parents before tsutomu disappeared but like more upbeat

shuichi dislikes full body hugs

akemi and shiho were both anime and romance drama fans so he knows random things about the shows and uses that info to connect with the DB and especially haibara

he considered himself British first and foremost but when asked about whether he considers himself white or asian he'll always go with asian

he started smoking soon after his father disappeared since his father used to smoke and he needed to cope but didn't wanna fall into drugs like cocaine

smoking is heavily looked down upon in America and is seen as unprofessional which helped shuichi go undercover a bunch due to him being a heavy smoker

akemi would make him stop smoking around her and shiho saying that second hand smoking was dangerous and that shuichi who was smoking constantly was going to get lung cancer but he would tell her that he just couldn't stop smoking he did stop smoking around shiho and akemi tho going outside to do it instead

as okiya it makes him go wild because he desperately needs to smoke to cope but okiya cant smoke it doesnt fit his image so he smokes a shit ton at night during his nightly drives

shuichi forced himself not to smoke during his time visiting Japan when he met masumi because he knew Mary would get even more upset with him

shuichi was terrible driving American styled cars and he got so upset that he perfected his drive-in techiuque over the years just to spite the instructor that said he was barely passing

he likes to go on late night drives and speed on the high way because he's a thrill seeking idiot

he has no social media but he created on as okiya Subaru to keep an eye on haibara's higo stan account

he takes offense to the idea that he's stalking haibara he's just p r o t e c t i n g her

he wants shiho to be happy more than anything so he's an avid coai shipper and is exhausted in Conan's obliviousness

shuichi didnt tell shukichi he wasn't actually dead shukichi just walked up to okiya Subaru one day and was like shuuichi-ni-san right? shuichi has long stopped questioning shukichi's weird ways of knowing shit he shouldn't know

shuichi is a sherlockian but he's not like shinichi or hakuba in that he does not hate BBC's Sherlock and actually enjoys it a bit

one upside to shuichi living in America is that he gets to hoard guns because he's obsessed with them he thinks they're really cool it's like conan with Sherlock he starts yapping his mouth of about them

bourbon once dangled a gun on in front of a sleeping shuichi cuz he didnt believe scotch when he said that rye was obsessed with guns and started saying incorrect shit about the type of gun he was holding and shuichi just shot up and started berating him

shuichi hates that chianti is a killer because she's the only person who's as much as a gun fanatic as he is

he tends to steal Jodie's car a lot

he likes fucking with peoples heads it's very fun to him to watch them get all worked up

shuichi hasn't mourned his father yet because he doesnt believe his father’s dead

deep down he blames his father for his mother going slightly bonkers

he didnt want masumi to be a detective at first but now hes proud of her

he drinks a lot as okiya Subaru since he cant smoke as much

he's willing to go to hell if it means he can rip gin from limp to limp

he really hates gin yall I dont think I can convey how much he hates gin

[ravenoftheskyes]

Mako-fam (a pq2 fanfic)

{Made another commitment to @thieves-in-the-palace so let’s go! (It’ll be a short fic I said, I’ll only hint at my ships I said. I might actually write a sequel to this focused on 20XX) Rated T, for strong language, “slight” (Ha, this thing is flooded with ship content) Okijuma, Yukichie, Souyo, Pegoryu, Annshiho, Yukamitsu, Junpei x Chidori and Akimina[just gonna shove a bunch of ships in here. I actually hit the tag limit.] and spoilers for Ticket 32}

Makoto Niijima, a girl with three families. One, the Phantom Thieves. Two, the Investigation Team. Three, SEES. Though she didn’t exactly know about the persona part. Until now.

They’ve just rescued the IT from Junessic land. Except for Yosuke. But they’ll have to find him later.

“Goro, can I speak to you for a second?” Makoto asks the brown-haired boy next to her.

“Yeah sure, in the theater?”

“Of course”

They walk over to the Kamoshidaman theater and plop down into the seats.

“FUCK, GORO! AUNT CHIE AND AUNT NAO HAVE PERSONAS?!”

“I CAN’T BELIEVE IT!”

They screamed for about another five minutes before they calmed down.

“Okay so, we just have to act normal. We can deal with this. It’s just Aunt Chie and Aunt Nao.”

“Yeah, I mean what are the odds that Uncle Aki has one too?”

*A.I.G.I.S*

“Goro, can I talk to you? Please?!” Makoto almost yells out, letting the slightest amount of panic into her voice.

“Yeah... sure...”

As they walk back into the Kamoshidaman theater, Goro‘s eyes start to widen. He’s finally comprehending.

“UNCLE AKI HAS A PERSONA?!”

“FUCK, MAKOTO I CAN’T BELIEVE IT!”

“YOU THINK I CAN?!”

Another five (20) minutes of screaming later...

“Okay, so our entire family has personas. We can deal with this.”

“Makoto. Uncle Aki just used an honorific on you. He never does that. It’s always either Mako-chan or Makoto. Same thing with Aunt Nao and Aunt Chie. And the rest of the family.”

“...I still remember how proud Aunt Nao was when they started calling you “the second coming of the detective prince”. She literally screamed out “THAT’S OUR BOY” when you were on tv. She was so happy.”

“Ha, remember when on your 15th birthday Uncle Aki and Aunt Chie gave you brass knuckles? Sae was so pissed”

“And then they got me Steel-toed boots and taught me how to do a roundhouse kick!”

“Do you still have those?”

“I never go anywhere without them.” And she pulls the brass knuckles from her bag.

“We’ve just got to bite back a few nicknames, and we’ll be fine.” Makoto whispers.

“Yeah.” Goro says back to her, with a small smile.

*ticket 32*

Makoto’s talking to Haru.

“Mako-chan, you’ve got to be a little less reckless! I don’t have my grenade launcher here to protect you!”

“I know, Haru. It’s just that I can’t help it when I see someone hurt my family.”

“Hmm...” Haru says, with a contemplative look on her face. Makoto wonders how she got this lucky to have this beautiful and sweet of a girlfriend.

“I guess I have Ren to thank for that” she thinks

And then Elizabeth talks about a new special screening.

“Maybe this is our chance?” Akihiko says to Chie.

Oh god oh no oh fuck- Makoto thinks

“Huh?” Chie replies to him

“Remember what Makoto said?”

And suddenly, Makoto’s having a flashback.

“Makoto, learning close-combat battle’s all well and good, but you need to learn a proper diet. Don’t eat meat 24/7 like they do” Naoto says to a younger Makoto.

“Aw, come on Naoto! Steak’s delicious!” Chie fires back.

Makoto smiled, a rare occurrence since the death of her father.

“Hey, look! She’s smiling!” Akihiko said to the other two.

“Aww, you’re so adorable, Makoto!” Chie said to her.

“I’m 13! Not three!”

Akihiko laughed, and said “I think she’s been hanging out with Ken too much.”

“Now come on! Show me a kick that could punt someone into the stratosphere!”

“Chie-!”

“Watch me go, Coach!” Chie says, and Makoto’s violently thrown back into the present.

“Heh! My fists have been aching for some action. Time for a one-two punch into the finishing blow!”

“*sigh* Whatever you say. Let’s just get going for now.”

As they’re walking, Yukiko walks up to Chie.

“Chie, you’re starting to scare her. Calm down a bit. I mean, you barely know her and you’re calling her Coach!”

“I’m sure she’s fine!”

“...I still can’t believe you’re my Prince Charming.”

“Ha! No take-backs, Yukiko! You’re my princess and I’m your Prince!”

And then Yukiko falls into a laughing fit.

And right behind them, Goro and Makoto are having a panic attack conversation

“I can’t believe they’re asking you to train them. They taught you everything you know!” Goro says, shocked.

“I know!”

“...Don’t you already know their weaknesses?”

“Yeah, Aunt Chie moves just slow enough to sweep her stable leg out and if Uncle Aki gets riled up enough he exposes his stomach.”

“Then fight them!”

“That’s not actually a bad idea...”

“There it is! Let’s get in there and land the first strike!” Akihiko yells.

Goro rolls his eyes and says “There he is. I was wondering when he was gonna go battle crazy.”

“Roger that, I’m ready to learn from the best!”

“And there she goes...” Makoto whispers

“...Wait, there’s no road!?” Chie screamed

“Whoa!”

Goro was barely able to restrain his laughter

“Calm down, you two. First, we need to assess the situation. See the enemy’s orientation. Gauge it’s speed, movements, and position. Observe, then predict its actions.”

This time it was Goro’s flashback.

“Come on, Goro. You need to observe. Predict their actions.” Naoto whispered.

“She’s right. Now, come at me!” Akihiko told him.

“Wait!” Minato walked in. “Use this!” And he handed him a wooden rapier.

Goro’s eyes glittered. “It’s just like the ones heroes from those movies use!”

“Très Magnefique!” Mitsuru exclamimed. “A one-handed sword!”

“Babe, Mitzi, come on. You know that the best weapon is a pair of fists.”

“You’ve got Makoto, let us have him!” Minato said to him.

“Come on, Lances are the best weapon to use!” Minako said, as she walked in.

Everyone in the room shot her down.

“You have Ken!” Chie said.

“What about me?” Ken said as he walked in.

“Nothing, we’re just arguing about weapons again.” Minato said to him, with a small smirk on his face.

“Nothing beats a Katana!” Yu said as he walked in.

Yukiko said, “You’re all wrong! Fans are easy to hide, and they can pack a punch!”

“Yukiko. My princess. I love you, but you’re wrong.”

The squabbles between them brought a sweet smile to Goro’s face. He had a family.

“Okay, come on! This is how you use a sword!” Minato said, and Minato and Mitsuru did a demonstration on sabers and swords.

“Let’s go, Chie! I’ll race you!” Akihiko said to the brown-haired girl, just as Goro’s flashback ended.

Makoto backed up to join Goro.

“Think we should join them?” She asked

“Of course we should, Queen.”

And they both bolted off to join them.

*after the ticket*

“So, a special diet, huh? You know they’re gonna cave. Aunt Nao’s been trying and failing for years.” Goro whispered to her.

“I know, but I might as well give it a shot, huh?”

Meanwhile, in the background, Minato and Yukiko are chatting.

“God, why is she so similar to both of them? They never told us what year they were from... Do you think that maybe they left us for each other or something and had her?” Yukiko said to him.

“No... that’s crazy. At least I hope not.” Minato replied to her.

“I mean, if they’d be happier with each other, then I’d accept it. Because I love her too much to not see her happy.”

“Yeah, same.”

“Ugh, I’m weirdly jealous. I mean, it might not even be true.”

“Yeah...”

And a few more battles in ??? later...

“Ugh!” Yosuke said, as he collapsed in a heap.

“Partner!” Yu said, as he took out the shadow and bolted to Yosuke’s side. “Yosuke, are you alright?!” His voice going a few octaves higher than it normally would.

Makoto gets another flashback.

“Partner?” Yu asks a half-asleep Yosuke, as they watch a movie. “Come on, we’re with Makoto and Goro. Weren’t you the one who wanted to watch this movie?”

Yosuke plants a sloppy kiss on Yu’s cheek

“Yeah, but I’m tired. I mostly wanted an excuse to spend time with you.”

Yu had the tiniest hint of a blush on his face.

Makoto and Goro stopped watching the movie in favor of watching the romcom taking place right next to them on the couch.

“P-partner please there are children watching”

“Aw, getting flustered already?”

“Mako-chan! Behind you!” Haru screeched out

Makoto dodged it and kicked it in the face to kill it.

“Thanks, babe!” She yelled to her as she got back onto her feet.

Akihiko walked up to her, and asked “Are you alright?”

“Yeah thanks u- Akihiko-san”

Phew, that was close she thought to herself.

Meanwhile, back to the salty s/os...

“She cut herself off. She was going to call him something different. It seems more and more likely that Akihiko’s her dad.” Yukiko muttered.

“Earlier, I think she did the same thing to Chie.” Minato whispered back.

“I’m so fucking jealous”

“God, same”

“Ooh, my brother’s jealous, huh?” Minako said, as she popped in.

“Minako-!” He said back to her.

*back in the theater*

Hikari clapped her hands as she welcomed them back.

“Yeah! No sweat! Eff those shadows!” Ryuji said as he threw his fist into the air.

“I still don’t understand why you can’t just say fuck, like the rest of us.” Chie said to him.

“Well, you see...” Ren started. “My boyfriend here is a total momma’s boy. We love him for it. His mom told him to never say fuck, so he doesn’t. He loves his mom. And so do we. She’s basically all our mom now.”

“Yeah, I still remember the look of horror on her face when I said it around her!” Ann said to everyone else.

Ren planted a soft kiss on Ryuji’s cheek.

“Ugh, why is everyone so affectionate here?! I miss my sweet Chidorita...” Junpei exclaimed.

“Oh yeah, same. I miss Shiho so much. I should take her out for crepes when we get home.” Ann said.

And then

“Whoa, the room just got a bit colder...”

“I can feel it. Someone’s salty.”

“It’s coming from... over there!” And Junpei points to an obviously pissed off Yukiko and a Wildcard Mode Minato.

“Okay, what are you two so salty about?” Ann asks them.

And then Minato does his catchphrase. “I don’t care”

“Aw, are your s/os not paying enough attention to you two?” Ren teases.

Minato’s hand slightly curled and the other three protags show their shock.

“Guys! What has you all going insane?!” Ann screams out.

“That thing Minato did with his hand? That’s the wildcard equivalent of ‘I’m gonna cut a bitch’” Ren explains.

���...That little hand thing?”

“Yeah!!”

“Okay, but that still leaves the question, why?”

“That, I don’t know.”

“I’m just going to say it!” Yukiko says, with barely restrained anger

“Makoto, what were your parents names?” She asks.

“Wait! Hold the fuck up! If you’re thinking what I think you’re thinking, you’re wrong! I’m Ken’s age! I’m not the child of anyone here!” Makoto screams out in a single breath.

“Oh. Well now I just feel like an idiot.” Yukiko says.

Minato rubs the back of his neck with his hand and blushes just the tiniest bit.

And Makoto gets another flashback.

“Hey! Uncle Mina! Didn’t you say that Aunt Mitzi and Uncle Aki were teaching you french? Could you help me with my homework?” Makoto asks.

“I’m... not very good, but alright.”

“It’s just a reading assignment. We’ll be fine.”

Goro gives a small smirk from where he’s sitting on the dorm couch.

“What is it supposed to be?” Minato asks the girl.

“I don’t know, just read it!” She yells out.

“Okay, okay!” He chuckles as he starts translating it

“My love, your hair is as soft as a flower’s petals, yet your heart is thorned. Never to let anyone too close. I’m glad that you let me and everyone else into your heart. I never thought I had an eye for beauty, until I saw your face. I’ve traveled the world, and yet I’ve always wanted to come home to you. You’re a warrior. And I’d like to fight by your side until the end. So, will you be by my side forever? Love-” Minato choked on the last word. He dropped the letter and slammed his hands over his mouth. He turned around, not quite trusting his voice. There, Akihiko Sanada sat, blushing so hard that it seemed he might pass out. Minato thought a nod yes would suffice. It did. The entire dorm went up in cheers and everyone was excited for the newly engaged couple.

Makoto loved that memory. She always thought it was romantic, the way he proposed.

So when she saw them on the couch, Minato asleep on his boyfriend’s shoulder, she was happy knowing that a couple who fights together, stays together.

But there’s something more important to do, soon. After Minato wakes up.

After he does wake up, Makoto finally challenges Akihiko and Chie to a fight.

“A fight?” Chie asks her

“Well, a training bout.” Makoto says. “Both of you, against me.”

“If you insist.” Akihiko says, and he throws a punch that Makoto dodges easily.

“Too easy! Give me a challenge at least!”

Chie throws out a kick. Another dodge. And Makoto takes out her leg from under her.

“Huh!” Chie screams, as she collapses into a heap.

“Chie!” Yukiko screams from the back.

“That’s one down!” Ren screams from the back.

Another punch. Makoto pirouettes out of the way.

“That all you can do?!” She taunts him

Akihiko’s temper gets the better of him. Makoto smirks. He leaves his stomach exposed for a split second. Makoto throws as much force as she can behind a punch directly to his gut

Makoto shakes out her hand, as Akihiko goes crumbling to the floor.

“Damn. I’m impressed.” Mitsuru says from the back. “Are the two of you alright?”

“Yeah, I’m fine” Chie tells the redhead.

“Same here.” Akihiko says as he brings himself to his feet.

And then their eyes start sparkling. Makoto’s bombarded with questions.

Makoto and Goro have the same flashback at the same time.

“Alright, is everyone ready?” Minako asks the kids, who are holding wooden weapons. She kicks off a training match between Goro, Makoto, and Ken.

(Everyone knows Ken’s going to win, but it’s good experience for the others.)

Unfortunately, Ken forgets that this is a training match. He puts too much force behind his hits and accidentally knocks Makoto’s arm so hard that he dislocates her shoulder.

“Ow, damn!” She mutters out, not wanting to seem weak.

“Sorry, sorry!” Ken yells as he throws the wooden lance to the side and runs over to her.

Yukari runs over to her side and starts to examine it. She sighs in relief. “It’s okay, we just need to pop it back in.”

The entire dorm sighs in relief.

Yukiko plops down on Makoto’s other side, and grabs her hand.

“Look at me, alright?” She tells the girl.

Yukari pops here shoulder back in, which gives her pain for a split-second, until a cool, soothing sensation permeates her body

Looking back on it now, Yukari had probably used diarahan on her.

“-oach? Coach? Coach!” Chie’s voice snapped her back to the present.

“I’m sorry, I got distracted. What were you saying?” She asked the brown-haired girl.

“Makoto, are you feeling alright? You seem a bit out of it.” Akihiko asked her.

“I’m fine” she says. She’s a liar.

*another run in ??? later*

“Makoto-san, I’ve been wondering. How did you learn to be so good at riding a motorcycle?” Mitsuru asks her.

You taught me! She thinks

“Johanna taught me. She is a part of me after all!” Makoto quickly says, trying to act casual.

It seems to satisfy the red-headed executioner, as she walks away.

Flashback time~

“Mitsuru, I swear to god if you take her out on your motorcycle-” Akihiko starts

“She’ll be fine! We’ll be with her!” Yukari replies

“That’s what I’m worried about! Mitsuru, you once used a pileup as a ramp, and Yukari, you once took a sharp turn on an icy road so fast that we almost skid into another car!”

“Just because you can’t handle the way I drive-” Mitsuru starts

“You once told me ‘I paid for the whole speedometer, I’m using the whole speedometer!’”

“Exactly!” Yukari replied to him.

“...I’m not going to talk you out of this, now am I?”

“Not even close!” They both replied, in unison.

“You two are perfect for each other... just don’t get yourselves killed.”

And that was the day that Makoto learned how to ride a motorcycle like a maniac, with a crash course from Mitsuru and Yukari.

Makoto literally drives herself off a tree.

“Mafreidyne!” She screams, and takes out the shadows.

She returns her mask and walks with the rest of the group.

Surrounded by all three of her families, she thought that this alternate dimension thing might not be so bad after all.

[individuationfic]

Seeking to Seize Chapter 17

AO3

‘Is this really the time to be worrying about a school festival?’

Yosuke has the nerve to look offended. ‘The team needs the morale, Partner! As long as we keep checking the Midnight Channel, what’s the harm?’ They’re in Yu’s uncle’s living room doing homework, and even though Nanako is taking her bath upstairs and his uncle is at work, Yosuke keeps using sign language. It makes Yu feel warm. ‘You could use a distraction, too. I can tell how stressed you’ve been lately.’

Yu sighs, because Yosuke’s right. All this waiting makes him antsy. He almost wishes the killer would make a move so they could get a lead. But that’s probably a bad thing to hope for, so he doesn’t bring it up. Instead, he signs, ‘Is that why you signed the girls up for the pageant?’

‘The only other two people signed up were Hanako and Kashiwagi-sensei.’

Yu makes a face that makes Yosuke laugh. ‘Are teacher even allowed to do that?’

Yosuke shrugs. ‘There’s no rule against it. I think Kashiwagi-sensei is the only one who’s ever tried.’

‘How does she even still have a job?’ Yu asks. ‘If she were a male teacher, she would’ve been fired a long time ago.’

‘King Moron didn’t exactly give the school a lot of time to find a replacement. Besides,’ Yosuke adds, ‘we just have to deal with her for a few more months. She won’t be teaching third years next year, so we’re safe there.’

Yu’s heart almost stops. ‘Yosuke,’ he signs, fingers heavy, ‘I won’t be here for our third year. I’m going back to Tokyo.’

Yosuke’s face falls. “Oh, yeah,” he says aloud.

Lighthearted conversation effectively ruined, they return to their homework.

The group date café is just as awkward as Chie thought it would be. She doesn’t even get to sit across from Yukiko because the class rep is here, so she has to look at Kanji instead. At least Kanji’s trying, she thinks, suppressing the urge to glare at the class rep.

Then Yukiko answers a question with, “My favorite hobby is defeating Shadows,” and Chie’s stomach drops. Yosuke rushes to cover it up and Chie, to change the subject, says the girls will ask the next question. Yukiko asks, “What kind of girls do you like?”

Yu, who has been a little downtrodden, looks Yosuke in the eyes and signs, ‘Yosuke.’

Yosuke goes red and averts his eyes.

‘You didn’t seem too surprised about the crossdress pageant,’ Yukiko signs to Yu as they walk to the home ec. room to ghim changed. They’ve already done his make-up (not that he needed much—he’s pretty for a boy) and borrowed a silver wig from the drama club room. All that’s left is finding the perfect outfit.

Yu signs, ‘I figured some revenge was coming. Yosuke really railroaded you guys, and Kanji and I didn’t try to stop it.’

‘What were you thinking in terms of costume?’ Yukiko asks as she pushes the door to the home ec. room open.

Their eyes fall on it at the same time and they know.

Yosuke feels exposed in a way he really doesn’t like. “How do girls wear these?” he hisses at Chie, tugging at the bottom of the pink skirt he’s been forced into. “One wayward breeze and everyone will be able to see my nads!” He bends at the knees to scratch at his shins. “And these socks are itchy as hell!”

Chie gives him a quick smack on the arm. “Cut that out! You’ll flash everyone!”

“Well, you should’ve given me a longer skirt!”

“Stop complaining! I have to wear a bathing suit in front of the entire school thanks to you!”

“You’re scaring the emcee,” Rise says,  a laughing tone in her voice, and Yosuke and Chie turn around and see her walking up the short set of stairs leading from the floor to the stage, leading Kanji who is, for some reason, dressed like Marilyn Monroe. His knees are slightly bent and he keeps swinging his hips to watch the white skirt of his dress swirl around him. Yosuke can barely keep  himself from laughing.

Chie cranes her neck to look around them. “Where’re Yu and Yukiko?”

Rise shrugs. Kanji says, “Amagi-senpai says it’s gonna be a surprise,” in his usual deep voice, which is extremely inappropriate for his current appearance.

Rise’s phone buzzes, and she laughs when she reads the text. “Teddie is giving Naoto-san some trouble,” she says. “He wants winged eyeliner and they don’t know how to do it.” She flips her phone closed and tilts her head up to look at Kanji. “Do you mind if I run and help? I’ll be sure to vote for you even if I’m not back before the whole thing starts.”

Between the layers of makeup and the dimly-lit backstage it’s hard to tell, but Yosuke things Kanji is blushing. “Go help Naoto-san,” he says. “No one should stand alone against Teddie.”

Rise laughs again and scurries away. Chie glances at her own phone and says, “I better go, too. I gotta save a place for Yukiko when she finally shows up.” She levels a glare at Yosuke. “Don’t flash anyone!”

The emcee doesn’t wait much longer before he starts the pageant, even though Yu and Teddie still haven’t arrived. From his place off stage, Yosuke hears him ask “Kanji-chan,” “What would you say is your best feature?”

“My eyes,” Kanji replies, and the crowd laughs.

“An eloquent heiress of thee noble Junes,” the emcee says, “she’s pure disappointment from the moment she opens her mouth!” Ouch. Rude. “Presenting Yosuke-chan of the second year class two!”

Feeling more awkward than he’s ever felt in his life, Yosuke walks to stand next to Kanji and, meek, says, “Hi.”

The crowd gets noisy again, and Yosuke wants so badly to retreat. Calm yourself, Jiraya says in his mind. This moment will not define you unless you let it. Relax. Let yourself have some fun with this.

He takes a deep breath and nods, mostly to himself. When the emcee asks if he normally dresses like this, he giggles and says, “It’s not my usual style. The skirt is a little too short for my taste.” And this time, when the crowd laughs, Yosuke somehow knows they’re not laughing to be mean—they’re laughing because they think he’s funny.

“We’re laughingstocks up here!” Kanji hisses in his ear over the din.

“No,” says Yosuke, “we’re the only ones with enough balls to go through with this.”

The emcee suddenly brightens. “She has the mildly bitter tang of the city,” he says, “and her lack of a voice has only made her more endearing! Presenting our transfer student who’s been breaking hearts in the second year class two, Yu-chan!”

It’s instinct that drives Yosuke to turn his head, so seek Yu out, and his heart drops when his partner comes into view.

Because Yu looks goddamn beautiful.

It’s obvious he and Yukiko took this more seriously than the others. He’s wearing a light colored kimono detailed with a likeness of Mt. Fuji, and his silver wig has been styled and pinned into place with an ornate hair ornament. He carries himself with a dignity Yosuke didn’t think was possible when crossdressing. How is he so pretty? he asks himself.

Jiraya says, You should tell him how you feel before someone else takes him away from you.

Him being gay doesn’t mean he’ll like me! Yosuke retorts. You’re the one who told me that!

If you think this is the same kind of situation, you are far more oblivious than I thought.

You’re supposed to be on my side here!

I am. You just don’t see it yet.

Then Teddie blazes onto the scene dressed up like Alice in Wonderland, and Yosuke is jarred from his thoughts for the time being.

No one’s particularly surprised when Rise wins the real pageant. She knows the boys and Naoto-san tried to spread their votes evenly between her, Chie-senpai, and Yukiko-senpai, but the rest of the school didn’t care. And, sure, maybe she used some of her Risette charm, but she’s a competitive girl. So sue her.

She and the other girls put their school uniforms back on and they meet up with the rest of the team. Rise grabs one of Kanji’s arms and one of Naoto-san’s, linking them together in a chain. “The festival’s almost over. What should we do now?”

Before anyone can answer her, Yu-senpai’s uncle drops Nanako-chan off with them. She’s delighted; she loves Nanako-chan. Everyone on the team does. It’d be hard not to love such a cute, innocent little girl. Nanako-chan hangs onto Yu-senpai’s pant let as they discuss what to do next, and when Yukiko-senpai offers the inn and hotsprings to them, she smiles hard and wide enough to shame the sun.

Kanji-kun swings Nanako-chan up on his shoulders as they walk to the bus stop, with Naoto-san walking on one side and Rise on the other. “Do you want to take a bath with the girls or with the boys?” Rise asks Nanako-chan.

Nanako-chan screws up her face to think and says, “The girls. Onii-chan already takes a bath with me sometimes if I’m really sad, so I wanna try taking a bath with girls for a change!”

A thought suddenly occurs to Rise and she leans forward to look at Naoto-san. “Who do you feel comfortable bathing with?”

Naoto-san opens their mouth to reply, but Nanako-chan interrupts. “Naoto-niichan should take a bath with the other boys!”

Kanji-kun looks ready to say something when Naoto-san speaks instead. “Nanako-chan,” they say, “I look like a girl, and I dress like a boy, but I don’t feel like either. Since the Amagi Inn only has girl bath times and boy bath times, Rise-san wants to know when I would like to take my bath.”

Nanako-chan seems confused. “If you’re not a boy, I can’t call you Naoto-niichan, and if you’re not a girl, I can’t call you Naoto-neechan. What can I call you, then?”

And Rise can’t help but laugh, because of course that’s what Nanako-chan would be worried about.

There’s something a little strange about Onii-chan’s friends, Nanako thinks.

They’re all very nice! They treat her well, not like a nuisance like her dad’s work friends do sometimes. But none of them really look like they should be friends. Nanako has never seen a TV show where a delinquent becomes friends with an idol, or where the son of a big store like Junes becomes friends with a detective. But her teachers always say not to judge based on looks, so maybe this is actually normal.

Then she gets in the bath with some of them.

It’s the girls’ turn first, so Nanako lets Onii-chan help her into her yukata when they get to the big room everyone is sharing. He smiles at her like he’s saying “Have fun!” and she’s whisked off by the girls and Naoto-san. (Nanako doesn’t like calling them “Naoto-san.” It makes them sound old, like someone her dad would go drinking with. She has to find something else to call them.)

After they wash, Yukiko-neechan helps her put her hair up so it doesn’t get in the hot water. “You can wear your towel in the water,” she says as she tucks one corner of Nanako’s fluffy white towel against her skin to keep it secure, “but you don’t have to.” Nanako notices that Yukiko-neechan’s towel is a lot looser than her’s. She probably won’t wear it in the bath.

Rise-neechan doesn’t even bother wrapping her towel around herself. She just holds it against her front to hide her bathing suit parts. Her skin is really pretty, Nanako notices. Pale, no moles or freckles. Is her skin nice because she’s an idol? Or is she an idol because her skin is nice?

Nanako pauses at the edge of the bath, and, after some deliberation (seeing all the other girls doing it), drops her towel.

Rise-neechan, she sees, is the only one with perfect skin.

It’s not as obvious with Naoto-san, because they’re still wearing their towel, but everyone but Rise-neechan has scars. They’re small, for the most part, little silvery lines almost completely faded. If they weren’t all naked, Nanako would have never noticed. Chie-neechan has the biggest; it’s in the middle of her chest, where a bathing suit that wasn’t a bikini would cover it, and it looks kind of like a burn mark.

No one talks about the scars. They talk about how soft Naoto-san’s skin is, or exams, or the school festival, but no one mentions the scars.

Anything but the scars.

So, yeah, Onii-chan’s friends are a little strange, because the girls and Naoto-san are all so pretty and pretty people shouldn’t have scars.

[mintchocolateleaves]

So, @detectivegeekshin and I were talking about a DCMK crossover with Supernatural. And now this exists.

1.

It starts when Kudo Yukiko burns on the ceiling of the Kudo mansion. Flames as hot as the sun scorch the building, burning through wood and furniture, bricks and cement charring as the heat amplifies.

Kudo Yuusaku yells at his son, Shinichi, to run, to get out of the house before it is too late. He shouts when Shinichi lingers, gaze staring up at his mother, telling him to take his adopted brother, Heiji, and run.

It does not take long until the house is cinders. Yuusaku leaves the house a widower, trying to keep his emotions in control, staying calm for his two sons. Shinichi does not cry.

Beside him, Heiji - only two - cries out in shook, horrified at the flames that tickle his face. Shinichi reaches forward and wipes away his tears, deciding that he will keep Heiji safe no matter what happens next. He squeezes Heiji's hand, hugs him close.

When Yuusaku books them into a motel for the evening - the first of many long evenings to pass - he does not mention Yukiko. He does not talk about the fire, or its cause, but he does warn Shinichi about monsters under the bed and how it is now his responsibility to keep his brother safe.

Shinichi nods in understanding. He is only four, but he will not forget this moment. It is the pivotal moment between normal life and abnormal life. It is the day Yuusaku promises to teach him how to hunt down the monsters, before they can pray on him first.

2.

By the time Heiji reaches eighteen, he's decided that he wants nothing to do with monsters. All he wants to do is become a detective and live a long, normal life.

It's probably why, after a huge family argument, he leaves his adopted father and son behind, enrolling in law school and attempting to live a mundane life.

His family leave him alone, and Heiji is glad because his life brightens, and it's actually happy, for once. He starts to think about a future with his girlfriend, Ooka Momiji, instead of a future hunting down demons and expelling ghosts.

He moves into an apartment with Momiji when he is nineteen, and he thinks that finally, finally, everything is going to be work out. Everything is fine until one evening he hears a noise from another room in the apartment - until he has to grab the baseball bat he keeps by the door, going to face the intruder in his household.

Everything is perfect until Shinichi breaks into his apartment at two a.m on a Saturday, bright eyed and smiling at his little brother.

"How's it going Hattori?" he says.

He's not called Heiji by his first name since they were kids. Sometimes, Heiji thinks Shinichi does it just to piss him off. Other times, he thinks Shinichi's just scared to let other people know how much he cares for his younger sibling. It's probably because he enjoys being problematic though, Heiji thinks.

"Kudo..." Heiji says, because two can play the surname game. No honorifics.

Momiji enters the room behind him, wraps her hand around his arm and asks if everything's okay. She's calm, as if she hadn't been worried about any intruders seconds before. Heiji watches as Shinichi smiles slightly, his lips turned upward in that way he does when he gains new puzzle pieces.

"It's fine." Heiji says, crossing his arms, "t'is is jus' Kudo Shinichi."

Momiji turns to Shinichi, who is leaning against their kitchen table, and offers a confused smile. She says, "the brother you've told me about... Does he not have a concept of time?"

Shinichi sends her a tight-lipped smile. It is the sort of smile that asks why she's asking him questions that should have obvious answers. He's here for Heiji's help on something supernatural related.

He has a habit of that, Shinichi does - he constantly expects others to understand what he's talking about. It's frustrating, especially to Heiji, who kicks himself every time he can't follow Shinichi's thoughts and conclusions.

"He's here for a favour," Heiji says, his voice flat. "Although it is a little inconvenient time-wise."

Shinichi gives him that smile again. It tells Heiji that he's shown up late just to spite him, because he can. It pisses Heiji off, and he wants to hit the other man for a moment, but he doesn't. He can't let himself be the hotheaded little brother he's always been labelled as.

"I wanted to make sure to get you when you weren't busy." Shinichi says, voice smug. "Couldn't be sure what you were doing during the day, so this was the only time."

"And why'd you break in?"

"Ah, that," Shinichi sighs. He shrugs, "that's just because I couldn't find a key in your plant pot."

Heiji feels his eyebrow twitch in irritation. For a moment he considers tossing Shinichi out of the room - he's always been the stronger of the two, it wouldn't be impossible. Except, Heiji hasn't been keeping up with the fitness regime he'd done in the past, so maybe it won't be so simple...

"Wha' do ya' want?"

3.

Kudo Yuusaku has gone missing.

This is the first thing Shinichi tells Heiji, and it is the thing that eventually leads to Heiji deciding that he will help Shinichi with the case their father had been working on before his disappearance.

Heiji is not that excited about it, because he's not a big fan of the supernatural, not after all that he's seen. He doesn't understand his university classmates when they talk about ghosts and werewolves - they've got no clue what the supernatural is like, and they want to be a part of it.

"Come on," Shinichi says as they're making their way to the car. He hops into the driver's side, tells Heiji about the case they're going on - 'Several male kids have been found drowned, it's a really complex case actually' - and warns him against picking the music because Heiji only ever picks terrible music.

Heiji sends him a look that tells him to shut up.

The silence that follows is deafening but Heiji doesn't want to break it. He's not talked to Shinichi since the first argument, had grown tired of constantly being the only affectionate one, always being forced to feel small at his older brothers looks.

Sure, it's just who Shinichi is. That doesn't make it acceptable though.

4.

The children have been killed due to a woman in white, a vengeful spirit trying to enact revenge after the death of her children. Shinichi seems to figure it quicker than Heiji does, but he tells Heiji it's only a lack of practice and experience - not skill.

It doesn't make Heiji feel any better.

As they are driving back in the car, Shinichi asks if this is what Heiji really wants, a normal life living as a law student, soon to be detective. He doesn't look at his brother when he asks, but from the way his hands grip the steering wheel, Heiji can tell that Shinichi's waiting for his answer.

"Yes," Heiji says. "I want to stay with Momiji-chan as well, I... I like living like this."

Shinichi scrunches his nose as if to ask 'why?' before shrugging his shoulders. He says, "fair enough."

When he drops Heiji back at his apartment, Shinichi doesn't even wave. He stays at the wheel, staring forwards as Heiji shuts the door behind him. He doesn't bother giving Heiji his number - it's not like Heiji's expecting them to stay in touch, not when Shinichi's too stuck in the abnormal to agree to acting normal for his brother's sake.

As soon as he sets foot in his room, calling out for his girlfriend, Heiji feels worry trickle down his spine. He gets a sense of foreboding, a bad feeling that something is about to go, very, very wrong.

"Momiji?" He calls, making his way to their bedroom. He doesn't see her as he collapses in their bed, but he thinks that she'll come home soon.

Something drips on his cheek. Blood.

Momiji is on the ceiling, and as Heiji looks up in horror, she burns. She burns the same way Kudo Yukiko burnt over seventeen years before.

5.

It could be argued that everything begins with the death of Kudo Yukiko.

It could also be argued that it only spirals out of control when Ooka Momiji burns in a similar way.

However, it all really begins when Heiji walks from his apartment, reopens the door of Shinichi's car and tells him to start driving.

I might continue this, if people want it?

Other fics of mine can be found here.

[koxareta-moved-blog]

“Everyone fears their own mortality.” (Yukiko)

Studio Ghibli Sentences – accepting.

Even though his words rang true, she still couldn’t follow them. The women was honestly afraid. She wan’t human but, the fact she could die and be erased like any human made her more fearful. She was more human then she thought she was. Shaking her head, she just couldn’t believe this. She thought she was strong. That she couldn’t do anything without fear. It seemed like life had plans to show her otherwise. Those plans got to her too easily.

Turning her gaze to the male, the one she saw as a friend, she sighed. “That is true but, I should have nothing to fear. Shibata-san, why should I fear my own mortality when I am not a mortal? There should be nothing, yet… there is something. I am confused.” Her words were soft but, it held all the fear and anxiety she knew so well. Taking a deep breath, she knew this was unnatural for her. Usually, she would smile and wave the situation off but, something like this was a bit important.

Frowning, she was coming to conclusions, how to push this situation aside and live like she used too. Without fear. Shaking her head, she slapped her cheeks lightly and nodded. “I guess, thinking about it too often will only make me afraid to do anything. I should probably ignore it. Pretend the fear isn’t there?” Mostly, she was talking to herself. Giving a little pep talk. Just so that she would be able to act normally. Closing her eyes, she thought for a moment but, once that moment was over she smiled. “All better! I wont worry about it for now. After all, Nothing cant really hurt me.”

[individuationfic]

Seeking to Seize Chapter 6

AO3

Yosuke groans, laying his forehead on his desk in resignation. “How are exams already so close?”

Beside him, Yukiko snorts. Chie turns sideways in her seat and, catching the movement out of the corner of his eye, Yu does the same. Of course Yu and Yukiko are unbothered by the prospect of exams. They both have stellar grades.

Wait.

“Yukiko, you gotta help me study!” He knows he probably sounds desperate, but he doesn’t care. If he doesn’t do well on his exams, his parents will actually kill him.

Yukiko gives him an apologetic looks. “Sorry, but Chie and I already have plans today. I’ll help you another time.”

Yu shoots Chie a knowing look and she turns red. Before he can ask what that’s about, Yu signs, ‘I’ll study with you. My uncle will be home late, so we can use the living room.’

Relief washes over him. He might actually cry. “I owe you my entire life,” he says. “Seriously. I’m gonna get you a lifetime discount at Junes.”

Yu smiles. ‘I think Nanako will like that more than me.’

Yosuke chuckles. “You’re probably right. I’ll think of something else then.”

Next to him, Yukiko gracefully rises from her seat and smooths her skirt down with her hands. “Ready to go, Chie?”

“Yeah.” Is it Yosuke’s imagination, or does Chie sound a little nervous? Yu gives her a thumbs up as she stands. “We’ll see you guys on Monday!”

Yukiko agrees to hold a table for them while Chie orders. Chie finds herself not particularly hungry for once, as her stomach is too busy turning somersaults to worry about food. Can I really do this?

You will, says Tomoe from within her, startling her a bit. Even with Yu’s warning, she’s not quite used to having another voice in her head. Plus, Tomoe’s generally pretty quiet, so when she does speak up, it’s a weird experience.

Thankfully, the Aiya employees seem impervious to any kind of emotion, so no one remarks on Chie’s jumpiness. Chie is able to place her and Yukiko’s orders and joins Yukiko at their table.

“So,” Yukiko says when Chie settles into her seat, “what did you want to talk about?”

Any words Chie has promptly leave her and her head fills with white noise. Her throat tightens up and her eyes start burning. Desperate, she reaches out. Tomoe, help me.

Then, suddenly, it’s like she’s floating, seeing everything in the restaurant from above. I will speak with her while you collect yourself, says Tomoe. I will not say anything that is yours alone. Let me know when you are ready to return.

Thank you.

Yukiko knows something has changed immediately. Chie’s spine straightens and her chin lifts, transforming a girl who has been nervous and fidgety all day into a confident and commanding woman. “Amagi Yukiko,” she says, her voice not quite her own, “Chie needs a moment to compose herself, so you will be speaking with me in the interim.”

“You’re her Persona,” Yukiko breathes, realization dawning over her. Chie’s body nods. “Wait, may I ask your name?”

The Persona makes a pleased, rumbling sound. “You’re very polite. I have been called by many names over the years, and I will be called many more, but, for the moment, I am Tomoe.”

“And you’re part of Chie, right?”

Tomoe nods. “That is correct. I was born from her thoughts. I am her subconscious taken form. I know what she knows and what she has forgotten. I feel everything she feels—every emotion, every sensation, every thought. I am Chie, and Chie is me.”

“Were you her Shadow, too? Like Konohana Sakuya was mine?”

“Yes. I achieved my current form after Chie accepted the aspects of herself she does not like.”

The blank-faced waitress delivers their steak bowls and wanders off. Yukiko says, “Shouldn’t you let Chie eat?”

“Chie will come back when she is ready. Also, she will be able to taste anything I eat like this.” Tomoe takes a bite. “Oh, this is delightful. No wonder Chie likes it so.” Her eyes, a mix of Chie’s brown and a flash of gold, look up. “You are handling this encounter very well, Amagi Yukiko. Not many in your position could remain so calm.”

Yukiko swallows her mouthful of steak before she replies. “Chie is very strong-willed, so either she voluntarily let you talk to me or you overpowered her. In the first case, I have nothing to fear from you, because Chie would take back over before she let you hurt me. In the second case, causing a scene would do more harm than good.”

Tomoe looks like she approves. “Chie is ready to come back,” she says, “but I have one more thing to tell you. I implore you to be kind to Chie after she says what she has to say. Her greatest fear at the moment is cruelty. If your response is unnecessarily hurtful, I will do everything in my power to ensure you never come near her again.”

Ice floods Yukiko’s veins. She’s not entirely sure it’s just fear, since Tomoe specializes in ice-based magic, but before she can comment on it Tomoe bleeds back into Chie. She offers Yukiko a bashful smile. “Sorry about that,” she says, her voice back to normal. “I just needed to calm down.” She looks down at her bowl and scowls. “For someone who talks so much, tomoe sure ate a lot. She barely left me any steak!”

“Couldn’t you taste it?” Yukiko asks.

“Yeah, but it’s not the same as eating it myself.” She sounds mournful, and Yukiko has to stifle one of her ugly snorts. Chie shovels the last few mouthfuls of steak into her mouth, swallows, and continues, “So, about what I wanted to talk about…”

Yukiko waits for Chie to continue, and when she doesn’t, says, “You can tell me anything, Chie. tomoe said you’re scared, but you don’t have to be.”

Resolve flashes in Chie’s eyes, and she sits up just a little bit taller, just like Tomoe did when she first took over. Yukiko is amazed at the effect on her presence; who knew a straight spine could be so powerful? “Amagi Yukiko,” she says, her voice hushed but commanding, “I have been in love with you for years.”

Yukiko swears her heart stops.

Yu decides to stop by the Velvet Room on his and Yosuke’s way home. He hasn’t gotten a chance to ask Igor and Margaret about Elizabeth yet, after all, and he also kinda wants to see if Yosuke can see the door.

He can’t.

‘I don’t know what happens to my body when I go in,’ Yu signs to Yosuke. ‘I don’t think this will take very long. Wait here, ok?’

Yosuke grins and gives him a two-fingered salute, and Yu reaches for the door and closes his eyes. When they open again, Margaret is waiting for him, like she always is, but Igor is nowhere to bee seen. ‘Where is Igor?’

‘My master is currently handling another matter,’ Margaret replies. They way she differentiates between her own signing and her translations for Igor is something Yu very much appreciated. When she signs for Igor, every movement is exaggerated and theatrical, while when she signs for herself, her hands move much more elegantly. Yu wonders if Igor realizes this. ‘Can I help you with something?’

‘Do you have a sister?’

Margaret freezes and what litter color there already is in her face drains away. Yu, suddenly, is almost scared. What is causing this kind of reaction in such an unflappable person? Whatever it is, it must be serious. ‘Have you seen her?’ Margaret asks, hands shaking as she signs.

‘I think so. She was picking two of my senpai up from school a few days ago.’ Margaret’s shaking spreads from her hands to the rest of her body. ‘Is something wrong?’

She’s clearly lying when she signs, ‘No, nothing is wrong. We just didn’t expect her to be in Inaba.’ Before Yu can call her out, she continues, ‘You shouldn't keep your friend waiting. My master should be here the next time you visit.’ Then, without warning, the Velvet Room fades away and he’s facing a wall in the shopping district once more.

He finds Yosuke crouching near a wall, scratching a stray cat behind its ears. He has to stop his scratching to ask, ‘How did it go?’ and the cat is clearly unhappy, glaring at Yu as though it knows he is to blame for his loving being taken away.

Yu, still rattled, shakes his head. ‘I’ll tell you when we get to my uncle’s house.’

Yosuke may not be academically intelligent, but Yu thinks he doesn’t get enough credit for how smart he is when it comes to emotional and social matters. He reads Yu’s mood and becomes serious. ‘Let’s go, then.’ He gives the cat a parting pat before they depart.

Neither boy is in the mood to study after Yu recaps his conversation with Margaret, despite the token attempt they makes. The weight of the issue feels oppressive, like a too-heavy blanket on a hot night. It’s something they just have to deal with until after exams, when they can meet up with Chie and Yukiko and have a meeting. Yu actually counts it as a blessing when his phone vibrates, giving him an excuse to get distracted.

New Chat

[Satonaka Chie] → [Narukami Yu]

[Satonaka Chie]: I told her.

[Narukami Yu]: How did she respond?

[Satonaka Chie]: She didn’t.

[Satonaka Chie]: She got really quiet so I told her she could wait to answer me until after exams.

[Narukami Yu]: I’m proud of you. That must have been hard.

[Satonaka Chie]: Something weird happened with Tomoe at Aiya’s, though.

[Satonaka Chie]: Nothing bad, just weird.

[Narukami Yu]: Something strange happened in the Velvet Room this afternoon, too. We’ll have to have a meeting after exams are over.

He waits a few seconds to see if she responds, and looks back to Yosuke when she doesn’t. Yosuke has abandoned any pretense of studying and is instead watching the local news channel. ‘It’s a report about the local biker gang,’ he signs when he sees Yu’s questioning look. ‘Apparently one of the members is a first year at Yasogami. Kinda scary, don’t you think?’

Yu exhales sharply through his nose. ‘As long as they don’t have a Persona, I don’t care. We have enough to worry about as it is.’

Yosuke nods in agreement and shuts the TV off.

He only gets to see Ryoji when he sleeps.

They’re always in the Sea of Souls, the two of them, floating in empty space like it’s the most natural thing in the world. “I miss you,” he says, face buried in the milky skin of Ryoji’s neck and shoulder. “I wish you were here with me.”

Ryoji’s chuckle reverberates through both their bodies. “I’ll find my way back to you eventually. Nothing in the universe could keep me away from you for very long.”

“I’m worried about the kids,” he admits. “Their Wild Card is deaf, for one, and they’re up against a serial killer.” His throat gets clogged and he hugs Ryoji tighter to him. “I’m tired of seeing people die.”

“As long as they have you guys looking out for them, they’ll be fine.” Ryoji presses his lips to his forehead in a gentle kiss. “You need to wake up. You have exams coming up, right?”

Reluctant, he detaches himself from Ryoji. “Yeah. Find me soon, okay? I love you.”

Ryoji’s eyes are wet when he says, “I love you, too.”

The Sea grows darker and darker until he can no longer see Ryoji. Then he blinks, and when his eyes open again, he’s staring at his bedroom ceiling. He holds his eyes open to stave off the tears threatening to pour out. Hurry up and find me, idiot.

[individuationfic]

Seeking to Seize Chapter 10

AO3

Yu is grateful that his uncle took him in. Sure, his parents send  him a check once a month for his food and living expenses, but he’s sure his mere presence is a burden. Housing a teenage boy is hard enough on its own; housing a teenage boy with a disability is on a whole other level.

While he is appropriately thankful for the sacrifices his uncle has made, though, Yu often feels disappointed in or angry at him for how he treats Nanako.

One notable example is an evening in early June. After promising to read a book to Nanako, he answers a phone call, apologizes, and rushes out the door. Nanako’s face crumbles.

It’s at this moment Yu most desperately wishes he’d gone to speech therapy. He wants to be able to read to Nanako, to help teach her the characters on the pages. He never wants Nanako to be unhappy again.

As he is now, though, he has the ability to take away her sadness for a bit, so he pulls out his phone and sends a text.

Yosuke is still in his Junes uniform when he arrives, Which thrills Nanako to bits. She’s just gotten out of the bath and is letting Yu gently towel dry her short hair, and she vibrates in his lap when Yosuke’s head pokes around the corner and he waves. “I heard,” he says, approaching them and crouching to meet Nanako’s eyes, “that you need someone to read a book to you before you go to bed.”

Nanako twists around in Yu’s lap and wraps her little arms around his neck. From the way her chest is vibrating against his, she must be saying something and considering the gentle smile on Yosuke’s face, it’s probably cute.

Yu waits until they disappear up the stairs to stand. Nanako’s usually the one to tidy up in the evening,  but he’ll do it tonight. Then, still full of nervous energy, he starts making omelets and rice balls for lunches. He can’t keep relying on a six-year-old and her nearly-absent father. If anything, Nanako should be relying on him.

You are a good brother, says Izanagi. You see her emotional needs and you attend to them in the best way you know how.

If only my uncle could see them, too, he thinks, bitter.

Your Hierophant is grieving in his own way. Try not to be too harsh on him.

Sorry if I think a grown man should be able to handle grief better than a child who lost her mother.

If you insist on being so stubborn, at least try to keep peace for your Justice. You know how she worries when you fight.

Yu slumps, because he knows Izanagi is right. Though Nanako can only understand half of  his and his uncle’s arguments, she knows what’s going on. And, unfortunately, these arguments are happening more and more frequently. I won’t pick fights with him unless he’s upsetting Nanako, he says. That sounds like a good compromise to him.

By the way, your Magician is behind you.

Yu startles and whips his head around to see Yosuke. ‘I didn’t know how to get your attention without scaring you,’ his friend signs, sheepish. ‘Nanako wants you to tuck her in.’

Yu nods, rinses his hands off in the ink, and makes his way up the stairs. Now that he’s aware of Yosuke’s presence, he can feel him following, can feel the vibrations of his footfalls on the stairs behind him.

In Nanako’s room, he makes a big show of tucking her blanket all around her, forming a cocoon to make her giggle. She wriggles her hands free, bites her lip, and slowly signs, ‘I love you, Onii-chan.’

His heart swells. Without really thinking about it, he ducks his head and presses a gentle kiss to Nanako’s forehead. When he pulls back, her eyelids are already drooping, so he and Yosuke back out of the room and click the lights off. Then he turns to Yosuke and signs, ‘Do you want some coffee before you walk home?’

This should be more awkward than it is. They haven’t really spoken one-on-one since their not-argument about Kanji, and now Yosuke’s at his house at nine p.m. waiting on the coffee machine to do its work. This is weirdly domestic, Yosuke thinks, only a tad hysterical. I helped him put a kid to bed and how I’m at his kitchen table. Why does it feel like we’re married?

He’s drawn from his thoughts when Yu sets a mug of coffee in front of him. It’s a little more bitter than Yosuke usually takes it, but he’s pretty sure this is how Dojima takes his coffee so he won’t complain. ‘You’re not having any?’ he asks, noticing the lack of a second mug in front of the seat Yu lowers himself into.

Yu shakes his head. ‘Caffeine doesn’t really agree with me.’ There’s a pause that feels weighted before he continues. ‘Thank you for coming over. I know it was short notice. And thank you for teaching her a little JSL.’

Yosuke smiles. ‘She asked me about it. She’s a good kid.’

‘Yeah, she really is.’

There’s another, slightly more awkward pause, and then Yosuke’s hands are moving. ‘I’m sorry for making such a big deal about Kanji. It was inappropriate and immature.’ Yu blinks, like he’s confused, and Yosuke rushes to continue. ‘I should have wanted to save him because he needed saving, not because I wanted to stay on the team. I recognize that now.’

He wants to keep going, to apologize and to ask for things to return to normal and to say he misses his best friend, but one of Yu’s hands covers his to stop them from moving. Then, smiling, he signs, ‘Thank you,’ his eyes swimming in some unnamed emotion, and Yosuke thinks, Oh.

Yu gets to school early the next morning with a singular purpose in mind: to find Yuki-senpai and Shiomi-senpai and finally ask them some questions.

It’s not that he’s usually late. He hasn’t been late to class once since school started. It’s just that he doesn’t actively try to get there early. He likes helping Nanako get ready in the mornings, and he’s more likely to run into his friends if he leaves a little later, so he’s never seen an appeal to leaving early.

But the fog is about to roll in. There’s been less of a safety net with Kanji than there was with Yukiko. The killer has to know someone is acting against them. The stakes are high, and Yu wants some answers.

He gets to school before the gates open and he waits.

He spots the now-familiar blue first. The vibrant color stands in stark contrast to the gloomy sky and the damp-dark pavement of the road leading up to the gate. It’s still very strange to see the color outside of the Velvet Room. Any blue is, really. He’s come to associate it so closely to Igor and Margaret that separating the two is difficult.

He recognizes Yuki-senpai and Shiomi-senpai walking on either side of the blue-clothed figure.

Who is not Elizabeth.

Who is not a woman at all.

He looks very similar to both Elizabeth and Margaret, but he is clearly a man. His clothes kind of remind Yu of a butler, as does the way he holds a black umbrella over Shiomi-senpai’s head to keep her dry. Yuki-senpai, on the other hand, is using his yellow scarf as a hood to stave off the rain. Yu wonders why he didn’t bring an umbrella of his own; the rain has been falling for several days now, so he should not have been caught unawares.

Shiomi-senpai sees him first, her red eyes locking on his own grey ones. She raises a hand in a wave and turns her head towards Yuki-senpai and their companion and says something. Yuki-senpai nods and jogs ahead to meet Yu. “I’m guessing you have some questions,” he says.

Yu nods.

“Not here. Kotone will meet us in the library in a few minutes. The less public we are, the better.” Then he continues walking towards the school, and Yu has to follow.

His phone is burning in his pocket. He’d put Yosuke on standby the night before; one button press will send him a pre-typed message to him and he will contact the appropriate authorities. Yu doesn’t think Shiomi-senpai and Yuki-senpai are bad people, but he doesn’t want to take any chances. Not with a serial killer on the loose.

This is the first time he’s been in Yasogami’s library. He’s been way too busy to visit. Between his schoolwork, teaching his friends JSL, helping Nanako at home, and chasing down a serial killer in an alternate world inside a television, Yu barely has time to sleep. He knows he should be more concerned about this, but everything he’s doing has to be done, so he can’t rest. Someday, he thinks, when this is all over, I’m going on a vacation. Preferably somewhere with no televisions.

I can recommend a few good mountains. Very isolated.

Sounds like heaven.

Not quite, but close. As close as mortals can get, at least.

Yu has several ways he could reply to Izanagi’s sass, but he’s pulled from their mental conversation when a pale, slender finger enters his field of vision to tap on the section of the table he’s staring at. His eyes follow the finger up to the hand, up the arm, and to Yuki-senpai’s face. “Who are you talking to?” he asks, his face unreadable.

Yu fumbles for his notebook and scribbles What do you mean?

Yuki-senpai’s eyes flash gold.

He nearly jumps out of his chair. This gold isn’t the same soft shade as Margaret’s or Elizabeth’s or their new escort’s. This is Shadow gold.

Yuki-senpai blinks and the gold fades back to blue-grey. “Don’t waste our time by playing dumb. There’s only so much Kotone and I can do to help you, so we don’t have time for games. Who is your main Persona?”

Yu’s hand shakes as he writes Izanagi.

Yuki-senpai nods. “Thank you. Kotone will be here soon; we’ll start then.”