#Kanade weekness... Hell yes

[akitofr]

I think

That milgram and pjsk should get a collab... Just so I can hear emu sing Magic

[theguardianace]

hm. tierlist on how good of a hugger i think the pjsk cast is. vocaloids are thrown in at random. personal headcannons GALORE

tenma tsukasa. canonically an amazing big brother. this comes with the territory. he's also a human radiator so it feels very soft and warm. also has good strength so you feel very safe. 10/10 would hug again.

wxs luka. she is chubby and soft and sleepy. this is the ideal person TO hug. only thing keeping her from that number one spot is the fact she will fall asleep in your arms which is cute for about ten seconds.

mochizuki honami. she is canonically BUFF AS HELL and also SOFT. a hug from honami will instantly make you forget every single one of your worries. also she smells like apple pie.

otori emu. she may not have luka, hona, or kasa's height, but she has more than enough wonderhoy to make up for it. getting hugged by emu is like getting hugged by the worlds nicest weighted blanket.

hanasato minori. if i could go to a mmj fan meetup the first thing i would do is ask minori for a hug. she will hug you like she means it. and she does very much mean it. i just think it would be nice.

tenma saki. she will give you hugs CONSTANTLY in that super friendly "we're gonna jump in a circle while i hug you because im so happy to see you" way. will it be a long hug? no. will it make you feel instantly happy and welcome? yes. and that my friend is valid.

vbs meiko. it's a hug from your mother (or what you imagine a hug from a good mother like figure to be). safe and secure. familiar.

hinomori shizuku. if you are nice to her she will find a way to give you a hug. she smells like dewdrops in the morning. it's a very refreshing hug.

shiraishi an. everyone needs a big bear hug from a strong lesbian every now and again. also she will pick you up halfway through the hug so be ready.

shinonome akito. i dont think there is a single card where he is next to toya and not either actively giving him a hug or very much thinking about it. also hes warm and that's nice. he will not try and hug you first unless your name is aoyagi toya.

momoi airi. actually a very good hug. she will hold you tight for a few seconds. big fan of the shoulder side hug.

l/n luka. its like a hug from that cool upperclassman you had a tiny crush on in high school. objectively a very neutral hug but she's cool and it makes you feel safe.

kiritani haruka. she has perfected her idol hug throughout the years. it is a blend of hopeful, reassuring, and slightly impersonal. she tries though and you have to love her for it. if you're a haruka stan it's an instant 1 though.

azusawa kohane. honestly fantastic hugger it's a very friendly and kind sort of feeling. she's just not confident enough to give you a good one unless you're close.

yoisaki kanade. she kind of smells like bo and ramen but it's ok because a hug from kanade makes you feel instantly safer. kanade hugs are full of reassurance and safety. a reminder that you are not alone and you will be saved.

hoshino ichika. she has a very basic hug but there is love and hatsune miku inside of it so that's pretty cool

n25 miku. she learned what a hug is last week and has been practicing non-stop since. len likes this. meiko and kaito do not.

akiyama mizuki. in theory? incredible hugger. will hold you nice and tight. in practice? too scared of emotional intimacy to ever put it to practice.

shinonome ena. also someone who in theory would give great hugs but in practice unless you're having an emotional crisis she will try and scratch you to get out when she's done with it.

kusanagi nene. she's too anxious to try giving you a hug unless your name is otori emu, and even then it's really only reciprocation. she smells a bit like grapefruit and ocean waves somehow.

hinomori shiho. unless your name is tenma saki she will not hug you back. refuses to jump with her though.

vbs len. have you ever met a middle school boy who can give a decent hug.

kamishiro rui. im sorry he's bony as hell and will think he's not worthy of such kindness for a solid ten minutes. it's not the worst hug in the world but it's certainly the worst of wxs.

aoyagi toya. this poor child has not initiated a hug once in his life. he does not know what to do. hes trying though.

asahina mafuyu. hugging maf is like trying to hug an ice cube (physically and emotionally). not recommended unless you are desperate.

-1000000: n25 kaito. if you try and hug this man you will end up on a missing persons list.

[gigai-translations]

(Project SEKAI) Yoisaki Kanade 2025 Birthday Story

Belated happy birthday to this little loser!

Translation under the cut.

Story 1

[Empty SEKAI]

Kanade: Thanks for listening to the demo, everyone. I'll take all your inputs as a reference. 

Miku: Alright, I'm looking forward to it. 

Mafuyu: Then shall we head back? 

Ena: Eh? Already? We weren't able to talk with Miku and the others at all.

Mizuki: Yeah, yeah! Let's chat a bit more!~

Kanade: …That's fine, I guess, but what else will we talk about? 

Mizuki: Well… a bunch of stuff! Right, Ena? 

Ena: Sure but we haven't decided on anything…

Miku: Well, would it be okay to ask you something, Kanade? 

Kanade: Me…? 

Miku: Yes…

Miku: I was wondering, since it’s getting closer to your birthday, how will you celebrate? 

Kanade: Eh? My birthday…

Kanade: I don't really have any special plans right now. It's still two weeks away, after all. 

Miku: I see…

Ena: …Say. Mizuki, Mafuyu, is now a good time to talk about it? 

Mizuki: Right! 

Kanade: …Talk about what? 

Ena: Truth is, we've been looking for a restaurant to hold your birthday party and we found the perfect cafe for it! 

Mafuyu: The cafe has some special cakes and you can request one for birthday celebrations. It also seems like they offer a lot of services. 

Kanade: Huh…

Mizuki: It had some TV coverage before and each plate is served with hospitality wrapped with a bow! Yeah, it’s a pretty great cafe! 

Mizuki: So let's hold your birthday party there! Seems like we don't gotta worry about the timing if we reserve now. 

Kanade: I didn't know you three were searching for a restaurant…

Kanade: Well you did all that for me, so we should all go there together. 

Mizuki: Hell yeah–! Thanks, Kanade! 

Ena: We'll make it a great party so look forward to it! 

Kanade: Sure. Thanks so much, really. 

Kanade: Mafuyu too, thanks for everything.

Mafuyu: ….

Rin: …So you already planned something. 

Kanade: I’m surprised you guys were preparing something even though the date is still two weeks ahead. 

Mizuki: Naaaahhh! If you look at it in the perspective of celebrating, it's more like “We only got two weeks!!” ‘ya feel? 

Kanade: Oh, I see…

Kanade: …Did you guys start preparing really early on? 

Ena: Well… after New Years came by and we were able to relax, we immediately started looking for a restaurant… So like, around a month? 

Mafuyu. That's right. Although when we had the time, we did a lot of research looking through reviews from gourmet sites. 

Mafuyu: It took a month-long period but we didn't use up that much of our time. 

Kanade: Even so, to have you all think about the party that far ahead…

Ena: Of course we would! It's the birthday of our precious friend after all.

Mizuki: You only get to celebrate your birthday once every year. So we don't gotta go “Ah, shucks! We should've done this or that!”, we prepared as best as we could! 

Kanade: …Thanks, everyone. 

Miku: Kanade, come to the SEKAI on the day of your birthday. 

Len: Uhm… we also want to celebrate with you…

Kanade: Alright. I'll come here with everyone.

Miku: It's still a little ways away but, I hope you have fun with everyone at your birthday party.

Kanade: …Sure, thank you!

[The Day of Kanade’s Birthday]

[Scramble Crossing] 

Kanade: Thanks for gathering together even though it's everyone’s off day.

Mizuki: No wooorrieeess, boo 🎶

Mizuki: I mean, I wanna celebrate on the day itself but if we had school, we wouldn't be able to have a chill celebration! 

Ena: Well that's just something you would say. 

Mizuki: Ahaha! Doooon’t worryyy about iiit~ 🎶

Kanade: So where's the cafe where you reserved? 

Mafuyu: It's around the Miyamasuzaka area, right there—

??? (Emu): Ah! The other two are here! Hurry hurry–!

??? (Nene): Hey, wait! We're standing out! What are we gonna do if we're seen!?

*Emu and Nene rush away*

Kanade: …Huh? Those people just now…

Kanade: For a second there… I don't know who it was but I'm sure I've seen them before. 

Mizuki: Eh, really? I didn't notice a thing~! 

Ena: Yeah! If it was someone you knew, Kanade, we would've known, yeah? 

Kanade: I see… Well, I guess it was just my imagination. 

Kanade: …Huh?

*Kanade notices Honami and Ichika and they rush away*

Kanade: Wait, just now those were….

Mafuyu: …

Mafuyu: … The stop light, it's gonna turn blue soon. We have reservations so we ought to get there.

Kanade: …Ah, yeah. We should. 

??? (Ichika): …that was close. There's a ton of people here so I think she would've been confused.

??? (Honami): She probably didn't find us out so it'll be okay. Hurry, let's catch up to them quickly. 

[The Cafe]

Kanade: So this is the cafe you guys were talking about?

Ena: Yup! It's bright but has a nice relaxing atmosphere to it, right?

Mizuki: Kanade, what your about to see might shock you so best to prepare yourself! 

Kanade: I– prepare myself? 

Mizuki: ‘Scuse meeee–! Reservations from Akiyama– 🎶

???: Be right there! 

Kanade: …wait, that voice just now…

Saki: Welcome to carino/carina, dear guests! 

Kanade: Eh…

Kanade: …Tenma-san…? 

Story 2

[carino/carina]

Mizuki: Hey, what a surprise!

Mafuyu: Not only are the uniforms cute but Tenma-san is also here.

Kanade: Tenma-san, what are you doing here? Ah… right, you told me you work part-time at a cafe.

Saki: Ehehe! And as it looks, I work in this very cafe!

Saki: Well then, your reserved table is right here–! Your companions have been waiting!

Kanade: Eh… our companions…?

Kanade: Ah…

Minori: Kanade-chaaaaan! Long time no see!

Airi: I heard from Ena and Mizuki that you're celebrating your birthday today so they had us come here! 

Kanade: I see… Thanks for coming.

Kanade: You’ve invited others, huh? I thought it was just gonna be the four of us like how we hold our usual post-upload gatherings. 

Ena: Fufu. Well the truth is, we’ve started putting things in motion a month prior so that we could invite more people.

Mizuki: Yeahhh–, It’s a bit of a hurdle for everyone’s schedules to align perfectly but thanks to early planning, we got more people coming!

Kanade: More…? Does that mean—

Ichika and the others come into the cafe

Ichika: —Oh? Kanade-san, hi! What a coincidence seeing you here!

Ena: Uhhh… Sorry, gals. We were just talking about the surprise with Kanade. 

Ichika: Oh, uh, I see! Thank goodness, I have zero confidence in acting. 

Kanade: …So, you and the others also came for my party?

Ichika: Yup! Asahina-senpai invited us.

Honami: Thanks for inviting us, Asahina-senpai.

Mafuyu: No problem! I just thought you two would definitely love to celebrate with Kanade!

Saki: Well, everyone! Please take a seat and tell me your drink orders! In a little way, we’ll bring out the special cake!

Emu: Rogeeeer!

Nene: Uhm, thanks for having us…

*A short time passes*

Kanade: Man… Everyone really gathered here for my birthday…

Mafuyu: Truthfully, we might have had three more people.

Kanade: Eh? Three more?

Mafuyu: Shiraishi-san, Aoyagi-kun and Azusawa-san. Though, they’re still on their America trip alongside Ena’s brother. 

Mizuki: Yup~! They did say they wanna greet you so I think they’ll send you a message. 

Saki: Thanks for waiting–! Here’s our carino/carina’s specialty special cake: Birthday version!

Kanade: Wah– I-it has small firework sticks

Saki: That’s right! It’s the birthday version special cake’s celebratory fireworks!

Saki: Furthermore, the specialty special cake got more volume than any other cake!

Saki: And as a plus, the amount of cream and fruits topping are 1.5 times more than a regular cake!

Airi: That voluuuume! It makes me think of the peak of Mount Everest!

Ena: Kanade, go blow out the candles!

Kanade: Of course.

Kanade: ….fuu–! Huh? They haven’t been blown away.

Nene: Just blow a little more…!

Minori: Kanade-chan, you can do it!

Kanade: …fuu—! …Ah, they’re all blown off. 

Mizuki: Yaaaay!! Kanade, happy birthday! 

Everyone: Happy birthday!

*Everyone claps*

Kanade: …Thanks, everyone.

Kanade: (I’ve been greeted during my birthdays each time but…)

Saki: Without further adieu, let’s cut the cake! 

Kanade: Ah… Is it okay for you to eat cake with us while you’re still working?

Saki: I can celebrate with you now, actually! When the party started, my shift was almost done, just in the nick of time!

Kanade: Oh, I see, that’s great… Thanks for everything from today.

Saki: Nahh! For me, I’m just happy to help out for your birthday party! 

Saki: The cake is suuuper good so eat to your heart’s content! 

Kanade: Sure, thank you so much.

Kanade: (...I never thought I’d ever have such a lively birthday.)

Final Birthday Greetings

Touya: Yoisaki-san, happy birthday.

Kohane and An: Happy birthday!

Touya: Akiyama was in really high spirits, so I can see you’ve certainly had a wonderful birthday. Please accept our greetings.

An: I feel bad we couldn’t come to your party but to make it up to you, we’ll buy you a ton of souvenirs from America!

Kohane: I’ll also send a lot of photos I took of streets and sceneries from our trip!

Saki: Kanade-san, I’ve said it before but happy birthday!

Saki: Ehehe, I’m so glad we got to celebrate at our cafe! 

Minori: Yup! When I heard we’d be meeting in the cafe, I reaaalllyyy wanted to come! I’m so glad I came to celebrate!

Airi: Yup! I’m glad we were able to have a lively celebration like what Ena and the others wanted. 

Airi: Happy birthday, Yoisaki-san!

Minori: From me too! Kanade-chan, Haaappppyyy Birthdaaayy!

Ichika: Kanade-san, happy birthday! I’m so glad we celebrated together!

Honami: When she heard from Asahina-senpai, Ichika was really giddy.

Ichika: Eh, Th-that so…

Nene: Yeah. When you called me up, your voice sounded really excited.

Emu: Ehehe! You’re invited to a friend’s birthday party! Of course it’s exciting and makes you giddy!

Ichika: That kinda makes me seem embarassing. 

Honami: Fufu. —Yoisaki-san, happy birthday! From here on again, let’s continue working together. 

Mizuki: –Well guys, one, two three–!

Niigo: Kanade, happy birthday!

Mafuyu: Kanade talked a lot even when topics were unrelated to work or music, huh?

Mizuki: Ahaha! Everyone had a buncha stuff to talk about!

Ena: Kanade also looked like she was having fun. Next time, it’d be nice to have a party this lively again, right?

Mizuki: Next time…

Mizuki: Alriiiiight! Let’s prepare another awesome party with everyone again! 

Mafuyu: Right.

Kanade: Thank you for celebrating my birthday.

Kanade: I feel like there's slowly more people that greet me each time my birthday comes. 

Kanade: Because of that, I think I’ve met a lot of different people over time.

Kanade: Experiences like this, makes me give it my all for composing.

Kanade: —yeah. For here on again, so I could make a song that saves someone…

Kanade: I’ll do my best. 

[luciferpanini]

Mmmmmm I really loved the sekai swap backstory thing lmao. Do u have any headcanons for any of them? (Niigo and wxs) Like the most random one

[vibrates in various frequencies] i am being enabled. you guys need to stop praying for grandpa because he's outrunning the police rn.

Niigo

Niigo fight for their lives learning how Adobe After Effect works to make their MVs. When push comes to shove, they would just commission Mizuki.

They actually tried to ask Mizuki to join them but they were like "um, sorry, no, I already have 2 part-time jobs...."

Tsukasa has a full powerpoint presentation of how tying one's shoe is not an essential skill and it's not my fault slippers exist stop bringing it up Enanan.

Nene roped Ena into video games and the latter became very competitive.

Nene is very popular as an utaite, so naturally Niigo got a lot more attention after she joined them. Though she doesn't really like how some comments say Niigo is riding off her coattail. Something something event content.

Nene and Ena can have a story arc too. Like Nene has genuine talent when it comes to singing and yet she refuses to put herself out there. She's so adamant about not achieving what she wants as opposed to Ena who tries her damnest and is still nowhere close to getting the validation she wants (the validation she deserves tbh, i would validate the hell out of her don't be sad :( ). Something something event content number 2.

Tsukasa started out fucking terrified of Mafuyu.

Kanade is still very much focused on "trying to make a song that can save someone" since in the AU she doesn't really have a specific target. The other three are like "yes we're rooting for you Kanade, we're rooting for you", but they're still pretty much lost on what exactly Niigo's purpose is.

They should probably open up about how they were all touched by Kanade's music one way or another just saying.

WxS

Mafuyu and Rui do genuinely respect each other. But for whatever reason, they can't communicate very well which leads to conflicts. The atmosphere gets incredibly heavy when they're alone together.

Mizuki and Emu are an incredible tag team, they keep Mafuyu and Rui alive.

Mizuki is in charge of making costumes and props, along with assisting Rui with "making sure whatever he puts on stage isn't aesthetically horrendous". They mainly stay backstage though.

Emu really wants to see Mizuki on stage with the rest of wxs one day but they claim they "aren't ready yet".

The Wonderland SEKAI has an aquarium. A really pretty one.

Mafuyu wishes to find herself through acting, more specifically a role that can help her remember the true self she lost.

Mafuyu has range.

Emumafu commit trespassing every other week. They monopolise the Kamiyama High's rooftop because "the open space makes it way easier to test out our stunts!!" (Tsukasa struggle tweet)

Mafuyu would try to cut down on cram school so she can have more time to practice with her troupe, thus starting her rebellion arc.

Emu and Mafuyu would wonderhoi back and forth for up to 10 minutes because Mafuyu's wonderhois never sound quite right to Emu.

"You have to put more snazz in it!! Like wowza!! Babababang!! Wonderhoi!!"

Straightman Rui. Tsukkomi Rui. Fighting for his life every day Rui.

Rui struggle tweet.

[catgirl-catboy]

more incorrect SDRA2

Emma: No, this is not a mess. You know what I consider a mess? Kokoro: Your life? Emma: I- well yes, but-

Sora: You have Crayons? Iroha: Yes, I have— Sora: You're— how old are you? Iroha: YES I AM AN ADULT AND I HAVE CRAYONS, I HAVE A BOX OF EMERGENCY CRAYONS IN THE CABINET UNDER THE TV BECAUSE EVERYBODY NEEDS CRAYONS SOMETIMES, OKAY? EVERYBODY NEEDS CRAYONS.

Iroha: I'm not superstitious... But I am a little stitious.

Kokoro: What’s your biggest fear? Yuki: That I’ll never be good enough for anyone. Mikado: Everyone hates me and talks about me behind my back. Iroha: Zombies. Yuki: ... Mikado: ... Iroha: BUT they can open doors.

Hajime: I don’t know the first thing about clothes. Pretty much all I can do is look at something and tell you if it’s clothes or not. This chair? Not clothes.

Teruya: Hey, do you know the password to Mikado’s computer? Nikei: Fuck you, Teruya. Teruya: Hey!! Nikei: No, you misunderstood, the password is "fuckyouTeruya". Teruya: Oh, no numbers? Not very safe.

Iroha: So I have made the decision to trust you. Kanade: A horrible decision, really.

Yuki: What's gone wrong, Kokoro? Kokoro: Hey! That’s one hell of a thing to say to a person. Just because I’m calling doesn’t mean there’s a crisis. Yuki: That’s technically true, I suppose. Why are you calling? Kokoro: Well... There’s a crisis.

Mikado: Here comes the lightning! Mikado, whispering: You've got to imagine it coming out my fingertips, wherein I am an almighty wizard. Iroha: Ok, currently imagining that. Hmm, not bad. Not bad at all.

Yoruko: I want to kiss you. Sora, not paying attention: What? Yoruko: I said if you die, I wont miss you.

Kokoro (to Emma): I don’t think the therapist is supposed to say ‘wow’ that many times during their first session with a client, but here we are.

Hajime: I am going to need you to swear- Iroha: Fuck. Hajime: Hajime: ...swear as in promise.

Setsuka: There's nothing to do.... Yoruko: You can wash the dishes you promised to wash about a week ago. Setsuka: *pulls out her phone* Nevermind.

Syobai: Deep down, I'm sure I was always pretty okay with you. Sora: Thanks, Syobai! Syobai: It wasn't a compliment, numbnuts.

Hibiki : I have a new hoodie. Kanade: Wrong. Kanade: We have a new hoodie.

Teruya: Yo! I heard you like reptiles, got any fun facts? Emma: If a crocodile eats your dad, they become your new dad.

[denizenhardwick]

Sixth Sense

Joshua decides that, if Kubo can disguise himself as a Reaper during their Game, so can he.

AO3 Link

* * * *

“Mind if I tag along? I do love a good urban legend every now and again.”

Rindo looked up at the stream of people heading up and down the narrow street of Spain Hill. The speaker was instantly obvious, his black, wrought iron wings jutting out proudly into the people who passed through him undeterred. He had the smug, self-satisfied smirk of a man cheating in a game of cards, and the posture of one who knew he would get away with it.

He looked vaguely familiar, Rindo thought. Maybe I saw him some time last week?

“Yo, Priss-kid? You a Reaper now?”

“Beat, you… know this guy?” Rindo asked.

The Reaper giggled, twirling a lock of ash-blonde hair around his finger. “Yes, Beat. After our last game, I decided to switch things up and try my hand at being a Reaper.”

Ah. So he was a Player in Beat’s Game three years ago.

“Ain’t that a downgrade?”

“I suppose, if that’s how you choose to see it.”

Beat stared for a second, then shrugged. “Dunno why you’d do that, but aight. Whatever works for you.”

“Hang on, who are you?” Fret asked, a slight frown marring his face.

Another giggle. Rindo’s skin crawled--something about this guy just gave him the creeps, like he didn’t quite belong here and reality was rippling to accommodate his presence. Which sounded incredibly stupid, even in his head. And Beat seemed to be on friendly terms with him, so what reason did Rindo have to be paranoid?

“How rude of me,” the Reaper said. “My name is Yoshiya Kiryu. You may call me Joshua.”

“Well, I’m Tosai Furasawa. You can call me Fret!”

See! Rindo told himself. Fret got over his apprehension, so can you!

Nagi briefly nodded her head. “Nagi Usui,” she said. “Pleased to make your acquaintance.”

Joshua nodded back absently, but as Nagi was speaking, his eyes found Rindo and stayed there. Rindo squirmed, stomach churning. The gaze was shameless and prodding, like he was looking for something specific.

“And you?”

“Oh.” Rindo dug his hands deeper into his pockets. Joshua had been staring at him for an uncomfortably long time, but having his full attention turned toward him still caught Rindo off-guard. “Uh, Rindo Kanade. Can we keep working on the mission now, or… something?”

“Of course,” Joshua said. “I’d hate it if you stopped on my account. Don’t worry, I won’t distract you. It’ll be like I’m not even here.”

“Great,” Rindo muttered. “So… the eighteenth step?”

“Yeah! Let’s get it!”

Fret and Beat ran ahead towards the stairs, with Joshua following behind at a leisurely pace. Rindo made to follow them, but Nagi caught his hand.

“Wait,” she said, eyeing Joshua until he was out of earshot before turning her attention back. “Lord Rindo, I advise that we exercise caution around Yoshiya. I am sensing something is amiss with our new companion.”

Rindo chuckled nervously. “Uh, yeah, I was getting strange vibes from him, too. Thank God it’s not just me. Any idea what his deal is?”

Nagi shook her head. “Unfortunately, I have no clue.”

“Great.” He sighed.

“YO!” Beat yelled from up ahead. “You guys coming?”

“Just a sec!” Rindo yelled back. “Well, thanks anyway, Nagi.”

“Twas nothing. I simply implore you to be careful and alert in the event that he chooses to show his true colors, whatever those may be. Until then, let’s not keep our teammates waiting.”

“Right…”

They caught up to the others just in time to see Beat wobble and curse.

Fret grabbed his arm, steadying him. “You all right?”

“Yeah. Jus’ tripped s’all”

Joshua let out that grating giggle. “You should be more careful where you’re walking, Daisukenojo. Especially when we’re only a slip, trip, and a fall from Hell.”

Beat bristled. “Don’t call me that!”

“My bad,” Joshua said, not apologetic in the slightest.

“The slip guard is conspicuously absent,” Nagi said, thankfully diverting attention back to the task at hand.

“I guess that’s what got Beat.” Fret paused. “Wait, is that it? Just a missing slip guard? How anticlimactic.”

A shriek rang out from next to them, and they turned to see a young woman picking herself up from off the ground.

“Oh my gosh, are you okay?” the girl next to her asked, reaching down to help her friend up. Said friend let out another shriek, jumping to her feet and sprinting up the rest of the stairs.

“She doesn’t seem very ‘okay’ to me,” Fret said. “Hey Rindude, think you could scan her and find what’s up?”

Rindo shrugged. “Sure.” He trudged up the stairs after her, taking out his Player Pin.

What was that? A shiver ran down my spine as soon as I fell. It was so creepy.

Really? Rindo thought. A shiver? That’s it?

He conveyed this to the rest of the group.

“Huh. I didn’t feel nothin’ like that,” Beat said.

“Maybe you have to actually fall down to feel it,” Rindo guessed.

“So one’a us’s gotta fall down the stairs?”

“Seems like it.”

“So… any takers?” Fret asked hopefully.

No one responded.

“Someone’s gotta do it,” Rindo grumbled. Doesn’t mean I’m gonna volunteer, though.

“Aight. Then how we finna decide this?”

“Hmm? What are you waiting for?” Joshua piped up and looked directly at Rindo. “If anyone should take one for the team, it’d be you. You are the team leader, right?”

“Uh, yeah?”

Joshua’s expectant gaze felt like a physical weight. Like this was a test of some sort.

Rindo gulped. “O-Okay? I guess I can do it.”

“Don’t listen to him, Rindude. Let’s just do rock, paper, scissors.”

“N-No, he’s right. It should be me.”

“Lord Rindo, if I may suggest--”

But Rindo was already on his way down to the eighteenth step, Joshua’s eyes still burning and heavy on his back. He took a deep breath, then went boneless, letting himself fall.

“Rindude!” Fret was by his side in an instant. “Are you okay?”

“Mostly, yeah. Just--ow…” Rindo rubbed his tailbone and cringed. “I think I’m going to have a bruise, but that’s about it. Maybe this was a bust.” He started to get up, but a sudden pain in the small of his back forced him back down.

It wasn’t a shiver down his spine; it felt like getting stabbed with a dull knife. A wave of cold dread washed over his body--what was that? What kind of horrible, invisible thing must be lurking nearby--

“Oh my god,” he gasped.

“You’re going to have to speak up, Rindo. It’s not like we can scan you.”

“Aw, can it, Priss!” Beat snapped. Then, in a more gentle voice: “You okay, man?”

“Yeah, I just… I mean, I definitely felt something.”

Fret took out his Player Pin, eyebrows furrowing in concentration as he scanned. Then his eyes shot open. “Dudes! Noise alert!”

A scorpion Noise lunged at them, and the Wicked Twisters fell clumsily into battle. Rindo knew he wasn’t doing as well as he normally could, the echoes of the scorpion’s sting ghosting across and inside his body, sending him into several bouts of shivers. When the Noise finally went down, he braced himself against the wall, panting and disoriented. His eyes met Fret’s, but Fret didn’t comment. Instead, he let out a sigh and wiped his forehead.

“So, it was just some Noise?”

“Jus’ hanging out there, looks like. Damn.”

“It looks like we’ve got all the info we need now,” Rindo said. “Let’s report back to that Reaper.”

* * * *

“‘Let me tag along,’ he said. ‘I won’t distract you,’ he said,” Rindo grumbled as Joshua started going on yet another tangent about the history of some building they probably passed five minutes ago.

It’ll be like I’m not even here.

Yeah, right. Joshua was, apparently, nothing but an enormous distraction, sharing useless comments and bits of trivia about nearly everything they saw, and even things they didn’t see.

“We should go to Cat Street next. There’s an urban legend there, right?” he said, unprompted. “Did you know the Shibuya River runs under Cat Street? Ah, and my favorite cafe used to be there. It closed down a couple years ago, though. What a shame.”

“Would it kill you to be quiet for more than, like, two seconds?” Fret snapped. “There aren’t any plant-covered buildings with arches on Cat Street, so unless you actually solve the mission, we don’t want to hear it, okay?”

Damn. Joshua must have really pissed him off to make Fret so overtly hostile. I wonder what happened…

“MODI!” Beat exclaimed suddenly. “Plants on the building, between two roads, arches--it’s MODI in Tower Records, yo!”

“Very astute, Lord Beat,” Nagi said. “Lead the way.”

He did, nearly vibrating with excitement. Rindo, meanwhile, was filled with a sense of dread as he remembered the second part of the Scramble Crossing’s urban legend: walk counterclockwise in a circle and you’ll die in seven days. What if Joshua volunteered him to do that, too? He wasn’t looking forward to dying, especially since he just learned that he wasn’t actually dead.

He didn’t have to worry for long, though, because Beat marched right up to MODI and walked in a fearless circle.

They only had to wait a minute for someone to show up: a bored-looking Reaper in a red hoodie who perked up slightly upon seeing who was waiting for him.

“Hey, Twisterinos,” he said. “I’ve been watching you kids for a while now. So, exactly what kinda business have you got with me? Lemme guess: trying to rack up points?”

“Um, I guess?” Rindo said, tapping his phone against his cheek.

“We’re investigating urban legends for one of your Reaper buddies,” Fret clarified. “For points.”

The Reaper looked confused. “What’s that got to do with me?”

“Legend has it that every day, a certain location in Shibuya appears for the briefest of seconds on the jumbotron in Scramble Crossing, and any unfortunate soul who walks counterclockwise in a circle at that place shall die in seven days,” Nagi explained.

“We did all that and it led us to you,” Fret said. “So what’s up?”

“Ah,” the Reaper said flatly. “That.” He sighed dramatically. “Okay, fine, maybe I was using the jumbotron to advertise my location to Players. The deal is, pay me 300,000 yen for a round against some Noise, and you get some points.”

“That kind of… sounds like a total rip-off.” Rindo’s lip twisted in disgust. “We can just fight Noise for free by scanning.”

The Reaper bristled. “Hey, I gotta make money somewhere!”

“What’s any of this got to do with the RG, anyway?” Fret asked.

“Whaddya mean?” the Reaper said. “Oh, those punks with a sixth sense. Yeah, a few people from the RG picked up on my subliminal messaging. But they were getting in the way, so I sent ‘em packing.”

“Well,” said Joshua--and goddamnit, Rindo had just managed to forget he existed. “At least some of them will finally understand what they’ve been seeing now, heehee.”

Heehee. Not a giggle that time, he actually said “heehee.” But more importantly--what the hell?

“That’s pretty harsh, yo,” Beat said, carefully, like he wasn’t quite sure how to react.

“Not really.” Joshua idly played with his hair as he stared up at the arch above them. “Some people--those with a sixth sense, as our Reaper friend put it--can feel or see things in the UG while still in the RG. I’ve heard cases where they can even see Players, Noise, Reapers, the like.” He lowered his gaze and raked his eyes over each member of the Wicked Twisters instead. “That sounds like it would be quite… confusing, and distressing, no? So wouldn’t it be a relief to finally know just what it is you’ve been seeing? That it’s all real?”

“Dude, that’s so messed up,” Fret breathed out in disbelief.

Joshua just shrugged, taking out his phone like the conversation no longer interested him. Which was--weird. Everything seemed to interest him. So why was he suddenly acting bored now? Or, perhaps a better question was why was this getting to him?

He was a Shibuya Reaper, and had been a Player alongside Beat before that, which meant he had to have been alive. Well, obviously. But maybe...

“Did you--”

The sudden strange silence evaporated in an instant, that infuriating smirk back on his face. “I think it’s time for me to take my leave.” He pointed to the wings on his back. “I do have a job to do, after all.”

“Hey, wait!”

But he had already vanished. Not flown away, vanished, like he was never there to begin with.

Rindo blinked in shock. “Have Reapers always been able to do that?”

“Joshua’s a bit of an oddball, to put it lightly,” the Wall Reaper, who was miraculously still around, said. “Popped up outta nowhere a few weeks ago but claims he’s been a Reaper for years. Just be glad he left you alone.”

“Yeah, I don’t really care how he left, as long as he’s gone,” Fret said. “Now we can get through this day in peace. Right, Rindude?”

Rindo’s gaze hadn’t left the spot Joshua disappeared from. “... Yeah.”

* * * *

The next time they saw Joshua, it was day five of their third week in the game and they had just begun walking to Cat Street, where Neku’s Reaper contact was. No sooner had Rindo found himself praying that Neku’s contact wasn’t Joshua then Joshua’s voice rang out from behind them. Speak of the devil...

“Welcome back, partner.”

Fret groaned loudly. “Please, dude, I am so not in the mood for--”

“Joshua,” Neku said flatly.

“Kweh?”

Rindo’s first thought was: oh God, please no. His second thought was: shouldn’t Neku sound happier? Because he didn’t sound happy like he would if his contact had just spared them a walk across Shibuya. No, he sounded… resigned, vaguely annoyed, and… something else. Something positive. Fond, maybe?

Rindo turned around to see Neku with his arms crossed and Joshua smiling wider than he ever had in the time he spent with the Twisters. Which was, admittedly, not very long, but his ever-present smile seemed so… fake now, in comparison.

Neku eyed Joshua, his lip twitching. “What are you doing?”

“What do you mean?” Joshua replied in obvious mock-innocence. “I’m trying to stay alive. In case you haven’t noticed, there’s been a nasty outbreak of Plague Noise, and not even Reapers are immune.”

“But you aren’t a Reaper. So what are you doing pretending to be one?”

Everyone went quiet, before Fret forced a nervous laugh. “Uh, whaddya mean?” he asked. “Of course he’s a Reaper, got the wings and everything.”

Neku didn’t break eye contact with Joshua, even as Joshua’s grin twisted into something far more sly, something that reminded Rindo of their first real meeting, how Joshua made his skin crawl.

Neku continued, “Joshua is Shibuya’s Composer.”

The reaction was, for the most part, underwhelming. Rindo didn’t really know what a “composer” was--something to do with music, maybe? Fret and Nagi shared his blank look, and Beat didn’t seem surprised, either. A little confused, maybe, but not surprised. Shoka, however--she took a step back, eyes widening.

“Wha--he’s the Composer?”

Joshua almost pouted, looking at Neku like a disappointed parent. “Really, Neku? You couldn’t just let me have a little fun?”

Neku didn’t even flinch. “Your city is dying. Now is not the time for ‘fun,’ or whatever it is you’re actually trying to do here.”

“Hmm. Okay, then. What do you expect me to do, Neku?”

“Something. Anything. Save your damn city.”

Joshua raised an eyebrow and held one of his hands up. “While I can’t go into specifics, I’m afraid my hands are well and truly tied. I’ve already done all I can. My choices were to either sit back and observe from the outside or watch the show unfold in person.”

“Why, Joshua,” Neku said, firm, just on the verge of harsh.

“That’s classified.” Joshua took out his phone, glanced at it dully, then slipped it back into his pocket in such a way that left Rindo doubting that he was even checking it. It seemed like the action was more for show than anything else. “Well, this has been fun, but I think it’s time for me to go.”

He turned to leave, but Neku grabbed his hand.

“Wait.” And there was definitely a soft sort of fondness in his voice this time. “Can I trust that you aren’t behind this, and that you won’t let Shibuya be erased?”

“That’s your prerogative, dear partner. And whether Shibuya is saved or not, well--” He looked directly at Rindo. “--That’s all up to you.”

[edvonstein]

which precures would read homestuck without being dared to

Boy howdy. There’s a question I didn’t expect. Well let’s see here and go down the list:

Nagisa: Got into it shortly after launch, after hearing Honoka talk about it.

Honoka: OG reader, has been around for most of Hussie’s stuff.

Hikari: She didn’t read it until about halfway through its publication run, but caught up in a single night. She made fanart.

Saki: She tried to get into it for Mai, but it never really meshed with her. Still learned enough through osmosis to cosplay both Dirk and Dave.

Mai: She has five sketch books that are just redraws of the entire series with everybody replaced by Saki. None of her friends must ever see. They saw. They didn’t get it, but liked the art.

Nozomi: OG reader, not the absolute biggest fan, but did walk away liking it.

Rin: Saw Nozomi read it, and tried a little herself. Then she met Kanaya. The rest was history and fanfics. And special flower arrangements.

Urara: Currently lobbying for a broadway adaption. She is undecided which role she wants to play tho.

Komachi: She has changed her writing pseudonym to John Egbert, to get a better likelyhood of getting her Pirate Hurricane series published. She writes more like a mix of Dave and Rose though. It’s fucking mind expanding.

Karen: She had it fed through her home’s in house cinema to watch it with Komachi initially. They all ended up watching it.

Milk/Kurumi: “Vriska did nothing wrong”

Love: Her and Setsuna totally are like Rose and Kanaya. She is Rose of course.

Miki: She knows she is everybody’s Kanaya. She spend some time making masks of the characters. You can imagine how well that ended. Her Kanaya cosplays are somehow still great for the family boutique.

Inori: Yeah, she read it. Each reading session was followed by a trip to the confession booth. Eventually she just started reading it in the confession booth. The priest liked it too.

Setsuna: Her and Love totally are like Rose and Kanaya. She is Rose of course.

Tsubomi: Yes she read it. No her friends must never know. She doesn’t realize all of them have read it too.

Erika: The only friend Tsubomi opened up to about Homestuck. Turns out Erika runs one of the main japanese fansites of Homestuck.

Itsuki: Main mod on Erika’s fansite. Tsubomi must never know. Nor her family. Itsuki still feels too uncomfortable in their skin for that.

Yuri: Almost OG reader, she and Honoka frequented the same forums. Upon casual mention from Honoka, Yuri tried it out. Her young friends must never be tainted by this horror. Hopefully Hussie updates soon!

Hibiki:Learned about it through Ako. Found it pretty sweet, but didn’t make it all the way.

Kanade: Also learned about it through Ako. her bi heart couldn’t be stopped as she steamed through almost all of it in one go.

Ellen: Had been following it for about a year with Hummie before Suite happened. Continued reading while on the villains side. Often plays Homestuck songs while busking, and has several rearrangements on niconico.

Ako: Has been reading Hussie’s stuff since halfway through Problem Sleuth. She was 7 at the time. There’s a reason she a) is so crumby, Karkat is her spirit animal, and b) she decided to go and become an extra af phantom thief precure.

Miyuki: She is a reading machine, and of course this would capture her attention. She came in a bit late but found it on her own.

Akane: Similarly to Rin, she saw it over Miyuki’s shoulder one day, did a bit of reading herself, and got pretty hooked for a while.The hiatuses however broke her streak. Oddly enough the main emotion she took away from it is a hate for Equius, which she shares with Nao.

Yayoi: Main fanart contributor to Erika’s fansite. Her and Reika spend hours talking about Terezi.

Nao: Never did read it, she was too busy with her family and superheroism. More recently though, she decided to kinda wiki crawl the subject. Walked away primarily with a hate for Equius.

Reika: Another mod on Erika’s fansite.She has found her path. Her parents are disappointed. Screw her parents.

Mana: Tried it, didn’t like it. Square.

Rikka: Wishes she could live on that first planet they showed, with the froggies. She tries to dare Mana, but continues to get shot down. Mana is such a square.

Alice: Found it on one of her internet binges to bring her temper down. It proofed a surprisingly good tool to keep her mellow, which is why we see so little of her inner rage during the show. Another Terezi fan.

Makoto: Somehow has never come across a single shred of evidence that Homestuck exists. As unlucky as she is, she might be the luckiest of us all.

Aguri: Unlike Makoto, she has seen what Rikka and Alice are up to. She did read it a little, and liked what she saw well enough, but didn’t stick with it. Not enough time, and her twin sister lives fifty miles in Vriska did nothing wrong territory, so clearly she must be better than her. (She isn’t.)

Megumi: Came across it on her own, read it, but lost interest.

Hime: Runs the discord server for Erika’s fansite.

Yuko: Does occasional lyrics for Ellen’s arrangements, both on youtube and niconico, and makes the occasional troll riceball.

Iona: She was in fact dared, but by Megumi of all people, after she stopped reading. There is no bigger Rose fan now.

Haruka: As an avid reader, it did cross her radar, she went through it, and came out more determined than before to be the best princess she can be.

Minami: Amusingly enough, stumbled across it during her internet binges boning up on marine biology. Feferi popped up in her searches somehow, and the rest is history.

Kirara: Fans suggested it to her. She read it. The most fabulous Kanaya cosplayer of them all.

Towa: Kirara suggested it to her after she herself had finished (by now the webcomic is done IRL) partially because nerds gotta share, and partially because she truly felt it might help her cope with some of her inner turmoil from the guilt over being Twilight. Towa is slow in reading through this particular one, so she is still going through it today. Results unclear, she doesn’t talk much about it, even with Kirara. It might be helping though.

(The remaining characters I don‘t know as well as the others yet, but I’ll see what I can conjure up. Intriguingly I feel this also marks the first generation of Cures that lived in a post Homestuck world, what with Mahoutsukai airing in 2016, and Homestuck ending in 2016.)

Mirai: Got dragged in by the hype over the ending of Homestuck. Dared Riko to read it with her. They did. They planned their wedding to be like Rose’s and Kanaya’s.

Riko: Got dragged in by Mirai. Would feel very big deja vu next year when they both became moms to Kotoha.

Kotoha: Her moms protect her from this vice. (She found it anyways. There is no stopping the corruption of the youth.)

Ichika: Heard about it, but didn’t really care. Unfortunately for her she is on a team with Aoi, Yukari, and Akira.

Himari: Closet fan, wrote several dissertations about the science in Homestuck on Erika’s fansite. Which is probably where her crush on Honoka comes from.

Aoi: Loud and proud, likes this retro comic. Has started collabs with Yuko, Ellen, Amour, and Emiru because of course.

Yukari: She was a depressed gay teen during Homestuck’s peak... what do you think?

Akira: She was a gay teen during Homestuck’s peak... what do you think?

Ciel: She would have been save. But Undertale dragged her right into this fresh hell.

Hana: Huge fan of Undertale, but never quite pulled together the energy to tackle the behemoth that is Homestuck. Did learn through osmosis, with so many of her senpai cure friends being raving lunatic homestuck fans.

Saaya: Actually dodged both the Homestuck and the Undertale bullet initially. Hana then tossed Deltarune at her, and Saaya fell down the rabbit hole.

Homare: She had some inner hangups about getting into the whole mess, but Hana did dare her, knowing enough about the series to know that it’s message might gibe Homare the kick in the behind she needed to give ice skating another go.

Emiru: Big Undertale fan, but doesn’t care about the webcomic herself. Uncertain if even a dare would work, she does her own thing... well, besides the music. She freaking loves the music.

Amour: Read the whole thing in one hour to understand its impact on culture. What else would make her crash and join the heroes? Jokes aside, she did do it, and it did leave an impact on her. She was the one who connected Aoi and Emiru.

Hikaru: What are the freaking odds that she hasn’t read through it in its entirety three times this week alone?

Lala: Had her ship read it to her as something to fall asleep to. It put her to sleep quickly, actually, like tales from home. Her ship didn’t fare as well. It’s one of the biggest crack shippers on Erika’s site. Lala only heard like ten percent of the story.

Elena: Has neither the free time nor privacy to read a webcomic that’s now a decade old. Likes listening to Hikaru’s ranting about the series. Also likes how somehow that ranting makes Madoka’s face light up.

Madoka: It is unknown how she found the time, but she is a freaking huuuueg closet fan. She wants to talk with Hikaru about it, but still feels too uncomfortable being public about it. Hikaru does however know that MoonSollux, one of the biggest fanfic writers on Erika’s site, is her, but will wait for Madoka to come out of her shell in her own time.

Yuni: Missed the whole mess being a space alien idol phantom thief. Is getting a very wrong idea about human culture from Hikaru’s ranting. A dare would totally work.

(I have zero grasp on the Healin’ Good Girls, so not gonna do them.)

[letstalksymphogear]

Symphogear, EP. 5

LAST TIME ON SINGY WINGY

ANGRY GREMLIN BEAT UP GOOD BY SUICIDE MOVE SURVIVE BLUE BIRD YES. BLUE BIRD GO TO HOSPITAL FOR WATER METAPHOR WITH AFTERLIFE GIRLFRIEND. TINY BIRD SAD, BUT THEN NOT GET SAD! JACKIE CHAN TIME AFTER MUCH THINKING. WIFE WORRIED ABOUT THINGS. SOMETHING SOMETHING PUNCH GOOD NOW.

Let us continue.

Miku wakes up to see her wife has run off yet again. This is the part of the Sam Reimi’s Spiderman franchise phase where the Mary Jane (not weed) begins having a rockier relationship with Peter Parker (not slang for penis) due to lack of availability.

It’s contrived.

It’s almost impressive that she left a note and had time to draw a tiny Hibiki saying something in a bubble. Glad to see you have your priorities straight, Hibiki.

“you know she might have had a better time in the local art school that doodle aint half bad”

Hibiki is motherfucking Rocky all up in this.

She’s going to kick some ass and nobody’s getting in the way.

“YOU’RE GONNA EAT LIGHTING AND YOU’RE GONNA CRRRRRAP THUNDER TACHIBANAAAAA”

“THAT’S A DIET I CAN GET BEHIND”

I wasn’t joking when I said she’s not fucking around anymore. Did you think I was joking? I can see how you can get the impression given the first few episodes, but I really can’t emphasize the thoroughness of the ass kicking she is going to be capable of.

“MY FATHERLY ENERGIES ARE WORKING! ADOPTERS ANONYMOUS WAS WRONG AFTER ALL!”

That’s totally not ominous in the slightest.

Meanwhile, in the middle of an unnamed McMansion in the middle of who knows where...

Gratuitously spoken English is heard. To be fair, it’s actually really impressive pronunciation coming from people whose native language are systemically different to ours. Most shows would just settle for “this dude is actually speaking english but everything is said in japanese for better interpretation” but not Symphogear! No siree!

Relic business is afoot.

We have a random blonde lady shooting random Noise from the thing The Gremlin had in her hands.

She’s really trying her best with her accent. She’s also casually shooting Noise because let’s face it, would we not do the same if it were in our hands?

“i do whatever i want with my big stiff rod pal”

Also, she’s a nudist. To also be fair, if you lived in a fuckoff rich McMansion with weapons beyond your comprehension, you likely couldn’t help but walk around naked doing whatever the fuck you want.

The people she’s talking to are the Americans, which we explained before are portrayed strictly in an antagonistic light. They want some relics, and this lady clearly deals them like like some sort of glorified drug dealer.

Suffice it to say, she’s not a very nice person.

Also, the subs don’t match what they’re saying in English in the slightest.

The name of this woman... is Fine (pronounced fi-neh). And she is the main antagonist of this series.

Fucking identical.

And here is the most unpleasant scene in the entire season.

The person we’ve repeatedly alluded to as The Gremlin is called Yukine Chris. She serves Fine in whatever the hell they’re up to right now. In this case, it’s using the Nehushtan armor to run around with Solomon’s Cane to throw Noise around the city.

“shits gonna get real abusive, pal”

Fine is a narcissistic sociopath. She’s manipulated Chris into servitude by believing she is the only one that can pave humanity into salvation.

“i dont like that smile”

Chris thinks Fine can secure her deepest wish. Ironically? It’s world peace.

“yeah! yeah yeah, world peace, yeah, totally. just treat me like jesus and we’re gucci”

Anyway, she proceeds to thoroughly shock Chris.

The lore behind this is that this is helping her resistance with dealing with the physical demands of the Nehushtan armor, as well as deal with the pieces of Nehushtan that may be still inside. Let’s be real, though. Fine’s a sadist, and just likes hurting people willy nilly.

“fuck... that hurt like shit... hey wait... wouldnt some of the electrical arcs hit you and shock you too, given you’re so naked and close to all this...?”

“ya nevermind that food looks real nice and i want a piece of that fuckin turkey”

It’s a real creepy scene, and it cements Fine’s horribleness really well. One of the most pivotal things to take note is that Fine says that people can only communicate with each other universally through pain. Strong, terrible BDSM overtones notwithstanding, this will be a common (though varying in quality) motif of the entire series.

“BITCH YOU THOUGHT WE WAS GUNNA EAT AFTER THAT FUCKIN’ WISECRACK ABOUT GETTING SHOCKED LIKE YOU’RE EVEN FUCKIN’ NIKOLAI TESLA ALL UP IN HERE WE’RE GONNA ELECTRIC SLIDE YOUR ASS TO NEXT WEEK”

“FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK”

“WHERE THE FUUUUUUUCK IS HIBIKI?!”

“i was gonna invite her to the circus with the rest of the class ‘cause i felt bad about how i treated her but i guess she’s not here”

“the only clown im interested in is hibiki, in the carnival tent of my own bedroom”

“isn’t being a part of /fit/ great, hibiki? can you just feel the gains?”

“yeah who needs doting wife based significant others when you have your gym bros, right newly acquired father figure?”

Hibiki, having acquired a new brain cell during her training, asks the million dollar question:

“Why the fuck are we relying on schoolgirls to deal with all this stuff?”

“anime just be that way, hibiki. i’m just the wrong protagonist in the wrong show.”

Japan is super big on keeping the Symphogear a secret because they are strong and the world really, really wants a slice of the Symphogear pie. These people are basically walking super-weapons. Tsubasa literally dropped a sword the size of a skyscraper. It’s like the premise of the series of Iron Man films.

“do i get like a superhero name too or”

Something to wrap your head around. This was released around 2012, and while the setting seems to be slightly more futuristic, the world it was made in at the time had not been through the era of social media/smartphones we have right now. It was on the cusp of doing so, which means the idea of decent (yet vertical) amateur footage of things happening wasn’t something in the mainstream yet. Why do I say this?

Because in Symphogear, the fact that Symphogear exist is the biggest open secret in this unidentified city ever. NDAs are passed like hotcakes to keep people’s mouths shut on seeing monster-fighting singing superheroes. And they sing, too! Symphogears as an entity are the most high-profile fighting agents out there. Bright colors, no masks, constant singing, fighting in broad daylight in populated areas. Everybody knows, but no one says a word.

Which means every politician on the face of Japan hates these idiots, but they’re stuck with them out of sheer necessity.

“i swear to god if you bring up sam reimi’s spiderman one more goddamned time”

“look it’s the truth, all anime comes back to sam reimi’s spiderman. fate zero did it. uhhh, fucking...baccano, probably? now us. face it. its pretty much the bible.”

It’s also pointed out that the very concept of a Symphogear is born from a science that didn’t exist, and it probably contributes to political frustration as well.

“im going to microwave all your sam reimi spiderman dvds. im gonna do it. you try me, motherfucker. i didnt go into acting and get into this position to hear lectures about a decades old film franchise nobody cares about anymore.”

“can we stop fighting about the validity of sam reimi’s spiderman for five seconds and get back to helping me thing of a dope as hell superhero name? now, lemme lay one on you: Mister Fister”

Hibiki asks where Code Ryoko is.

“any answer besides Not Here works”

“oh, she left to talk to the americans, why?”

“huh, shes sorta late, actually”

“WHY A BAD BITCH LIKE ME GOTTA GET STUCK IN TRAFFIC LIKE THIS”

In the mother of all Mom Vans, no less.

MEANWHILE... IN METAPHOR LIMBO...

Tsubasa has reached the sea floor of the water metaphor dimension surrounded by water, which is her feelings, which are very gay. Imagine the Mariana Trench but like, deeper. Way deeper. That’s where Tsubasa is.

Leave it to Kazanari “I am literally a sword” Tsubasa to successfully spin the very act of surviving a suicidal move during combat as a failure. That’s a special kind of self loathing right there.

“the sheer force of my love for big ladies is keeping me alive”

Tsubasa asks about the point of Kanade’s sacrifice. Why’d she do it? Why was she so hungry at the end?

She personally shows up to answer that question, because that’s Kanade for you.

“being badass is cool, but you know whats cooler? caring.”

“sharing the sauce... you... you shared the sauce...”

“thats right, tsubasa. i wanted to protect the sauce, but... ultimately... sharing it was better. it wasn’t my sauce, tsubasa. it was everyone’s...”

“im gonna suck on a ketchup packet in your memory, tsubasa”

Kanade’s spirit pulls her out of the dimension of water metaphors as she is slowly undrowning from her emotions.

Tsubasa, like Kanade, was lost in the sauce. But now, after Kanade’s touching peptalk, Tsubasa is lost no longer.

“will i ever see you again in my dreams, kanade...?”

“where there’s a sauce. i’ll be there.”

“ill eat taco bell every day just to see you again kanade”

“and i dont even like taco bell... im more of a chipotle girl...”

After accepting Taco Bell as her lord and savior, she is immediately pulled out of the metaphor zone.

And wakes the fuck up.

“b..... b..... b............”

“Baja Blast....”

[ask-the-phan-site]

Phan Cam: The Festival of Our Dreams

WARNING: This post may be a bit long. Also, there’s a chance some posts may not show on time.

>The stage for the Dream Festival was all set up and ready. The idols were doing some last minute rehearsals before the first concert. Dream FES will last six days from Monday to Saturday this year. The first event takes place tonight on Monday which will be like any other concert. The second event takes place on Wednesday where it’s Open Mike Nite and anyone can perform on stage, even with the idols. The finale takes place on Saturday where the competition to see which Rookie Idols, Skull included, will get to become True Idols and possibly record a CD takes place with the idols finishing it with a huge show stopper.

Okay, so I stand here and I announce the groups when they come out. I think I got it.

Good. Now when you announce them, don’t hold back, give it as much energy as you can so the audience can feel it.

MC: I’ll do just that.

Worker: Hey, they stylist is calling for one last check!

MC: Coming!

>The MC leaves. Haruto also goes back stage.

>The dressing room. KUROFUNE was getting ready for that night.

God, this is just so great! We’re gonna blow this place tonight!

Calm down, Ryuji, I’m just as excited as you are.

Skull: I know. But this isn’t like all the other times I performed with you guys. This is the big time.

The real big time.

I’m glad to see you’re hyped for this. Now we know the songs we’ll be performing?

Yuto: First, we perform OVER THE SEVEN SEAS. Then, Treasured Hearts. And we finish off with Whole New World.

Skull: I like that choice. Though I wish I coulda written another song before all this.

Keigo: This year’s Dream FES is a week long to correspond with the End of Summer. You’ll have another chance soon.

??????: I hope so.

>They turn to see DearDream and Haruto come in.

Keigo: What brings you here?

We wanted to wish you luck... Or is it “break a leg”?

Either way, we hope you’ll do well.

Keigo: Thanks.

Yuto: What songs are you performing for Dream FES?

We’re starting with Dream Pulse. Next, we’ll do Up to speed!. And finally, GO TOMORROW!!!!!

I’ve added something new to our finale.

Skull: Really? You added something new to that last song?

Actually, he’s talking about the finale where both our groups perform.

Haruto: Actually. it’ll be three this year.

For real!? There’s more this year!?

Haruto: (smiling) You’re Ryuji Sakamoto, am I right? KUROFUNE’s newest member.

Skull: It’s a part-time job, actually. But I hope to work full if I can.

Haruto: I see. Well, this year, ANSwer will be joining you.

Kanade: So Asuma san, Chikage san, and Eiji san will be singing with us?

Haruto: That’s what the producers said. Letting one of the newer idol groups perform with two of the legendary idol groups, especially with KUROFUNE’s newest idol would gather more people.

Shin: That sounds a little... Big.

Haruto: That’s business. But don’t worry. I know you can do it. I’ve seen you do more impossible things than I can count.

Kanade: No doubt.

Haruto: So, can I count on you to do this?

KUROFUNE and DearDream: Yes!

Haruto: That’s the spirit. Well, see you tonight.

>With that, he leaves... And we come in.

Sounds like a big job.

Skull: I’m sure we can pull it off. With all of us here.

Keigo: That’s right. By the way, I like your concert outfits.

Thanks, my mom helped me put them together.

Keigo: God bless you, Katherine sama.

Wait until the Wednesday event, will have something really great on.

Chizuru: I’m already looking forward to it. By the way, how’s Suzui san? I hear she’s taking part in the Stride Tournament.

Panther: She’s doing fine. I’ll tell her you wish her luck.

Chizuru: And don’t forget to tell her that we love her.

That’s a little too much for her to take, but okay.

But thanks for wishing her luck, though.

>Then, Peter, Harry, Gwen, Miles, Anya, Aleksei, Randy, and Liz arrive. Also with them are John Jameson, Flash Thompson, even Alistaire Smythe, and three new faces: A young man with glasses, a chubby boy in a school uniform, and a young woman in a sweater.

You made it!

It wasn’t easy, we almost lost our luggage.

Only because one of us didn’t exactly packed light.

Well excuse me if this is my first trip overseas!

You should have just taken my advice and only packed what you really needed. Me? My football’s all I need.

So, you didn’t pack anything else? No clothes, just your ball and the clothes you already have on?

Flash: ... Okay, maybe there’s more than a ball that I need.

If he’s stayin’ with me and Harry, I draw the line at lendin’ my clothes to him.

Relax, Ryuji, I made arrangements at the Wilton Hotel.

Good. I don’t think any of the places our Japanese friends stay are wheelchair accessible.

Actually, my apartment has an elevator.

Yeah, we saw it the last time we were here.

So, how excited are you that you’ll be doing this?

Skull: I’m a little nervous, but everyone’s here, so I’m okay.

Speaking of everyone, aren’t you going to introduce us?

Peter: Right. Everyone, these are some of the friends I talked about. This is Kamala Khan.

Kamala: It’s nice to meet you.

(outfit altered to avoid being flagged) It’s nice to meet you, too, Kamala chan.

Harry: Ollie Osnick, he was a student at Oz Academy.

Actually, I’m already acquainted with Ryuji san.

Skull: Really? How so?

Ollie: ... It’s complicated.

Peter: And last, but far from least, Grady Scraps.

It’s nice to meet you. お会いできて光栄です。

名誉は私たちのものです。

Grady: Sorry about the uniform. It was in such a hurry, this was the only thing I could get on.

It’s alright, Grady, we’re here until the 24. We have plenty of time to shop for new threads.

Grady: That’s good to hear.

Chizuru: Then might I suggest Peace Parade. Sheep Heavenly is good, too.

For real!? Idol Brands can be bought as well?

Keigo: Normally, it isn’t. But remember, even though they are used in the Dream FES System, the clothes are still made by designers and they use our concert to promote their clothes.

Panther: It’s true. Mom does it sometimes, too.

Fox: I see... I wonder if I should feature my art in a concert.

Maybe on Wednesday. I know they'll love it, Yusuke.

And that’s why I love you, Ren.

>We both smile.

They’re the same as always. Even though we just saw them not that long ago.

Queen: Anyway, now to introduce ourselves.

>We introduce ourselves. Even Yuto, Keigo, and even DearDream introduced themselves.

Ollie: Nice to meet you all. But it seems you’re missing a couple of people.

Queen: Diego and Mishima are already in the crowd. We’ll be meeting up with them soon.

Skull: I just wish Axel and the others could be here, but they went back to Landmark City. I’m sure we’ll see ‘em again soon.

Oracle: Me, too. I’ve heard of this guy called Garrett and I really hope I’d meet him.

Worker: (coming in) Hey, the concert starts in a few minuets. You guys better get ready. (leaves)

Joker: Well, we’ll see on later on. Have a great show.

Enjoy the show!

>We leave.

>In the crowd, we meet up with Diego, Admin, Shiho Suzui, Boss, Sae, Mrs. Sakamoto, and even our councilor, Takuto Maruki.

About time you got here. This place is getting hyped up and packed.

(sorry if she’s still wearing her old uniform) He’s right, a lot of people showed up this year. Look over there.

>She pointed and we saw that Japanese fencer, Kagami Tsurugi, was here with French teen model, Adrien Agreste.

Panther: Are they here as a couple?

Shiho: I doubt it. They brought their friends.

>She is right, there are seven more teenagers with them... Two of which I recognized, but I won’t say more on it.

Not just them. Look there.

>He pointed to who is unmistakable the “Super High Schooler”, Moyuru Koda, and his teammate/boyfriend, Junichi Kotoba. They’re holding each other really tight.

It looks like we have some royal visitors, too.

>She was right. Not too far from where we were are the Royal Family of Attilan with their fellow Inhumans, Inferno, Iso, Haechi, and Flint Jaycen. (We’ll just call him Jaycen because we already know a Flint.) Not too far from them is King T’Challa of Wakanda, aka Black Panther. And next to him is Thor Odinson of Asgard.

I see a few other celebrities, too.

>I look around. I also see Hifumi is here. I also spot Rise, Yu, Yosuke Nanako, a man who I can assume is her father, and Teddie. I don’t think they notice me. With them is model/actress, Yukari Takeba. Not too far from them is the American author, Phoebe Halliwell and her husband, Coop. They were in deep conversation with... A young dark-skin man with pink dread locks who was accompanied by another dark-skin young man with brown cornrows, a young man with facial hair and glasses, a young man with long blonde hair, and, was was unmistakably, a brown and blue mecha.

This is getting too much. How’d I get dragged into this, anyway?

Oracle: (smirking) Because you just can’t say no to a face like this.

Boss: Heh! Maybe.

?????: Maybe you’re just getting soft.

>We turn to the newcomer... We were shocked.

What the hell are you doing here?

Are you saying it’s wrong to visit family once in a while?

Crow: Says the man who abandoned me and my mother in our hour of need.

Shido: That’s all water under the bridge now. Let bygones be bygones...

Besides, I happened to be a fan of Sankishi. Is that alright with you?

Crow: ... Just behave yourself, alright?

Shido: Like a church mouse. (sits quietly on his seat... Next to Crow)

This is going to be a long week.

?????: No kidding.

>Then, another comes in... You’ve got to be kidding.

I never pegged you to be someone who like theses events.

Now do we have to be such a downer? ... By the way, how do you like my anime look?

Seriously? What is it with older men and anime?

Stark: Just dressing for the occasion.

???: Actually, I kind of agree with her.

>Then, four new faces join in.

But at least your beard looks good.

Stark: That’s something, I guess.

Still, I guess it’s a slight improvement from your last two anime forms.

I’ve never seen that, so I can’t judge.

Eh, he’s still the same, either way.

Stark: (in defeat) Let’s just enjoy the show.

Mrs. Sakamoto: (whisper) It’s nice of you to come, by the way.

Energetic boy: (also whispering) Thanks.

?

>Then, the lights dimmed and the crowd starts cheering louder. The lights on the stage come on. The MC comes on stage.

MC: HELLO, TOKYO! WELCOME TO THE DREAM FESTIVAL 2019!

>The audience was hyped.

MC: Now before we begin, I first would like you all to give a big warm welcome to some famous people in the crowd tonight. Let’s give them a hand!

>The crowd cheered for all the people the others mentioned. Although, I’ve noticed that the Inhumans got little while Black Panther and Thor got a lot... Man, they’re cruel to them, they’re just like us... Only with power and slightly different appearances. Koda mostly got cheers from the girls while Rise and Yukari got cheers from the guys.

MC: And now, with out further ado, let’s welcome our first act for the night. The legendary idol group with a million cheers in one night, our very own Sankishi!

>The crowd cheered loud for the first idol group.

Haruto: Good evening, everyone! How are you?

>The crowd cheered.

Susa: That’s music to our ears. And we know that we’ll be music to your ears.

Ichika: Let our voices reach to you, tonight. Your hearts will glow for us.

Haruto: And we will glow for you. Let’s soar to our future.

Sankishi: TOGETHER!

Dorika Time!

Shido: I believe this one should suffice.

Crow: How... Fitting for you.

>We load our wands and launch the cards into the stage.

Catch Your Cheers!

Haruto: I shall wear your cheers with honor!

Catch Your Cheers!

Susa: My heart goes out to all of you!

Catch Your Cheers!

Ichika: The songs we sing shall be the pride of tonight!

(sorry for the chop job)

White Orchid Series! Complete!

>Sankishi begin their performance. The audience and us really enjoyed... But we know what we’re really looking forward to, but Sankishi is good, too.

>After some time, Sankishi finished their songs.

Haruto: Thank you all! I hope you enjoy the next group as much as you enjoyed us!

>They leave and the MC comes back.

MC: I’m so sure they will, Haruto san. Now for your next group. They were practically born for this show. Heck, they’re basically named after it. Give up for the idol group that puts the Dream back in Dream FES! DearDream!

>Everyone cheered.

Kanade: Before we begin, we would like to give a big thank you to Moyuru Koda, who is a big fan of ours, for coming here.

If you can really live up to your group’s name, I’ll really be hyped for the finale on Friday.

Junya: Then I guess we shouldn’t disappoint now, should we?

>The crow gave a little laugh. Then, I notice Koda is holding his arms and chest. I use my Third Eye to take a closer look at what he’ saying to Junichi.

It’s alright. We took all the precautions. I don’t think it’s going to happen here.

Koda: I know... I’m just worried. After what happened at that party... What I almost did to you.

Junichi: It wasn’t your fault. No one could predict that would happen.

Koda: Oh yeah? ... Tell that to your missing leg. You nearly lost your place on the team.

Junichi: But I didn’t give up... And you shouldn’t either.

Koda: Normally I would side with the winning team. I always saw you as that... But I realize, it never really was about winning or losing.

Junichi: And what’s that?

Koda: ... If I knew that, I would own the world.

>The two young men smiled in joy.

DearDream: Alright then, let’s being our show!

Dorika Time!

Junichi: If their first song is Dream Pulse, I think this one will work.

Koda: (smiling) Yeah, I think so, too.

>They loaded their cards and launched away.

Catch Your Cheers!

Kanade: Thank you so much!

Catch Your Cheers!

Shin: Thank you for your support!

Catch Your Cheers!

Junya: Your cheers will light up!

Catch Your Cheers!

Itsuki: Thank you, we’ll do our best for you!

Catch Your Cheers!

Chizuru: Your cheers will strengthen my love for you!

(Reminder: The following images are not in violation of the Tumblr policy as they do not actually contain sensitive or adult contain. They only show the upper half. Please do not flag.)

Candy Block R Series! Complete!

>DearDream performs their song, Dream Pulse. The audience really applauded when they finished.

>Meanwhile, with T’Challa and Thor.

I am still unfamiliar with this. Do all Japanese idols transform like that?

According to Stark, only those who work for this production company. Though I still wish I knew how.

(who couldn’t help but overhear) No one really knows. It’s one of Japan’s greatest mysteries. Although, I’ve heard the System works on the dreams of the idols and the people who go watch them... But that’s just one theory.

Thor: I see... I think.

King T’Challa: (looking through the Dorika) Let’s see. I was told when they first performed Up to speed!, they used this.

Iso: The original Candy Block Coord. That should be good.

Thor: Yes. Very elder school.

Iso: That’s old school.

Thor: What’s the difference?

Can you hurry up, Iso? They’re about to start up again.

Iso: Right.

Dorika Time!

Catch Your Cheers!

Kanade: Let’s get things up to speed! ... Okay, not a good job, but still.

>DearDream change their clothes.

Candy Block Series! Complete!

>DearDream performs their song, Up to speed!.

>Meanwhile, with the Investigation Team.

I brought the snacks!

Thanks, Yosuke senpai.

Yes, thank you.

Yes, thank you.

I don’t think you need to copy that.

Just be careful, Yosuke, that looks like more than you can carry.

Yosuke: Sorry, Dojima san, I guess I didn’t expect a certain bear to order so many.

Teddie: (shocked) Now that’s just rude!

Yosuke: But you’re the one who- WHOA!

>Yosuke tripped.

Koda: (who noticed) Hold it!

>As if he were as fast as the wind, Koda quickly catches Yosuke and all the snacks before they hit the ground.

Koda: Your friend is right, you have way too many snacks here.

Yosuke: (a bit surprised) R- Right!

Teddie: (pouting) So mean.

Rise: (also surprised) Wow, you caught my senpai so quickly. No wonder you’re the Super High Schooler.

Koda: (helping Yosuke back on his feet) Thanks.

Nanako: (amazed) You’re the Super High Schooler? Wow. Actually, my big bro is a bit of a super high schooler himself.

Koda: ... (laughs) I doubt it. I have something he probably will never have.

Yu: And what’s that?

Koda: ... If I told you, they would kick me out of the tack team.

>The Investigation Team just stares in wonder. Koda begins to make his way back to Junichi when he suddenly felt like he was being watched. He turns... Phoebe Halliwell and the young man she was talking to were watching him. he quickly turns, pretending not to notice, and returns to Junichi.

>With them.

(using comic appearances to avoid getting in trouble) You saw it, too, didn’t you?

No doubt. So he’s really... That sucks. He’s boyfriend will probably be disappointed.

Hold on, Kaz, I don’t think we should act just yet. He hasn’t done anything, so I think we’re safe for now.

Kaz: Hope you’re right.

(sorry, this is the only picture I could find) Be patient, sir. We’ll have our chance.

Kaz: Right.

Yo, Kaz, they’re about to start.

We thought it over and we thought this should be used for GO TOMORROW!!!!!

It’s no Gucci, but I think this is just as fabulous.

Kaz: Right.

Dorika Time!

Catch Your Cheers!

Kanade: Let’s go on to our future together!

Rose Bullet Series! Complete!

>They being their song, GO TOMORROW!!!!!. The crowd really cheered, even us and the Royal Family joined in.

Looks like you guys have a favorite group.

Maybe.

Just a little.

...

Fine, a lot. But only because we can sense the heart in their songs.

As can I. If they were like us, we would definitely wish to bring them back with us.

*bark*

Iso: It’s one of the few things that makes us no different... Music.

Haechi: You might get your chance.

Kanade: Thank you for tonight’s cheers! Be sure to give that same love to KUROFUNE!

>With that, DearDream leaves and the MC arrives.

MC: For our next group, they have sailed through the trail and hardships, but have made it all they here tonight. They even recently picked up a new member. Ladies and gentlemen, weigh anchor and raise your colors for the Gold, Silver, and Bronze: KUROFUNE!

>As KUROFUNE gets on stage, the crowd cheered a lot. Me and my friends were cheering the loudest. I also notice the Investigation Team cheering really loud, too... I hope Skull gets the win on Saturday.

Yuto: The time has come to set sail to dreams ahead!

Keigo: The stars shall guide us to your hearts and your souls!

So join us on our adventure to find our passion!

KUROFUNE: Let KUROFUNE be your captain tonight!

Dorika Time!

Catch Your Cheers!

Yuto: The great seas are calling us!

Catch Your Cheers!

Keigo: Your cheers will be our map to you!

Catch Your Cheers!

New Sailing ver. Ryuji

Skull: Alright! The wind is blowin’ our way!

(Reminder: The following images are not in violation of the Tumblr policy as they do not actually contain sensitive or adult contain. They only show the upper half. Please do not flag.)

>Skull was wearing the same thing, but with a more Bronze color.

New Sailing Series! Complete!

>KUROFUNE begin their song, OVER THE SEVEN SEAS. We were cheering loudly for them.

Skull: (after finishing the song) This next song is a song I wrote. I would like to dedicate to my friends and family who supported me all this time. Especially, Ren Amamiya, Goro Akechi, Peter Parker, and Harry Osborn.

Thanks so much for everything you’ve done! I love you all!

We love you, too, brother!

We know you can do it, Ryuji!

Peter: You and KUROFUNE can do it! Together!

Harry: This is your dream! Go for it!

>Suddenly, the boy known as Makoto, leaped up from his seat.

Makoto: THAT’S RIGHT! JUST TAKE FLIGHT AND YOU CAN DO IT!

(whisper) Thanks, little bro.

Dorika Time!

Catch Your Cheers!

Innocent Pirates ver. Ryuji

Skull: I’m gonna enjoy this!

Catch Your Cheers!

Yuto: Now we shall sing to your hearts!

Catch Your Cheers!

Keigo: Your cheers shall brighten the stage tonight!

(Imagine Skull wearing the same outfit, but Bronze in comparison to Gold and Silver.)

Innocent Pirates Series! Complete!

>They being to sing Treasured Hearts.

>After they finished, a Wakandan guard comes to us.

Wakandan guard: My king and his fellow Avenger wish to speak to those Ryuji Sakamoto spoke of.

Really? They wishes to speak to us?

Wakandan guard: I also have been asked by Lady Crystal that Chloe, Kamala, and Makoto of the Future Avengers come as well.

Makoto: Only Bruno comes.

Bruno: (in defeat) Please don’t drag me into this.

Peter: Well, we should at least see what they have to say.

>We make our way to the VIP Seats where the royals were waiting for us.

Hello, Future Avengers and Web Warriors and friends.

Chloe: Hey, Triton.

Triton: We will be speaking with Chloe, Kamala, Makoto, and Bruno. King T’Challa and Thor will speak with the rest of you.

Peter: Alright.

Chloe: Tell them I’ll speak to them later.

>Me, Crow, Peter, and Harry go over to King T’Challa and Thor.

Thor: You are friends of Ryuji Sakamoto?

Joker: Yes, we are.

Peter: We support him in his dreams and what he does.

Thor: Yes. I know you two as Spider-Man and Stealth Spider, so I can say that you have made many great friends.

King T’Challa: That is true.

Crow: Is that all you just wanted to do?

King T’Challa: Maybe. I have heard a great deal about you, Goro Akechi, the Detective Prince. And your father.

Crow: What about him?

Thor: We know that Inhuman reside here in Japan as well. But they mysteriously disappeared... After the sudden appearances of psychotic breakdowns and mental shutdowns.

...

King T’Challa: But now that’s passed thanks to the Phantom Thieves of Hearts. After some time, Japan’s Inhumans are slowly resurfacing.

Joker: Yes, we know. Some of them are even at our school. But we have no problems with that. They’re not doing anything wrong.

They make Japan feel like we’re part of something bigger.

Thor: That is true... However, there is one thing that troubles us.

Crow: What’s that?

King T’Challa: ... Actually, it can wait until after the show.

Harry: You’re right. This is Ryuji’s show. Let’s not spoil it. We’ll talk later.

>We return to our seats. Chloe stays behind to talk to King T’Challa and Thor.

Stark: So what did they have to say?

Bruno: We’ll tell you later. Right now, KUROFUNE is about to sing their last song for the evening.

Adi: (nods) I searched the deck and I think I know just the cards to use for this song.

Crow: I think that will be just perfect.

Dorika Time!

Catch Your Cheers!

Yuto: Now for our finale for tonight!

Catch Your Cheers!

Keigo: Thank you! This will keep me going!

Catch Your Cheers!

Skull: Nothin’ is between me and your Cheers!

(Skull’s has bronze colored feathers on both shoulders.)

Infinite Voyage Series! Complete!

>KUROFUNE performs their last song of the night, Whole New World. (Not the song from Aladdin, in case you were wondering.)

>With the Investigation Team.

(Can’t believe I didn’t get to talk when we came to the scene with Kida.) That song was great. It’s definitely nothing like the Disney one... Actually, they’re both good.

Nanako: I want to vote them to win the competition.

Rise: Well technically, KUROFUNE already won in a previous Dream FES. They’re not Rookie Idols anymore. Except for Ryuji, so I guess we can vote for him.

Nanako: Then I’ll vote for him.

Yu: That’s good of you, Nanako.

Teddie: Yes. Beary good.

Rise: If he ever makes it, I so want to help him with his CD. Yosuke senpai, you help, too.

Yosuke: (a little confused) Why me?

Rise: Well, you always have headphones on. Maybe you can lend a hand.

Yosuke: (groans) As if I have nothing better to do. And I have a relative who’s an idol, too.

>With us.

Way to go, KUROFUNE!

Adi: I agree!

Mrs. Sakamoto: I love you, Ryu kun!

(Does she have to shout out my pet name?) 

Keigo: Thank you! And we hope you will share that love with Ryuji san and vote for him for the competition!

>The whole audience really cheered as the MC comes back on.

MC: I’m sure they will, Keigo san. And good luck to you... Ryu kun.

(trying to walk off stage quietly) (Keep it together. Keep it together.)

MC: And now, for our last group of the evening. They help with the most difficult questions in your life No matter what, they are the ones you are searching for. (Mostly because they were voted for that name.) Ladies and gentlemen, give a big hand for ANSwer!

Akiomi Inamasu: Good evening, Tokyo!

Nanao Hidaka: We may be last, but we’re really not the last!

Souji Kibino: Yes.

ANSwer: Now let’s get to it!

(Since they’re a minor group in Dream Festival, we’ll be skipping their song. Sorry, guys. Maybe if they make a third series.)

MC: Weren’t they spectacular? Make you wish they really were the answer, then every student would pass their test.

>Everyone laughs a little and the joke as they applauded.

MC: Well, that’s it for tonight. When we come back on Wednesday, we’ll be having our Open Mike Nite. Anyone wishing to perform doing whatever show they wish to put on, good luck to you all! And remember... If you wish to use the System, you have to sign in and pay the fee in advance before Wednesday. If you haven’t, you have to pay double.

>All the idols join the MC on stage.

Haruto: The Open Mike Nite is here to remind us that you are just as important to us as we are important to you.

Kanade: You have just as much talent as we do. If not in singing or dancing, then in other ways. No matter what.

Yuto: We wish only good luck to you for showing us just how well you do what you do. Not in competition, just for fun.

Akiomi Inamasu: So let’s see what you can do that night. So until then...

Idols: Our goal is the Dream Festival! Dream FES is about to start!

>Everyone in the audience, including us, cheer happily.

>In the dressing room, we, including, the Investigation Team, Tony Stark, and the Future Avengers, came back to congratulate KUROFUNE for their performance.

Flash: That! Was! AWESOME! ... Though it will never be as cool as Spidey.

Peter: Aw, thanks, Flash.

Flash: (unimpressed) Don’t push it, Parker.

What Mr. Thompson is trying to say is, you guys did well tonight.

Keigo: Thank you, Makoto chan.

Makoto: That’s gonna be tough. My name is like hers.

Queen: I don’t mind being called Mako chan if that’s alright with Haru.

Noir: It should be fine.

Mrs. Sakamoto: Ryu kun, I’m so proud of your performance.

Skull: Thanks, Mom. (And enough with the Ryu kun, already.)

Rise: Just keep it up and might win that CD debut.

Skull: Yeah. I’m lookin’ forward to it.

Yu: We’ll be supporting you all the way.

Yuto You have good friends, Ryuji san. Be happy with that.

You know it.

Oracle: This calls for a celebration!

After-party at Leblanc! Sojiro, let’s get a turkey.

Now hold it! I don’t think it’s big enough to fit us all.

Oracle: In that case... 

Let’s pull our funds and get some sushi!

Diego: (really happy) I can get on board with that.

Fox: That could be hard. I’m low on cash at the moment.

Skull: Let me guess, art supplies?

Pretty much.

Harry: I’m rich. I can get the sushi.

Stark: I better pitch in, too. I still remember from what happened the last time I had some.

Bruno: I doubt you’ll be attacked this time.

I’m not going to ask what that means.

>We begin to make our way to the exit. I notice that the dressing room used by Sankishi. I hear voices in there. I couldn’t help buy listen.

Randy: Hey, Ren, you coming?

Joker: ... My shoelace came undone. You go, I’ll catch up.

Flash: Alright, but hurry up. I really want to taste that sushi.

Diego: I want some sushi, too... But I’ll stay behind and help.

>With that, the rest of the groups leaves while me and Diego stay.

Diego: What’s up, Joker?

Joker: I thought I heard something in Sankishi’s dressing room. I’m very suspicious.

Diego: Alright. I’ll see what I can do.

>Diego changes back to Morgana form and sneaks into the room. I access his collar cam with my phone... I was a little shocked.

Shido: Is that any way to talk to an old friend? Or even a fan?

Haruto: We’re not friends. But we still accept you as a fan.

Susa: And after knowing your secret, I doubt we’ll be friends now.

Ichika: Sorry. Guess stuff like this just happens.

Shido: I merely come here to congratulate you, and this is how you treat me? ... After everything I’ve done for D-Four?

Haruto: Tch! Don’t remind us. I’m surprised we’re still going after what happened with the Phantom Thieves... And what you did to your son?

>Shido, his face full of fury, bashes his fist against a mirror, shattering it.

Listen and listen well, you fucking, ungrateful fools! If it weren’t for me, D-Four Productions and you would have lost everything. The three of you would be out of a job. Your little proteges would be out of a job...

So I suggest you be a little more nicer.

Haruto: (looking down) ...

>Morgana returns to me and changes back to Diego. Just then, Shido walks out and notices us.

Can I help you two?

Well...

Shido: (staring at me) You look... familiar.

?????: I see you’ve met my new intern.

>I look up to see Tony Stark and Yuto coming up.

Shido: (unconvinced) Really? I don’t see someone like you hiring someone like him, Stark. What is this about?

Stark: (firm) It’s exactly as I said. Now if you don’t mind, I was about to treat my intern and his friend to sushi. So if you’re not too busy, you’re welcome to join us.

Shido: ... I’m due back at the Wilton. See you on Wednesday.

>With that, he leaves.

Yuto: We better go. Everyone’s waiting.

>So, we leave.

>The sushi restaurant in Ginza. While everyone partied, Stark and Yuto spirited me and Diego to a stall.

Yuto: How much did you hear?

Joker: A lot. What was that about?

Yuto: As most people probably don’t know, but there was a time D-Four Productions almost ceased to exist.

Diego: (a bit surprised) Really? What happened?

Yuto: ... Calystegia.

Joker: The song by Kanamin Kitchen originally written by deceased idol, Yuko Osada?

Yuto: Yes.When they sang it at the Love Meets Bonds Festival, their popularity skyrocketed... And they totally forgot about the Dream Festival. Only about 250 people showed up.

Diego: That’s harsh.

Yuto: With everyone so focused on Kanamin Kitchen, who works for Takura Productions, sales for D-Four were dropping. If that kept going on, many idol groups would have to be let go. Sankishi included. Even Amuse, Lantis and Bandai Namco, the companies that birthed D-Four, would have severed their ties with them to avoid being dragged down. Then, they would have filed for bankruptcy and their only salvation is to be bought out. Mostly likely their competitor, Takura Productions, or an overseas company, like Apollon Media.

Joker: Why would Apollon be interested in the Dream Festival?

Yuto: I don’t know. And I don’t care to find out. Anyway, Masayoshi Shido, who was already a major and well believed politician and a big fan of Sankishi, bailed them out by raising their popularity back up by showing his support. As a result, the next Dream Festival... The same Dream Festival KUROFUNE and DearDream first appeared, was a huge success.

Diego: So you owe him?

Yuto: Well, that’s what Shido thought. After his heart was changed by yo- The Phantom Thieves, our deal with him was over... But D-Four itself wasn’t.

Stark: Yeah, you’re welcome.

You helped them, Mr. Stark?

Stark: I got curious about why Shido loved Sankishi. So I listened to their songs... And I truly understood why they are famous for the night of a million cheers... That, and I was curious how the Dream FES System worked. Or even where it came from. So, I bought D-Four Productions. Now they’re members of the Stark International Family and those other companies didn’t have to sever their ties.

Diego: That’s quite generous of you, Mr. Stark.

Stark: Yeah, well, I still want to know more about the System... Maybe another time. Anyway, I wouldn’t worry about Shido now. But just to be sure, we’ll keep an eye on him.

Yuto: And Ren, Diego, about what we just told you...

Diego: It’s our little secret.

Yuto: (happy) Thank you.

Joker: And than you for keeping D-Four open, Mr. Stark. It means a lot to Ryuji.

Stark: You can thank me by not calling me Mr. Stark. Just call me Tony.

Joker: I don’t think we can do that.

Stark: Why not?

For starters, we already know a CEO named Tony.

Stark: I see... But for the record, I’m a way better Tony than that skate punk.

>I smile a bit. And we rejoin the others.

[ask-the-phan-site]

Phan Cam: Skull’s Debut

>D-4 Productions in Ikebukuro, Tokyo. KUROFUNE, including its newest part-time member had just finished practice for the day and would later perform that night.

Good work today, everyone.

Yes. Including you. We knew it was no mistake having you join us.

Thanks. But mostly have Harry to thank for this.

Yuto: True. But it was you who won our interest. Harry was just the guy who introduced you to us.

Ryuji: Fair enough. I’m just so happy to be here...

And still a little worried you know that me and my friends are the Phantom Thieves.

Yuto: You didn’t exactly hide it. You were practically wearing your Phantom Thief outfits while dancing.

Ryuji: Futaba told online that we were just cosplayin’. But I guess it didn’t take long for you guys to figure it out.

Keigo: Well, the places you were dancing were a little to elaborate to be done on a set.

True dat!

>Then suddenly, the door of the practice room opened.

Oh, sorry! We thought you were done.

Keigo: We are. Sorry for the wait.

That’s okay. That just shows how dedicated you are.

Oh, you must be Ryuji Sakamoto.

Ryuji: I am. So glad to be meetin’ you, DearDream.

>He shook their hands.

We saw your performance on New Years Eve. Including that beat boxing number you did. That was actually great.

Ryuji: You really liked it?

Well, it’s not something you find in the idol world very often. You’re probably one of the first to use beat boxing.

Ryuji: That’s something, I guess.

Kanade: Either way, you were great. I guess we better be ready for what you guys have in store tonight.

Ryuji: Well, I have been working on a new song, but I doubt it will be as great as what you guys have planned.

Keigo: Don’t sell your self short just yet. We haven’t even showed it yet.

???: But we’ve heard it’s a real heart taker.

Hey, you made it.

Like we told you, we’d be back.

We wouldn’t miss your debut for the world.

I wouldn’t miss it either. It will be a grand display tonight.

Itsuki: You must be Ryuji san’s friends. And Akechi, too. I’m sure it will be.

>We introduced ourselves.

Ryuji: Are the girls here, too?

No. They’re getting ready for the concert. We were just in the neighborhood and thought we’d just drop in and wish you luck like any good classmate would.

Really? I thought you wanted to know what it’s like to be in an idol agency building.

That’s enough out of you.

>We couldn’t help but laugh.

Keigo: By the way, congratulations to you, Akechi kun. You, Makoto chan, and Haru chan.

Akechi: Thank you very much.

Junya: Congratulations on what?

Akechi: Me and two of our friends took our college entrance exams a couple of weeks ago. (In reality, it was in January, but one of the admins writing this didn’t know that.) We just got our results... We got in.

Kanade: That’s great. Have you decided which college you’re going to?

Akechi: We’re all going to Tokyo University. Me and Makoto san are going into Law. Of course, I wouldn’t mind giving Science a try. And Haru san is going into Agriculture and Economics.

Yuto: That’s good. Those look like the best subjects for you three.

Mishima: I bet you four would be great at Todai (Tokyo University).

Yuto: Four?

Mishima: I mean, you are an idol. You must go to such a prestigious learning facility like that.

Yuto: You wish. I go to a community college.

Oh. I’m sorry.

Chizuru: Just be more careful about everything you find on the Internet.

Akechi: That reminds me. Next week, I’ll be moving out of the institution.

Ren: You mean that loft?

Akechi: Well, it’s more of a small apartment, but it’s closer to campus, so it’s no problem.

Keigo: What’s the apartment like?

Akechi: Yusuke was the one who told me about it.

Yusuke: I was just doing some people watching when I first spotted it. I was captured by its beauty. The vine covered building made with Japanese and European styles. It was almost...

It is almost otherworldly.

Chizuru: (interested) I see. I bet the people living there must be like that.

Akechi: I wouldn’t know. I haven’t met them yet and I haven’s even gone inside yet. But from what I’ve heard...

They’re quite the spirited bunch.

Ren: You had already left for idol training, so we thought we would check the place out. We still haven’t been inside, but I can definitely feel that kind of vibe. We were on our way back when we noticed that Ikebukuro was on the way, so we thought we’d drop by.

Ryuji: That’s great of you. Though, you coulda just texted me.

Ren: We thought this would be better... And Mishima wanted to look inside of here.

Okay, you already pointed it out.

Shin: It’s alright. You just wanted to know what it’s like inside the world of idols.

Mishima: Really, you understand?

Thanks.

Keigo: So, we’ll be seeing you guys there?

You bet. We’re just going to go home and change.

Ryuji: Ya know, I still don’t know why you’re in yer Shujin uniform when you don’t go there anymore.

Ren: ... It felt more natural.

Akechi: It’s no surprise. You’ve been going there since your probation.

Yuto: Probation?

Ren: It’s a long story. I’ll tell you another time.

Ryuji: Right. See you guys later.

>With that, we leave.

Ryuji: I better go, too. I promised my mom I’d take her to the concert.

Kanade: Same here. My mom and younger brother want to be there as well. We’re performing together.

>With that, they depart for now.

>The Sakamoto residence. Ryuji and his mother were getting ready for the concert.

I am so proud of you, Ryu kun. Your debut concert will be spectacular, I just know it.

Ryuji: Thanks, Mom...

But can you not call me that when we get there?

Mrs. Sakamoto: Oh, you’re not fun.

>They were just about to open the door when...

KNOCK! KNOCK!

Mrs. Sakamoto: I wonder who that could be at this time.

>She opened the door... Her jaw dropped.

Mrs. Sakamoto: Alex?

Hello, Hana chan.

What the hell are you doin’ here!?

Paine: I was going to pay you all a visit, but it looks like you were just leaving.

Mrs. Sakamoto: To Ikebukuro

Paine: Of course, I completely forgot that it’s Ryu kun’s debut concert tonight.

Ryuji: So what are you gonna do about it? Crash it and cause trouble like you always do?

Paine: Not tonight. I’ve already had quite the day. Tokyo’s as confusing as always. However, a J-pop concert doesn’t sound like a bad way to end it.

>The two were speechless.

Paine: Don’t worry. I won’t let anyone know the trouble about us.

Ryuji: ...

Alright. But you better behave yourself... He’s here.

Paine: Very well. I’ll be sure to behave as you please.

>With that, they leave for the concert.

>The Dream Festival Stadium, Ikebukuro. Ryuji had us come backstage.

Looks like the idol life is doing well for you.

And a new song to boot? That’s amazing.

Ryuji: Thanks. I so needed to see you guys.

Why are you asking it like that? Did something happen?

Ryuji: It’s... It’s nothin’. But I’ll tell ya soon enough.

As long as you’re alright. Just remember, we’re here for you.

Ryuji: By the way, I invited some other friends to come over to the concert. You should join them in the stands.

Your old tack teammates? I guess they would want to support you on your debut.

Ryuji: Yeah, Takeishi and Nakaoka would. They’re already here, but no, I wasn’t talking about them. The friends I was talkin’ about are from overseas. They’re with my mom now. But I havta warn ya...

They’re as crazy as me.

If that’s true, this will be an interesting transition.

Keigo: I agree. After what Ryuji san told us, I wonder they’re like.

Guess we’ll soon find out. DearDream is almost done with they’re performance. You guys are on next.

Yuto: Right. We’ll see you guys after the show.

>With that, we take our leave to the stands.

>We arrive up at the stands to find Mrs. Sakamoto... With five people around our age.

Whoa! Aren’t you...

Friends of your friend? Pretty much.

Mrs. Sakamoto: I’m so glad you could make it, Axel kun. And I’m also glad to be meeting your friends as well.

Thanks, Mrs. Sakamoto. After all... This would be good time to know what Axel was like when he was young.

(this was the only picture I could find, sorry Zach) You know, I could totally become an idol if I wanted to. I can sing and dance.

Yeah. You remind us everyday, dude... Especially since we can hear you all the way from the shower. (begins laughing)

>Hawk glares at Shark, but the rest of us were laughing as well.

I can see what Ryuji meant.

Well, you get used to it after a while.

How long is that? A hundred years?

Lioness: Ugh, did your bag just meowed?

Ren: ... It’s a toy.

Lioness: You went with that, didn’t you?

>It looks like I’m in a corner. Hopefully my level of Charm will get me out of this... But I have a feeling that Axel guy would beat me up if I did.

>Meanwhile, backstage, DearDream had just finished their song.

Kanade: Good luck, Ryuji san. Show them your talent.

Ryuji: Thanks.

>Ryuji was a bit nervous.

Keigo: It’s alright, Ryuji san.

...

Yuto: Look, I know your heart is racing. You’re worried that something will go wrong. I can’t promise nothing will go wrong, but only you can find a way to raise up to the occasion and set sail to the future. And with that song you wrote, it will be a show no one will forget.

You’re right. It ain’t over ‘less I say it’s over.

Yuto: Cool. So are we ready?

KUROFUNE: Ready!

>Onstage.

Alright, everyone! Are you set for the main event!?

>The audience, including us, cheered.

MC: Excellent! Ladies and folks, with their newest song and their newest member, I give you KUROFUNE!

>We all cheered as KUROFUNE got on stage.

Yuto: Now we shall began a new voyage to a new land.

Keigo: With words glowing with renewal and new adventure.

Ryuji: Some come aboard with us as we set sail to glory and love.

(with the rest of KUROFUNE) Let the hunt for the Treasured Hearts begin!

Dorkia Time!

Catch Your Cheers!

Keigo: Thank you for your cheers. I shall wear them with pride.

Catch Your Cheers!

Yuto: You give me the winds to go forward.

Catch Your Cheers!

(Still not a good enough artist. So you’ll still have to imagine.)

Ryuji: You are the stars that will guide the way.

(Reminder: The following images are not in violation of the Tumblr policy as they do not actually contain sensitive or adult contain. They only show the upper half. Please do not flag.)

(Imagine Ryuji wearing the same outfit, but Bronze in comparison to Gold and Silver.)

Innocent Pirates Series! Complete!

(I also like to apologize if this song sounds like the tune of You Are Mi・Amore. J-pop songs are one of my weakest points.)

Yuto We travel across the azure so deep A new goal of glory is what we now seek

Keigo This treasure that lies ahead is bright as fire A map to this prize is not at all required

Ryuji Sailing through time the shining blue

KUROFUNE For the real treasure of our journey is you

We seek your

Treasured Hearts Our spirits fly high Striking through the clouds like a bolt from the blue

Your Treasured Hearts Under ruby skies The real treasure of our dreams is you

Ryuji (Beat boxing)

>Everyone cheered and applauded when they finished their song. This was one of the greatest concerts I’ve ever been to. And I am sure there will be more.

>The dressing room. We came here to see KUROFUNE and congratulate them for such a wonderful song.

You guys kicked ass out there!

Oh! Sorry, Mrs. Sakamoto.

Mrs. Sakamoto: It’s okay, Ann chan. In your position, I would have said the same thing.

But there is a point to that. That was a most excellent performance.

Ryuji: Thanks, you guys. You’re the best.

Mishima: I already knew idols were amazing. But you, Sakamto kun, you and KUROFUNE were awesome.

Yusuke: Indeed. Even I couldn’t stop moving to the beat.

Ren: Same here. My feet were just itching to dance.

Akechi: As were mine.

Keigo: I’m glad to hear it. You know, Ren kun, Yusuke kun, Akechi kun, and Mishima kun, if you’re interested, you could try becoming idols yourselves.

Yusuke: That sounds like a nice offer, but I prefer to keep my style to a canvas with a brush.

Akechi: I’ll be book solid with my college work and the many cases I have to solve.

Mishima: I get stage fright.

Ren: I don’t think I could do it either. Besides, whenever I sing...

I sound like Lyn Inaizumi.

Well so do me, Ann, Makoto, and Haru!

Ren: Don’t get me wrong. I like Lyn’s songs. I especially like Life Will Change.

Makoto: I’m more prone to Last Surprise myself. Sis also likes Whims of Fate.

Hawk: If those clowns won’t take up your offer... I’m available.

Yuto and Kegio: ...

King: (Axel’s friend, not Tamaki) In your dreams, Bird Breath. Even if it is called the Dream Festival.

Shark: He’s right, dude... It would seem more like a Nightmare Festival. (laughing)

>Hawk glared.

?????: If only it were, but I wouldn’t want Ryu kun’s dream to be ruined.

>We turned quickly to see the new person in the room.

Y- You’re...

Ryuji: You’d you get past security?

Paine: I can be persuasive.

If by persuasive you mean you gave them a little touch of pain.

Paine: No, they just look one look at me and ran for it.

Axel: I can see that happening. What brings you here anyway, Paine? I don’t see you coming all the way to Japan for it’s new and old culture.

Paine: What? Are you saying I can’t visit them? I haven’t seen them in years and you’re forgetting the only reason you and Ryuji know each other is because of me.

Ryuji: Just remember what I said. Behave yourself and we won’t have a problem.

Paine: Oh, Ryu kun. If you think I came back to ruin your lives like I did before... I would have done it when I arrived. Anyway, I’m glad you achieved your dream. That’s all I wish to say. So I’m off. See you soon.

>With that, he leaves.

Lioness: He introduced you? Last time? Axel, explain.

Axel: It was back when Paine and my dad worked together. Dad brought me to Japan and that’s how I met Ryuji.

Haru: But do he and Paine know each other?

Ryuji: (looking down) ...

Mrs. Sakamoto: Ryuji, I think you should tell them. They going to have to learn the truth sooner or later.

Akechi: She’s right. You already told me, Harry, Peter, Yuto, and Keigo. I think it best if the rest of your friends know.

Ren: Ryuji?

Ryuji: ... Remember how I told you that my dad was an abusive d bag who abandoned me and my mom? ... That wasn’t the whole truth.

Makoto: Did your dad worked with Paine? Did they knew each other?

Ryuji: Let’s just say they are closer than you think...

Like the same person close.

>We were all very silent about this. It couldn’t be true... Can it?

Lioness: You mean, Paine is your...

Stop! I don’t think we need to hear anymore.

Futuba: He’s right. We get the picture. But why didn’t you tell us sooner, Ryuji?

Ryuji: Kamoshida already had some dirt on me. Do you think I wanted to give him more ammo? That the disgrace of the track team has a father who is not only an abusive drunkard, but a hardened criminal? And one who already has a daughter?

Ann: No, I suppose not.

Makoto: But that doesn’t change you are and what we think about you. Remember, some of us had a past like yours.

Akechi: I should know. I’m one of them.

Yuto: And if we cared about your past, we wouldn’t have let you perform tonight.

Keigo: You are a member of KUROFUNE. We care about you.

And so do us.

Ryuji: ...

Thanks, guys. You’re the best.

Keigo: Speaking of being an idol, I told the producer to let me give you your first paycheck for tonight. Here it is.

>Keigo gives Ryuji a check for ¥50,000 (about $450).

Ryuji: I’m gonna give it Mom.

Mrs. Sakamoto: Are you sure, Ryu kun? You earned this money.

Ryuji: Part of the reason I became an idol is so I can ease yer burden of havin’ to look after me. Since I couldn’t do it on the track team and Norman Osborn only used you to store his money, I hope this will make up for it.

Mrs. Sakamoto: Well... Thank you, Ryu kun. This should support us for a good amount of time.

Ryuji: You’re welcome.

>It was quite the dramatic night.

>My room in Cafe Leblanc. I know we already accepted Ryuji despite what we learned and I know it’s probably none of my business, but I asked Futaba to do some checking around. What is Paine really doing here?

Morgana: Are you sure you want to do this? Ryuji probably won’t be happy.

Ren: I know. But I’m worried about him. And I know Akechi is as well. Don’t worry. I already asked him. They should be contacing us soon.

Morgana: I sure hope you know what you’re doing. From what I’ve heard, Alexander Paine is someone you want to be careful around... Then again, he sounds just like the kind of person whose heart we should steal. But we should wait until we gather to discuss it.

>I nodded. Just then, my phone rang. I checked it. Ryuji, Futaba, Akechi, and Makoto were in the chat room.

I found something. Looks like you were right to talk about this.

I know kinda asked you to drop it. But now I’m a little curious myself.

What did you find, Futaba chan?

It turns out Paine didn’t come straight here from Landmark City. Before he left, he made a stop someplace else.

Where did he go?

Someplace with a lot of new and untested tech. He didn’t cause any trouble there. Guess it’s because of the big strong robots that guard the place.

Untested tech? Robots? That sounds like... Griffin Rock.

Griffin Rock, Maine? Max talked about that place in one of his online lectures... But in my opinion, the people there may be good with tech, but are not very bright.

What does he want from that place?

I don’t know... But I suppose we’ll find out soon.

>Just what is waiting for us? Guess we’ll know soon enough.